Generation of backing electric current on the basis of a combination of components

• US 20090037768A1
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cove Distribution, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cove Distribution, Inc.
• Inventors: Adams, Mary Louise
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/14
• 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: G06F 11/2015 Redundant power supplies power supply failure G06F1/30

Abstract

This descriptive document is about a new backup device that takes advantage of the components of a PC'"'"'s conventional power supply and it combines them with additional typical electronic components from an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The result of such combination is a lower cost backup function that is applied directly to the PC and, therefore, eliminates the requirement of external devices—such as a UPS—to perform this backup function.

• • In this document, the electronic components that combine with the PC'"'"'s power supply in order to provide the backup functionality described above are referred to as integrated backup unit (URI).

Claims

1. A personal computer operating from a power-grid comprising:

an AC to DC converter that receives, as an input, unregulated AC power from the power grid and provides unregulated DC power at a nominal DC voltage;

a first DC to DC power supply that receives unregulated DC power from the AC to DC converter at the nominal DC voltage and converts the unregulated DC power to a plurality of regulated DC voltage levels;

a battery; and

a second DC to DC converter that converts a DC voltage of the battery to the nominal DC voltage and supplies power to the first DC to DC power supply upon failure of the power grid.

2. The personal computer as in claim 1 further comprising a power loss detector that detects failure of the power grid and activates the second DC to DC converter in response to the failure of the power grid.

3. The personal computer as in claim 2 further comprising a computer shut down signal transferred from the power loss detector to the computer in response to the failure of the power grid.

4. The personal computer as in claim 3 wherein the shut down signal further comprising a serial or USB format.

5. The personal computer as in claim 1 further comprising a battery charger that detects charges the battery from the power grid.

6. The personal computer as in claim 1 wherein the nominal DC voltage further comprises 340 volts.

7. The personal computer as in claim 1 wherein the nominal DC voltage further comprises 240 to 400 volts DC.

8. The personal computer as in claim 1 wherein the plurality of output voltages further comprises plus and minus five volts and plus and minus twelve volts.

9. The personal computer as in claim 1 wherein the unregulated AC power from the power grid further comprises 120 VAC input.

10. The personal computer as in claim 1 wherein the unregulated AC power from the power grid further comprises 240 VAC input.

11. In a personal computer operating from a power grid having an AC to DC converter that receives, as an input, unregulated AC power from the power grid and provides unregulated DC power at a nominal DC voltage and a first DC to DC power supply that receives unregulated DC power from the AC to DC converter at the nominal DC voltage and converts the unregulated DC power to a plurality of regulated DC voltage levels, wherein the improvement comprises:

a battery; and

a second DC to DC converter that converts a DC voltage of the battery to the nominal DC voltage and supplies power to the first DC to DC power supply upon failure of the power grid.

12. The personal computer as in claim 11 further comprising a power loss detector that detects failure of the power grid and activates the second DC to DC converter in response to the failure of the power grid.

13. The personal computer as in claim 12 further comprising a computer shut down signal transferred from the power loss detector to the computer in response to the failure of the power grid.

14. The personal computer as in claim 13 wherein the shut down signal further comprising a serial or USB format.

15. The personal computer as in claim 11 further comprising a battery charger that detects charges the battery from the power grid.

16. The personal computer as in claim 11 wherein the nominal DC voltage further comprises 340 volts.

17. The personal computer as in claim 11 wherein the nominal DC voltage further comprises 240 to 400 volts DC.

18. The personal computer as in claim 11 wherein the plurality of output voltages further comprises plus and minus five volts and plus and minus twelve volts.

19. The personal computer as in claim 11 wherein the unregulated AC power from the power grid further comprises 120 VAC input.

20. The personal computer as in claim 11 wherein the unregulated AC power from the power grid further comprises 240 VAC input.

21. A personal computer operating from a power grid comprising:

an AC to DC converter that receives, as an input, unregulated AC power from the power grid and provides unregulated DC power at a nominal DC voltage;

a first DC to DC power supply that receives unregulated DC power from the AC to DC converter at the nominal DC voltage and converts the unregulated DC power to a plurality of regulated DC voltage levels;

a battery;

a second DC to DC converter that converts a DC voltage of the battery to the nominal DC voltage and supplies power to the first DC to DC power supply upon failure of the power grid; and

a power loss detector that detects failure of the power grid, activates the second DC to DC converter in response to the failure of the power grid and sends a shut down signal to the computer to initiate a shut down procedure in response to the failure.