DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING AUXILIARY POWER TO AN ITEM OF EQUIPMENT ON A CURRENT-LIMITED POWER SUPPLY BUS

• US 20130062950A1
• Filed: 05/23/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sagemcom Broadband SAS (Sagemcom Holding SAS)
• Original Assignee: Sagemcom Broadband SAS (Sagemcom Holding SAS)
• Inventors: Dangy-Caye, Nicolas, Prioleau, Christel
• Application Number:
  US13/699,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20130062950A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/64
• 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

Abstract

The power supply circuit for powering equipment via a current-limited power supply bus at a nominal voltage (Vb) of the equipment includes an auxiliary power supply circuit comprising an energy storage member and a trigger member for triggering auxiliary power supply to the equipment from the storage member via a voltage-reducing converter for reducing the auxiliary voltage to the nominal voltage.

Claims

1. A power supply circuit for powering equipment via a current-limited power supply bus at a nominal voltage (Vb) for the equipment, wherein the power supply circuit includes an auxiliary power supply circuit comprising an energy storage member for storing energy at a voltage (Va) higher than the nominal voltage (Vb) and associated with a voltage regulator, and a trigger member for releasing the stored energy to the equipment in parallel with the power supply bus, the storage member being a capacitor and the power supply circuit including a timer member for delaying triggering of the auxiliary power supply.

2. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the trigger member is sensitive to the actual voltage of the power supply bus.

3. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the storage member is powered by a voltage-multiplier circuit connected to the power supply bus.

4. The circuit according to claim 2, wherein the timer member includes a comparator for comparing an instantaneous voltage of the storage member with a target voltage.

5. The circuit according to claim 2, wherein the capacitor forming the storage member is associated with a MOS transistor having a grid voltage set by a resistor bridge so that a grid/source potential difference of the MOS transistor is equal to or greater than a threshold voltage of the MOS transistor so long as the actual voltage of the power supply bus is less than or equal to a help voltage (Vh) at which the auxiliary power supply is triggered.

6. The circuit according to claim 5, wherein the timer member is a blocking transistor serving to keep the grid voltage of the MOS transistor at zero for a length of time sufficient for charging the storage member.

7. The circuit according to claim 6, wherein the blocking transistor has a base connected to the output of a comparator for comparing the target voltage with an actual voltage of the storage member.

8. The circuit according to claim 5, wherein the timer member is a capacitor connected between an intermediate point of the resistor bridge and ground of the circuit.

9. The circuit according to claim 1, including a member for limiting current through the auxiliary power supply circuit.