TWI891280B - Electronic system and operating method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic system and an operating method thereof are provided. The electronic system includes an electronic device and a docking device. The docking device is connected to the electronic device. A connection port of the docking device is connected to an external electronic device. When the electronic device switches a power state, the electronic device sets a delay time, such that before the delay time, the electronic device switches between a power receiving role and a power supply role. The delay time is longer than a time required for a protocol communication between the electronic device and the external electronic device, thereby an original executing programs may be temporary stored and resumed completely.

Description

Electronic system and operating method thereof

The present disclosure relates to an electronic system, and more particularly to an electronic system employing an expansion device and an operating method thereof.

A computer device can be connected to one or more external devices via an expansion device to expand the computer device's functionality. The external device may be, for example, a monitor. The expansion device may use the Universal Serial Bus Type-C (USB Type-C) as a transmission interface.

However, in applications that connect to external devices via expansion devices, when a computer device is awakened from hibernation mode to active mode, there's a chance the computer won't be able to resume the processes it was in before entering hibernation mode, resulting in a poor user experience. For example, previously running desktop programs and documents on the computer device may be closed and disappear. In other words, in these applications, the computer device enters shutdown mode without completing any previously saved processes before entering hibernation mode.

The disclosed embodiments provide an electronic system that, in applications where the system is connected to an external electronic device via an expansion device, can temporarily save and resume previously running programs when switching between different power modes.

The electronic system of the disclosed embodiment includes an electronic device and an expansion device. The expansion device is connected to the electronic device. The expansion device includes a first connection port. The first connection port is used to connect to an external electronic device. When the electronic device switches power states, the electronic device sets a delay time so that the electronic device switches between the power receiving role and the power supply role before the delay time. The delay time is greater than the time required for protocol communication between the electronic device and the external electronic device.

The disclosed embodiments further provide a method for operating an electronic system. The method includes the following steps: An external electronic device is connected via an expansion device. When the electronic device switches power, a delay time is set in the electronic device so that the electronic device switches between the power receiving role and the power supply role before the delay time. The delay time is greater than the time required for protocol communication between the electronic device and the external electronic device.

Based on the above, the electronic system and operating method of the disclosed embodiments are suitable for applications connecting to external electronic devices via expansion devices. By setting a delay time, the electronic system can ensure that the electronic device completes the Dual Role Port (DRP) application before completing protocol communication with the external electronic device when switching power states. This allows the electronic device to temporarily save and resume previously running programs.

To make the above-mentioned features and advantages of the present disclosure more clearly understood, the following examples are given with accompanying drawings for detailed description.

100, 300: Electronic systems

110, 310: Electronic devices

120, 320: Expansion device

200: External electronic devices

311: Power Delivery Controller

312: Embedded Controller

313: Processor

321: Power Delivery Controller

400: Power adapter

DT: Delay Time

P1~P2: Ports

PF1: Default file

PF2: Profile

S0: Working mode

S4: Sleep Mode

S210~S220, S410~S470: Steps

t1, t4, t5: time points

Figure 1 is a block diagram of an electronic system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating an operating method of an electronic system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 3 is a block diagram of an electronic system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG4 is a flow chart illustrating an operating method of the electronic system shown in FIG3 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the electronic system according to the embodiment of FIG3 of the present disclosure.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Component numbers used in the following description will be used to identify identical or similar components when the same component numbers appear in different drawings. These embodiments are only part of the present disclosure and do not disclose all possible implementations of the present disclosure. Rather, these embodiments are merely examples within the scope of the present disclosure's patent application.

Figure 1 is a block diagram of an electronic system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 1 , electronic system 100 can implement USB Type-C and Thunderbolt (TBT) transmission standards. Electronic system 100 can also support the Dual Role Port (DRP) specification, enabling switching between a power sink role (or mode) and a power source role (or mode).

In this embodiment, the electronic system 100 may include an electronic device 110 and an expansion device 120. The electronic device 110 is connected to the expansion device 120 via a transmission line (not shown). The electronic device 110 can connect to and use one or more external electronic devices 200 via the expansion device 120.

In this embodiment, the electronic device 110 may be, for example, a mobile phone, a computer, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, or other electronic devices.

