US5752046A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Power management system for computer device interconnection bus
Assignee: Apple Inc
•
Filing: 1996-12-18
•
Granted: 1998-05-12
•
Expires: 2016-12-18
Abstract
Abstract The power management system tracks the total amount of power drawn from a bus by devices connected to the bus and to the bus itself, based on the individual operational status of each device. The power manager system also tracks the total amount of power supplied to the bus. From this information the power manager system determines whether a power surplus exists sufficient to allow an additional device to operate or to allow a currently operating device to draw more power. Power usage requests received from devices connected to the bus are granted or denied by the power management system based on the determination of available power. The power management system additionally is capable of sequencing the use of several devices to allow the devices to each operate while maintaining the total power draw within an acceptable range. The system provides for efficient use of a limited amount of power to allow operation of more devices than conventionally allowed with a bus. The system also can activate power supply devices which are off-line via soft-power-on commands to increase the total amount of power available. The system is advantageously implemented with any bus system having devices drawing power from the bus from power supplies providing limited power.
Inventors
- 👤 Florin Oprescu
- 👤 Michael D. Teener
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 15:16
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F1/00; G06F1/26; G06F1/32; G06F1/3203; G06F1/3234; G06F1/325; G06F1/30; G06F1/305; G06F1/3253; G06F13/00; G06F13/14; G06F13/36; Y; Y02; Y02D; Y02D10/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
129 words
An electronics system comprising: an interconnection bus; a plurality of devices coupled to the interconnection bus, each of the plurality of devices being operative to transmit power requests via the interconnection bus and at least a first device of said plurality of devices being capable of supplying power to said interconnection bus; and a power manager receiving the power requests from the plurality of devices, said power manager further including: a database that contains (i) a priority level corresponding to each of the plurality of devices, (ii) power draw information on different operating states of each of the plurality of devices, and (iii) power output capabilities of at least said first device, a processor that grants the power requests based on the power draw information and the priority information.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
129 words
An electronics system comprising: an interconnection bus; a plurality of devices coupled to the interconnection bus, each of the plurality of devices being operative to transmit power requests via the interconnection bus and at least a first device of said plurality of devices being capable of supplying power to said interconnection bus; and a power manager receiving the power requests from the plurality of devices, said power manager further including: a database that contains (i) a priority level corresponding to each of the plurality of devices, (ii) power draw information on different operating states of each of the plurality of devices, and (iii) power output capabilities of at least said first device, a processor that grants the power requests based on the power draw information and the priority information.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The electronics system of claim 1, wherein the power manager grants and denies power requests based on a maximum amount of power available.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
88 words
The electronics system of claim 2, wherein the power manager grants a power request for a first amount of power if supplying the first amount of power would result in an amount of power used by the plurality of devices being less than or equal to a maximum amount of power available, and wherein the power manager denies the power request if supplying the first amount of power would result in the amount of power used by the plurality of devices exceeding the maximum amount of power available.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The electronics system of claim 2, wherein the peripheral device is a mouse.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The electronics system of claim 1 wherein the power manager controls operation of the plurality of devices.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The electronics system of claim 1 wherein the power manager determines the actual amount of power utilized by each device of the plurality of devices.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
The electronics system of claim 1 wherein the power manager determines the actual amount of power consumed by each device of the plurality of devices and controls the actual amount of power consumed by each device of the plurality of devices.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The electronics system of claim 1 wherein logical operations of the power manager are implemented using a computer program executing within a processing unit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The electronics system of claim 1, wherein the database further includes a device status table indicating the current power status of each device of the plurality of devices.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
The electronics system of claim 1, wherein the power draw information includes information on power consumption of a peripheral device operating in an active mode and the peripheral device operating in a standby mode.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
191 words
A method for determining whether to grant a power request from a signaling device being one of a plurality of devices coupled to an interconnection bus, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining power draw information for each of the plurality of devices connected to the interconnection bus; calculating a total amount of power drawn at a particular point in time by summing the power draw information of each of the plurality of devices; obtaining from a table power output capabilities for each of the plurality of devices connected to the interconnection bus; calculating a total amount of power supplied to the interconnection bus by summing the power output capabilities of each of the plurality of devices; computing a surplus power available by subtracting the total amount of power drawn from the total amount of power supplied; receiving a power request for a first amount of power via the interconnection bus from the signaling device; granting the power request if supplying the first amount of power would not exceed the surplus power available; and denying the power request if supplying the first amount of power would exceed the surplus power available.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
191 words
