Information processing device

Abstract

The built-in battery can be charged properly. [Solution] Ports 12a, 12b can be connected to external devices 1a, 1b to supply power. Switches 13a, 13b connect the external device connected to the corresponding port to an internal battery 11 when in the on state, and disconnect the external device when in the off state. A second controller 15 switches the switch to an on or off state in response to an instruction from a first controller 14. If the second controller 15 does not receive an instruction to switch the switch to an on state after switching the switch to an off state, it determines the states of the switches 13a, 13b and ports 12a, 12b. If switches 13a, 13b are all off and an external device is connected to one of the ports, the second controller 15 switches to an on state the switch whose corresponding port is connected to the external device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Interfaces for connecting devices include USB (Universal Serial Bus) Type-C and USB PD (Power Delivery). Connecting devices that support USB Type-C or USB PD enables power to be supplied between them. For example, if a PC (Personal Computer) acts as a power sink and an AC (Alternating Current) adapter connected to the PC acts as a power source, the power supplied from the AC adapter will charge the PC's built-in battery.

[0003] As a technology relating to power supply via USB Type-C, for example, electronic devices that enable effective use of power from multiple power sources have been proposed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-63942 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When multiple source devices are connected to a PC acting as a sink, the PD controller controls the power supply route switch to receive power from one of the source devices according to instructions from the embedded controller. When switching the switch, the built-in battery may temporarily stop receiving power from any device and run out of power. Because the embedded controller operates using power supplied by the built-in battery, if the built-in battery runs out of power when switching the switch, charging of the built-in battery will stop.

[0006] In one aspect, the present invention aims to properly charge an internal battery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In one proposal, an information processing device is provided that has an internal battery, multiple ports, multiple switches, a first controller, and a second controller. The multiple ports are connectable to external devices that supply power to the internal battery. The multiple switches correspond to the multiple ports, respectively, and when in an ON state, connect the external device connected to the corresponding port to the internal battery, and when in an OFF state, disconnect the external device connected to the corresponding port from the internal battery. The first controller is activated by receiving power from the internal battery, and determines one switch to turn ON from among the multiple switches whose corresponding port is connected to an external device. The second controller is started up by receiving power from an internal battery or an external device, and switches one of the multiple switches to an on or off state as instructed by the first controller. If the second controller does not receive an instruction from the first controller to switch one of the multiple switches to an on state within a predetermined time after switching one of the multiple switches to an off state in accordance with the instruction from the first controller, the second controller determines whether all of the multiple switches are in an off state and whether an external device is connected to any of the multiple ports. If all of the multiple switches are in an off state and an external device is connected to any of the multiple ports, the second controller determines one switch to be switched to an on state from among the multiple switches having an external device connected to the corresponding port, and switches the determined switch to an on state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect, the built-in battery can be appropriately charged. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an information processing device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a PC according to a second embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a PC. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of functions of a PC. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of communication between devices. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of power supply from an external device when there is remaining power in the built-in battery. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of power supply from an external device when the internal battery runs out of power during switching of the power supply source. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of power supply from an external device when a switch is switched based on a determination by a PD controller. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a power supply control process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that each embodiment can be implemented in combination with a plurality of other embodiments within a range that does not contradict each other. [First embodiment] 1 is a diagram showing an example of an information processing device according to a first embodiment. In the first embodiment, an information processing device 10 receives power supply from external devices 1a and 1b.

[0011] The information processing device 10 is a computer operated by a user. The information processing device 10 has an internal battery 11, ports 12a and 12b, switches 13a and 13b, a first controller 14, and a second controller 15. The internal battery 11 is a battery that supplies power to each device of the information processing device 10. The internal battery 11 is charged by receiving power from a commercial power source or the like, and uses the charged power to supply power to each device of the information processing device 10. The internal battery 11 is also charged by receiving power from devices connected to ports 12a and 12b via ports 12a and 12b.

[0012] The ports 12a and 12b can be connected to external devices 1a and 1b that supply power to the built-in battery 11. The ports 12a and 12b are, for example, USB Type-C ports. The external devices 1a and 1b are devices that can supply power to connected devices using a commercial power source, their own built-in batteries, or the like. The external devices 1a and 1b are, for example, USB Type-C compatible devices. Here, the external device 1a is connected to the port 12a, and the external device 1b is connected to the port 12b.

[0013] The switches 13a and 13b determine the source of power supply to the built-in battery 11. The switches 13a and 13b correspond to the ports 12a and 12b, respectively. The switches 13a and 13b are in an on or off state. For example, the switches 13a and 13b switch between an on state and an off state depending on whether the signal from the second controller 15 is high or low. When the switches 13a and 13b are in an on state, they connect the built-in battery 11 to an external device connected to the corresponding port. When the switches 13a and 13b are in an off state, they disconnect the built-in battery 11 from an external device connected to the corresponding port.

[0014] For example, switch 13a is arranged on the power supply path from corresponding port 12a to internal battery 11. When switch 13a is in the on state, it energizes the power supply path from port 12a to internal battery 11. When switch 13a is in the off state, it cuts off the power supply path from port 12a to internal battery 11. Furthermore, switch 13b is arranged on the power supply path from corresponding port 12b to internal battery 11. When switch 13b is in the on state, it energizes the power supply path from port 12b to internal battery 11. When switch 13b is in the off state, it cuts off the power supply path from port 12b to internal battery 11.

[0015] In the first embodiment, for simplicity of explanation, the information processing device 10 has two ports, ports 12a and 12b, but the information processing device 10 may have three or more ports. Even when the information processing device 10 has three or more ports, the information processing device 10 has the same number of switches as the ports corresponding to the respective ports.