In this embodiment, the expansion device 120 may include one or more connection ports (e.g., a first connection port P1). These connection ports may include ports using USB Type-C and USB Type-A, a DisplayPort (DP), and a port using High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI).

FIG2 is a flow chart illustrating an operating method of an electronic system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG1 and FIG2 , electronic system 100 may execute steps S210 through S220. The order of steps S210 through S220 is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting. In this embodiment, steps S210 through S220 may be applied in the following exemplary situations.

In step S210, the expansion device 120 connects to the external electronic device 200 via the first connection port P1. In this embodiment, the first connection port P1 may be, for example, a USB Type-C port. The external electronic device 200 may be, for example, an electronic device that utilizes the USB Type-C and/or TBT transmission standards. The external electronic device 200 may be an output device such as a display, an external hard drive, or various communication interface devices.

In this embodiment, the first connection port P1 of the expansion device 120 can serve as a sink, and the electronic device 110 can serve as a source. In other words, the electronic device 110 acts as a power supply, supplying power to the expansion device 120 and the external electronic device 200 connected to the expansion device 120.

In step S220, when the electronic device 110 switches the power state, the electronic device 110 sets a delay time DT so that the electronic device 110 switches between the power receiving role and the power supply role before the delay time DT.

In this exemplary scenario, the electronic device 110 switches from an operating mode (i.e., S0 state) to a sleep mode (i.e., S4 state). Specifically, the electronic device 110 re-engages in protocol communication with the external electronic device 200 in use based on the switched power state (i.e., S4 state). The protocol communication indicates the operating protocol between the electronic device 110 and the external electronic device 200. After completing the protocol communication, the electronic device 110 suspends or resumes the programs currently running on the electronic device 110 and/or the external electronic device 200 based on the switched power state, and accordingly enters the corresponding power state. Furthermore, in some applications, the electronic device 110 can notify the expansion device 320 and switch from a source to a sink (i.e., from a power provider to a power receiver).

That is, when the electronic device 110 switches its power state, it completes the DRP application before the set delay time DT. In this embodiment, the DRP application may include the electronic device 110 notifying the expansion device 120 and the electronic device 110 switching from a power provider to a power receiver.

In this embodiment, the delay time DT is greater than the time required for protocol communication between the electronic device 110 and the external electronic device 200. The aforementioned required time may be, for example, the preset communication time of the electronic device 110 (e.g., 3 seconds).

It's worth noting that for the electronic device 110 using the expansion device 120, in the exemplary scenario of switching power states, the electronic device 110 has sufficient delay time DT to complete the application of the DRP, allowing the electronic device 110 to correctly enter the switched power state (i.e., S4 state instead of S5 state). Therefore, the electronic device 110 can complete the pausing or resuming of running programs when switching between different power modes, thereby avoiding a poor user experience.

FIG3 is a block diagram of an electronic system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG3 , electronic system 300 may include an electronic device 310 and an expansion device 320. Expansion device 320 may include a first connection port P1 and a second connection port P2. The electronic device 310 and expansion device 320 may be described with reference to the description of electronic system 100 and analogously thereto.

In the embodiment shown in FIG3 , electronic device 310 may further include a power delivery (PD) controller 311, an embedded controller (EC) 312, and a processor 313. The PD controller 311 is coupled to the EC 312. The PD controller 311 is also coupled to a PD controller 321 in an expansion device 320. The processor 313 is coupled to the PD controller 311, the EC 312, and the expansion device 320.

In this embodiment, the processor 313 is used to switch the power state of the electronic device 310. In this embodiment, the power state to be switched may include switching from an operating mode (i.e., S0 state) to a sleep mode (i.e., S4 state). The processor 313 is also used to perform protocol communication with the external electronic device 200.

In this embodiment, the processor 313 may be, for example, an accelerated processing unit (APU), a signal converter, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable general-purpose or special-purpose microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), programmable controller, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), programmable logic device (PLD), or other similar devices or a combination of these devices. It can load and execute computer program-related firmware or software to implement computing, control, and execution functions.

