Method and apparatus for supplying power to devices coupled to a bus

• US 5,842,027 A
• Filed: 06/19/1997
• Issued: 11/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Teener, Michael D., Oprescu, Florin
• Primary Examiner(s): Ray, Gopal C.
• Application Number:
  US08/878,859
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 395/750.01, 395/750.08, 395/182.2, 364/707, 364/492
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/305 in the event of power-supply fluctuations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3253 Power saving in bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/36 for access to common bus or bus system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

The power management system tracks the total amount of power drawn from a bus by devices connected to the bus and to the bus itself, based on the individual operational status of each device. The power manager system also tracks the total amount of power supplied to the bus. From this information the power manager system determines whether a power surplus exists sufficient to allow an additional device to operate or to allow a currently operating device to draw more power. Power usage requests received from devices connected to the bus are granted or denied by the power management system based on the determination of available power. The power management system additionally is capable of sequencing the use of several devices to allow the devices to each operate while maintaining the total power draw within an acceptable range. The system provides for efficient use of a limited amount of power to allow operation of more devices than conventionally allowed with a bus. The system also can activate power supply devices which are off-line via soft-power-on commands to increase the total amount of power available. The system is advantageously implemented with any bus system having devices drawing power from the bus from power supplies providing limited power.

Claims

1. In a device interconnection bus, having a first set of devices capable of supplying power to the bus to power a second set of devices coupled to the bus, wherein said first set of devices includes at least one battery-powered device with a battery power source, an apparatus comprising:

means for controlling said battery-powered device to provide power to said bus when no AC-supply-powered devices are providing power to said bus such that said second set of devices are powered by said battery-powered device; and

means for controlling said battery-powered device to draw power from said bus when at least one AC-supply-powered device is supplying power to said bus such that said second set of devices are powered by said AC-supply-powered devices wherein at least in one mode, said battery-powered device and said at least one AC-supply-powered devices are concurrently supplying power to said bus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said battery-powered devices supply power at a first voltage and said AC-supply-powered devices supply power at a second higher voltage, and wherein said means for controlling said battery-powered devices to draw power from said bus includes a voltage overprotection circuit connecting said battery-powered device to said bus, said over-protection circuit having means for detecting the higher voltage supplied to said bus by said AC-supply-powered devices and means for terminating supply of battery power to said bus in response to said determination.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device interconnection bus comprises an IEEE P1394 compatible bus.

4. A computer system, comprising:

a device interconnection bus;

a plurality of devices coupled to said bus, said plurality of devices each consume power and include as a first device, a non-battery powered device capable of providing power from an AC source to said first device and to said bus, and as a second device, a battery powered device capable of providing power from a battery to said second device and to said bus; and

circuitry which causes said second device to supply power to said bus when said first device is not supplying power to said bus, said second device designed to draw power from said bus to power said second device when said first device supplies power to said bus wherein at least in one mode, said first device and said second device concurrently supply power to said bus.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein said second device is capable of supplying power to said bus only at a voltage level below a voltage level at which said first device supplies power, and

wherein said circuitry includes a voltage overprotection circuit connected to a power-supply of said second device, said protection circuit including:

means for detecting a voltage level of power carried on said bus;

means for disconnecting a battery-powered supply of said second device from said bus if said voltage on said bus exceeds said voltage provided by said battery-powered supply; and

such that the battery supply of said second device is automatically disconnected when said first device begins supplying power to said bus and automatically re-connected when said first device is supplying power to said bus.

6. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the device interconnection bus comprises an IEEE P1394 compatible bus.

7. A power management system comprising:

a first device which uses power, said first device coupled to a bus, said first device capable of providing power to said bus from an ac source;

a second device which uses power, said second device coupled to said bus, said second device capable of drawing power from said bus and providing power to said bus from a battery source, said second device configured to supply power to said bus when a voltage on said bus drops below a first threshold value and to draw power from said bus when a voltage on said bus exceeds a second threshold value wherein at least in one mode, said first device and said second device concurrently supply power to said bus.

8. The power management system of claim 7 wherein said first threshold value is equal to said second threshold value.

9. The power management system of claim 7 wherein said second device includes an over-voltage protection circuit which disconnects the battery source of the second device when the voltage on said bus exceed the second threshold value and connects said battery source of said second device when the voltage on said bus drops below the first threshold value.

