Information handling system docking with coordinated power and data communication

摘要

A docking station connects through a docking port and docking cable with an information handling system to support communication between the information handling system and docking station peripherals. On initial interface, one data lane of the docking port establishes a temporary management interface, such as an I2C management bus, to configure the docking station. After configuration, a docking manager, virtual wireless access point and power block cooperate to assign data lanes of the docking port and wireless communication resources to information transfer and power transfer functions based upon processing and communication tasks performed at the information handling system.

主权项

1. An information handling system comprising:
a housing; a processor disposed in the housing, the processor operable to execute instructions for processing information; memory disposed in the housing, the memory interfaced with the processor and operable to store the instructions and information; a docking manager disposed in the housing, the docking manager operable to manage interactions with an external docking station through a docking port; the docking port disposed in the housing and having plural data lanes, the docking manager operable to adapt the data lanes to selected of plural protocols; wireless networking resources disposed in the housing and operable to support wireless networking interfaces through one or more wireless protocols; a docking station separate from the housing, the docking station having a docking manager and a docking port with plural data lanes, and having wireless networking resources; a docking cable operable to connect to the docking station docking port and the housing docking port; a virtual wireless access point disposed in the docking station and operable to communicate with the information handling system docking manager to assign wireless networking resources of the docking station to tasks associated with the information handling system; plural peripheral devices managed by the docking station, at least some of the plural peripheral devices interfaced with the docking station by cables and at least some the plural peripheral devices interfaced with the docking station by wireless networking resources; wherein the docking manager is further operable to coordinate assignment of the wireless networking resources to networking tasks in cooperation with the external docking station; and wherein the virtual wireless access point is further operable to selectively assign a first of the plural peripheral devices to communicate directly with the information handling system wireless networking resources and a second of the plural peripheral devices to communicate with the information handling system through a cable connecting the information handling system with the docking station.