[0016] The first controller 14 is a controller that controls the power supply from the external devices 1a and 1b in response to an instruction to the second controller 15. The first controller 14 is, for example, an embedded controller that controls a USB Type-C PD controller. The first controller 14 is started up by receiving power supply from the built-in battery 11. The first controller 14 determines one switch to be turned on from among the switches 13a and 13b whose corresponding ports are connected to external devices.

[0017] The second controller 15 is a controller that controls the switches 13a and 13b. The second controller 15 is, for example, a USB Type-C PD controller. The second controller 15 is started up by receiving power supply from the built-in battery 11 or the external devices 1a and 1b. The second controller 15 switches the switch 13a or 13b, whichever is instructed by the first controller 14, to an on state or an off state.

[0018] As an example, when no external device is connected to ports 12a and 12b, both switches 13a and 13b are in the OFF state. When external device 1a is connected to port 12a, second controller 15 switches switch 13a to the ON state in response to an instruction from first controller 14. For example, second controller 15 establishes a connection with external device 1a through CC (Configuration Channel) communication. First controller 14 acquires information about external device 1a, notified through CC communication, from second controller 15 and determines to turn on switch 13a corresponding to port 12a to which external device 1a is connected. First controller 14 instructs second controller 15 to switch switch 13a to the ON state, and second controller 15 switches switch 13a to the ON state. This causes external device 1a to supply power to built-in battery 11, which is then charged.

[0019] If the internal battery 11 is out of power and the first controller 14 and second controller 15 are not running, when an external device 1a is connected to port 12a, the second controller 15 receives power from the external device 1a and starts up. Then, as a startup process, the second controller 15 turns on switch 13a. This causes the external device 1a to charge the internal battery 11, and the first controller 14 starts up by receiving power from the charged internal battery 11.

[0020] Assume that an external device 1a is connected to port 12a, and an external device 1b, which has a higher power supply than the external device 1a, is connected to port 12b. The first controller 14 then determines to turn on the switch 13b corresponding to the port 12b to which the external device 1b, which has the highest power supply, is connected among the external devices connected to ports 12a and 12b. For example, the second controller 15 establishes a connection with the external device 1b through CC communication. The first controller 14 acquires information about the external device 1b notified through CC communication from the second controller 15, and compares the power supply of the external devices 1a and 1b with the information about the external devices 1a and 1b notified through CC communication. The first controller 14 determines to turn on the switch 13b corresponding to the port 12b to which the external device 1b, which has the higher power supply, is connected among the external devices 1a and 1b.

[0021] In switching the states of the switches 13a and 13b, first, the first controller 14 instructs the second controller 15 to switch the switch 13a, which is in the ON state, to the OFF state. The second controller 15 switches the switch 13a to the OFF state in response to the instruction from the first controller 14. Thereafter, the first controller 14 instructs the second controller 15 to switch the switch 13b, which is in the OFF state, to the ON state. The second controller 15 switches the switch 13b to the ON state in response to the instruction from the first controller 14. As a result, the external device 1b supplies power to the built-in battery 11, and the built-in battery 11 is charged.

[0022] In this way, the second controller 15 switches the switches 13a and 13b to the ON or OFF state in response to an instruction from the first controller 14. Note that when switching the states of the switches 13a and 13b, the built-in battery 11 may temporarily stop receiving power from any external device and run out of power. In this case, the first controller 14, which is operating on power supplied from the built-in battery 11, stops and is unable to send instructions to the second controller 15. Therefore, if the second controller 15 does not receive an instruction from the first controller 14 to switch either of the switches 13a and 13b to the ON state within a predetermined time after switching either of the switches 13a and 13b to the OFF state, the second controller 15 executes the following process.

[0023] The second controller 15 determines whether or not there is power being supplied from the built-in battery 11. If there is no power being supplied from the built-in battery 11, the second controller 15 determines whether or not the switches 13a and 13b are all in the OFF state and whether or not an external device is connected to either of the ports 12a and 12b. If the switches 13a and 13b are all in the OFF state and an external device is connected to either of the ports 12a and 12b, the second controller 15 switches one of the switches 13a and 13b to the ON state.

[0024] First, the second controller 15 determines one of the switches 13a, 13b to be turned on from among the switches 13a, 13b to which external devices are connected at their corresponding ports. The second controller 15 then determines, from among the switches 13a, 13b to which external devices are connected at their corresponding ports, the switch to be turned on is the switch corresponding to the port to which the external device that supplies the greatest power to the connected device is connected. For example, the second controller 15 compares the power supplied by the external devices 1a, 1b based on the information about the external devices 1a, 1b notified via CC communication. The second controller 15 determines, to be turned on, the switch corresponding to the port to which the external device that supplies the greatest power is connected from among the external devices 1a, 1b. The second controller 15 then turns on the determined switch. As a result, the external device connected to the port corresponding to the switch turned on supplies power to the built-in battery 11, thereby charging the built-in battery 11.

[0025] According to the first embodiment, an information processing device 10 has an internal battery 11, ports 12a and 12b, switches 13a and 13b, a first controller 14, and a second controller 15. Ports 12a and 12b can be connected to external devices 1a and 1b that supply power to the internal battery 11. Switches 13a and 13b correspond to ports 12a and 12b, respectively, and when in the ON state, connect the external device connected to the corresponding port to the internal battery 11, and when in the OFF state, disconnect the external device connected to the corresponding port from the internal battery 11. The first controller 14 is activated by receiving power from the internal battery 11, and determines one of switches 13a and 13b to be turned ON from the switches to which an external device is connected.

[0026] The second controller 15 is activated by receiving power from the built-in battery 11 or the external devices 1a and 1b, and switches one of the switches 13a and 13b to the on or off state as instructed by the first controller 14. If the second controller 15 does not receive an instruction to switch either switch to the on state within a predetermined time after switching either switch to the off state, it determines the states of the switches 13a and 13b and the ports 12a and 12b. If both switches 13a and 13b are off and an external device is connected to either port, the second controller 15 determines one switch to be switched to the on state from the switches to which the corresponding port has an external device connected. The second controller 15 switches the determined switch to the on state.

[0027] This allows the information processing device 10 to resume charging the built-in battery 11 even if the first controller 14 stops due to the built-in battery 11 running out of power when the switches 13a and 13b are switched over. This allows the information processing device 10 to charge the built-in battery 11 appropriately.

[0028] Furthermore, if the second controller 15 does not receive an instruction from the first controller 14 to switch either of the switches 13a, 13b to the ON state within a predetermined time, it determines whether or not there is power being supplied from the built-in battery 11. If there is no power being supplied from the built-in battery 11, the second controller 15 determines whether or not the switches 13a, 13b are all in the OFF state and whether or not an external device is connected to either of the ports 12a, 12b. This allows the information processing device 10 to resume charging the built-in battery 11 using the second controller 15 when it confirms that the first controller 14 has stopped because the built-in battery 11 has run out of power.

[0029] The second controller 15 also switches on the switch 13a, 13b corresponding to the port to which the external device that supplies the most power to the connected device is connected, from the switch 13a, 13b to which the external device is connected. This allows the information processing device 10 to charge the built-in battery 11 using the appropriate external device.

[0030] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, a PC receives power from a device compatible with a USB Type-C port.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a PC according to the second embodiment. The PC 100 is a notebook PC used by a user. The PC 100 has two USB Type-C compatible ports, and a USB Type-C compatible device can be connected to each port. The PC 100 may have three or more ports. The external devices 30 and 40 are USB Type-C compatible devices. For example, the external devices 30 and 40 are devices capable of supplying power to a connected device, such as an AC adapter, a docking station, or a mobile battery.

[0032] The external device 30 is connected to the PC 100 via a cable 31. The cable 31 is a USB Type-C compatible cable. The cable 31 is connected to a port of the PC 100 and a port of the external device 30. The external device 40 is connected to the PC 100 via a cable 41. The cable 41 is a USB Type-C compatible cable. The cable 41 is connected to a port of the PC 100 and a port of the external device 40.

[0033] The PC 100 charges the built-in battery by receiving power supply from the external devices 30 and 40 via the cables 31 and 41. For example, the PC 100 receives power supply to the built-in battery from one of the external devices 30 and 40 that has a larger output power.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a PC. The entire PC 100 is controlled by a processor 101. A memory 102 and multiple peripheral devices are connected to the processor 101 via a bus 111. The processor 101 may be a multiprocessor. The processor 101 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), or a digital signal processor (DSP). At least some of the functions realized by the processor 101 executing a program may be realized by an electronic circuit such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD). The processor 101, the memory 102, and the peripheral devices connected to the bus 111 operate by receiving power from an internal battery 112.

[0035] The memory 102 is used as a main storage device of the PC 100. The memory 102 temporarily stores at least a part of the OS (Operating System) programs and application programs to be executed by the processor 101. The memory 102 also stores various data used in processing by the processor 101. As the memory 102, for example, a volatile semiconductor storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) is used.

[0036] The peripheral devices connected to the bus 111 include a storage device 103, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 104, an input interface 105, an optical drive device 106, and a device connection interface 107. The peripheral devices connected to the bus 111 also include an embedded controller 108, a PD controller 109, and a network interface 110.

[0037] The storage device 103 electrically or magnetically writes and reads data to and from a built-in recording medium. The storage device 103 is used as an auxiliary storage device for a computer. The storage device 103 stores an OS program, application programs, and various data. Note that the storage device 103 may be, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0038] The GPU 104 is connected to a monitor 21 of the PC 100. The GPU 104 displays an image on the screen of the monitor 21 in accordance with an instruction from the processor 101. The monitor 21 may be a display device using an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display device, a liquid crystal display device, or the like.

[0039] The input interface 105 is connected to a keyboard 22 and a mouse 23. The input interface 105 transmits signals sent from the keyboard 22 and the mouse 23 to the processor 101. The mouse 23 is an example of a pointing device, and other pointing devices can also be used. Examples of other pointing devices include a touch panel, a tablet, a touch pad, and a trackball.

[0040] The optical drive device 106 uses a laser beam or the like to read data recorded on an optical disc 24. The optical disc 24 is a portable recording medium on which data is recorded so that it can be read by reflected light. The optical disc 24 includes a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a DVD-RAM, a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a CD-R (Recordable) / RW (Rewritable), etc.

[0041] The device connection interface 107 is a communication interface for connecting peripheral devices to the PC 100. For example, a memory device 25 or a memory reader / writer 26 can be connected to the device connection interface 107. The memory device 25 is a recording medium equipped with a function for communicating with the device connection interface 107. The memory reader / writer 26 is a device for writing data to the memory card 27 or reading data from the memory card 27. The memory card 27 is a card-type recording medium.

[0042] The embedded controller 108 is a controller that manages the power state of the PC 100. The embedded controller 108 controls the power supply from devices connected to a USB Type-C compatible port to the built-in battery 112. For example, the embedded controller 108 determines, among the USB Type-C compatible devices to which the PD controller 109 has established a connection, the device with the highest output power as the device that will accept power supply to the built-in battery 112. The embedded controller 108 instructs the PD controller 109 to open a charging path from the port to which the determined device is connected to the built-in battery 112 (to turn on a switch on the charging path).

[0043] The PD controller 109 controls the supply of power and the establishment of a connection via a USB Type-C compatible port and cable. The PD controller 109 controls the PC 100 to operate as a power receiving side (sink) in the USB Type-C power supply. The PD controller 109 can operate even when power is not being supplied from the built-in battery 112, but instead receives power from a USB Type-C compatible device connected to the PC 100. The PD controller 109 may also be capable of controlling the PC 100 to operate as a power supply side (source) in the USB Type-C power supply. The PD controller 109 includes a processor 109a, a RAM 109b, and a ROM 109c.

