Multiport power converter with load detection capabilities
First Claim
1. A method of managing power availability for an external device, the method comprising:
- by a power managing device;
determining a number of connected ports, wherein;
i) a plurality of ports of the power managing device includes the connected ports, ii) each port of the connected ports is connected to an active load, and iii) a first port of the connected ports comprises;
1) a power terminal,
2) a ground terminal, and
3) a data terminal;
reconfiguring a power output of the power managing device based on a per-port available power level of the power managing device that corresponds to the number of connected ports, the power output including a per-port power level, wherein the per-port power level comprises a fraction of the total available power for the plurality of ports relative to the number of connected ports;
communicating the per-port power level over the first port using the data terminal; and
providing power over the first port corresponding to the per-port power level.
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Abstract
Power converters are provided that convert alternating current (AC) power to direct current (DC) power. A power converter may have multiple ports. Each port may have an associated connector with multiple power and data terminals. When an electronic device is connected to a given port, the electronic device draws DC power from the power converter. To ensure that the capacity of the power converter is not exceeded when multiple devices are connected to the ports of the power converter, the power converter may actively monitor its ports for active loads. Load detection circuitry can determine what number of ports are active. Control circuitry can compute a per-port available DC power level based on the number of active ports and can provide this information to connected devices.
106 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of managing power availability for an external device, the method comprising:
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by a power managing device; determining a number of connected ports, wherein;
i) a plurality of ports of the power managing device includes the connected ports, ii) each port of the connected ports is connected to an active load, and iii) a first port of the connected ports comprises;
1) a power terminal,
2) a ground terminal, and
3) a data terminal;reconfiguring a power output of the power managing device based on a per-port available power level of the power managing device that corresponds to the number of connected ports, the power output including a per-port power level, wherein the per-port power level comprises a fraction of the total available power for the plurality of ports relative to the number of connected ports; communicating the per-port power level over the first port using the data terminal; and providing power over the first port corresponding to the per-port power level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An apparatus configured to provide power-related data to a device, the apparatus comprising:
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load detection circuitry configured to detect when the device is connected to the apparatus; control circuitry configured to provide a power availability indication to the device based in part on a number of active loads connected to the apparatus, wherein the power availability indication is provided to the device using an electrical signal over a data terminal, wherein the power availability indication corresponds to a per-port available power level for at least one port of the plurality of ports, and wherein the per-port power level comprises a fraction of the total available power for the plurality of ports relative to a number of connected ports; and a plurality of ports, wherein a first port of the plurality of ports comprises;
i) a power terminal, ii) a ground terminal, and iii) the data terminal. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A power management device comprising:
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a plurality of ports, wherein a first port of the plurality of ports comprises;
i) a power terminal, ii) a ground terminal, and iii) a data terminal; andcontrol circuitry configured to; provide a per-port available power level over the data terminal of the first port of the plurality of ports of the power management device based on a number of active loads that are connected to the plurality of ports, wherein the per-port power level comprises a fraction of the total available power for the plurality of ports relative to the number of active loads. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification