[RFC PATCH 0/1] HID: Add support for multiple batteries per device

[Lucas Zampieri]

This RFC introduces support for multiple batteries per HID device, addressing
a long-standing architectural limitation in the HID battery reporting subsystem.

## Background

The current HID implementation explicitly prevents multiple batteries per device
through an early return in hidinput_setup_battery() that enforces a single-battery
assumption. Linux treats peripheral batteries (scope=Device) differently from system
batteries, with desktop environments often displaying them separately or ignoring
them entirely. However, this design doesn't account for modern multi-battery hardware patterns.

## Problem Statement

Multiple battery scenarios that cannot be properly reported today:

1. Gaming headsets with charging docks (e.g., SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro
   Wireless) - headset battery reported, dock battery invisible
2. Graphics tablets with stylus batteries (Wacom) - requires driver-specific
   workarounds
3. Wireless earbuds with per-earbud batteries plus charging case
4. Multi-device receivers (Logitech Unifying) - requires proprietary HID++
   protocol parsing

This forces manufacturers to use proprietary protocols and vendor-specific
software. Community projects parse USB packets directly because standard HID
battery reporting cannot handle multi-battery scenarios.

## Why This Matters

The current limitation creates a cycle: OS lacks support, so manufacturers
implement proprietary protocols, which makes vendor software necessary, which
reduces pressure to fix the OS limitation. Improving HID core support for
multiple batteries would enable standardized reporting, reduce the need for
vendor software, improve OS integration, reduce driver duplication, and provide
a foundation for future multi-battery devices.

## Proposed Solution

This patch introduces struct hid_battery to encapsulate individual battery
state, adds a batteries list to struct hid_device for tracking multiple
batteries, and uses report ID-based identification. The implementation maintains
full backwards compatibility with existing single-battery code.

## Testing

Tested with split keyboard hardware. Each battery reports independently
through the power supply interface.

## Request for Comments

Is list-based storage appropriate or would another structure work better?
Should we support usage-based identification in addition to report ID for
devices using the same report ID? Is sequential naming (battery-N) sufficient
or should batteries have semantic role identifiers like "main", "stylus", "dock"?

To HID maintainers (Jiri Kosina, Benjamin Tissoires): Does this belong in
hid-input.c or should it be separate? Any concerns about the backwards
compatibility approach? Meaning, should I have removed the whole
dev->bat legacy mapping and use the new struct?

To power supply maintainers (Sebastian Reichel): Any issues with multiple
power_supply devices from a single HID device?

Related commits:
- c6838eeef2fb: HID: hid-input: occasionally report stylus battery
- a608dc1c0639: HID: input: map battery system charging
- fd2a9b29dc9c: HID: wacom: Remove AES power_supply after inactivity

Community projects demonstrating the need:
- HeadsetControl: https://github.com/Sapd/HeadsetControl
- Solaar: https://github.com/pwr-Solaar/Solaar
- OpenRazer: https://github.com/openrazer/openrazer

Lucas Zampieri (1):
  HID: input: Add support for multiple batteries per device

 drivers/hid/hid-core.c  |   4 +
 drivers/hid/hid-input.c | 193 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++-------------
 include/linux/hid.h     |  42 ++++++++-
 3 files changed, 176 insertions(+), 63 deletions(-)

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2.51.1