Method and apparatus for dynamic auxiliary port power management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11249538-B2
Application number	US-202016736061-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2020
Priority date	Jan 7, 2020
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

The present application teaches methods and apparatuses related to providing dynamic auxiliary port power management including providing a first current to a first auxiliary port and a second current to a second auxiliary port, determining a system power level in response to the first current and the second current, comparing the system power level to a system power level threshold, and providing a third current to the second auxiliary port in response to the system power level exceeding the system power level threshold, the third current having a lower amperage than the second current.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first port configured to couple a first connected device to a power supply;
a second port configured to couple a second connected device to the power supply;
the power supply configured to couple a first current to the first port and a second current to the second port, the power supply being further configured to continue to couple the first current to the first port and to couple a third current to the second port in response to a control signal from a processor wherein the third current is less than the second current; and
the processor configured to compare the sum of the first current and the second current to a threshold value and to generate the control signal in response to the sum of the first current and the second current exceeding the threshold value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first port comprises a first plurality of universal serial bus ports and the second port is a second plurality of universal serial bus ports.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second current has a higher amperage than the third current.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the third current is zero amperes.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first port is a universal serial bus type C port.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to receive data from the first port and the second port.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second current and the third current are coupled to the second port via a power bus and wherein the second port is operative to select between the second current and the third current in response to the control signal.

8. A method performed by a processor comprising:
providing a first current to a first auxiliary port and a second current to a second auxiliary port;
determining a system power level in response to the first current and the second current;
comparing the system power level to a system power level threshold; and
providing a third current to the second auxiliary port in response to the system power level exceeding the system power level threshold and continuing to couple the first current to the first port, the third current having a lower amperage than the second current.

9. The method of claim 8 further including continuing to provide the first current to the first auxiliary port in response to the system power level exceeding the system power level threshold.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the third current has zero amperes.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the first auxiliary port is a universal serial bus type C port.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the first auxiliary port is associated with a first user and the second auxiliary port is associated with a second user.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the first auxiliary port is associated with a first location in an aircraft cabin and the second auxiliary port is associated with a second location in the aircraft cabin.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the method is further operative to receive a data from the first auxiliary port.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the first auxiliary port is a first plurality of auxiliary ports and the second auxiliary port is a second plurality of auxiliary ports.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein the first auxiliary port is associated with a data connection and the second auxiliary port is not associated with a data connection.

17. The method of claim 8 further including discontinuing providing the second current to the second auxiliary port in response to the system power level exceeding the system power level threshold.

18. An entertainment system in an aircraft cabin comprising:
a first auxiliary port operative at a first power level;
a second auxiliary port operative at the first power level;
a power supply for generating a first current to supply the first power level to the first auxiliary port and a second current to provide the first power level to the second auxiliary port; and
a processor for determining a total power in response to the first current and the second current, the processor being further operative to generate a control signal to couple to the power supply to reduce an amperage of the second current in response to the total power exceeding a threshold power level and to continue to couple the first current to the first auxiliary port.

19. The entertainment system of claim 18 wherein the power supply is further operative to generate a third current in response to the control signal to provide a second power level at the second auxiliary port wherein the second power level is lower than the first power level.

20. The entertainment system of claim 18 wherein first auxiliary port is associated with a first location in the aircraft cabin and the second auxiliary port is associated with a second location in the aircraft cabin.

Assignees

• Gulfstream Aerospace Corp

Inventors

• Wallace Matthew
• Knight Dean
• Medin Kristin

Classifications

• G06F1/3253 Primary

  Power saving in bus · CPC title

• Y02D10/00

  Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management · CPC title

• G06F1/266 Primary

  Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips · CPC title

• G06F1/3296

  by lowering the supply or operating voltage · CPC title