Green Plug & Imagination Technologies Partner To Enable Power Management
Green Plug announced a joint development agreement with Imagination Technologies, a leading provider of System-on-Chip (SoC) Intellectual Property (IP). Under the partnership Green Plug will implement its Greentalk™ technology in new chips and processors based on Imagination’s IP that enable consumer electronic devices to take advantage of what is said to be the only protocol to exchange power information through the power line between power adapters and electronic products. This dynamic communication is said to provide unprecedented interoperability and reusability and enables new power monitoring and control applications to be built on top of the protocol. The result is described as a smarter dc power adapter that reduces eWaste, automatically shuts-off when power is not needed, and can be configured to serve power to two or more Greentalk-enabled products concurrently.
Green Plug will develop two new products using Imagination’s IP: the next generation of Green Plug Power Processor ™ (GPP) chip for power supplies, and the Greentalk Load Processor™ (GLP) macro for consumer electronic devices. With the GLP, devices can communicate with Greentalk-enabled power supplies directly over the existing power cable and connector on the device. Greentalk is Green Plug’s digital protocol for communication between devices that require power and their power sources.
The GLP will enable makers of a wide range of CE products to include a smart power interface for little or no charge. That interface would accept power from conventional power adapters or new Greentalk-enabled power adapters and hubs. Consumers will have a choice between a device-specific power adapter and a dynamic, green power solution.
"Imagination is committed to continued innovation and investment in green technologies," said Hossein Yassaie, CEO of Imagination Technologies. "For us, low power and power efficient solutions are essential for the industry moving forward. We believe the Green Plug approach and Greentalk technology are significant leaps forward towards smart power management and a more energy efficient world."
"Imagination removes a big obstacle for CE device manufacturers," said Frank Paniagua Jr., CEO and founder of Green Plug. "The GLP makes it easy to turn on the functionality necessary for products to work with smart, universal and reusable power adapters. We are delighted to gain access to Imagination’s innovative META processor IP and extensive ecosystem via this new agreement."
Green Plug describes itself as the first green technology company to apply two-way digital communication to convert a universal power source to a device’s specific power requirements. The Greentalk digital protocol enables devices to collaborate with power supplies to dynamically monitor, control and optimize power delivery for changing conditions. Highly efficient, stylish dc power hubs enabled with Green Plug’s GPP chip are able to simultaneously power multiple devices, each with its own specific voltage and power requirements. Green Plug technology minimizes solid waste by allowing consumers to keep their chargers for use with future devices after their current devices have become obsolete.
