Docking station power supply monitoring method and system

Abstract

The invention provides a docking station power supply monitoring method and system.The docking station comprises a control module, a current monitoring module, a built-in power source module, a total port module and a plurality of sub-port modules, and the control module predicts the load power requirement of the next period based on the load power sequence of the current period; meanwhile, the self power demand of the docking station in the next period is predicted, disconnection or connection of the built-in band energy module is controlled based on the load power demand and the self power demand, when the control module detects that the docking station is not connected with the load equipment, the docking station enters a low-power-consumption state, and the built-in power module supplies power to the control module. According to the method and the system, the problem that the notebook computer cannot provide enough power in time can be solved, and the power consumption of the docking station can be greatly reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of expansion docks, and in particular to a method and system for monitoring power supply of an expansion dock. Background Art

[0002] A docking station, also known as a port replicator, is an external device designed for laptops or mobile phones. The docking station has both the functions of a port replicator and is used to expand the functions of a desktop computer to a considerable extent. It is especially suitable for professionals. By duplicating and expanding the ports of a laptop, the laptop or mobile phone can be conveniently connected to multiple accessories or external devices such as power adapters, network cables, mice, external keyboards, printers and external monitors in one stop, which can save valuable desktop space for users, and these interfaces can be used simultaneously after being expanded by the docking station.

[0003] Since the docking station has many interfaces, when multiple load devices are connected, not only the load devices need to consume power, but also the docking station itself needs to consume power. Usually, the docking station obtains power from the laptop through the main port (for example, USB-typeC interface). If the power supply end cannot provide enough power in time, it will affect the normal operation of the docking station. In addition, the docking station still consumes a lot of power when idling. For this reason, a power supply method that can monitor the power supply of the docking station in time and adjust it is urgently needed. Summary of the invention

[0004] The invention provides a docking station power supply monitoring method, which is applied to the docking station. The docking station power supply monitoring method can not only solve the problem that a notebook computer cannot provide sufficient power, but also is conducive to greatly reducing the power consumption of the docking station.

[0005] The present invention provides a docking station power supply monitoring method, which is applied to the docking station, wherein the docking station comprises: a control module, a current monitoring module, a built-in power module, a main port module and a plurality of sub-port modules, the docking station is connected to a laptop computer through the main port module, the laptop computer provides power and transmits data for the docking station through the main port module, the plurality of sub-port modules are used to connect load devices, the control module is respectively connected to the current monitoring module, the main port module and the built-in power module, and the built-in power module is connected to the plurality of sub-port modules through a switch module; The method comprises: The control module acquires at least one load device connected to the expansion dock through the plurality of sub-port modules; The control module acquires the load current sequence of the at least one load device monitored by the current monitoring module based on a sliding window of a preset time length, determines the load power sequence of the corresponding load device based on the load current sequence, and predicts the load power demand of the next cycle based on the load power sequence; The control module obtains the required power of the expansion dock in the next cycle; The control module determines the total required power for the next cycle based on the load power requirement of the at least one load device for the next cycle and the required power of the dock itself for the next cycle; The control module obtains the total supply power provided by the laptop computer; When the total supplied power is greater than the total required power of the next cycle, the control module controls the switch module to be in an off state and transmits the excess power to the built-in power module; When the total supplied power is less than the total required power of the next cycle, the control module controls the switch module to be in a connected state to provide additional power to the at least one load device; When the control module detects that the expansion dock is not connected to a load device, the control module controls the main port module to disconnect from the laptop computer, and the built-in power module supplies power to the control module. The control module enters a low power consumption state. When a load device is detected to be connected in the low power consumption state, the control module controls the main port module to open the connection with the laptop computer.

[0006] In one embodiment, the expansion dock also includes: a storage module, which records the load current sequence of the load device detected in each cycle; the control module obtains the load current sequence of the current cycle of the at least one load device monitored by the current monitoring module based on a sliding window of a preset duration, determines the load power sequence of the current cycle of the corresponding load device based on the load current sequence of the current cycle, and predicts the load power demand of the next cycle based on the load power sequence of the current cycle, including: obtaining the N load currents most recently detected in the current cycle based on a sliding window of a preset duration to form a load current sequence of the current cycle; determining the load power sequence of the current cycle of the corresponding load device based on the load current sequence of the current cycle; obtaining the change value between each historical cycle of the load device, and predicting the load power demand of the next cycle based on the change value and the load power sequence of the current cycle.

