Patent ID: 8653785

Claim:
A method of managing power distribution between a portable computing device (PCD) and a PCD docking station, the method comprising: determining whether the PCD is docked with the PCD docking station; switching a power supply to the PCD from a PCD battery to a PCD docking station battery in response to determining that the PCD is docked with the PCD docking station; powering the PCD and the PCD docking station from the PCD docking station battery; determining whether a PCD battery power equals a charge condition; charging the PCD battery from the PCD docking station battery when the PCD battery power equals the charge condition; monitoring a PCD docking station battery power; determining whether the PCD docking station battery power equals a warning condition; transmitting a first warning when the PCD docking station battery power equals the warning condition; determining whether the PCD docking station battery power equals a critical condition; transmitting a second warning when the PCD docking station battery power equals the critical condition; determining whether an external power source is connected to the PCD docking station after transmitting the second warning; and when it determined that the external power source is not connected to the PCD docking station: switching the power supply to the PCD and the PCD docking station from the PCD docking station battery to the PCD battery; and powering the PCD and the PCD docking station from the PCD battery.