In this embodiment, the embedded controller 312 is used to access a preset profile PF1 or a configuration profile PF2. The preset profile PF1 may include specifications for protocol communication between the electronic device 310 and the external electronic device 200, such as a preset communication time (e.g., 3 seconds). The configuration profile PF2 may include specifications for protocol communication between the electronic device 310 and the external electronic device 200, such as a delay time DT greater than the preset communication time. In other words, compared to the preset profile PF1, the configuration profile PF2 has a longer delay to facilitate protocol communication between the electronic device 310 and the external electronic device 200. The preset profile PF1 and the configuration profile PF2 may be implemented, for example, as firmware or software, respectively.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , the electronic device 310 may be in a working mode (i.e., S0 state). The electronic device 310 is connected to the external electronic device 200 via the first connection port P1 of the expansion device 320 and serves as a power supply.

In this exemplary embodiment, the electronic device 310 can also be connected to one end of the power adapter 400 via the second connection port P2 of the expansion device 320. The other end of the power adapter 400 is connected to a power source (e.g., a mains outlet). At this point, the electronic device 310 can switch from a power provider to a power receiver. Simultaneously, the electronic device 310 switches its power state from active mode (i.e., S0 state) to sleep mode (i.e., S4 state).

Referring also to FIG. 4 , FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an operating method of the electronic system shown in FIG. 3 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronic system 300 may execute steps S410-S470. FIG. 4 illustrates how the electronic system 300, in the aforementioned exemplary scenario, correctly switches the electronic device 310 to the S4 state rather than the S5 state, thereby resuming previously running programs when the electronic device 310 is awakened to the S0 state. These programs may include running desktop applications and documents.

In step S410, the electronic device 310 (e.g., the power transmission controller 311) determines whether the expansion device 320 is connected to the electronic device 310.

If the determination result of step S410 is negative, it indicates that the electronic device 310 is not using the expansion device 320. The electronic system 300 then proceeds to steps S420-S430.

In step S420, electronic device 310 maintains default profile PF1. Specifically, processor 313 executes the default settings (i.e., default profile PF1) accessed by embedded controller 312 to conduct protocol communication with other devices (e.g., directly connected electronic device 200) based on the switched power state (i.e., S4 state) and the preset communication time (e.g., 3 seconds). In step S430, electronic device 310 operates normally.

On the other hand, if the result of step S410 is yes, it indicates that electronic device 310 is connected to expansion device 320. In this exemplary case, electronic device 310 (e.g., embedded controller 312) determines whether to access configuration file PF2 to set delay time DT based on expansion device 320. Electronic system 300 then proceeds to step S440.

In step S440, the electronic device 310 (e.g., the power transmission controller 311) accesses the hardware ID of the expansion device 320. Furthermore, the electronic device 310 (e.g., the power transmission controller 311) determines whether the expansion device 320 supports profile PF2 based on the hardware ID of the expansion device 320.

If the determination result in step S440 is negative, it indicates that the expansion device 320 does not support profile PF2. The electronic system 300 then proceeds to steps S420-S430. In other words, the electronic device 310 maintains the default profile PF1 to communicate with the external electronic device 200 based on a preset communication time (e.g., 3 seconds), and switches between different power transmission settings to switch from the power supply role to the power receiving role. Upon waking up to the S0 state, the electronic device 310 is likely to operate normally.

On the other hand, if the determination result of step S440 is yes, it indicates that the expansion device 320 supports profile PF2. The electronic system 300 then proceeds to steps S450-S470 to operate according to the delay time DT.

It should be noted that electronic system 300 allows electronic device 310 to communicate with expansion device 320 in advance. For a specific expansion device 320 (i.e., expansion device 320 supporting profile PF2), electronic system 300 sets a delay time DT that is longer than the required time for the protocol communication. In this way, electronic system 300 selectively addresses the probabilistic issue in the aforementioned exemplary scenario for a specific expansion device 320.

In step S450, since the power adapter 400 is plugged into the second port P2, the expansion device 320 (e.g., the power transmission controller 321) transmits a notification message to the power transmission controller 311 of the electronic device 310. In step S460, the power transmission controller 311 further transmits the notification message to the embedded controller 312. The notification message indicates that the expansion device 320 is connected to the power adapter 400.

In step S470, the embedded controller 312 accesses the configuration file PF2 based on the notification information to set the delay time DT. In this embodiment, the delay time DT is greater than a preset threshold. The preset threshold can be, for example, the communication time preset in the default profile PF1 (e.g., 3 seconds).

