Information processing apparatus, method of controlling the same, and non-transitory storage medium storing program executable by the information processing apparatus

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

an interface; and

a controller,

wherein the controller is configured to:

receive, from an external device, first change acceptable or non-acceptable information indicating whether changing of a power amount to be supplied to the external device via the interface is acceptable, the power amount being an amount of electric power to be supplied to the external device;

supply, after the receiving the first change acceptable or non-acceptable information from the external device, the electric power to the external device via the interface;

receive, during executing the supplying the electric power to the external device via the interface, second change acceptable or non-acceptable information indicating whether the changing of the power amount to be supplied to the external device via the interface is acceptable;

determine, during executing the supplying the electric power to the external device via the interface, whether limiting of the power amount to be supplied to the external device is necessary; and

limit, based on the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information, the power amount to be supplied to the external device when the controller determines to limit the power amount to be supplied to the external device in the determining whether limiting of the power amount to be supplied to the external device is necessary and the receiving the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information is executed.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein, in the receiving the first change acceptable or non-acceptable information from the external device, the controller receives, from the external device via the interface, first minimum-power-amount information indicating an amount of the electric power requested by the external device:

wherein, in the receiving the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information, the controller receives, from the external device via the interface, second minimum-power-amount information indicating the amount of the electric power requested by the external device; and

wherein, in the limiting the power amount to be supplied to the external device, the controller limits the power amount to be supplied to the external device based on the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information and the second minimum-power-amount information.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the receiving the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information, the controller receives the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information from the external device utilizing a message defined according to a USB PD (USB Power Delivery) standard.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein, before executing the receiving the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information, the controller determines whether the external device is requiring transmission of the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information; and

wherein the controller executes the receiving the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information when the controller determines, in the determining whether the external device is requiring transmission of the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information, that the external device is requiring the transmission of the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein, in the determining whether the external device is requiring transmission of the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information, the controller i) inquires, through data communication compliant with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard, whether the external device is requiring the transmission of the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information and ii) determine, based on a result of the inquiry, whether the external device is requiring the transmission of the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein, when the controller receives a transmission requirement of the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information from the external device through data communication compliant with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard, the controller determines, in the determining whether the external device is requiring transmission of the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information, that the external device is requiring the transmission of the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the controller determines to limit the power amount to be supplied to the external device in the determining whether limiting of the power amount to be supplied to the external device is necessary, the controller executes the receiving the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information before executing the limiting the power amount to be supplied to the external device.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein, when the controller determines to limit the power amount to be supplied to the external device in the determining whether limiting of the power amount to be supplied to the external device is necessary, the controller transmits, to the external device, information indicating a limiting-start waiting time that is a length of time before starting limiting the power amount to be supplied to the external device; and

wherein the controller executes the limiting the power amount to be supplied to the external device based on a lapse of the limiting-start waiting time.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an image forming device configured to form an image,

wherein, when image formation by the image forming device is executed, the controller determines to limit the power amount to be supplied to the external device in the determining whether limiting of the power amount to be supplied to the external device is necessary.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the limiting the power amount to be supplied to the external device, the controller limits the power amount to be supplied to the external device based on the first change acceptable or non-acceptable information when the controller determines to limit the power amount to be supplied to the external device in the determining whether limiting of the power amount to be supplied to the external device is necessary and the receiving the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information is not executed during executing the supplying the electric power to the external device via the interface.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein, in the receiving the first change acceptable or non-acceptable information from the external device, the controller receives first minimum-power-amount information indicating an amount of the electric power requested by the external device, from the external device via the interface;

wherein, in the receiving the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information, the controller receives second minimum-power-amount information indicating the amount of the electric power requested by the external device, from the external device via the interface; and

wherein, in the limiting the power amount to be supplied to the external device, the controller limits the power amount to be supplied to the external device based on the first change acceptable or non-acceptable information and the first minimum-power-amount information when the receiving the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information is not executed.

12. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

an interface; and

a controller,

wherein the controller is configured to:

receive, from an external device, first change acceptable or non-acceptable information indicating whether changing of a power amount to be supplied to the external device via the interface is acceptable, the power amount being an amount of electric power to be supplied to the external device;

supply, after the receiving the first change acceptable or non-acceptable information from the external device, the electric power to the external device via the interface;

determine, during executing the supplying the electric power to the external device via the interface, whether limiting of the power amount to be supplied to the external device is necessary;

receive second change acceptable or non-acceptable information indicating whether the changing of the power amount to be supplied to the external device via the interface is acceptable when the controller determines to limit the power amount to be supplied to the external device in the determining whether limiting of the power amount to be supplied to the external device is necessary; and

limit the power amount to be supplied to the external device based on the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information received in the receiving the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information.

13. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

an interface; and

a controller,

wherein the controller is configured to:

supply electric power to an external device via the interface;

determine, during executing the supplying the electric power to the external device via the interface, whether limiting of a power amount to be supplied to the external device is necessary, the power amount being an amount of the electric power to be supplied to the external device;

transmit, to the external device, information indicating a limiting-start waiting time when the controller determines to limit the power amount to be supplied to the external device in the determining whether limiting of the power amount to be supplied to the external device is necessary, the limiting-start waiting time being a length of time before starting limiting the power amount to be supplied to the external device; and

limit the power amount to be supplied to the external device based on a lapse of the limiting-start waiting time.

14. A method of controlling an information processing apparatus comprising an interface and a controller, the method comprising:

a power supplying step of supplying electric power to an external device via the interface;

a power-amount-limiting necessity or unnecessity determination step of determining, during executing the power supplying step, whether limiting of a power amount to be supplied to the external device is necessary, the power amount being an amount of the electric power to be supplied to the external device;

a transmission step of transmitting, to the external device, information indicating a limiting-start waiting time when the controller determines to limit the power amount to be supplied to the external device in the power-amount-limiting necessity or unnecessity determination step, the limiting-start waiting time being a length of time before starting limiting the power amount to be supplied to the external device; and

a power-amount limiting step of limiting the power amount to be supplied to the external device based on a lapse of the limiting-start waiting time.

15. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program executable by a computer of an information processing apparatus comprising an interface,

wherein, when executed by the computer, the program causes the image forming apparatus to:

receive, from an external device, first change acceptable or non-acceptable information indicating whether changing of a power amount to be supplied to the external device via the interface is acceptable, the power amount being an amount of electric power to be supplied to the external device;

supply, after the receiving the first change acceptable or non-acceptable information from the external device, the electric power to the external device via the interface;

determine, during executing the supplying the electric power to the external device via the interface, whether limiting of the power amount to be supplied to the external device is necessary;

receive second change acceptable or non-acceptable information indicating whether the changing of the power amount to be supplied to the external device via the interface is acceptable when it is determined to limit the power amount to be supplied to the external device in the determining whether limiting of the power amount to be supplied to the external device is necessary; and

limit the power amount to be supplied to the external device based on the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information received in the receiving the second change acceptable or non-acceptable information.