A method for determining whether to grant a power request from a signaling device being one of a plurality of devices coupled to an interconnection bus, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining power draw information for each of the plurality of devices connected to the interconnection bus; calculating a total amount of power drawn at a particular point in time by summing the power draw information of each of the plurality of devices; obtaining from a table power output capabilities for each of the plurality of devices connected to the interconnection bus; calculating a total amount of power supplied to the interconnection bus by summing the power output capabilities of each of the plurality of devices; computing a surplus power available by subtracting the total amount of power drawn from the total amount of power supplied; receiving a power request for a first amount of power via the interconnection bus from the signaling device; granting the power request if supplying the first amount of power would not exceed the surplus power available; and denying the power request if supplying the first amount of power would exceed the surplus power available.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 11, wherein prior to the receiving step, the method further comprises the step of transmitting the power request containing information on a target device and a requested operational state of the target device.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 12 wherein the signaling device is a target device which receives increased power if the power request is granted.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 11, wherein prior to the receiving step, the method further comprises the step of transmitting a packet of data including the power request over the interconnection bus from the signaling device.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
153 words
An electronics system comprising: an interconnection bus including a data line and a power line; a plurality of devices coupled to the interconnection bus, each of the plurality of devices being operative to transmit power requests via the data line, wherein the plurality of devices can request a total amount of power that exceeds a maximum amount of power available; and a power manager coupled to the data line, said power manager configured to receive the power requests from the plurality of devices, to coordinate supplying power to the plurality of devices by increasing power supplied to the power line up to said maximum amount when insufficient power is available to satisfy pending power requests, said power manager further configured to grant and revoke power requests according to priority, thereby keeping the total amount of power used by the plurality of devices less than or equal to the maximum amount of power available.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
153 words
An electronics system comprising: an interconnection bus including a data line and a power line; a plurality of devices coupled to the interconnection bus, each of the plurality of devices being operative to transmit power requests via the data line, wherein the plurality of devices can request a total amount of power that exceeds a maximum amount of power available; and a power manager coupled to the data line, said power manager configured to receive the power requests from the plurality of devices, to coordinate supplying power to the plurality of devices by increasing power supplied to the power line up to said maximum amount when insufficient power is available to satisfy pending power requests, said power manager further configured to grant and revoke power requests according to priority, thereby keeping the total amount of power used by the plurality of devices less than or equal to the maximum amount of power available.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
The electronics system of claim 15 wherein the power manager further coordinates the supply of power by controlling the operation of the plurality of devices.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
38 words
The electronics system of claim 16 wherein the power manager coordinates the supplying of power by tracking a difference between the maximum amount of power available and the total amount of power utilized by the plurality of devices.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
The electronics system of claim 15 wherein the maximum amount of power available is the sum of maximum power outputs of all devices coupled to the bus.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
166 words
A method for managing power consumption in an electronics system including a plurality of devices coupled to an interconnection bus, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a power request for a first amount of power via the interconnection bus from a requesting device, said requesting device being one device in the plurality of devices; granting the power request if a first surplus power is sufficient to satisfy the power request; activating at least one power supply device to generate a second surplus power if said first surplus power is insufficient to satisfy the power request, said at least one power supply device being one of the plurality of devices; and determining whether said second surplus power is sufficient to satisfy the power request, wherein if the second surplus power is insufficient to satisfy the power request, generating a third surplus power by deactivating at least one device of the plurality of devices, said at least one device having a lower priority than the requesting device.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
166 words
A method for managing power consumption in an electronics system including a plurality of devices coupled to an interconnection bus, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a power request for a first amount of power via the interconnection bus from a requesting device, said requesting device being one device in the plurality of devices; granting the power request if a first surplus power is sufficient to satisfy the power request; activating at least one power supply device to generate a second surplus power if said first surplus power is insufficient to satisfy the power request, said at least one power supply device being one of the plurality of devices; and determining whether said second surplus power is sufficient to satisfy the power request, wherein if the second surplus power is insufficient to satisfy the power request, generating a third surplus power by deactivating at least one device of the plurality of devices, said at least one device having a lower priority than the requesting device.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3602703A
Cited
US3800198A
Cited
US4146923A
Cited
US4167786A
Cited
US4324987A
Cited
US4253151A
Cited
US4312035A
Cited
US4401894A
Cited
US4514142A
Cited
US4809163A
Cited
US4611289A
Cited
US4564767A
Cited
US4607330A
Cited
US4677566A
Cited
US4860185A
Cited
US5015826A
Cited
US5191520A
Cited
US5157711A
Cited
US5167024A
Cited
US5300874A
Cited
US5287525A
Cited
US5151907A
Cited
US5396635A
Cited
US5332927A
Cited
US5355490A
Cited
US5283905A
Cited
US5450007A
Cited
US5410713A
Cited
US5293632A
Cited
US5423045A
Cited
US5341503A
Cited
US5339445A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-05-11 | 2001-11-10 | 2002-05-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-05-11 | 2005-11-10 | 2006-05-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-05-11 | 2009-11-10 | 2010-05-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |