Intelligent direct current power supplies

• US 20060214510A1
• Filed: 03/23/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Patel, Paritosh D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,436,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/12
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6675 with built-in power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 29/00 Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, programmable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94

Abstract

A power supply including a power supplying connector, a direct current (DC) connector, an information extractor, power adaptor electronics, and variable voltage electronics. The information extractor being configured to extract digitally encoded data from a carrier wave. The digitally encoded data can specify power requirements of the DC power receiving device. The variable voltage electronics can adapt DC power generated by the power adaptor in accordance with settings provided by the information extractor. This adapted power can be provided to the DC power receiving device connected to the power supply via the DC connector.

Claims

1. A power supply comprising:

a power source connector;

at least one direct current (DC) connector;

an information extractor configured to extract digitally encoded data from a carrier wave, said digitally encoded data specifying power requirements of a DC power receiving device; and

variable voltage electronics configured to adapt DC power generated by the power supply in accordance with settings provided by the information extractor and to provide this power to the DC power receiving device connected to the power supply via the DC connector.

2. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the power source connector is an AC connector, said power supply further comprising:

power adaptor electronics configured to convert power received from an AC source connected to the power source connector into DC power.

3. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the power source connector is a DC connector, said power supply further comprising:

power converter electronics configured to convert power received from a DC source connected to the power source connector into DC power.

4. The power supply of claim 1, wherein said DC connector can be coupled to a standardized receptacle, wherein a plurality of different DC power receiving devices having different power requirements are equipped with said standardized receptacle and utilize said power supply.

5. The power supply of claim 1, wherein aid at least one DC connector comprises a plurality of DC connectors, each configured to provide power from the source to which the power source connector is coupled to a different DC power receiving device.

6. The power supply of claim 4, wherein a range of power requirements for which the power supply can be dynamically adapted depends upon a number of DC power receiving devices to which the power supply simultaneously provides DC power.

7. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the power supply further comprises:

at least one DC receptacle configured to be detachably connected to a cable, said cable having an opposing end that terminates with the DC connector.

8. The power supply of claim 7, wherein the at least one DC receptacle comprises a plurality of DC receptacles, each DC receptacle configured to provide power to a different DC power receiving device.

9. The power supply of claim 8, further comprising:

a wireless communication mechanism configured to wirelessly receive said digitally encoded data.

10. The power supply of claim 8, further comprising:

a power line communication mechanism configured to receive said digitally encoded data via a power line over which DC power is provided to the DC power receiving device.

11. A DC power receiving device comprising:

a data store specifying power requirements for the DC power receiving device;

a DC power receptacle for receiving DC power from a dynamically adjustable power supply that supplies the DC power; and

a communication mechanism for providing the power requirements to the dynamically adjustable power supply, the dynamically adjustable power supply configured to provide power conforming to a plurality of different devices, each device having different power requirements, wherein power supplied by the dynamically adjustable power supply approximately conforms to the power requirements conveyed by the communication mechanism.

12. The DC power receiving device of claim 11,

a connection detection mechanism for automatically detecting a connection event of a powered connector being attached to the DC power receptacle, wherein the power requirements are automatically communicated by the communication mechanism responsive to a connection event being detected.

13. A method for providing DC power from a power source comprising the steps of:

identifying a power supplying connector configured to be connected to a power source;

identifying a DC connector configured to be connected to the DC power receiving device;

within a power supply attached between the power supplying connector and the DC connector, receiving a digitally encoded signal;

extracting from the digitally encoded signal data specifying power requirements for a DC power receiving device;

automatically adjusting electronics in accordance with the power requirements; and

providing power via the DC connector to the DC power receiving device supplied by the power source, the provided power approximately conforming to the power requirements, where approximately conforming signifies that conformance is within a previously established range.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the digitally encoded signal is conveyed to the power supply across a power line terminating in said DC connector in accordance with a power line communication protocol.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the digitally encoded signal is wirelessly conveyed to the power supply.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the digitally encoded signal is conveyed to the power supply over a dedicated data transmission line connected between the power supply and the DC power receiving device.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the digitally encoded signal originates from the DC power receiving device to convey device-specific power requirements recorded within the DC power receiving device to the power supply.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising steps of:

automatically detecting a connection of the DC connector to the DC power receiving device; and

responsive to the detecting step, automatically conveying the device-specific power requirements to the power supply.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

restricting power transference to the DC power receiving device until after the adjusting step is performed.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

identifying another DC connector configured to be connected to another DC power receiving device;

receiving another digitally encoded signal;

extracting from the another digitally- encoded signal data specifying power requirements for the another DC power receiving device;

automatically adjusting electronics in accordance with the power requirements; and

providing power via the another DC connector to the another DC power receiving device supplied by the power source through the power supplying connector, the provided power approximately conforming to the power requirements.