[0007] In one embodiment, the method further comprises: When the control module detects that the laptop is in a dormant or shutdown state, the switch module is controlled to be in an off state to cut off the power supply to the load device; When the control module detects that the laptop computer re-enters the running state, the switch module is controlled to be in the connected state to supply power to the load device, so that the load device quickly enters the working state.

[0008] In one of the embodiments, the docking station further comprises: a temperature detection module, the temperature detection module being used to detect a current temperature of the docking station; The control module predicts the required power of the expansion dock in the next cycle, including: The control module acquires the current temperature of the expansion dock detected by the temperature detection module; The control module obtains the number of currently connected load devices and the load power of the load devices; The control module determines the required power of the expansion dock in the next cycle based on the current temperature of the expansion dock, the number of currently connected load devices and the load power of the load devices; The method further includes: when it is determined that the required power of the docking station itself is greater than a preset power threshold, disconnecting at least one load device or reducing the power of at least one load device.

[0009] In one embodiment, the docking station further comprises: a storage module, wherein the storage module stores a calculation model of the power demand of the docking station in the next cycle; the control module is connected to the storage module; The control module obtains the calculation model in the storage module, and calculates the required power of the expansion dock in the next cycle based on the calculation model. The parameters of the calculation model include: the number of load devices, the load power of the load devices, and the current temperature of the expansion dock.

[0010] In one embodiment, a switch unit is provided in the subport module, the control module is connected to the switch unit, and the method further includes: When it is detected that the current temperature of the expansion dock is greater than a preset temperature threshold, the control module controls the switch unit of the sub-port module to disconnect at least one load device and sends a reminder message to the laptop computer.

[0011] In one embodiment, the storage module is further used to record the power demand changes of each load device and the power demand changes of the docking station itself, forming a historical record, so that the power demand change law can be learned based on the historical record; The control module is also used to predict the power required by each load device in the next cycle based on the power demand change law and the current load power of the load device to obtain a prediction result; The power of the next cycle is allocated to each load device and the expansion dock based on the prediction result.

[0012] In one embodiment, the historical records include: load device type, changes in power demand of the load device over time, different times correspond to different usage scenarios, and the usage scenarios include: external scenarios and internal scenarios, the external scenarios refer to the operation of other load devices, and the internal scenarios refer to the usage of the load device; The method of obtaining the power demand change law based on historical record learning includes: taking the load device type in the historical record, the power demand of the load device in the previous cycle, and the usage scenario of the previous cycle as the input of the model, and taking the power demand of the load device in the next cycle as the expected output for training to obtain a power demand change prediction model; and storing the power demand change prediction model in the storage module; The control module is also used to predict the power required by the load device in the next cycle based on the power demand change prediction model to obtain a prediction result.

[0013] In one embodiment, the method further comprises: After the control module obtains the load current of the load device, it determines whether the load current is greater than the working current of the load. If it is less than the working current of the load, the switch module is controlled to be in a connected state and a reminder message is sent to the laptop computer.

[0014] The embodiment of the present invention further proposes a docking station power supply monitoring system, the system comprising: an docking station and a laptop computer, the docking station comprising: a control module, a current monitoring module, a built-in power module, a main port module and a plurality of sub-port modules, the docking station is connected to the laptop computer via the main port module, the laptop computer provides power and transmits data to the docking station via the main port module, the plurality of sub-port modules are used to connect load devices, the control module is respectively connected to the current monitoring module, the main port module and the built-in power module, the built-in power module is connected to the plurality of sub-port modules via a switch module; The current detection module is used to monitor the load current of the load device; The control module is used to obtain at least one load device connected to the expansion dock through the multiple sub-port modules; The control module is used to obtain the load current sequence of the current cycle of the at least one load device monitored by the current monitoring module based on the sliding window of the preset time length, determine the load power sequence of the current cycle of the corresponding load device based on the load current sequence of the current cycle, and predict the load power demand of the next cycle based on the load power sequence of the current cycle; The control module is used to predict the required power of the expansion dock in the next cycle; The control module is used to determine the total required power of the next cycle based on the load power requirement of the at least one load device in the next cycle and the required power of the expansion dock itself in the next cycle; The control module is also used for controlling the switch module to be in an off state and transmitting the excess power to the built-in power module when the total supplied power is greater than the total required power of the next cycle; The control module is also used for controlling the switch module to be in a connected state when the total supplied power is less than the total required power of the next cycle, so as to provide additional power to the at least one load device; The control module is also used to control the main port module to disconnect from the laptop computer when the control module detects that the expansion dock is not connected to a load device, and the built-in power supply module supplies power to the control module, so that the control module enters a low power consumption state. When a load device is detected to be connected in the low power consumption state, the control module controls the main port module to open the connection with the laptop computer.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows: 1) The docking station contains a built-in power module. When it is predicted that the laptop computer cannot provide enough power to the docking station in the next cycle, the built-in power module is used to provide additional power. When it is predicted that the laptop computer can provide enough power to the docking station in the next cycle, the excess power is given to the built-in power module to charge the built-in power module. The traditional detection method is to make adjustments only when it is detected that the total required power is actually insufficient, which has a delay. This solution innovatively proposes to predict the required power of the next cycle based on the power sequence detected in the current cycle, so that timely adjustments can be made before the problem occurs, avoiding the delay caused by adjusting after the problem has occurred.