In other words, the power transmission controller 321 notifies the power transmission controller 311 and the embedded controller 312 via notification information, informing the electronic device 310 that a DRP switch is necessary. Thus, when the electronic device 310 switches its power state, the electronic device 310 (e.g., the power transmission controller 311) switches from the power supply role to the power receiving role before the delay time DT, based on the notification information.

Electronic system 300 returns to step S430. At this point, because electronic device 310 successfully switched from the power supply role to the power receiving role before completing protocol communication, electronic device 310 was able to complete the temporarily executed program and correctly enter the switched power state (i.e., S4). Thus, electronic device 310 operates normally. In other words, when electronic device 310 is awakened to S0, it can resume the completed temporarily executed program.

FIG5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the electronic system shown in FIG3 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG3 and FIG5 , the electronic device 310 can be used in the exemplary scenario described in FIG4 .

In this embodiment, when electronic device 310 switches from active mode (i.e., S0 state) to sleep mode (i.e., S4 state), electronic device 310 (e.g., processor 313) performs protocol communication (e.g., handshake) with external electronic device 200 based on delay time DT. In other words, electronic device 310 temporarily stores programs currently running on electronic device 310 and/or external electronic device 200 between time t1 and time t5 (i.e., delay time DT).

Continuing with the above description, electronic device 310 switches between the power receiving and power supply roles at a predetermined time t4 after protocol communication begins. In other words, electronic device 310 completes the DRP application before completing protocol communication (i.e., before the delay time DT). This allows electronic device 310 to successfully switch from the power supply role to the power receiving role, thereby correctly entering the sleep state (i.e., S4 state). Therefore, when electronic device 310 awakens from S4 to S0 state, it can resume the previously executed program without causing it to be closed and lost.

In this embodiment, the delay time DT may be, for example, 5 seconds. The time between the start of the protocol communication and the predetermined time point t4 may be, for example, 4 seconds.

In summary, in applications where an expansion device is connected to an external electronic device, the electronic system and operating method of the disclosed embodiments, by setting a delay time longer than the required protocol communication time, allows the electronic device to complete the DRP application within the delay time and then enter the sleep state (i.e., S4 state) after the delay time. This allows the electronic device to correctly switch to S4 state instead of S5 state and resume the previously executed program upon awakening, thus avoiding a poor user experience.

Although the present disclosure has been disclosed above through embodiments, they are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Anyone with ordinary skill in the art may make minor modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure shall be determined by the scope of the attached patent application.

100: Electronic Systems

110: Electronic devices

120: Expansion device

200: External electronic devices

DT: Delay Time

P1: Port

Claims (10)

An electronic system includes: an electronic device; and an expansion device connected to the electronic device, comprising a first connection port for connecting to an external electronic device. When the electronic device switches a power state, the electronic device sets a delay time so that the electronic device switches between a power receiving role and a power supply role before the delay time, wherein the delay time is greater than a time required for a protocol communication between the electronic device and the external electronic device. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein the duration of the delay time is greater than a preset threshold. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device switches between the power receiving role and the power supply role at a predetermined time point after the protocol communication begins. An electronic system as described in claim 3, wherein the delay time is 5 seconds. The electronic system as described in claim 4, wherein the time length between the start of the protocol communication and the predetermined time point is 4 seconds. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises: a power delivery controller coupled to the expansion device; and an embedded controller coupled to the power delivery controller, configured to determine, based on the expansion device, whether to access a configuration file to set the delay time. The electronic system of claim 6, wherein the electronic device further comprises: A processor coupled to the power transmission controller, the embedded controller, and the expansion device, configured to switch the power state and perform protocol communication with the external electronic device. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein the expansion device further includes a second connection port, wherein the second connection port is configured to connect to a power adapter so that the expansion device transmits a notification message. When the electronic device switches the power state, the electronic device switches from the power supply role to the power receiving role before the delay time based on the notification message. The electronic system as described in claim 1, wherein the power state that is switched includes switching from a working state to a sleep state. A method for operating an electronic system includes: Connecting an external electronic device via an expansion device; and Using the electronic device, when the electronic device switches a power state, setting a delay time so that the electronic device switches between a power receiving role and a power supply role before the delay time, wherein the delay time is greater than the time required for a protocol communication between the electronic device and the external electronic device.