Power control interface for a self-service apparatus

• US 20070150758A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Taylor, Mike, McBride, Michael, Mitchell, Graeme, Henderson, Jim
• Granted Patent: US 7,469,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing

Abstract

A particular problem for self-service devices incorporating USB devices (12) and a USB host (14) is that, when communication is lost between the USB host and one or more of the devices it is difficult (in particular situations) to reset those USB devices without manual intervention. We address that problem by using self-powered USB devices and/or bus powered devices connected to USB hubs, and by creating a power control interface (18) which is itself a USB device. That power control interface takes instructions from the USB host and is able to interrupt a power supply (20) to the USB devices to provoke automatic reset of those devices. Additionally, a watchdog application within the power control interface causes reset of that interface should it malfunction. Also, a master watchdog application at the USB host communicates with a slave watchdog application at the power control interface via a USB link. In the event of cessation of heartbeat signals between the master and slave the power control interface sends a hardware reset signal to the USB host.

Claims

1. A power control interface for use in a self-service apparatus, said power control interface being arranged to control a power supply in the self-service apparatus, said power supply being for powering one or more secondary USB devices in the self-service apparatus, said power control interface comprising:

(i) a USB connector for connection to a USB host being a computer in the self-service apparatus;

(ii) an output arranged to output commands to the power supply;

(iii) a processor arranged to issue commands to the output on the basis of communications received from the USB host.

2. A power control interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged to issue at least some commands to the output in order to cause interruption of the power supply and provoke reset of some or all of the secondary USB devices.

3. A power control interface as claimed in claim 1, which is itself a USB device.

4. A power control interface as claimed in claim 1, which comprises a printed circuit board.

5. A power control interface as claimed in claim 1, which comprises a central processing unit with an associated watchdog system arranged to provoke a reset of the power control interface in the event of malfunction of that interface.

6. A power control interface as claimed in claim 5, wherein said watchdog comprises heartbeat signal generating means, heartbeat signal monitoring means and reset provoking means arranged to provoke the reset if the heartbeat signal ceases for more than a predetermined time.

7. A power control interface as claimed in claim 1, which further comprises a slave watchdog application arranged to receive heartbeat signals over a USB link from a host PC and to send a hardware reset signal to the host PC in the event that the heartbeat signal ceases for more than a predetermined period of time.

8. A self-service apparatus comprising:

(i) one or more secondary USB devices;

(ii) a power supply arranged to self-power the secondary USB devices;

(iii) a computer being a USB host;

(iv) a power control interface connected via a USB connection to the computer and also connected to the power supply;

wherein the power control interface is arranged to cause interruption of the power supply when instructed to do so by the computer; and

wherein the computer is arranged to instruct the power control interface to cause such an interruption when it detects a loss of USB communication with one or more of the secondary USB devices.

9. A self-service apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said power supply comprises a switching means such that the power supply to selected ones of the secondary USB devices can be interrupted.

10. A self-service apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the power control interface comprises a central processing unit with an associated watchdog system arranged to provoke a reset of the power control interface in the event of malfunction of that interface.

11. A self-service apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the power control interface comprises a slave watchdog application and the USB host comprises a master watchdog application.

12. A self-service apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the master watchdog application is arranged to send heartbeat signals to the slave watchdog application and the slave watchdog application is arranged to send a hardware reset signal to the USB host in the event that the heartbeat signals cease for more than a predetermined time period.

13. A method of operating a power control interface in a self-service apparatus, said self-service apparatus comprising a power supply for powering one or more USB devices;

said method comprising the steps of;

(i) receiving instructions over a USB connection from a computer in the self-service apparatus; and

(ii) outputting commands to the power supply on the basis of the received instructions.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said output commands cause the power supply to be interrupted such that in use, one or more of the USB devices are provoked to reset.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the output commands are arranged to activate switching means at the power supply to selectively interrupt power to one or more of the USB devices.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13, which further comprises monitoring a heartbeat signal generated by the power control interface and resetting the power control interface in the event that the heartbeat signal ceases for more than a predetermined time period.

17. A method as claimed in claim 13, which further comprises monitoring a heartbeat signal received over a USB link from the computer in the self-service apparatus, and sending a hardware reset signal to the computer in the event that the heartbeat signal received over the USB link ceases for more than a predetermined time period.

18. Computer software or firmware arranged to control a power control interface in order to carry out the method of operating a power control interface in a self-service apparatus, said self-service apparatus comprising a power supply for powering one or more USB devices;

said method comprising the steps of;

(i) receiving instructions over a USB connection from a computer in the self-service apparatus; and

(ii) outputting commands to the power supply on the basis of the received instructions.