[0016] 2) When there is no load device connected to the docking station, the control module controls the main port module to disconnect from the laptop, and the built-in power module supplies power to the control module, entering a low-power state. When a load device is detected to be connected, the connection with the laptop is reopened, which can effectively solve the problem of consuming a lot of energy when the docking station is idle. The docking station power supply monitoring method not only solves the problem of insufficient power supply without increasing the complexity of the docking station, but also greatly reduces the power loss when the docking station is idle.

[0017] 3) Since the power demand of the docking station itself is constantly changing, in order to accurately determine the total power demand, the present application innovatively proposes that the power demand of the docking station itself in the next cycle is intelligently determined based on the current temperature of the docking station, the number of currently connected load devices, and the load power of the load devices. Compared with the traditional method of simply pre-deducting a fixed value, this method is conducive to saving power consumption and can timely adjust the power demand of the docking station itself to ensure the normal operation of the docking station.

[0018] 4) In order to improve the response speed of the load device, when the load device is detected to be connected, the built-in power module will directly power the load device. Compared with the external power supply method, the built-in power module can improve the response speed of the load device.

[0019] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in the following description, and partly become apparent from the description, or understood by practicing the present invention. The purpose and other advantages of the present invention can be realized and obtained by the structures particularly pointed out in the written description and the accompanying drawings.

[0020] The technical solution of the present invention is further described in detail below through the accompanying drawings and embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present invention, they are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 A power supply principle diagram of a docking station according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a flow chart of a method for monitoring power supply of an expansion dock according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 A circuit diagram of load device access monitoring in an embodiment of the present invention Figure 4 This is a process for predicting the load power demand of the next cycle in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the present invention, and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0023] Since the docking station has many interfaces, when multiple load devices are connected, not only the load devices need to consume power, but the docking station itself also needs to consume power. Usually, the docking station obtains power from the laptop through the main port (for example, the USB-typeC interface). If the power supply end cannot provide enough power, the load device will not be able to work properly. In addition, the docking station will still consume a lot of power when idling. For this reason, there is an urgent need for a power supply method that can monitor the power supply of the docking station in time and adjust it. Since users usually use a plug-and-play docking station, that is, there is no external PD charger. This application proposes a docking station power supply monitoring method to solve the problem of insufficient power in plug-and-play docking stations and the situation that the docking station still consumes a lot of power when idling, aiming to solve the problem of insufficient power and power waste.

[0024] like Figure 1 As shown, a power supply schematic diagram of an expansion dock is provided, wherein the expansion dock 10 comprises: a control module 102, a current monitoring module 104, a built-in power module 106, a main port module 108 and a plurality of sub-port modules 110, wherein the expansion dock is connected to a laptop computer via the main port module 108, and the laptop computer provides power and transmits data to the expansion dock via the main port module 108, wherein the plurality of sub-port modules 110 are used to connect load devices, wherein the control module 102 is respectively connected to the current monitoring module 104, the main port module 108 and the built-in power module 106, wherein the built-in power module 106 is connected to the plurality of sub-port modules 110 via a switch module 112, and the main port module is connected to the plurality of sub-port modules via an expansion module.

[0025] The control module 102 can be implemented by an MCU. The main port module includes: a main port unit and a main port power supply unit; the sub-port module includes: a sub-port and a sub-unit power supply module. A switch module is provided between the built-in power module and the sub-port module, and the switch module can be implemented by a MOS tube.

