Dell Products Inc.

Texas Instruments Corporation

Marcin M Nowak

Merle Wood, Iii

Geroncio Ong Tan

Adolfo Sandor Montero

Nicholas Diciurcio Grobelny

Mohammed K Hijazi

Ken Nicholas

Srinivas Kamepalli

Joshua Alperin

Daniel Lawrence Hamlin

Sean P O'Neal

Christopher A Torres

Vivekanandh Narayanasamy Rajagopalan

Wei-Cheng Jason Yu

Tsung-Cheng Liao

Thomas Edward Voor

Kendall C Witte

James T Gillon

Chin-Jui Liu

Karunakar Palicherla Reddy

Ronald D Malcolm

Merle Jackson Wood

Mario Anthony Limonciello

Piotr M Murawski

Wei-Cheng (Jason) Yu

Tsung-Cheng (Anson) Liao

Akash Malhotra

An information handling system includes a power supply configured to provide a main power bus and a secondary power bus and a USB-C port. The USB-C port includes a connector that provides an internal power bus, an input selector that couples the internal power bus to the main power bus, and a controller that enables/disables the coupling of the internal power bus to the main power bus by the input selector, and selectively couple the secondary power bus to the internal power bus. The controller further determines that an over-voltage condition is exhibited on the first internal power bus, and, in response to determining the over-voltage condition, disables the first input selector from coupling the first internal power bus to the main power bus and uncouples the secondary power bus from the first internal power bus.

IEC notebook limited power source compliance with USB-C port controller

Described are a system and methods for synchronizing control of an information handling system, such as a notebook computer, with external devices, such as displays, where the synchronizing control is performed for similar components on the information handling and external display, such as camera shutters.

Device and method for synchronized shutter controls for external displays

An information handling system includes a USB-C port, first and second processors, and a USB-C power delivery controller. The first processor couples to the USB-C port utilizing a first connection type. The second processor couples to the USB-C port utilizing a second connection type. The USB-C power delivery controller includes first registers associated with the first processor and second registers associated with the second processor. The first processor utilizes the first registers to communicate with the USB-C port. The second processor utilizes the second registers to communicate with the USB-C port.

Control of Thunderbolt/DisplayPort multiplexor for discrete USB-C graphics processor

Systems and method are provided in which docking stations provide power to an Information Handling System (IHS) that is coupled to the docking station and provide the IHS with access to I/O (Input/Output) devices coupled to the docking station. Docking stations include a power circuit receiving a supply of DC power from an external power source. Docking stations also include a docking port used by the docking station to supply DC power to the docked IHS. Docking stations also include an I/O port the receives a connection from an external display, where a DC power input is received via the I/O port from the coupled external display. A controller of the docking station apportions the DC power input received from the coupled external display between operations of the docking station and the DC power supplied to the IHS via the docking port.

Docking station supporting power inputs from a display

An information handling system includes a USB-C port and a USB-C power delivery controller. The USB-C power delivery controller includes connection preference information, and is configured to detect that a device has been plugged into the USB-C port, determine that the device supports a first connection type and a second connection type, determine that the first connection type has a higher connection priority than the second connection type, and establish a connection between the information handling system and the device utilizing the second connection type based upon the connection preference information.

Dynamic USB-C mode configuration

A docking station according to embodiments provides power to an Information Handling System (IHS) coupled to the docking station. The docking station includes a first power circuit supporting a first power output according to a power delivery protocol limited to a first power level. The docking station also includes a second power circuit supporting a second power output for providing the input power of the docking station to the IHS. A controller of the docking station determines whether the IHS requires power using the power delivery protocol and selects the operation of the first or second power circuit. The docking station may support dual of such selectable power pathways using a docking cable joined from two individual cables, where each cable provides a separate power and/or data coupling. The docking station thus supports powering devices according to a power delivery protocol or using the input power to the docking station.

Bypass pathway for providing auxiliary power from a docking station

An information handling system includes a first device, a host device, and a dock. The dock communicates with the first device over a first physical communication link, and with the host device over a second physical communication link. The dock receives a vendor defined message from the host device over the second physical communication link. In response to the first device being a destination device for the vendor defined message, the dock converts the vendor defined message to a second message having a different protocol as compared to the vendor defined message and designates an embedded controller of the dock as a virtual destination for the second message. In response to the first device being the destination device, the embedded controller regenerates the second message as a second vendor defined message and provides the second vendor defined message to the first device via the second physical communication link.

Dock to bridge vendor defined messages between devices

Embodiments of systems and methods are provided herein to establish a secure communication channel for communicating dock configuration actions from an administrator information handling system (IHS) to a docking station. One embodiment of such a system includes an administrator IHS configured to communicate dock configuration actions to a docking station, a host IHS configured to verify the validity of a dock certificate received from the docking station against a dock certificate authority server, and a docking station configured to verify the validity of an administrator certificate received from the admin IHS against a preconfigured list of valid administrator certificates stored within the docking station. If the validity of the dock certificate and the administrator certificate are respectively verified by the host IHS and the docking station, the host IHS and the docking station are further configured to establish the secure communication channel between the administrator IHS and the docking station.

Systems and methods for establishing a secure communication channel between an information handling system and a docking station

A firmware update procedure for an accessory component may use a process that stages the firmware update in a separate component from the target accessory component being updated to reduce the memory requirements in the accessory component. Security measures can be used to prevent malicious users from accessing the firmware update while stored in the staging device prior to overwrite of firmware memory in the accessory component. These security measures can include public-private key signing and cryptographic hash calculations.

Staging memory for accessory firmware update

An information handling system (IHS) includes a source load switch connected to a power management circuit, and a port for connection of a device. The IHS detects attachment of the device to the port, and determines whether the device is a current sink. When the device is a current sink, the IHS sets the peak processor power level to a reduced level, determines detachment of the device, and in response to determining detachment of the device, restores a maximum peak processor power level. When the device is not a current sink, the HIS starts charging, sets a dynamic peak processor power level to an AC+DC setting, determines detachment of the device, and in response to determining detachment of the device, sets the peak processor power level to a DC-only setting.

Device-dependent peak power throttling for battery-operated systems

An information handling system with multiple power input ports, such as USB ports, capable of receiving power from external power supplies may control power received from the power supplies. A first controller may detect a first power supply coupled to a first power input port of the system and may allow power to flow from the external power supply to the system. Any additional power supplies detected by controllers may be blocked from providing power to the system while the first power supply is providing power.

Multi-power input port power control

An external device and an information handling system may be attached through a single port connection to provide bi-directional transfer or data and power through the port connection. The port connector may allow the information handling system to function as both a power source and a power sink. This allows the information handling system to provide power to certain external devices from an internal battery to avoid data corruption when power to an external device is unexpectedly lost. When AC power is restored to the external device, the information handling system may be reconfigured to not transmit power to the external device and to receive power from the external device to operate the information handling system.

Power transfer synchronization for information handling system and external device

A method and information handling system including a first universal serial bus (USB) type C port for transceiving SMBus data multiplexed over unused USB-2 pins from a host information handling system, a first multiplexer for demultiplexing the SMBus as a designated data bus to a second multiplexer to create a designated bus for management controller transport protocol data, the second multiplexer re-multiplexing the SMBus designated bus to a second USB type C port for connection with an out-of-band management hardware system network interface card of a device connected to the second USB type C port for communication of management controller transport protocol data with the information handling system host and bypassing a docking station high capacity connector multiplex controller, and an embedded controller for activating the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer upon detecting the connection with the out-of-band management hardware system network interface card via the second USB type C port and establishing the designated data bus for management controller transport protocol data bypass connection.

System and method for adding active out-of-band management capability as a user-selectable module

An information handling system receives power from a reversible power cable by selectively configuring outer pins to provide power or communication with a middle pin providing ground. A power manager of an information handling system embedded controller uses a low level of power input to determine which outer pin provides power and which provides communication, and then configures the connector to route power at a high level to the system charger for powering the information handling system.

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Round Rock, TX, United States of America

Marcin M Nowak