PORTABLE POWER MANAGER

• US 20120151240A1
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Revision Military Soldier Power, LLC
• Original Assignee: Protonex Technology Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Robinson, Philip T., Dziengeleski, Seth M., Kazmierczak, James D., Holigan, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,775,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/04 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/04 by static converters controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, e.g. by tap changing H02P13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/04 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A portable DC power manager (400) includes an internal power bus (410) and a plurality of device ports (1150, 1160, 1170, 1180, 1190, 1200) for connecting with external power and energy sources, external power loads and other external power managers. Each device port is isolated for the internal power bus by controllable switches (A, B, C, D). Power converters (440, 442, 510) may be disposed between device ports and the internal power bus to convert voltages and attenuate current amplitude. Energy management schema operating on the power manager sums available power and allocates the available power to connected power loads according to power priority settings. A hot-change-over circuit (1300) connects additional sources to the internal bus in response to a voltage drop on the internal power bus. A compact and lightweight package (1100) enables a portability.

Claims

1. A power manager comprising:

a power bus (410);

a plurality of device ports each configured to operably connect with an external power device;

a first power channel (525, 1305) comprising a first conductive path disposed between each device port and the power bus and a first controllable switching element (465, A) disposed along the first connective path for selectively connecting and disconnecting each device port to and from the power bus over the first power channel;

a second power channel (530, 1320) comprising a second conductive path disposed between each device port and the power bus, a second controllable switching element (495, D) disposed along the second connective path for selectively connecting and disconnecting each device port to and from the power bus over the second power channel and a controllable power converter (442) disposed along the second conductive path between the second controllable switching element and the power bus for converting a power signal;

a data processing device (420) and associated memory in communication with each of the first and second controllable switches and the power converter; and

,

energy management schema operating on the power manager for controlling each of the first and second controllable switches and the power converter.

2. The power manager of claim 1, further comprising a communication channel (655, 665) that includes a communications interface device (650, 660) disposed between each device port and the data processing device (420) for communicating with each power device that is operably connected with one of the plurality of device ports.

3. The power manager of claim 2, wherein each communication channel is configured for communicating with one of the external power device or a connecting element associated with the external power device connected to device ports using a communication protocol that is common to the power manager and the external power device.

4. The power manager of claim 3, wherein the communication protocol comprises one of the SMBus, the IIC and the USB communication protocols.

5. The power manager of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second controllable switching elements comprises a semiconductor switch suitable for bidirectional power exchange between the power bus and corresponding device ports.

6. The power manager of claim 1, wherein the controllable power converter (442) disposed along each second conductive path is suitable for bidirectional power exchange and for bidirectional power conversions.

7. The power manager of claim 6, wherein each of the controllable power converter (442) is suitable for varying bidirectional current amplitude passing through the power converter.

8. The power manager of claim 1, wherein the second power channel comprises a single second power channel shared by all of the plurality of device ports.

9. The power manager of claim 1, wherein the second power channel comprises a plurality of second power channels with one second power channel corresponding with each of the plurality of device ports.

10. The power manager of claim 1, wherein the second power channel comprises a plurality second power channels with less than one second power channel corresponding with each of the plurality of device ports.

11. The power manager of claim 1, wherein the second power channel comprises a plurality of second power channels and wherein the controllable power converter (442) associated with each second power channel is substantially identical.

12. The power manager of claim 1, wherein the second power channel comprises a plurality of second power channels and wherein at least some of the controllable power converters (442) associated with each of the second power channel have differing power converting characteristics.

13. The power manager of claim 1, wherein the power bus is configured for an average operating voltage in the range of 1-50VDC.

14. The power manager of claim 1, wherein the power bus is configured for an average operating voltage of one of 15VDC and 30VDC.

15. The power manager of claim 13, wherein the second power channel comprises a plurality of second power channels and wherein the controllable power converter (442) disposed along each of the plurality of second power channels is configured for bidirectional DC power conversion over a voltage range of 1-50VDC.

16. The power manager of claim 1, further comprising a user interface device in communication with the data processing device.

17. The power manager of claim 16 further comprising a display device in communication with the data processing device.

18. The power manager of claim 1 further comprising:

a sealed enclosure (1100) formed to house the power bus, data processor, associated memory and the first and second power channels; and

,

a terminal connector (1150, 1160, 1170, 1180, 1190, 1200) associated with each device port disposed to extend through an external wall of the sealed enclosure for connecting with the external power devices by wire cables.