[0026] like Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a docking station power supply monitoring method, which is applied to the docking station, wherein the docking station comprises: a control module, a current monitoring module, a built-in power module, a main port module and a plurality of sub-port modules, the docking station is connected to a laptop computer through the main port module, the laptop computer provides power and transmits data to the docking station through the main port module, the plurality of sub-port modules are used to connect load devices, the control module is respectively connected to the current monitoring module, the main port module and the built-in power module, and the built-in power module is connected to the plurality of sub-port modules through a switch module; The method comprises: Step 202: The control module obtains at least one load device connected to the expansion dock through a plurality of sub-port modules; The sub-port module includes: a sub-port and a sub-port power supply unit, the load device is connected to the docking station through the sub-port, and the sub-port power supply unit supplies power to the load device. In one embodiment, when the load device is connected to the sub-port module, a connection signal is sent to the control module, and the control module can know that a load device is connected.

[0027] Step 204: The control module obtains the load current sequence of the current cycle of at least one load device monitored by the current monitoring module based on the sliding window of the preset time length, determines the current demand of the corresponding load device based on the load current sequence of the current cycle, and the load power sequence of the previous cycle, and predicts the load power sequence of the next cycle based on the load power sequence of the current cycle. Among them, for each load device, its power supply voltage is fixed, so the load power of the load device can be determined by detecting the load current of the complex device. The preset cycle length is set, for example, 30s is a cycle. Each cycle includes multiple current sampling, and the multiple load currents obtained based on the sampling constitute a load current sequence. Since the power changes between cycles are often regular, the load power demand of the next cycle is predicted based on the load power sequence of the current cycle. For example, the average value in the load power sequence of the current cycle plus a preset change value can be used as the load power demand of the next cycle.

[0028] Step 206, the control module predicts the required power of the expansion dock in the next cycle; Among them, the operation of the docking station itself also consumes power, so it is necessary not only to obtain the power of the load device but also to know the power of the docking station itself. The power that the docking station can work is generally an interval. In one embodiment, in order to allow the docking station to work normally, the maximum value of the interval can be used as the docking station's own power requirement. In another embodiment, in order to save energy consumption, it is necessary to accurately calculate the required power of the docking station itself. The docking station's own required power is generally related to the number and type of load devices connected to the docking station. The more loads connected to the docking station, the more power the docking station itself consumes. The power required by different types of load devices is different. Generally, the higher the power of the load device, the higher the power consumed by the docking station itself. In one embodiment, when one load device is connected, the load device's own required power can be set to 5W, when two load devices are connected, it can be set to 8W, and when more than three load devices are connected, it can be set to 15-25W.

[0029] Step 208, the control module determines the total required power for the next cycle based on the load power requirement of the at least one load device for the next cycle and the required power of the docking station for the next cycle. The total required power is the sum of the load power of all load devices in the next cycle and the required power of the expansion dock in the next cycle.

[0030] Step 210, the control module obtains the total power supplied by the notebook computer; The control module obtains the total supply power that can be provided by the notebook computer.

[0031] Step 212, when the total supplied power is greater than the total required power of the next cycle, the control module controls the switch module to be in an off state and transmits the excess power to the built-in power module; Step 214, when the total supplied power is less than the total required power of the next cycle, the control module controls the switch module to be in a connected state to provide additional power to at least one load device; Step 216, when the control module detects that the expansion dock is not connected to a load device, it controls the main port module to disconnect from the laptop computer, and the built-in power module supplies power to the control module, and the control module enters a low power consumption state. When a load device is detected to be connected in the low power consumption state, the control module controls the main port module to open the connection with the laptop computer.

[0032] Among them, when the docking station is idling, the control main port module is disconnected from the laptop, that is, the laptop stops supplying power to the docking station. At this time, the built-in power module supplies power to the control module, and the control module enters a low-power state. The low-power state turns off most functions, leaving only a function to detect whether a load device is connected. In this way, when a load device is connected, it can respond quickly and open the connection between the main port module and the laptop. In order to reduce power consumption, the built-in power module and multiple sub-port modules are also disconnected.

[0033] Traditional monitoring of whether a load is connected requires power to be provided at the port. In this application, since the power supply of the load device has been disconnected, the following design is made: Figure 3The circuit diagram is used to detect and connect the load device. There is a small spring on the USB interface. When there is no load device connected to the USB device, the spring is in the pop-up state, the device detection IO port and GND are disconnected, and the IO is in a high level state (IO is pulled up to the battery RTC voltage through a resistor and powered by the battery (built-in power module)); when the load device is inserted, the spring on the USB interface is in a compressed state, and the detection IO is pulled down to GND and is in a low level state. That is, the control module MCU can determine whether there is a load device connected by detecting the high and low level states of the IO. In this case, even if there is no power supply at the sub-port, it can still be monitored whether there is a load connected.

