Disconnection arc prevention in cable-supplied power connection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11509130-B2
Application number	US-202117172870-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2021
Priority date	Feb 10, 2021
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

Power delivery may be controlled to help prevent arcing when a data cable supplying power from a power source device to a power sink device is disconnected. The presence of a user in proximity to a connection between a cable plug and a cable receptacle may be detected. The level of a power signal being conveyed from the power source to the power sink may be reduced in response to the detection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling power of a data cable assembly, comprising:
a sensor detecting presence of a user in proximity to a connection between a cable plug and a cable receptacle, the cable plug and sensor being part of the data cable assembly, the data cable assembly further comprising a cable portion coupled to the plug, the sensor being housed within the cable plug;
generating a detection signal by the sensor in response to detecting the presence; and
reducing a level of a power signal being conveyed between the cable plug and the cable receptacle in response to the detection signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cable plug and cable receptacle are configured for Universal Serial Bus (USB) power delivery.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein reducing the level of the power signal comprises reducing the level of the power signal from a first level to a second non-zero level.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the presence of the user comprises detecting the presence of the user in proximity to the connection at a power source device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the detection signal over the cable portion and the cable plug.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein:
detecting the presence of the user comprises detecting the presence of the user in proximity to the connection at a power sink device; and
transmitting the detection signal comprises transmitting the detection signal to a power source device over the cable portion.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the presence of the user comprises detecting a touch of the user.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein detecting the touch of the user comprises detecting the touch of the user on a portion of the cable plug.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein detecting the touch of the user comprises detecting the touch of the user on a portion of the cable receptacle.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the presence of the user comprises detecting a non-zero proximity of the user.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein detecting the non-zero proximity of the user comprises detecting the non-zero proximity of the user to a portion of the cable plug.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein detecting the non-zero proximity of the user comprises detecting the non-zero proximity of the user to a portion of the cable receptacle.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising filtering the power signal using snubber circuitry in at least one of: the cable plug, a power source device providing the power signal, and a power sink device receiving the power signal.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the snubber circuitry comprises a capacitor and a resistor in series with each other.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the snubber circuitry comprises a diode.

16. A system for power control in a data cable assembly, comprising:
a cable containing one or more data signal paths and at least one power conductor;
a cable plug attached to an end of the cable, the cable and cable plug forming the data cable assembly;
a sensor housed in the cable plug configured to detect presence of a user in proximity to the cable plug; and
a power delivery controller housed in the cable plug configured to transmit via the cable plug a power level reduction signal in response to detecting the presence of a user in proximity to the cable plug.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the cable plug is configured for Universal Serial Bus (USB) power delivery.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the sensor is a touch sensor.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the sensor is a non-zero proximity sensor.

20. The system of claim 16 , further comprising snubber circuitry coupled to a power conductor of the cable portion.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the snubber circuitry comprises a capacitor and a resistor in series with each other.

22. The system of claim 20 , wherein the snubber circuitry comprises a diode.

23. The system of claim 16 , further comprising:
a power source cable receptacle mateable with the cable plug;
a power supply; and
a source power controller configured to receive the power level reduction signal and to reduce a level of a power signal provided by the power supply to the power source cable receptacle in response to the power level reduction signal.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the source power controller is configured to reduce the level of the power signal from a first level to a second non-zero level.

25. A system for cable-supplied power control in a power sink device, comprising:
a power sink cable receptacle having a data port and control channel port;
a sensor housed within the cable receptacle configured to detect presence of a user in proximity to the power sink cable receptacle; and
a sink power controller coupled to the control channel port and housed within the power sink device configured to transmit via the control channel port of the power sink cable receptacle a power level reduction signal in response to the sensor detecting the presence of a user in proximity to the power sink cable receptacle.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the power sink cable receptacle is configured for Universal Serial Bus (USB) power delivery.

27. The system of claim 25 , wherein the sensor is a touch sensor.

28. The system of claim 25 , wherein the sensor is a non-zero proximity sensor.

29. The system of claim 25 , further comprising snubber circuitry coupled to a power conductor of the power sink cable receptacle.

30. The system of claim 29 , wherein the snubber circuitry comprises a capacitor and a resistor in series with each other.

31. The system of claim 29 , wherein the snubber circuitry comprises a diode.

32. The system of claim 25 , further comprising a power source cable receptacle mateable with a cable;
a power supply; and
a source power controller configured to receive the power level reduction signal via the cable and the power source cable receptacle and to reduce a level of a power signal provided by the power supply to the power source cable receptacle in response to the power level reduction signal.

33. The system of claim 32 , wherein the source power controller is configured to reduce the level of the power signal from a first level to a second non-zero level.

34. A system for cable-supplied power control in a power source device, comprising:
a power source cable receptacle having a data port and control channel port;
a sensor housed within the cable receptacle configured to detect presence of a user in proximity to the power source cable receptacle;
a power supply; and
a source power controller coupled to the control channel port and housed within the power source device configured to reduce a level of a power signal provided by the power supply to the power source cable receptacle in response to the sensor detecting the presence of a user in proximity to the power source cable receptacle.

35. The system of claim 34 , wherein the power source cable receptacle is configured for Universal Serial Bus (USB) power delivery.

36. The system of claim 34 , wherein the sensor is a touch sensor.

37. The system of claim 34 , w

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Mishra Lalan Jee
• Wietfeldt Richard Dominic
• Paparrizos Georgios Konstantinos
• Warner Joshua

Classifications

• H02J7/971 Primary

  the charge cycle being controlled or terminated in response to non-electric parameters · CPC title

• H01R13/6683

  with built-in sensor · CPC title

• H02H9/005 Primary

  avoiding undesired transient conditions · CPC title

• G06F13/4081

  Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging (current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004) · CPC title

• H02M3/08

  using discharge tubes without control electrode or semiconductor devices without control electrode · CPC title