Host Device and Terminal Device, and Communication System

A host device that supplies electric power to a terminal device, comprising:

• a host-side connector, including a first end and a second end, the first end being connectable to a cable;
• a power supply unit configured to output a first voltage;
• a host-side power supply line connecting the power supply unit to the second end of the host-side connector;
• a first current measurement unit configured to measure a first current flowing through the host-side power supply line;
• and
• a host-side control unit configured to:
• receive, from a terminal device, a terminal-device-side notification value including a value of a second voltage at a reference point on a terminal-device-side power supply line or a value that enables the second voltage to be calculated,
• calculate a first resistance value indicating a resistance from the power supply unit to the reference point on the terminal-device-side power supply line based on the terminal-device-side notification value, a value of the first voltage and a value of the first current, and
• output the calculated first resistance value to the power supply unit,
• wherein, when the second voltage is larger than a maximum voltage of a predetermined first reference range associated with the reference point on the terminal-device-side power supply line, the power supply unit is further configured to adjust the first voltage according to the first resistance value supplied from the host-side control unit and the first current value measured by the first current measurement unit at that moment so that the second voltage is within a minimum voltage and the maximum voltage of the predetermined first reference range, and
• wherein, when the second voltage is smaller than the minimum voltage of the predetermined first reference range, the power supply unit is further configured to adjust the first voltage according to the first resistance value supplied from the host-side control unit and the first current value measured by the first current measurement unit at that moment so that the second voltage is within the minimum voltage and the maximum voltage of the predetermined first reference range.

A terminal device, comprising:

• a terminal-device-side connector, including a first end and a second end, the first end being connectable to a cable;
• a terminal-device-side power supply line, for supplying electric power into the terminal device, connected to the second end of the terminal-device-side connector;
• a measurement unit, connected to a reference point on the terminal-device-side power supply line, configured to measure a second current flowing through a resistor, connected to the reference point, having a second resistance value;
• and
• a terminal-device-side notification unit configured to:
• receive, from a host, a host-side notification value including a first voltage value and a first current value, the first voltage value being a voltage output by a power supply unit on the host, the first current value being a current flowing through a power supply line on the host,
• calculate a first resistance value, indicating a resistance from the host power supply unit to the reference point on the terminal-device-side power supply line, based on the host-side notification value, the second current value and the second resistance value, and
• transmit, to the host, a terminal-device-side notification value, including the first resistance value, to control the voltage output by the host power supply unit so that, when a second voltage at a reference point on the terminal-device-side power supply line is larger than a maximum voltage of a predetermined first reference range associated with the reference point on the terminal-device-side power supply line, the host power supply unit adjusts the first voltage so that the second voltage is within a minimum voltage and the maximum voltage of the predetermined first reference range, and, when the second voltage is smaller than the minimum voltage, the host power supply unit adjusts the first voltage so that the second voltage is within the minimum voltage and the maximum voltage of the predetermined first reference range.

A communication system, comprising:

• a host device;
• and
• a terminal device connected to the host device through a cable including a power supply line through which electric power is supplied from the host device,
• wherein the host device comprises:
• a host-side connector, including a first end and a second end, the first end connected to the cable;
• a power supply unit configured to output a first voltage;
• a host-side power supply line connecting the power supply unit to the second end of the host-side connector;
• a first current measurement unit configured to measure a first current flowing through the host-side power supply line, and
• a host-side control unit,
• wherein the terminal device comprises:
• a terminal-device-side connector, including a first end and a second end, the first end connected to the cable;
• a terminal-device-side power supply line, for supplying electric power into the terminal device, connected to the second end of the terminal-device-side connector;
• a measurement unit, connected to a reference point on the terminal-device-side power supply line, configured to measure a second voltage at the reference point, or a second current flowing through a resistor, connected to the reference point, having a second resistance value;
• and
• a terminal-device-side notification unit configured to transmit, to the host device, a terminal-device-side notification value including the second voltage value or the second current value and the second resistance value,
• wherein the host-side control unit receives the terminal-device-side notification value from the terminal device, calculates a first resistance value indicating a resistance from the power supply unit to the reference point on the terminal-device-side power supply line based on the terminal-device-side notification value, a value of the first voltage, and a value of the first current measured by the first current measurement unit, and outputs the calculated first resistance value to the power supply unit, and
• wherein, when the second voltage is larger than a maximum voltage of a predetermined first reference range associated with the reference point on the terminal-device-side power supply line, the power supply unit adjusts the first voltage according to the first resistance value supplied from the host-side control unit and the first current value measured by the first current measurement unit at that moment so that the second voltage is within a minimum voltage and the maximum voltage of the predetermined first reference range, and
• wherein, when the second voltage is smaller than the minimum voltage of the predetermined first reference range, the power supply unit is further configured to adjust the first voltage according to the first resistance value supplied from the host-side control unit and the first current value measured by the first current measurement unit at that moment so that the second voltage is within the minimum voltage and the maximum voltage of the predetermined first reference range.