USB TYPE-C to legacy USB cable detection

{
  "publication_number": "US10318394B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "USB TYPE-C to legacy USB cable detection",
  "abstract": "A port controller includes an advertise block configured to determine a cable assembly coupled to the port controller is not compliant with a standard used by the port controller, a comparator configured to determine a current drawn from a power converter coupled to the cable assembly exceeds a capability of the power converter based on comparing a bus voltage to a threshold voltage, and a protection block configured to, in response to determining the current drawn from the power converter exceeds the capability of the power converter, cause the current drawn from the power converter to be reduced.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A port controller, comprising: an advertise block configured to determine a cable assembly coupled to the port controller is not compliant with a standard used by the port controller; a comparator configured to determine a current drawn from a power converter coupled to the cable assembly exceeds a capability of the power converter based on comparing a bus voltage to a threshold voltage; and a protection block configured to, in response to determining the current drawn from the power converter exceeds the capability of the power converter, cause the current drawn from the power converter to be reduced.",
    "2. The port controller of claim 1, wherein the current drawn from the power converter exceeds the capability of the power converter when the bus voltage is less than the threshold voltage.",
    "3. The port controller of claim 1, wherein the threshold voltage is one of: a fixed value, based on a delta from an initial bus voltage, and based on the bus voltage, the current draw and an attenuation of the cable assembly.",
    "4. The port controller of claim 1, wherein the advertise block is configured to determine information related to a capability of the power converter, and the information related to the capability of the power converter is incorrect.",
    "5. The port controller of claim 1, wherein the cable assembly and the power converter are electrically configured based on a first USB standard, the port controller is electrically configured based on an second USB standard, and the cable assembly, the power converter and the port controller are mechanically compatible.",
    "6. The port controller of claim 1, wherein the port controller is configured to communicate the current drawn from the power converter exceeds the capability of the power converter to a processor; and the processor instructs a battery charger to one of reduce the current drawn from the power converter or stop the current drawn from the power converter.",
    "7. The port controller of claim 1, wherein the port controller further comprises: an attach block configured to determine the cable assemble couples the power converter to the port controller based on the bus voltage exceeding a second threshold voltage; and in response to determining the cable assemble couples the power converter to the port controller, cause the current to be drawn from the power converter.",
    "8. The port controller of claim 1, wherein the standard used by the port controller is a USB TYPE-C standard, and the cable assembly is determined to be not compliant with the USB TYPE-C standard if the cable assembly includes a pull-up resistor, a current capability of the power converter is based on the pull-up resistor and no communications are received from the power converter over a Configuration Channel (CC).",
    "9. A method comprising: coupling a power converter to a device via a cable assembly configured to indicate incorrect information related to a capability of the power converter; drawing current from a power converter to at least one of charge a battery associated with a device or power the device; determining if a bus voltage on the device is less than a threshold voltage; and in response to determining the bus voltage is less than the threshold voltage, causing the current drawn from the power converter to be reduced.",
    "10. The method of claim 9, wherein the threshold voltage is on of: based on a delta from an initial bus voltage, based on the bus voltage, the current drawn from the power converter and an attenuation of a cable coupled to the device, and a fixed value.",
    "11. The method of claim 9, further comprising: determining the cable assembly is not compliant with a USB TYPE-C standard if the cable assembly includes a pull-up resistor, a current capability of the power converter is based on the pull-up resistor and no communications are received from the power converter over a Configuration Channel (CC).",
    "12. The method of claim 9, wherein the cable assembly and the power converter are electrically configured based on a first USB standard, the device is electrically configured based on an second USB standard, and the cable assembly, the power converter and device are mechanically compatible.",
