Power-Sharing Connector Control for Host and Slave Device Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
In scenarios where a host device collaborates with slave devices, the host device's power consumption increases significantly due to providing power for both itself and the slave devices, limiting its endurance.
Innovation Solution
A connector with interfaces for a host device, a slave device, and a power supply device, including a switch circuit and power supply device control circuit that detects output power and determines control commands to efficiently distribute power based on the available supply, optimizing power delivery to both devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the host device provides power to both itself and slave devices, then the slave devices can operate, but the power consumption of the host device increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power supply function from the host device by introducing an external power supply device. The host device no longer needs to provide power to slave devices through the connector, as the external power supply device takes over this function. This separation resolves the contradiction by allowing slave devices to operate (improving reliability) while the host device only consumes power for its own operations (reducing power consumption).
Solution Approach 2:
The connector serves as an intermediary that enables multiple devices to connect to the external power supply device simultaneously. Through the connector, the external power supply device can provide power to both the host device and slave devices independently, resolving the power consumption issue while ensuring reliable operation of all connected devices.
2Reliability
If the host device supplies power to multiple slave devices, then the slave devices can maintain operation, but the endurance of the host device is greatly limited
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply function is extracted from the host device and transferred to an external power supply device. This allows the host device to preserve its battery for its own operations while the external power supply device handles the power demands of multiple slave devices, thereby extending the host device's endurance without compromising the operation continuity of slave devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension to the power supply architecture by adding an external power supply device outside the host-device-slave device system. This external power source operates in parallel, providing power to slave devices through the connector without draining the host device's battery, thus extending endurance while maintaining operation continuity.
3Productivity
If the host device maintains operation to provide content outputs, then content delivery can continue, but the power consumption increases when also supplying power to slave devices
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply function is extracted from the host device and assigned to an external power supply device. This allows the host device to maintain its content output operations without the additional power burden of supplying power to slave devices. The external power supply device independently provides power to slave devices through the connector, reducing the host device's total power consumption while preserving its productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a connector. The connector includes first to third interfaces, a switch circuit, a power supply device control circuit, and an interface control circuit. The first to third interfaces are configured to connect a host device, an upstream facing port (UFP) device and a power supply device, respectively. The switch circuit is connected to the first interface, the second interface, the third interface, and the interface control circuit. The power supply device control circuit is connected to the third interface and the interface control circuit. In response to detecting that a power supply device is plugged into the third interface, the power supply device control circuit detects a supply output power of the power supply device and determines a power supply control command based on the supply output power, a required charging power for the host device, and an operating power of the slave device. The interface control circuit performs on-off control on the switch circuit according to the power supply control command, to control power supply from the power supply device to the host device and the slave device. Using the connector, efficient power supply from the external power supply device to the host device and the slave device can be implemented.