19. The power manager of claim 18, further comprising an indicator device associated with each device port and in communication with the data processing device for indicating a status of an external power device connected to the corresponding device port.

20. The power manager of claim 18, wherein the sealed enclosure comprises opposing substantially rectangular top and bottom faces, opposing substantially rectangular longitudinal front and back faces and opposing substantially rectangular transverse side faces and wherein the terminal connectors are only disposed on the transverse side faces and on one of the longitudinal front and back faces.

21. The power manager of claim 20, further comprising a key pad associated with the user interface device disposed along one of the longitudinal front and back faces.

22. The power manager of claim 18, having a weight of less than 500 grams.

23. The power manager of claim 21, further comprising a display device in communication with the data processing device disposed on one of the top and bottom faces.

24. The power manager of claim 22, wherein the enclosure has a longitudinal length, a transverse width and a thickness, and the transverse width is less than 8.0 cm.

25. The power manager of claim 24, wherein the longitudinal length is less than 12.0 cm.

26. The power manager of claim 25, wherein the thickness is less than 4.0 cm.

27. The power manager of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor (1315) in communication with the data processing device for sensing a low power condition on the power bus and for generating a low power signal in response thereto and communicating the low power signal to the data processing device;

a third power channel (1310) comprising a third conductive path disposed between each device port and the power bus;

a third controllable switching element (B) disposed along the third connective path and in communication with the data processing device for alternately closing and opening the third controllable switching element;

a fourth controllable switching element (C) disposed along the third connective path between the third controllable switching element (B) and the power bus, wherein the fourth controllable switching element (C) is in communication with the data processing device for alternately closing and opening the fourth controllable switching element and further wherein the fourth controllable switching element (C) is connected to the sensor by a conductive path (1340) such that the low power signal causes each of the fourth controllable switches (C) to close thereby connecting each device port that also has the third controllable switching element (B) closed to the power bus.

28. A power manager comprising:

a power bus (410);

a plurality of device ports each configured to operably connect with an external power device;

a first power channel (525, 1305) comprising an first conductive path disposed between each device port and the power bus and a first controllable switching element (465, A) disposed along the first conductive path for selectively connecting and disconnecting each device port to and from the power bus over the first power channel;

a backup power channel comprising a backup conductive path disposed between each device port and the power bus, a first backup controllable switching element (B) and a second back up controllable switching element (C) each disposed along the backup conductive path;

a sensor (1315) for sensing a low power condition on the power bus and for generating a low power signal in response thereto;

a conductive path (1340) extending between the sensor and the second backup controllable switching element (C) associated with each device port such that the low power signal generated by the sensor causes each of the second backup controllable switches (C) to close in response thereto.

29. The power manager of claim 28, wherein each of the second controllable switching elements (C) closes less than 10 msec after the sensor generates the low power signal.

30. The power manager of claim 28, further comprising a data processing device (420) and associated memory in communication with the first controllable switching element (465, A), the first and second backup controllable switching elements (B, C), and the sensor (1315), for controlling the switching elements and sensor and for receiving the low power signal from the sensor.

31. The power manager of claim 30, wherein each of the second controllable switching elements (C) closes in response to the low power signal without any interaction with the data processing device.

32. The power manager of claim 30, further comprising energy management schema operating on the power manager for controlling the first controllable switching element, the first and second backup controllable switching elements and the sensor and for determining a device type for each external device connected to a device port.

33. The power manager of claim 32, wherein the energy management schema operates to open the first controllable switching element (465, A) and the first and second backup controllable switching elements (B, C) associated with each device port that is not connected with an external power device.

34. The power manager of claim 33, wherein the energy management schema operates to close the second controllable switching elements (B) associated with device ports that are connected with a power source.

35. The power manager of claim 34, wherein the energy management schema operates to connect selected external power devices to the power bus over the first power channel by closing the first controllable switching elements (465, A) associated with device ports that are connected with the selected external power devices.

36. The power manager of claim 28, further comprising a controllable power converter disposed along one or more of the first power channels between the first controllable switching element (465, A) and the power bus.

37. The power manager of claim 36, further comprising a controllable power converter disposed along the backup power channel between the first and second backup controllable switching elements (B, C).

38. The power manager of claim 28, further comprising:

a second power channel (530, 1320) comprising an second conductive path disposed between each device port and the power bus and a second controllable switching element (485, D) disposed along the second conductive path for selectively connecting and disconnecting each device port to and from the power bus over the second power channel; and

a controllable power converter disposed along the second power channel between the second controllable switching element (485, D) and the power bus.