Method and Apparatus for Communicating Loss of Alternating Current Power Supply

• US 20080267194A1
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 2Wire, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Trethewey, Paul M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,746,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0096 Means for increasing hold-up time, i.e. the duration of time that a converter's output will remain within regulated limits following a loss of input power
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

In general, various methods, apparatuses, and systems are described for communicating a loss of an AC power source. In at least certain embodiments, a broadband communication gateway receives a direct current (DC) output signal from an alternating current (AC) to DC converter that detects a loss of an AC input signal. The apparatus further includes a processing unit that generates a communication message in response to receiving an interrupt signal based on the detection of the loss of the AC input signal. The processing unit controls an analog front end that sends the communication message to a device external to the broadband communication gateway in response to the interrupt signal prior to a voltage of the DC output signal decreasing below a threshold voltage needed for operation of the broadband communication gateway.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a broadband communication gateway having one or more input ports to receive a direct current (DC) output signal from an alternating current (AC) to DC converter to detect a loss of an AC input signal; and

a processing unit to generate a communication message in response to receiving an interrupt signal based on the detection of the loss of the AC input signal, the processing unit to control an analog front end that sends the communication message to a device external to the broadband communication gateway in response to the interrupt signal prior to a voltage of the DC output signal decreasing below a threshold voltage needed for operation of the broadband communication gateway.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the converter further comprises one or more inputs ports to receive the alternating current (AC) input signal, the converter to generate the direct current (DC) output signal based on the AC input signal and a feedback signal received from a feedback module coupled to a detector to detect the loss of the AC input signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the broadband communication gateway further comprises a comparator to generate the interrupt signal based on comparing the DC output signal received from the converter and a regulated voltage signal and the communication message is generated based on receiving a predetermined change in the DC signal from the comparator, the predetermined change indicates that the loss of the AC input signal has been detected.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the predetermined change comprises an approximately ten percent change in the voltage level of the DC signal received from the comparator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication message generated in response to the processing unit receiving the interrupt signal is based on the loss of the AC input signal and indicates to at least one of a communications service provider and a communications maintenance provider a disconnect condition between the broadband communication gateway and an external device coupled over a telephone network to the broadband communication gateway.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the detector comprises a monostable multivibrator, the detector has logic that is configured to be retriggerable and resettable in order to detect the loss of the AC input signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the detector comprises a pulse generation component to set a pulse duration slightly longer than a period of the AC input signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the converter further comprises an opto-isolator to provide isolation between an AC portion and a DC portion of the converter, the opto-isolator to receive the AC input signal and to generate a first voltage signal that is sent to the detector, wherein the detector to generate a second voltage signal in response to the first voltage signal, the second voltage signal is sent to one or more input ports of the feedback module.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more ports of the feedback module to receive the DC output signal of the converter and the second voltage signal from the detector, the second voltage signal to offset the DC output signal in order to alter the DC output signal by altering the feedback signal based on the loss of the AC input signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the communications service provider and communications maintenance provider to determine that the broadband communication gateway is stopping a communication session because of the loss of the AC input signal in order for at least one of the communications service provider and communications maintenance provider to reassign bandwidth previously assigned to the broadband communication gateway.

11. A system comprising:

a power converter having one or more inputs ports to receive an alternating current (AC) input signal, the converter to generate a direct current (DC) output signal based on the AC input signal and a feedback module located in the converter, the converter having a detector to detect a loss of the AC input signal with the detector coupled to the feedback module;

a digital subscriber line (DSL) communication gateway having one or more input ports to receive the DC output signal from one or more output ports of the converter;

a processing unit to generate an interrupt service routine in response to receiving an interrupt signal based on the detection of the loss of the AC input signal, the processing unit to control an analog front end that sends a communication message to a device external to the broadband communication gateway in response to the interrupt service routine prior to a voltage of the DC output signal decreasing below a threshold voltage needed for operation of the broadband communication gateway; and

a digital subscriber line access multiplexer to couple over a telephone network to the DSL communication gateway.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the converter further comprises:

an AC portion with a voltage greater than 120 volts having a filter capacitor that provides a temporary DC output signal in order to temporarily maintain a voltage of the DC output signal greater than the threshold voltage required for operation of the DSL communication gateway so that the analog front end can send the communication message in the event of the loss of the AC input signal; and

a DC portion with a voltage less than 24 volts.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the converter further comprises an opto-isolator to provide isolation between the AC portion and the DC portion of the converter, the opto-isolator to receive the AC input signal and to generate a first voltage signal that is sent to the detector.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the filter capacitor to temporarily maintain the voltage of the DC output signal greater than the threshold voltage required for operation of the DSL communication gateway for a time period greater than or equal to the time required for the processing unit to generate the interrupt service routine prior to the voltage of the DC output signal decreasing below the threshold voltage.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the filter capacitor to charge to a high voltage greater than 120 volts that is approximately equal to a peak voltage of the AC input signal, the filter capacitor, located in the converter, to store a certain energy value based on a low capacitance and the high voltage compared to a capacitor, located in the DSL communication gateway, that receives a low voltage DC signal less than 24 volts and requires a high capacitance to store the same certain energy value.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the detector to detect a change in an amplitude of the DC output signal based on the loss of the AC input signal.

17. A method comprising:

receiving an alternating current (AC) input signal and a feedback signal from a feedback module located in a converter;

generating a direct current (DC) output signal based on the AC input signal and the feedback signal; and

detecting a loss of the AC input signal with a detector coupled to the feedback module, the detector located in the converter.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

sending the DC output signal from the converter to a broadband communication gateway;

receiving an interrupt signal based on the detection of the loss of the AC input signal; and

generating a communication message that is sent to a device external to the broadband communication gateway in response to the interrupt signal prior to a voltage of the DC output signal decreasing below a threshold voltage needed for operation of the broadband communication gateway.

19. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an alternating current (AC) input signal and a feedback signal from a feedback module located in a converter;

means for generating a direct current (DC) output signal based on the AC input signal and the feedback signal; and

means for detecting a loss of the AC input signal with a detector coupled to the feedback module, the detector located in the converter.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

means for sending the DC output signal from the converter to a broadband communication gateway;

means for receiving an interrupt signal based on the detection of the loss of the AC input signal; and

means for generating a communication message that is sent to a device external to the broadband communication gateway in response to the interrupt signal prior to a voltage of the DC output signal decreasing below a threshold voltage needed for operation of the broadband communication gateway.