Universal power interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9287702-B2
Application number	US-201213728268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2012
Priority date	Dec 27, 2012
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

An electronic device is provided that may include an input port to couple to an external device, and a universal power interface to determine a type of the external device connected to the input port based at least on a voltage of a voltage supply line. The universal power interface may provide a power delivery path based on the determined type of the external device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
an input port to couple to an external device; and
a universal power interface that includes a plurality of switches, the universal power interface to:
determine a type of the external device coupled to the input port based at least on a voltage on a voltage supply line,
provide a power delivery path based on the determined type of the external device, wherein to provide the power delivery path includes:
provide power from a platform of the electronic device to the external device coupled to the input port, based on an operation of a first one of the switches, and
provide steady power from the external device to the platform of the electronic device, based on an operation of a second one of the switches.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the input port is a universal serial bus (USB) port.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , the universal power interface to:
provide power from the external device to components of the electronic device that adjusts at least one characteristic of the received power, based on an operation of a third one of the switches.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the universal power interface includes a determination circuit to receive at least one voltage input from the voltage supply line and the determination circuit to provide an output signal to at least one of the plurality of switches based on the received voltage input.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the universal power interface includes a controller to receive voltage inputs from the voltage supply line and to provide an output signal to at least one of the plurality of switches based on the received voltage inputs.

6. An electronic device comprising:
a load;
an input port to couple to an external device; and
a universal power interface to alter a power delivery path based at least in part on a voltage on a voltage supply line between the input port and the load, wherein the universal power interface includes a plurality of switches,
the universal power interface to provide power from the load of the electronic device to the external device coupled to the input port, based on an operation of a first one of the switches; and
the universal power interface to provide steady power from the external device to the load of the electronic device, based on an operation of a second one of the switches.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the input port is a universal serial bus (USB) port.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , the universal power interface to provide power from the external device to components of the electronic device that adjusts at least one characteristic of the received power, based on an operation of a third one of the switches.

9. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the universal power interface includes a determination circuit to receive voltage inputs from the voltage supply line and to provide an output signal to at least one of the plurality of switches based on the received voltage input.

10. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the universal power interface includes a controller to receive voltage inputs from the voltage supply line and to provide an output signal to at least one of the plurality of switches based on the received voltage inputs.

11. A method of using an electronic device comprising:
receiving at least two voltages from a voltage supply line between an external device and a host platform;
determining a type of the external device based on the received voltages; and
changing a power delivery path between the external device and the host platform based on the determined type of the external device,
wherein changing the power delivery path includes operating a first switch to provide power from the host platform to the external device, and
wherein changing the power path delivery further includes operating a second switch to provide steady power to the host platform of the electronic device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein changing the power path delivery further includes operating a third switch to provide power from the external device to components of the electronic device to adjust at least one characteristic of the received power.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Proefrock Wayne L
• Huang Lilly
• Ravichandran Krishnan

Classifications

• H02J1/082

  DC supplies with two or more different DC voltage levels · CPC title

• H02J2207/40

  adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage · CPC title

• H02J7/00

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title

• H02J1/10

  Parallel operation of DC sources · CPC title

• H02J7/35

  with light sensitive cells · CPC title