[0034] In another embodiment, in order to further save energy consumption, when it is detected that the load device has not been used for more than a preset time, the control module disconnects the power supply to the corresponding load device and sends the corresponding disconnection information to the laptop computer for prompting. When the disconnected load device needs to be used, the connection information sent by the laptop computer is received, and the control module re-powers the corresponding load device based on the connection information. That is, although the load device is connected to the docking station, it may not be used at present. For example, the frequency of use of the printer is relatively low. In this case, the power supply to the printer can be controlled, and when it is needed, it can be triggered by the laptop computer, or it can be directly reconnected by plugging and unplugging. The control module automatically monitors the devices that have not been used for more than a preset time and cuts off the power, which can greatly save the corresponding energy consumption. In addition, the preset time can be set in combination with the type of device, and different types of devices can be set to different preset times.

[0035] In this embodiment, the docking station includes a built-in power module. When it is predicted that the laptop computer cannot provide enough power to the docking station in the next cycle, the built-in power module is used to provide additional power. When it is predicted that the laptop computer provides enough power to the docking station in the next cycle, the excess power is given to the built-in power module to charge the built-in power module. The traditional detection method is to adjust only when the total power demand is detected to be insufficient, which has delay. In this solution, it is innovatively proposed to predict the power demand of the next cycle based on the detection of the current cycle, so that it can be adjusted in time before the problem occurs, avoiding the delay caused by the adjustment after the problem has occurred. When there is no load device connected to the docking station, the control module controls the main port module to disconnect from the laptop computer, and the built-in power module supplies power to the control module, entering a low power consumption state. When it is detected that a load device is connected, the connection with the laptop computer is reopened, which can effectively solve the problem that the docking station still needs to consume more energy when idling. The docking station power supply monitoring method not only solves the problem of insufficient power supply without increasing the complexity of the docking station, but also greatly reduces the power loss of the docking station when idling.

[0036] like Figure 4 As shown, it is a flow chart of predicting the load power demand of the next cycle in one embodiment. The docking station further includes: a storage module, the storage module records the load current sequence of the load device detected in each cycle; The control module acquires the load current sequence of the current cycle of the at least one load device monitored by the current monitoring module based on a sliding window of a preset time length, determines the load power sequence of the current cycle of the corresponding load device based on the load current sequence of the current cycle, and predicts the load power demand of the next cycle based on the load power sequence of the current cycle, including: Step 204A, acquiring the N load currents most recently detected in the current cycle based on a sliding window of a preset duration to form a load current sequence of the current cycle; Step 204B, determining a load power sequence of a corresponding load device in a current cycle based on the load current sequence of the current cycle; Step 204C, obtaining the change value between each historical cycle of the load device, and predicting the load power demand of the next cycle based on the change value and the load power sequence of the current cycle.

[0037] Among them, the change values ​​between historical cycles recorded by the storage module are obtained, the average value of the change values ​​between each cycle is taken as the change average value, the power average value of the current cycle is determined based on the load power sequence of the current cycle, and the sum of the change average value and the power average value of the current cycle is taken as the load power demand of the next cycle.

[0038] In one embodiment, the method further includes: when the control module detects that the laptop is in a dormant or shutdown state, controlling the switch module to be in an off state to disconnect the power supply to the load device; When the control module detects that the laptop computer re-enters the running state, the switch module is controlled to be in the connected state to supply power to the load device, so that the load device quickly enters the working state.

[0039] Among them, in order to save the power consumption of the docking station, when the laptop stops supplying power to the docking station due to sleep or shutdown, the connection between the built-in power module and the load device is disconnected, that is, the load device is stopped from being powered. However, when it is detected that the laptop has re-entered the running state, the built-in power module is preferentially used to power the load device, which is conducive to the rapid startup of the load device. This is because the built-in power module is directly connected to the load device, while the power supply of the laptop needs to pass through the expansion module of the docking station before it can be provided to the load device.

[0040] In one embodiment, the control module determines the required power of the docking station in the next cycle, including: The control module obtains the number of currently connected load devices and the load power of the load devices; The control module determines the required power of the docking station based on the number of currently connected load devices and the load powers of the load devices.

[0041] The power consumption of the docking station itself is affected by the number and type of load devices connected to the docking station. Different types of load devices require different powers. When the docking station's own power requirements cannot be met, the docking station will not work, and the load devices connected to the docking station will also not work. Therefore, the docking station's own power requirements must be met first.

