IP Library Granted Patent US 11,507,160
Granted Patent B2
US 11,507,160 · App. 16/733,075 · Granted Nov 22, 2022

Device charger with accessory bays

Inventors: Michiel Sebastiaan Emanuel Petrus Knoppert (Amsterdam, NL); Mark R. Ligameri (Santa Rosa, FL)
Assignee: Dell Products, L.P.
G06F1/266G06F13/4282H02J7/0045H02J7/0047H04R1/1016H04R1/1025H04R1/1041H04W76/10H04W76/30G06F2213/0042H04W4/80H04W84/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,507,160
App. No.
16/733,075
Granted
Nov 22, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device charger with accessory bays is described. In some embodiments, an Information Handling System (IHS) may include: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the IHS to: receive an indication, from a device charger coupled to the IHS, that an accessory has been ejected from the device charger; and in response to the indication, connect to the accessory.

Claims (38)

1. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the IHS to:

receive an indication, from a power brick coupled to the IHS, that an accessory has been ejected from the power brick, wherein the power brick is configured to have at least one accessory bay encased within the body of the power brick capable of charging an internal battery of the accessory, and wherein the power brick is configured to charge an internal battery of the IHS by converting an AC input to a DC output; and

in response to the indication, connect to the accessory.

2. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the indication comprises a message received via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Type-C interface.

3. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein each of the least one accessory bay comprises a device charger circuitry and at least one sensor.

4. The IHS of claim 3 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the processor, further cause the IHS to receive a status message from the power brick about a status of the accessory device from the at least one sensor including at least one of: on, off, charging, or battery level.

5. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein to connect to the accessory, the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the IHS to pair the accessory to the IHS.

6. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein to connect to the accessory, the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the IHS to use a WiFi or BLUETOOTH protocol.

7. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein prior to connecting to the accessory, the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the IHS to determine that a power brick identification is associated with the IHS.

8. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the processor, further cause the IHS to:

receive a second indication, from the power brick, that the accessory has been inserted into the power brick; and

in response to the second indication, disconnect from the accessory.

9. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the accessory comprises a wireless earbud.

10. The IHS of claim 9 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the processor, further cause the IHS to:

select the wireless earbud as an audio output device of the IHS; and

de-select a loudspeaker as the audio output device of the IHS.

11. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the accessory comprises a wireless camera.

12. The IHS of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the processor, further cause the IHS to:

detect a position of the wireless camera around a bezel of a display coupled to the IHS; and

provide a user interface feature at a location of the display selected based upon the position of the wireless camera.

13. A memory device having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a microcontroller of a device charger, cause the device charger to:

determine that a stylus has been ejected from the device charger, wherein the device charger is configured to have at least one accessory bay encased within the body of the device charger capable of charging an internal battery of the stylus, and wherein the device charger is configured to charge an internal battery of the IHS by converting an AC input to a DC output; and

in response to the indication, transmit a message to an Information Handling System (IHS) coupled to the device charger to wirelessly connect to the stylus.

14. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the indication comprises a message transmitted via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Type-C interface.

15. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the device charger to:

determine a status of the stylus based on data from at least one sensor coupled to the accessory bay; and

transmit a status message to the IHS.

16. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein to wirelessly connect to the accessory, the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the IHS to pair the accessory to the IHS using a WiFi or BLUETOOTH protocol.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving a message, from a device charger coupled to an Information Handling System (IHS), that an accessory has been ejected from the device charger through actuation of a push-push mechanism, wherein the device charger is configured to have at least one accessory bay encased within the body of the device charger capable of charging an internal battery of the accessory and wherein the device charger is configured to charge an internal battery of the IHS by converting an AC input to a DC output;

determining, based upon the message, that the device charger is associated with the IHS; and

in response to the determination, connecting the IHS to the accessory.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the accessory comprises a wireless camera.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

detecting a position of the wireless camera around a bezel of a display coupled to the IHS; and

providing a user interface feature at a location of the display selected based upon the position of the wireless camera.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053311/0169) Recorded Jun 23, 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
Reel/Frame 060438/0742 →
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 (052216/0758) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060438/0680 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AF REEL 052243 FRAME 0773 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0152 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0169 →
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 26, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 052243/0773 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Mar 24, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052216/0758 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 2, 2020
From: KNOPPERT, MICHIEL SEBASTIAAN EMANUEL PETRUS; LIGAMERI, MARK R.
To: DELL PRODUCTS, L.P.
Reel/Frame 051405/0232 →