[0044] The processor 109a loads firmware (control software) stored in the ROM 109c into the RAM 109b and executes processing in accordance with the firmware. The processor 109a is, for example, a CPU, an MPU, or a DSP. At least some of the functions realized by the processor 109a executing a program may be realized by an electronic circuit such as an ASIC or a PLD.

[0045] The RAM 109b is a volatile semiconductor storage device used as the main storage device of the PD controller 109. The RAM 109b temporarily stores at least a part of the program to be executed by the processor 109a. The RAM 109b also stores various data used in processing by the processor 109a.

[0046] The ROM 109c is a non-volatile semiconductor storage device that stores firmware, and may be an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

[0047] The PD controller 109 establishes a connection through CC communication, which transmits and receives (negotiates) device information such as compatible interfaces and power setting information with the connected device. In addition, the PD controller 109 switches on and off the switches on the power supply path from the port to the built-in battery 112 in response to instructions from the embedded controller 108.

[0048] The network interface 110 is connected to a network 20. The network interface 110 transmits and receives data to and from other computers or communication devices via the network 20.

[0049] The internal battery 112 supplies power to each device of the PC 100. The internal battery 112 is charged by receiving power from a commercial power source via an AC adapter. The internal battery 112 uses the charged power to supply power to the processor 101, the memory 102, and peripheral devices connected to the bus 111. The internal battery 112 is also charged by receiving power from devices connected to the PC 100 via a USB Type-C compatible port and cable.

[0050] The PC 100 can realize the processing functions of the second embodiment with the hardware configuration described above. The information processing device 10 shown in the first embodiment can also be realized with hardware similar to that of the PC 100 shown in FIG. 3. The embedded controller 108 is an example of the first controller 14 shown in the first embodiment. The PD controller 109 is an example of the second controller 15 shown in the first embodiment.

[0051] The PC 100 realizes the processing functions of the second embodiment by executing a program recorded on, for example, a computer-readable recording medium. The program describing the processing to be executed by the PC 100 can be recorded on various recording media. For example, the program to be executed by the PC 100 can be stored in the ROM 109c. The processor 109a loads at least a portion of the program in the ROM 109c into the RAM 109b and executes the program. The program to be executed by the PC 100 can also be recorded on a portable recording medium such as the optical disk 24, the memory device 25, or the memory card 27. The program stored on the portable recording medium becomes executable after being installed in the ROM 109c under the control of, for example, the processor 101. The processor 109a can also read and execute the program directly from the portable recording medium.

[0052] When the external devices 30, 40 are connected to the ports of the PC 100 as described above, the external devices 30, 40 supply power to the built-in battery 112, which charges the built-in battery 112. When the external devices 30, 40 are connected to both ports of the PC 100, one of the external devices 30, 40 supplies power to the built-in battery 112. Here, the embedded controller 108, which acquires information from the built-in battery 112 and manages power, determines the power supply source, and the PD controller 109 turns on and off switches on the power supply path in accordance with instructions from the embedded controller 108. For example, the embedded controller 108 determines the device with the highest output power among the connected external devices as the power supply source, and instructs the PD controller 109 to turn on switches on the charging path from the port to which the power supply source is connected to the built-in battery 112.

[0053] When switching the external device that serves as the power supply source, the embedded controller 108 first instructs the PD controller 109 to turn off the switch on the charging path from the port to which the current power supply source is connected to the built-in battery 112. Then, when the PD controller 109 turns off the switch, the embedded controller 108 instructs the PD controller 109 to turn on the switch on the charging path from the port to which the new power supply source is connected to the built-in battery 112.

[0054] When switching between external devices as the power supply source, if the switch is turned OFF, the built-in battery 112 temporarily stops receiving power from any external device. If the built-in battery 112 runs out of power, the built-in controller 108 stops operating because it is powered by the built-in battery 112. This stops the embedded controller 108 from issuing instructions to the PD controller 109, and charging of the built-in battery 112 stops.

[0055] Therefore, in the second embodiment, the PD controller 109 determines the states of the ports and switches when it does not receive an instruction to turn the switches ON after turning the switches OFF in response to an instruction from the embedded controller 108. If an external device is connected to any port and all the switches are OFF, the PD controller 109 turns ON the switch corresponding to the port connected to the external device with the highest output power.

[0056] 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functions of a PC. The PC 100 has a communication control unit 120 and a switch control unit 130 as functions of the PD controller 109. The communication control unit 120 and the switch control unit 130 are realized by the processor 109a executing firmware stored in the RAM 109b.

[0057] The communication control unit 120 communicates with each device within the PC 100 and with external devices connected to the PC 100. When an external device serving as a source is connected to a port of the PC 100, the communication control unit 120 establishes a connection by performing CC communication with the connected external device. The communication control unit 120 notifies the embedded controller 108 of information about the external device acquired through CC communication. Furthermore, if the switch control unit 130 does not receive an instruction to turn the switch ON within a predetermined time after turning the switch OFF, the communication control unit 120 determines whether the system power is on and whether an external device is connected to any of the ports.

[0058] The switch control unit 130 controls the switches on the power supply path from each port of the PC 100 to the built-in battery 112. In response to an instruction from the built-in controller 108, the switch control unit 130 switches ON and OFF the switches specified by the built-in controller 108. When CC communication is performed while the built-in battery 112 has no remaining power (when the system power is not turned on), the switch control unit 130 turns ON the switch corresponding to the port to which the external device serving as the Source is connected.

[0059] If the switch control unit 130 does not receive an instruction from the embedded controller 108 to turn on any of the switches within a predetermined time after turning off a switch in response to an instruction from the embedded controller 108, the switch control unit 130 determines whether all of the switches are off. If the system power is off, an external device is connected to any of the ports, and all of the switches are off, the switch control unit 130 identifies the external device that supplies the most power among the connected external devices that serve as Sources. For example, the switch control unit 130 identifies the external device that supplies the most power among the connected external devices based on information acquired through CC communication. The switch control unit 130 turns on the switch corresponding to the port to which the identified external device is connected.

