Apparatus and Method for Distributed Standby Power Provision

• US 20080272656A1
• Filed: 05/01/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mason, James S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,135,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing standby power to a node of a distributed system of devices. The apparatus includes: a current manager operable to manage supply of current to a device at the node; a normal current supplier operable to supply normal operating current to the device; and a super capacitor at the node operable to supply standby operating current to the device under control of the current manager when the normal current supplier fails to supply the normal operating current to the device. The apparatus preferably further comprises a switching regulator, operable in electrical communication with the super capacitor and the device, to regulate the standby operating current to the device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing standby power to a node of a distributed system of devices, comprising:

a current manager operable to manage supply of current to a device at the node;

a normal current supplier operable to supply normal operating current to the device; and

a super capacitor at the node operable to supply standby operating current to the device under control of the current manager when the normal current supplier fails to supply the normal operating current to the device.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a buck-boost switching regulator, operable in electrical communication with the super capacitor and the device, to regulate the standby operating current to the device.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the current manager is further operable to control power flow into the super capacitor.

4. An apparatus as claimed claim 1, wherein the super capacitor is further operable to supply operating current to the device at peak load times.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of:

a disk storage device, and a disk storage controller.

6. A method for controlling apparatus for providing standby power to a node of a distributed system of devices, comprising:

managing supply of current by a current manager to a device at the node;

supplying normal operating current by a normal current supplier to the device; and

supplying standby operating current by a super capacitor at the node to the device under control of the current manager when the normal current supplier fails to supply the normal operating current to the device.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising regulating the standby operating current to the device.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of regulating the standby operating current to the device utilizes a buck-boost switching regulator in electrical communication with the super capacitor and the device,

9. A method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising controlling power flow into the super capacitor.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of controlling power flow in the super capacitor is performed by the current manager,

11. A method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising supplying operating current by the super capacitor to the device at peak load times.

12. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of:

a disk storage device, and a disk storage controller device.

13. A method for providing standby power to a storage device node, comprising:

managing supply of current by a current manager to a storage device in communication with the node;

supplying normal operating current by a normal current supplier to the storage device in communication with the node; and

supplying standby operating current by a super capacitor at the node to the device when the normal current supplier fails to supply the normal operating current to the device.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the node is a point at which data is stored.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the node is a point at which data is controlled.

16. A method of claimed in claim 13, further comprising controlling the device by the current manager