    "13. The method of claim 9, further comprising: communicating the bus voltage is less than the threshold voltage to a processor, instructing a battery charger, by the processor, to one of reduce the current drawn from the power converter or stop the current drawn from the power converter.",
    "14. The method of claim 9, wherein the threshold voltage is a first threshold voltage and before drawing current from the power converter, the method further comprising: determining the bus voltage exceeds a second threshold voltage; and in response to determining the bus voltage exceeds the second threshold voltage, causing the current to be drawn from the power converter.",
    "15. The method of claim 9, wherein after causing the current drawn from the power converter to be reduced, the method further comprising: while continuously monitoring the bus voltage, determining if the bus voltage is less than the threshold voltage; and in response to determining the bus voltage is less than the threshold voltage, causing the current drawn from the power converter to be stopped.",
    "16. A device, comprising: a battery; a battery charger configured to draw current from a power converter to at least one of charge the battery and power the device; and a port controller configured to: determine a cable assembly coupled to the port controller is not compliant with a standard used by the device; determine a current drawn from the power converter coupled to the cable assembly exceeds a capability of the power converter based on comparing a bus voltage to a threshold voltage; and in response to determining the current drawn from the power converter exceeds the capability of the power converter, cause the current drawn from the power converter to be reduced.",
    "17. The device of claim 16, wherein: the current drawn from the power converter exceeds the capability of the power converter when the bus voltage is less than the threshold voltage.",
    "18. The device of claim 16, wherein the threshold voltage is one of a fixed value, based on a delta from an initial bus voltage, and based on the bus voltage, the current draw and a loss of the cable assembly.",
    "19. The device of claim 16, wherein the port controller is configured to determine information related to the capability of the power converter, and the information related to the capability of the power converter is incorrect.",
    "20. The device of claim 16, wherein the cable assembly and the power converter are electrically configured based on a first USB standard, the port controller is electrically configured based on an second USB standard, and the cable assembly, the power converter and the port controller are mechanically compatible."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Embodiments relate to current being drawn from a universal serial bus (USB) power converter.\n\nCharging devices can include a variety of components that are based on different Universal Serial Bus (USB) standards. For example, a computing device can be configured to use a one standard (e.g., USB TYPE-C) and the power converter used to power the computing device can be based on an older standard (e.g., USB TYPE-A). Components that are configured based on the newer standard (e.g., protective features, communication capabilities, and the like) may not function as designed in conjunction with components based on the older standard.\n\nIn at least one general aspect, a port controller includes an advertise block configured to determine a cable assembly coupled to the port controller is not compliant with a standard used by the port controller, a comparator configured to determine a current drawn from a power converter coupled to the cable assembly exceeds a capability of the power converter based on comparing a bus voltage to a threshold voltage, and a protection block configured to, in response to determining the current drawn from the power converter exceeds the capability of the power converter, cause the current drawn from the power converter to be reduced.",
  "cpc": [
    "G06F 11/221",
    "G06F 1/266",
    "G06F 1/28",
    "G06F 1/30",
    "G06F 1/3206",
    "G06F 1/3253",
    "G06F 11/2294",
    "G06F 11/3051",
    "G06F 13/385",
    "G06F 13/4282",
    "H02J 2207/20",
    "H02J 2207/30",
    "H02J 7/00",
    "Y02D 10/00",
    "Y02D 10/14",
    "Y02D 10/151"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G06F 1/32",
    "G06F 11/22",
    "G06F 11/30",
    "G06F 13/38",
    "G06F 13/42",
    "G06F 1/26",
    "G06F 1/28",
    "G06F 1/30",
    "G06F 1/3206",
    "G06F 1/3234"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Fairchild Semiconductor Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "William Robert Newberry"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-08-16",
  "publication_date": "2019-06-11",
  "grant_date": "2019-06-11",
  "priority_date": "2016-08-26",
  "application_number": "US-201715678323-A",
  "family_id": "61242721",
  "cited_by_count": 2,
  "citations": [
    "US6125455A",
    "US8035368B2",
    "US20140173141A1",
    "US9588563B2",
    "US9748761B2",
    "US10082853B2"
  ]
}