[0060] 4 show only part of the communication paths, and communication paths other than those shown can also be set. Next, communication between the devices in the PC 100 and the external devices 30 and 40 will be described.

[0061] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of communication between devices. PD controller 109 turns on or off a switch on a power supply path from a port to built-in battery 112 in response to an instruction from embedded controller 108, which manages information about built-in battery 112. In the example of Fig. 5, external device 30 is connected to a port of PC 100, and switch 141a is the switch corresponding to the port to which external device 30 is connected.

[0062] When the external device 30 is connected to a port of the PC 100, the PD controller 109 negotiates with the PD controller 30a of the external device 30. The PD controller 30a controls the external device 30 to operate as a power source in USB Type-C power supply. The PD controller 109 acquires a PDO (Power Data Object) from the PD controller 30a via CC communication, the PDO including information such as the power supplied from the external device 30. The PD controller 109 notifies the embedded controller 108 of the power supplied from the external device 30.

[0063] The embedded controller 108 acquires the remaining charge of the built-in battery 112 from the built-in battery 112. The connection interface between the embedded controller 108 and the built-in battery 112 is, for example, I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit: I2C is a registered trademark). The embedded controller 108 also determines one switch to turn ON based on information notified from the PD controller 109. The embedded controller 108 then instructs the PD controller 109 to switch the switches ON and OFF (open and close the switches) so that only the determined switch is ON. The connection interface between the embedded controller 108 and the PD controller 109 is, for example, I2C.

[0064] The PD controller 109 opens and closes the switches in response to instructions from the embedded controller 108. For example, when opening or closing the switch 141a, the PD controller 109 transmits a GPIO (General Purpose Input Output) signal to the switch 141a. The switch 141a turns ON or OFF depending on whether the GPIO signal from the PD controller 109 is High or Low. For example, the switch 141a turns ON when the GPIO signal from the PD controller 109 is High, and turns OFF when the GPIO signal is Low.

[0065] The switch 141a is connected to a port connected to the external device 30 via a power supply VBUS. When the switch 141a is turned ON (open), the external device 30 is connected to the internal battery 112 via the switch 141a and the charger 113, and the internal battery 112 is charged by the external device 30. When the switch 141a is turned OFF (closed), the power supply path from the external device 30 to the charger 113 and the internal battery 112 is cut off, and the external device 30 and the internal battery 112 are disconnected.

[0066] Charger 113 is a device that controls the power supply to devices of PC 100 that use built-in battery 112 and the power supply to built-in battery 112. When built-in battery 112 has remaining power (when system power is on), charger 113 draws current from built-in battery 112 to supply power to each device of PC 100. Furthermore, when switch 141a is ON, charger 113 draws current from external device 30 to charge built-in battery 112.

[0067] The charger 113 notifies the PD controller 109 via a GPIO signal whether the system power is on. The PD controller 109 determines whether the system power is on depending on whether the GPIO signal from the charger 113 is High or Low. For example, when the system power is on, the charger 113 transmits a GPIO signal to the PD controller 109. That is, when the system power is on, the GPIO signal from the charger 113 to the PD controller 109 is High, and when the system power is not on, the GPIO signal is Low. Next, the power supply from the external devices 30 and 40 to the built-in battery 112 will be described.

[0068] 6 is a diagram showing an example of power supply from an external device when the built-in battery has remaining power. The PC 100 receives power supply from the external devices 30 and 40 connected to ports 141 and 142, and charges the built-in battery 112. The ports 141 and 142 are USB Type-C compatible ports provided on the PC 100.

[0069] The external device 30 is connected to the port 141 using a cable 31. The cable 31 is connected to the port 141 and a port 30b of the external device 30. The port 30b is a USB Type-C compatible port provided on the external device 30. The port 30b is connected to the PD controller 30a via a signal line for data transmission and reception and a VBUS. The port 141 is also connected to a switch 141a via a VBUS. The switch 141a is connected to a charger 113. When the switch 141a is ON, the charger 113 draws current from the external device 30 connected to the port 141 to charge the built-in battery 112.

[0070] Furthermore, port 141 is connected to PD controller 109 via a signal line for transmitting and receiving data and VBUS. PD controller 109 is capable of CC communication with PD controller 30a via port 141, cable 31, and port 30b. PD controller 109 is also capable of receiving power from external device 30 via port 141, cable 31, and port 30b, and can operate with the supplied power (VBUS power) even when the system power is off.

[0071] An external device 40 is connected to the port 142 using a cable 41. The cable 41 is connected to the port 142 and a port 40b of the external device 40. The port 40b is a USB Type-C compatible port provided on the external device 40. The port 40b is connected to the PD controller 40a via a signal line for transmitting and receiving data and a VBUS. The PD controller 40a can control the external device 40 to operate as a supply side (Source) of power supply via USB Type-C.

[0072] Furthermore, the port 142 is connected to the switch 142a via VBUS. The switch 142a is a switch corresponding to the port 142. The switch 142a is connected to the charger 113. The switch 142a is turned ON or OFF depending on whether the GPIO signal from the PD controller 109 is High or Low. For example, the switch 142a is turned ON when the GPIO signal from the PD controller 109 is High, and is turned OFF when the GPIO signal from the PD controller 109 is Low. When the switch 142a is turned ON (opened), it energizes the power supply path from the external device 40 to the built-in battery 112, connecting the external device 40 and the built-in battery 112. When the switch 142a is turned OFF (closed), it interrupts the power supply path from the external device 40 to the charger 113 and the built-in battery 112, disconnecting the external device 40 and the built-in battery 112.

[0073] When switch 142a is ON, charger 113 draws current from external device 40 connected to port 142 to charge built-in battery 112. Port 142 is also connected to PD controller 109 via a signal line for data transmission and reception and VBUS. PD controller 109 is capable of CC communication with PD controller 40a via port 142, cable 41, and port 40b. PD controller 109 is also capable of receiving power from external device 40 via port 142, cable 41, and port 40b, and can operate with the supplied power even when the system power is off.

[0074] The embedded controller 108 is connected to the internal battery 112 via I2C, and monitors information indicating the remaining charge of the internal battery 112. The embedded controller 108 is also connected to the charger 113 via I2C, and controls the current that the charger 113 draws from the internal battery 112 and external devices 30 and 40. The embedded controller 108 is also connected to the PD controller 109 via I2C, and issues instructions to open and close switches 141a and 142a.

[0075] The charger 113 notifies the PD controller 109 by a GPIO signal whether the system power is on or not. In this case, the built-in battery 112 has remaining power (the remaining power is 1% or more), so the charger 113 sends a High GPIO signal to the PD controller 109.

[0076] Here, it is assumed that the external device 30 is connected to the port 141 first, and then the external device 40 is connected to the port 142 second. Note that before the external devices 30 and 40 are connected, the switches 141a and 142a are OFF. When the external device 30 is connected to the port 141 using the cable 31, the PD controller 30a transmits a PDO to the PD controller 109 by CC communication indicating that the external device 30 is capable of supplying power of 5 V / 3.0 A (15 W) via VBUS. Upon receiving the PDO from the PD controller 30a, the PD controller 109 notifies the embedded controller 108 of the amount of power that the external device 30 can supply.

[0077] Because the external device 30 is the only external device connected to ports 141 and 142, the embedded controller 108 determines to turn on the switch 141a corresponding to the port 141 to which the external device 30 is connected. The embedded controller 108 instructs the PD controller 109 to turn on the switch 141a. The PD controller 109 sends a High GPIO signal to the switch 141a, switching the switch 141a from OFF to ON. The charger 113 then draws current from the external device 30 to charge the built-in battery 112.

[0078] Next, when the external device 40 is connected to the port 142 using the cable 41, the PD controller 40a transmits a PDO indicating that the external device 40 is capable of supplying power of 20 V / 3.0 A (60 W) via VBUS to the PD controller 109 by CC communication. Upon receiving the PDO from the PD controller 40a, the PD controller 109 notifies the embedded controller 108 of the amount of power that the external device 40 can supply.

[0079] The embedded controller 108 compares the amounts of power that can be supplied by the external devices 30 and 40 connected to the ports 141 and 142, and determines to turn on the switch corresponding to the port connected to the external device that can supply the most power. In this example, the embedded controller 108 determines to turn on the switch 142a corresponding to the port 142 connected to the external device 40 that can supply the most power. Then, the embedded controller 108 first instructs the PD controller 109 to turn off the switch 141a. The PD controller 109 sends a low GPIO signal to the switch 141a, switching the switch 141a from on to off. This stops charging the built-in battery 112 by the external device 30.

[0080] When the PD controller 109 switches the switch 141a OFF, the embedded controller 108 instructs the PD controller 109 to switch the switch 142a ON. The PD controller 109 sends a High GPIO signal to the switch 142a, switching the switch 142a from OFF to ON. Then, the charger 113 draws current from the external device 40 to charge the built-in battery 112.

[0081] 6 indicates the charging path after the external device supplying power to the built-in battery 112 is switched from the external device 30 to the external device 40. Next, a case where the built-in battery 112 runs out of power while the external device supplying power to the built-in battery 112 is switched from the external device 30 to the external device 40 will be described.

[0082] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of power supply from an external device when the internal battery runs out of power while switching the power supply source. The example in Fig. 7 shows a case where the internal battery 112 runs out of power (becomes 0%) when the switch 141a is turned OFF while switching the power supply source from the external device 30 to the external device 40 as shown in Fig. 6. Here, both the switches 141a and 142a are OFF. Therefore, power is not supplied from the external devices 30 and 40 to the internal battery 112.

[0083] The charger 113 does not transmit a GPIO signal because the system power is not on. In other words, the GPIO signal from the charger 113 to the PD controller 109 becomes Low. Furthermore, the embedded controller 108 is not running because the system power is not on. Therefore, instructions from the embedded controller 108 to the PD controller 109 are stopped. Note that the PD controller 109 operates on the VBUS power from the external devices 30 and 40.

[0084] In this way, if the internal battery 112 runs out of power when switching the external device that supplies power, the embedded controller 108 stops issuing instructions to the PD controller 109. This causes the PD controller 109 to stop opening and closing the switches 141a and 142a, leaving the internal battery 112 without power from any external device. This causes the PC 100 to enter a power-off state. Therefore, when instructions from the embedded controller 108 stop, the PD controller 109 determines the states of the ports 141 and 142, the states of the switches 141a and 142a, and whether or not the system power is on, and opens the switches 141a and 142a according to the determination result.

[0085] 8 is a diagram showing an example of power supply from an external device when the switches are switched based on the determination of the PD controller. If the PD controller 109 does not receive an instruction to turn on any of the switches within a predetermined time after turning off the switch 141a, the PD controller 109 determines the states of the ports 141 and 142, the states of the switches 141a and 142a, and whether or not the system power supply is present.

[0086] The PD controller 109 determines whether an external device to serve as a Source is connected to either of the ports 141 and 142. Because the PD controller 109 has established a connection with the external devices 30 and 40, it determines that an external device to serve as a Source is connected (Source present). The PD controller 109 also determines whether the system power is on. Because the GPIO signal from the charger 113 is Low, the PD controller 109 determines that the system power is not on (no system power). The PD controller 109 also determines whether both of the switches 141a and 142a are OFF. Because the GPIO signals of the switches 141a and 142a are both Low, the PD controller 109 determines that both switches are OFF.

