Programmable power management switch

• US 20030197993A1
• Filed: 04/19/2002
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Mirowski, Marian, Burlak, Gary, Accad, Charlie T.
• Granted Patent: US 6,985,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/93.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/0822 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/18 Modifications for indicating state of switch
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/0806 against excessive temperature

Abstract

A power management switch arrangement can be programmed by an external switch controller to alter the operating parameter limits used for fault detection. The switch arrangement includes the capability for full diagnostic feedback of load current and over-temperature conditions.

Claims

1. A power switch for selectively coupling a voltage source to a load, the power switch comprising:

an input message port adapted to be coupled to a switch controller;

an output adapted to be coupled to the load;

a switching element adapted to be coupled between the voltage source and the output;

a detector element coupled to the switching element for detecting a preselected operating condition; and

logic circuitry coupled to the input message port and to the detector element and operative to set a threshold level against which the detector element compares the preselected operating condition, the threshold level being programmable in accordance with data received at the input message port.

2. The power switch of claim 1 wherein the preselected operating condition comprises current flowing at the output.

3. The power switch of claim 1 further comprising an output message port coupled to the logic circuitry and adapted to be coupled to the switch controller for transmitting switch status information thereto.

4. The power switch of claim 1 further comprising a control input coupled to the logic circuitry, the logic circuitry coupled to the switching element and operative to control a switching state of the switching element in accordance with data received at the control input.

5. The power switch of claim 1 wherein the preselected operating condition comprises temperature of a preselected region of the power switch.

6. In a power switch for selectively coupling a voltage source to a load, the improvement comprising:

a detector adapted to be coupled to the load for monitoring and comparing a preselected operating condition to a limit value; and

programmable means for setting the limit value in accordance with data received from a control source.

7. The improvement of claim 6 wherein the operating condition comprises level of current flow to the load.

8. The improvement of claim 7 wherein the operating condition further comprises a length of time of current flow at or above the limit value.

9. The improvement of claim 6 wherein the operating condition comprises temperature of a region of the power switch.

10. A programmable switch for selectively coupling an energy source to a load comprising:

an interface adapted to receive input instructions from a switch controller; and

a plurality of addressable data registers coupled to the interface for controlling the switch in accordance with the input instructions so as to couple or uncouple the energy source to or from the load.

11. The switch of claim 10 wherein the interface is further adapted to send switch status data to the switch controller.

12. The switch of claim 11 wherein the interface includes a shift register having a predetermined number of data stages, a serial input and a serial output respectively adapted for coupling to a serial output and a serial input of the switch controller.

13. The switch of claim 12 wherein a first subset of the predetermined number of shift register data stages forms an address of one of the plurality of addressable data registers and a second subset of the predetermined number of shift register data stages contains data used to program a preselected operational characteristic of the switch.

14. The switch of claim 12 wherein a first subset of the predetermined number of shift register data stages represents an operational status of the switch and wherein a second subset of the predetermined number of shift register data stages indicates at least one fault condition of the switch.

15. The switch of claim 13 wherein the one addressable data register is adapted to enable the switch controller to set a conduction state of the switch.

16. The switch of claim 13 wherein the one addressable data register is adapted to enable the switch controller to program an over-current detection level at the load.

17. The switch of claim 13 wherein the one addressable data register is adapted to enable the switch controller to program a time limit for an over-current condition at the load.

18. The switch of claim 13 wherein the one addressable data register is adapted to enable the switch controller to independently control conduction states of the switch.

19. The switch of claim 13 wherein the one addressable data register is adapted to enable the switch controller to program a toggle rate of a switch timer.

20. The switch of claim 13 wherein the one addressable data register is adapted to enable the switch controller to program a time delay period during which the switch conduction state will be unchanged whenever the switch transitions between wake and sleep modes.

21. The switch of claim 14 wherein the represented operational status comprises whether the switch is in a wake or a sleep mode.

22. The switch of claim 14 wherein the represented operational status comprises whether or not the switch is in a fail-safe mode.

23. The switch of claim 14 wherein the represented operational status comprises a logic state of a switch control input.

24. The switch of claim 14 wherein the indicated fault condition comprises an over-temperature condition.

25. The switch of claim 14 wherein the indicated fault condition comprises an over-current condition.

26. The switch of claim 14 wherein the indicated fault condition comprises excess current for a predetermined time period.

27. The switch of claim 14 wherein the indicated fault condition comprises an open circuit at the load.

28. The switch of claim 14 wherein the indicated fault condition comprises less than acceptable voltage at the load.

29. The switch of claim 14 wherein the indicated fault condition comprises greater than acceptable voltage at the load.

30. A power switch having an active, or ON, state and an inactive, or SLEEP, state for selectively coupling an energy source to a load, the power switch comprising:

an interface adapted to receive input instructions from a switch controller;

at least one addressable data register coupled to the interface;

wherein the data register is adapted to receive programming data via the interface used to variably set a time delay period during which the power switch will ignore any command to change its ON or SLEEP states.

31. A power switch having an active, or ON, state and an inactive, or SLEEP, state for selectively coupling an energy source to a load, the power switch comprising:

a control input adapted to receive a switch state instruction signal from a switch controller;

an interface adapted to receive input instructions from the switch controller; and

at lease one addressable data register coupled to the interface for controlling a power switch state as a function of the switch state instruction signal and data in the addressable data register.

32. The power switch of claim 31 wherein the function comprises a Boolean algebra combination of the switch state instruction signal and the data in the addressable data register.