[0042] In one embodiment, the docking station further comprises: a temperature detection module, the temperature detection module being used to detect the current temperature of the docking station; The control module obtains the required power of the expansion dock, including: The control module acquires the current temperature of the expansion dock detected by the temperature detection module; The control module obtains the number of currently connected load devices and the load power of the load devices; The control module determines the required power of the expansion dock in the next cycle based on the current temperature of the expansion dock, the number of currently connected load devices and the load power of the load devices; The method further includes: when it is determined that the required power of the expansion dock in the next cycle is greater than a preset power threshold, disconnecting at least one load device or reducing the power of at least one load device.

[0043] Among them, the power consumption of the expansion dock is also related to the temperature. In order to more accurately determine the self-demand power of the expansion dock, the current temperature of the expansion dock is detected by the temperature detection module, and the self-demand power of the expansion dock in the next cycle is determined based on the current temperature, the number of currently connected load devices and the load power of the load devices. In addition, after the current temperature of the expansion dock is detected by the temperature detection module, the current temperature is compared with the preset temperature threshold. If it is greater than the preset temperature threshold, over-temperature protection is required. That is, the setting of the temperature detection module can be used for over-temperature protection on the one hand, and on the other hand, it can be used as a basis for calculating the self-demand power of the expansion dock. When the determined self-demand power is greater than the preset power threshold, it means that it will affect the normal use or service life of the expansion dock, so timely processing is required at this time, and the processing method includes: disconnecting at least one load device.

[0044] In one embodiment, the docking station further comprises: a storage module, wherein the storage module stores a calculation model of the power demand of the docking station in the next cycle; the control module is connected to the storage module; The control module obtains the calculation model in the storage module, and calculates the required power of the expansion dock in the next cycle based on the calculation model. The parameters of the calculation model include: the number of load devices, the load power of the load devices, and the current temperature of the expansion dock.

[0045] In order to enable the control module to accurately calculate the required power of the docking station in the next cycle, the calculation model needs to be stored in the storage module in advance, so that the control module can call the calculation model to calculate the required power of the docking station in the next cycle. The parameters of the calculation model include: the number of load devices, the load power of the load devices, and the current temperature of the docking station.

[0046] In one embodiment, a switch unit is provided in the subport module, the control module is connected to the switch unit, and the method further includes: When it is detected that the current temperature of the expansion dock is greater than a preset temperature threshold, the control module controls the switch unit of the sub-port module to disconnect at least one load device and sends a reminder message to the laptop computer.

[0047] In one embodiment, the storage module is further used to record the power demand changes of each load device and the power demand changes of the docking station itself, forming a historical record, so that the power demand change law can be learned based on the historical record; The control module is also used to predict the power required by each load device in the next cycle based on the power demand change law and the current load power of the load device to obtain a prediction result; The power of the next cycle of each load device and the docking station is allocated based on the prediction result.

[0048] In one embodiment, the historical records include: load device type, changes in power demand of the load device over time, different times correspond to different usage scenarios, and the usage scenarios include: external scenarios and internal scenarios. The external scenarios refer to the operation of other load devices, and the internal scenarios refer to the usage of the load device. The method of learning the power demand change law based on historical records includes: taking the load device type in the historical records, the power demand of the load device in the previous cycle, the usage scenario of the previous cycle, and the usage scenario of the next cycle as the input of the model, and taking the power demand of the load device in the next cycle as the expected output for training to obtain a power demand change prediction model; and storing the power demand change prediction model in the storage module; The control module is also used to predict the power required by the load device in the next cycle based on the power demand change prediction model to obtain a prediction result.

[0049] In the above embodiment, by storing the power demand change prediction model in the storage module, the control module can predict the power demand of the load device in the next cycle based on the trained demand change prediction model, so that the control module can even adjust the power distribution of each load device. Since only the trained training model is used here, the consumption during calculation is relatively small.

[0050] In one embodiment, the method further comprises: After the control module obtains the load current of the load device, it determines whether the load current is greater than the working current of the load. If it is less than the working current of the load, the switch module is controlled to be in a connected state and a reminder message is sent to the laptop computer.

[0051] Among them, when it is detected that the load current is less than the working current, it means that the load device is no longer functioning normally, and a reminder message is sent to the laptop computer, and at the same time, the built-in power module is opened to provide additional power.

