Docking station status notifications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023325327-A1
Application number	US-202217718537-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 12, 2022
Priority date	Apr 12, 2022
Publication date	Oct 12, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

In an example in accordance with the present disclosure, a computing device docking station is described. The computing device docking station includes a computing device port to receive a connector of a host computing device and a display device port to receive a connector of a display device. The computing device docking station also includes a dock management controller. The dock management controller is to 1) determine a status of the computing device docking station and 2) generate a notification indicating the status of the computing device docking station. The computing device docking station also includes a display controller to generate an on-screen display (OSD) presentation of the notification on the display device coupled to the display device port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computing device docking station, comprising:
a computing device port to receive a connector of a host computing device; a display device port to receive a connector of a display device; a dock management controller to:
determine a status of the computing device docking station; and
generate a notification indicating the status of the computing device docking station; and
a display controller to generate an on-screen display (OSD) presentation of the notification on the display device coupled to the display device port.

2 . The computing device docking station of claim 1 , wherein the computing device port is inactive.

3 . The computing device docking station of claim 1 , wherein:
the computing device port is active; and the OSD presentation of the notification is to overlay a host computing device-controlled window on the display device.

4 . The computing device docking station of claim 1 , further comprising a power delivery (PD) controller to detect the connector of the host computing device, wherein:
the PD controller is electrically connected to the computing device port and the dock management controller; and the status of the computing device docking station is a connection status of the computing device port.

5 . The computing device docking station of claim 1 , further comprising a power port to receive a connector of a power supply, wherein the status of the computing device docking station is a connection status of the power port.

6 . The computing device docking station of claim 1 , further comprising a database of static notifications, wherein the dock management controller is to generate the notification by selecting a static notification from the database based on a determined status of the computing device docking station.

7 . A method, comprising:
surveying hardware controllers of a computing device docking station to determine a status of the computing device docking station; generating, at a dock management controller of an inactive computing device docking station, a visual notification to indicate the status of the computing device docking station; and displaying, on an inactive display device coupled to the computing device docking station, an on-screen display (OSD) presentation of the visual notification.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the visual notification comprises a recommended remedial action.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the status indicates an instruction set version of the computing device docking station.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the status indicates an update status of the computing device docking station.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the status indicates an overcurrent or overvoltage event at the computing device docking station.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein generating the visual notification comprises creating the visual notification based on information collected from the hardware controllers of the computing device docking station.

13 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions executable by a processor, the machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions to, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, at a computing device docking station with an inactive computing device port:
detect a status of the computing device docking station; generate, at a dock management controller of an inactive computing device docking station, a visual notification indicating the status of the computing device docking station; and transmit to a display device coupled to the computing device docking station, an on-screen display (OSD) presentation of the visual notification.

14 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the status is a health of the computing device docking station.

15 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the visual notification is a bitmap image indicating the status of the computing device docking station.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Shamsi Osaid Ahmed
• Stancil Charles J
• Thai Thong

Classifications

• G06F13/102 Primary

  where the program performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver (G06F13/105 takes precedence; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52) · CPC title

• G06F1/266

  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

• G06F1/1632

  External expansion units, e.g. docking stations · CPC title

• G06F3/0481

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title