IP Library Granted Patent US 10,642,333
Granted Patent B2
US 10,642,333 · App. 15/686,056 · Granted May 5, 2020

Power storage adapter for efficient supply of power of multiple portable information handling systems

Inventors: Karthikeyan Krishnakumar (Austin, TX); Andrew Thomas Sultenfuss (Leander, TX); Richard Christopher Thompson (Cedar Park, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F1/3212G06F1/263G06F1/266G06F1/3234G06F1/3287H02J7/0044H02J7/0063H02J7/0068H02J7/00H02J7/007H02J2007/0067
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,642,333
App. No.
15/686,056
Granted
May 5, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A power storage adapter may use a method for efficient supply of power of multiple portable information handling systems. In particular, when electrical power is delivered from a battery to at least one of the portable information handling systems, the power storage adapter may deliver electrical power from the battery to another portable information handling system when the battery has sufficient battery capacity such that the power is supplied efficiently.

Claims (74)

1. A power storage adapter (PSA), comprising:

a first PSA port and a second PSA port;

a PSA battery; and

a PSA controller having access to memory media storing instructions executable by the PSA controller to:

establish a first power delivery contract to supply a first electrical power from the PSA to a first portable information handling system coupled to the power storage adapter at the first PSA port; and

when an AC line power source does not supply electrical power to the PSA battery:

receive a request for a second power delivery contract from a second portable information handling system coupled to the power storage adapter at the second PSA port, the second power delivery contract to supply a second electrical power to the second portable information handling system;

responsive to receiving the request, determine a battery capacity of the PSA battery; and

when the battery capacity is sufficient to supply a sum of the first electrical power and the second electrical power for a first minimum duration, perform a first power state analysis further comprising:

determine a first battery threshold power above which the second electrical power supplied at the second PSA port, in addition to the first electrical power supplied at the first PSA port, is supplied with less than a specified power loss;

determine a power margin of the PSA as a difference between a maximum power rating of the PSA and the first electrical power; and

when the power margin is greater than or equal to the first battery threshold power, establish the second power delivery contract.

2. The power storage adapter of claim 1 , wherein the first power state analysis further comprises instructions to:

determine power delivery states for the second PSA port specifying no more than the second electrical power, wherein a power delivery state further specifies a voltage, a power loss, and a temperature rise;

determine a start temperature at the PSA and a maximum temperature rise with respect to the start temperature;

select a power delivery state for the second PSA port having the temperature rise less than the maximum temperature rise and a lowest power loss; and

establish the second power delivery contract for the power delivery state selected.

3. The power storage adapter of claim 1 , further comprising instructions to,

when the power margin is less than the first battery threshold power:

discontinue supplying the first electrical power at the first PSA port;

responsive to discontinuing supplying the first electrical power, determine a second battery threshold power above which the second electrical power supplied at the second PSA port is supplied with less than the specified power loss; and

when the maximum power rating is greater than or equal to the second battery threshold power, establish the second power delivery contract.

4. The power storage adapter of claim 1 , further comprising instructions to:

when the battery capacity is not sufficient to supply the sum of the first electrical power and the second electrical power for the first minimum duration, discontinue supplying the first electrical power at the first PSA port; and

responsive to discontinuing supplying the first electrical power, when the battery capacity is sufficient to supply the second electrical power for a second minimum duration, perform a second power state analysis further comprising:

determine a second battery threshold power above which the second electrical power supplied at the second PSA port is supplied with less than the specified power loss; and

when the maximum power rating is greater than or equal to the second battery threshold power, establish the second power delivery contract.

5. The power storage adapter of claim 4 , wherein the second power state analysis further comprises instructions to:

determine power delivery states for the second PSA port specifying no more than the second electrical power, wherein a power delivery state further specifies a voltage, a power loss, and a temperature rise;

determine a start temperature at the PSA and a maximum temperature rise with respect to the start temperature;

select a power delivery state for the second PSA port having the temperature rise less than the maximum temperature rise and a lowest power loss; and

establish the second power delivery contract for the power delivery state selected.

6. The power storage adapter of claim 1 , further comprising instructions to:

prior to establishing the first power delivery contract, establish a reserved power delivery contract to supply a reserved electrical power from the power storage adapter at the second PSA port, wherein the reserved electrical power enables the power storage adapter to supply a minimum electrical power at the first PSA port and at the second PSA port, and wherein the minimum electrical power is selected to enable operation of a PSA port.

7. The power storage adapter of claim 6 , wherein the instructions to establish the second power delivery contract further comprise instructions to:

discontinue supplying the reserved electrical power at the second PSA port.

8. The power storage adapter of claim 1 , wherein the first electrical power is supplied at a first DC voltage and the second electrical power is supplied at a second DC voltage.

9. The power storage adapter of claim 8 , wherein the specified power loss results from at least one of: a power loss associated with the first DC voltage, and a power loss associated with the second DC voltage, and wherein the first DC voltage and the second DC voltage are different voltages, and wherein the first PSA port and the second PSA port are USB Type-C ports.