[0087] When there is a source, there is no system power supply, and both switches are OFF, the PD controller 109 turns ON one of the switches 141a and 142a. For example, the PD controller 109 references the PDOs of the external devices 30 and 40 and compares the amounts of power that the external devices 30 and 40 can supply. The PD controller 109 then turns ON the switch 142a corresponding to the port 142 connected to the external device 40 that can supply the most power. The PD controller 109 sends a High GPIO signal to the switch 142a, switching the switch 142a from OFF to ON. Then, the charger 113 draws current from the external device 40 to charge the built-in battery 112. Note that the thick lines in FIG. 8 indicate the charging path when the external device 40 is supplying power to the built-in battery 112.

[0088] In this way, if the PD controller 109 does not receive an instruction from the embedded controller 108 to turn on any of the switches within a predetermined time after turning off the switch 141a, it turns on the switch 142a. This allows the PC 100 to resume charging using the PD controller 109, even if the built-in battery 112 runs out of power when switching the power supply source and the embedded controller 108 stops. Therefore, the PC 100 can properly charge the built-in battery 112, preventing a degradation in the user experience caused by a phenomenon such as the PC 100 not starting up even when multiple power supply devices are connected. The processing procedure executed by the PC 100 will be described in detail below.

[0089] 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for power supply control processing. The processing shown in FIG. 9 will be explained below in order of step number. Note that before the following processing starts, the embedded controller 108 and the PD controller 109 are assumed to be inactive.

[0090] [Step S11] When a source external device is connected to either port 141 or 142, the PD controller 109 is started up by the VBUS power from the connected external device. The communication control unit 120 of the PD controller 109 performs CC communication with the connected external device and acquires the PDO related to the connected external device.

[0091] [Step S12] The switch control unit 130 of the PD controller 109 confirms that the system power is not on because the GPIO signal from the charger 113 is low. Then, the switch control unit 130 turns on the switch corresponding to the port to which the external device serving as the Source in step S11 is connected. For example, the switch control unit 130 sends a high GPIO signal to the switch, switching the switch from off to on. This causes the built-in battery 112 to be charged by the external device connected in step S11, turning on the system power, and starting up the embedded controller 108. The communication control unit 120 notifies the embedded controller 108 of the amount of power that the external device connected in step S11 can supply.

[0092] [Step S13] The communication control unit 120 detects the connection of a source external device to a port different from the port to which the external device was connected in step S11. Here, it is assumed that an external device that can supply more power than the external device connected in step S11 has been connected to the other port. The communication control unit 120 performs CC communication with the external device connected to the other port and acquires a PDO related to the external device connected to the other port. The communication control unit 120 notifies the embedded controller 108 of the amount of power that the connected external device can supply in step S13.

[0093] [Step S14] The embedded controller 108 compares the power supply of the external device connected in step S11 with the power supply of the external device connected in step S13. Because the power supply of the external device connected in step S13 is greater, the embedded controller 108 determines to turn on only the switch corresponding to the port to which the external device is connected in step S13. The embedded controller 108 then sends a command to the PD controller 109 to close both switches. The switch control unit 130 turns off both switches in response to the instruction from the embedded controller 108. For example, the switch control unit 130 sends a low GPIO signal to the switch corresponding to the port to which the external device is connected in step S11, switching the switch from on to off.

[0094] [Step S15] The switch control unit 130 determines whether an instruction to turn on either of the switches 141a and 142a has been received from the embedded controller 108 within a predetermined time after the switch was turned off in step S14. If the switch control unit 130 determines that an instruction to turn on the switch has been received, the process proceeds to step S16. If the switch control unit 130 determines that an instruction to turn on the switch has not been received, the process proceeds to step S17.

[0095] [Step S16] The switch control unit 130 turns on the switch specified by the instruction from the embedded controller 108. For example, the switch control unit 130 sends a high GPIO signal to the switch specified by the embedded controller 108, switching the switch from off to on. Then, the process ends.

[0096] [Step S17] The communication control unit 120 determines whether the system power is on. For example, if the GPIO signal from the charger 113 is high, the communication control unit 120 determines that the system power is on, and if the GPIO signal is low, the communication control unit 120 determines that the system power is not on. If the communication control unit 120 determines that the system power is on, it waits for an instruction to turn on the switch from the embedded controller 108 and proceeds to step S16. If the communication control unit 120 determines that the system power is not on, it proceeds to step S18.

[0097] [Step S18] The communication control unit 120 determines whether an external device serving as a Source is connected to either port 141 or 142. For example, if there is an external device with which communication has been established, the communication control unit 120 determines that the external device serving as a Source is connected to either port 141 or 142. If the communication control unit 120 determines that the external device serving as a Source is connected to either port 141 or 142, it proceeds to step S19. If the communication control unit 120 determines that the external devices serving as Sources have been removed from both ports 141 and 142, it ends the process.

[0098] [Step S19] The switch control unit 130 waits for three seconds. If the switch control unit 130 receives an instruction from the embedded controller 108 during the wait, the process proceeds to step S16.

[0099] [Step S20] The switch control unit 130 determines whether either the switch 141a or 142a is open. For example, if either the GPIO signal to the switch 141a or 142a is High, the switch control unit 130 determines that either the switch 141a or 142a is open. If the switch control unit 130 determines that either the switch 141a or 142a is open, the process ends. If the switch control unit 130 determines that both the switches 141a and 142a are closed, the process proceeds to step S21.

[0100] [Step S21] The switch control unit 130 identifies the external device that supplies the most power among the connected external devices that are Sources. For example, the switch control unit 130 identifies the external device that supplies the most power among the external devices connected in step S11 and the external devices connected in step S13, based on the PDO acquired through CC communication.

[0101] [Step S22] The switch control unit 130 turns on the switch corresponding to the port to which the identified external device is connected. For example, the switch control unit 130 sends a High GPIO signal to the switch corresponding to the port to which the identified external device is connected, switching the switch from OFF to ON.

[0102] In this way, the PC 100 controls the power supply to the built-in battery 112. The PD controller 109 switches the switches ON and OFF in response to instructions from the embedded controller 108. If the PD controller 109 does not receive an instruction from the embedded controller 108 to turn either switch ON within a predetermined time after turning a switch OFF, the PD controller 109 determines whether the system power is on. This allows the PD controller 109 to confirm whether the reason for the stop of instructions from the embedded controller 108 is that the built-in battery 112 has run out of power, causing the embedded controller 108 to stop. If the system power is on, the PD controller 109 waits for an instruction from the embedded controller 108 because the embedded controller 108 is running.

[0103] When the system power is off, the PD controller 109 determines whether an external device that serves as a source is connected and whether any of the switches is ON. If an external device that serves as a source is not connected, the PD controller 109 ends the process because there is no source of power supply to the built-in battery 112. On the other hand, if any of the switches is ON, the PD controller 109 ends the process because power is being supplied to the built-in battery 112.

[0104] When an external device is connected and all switches are OFF, the PD controller 109 determines which switch to turn ON. Based on the PDO acquired through CC communication, the PD controller 109 determines the switch to turn ON that corresponds to the port to which the external device with the largest supply power is connected. This allows the PD controller 109 to charge the built-in battery 112 using an appropriate external device. The PD controller 109 then turns ON the determined switch. This allows the PD controller 109 to resume charging the built-in battery 112. This allows the PC 100 to charge the built-in battery 112 appropriately.

[0105] According to the second embodiment, the PC 100 has an internal battery 112, ports 141 and 142, switches 141a and 142a, an embedded controller 108, and a PD controller 109. The ports 141 and 142 can be connected to external devices 30 and 40 that supply power to the internal battery 112. The switches 141a and 142a correspond to the ports 141 and 142, respectively, and when ON, connect the external device connected to the corresponding port to the internal battery 112, and when OFF, disconnect the external device connected to the corresponding port from the internal battery 112. The embedded controller 108 is started up by receiving power from the internal battery 112, and determines one of the switches 141a and 142a to be turned ON from the switches to which an external device is connected.

[0106] The PD controller 109 is started up by receiving power supply from the built-in battery 112 or the external devices 30 and 40, and switches one of the switches 141a and 142a ON or OFF as instructed by the built-in controller 108. If the PD controller 109 does not receive an instruction to switch either switch ON within a predetermined time after switching either switch OFF, it determines the states of the switches 141a and 142a and the ports 141 and 142. If both switches 141a and 142a are OFF and an external device is connected to either port, the PD controller 109 determines one switch to switch ON from the switches to which the corresponding port has an external device connected. The PD controller 109 switches the determined switch ON. This allows the PC 100 to properly charge the built-in battery 112.

[0107] Furthermore, if the PD controller 109 does not receive an instruction from the embedded controller 108 to switch either of the switches 141a and 142a ON within a predetermined time, the PD controller 109 determines whether or not there is power being supplied from the built-in battery 112. If there is no power being supplied from the built-in battery 112, the PD controller 109 determines whether or not both of the switches 141a and 142a are OFF and whether or not an external device is connected to either of the ports 141 and 142. This allows the PC 100 to resume charging the built-in battery 112 using the PD controller 109 when it is determined that the built-in controller 108 has stopped because the built-in battery 112 has run out of power.

[0108] Furthermore, the PD controller 109 switches ON the switch 141a or 142a corresponding to the port to which an external device is connected and which supplies the greatest power to the connected device, from the switch to which the external device is connected. This allows the PC 100 to charge the built-in battery 112 using the appropriate external device.

[0109] Although the embodiments have been described above, the configuration of each part shown in the embodiments can be replaced with other parts having similar functions. Also, any other components or processes may be added. Furthermore, any two or more configurations (features) of the above-described embodiments may be combined. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 1a,1b External equipment 10. Information processing equipment 11 Built-in battery Ports 12a and 12b 13a, 13b Switch 14 First Controller 15 Second Controller

Claims

1. The built-in battery and a plurality of ports to which external devices that supply power to the built-in battery can be connected; a plurality of switches corresponding to the plurality of ports, each of which, when on, connects the external device connected to the corresponding port to the built-in battery, and, when off, disconnects the external device connected to the corresponding port from the built-in battery; a first controller that receives power from the built-in battery to start up and determines one switch to be turned on from among the plurality of switches having a corresponding port connected to the external device; a second controller that is started up by receiving power supply from the built-in battery or the external device, switches one of the plurality of switches to an on state or an off state instructed by the first controller, and, if an instruction to switch one of the plurality of switches to an on state is not received from the first controller within a predetermined time after switching one of the plurality of switches to an off state in response to the instruction from the first controller, determines whether all of the plurality of switches are in an off state and whether the external device is connected to any of the plurality of ports, and, if all of the plurality of switches are in an off state and the external device is connected to any of the plurality of ports, determines one switch to be switched to an on state from among the plurality of switches to which the external device is connected and switches the determined switch to an on state; An information processing device having the above.

2. if the second controller does not receive an instruction from the first controller to switch any of the plurality of switches to an ON state within the predetermined time period, the second controller determines whether or not there is power supply from the built-in battery, and if there is no power supply from the built-in battery, determines whether or not all of the plurality of switches are in an OFF state and whether or not the external device is connected to any of the plurality of ports; 2. The information processing device according to claim 1.

3. the second controller determines, from among the plurality of switches having ports to which the external devices are connected, a switch corresponding to a port to which the external device that supplies the largest power to the connected device is connected as one switch to be switched on; 2. The information processing device according to claim 1.

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