[0052] In one embodiment, a docking station power supply monitoring system is provided, the system comprising: an docking station and a laptop computer, the docking station comprising: a control module, a current monitoring module, a built-in power module, a main port module and a plurality of sub-port modules, the docking station is connected to the laptop computer via the main port module, the laptop computer provides power and transmits data to the docking station via the main port module, the plurality of sub-port modules are used to connect load devices, the control module is respectively connected to the current monitoring module, the main port module and the built-in power module, the built-in power module is connected to the plurality of sub-port modules via a switch module; The current detection module is used to monitor the load current of the load device; The control module is used to obtain at least one load device connected to the expansion dock through the multiple sub-port modules; The control module is used to obtain the load current sequence of the current cycle of the at least one load device monitored by the current monitoring module based on the sliding window of the preset time length, determine the load power sequence of the current cycle of the corresponding load device based on the load current sequence of the current cycle, and predict the load power demand of the next cycle based on the load power sequence of the current cycle; The control module is used to predict the required power of the expansion dock in the next cycle; The control module is used to determine the total required power of the next cycle based on the load power requirement of the at least one load device in the next cycle and the required power of the expansion dock itself in the next cycle; The control module is also used for controlling the switch module to be in an off state and transmitting the excess power to the built-in power module when the total supplied power is greater than the total required power of the next cycle; The control module is also used for controlling the switch module to be in a connected state when the total supplied power is less than the total required power of the next cycle, so as to provide additional power to the at least one load device; The control module is also used to control the main port module to disconnect from the laptop computer when the control module detects that the expansion dock is not connected to a load device, and the built-in power supply module supplies power to the control module, so that the control module enters a low power consumption state. When a load device is detected to be connected in the low power consumption state, the control module controls the main port module to open the connection with the laptop computer.

[0053] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present invention fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention and their equivalents, the present invention is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring power supply of an expansion dock, applied to the expansion dock, characterized in that: The docking station comprises: a control module, a current monitoring module, a built-in power module, a main port module and a plurality of sub-port modules, the docking station is connected to a laptop computer via the main port module, the laptop computer provides power and transmits data to the docking station via the main port module, the plurality of sub-port modules are used to connect load devices, the control module is respectively connected to the current monitoring module, the main port module and the built-in power module, the built-in power module is connected to the plurality of sub-port modules via a switch module; The method comprises: The control module acquires at least one load device connected to the expansion dock through the plurality of sub-port modules; The control module obtains the load current sequence of the current cycle of the at least one load device monitored by the current monitoring module based on a sliding window of a preset time length, determines the load power sequence of the current cycle of the corresponding load device based on the load current sequence of the current cycle, and predicts the load power demand of the next cycle based on the load power sequence of the current cycle; The control module predicts the required power of the expansion dock in the next cycle; The control module determines the total required power for the next cycle based on the load power requirement of the at least one load device for the next cycle and the required power of the dock itself for the next cycle; The control module obtains the total supply power provided by the laptop computer; When the total supplied power is greater than the total required power of the next cycle, the control module controls the switch module to be in an off state and transmits the excess power to the built-in power module; When the total supplied power is less than the total required power of the next cycle, the control module controls the switch module to be in a connected state to provide additional power to the at least one load device; When the control module detects that the expansion dock is not connected to a load device, the control module controls the main port module to disconnect from the laptop computer, and the built-in power module supplies power to the control module. The control module enters a low power consumption state. When a load device is detected to be connected in the low power consumption state, the control module controls the main port module to open the connection with the laptop computer.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The docking station further comprises: a storage module, the storage module recording a load current sequence of the load device detected in each cycle; The control module acquires the load current sequence of the current cycle of the at least one load device monitored by the current monitoring module based on a sliding window of a preset time length, determines the load power sequence of the current cycle of the corresponding load device based on the load current sequence of the current cycle, and predicts the load power demand of the next cycle based on the load power sequence of the current cycle, including: Obtain the N load currents most recently detected in the current cycle based on a sliding window of a preset time length to form a load current sequence of the current cycle; Determine the load power sequence of the current cycle of the corresponding load device based on the load current sequence of the current cycle; The change values ​​between each historical cycle of the load device are obtained, and the load power demand of the next cycle is predicted based on the change values ​​and the load power sequence of the current cycle.

3. The method for monitoring power supply of the expansion dock according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When the control module detects that the laptop is in a dormant or shutdown state, the switch module is controlled to be in an off state to cut off the power supply to the load device; When the control module detects that the laptop computer re-enters the running state, the switch module is controlled to be in the connected state to supply power to the load device, so that the load device quickly enters the working state.