10. The power storage adapter of claim 1 , wherein the first minimum duration and a second minimum duration are at least 5 watt-hours, a maximum temperature rise is no more than 1.2° F. rise for 15 minutes, and the specified power loss is based on at least power delivery states for the second PSA port specifying at most the second electrical power, wherein a power delivery state specifies a voltage, a power, a power loss, and a temperature rise, and the specified power loss and the temperature rise are based on characterization at the specified voltage and power.

11. A method, comprising:

establishing a first power delivery contract to supply a first electrical power from a power storage adapter (PSA) to a first portable information handling system coupled to the power storage adapter at a first PSA port of the PSA; and

when an AC line power source does not supply electrical power to the PSA battery:

receiving a request for a second power delivery contract from a second portable information handling system coupled to the PSA at a second PSA port of the PSA, the second power delivery contract to supply a second electrical power to the second portable information handling system;

responsive to receiving the request, determining a battery capacity of the PSA battery; and

when the battery capacity is sufficient to supply a sum of the first electrical power and the second electrical power for a first minimum duration, performing a first power state analysis further comprising:

determining a first battery threshold power above which the second electrical power supplied at the second PSA port, in addition to the first electrical power supplied at the first PSA port, is supplied with less than a specified power loss;

determining a power margin of the PSA as a difference between a maximum power rating of the PSA and the first electrical power; and

when the power margin is greater than or equal to the first battery threshold power, establishing the second power delivery contract.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first power state analysis further comprises:

determining power delivery states for the second PSA port specifying no more than the second electrical power, wherein a power delivery state further specifies a voltage, a power loss, and a temperature rise;

determining a start temperature at the PSA and a maximum temperature rise with respect to the start temperature;

selecting a power delivery state for the second PSA port having the temperature rise less than the maximum temperature rise and a lowest power loss; and

establishing the second power delivery contract for the power delivery state selected.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, when the power margin is less than the first battery threshold power:

discontinuing supplying the first electrical power at the first PSA port;

responsive to discontinuing supplying the first electrical power, determining a second battery threshold power above which the second electrical power supplied at the second PSA port is supplied with less than the specified power loss; and

when the maximum power rating is greater than or equal to the second battery threshold power, establishing the second power delivery contract.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

when the battery capacity is not sufficient to supply the sum of the first electrical power and the second electrical power for the first minimum duration, discontinuing supplying the first electrical power at the first PSA port; and

responsive to discontinuing supplying the first electrical power, when the battery capacity is sufficient to supply the second electrical power for a second minimum duration, performing a second power state analysis further comprising:

determining a second battery threshold power above which the second electrical power supplied at the second PSA port is supplied with less than the specified power loss; and

when the maximum power rating is greater than or equal to the second battery threshold power, establishing the second power delivery contract.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second power state analysis further comprising:

determining power delivery states for the second PSA port specifying no more than the second electrical power, wherein a power delivery state further specifies a voltage, a power loss, and a temperature rise;

determining a start temperature at the PSA and a maximum temperature rise with respect to the start temperature;

selecting a power delivery state for the second PSA port having the temperature rise less than the maximum temperature rise and a lowest power loss; and

establishing the second power delivery contract for the power delivery state selected.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

prior to establishing the first power delivery contract, establishing a reserved power delivery contract to supply a reserved electrical power from the power storage adapter at the second PSA port, wherein the reserved electrical power enables the power storage adapter to supply a minimum electrical power at the first PSA port and at the second PSA port, and wherein the minimum electrical power is selected to enable operation of a PSA port.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein establishing the second power delivery contract further comprises:

discontinuing supplying the reserved electrical power at the second PSA port.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first electrical power is supplied at a first DC voltage and the second electrical power is supplied at a second DC voltage.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the specified power loss results from at least one of: a power loss associated with the first DC voltage, and a power loss associated with the second DC voltage, and wherein the first DC voltage and the second DC voltage are different voltages, and wherein the first PSA port and the second PSA port are USB Type-C ports.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first minimum duration and a second minimum duration are at least 5 watt-hours, a maximum temperature rise is no more than 1.2° F. rise for 15 minutes, and the specified power loss is based on at least power delivery states for the second PSA port specifying at most the second electrical power, wherein a power delivery state specifies a voltage, a power, a power loss, and a temperature rise, and the specified power loss and the temperature rise are based on characterization at the specified voltage and power.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (044535/0109) Recorded May 20, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.)
Reel/Frame 060753/0414 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 044535 FRAME 0001 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 058298/0475 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (CREDIT) Recorded Nov 29, 2017
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044535/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Nov 29, 2017
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044535/0109 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 24, 2017
From: KRISHNAKUMAR, KARTHIKEYAN; SULTENFUSS, ANDREW THOMAS; THOMPSON, RICHARD CHRISTOPHER
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 043392/0851 →
Continuity (1)
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