10. The power management system of claim 7 wherein said second device is a peripheral device.

11. The power management system of claim 7, wherein the bus comprises an IEEE P1394 compatible bus.

12. A method of providing power to devices connected to a bus, said method comprising the steps of:

connecting a first device to said bus, said first device consuming power and also capable of providing power to said bus from an AC source,

connecting a second device to said bus, said second device being a passive device which draws power from said bus;

connecting a third device to said bus, said third device consumes power and is also capable of providing power to said bus, said third device configured to provide power to said bus when a detection circuit determines power provided by said first device is insufficient to power said second device, said third device drawing power from said bus when said first device provides sufficient power to said bus to power said second device and said third device wherein at least in one mode, said third device and said first device concurrently supply power to said bus.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said second device and said third device are peripheral devices.

14. A power management system comprising:

a plurality of interconnection lines;

a first device coupled to the plurality of interconnection lines; and

a second device coupled to the plurality of interconnection lines and configured to draw up to an amount of power from the interconnection lines, wherein the amount of power is communicated to the first device over the plurality of interconnection lines upon initialization of the system, and wherein the first device determines if the amount of power exceeds an available amount of power for the plurality of interconnection lines.

15. The power management system of claim 14, wherein the first device activates the second device if the amount of power does not exceed the available amount of power for the plurality of interconnection lines.

16. The power management system of claim 14, wherein the first device does not activate the second device if the amount of power exceeds the available amount of power for the plurality of interconnection lines.

17. A power management system comprising:

a first plurality of interconnection lines;

a second independent plurality of interconnection lines;

a third independent plurality of interconnection lines;

a plurality of device arranged in an arbitrary topology, wherein;

a first one of the device is coupled to the first plurality of interconnection devices;

a second one of the devices is coupled to the first, second, and third plurality of interconnection lines, the second device configured to receive power from said first device via the first plurality of interconnection lines and to provide power to said second and third plurality of interconnection lines;

a third one of the devices is configured to receive power from the second device via the second plurality of interconnection lines; and

a fourth one of the devices is configured to receive power from the second device via the third plurality of interconnection lines.

18. The power management system of claim 17, wherein the first device includes a power source.

19. The power management system of claim 17, wherein the first device does not include a power source.

20. The power management system of claim 17, wherein the first device comprises:

a bus interface circuit coupled to the first plurality of interconnection lines;

circuitry coupled to the bus interface circuit; and

a power supply coupled to the circuitry and configured to provide power to the circuitry when the circuitry is operating.

21. The power management system of claim 20, wherein the bus interface circuit draws power from the first plurality of interconnection lines when the power supply is not operational.

22. A power management system comprising:

a first plurality of interconnection lines;

a first device coupled to the first plurality of interconnection lines; and

a second device coupled to the first plurality of interconnection lines and configured to draw up to a first amount of power from the first plurality of interconnection lines, wherein the second device stores an indication of the first amount of power and communicates the indication to the first device over the first plurality of interconnection lines, and wherein the first device determines if the first amount of power exceeds an available amount of power for the first plurality of interconnection lines.

23. The power management system of claim 22, further comprising:

a second plurality of interconnection lines coupled to the first device; and

a third device coupled to the second plurality of interconnection lines and configured to draw up to a second amount of power from the second plurality of interconnection lines, wherein the third device stores an indication of the second amount of power and communicates the indication to the first device over the second plurality of interconnection lines, and wherein the first device determines if the second amount of power exceeds an available amount of power for the second plurality of interconnection lines.

24. A power management system in a processing node, comprising:

a connection port configured to couple the processing node to a plurality of interconnection lines; and

a transmitter coupled to the connection port, the node configured to draw up to an amount of power from the interconnection lines, the transmitter configured to communicate the amount of power upon initialization of the node to the connection port for receipt by another node through the plurality of interconnection lines.

25. The power management system of claim 24, wherein the node is configured to interconnected with other nodes in a system in an arbitrary topology.

26. The power management system as in claim 25, wherein the plurality of interconnection lines carries a differential serial data.

27. The power management system as in claim 26, wherein if the amount of power exceeds an available amount of power, initialization of the node is not completed.