4. The method for monitoring power supply of the expansion dock according to claim 1, characterized in that: The docking station further comprises: a temperature detection module, the temperature detection module being used to detect the current temperature of the docking station; The control module predicts the required power of the expansion dock in the next cycle, including: The control module acquires the current temperature of the expansion dock detected by the temperature detection module; The control module obtains the number of currently connected load devices and the load power of the load devices; The control module determines the required power of the expansion dock in the next cycle based on the current temperature of the expansion dock, the number of currently connected load devices and the load power of the load devices; The method further includes: when it is determined that the required power of the docking station itself is greater than a preset power threshold, disconnecting at least one load device or reducing the power of at least one load device.

5. The method for monitoring power supply of the expansion dock according to claim 4, characterized in that: The docking station further comprises: a storage module, in which a calculation model of the power demand of the docking station itself in the next cycle is stored; the control module is connected to the storage module; The control module obtains the calculation model in the storage module, and calculates the required power of the expansion dock in the next cycle based on the calculation model. The parameters of the calculation model include: the number of load devices, the load power of the load devices, and the current temperature of the expansion dock.

6. The method for monitoring power supply of the expansion dock according to claim 4, characterized in that: The subport module is provided with a switch unit, the control module is connected to the switch unit, and the method further includes: When it is detected that the current temperature of the expansion dock is greater than a preset temperature threshold, the control module controls the switch unit of the sub-port module to disconnect at least one load device and sends a reminder message to the laptop computer.

7. The method for monitoring power supply of the expansion dock according to claim 5, characterized in that: The storage module is also used to record the power demand changes of each load device and the power demand changes of the docking station itself, forming a historical record, so that the power demand change law can be learned based on the historical records; The control module is also used to predict the power required by each load device in the next cycle based on the power demand change law and the current load power of the load device to obtain a prediction result; The power of the next cycle is allocated to each load device and the expansion dock based on the prediction result.

8. The method for monitoring power supply of the expansion dock according to claim 7, characterized in that: The historical records include: load device type, changes in power demand of the load device over time, different times correspond to different usage scenarios, and the usage scenarios include: external scenarios and internal scenarios. The external scenarios refer to the operation of other load devices, and the internal scenarios refer to the usage of the load device; The method of obtaining the power demand change law based on historical record learning includes: taking the load device type in the historical record, the power demand of the load device in the previous cycle, and the usage scenario of the previous cycle as the input of the model, and taking the power demand of the load device in the next cycle as the expected output for training to obtain a power demand change prediction model; and storing the power demand change prediction model in the storage module; The control module is also used to predict the power required by the load device in the next cycle based on the power demand change prediction model to obtain a prediction result.

9. The method for monitoring power supply of a docking station according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further comprises: After the control module obtains the load current of the load device, it determines whether the load current is greater than the working current of the load. If it is less than the working current of the load, the switch module is controlled to be in a connected state and a reminder message is sent to the laptop computer.

10. A docking station power supply monitoring system, characterized in that: The system comprises: a docking station and a laptop computer, wherein the docking station comprises: a control module, a current monitoring module, a built-in power module, a main port module and a plurality of sub-port modules, wherein the docking station is connected to the laptop computer via the main port module, wherein the laptop computer provides power and transmits data to the docking station via the main port module, wherein the plurality of sub-port modules are used to connect to load devices, wherein the control module is respectively connected to the current monitoring module, the main port module and the built-in power module, wherein the built-in power module is connected to the plurality of sub-port modules via a switch module; The current detection module is used to monitor the load current of the load device; The control module is used to obtain at least one load device connected to the expansion dock through the multiple sub-port modules; The control module is used to obtain the load current sequence of the current cycle of the at least one load device monitored by the current monitoring module based on the sliding window of the preset time length, determine the load power sequence of the current cycle of the corresponding load device based on the load current sequence of the current cycle, and predict the load power demand of the next cycle based on the load power sequence of the current cycle; The control module is used to predict the required power of the expansion dock in the next cycle; The control module is used to determine the total required power of the next cycle based on the load power requirement of the at least one load device in the next cycle and the required power of the expansion dock itself in the next cycle; The control module is also used for controlling the switch module to be in an off state and transmitting the excess power to the built-in power module when the total supplied power is greater than the total required power of the next cycle; The control module is also used for controlling the switch module to be in a connected state when the total supplied power is less than the total required power of the next cycle, so as to provide additional power to the at least one load device; The control module is also used to control the main port module to disconnect from the laptop computer when the control module detects that the expansion dock is not connected to a load device, and the built-in power supply module supplies power to the control module, so that the control module enters a low power consumption state. When a load device is detected to be connected in the low power consumption state, the control module controls the main port module to open the connection with the laptop computer.

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