Device to device charging via USB type-C interfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9431841-B2
Application number	US-201414223854-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2014
Priority date	Mar 24, 2014
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for device charging. In some example embodiments, there may be provided a method, which may include receiving, at a device, a request message to enter into a battery power supply mode; determining, by the device, whether to supply to a bus one of a battery source or a power charger source; and coupling, by the device based on the determining, one of the battery source or the power charger source to the bus to supply power to another device. Related systems, apparatus, and articles of manufacture may also be provided.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a device, a request message to enter into a battery power supply mode;
determining, by the device, whether to supply to a bus one of a battery source or a power charger source; and
coupling, by the device, based on the determining, one of the battery source or the power charger source to the bus to supply power to another device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to couple the battery source, the power charger source, or a combination of both to the bus comprising a voltage bus.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device determines whether to supply the battery source or the power charger source based on at least one of a capability of the device or a preference of the device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
sending a message to indicate whether the device will supply to the bus one of the battery source or the power charger source.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device includes an interface though which the request message is received.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the interface comprises a universal serial bus connector.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the interface comprises a universal serial bus type-c connector.

8. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:
receive a request message to enter into a battery power supply mode;
determine whether to supply to a bus one of a battery source to achieve a determination or a power charger source; and
couple, based on the determination, one of the battery source or the power charger source to the bus to supply power to another device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to couple the battery source, the power charger source, or a combination of both to the bus comprising a voltage bus.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least determine whether to supply the battery source or the power charger source based on at least one of a capability of the apparatus or a preference of the apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least send a message to indicate whether the apparatus will supply to the bus one of the battery source or the power charger source.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the apparatus includes an interface through which the request message is received.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the interface comprises a universal serial bus connector.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the interface comprises a universal serial bus type-c connector.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including program code which, when executed by at least one processor, causes said at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving a request message to enter into a battery power supply mode;
determining whether to supply to a bus one of a battery source or a power charger source; and
coupling, based on the determining, one of the battery source or the power charger source to the bus to supply power to another device.

16. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:
send a request message to a device to supply power to a voltage bus;
determine a power supply type of the device; and
couple, based on the determined the power supply type, one of a battery or a charging circuitry to the voltage bus to receive power from the device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the power supply type of the device is one of a battery source or a power charger source.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the power supply type is determined based on detecting a voltage at the voltage bus or receiving a message from the device.

19. A method comprising:
sending, by a host device, a request message to another device to supply power to a voltage bus;
determining, by the host device, a power supply type of the another device; and
coupling, by the host device, based on the determined power supply type, one of a battery or a charging circuitry to the voltage bus to receive power from the another device.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including program code which, when executed by at least one processor, causes said at least processor to perform operations comprising:
sending a request message to a device to supply power to a voltage bus;
determining a power supply type of the device; and
coupling, based on the determined power supply type, one of a battery or a charging circuitry to the voltage bus to receive power from the device.

Assignees

• Nokia Corp
• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Inha Kai
• Backman Juha Reinhold
• Talmola Pekka
• Leinonen Pekka E
• Tupala Miika

Classifications

• H02J7/342 Primary

  The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging (with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/68) · CPC title

• H02J7/00

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

• H02J2007/0062

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J7/0054 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic