Dynamic Power Budgeting for USB Type-C Ports

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Solution Overview

Problem

Static power budgeting for USB Type-C ports in electronic devices can lead to inaccurate power estimation, resulting in poor performance and potential battery overload, as it fails to dynamically adjust power allocation based on connected peripherals, often reserving excessive power for unoccupied ports.

Innovation Solution

Implementing dynamic power budgeting circuitry that includes peripheral detection, power delivery controllers, embedded controllers, and machine learning to adjust power allocation in real-time during Type-C events, preemptively assuming valid connections and updating power levels based on actual contracts, thereby avoiding thermal alerts and ensuring efficient power distribution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If static power budgeting is used for USB Type-C ports, then power allocation is simple to implement, but power estimation accuracy deteriorates leading to poor performance and potential battery overload

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of implementationVSAvoidpower estimation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic power budgeting that automatically adjusts power allocation for USB Type-C ports based on whether a peripheral is detected as connected. The system transitions from static predetermined power values to dynamic values that change in real-time based on connection status, resolving the contradiction by making the power budgeting adaptive rather than fixed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses peripheral detection feedback to continuously monitor connection status and adjust power allocation accordingly. When a peripheral is detected, the system receives feedback about the connection and modifies power budgeting parameters, creating a closed-loop control system that improves power estimation accuracy while maintaining implementation feasibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If static power budgeting reserves power for all Type-C ports, then power availability for connected peripherals is ensured, but excessive power is reserved for unoccupied ports reducing overall system performance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower availabilityVSAvoidsystem performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different power allocation strategies to different ports based on their actual usage state. Connected ports receive appropriate power allocation while unconnected ports have their power reservations reduced or eliminated, creating local optimization rather than uniform treatment across all ports

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Measurement precision

If debounce time is waited for peripheral connection validation, then connection accuracy is improved, but power budgeting response time deteriorates causing performance loss

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection detection accuracyVSAvoidpower budgeting response time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary power budgeting adjustments during the debounce period rather than waiting for debounce to complete. The system proactively adjusts power allocation based on initial connection indicators while the validation process is still ongoing, thereby reducing the effective response time loss while maintaining connection detection accuracy through the completed debounce validation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20240126354A1Power budgeting for computer peripherals

Publication Date: 2024.04.18 INTEL CORP

AI summary

Systems, apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods are disclosed for power budgeting for computer peripherals with electronic devices. An example apparatus to budget power in an electronic device includes interface circuitry; machine readable instructions; and programmable circuitry to at least one of instantiate or execute the machine readable instructions to: detect a Type-C event associated with a computer peripheral; write a power level offset based on an assumed power contract for the computer peripheral during debounce time; obtain an actual power contract for the computer peripheral; and adjust the power level offset based on the actual power contract.