Programmable power supply

• US 20030042881A1
• Filed: 10/21/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comarco Wireless Systems LLC (AppBrilliance, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Comarco Wireless Technologies Incorporated (Comarco Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lanni, Thomas W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,707,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/297
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/2819 Planar transformers with printed windings, e.g. surrounded by two cores and to be mounted on printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/24 resilient; resiliently-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6675 with built-in power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/24 for radio transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00041 in response to measured battery parameters, e.g. voltage, current or temperature profile
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4258 using a single converter stage both for correction of AC input power factor and generation of a regulated and galvanically isolated DC output voltage H02M1/4241 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/28 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode to produce the intermediate ac
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33507 with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33523 with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3372 of the parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3378 in a push-pull configuration of the parallel type H02M3/3374 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3382 in a push-pull circuit arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3387 : in a push-pull configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 : Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 : Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0262 : Arrangements for regulating voltages or for using plural voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/029 : having a programmable lay-out, i.e. adapted for choosing between a few possibilities
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/16 : incorporating printed electric components, e.g. printed resistor, capacitor, inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 : incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/086 : for inductive purposes, e.g. printed inductor with ferrite core
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09063 : Holes or slots in insulating substrate not used for electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 : Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 : Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A progammable power supply for providing a regulated DC output power is disclosed. The power supply provides the output power to any one of a plurality of electronic devices adapted for receiving the output power at an operational voltage or an operational current. The power supply receives a programming signal to maintain the output power at the operational voltage or operational current associated with a particular selected electronic device. Accordingly, by varying the programming signal, the power supply can be programmed to provide output power to any one of several electronic devices having differing input power requirements.

Claims

1. A programmable power supply system for providing power to a selected one of a plurality of electronic appliances, each electronic appliance adapted to receive operational power, said operational power having at least one of an operational current and an operational voltage, through an appliance input connection terminal, the power supply system comprising:

a power supply having a power source and a power conversion circuit, said power conversion circuit configured to receive input power from said power source;

an output connection terminal configured to provide output power having an output voltage and an output current;

a plurality of connectors, each connector adapted to interface between said output connection terminal of said power supply and said appliance input connection terminal of an electronic appliance; and

a plurality of resistors, each resistor configured to cause at least one of said output voltage and said output current to match at least one of said operational voltage and said operational current of an electronic appliance when connected to said power conversion circuit;

wherein one of said plurality of resistors is selectively connected to said power conversion circuit based on the electronic appliance selected, and

wherein each connector is housed within a single unit with at least one of said plurality of resistors.

2. The power supply system of claim 1, wherein said connector is housed within a single unit with at least two of said plurality of resistors and said at least two resistors may be selectively connected between said output connection terminal and said appliance input connection terminal.

3. The power supply system of claim 2, further including a switch adapted to cause said at least two resistors to be selectively connected.

4. The power supply system of claim 3, wherein said switch causes one of said at least two resistors to be connected based on an input signal received by said switch.

5. The power supply system of claim 3, wherein said switch is a mechanical switch.

6. A programmable power supply system for providing power to a selected one of a plurality of electronic appliances, each electronic appliance adapted to receive operational power, said operational power having at least one of an operational current and an operational voltage, through an appliance input connection terminal, the power supply system comprising:

a power supply having a power source and a power conversion circuit, said power conversion circuit configured to receive input power from said power source;

an output connection terminal configured to provide output power having an output voltage and an output current;

a plurality of connectors, each connector adapted to interface between said output connection terminal of said power supply and said appliance input connection terminal of an electronic appliance; and

a plurality of resistors, each resistor configured to cause at least one of said output voltage and said output current to match at least one of said operational voltage and said operational current of an electronic appliance when connected to said power conversion circuit;

wherein one of said plurality of resistors is selectively connected to said power conversion circuit based on the electronic appliance selected, and

wherein said plurality of resistors and said power conversion circuit are housed within a single unit.

7. The power supply system of claim 6, wherein said power conversion circuit includes said plurality of resistors and further includes a switch configured to selectively connect said plurality of resistors.

8. The power supply system of claim 7, wherein said switch causes one of said plurality of resistors to be connected based on an input signal received by said switch.

9. The power supply system of claim 7, wherein said switch is a mechanical switch.

10. A programmable power supply system for providing power to a selected one of a plurality of electronic appliances, each electronic appliance adapted to receive operational power, said operational power having at least one of an operational current and an operational voltage, through an appliance input connection terminal, the power supply system comprising:

a power supply having a power source and a power conversion circuit, said power conversion circuit configured to receive input power from said power source;

an output connection terminal configured to provide output power having an output voltage and an output current;

a plurality of connectors, each connector adapted to interface between said output connection terminal of said power supply and said appliance input connection terminal of an electronic appliance; and

a plurality of resistors, each resistor configured to cause at least one of said output voltage and said output current to match at least one of said operational voltage and said operational current of an electronic appliance when connected to said power conversion circuit;

wherein one of said plurality of resistors is selectively connected to said power conversion circuit based on the electronic appliance selected, and

wherein said output connection terminal includes a plurality of conductors and said plurality of resistors are selectively connected between at least two of said plurality of conductors to cause at least one of said output voltage and said output current to match at least one of said operational voltage and said operational current of an electronic appliance.

11. The power supply system of claim 10, wherein each connector has a connector characteristic indicating a corresponding resistor to be selectively connected.

12. The power supply system of claim 11, wherein said connector characteristic is one of a color and a symbol.

13. A method of supplying power to a selected one of a plurality of electronic appliances, said power having at least one of an operational voltage and an operational current specific to said electronic appliance, said method comprising:

selecting a connector from among a plurality of connectors, said selected connector adapted to interface with both an appliance input connection terminal of said selected electronic appliance and an output connection terminal electrically connected to a power conversion circuit;

mating said connector to said appliance input connection terminal of said selected electronic appliance and said output connection terminal electrically connected to said power conversion circuit;

selecting a resistor from among a plurality of resistors;

electrically connecting said selected resistor to said power conversion circuit to cause said power conversion circuit to provide power at at least one of said operational voltage and said operational current at said output connection terminal; and

electrically connecting said power conversion circuit to a power source.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein selecting a resistor includes setting a switch to electrically connect said selected resistor with said power conversion circuit.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein selecting a resistor includes matching a connector characteristic with a corresponding resistor indicator.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said connector characteristic is at least one of a color and a symbol.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said resistor indicator is at least one of a color and a symbol.