POWER MANAGER

• US 20140292081A1
• Filed: 04/01/2014
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Revision Military Soldier Power, LLC
• Original Assignee: Protonex Technology Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Long, David N., Dziengeleski, Seth M., Kazmierczak, James D., Apollonio, Benjamin, Grennan, Michael J., Lac, My H.
• Granted Patent: US 10,250,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/24
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2513 Arrangements for monitoring electric power systems, e.g. power lines or loads; Logging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators

Abstract

An improved power manager includes a power bus (410) and multiple device ports (1-5), with at least one device port configured as a universal port (3 and 4) to be selectively connected to the power bus over an input power channel that includes an input power converter (510) or over a output or universal power channel (412, 416) that includes an output power converter (440, 442). The universal power channel (412) allows the input port (4) to be selected as an output power channel instead of an input power channel (i.e. operated as a universal port) for outputting power to device port (4) over power converter (440). The improved power manager (500) includes operating modes for altering an operating voltage of the power bus (505), to minimize overall power conversion losses due to DC to DC power conversions used to connect non-bus voltage compatible power devices to the power bus.

Claims

1. A power manager comprising:

a power bus;

a plurality device ports operably connectable to the power bus;

an input power converter having an input side and an output side disposed between the power bus and an input device port wherein the input power converter input side is connected to the input device port and the input power converter output side is connected to the power bus;

an output power converter having an input side and an output side disposed between the power bus and an output device port wherein the output side of the output power converter is connected to the output device port and the input side of the output power converter is connected to the power bus; and

a universal power channel extending between the output side of the output power converter and the input port,

wherein the power manager is operable to connect an external power device connected to the input port to the power bus over the input power converter or over the over the output power converter.

2. The power manager of claim 1 wherein the power manager is operable to simultaneously connect a first external power device connected to the output port and a second external power device connected to the input port to the power bus over the output power converter.

3. The power manager of claim 1 further comprising:

an electronic controller and a digital data memory module in communication with the electronic controller;

an input power converting channel extending from the power bus to the output side of the input power converter and further extending from the input side of the input power converter to the input port;

a controllable switch disposed along the input power converting channel between the input side of the input power converter and the input device port;

an output power converting channel extending from the power bus to the input side of the output power converter and further extending from the output side of the output power converter to the output port;

a controllable switch disposed along the output power converting channel between the output side of the output power converter and the output device port; and

a controllable switch disposed along the universal power channel between the output side of the output power converter and the input port,

wherein each controllable switch is in communication with and controlled by the electronic controller.

4. The power manager of claim 3 further comprising:

a communication interface operating to exchange digital data with the electronic controller; and

a plurality communication channels extending from the communication interface to each of the plurality of device ports,

wherein the communication interface, the plurality of communication channels and the plurality of the plurality of device ports are operable to communicate digital data received from each external power device connected to one of the plurality of device ports to the electronic controller.

5. The power manager of claim 4 further comprising energy management schema operating on the electronic controller wherein the power manager is operable to communicate with external power devices connected to the plurality of device ports and to determine if and how each external power device is connected to the power bus.

6. The power manager of claim 5:

wherein the input device port comprises two input device ports and the input power converting channel extends from the power bus to the output side of the input power converter and connects the input side of the input power converter with each of the two input device ports;

wherein the controllable switch disposed along the input power converting channel comprises two controllable switches with one controllable switch disposed between the input side of the input power converter and one of the two input device ports and the other controllable switch is disposed between the input side of the input power converter and the other of the two input device ports;

a non-power converting power channel disposed between one of the two input device ports and the power bus;

another non-power converting power channel disposed between the other of the two input device ports and the power bus;

wherein each non-power converting power channel comprises a bidirectional power channel;

a controllable switch in communication with the electronic controller disposed along each non-power converting channel;

wherein the power manager is operable to connect an external power device connected to either one of the two input ports to the power bus over any one of the non-power converting power channel and the input power converter.

7. The power manager of claim 6 wherein the power manager is operable to connect an external power device connected one of the two input ports to the power bus over any one of the non-power converting power channel, the input power converter and the output power converter.

8. The power manager of claim 5:

wherein the output device port comprises two output device ports and the output power converting channel extends from the power bus to an input side of the output power converter and connects an output side of the output power converter with each of the two output device ports;

wherein the controllable switch disposed along the output power converting channel comprises two controllable switches with one controllable switch disposed between the output side of the output power converter and one of the two output device ports and the other of the two controllable switches is disposed between the output side of the output power converter and the other of the two output device ports;

a non-power converting power channel disposed between one of the two output device ports and the power bus;

another non-power converting channel disposed between the other of the two output device ports and the power bus;

wherein each non-power converting power channel comprises a bidirectional power channel;

a controllable switch in communication with the electronic controller disposed along each non-power converting channel;

wherein the power manager is operable to connect an external power device connected to either one of the two output ports to the power bus over any one of the non-power converting power channel and the output power converter.

9. The power manager of claim 7:

wherein the output device port comprises two output device ports and the output power converting channel extends from the power bus to the input side of the output power converter and connects the output side of the output power converter with each of the two output device ports;

wherein the controllable switch disposed along the output power converting channel comprises two controllable switches with one controllable switch disposed between the output side of the output power converter and one of the two output device ports and the other of the two controllable switch is disposed between the output side of the output power converter and the other of the two output device ports;

a non-power converting power channel disposed between one of the two output device ports and the power bus;

another non-power converting channel disposed between the other of the two output device ports and the power bus;

wherein each non-power converting power channel comprises a bidirectional power channel;

a controllable switch in communication with the electronic controller disposed along each non-power converting power channel;

wherein the power manager is operable to connect an external power device connected to either one of the two output ports to the power bus over any one of the non-power converting power channel and the output power converter.

10. The power manager of claim 9 wherein the universal power channel extends to a first input port further comprising:

another universal power channel extending between the output side of the output power converter and a second input port;

wherein the power manager is operable to connect an external power device connected to the first and the second input ports to the power bus over the input power converter, over a non-converting power channel and over the output power converter.

11. The power manager of claim 10 wherein the power manager is operable to poll each of the plurality of device ports to determine power characteristics of each external power device connected to one of the plurality of device ports and thereafter to determine which external power devices can be directly connected to the power bus over one of the non-converting power channels and which external power devices connected to the plurality of device ports can be connected to the power bus over one of the input and the output power converter.

12. The power manager of claim 11 wherein the power manager is further operable to actuate one or more controllable switches to connect external devices to the power bus according to the determination made by the power manager.

13. The power manager of claim 2 wherein the power manager is operable to alter an operating voltage of the power bus.

14. The power manager of claim 11 further comprising a bus sensor module in communication with the power bus and with the electronic controller for reporting a power bus operating voltage to the electronic controller:

wherein the power manager operates to maintain the power bus at substantially constant default operating voltage and is further operable to maintain the power bus at other substantially constant operating voltages;

wherein the power manager is operable to determine an operating voltage of external power device connected to each of the plurality of device ports;

wherein the power manager is configured to calculate a conversion power loss based on a power bus voltage sensed by the bus sensor module and the collective operating voltages of the external power device connected to the plurality of device ports and to reconfigure the power manager to operate at another substantially constant operating power bus voltage to reduce the conversion power loss.

15. A method for configuring a power manager comprising:

operating a power bus at a substantially constant power bus DC operating voltage;

providing a plurality device ports operably connectable to the power bus wherein each device port comprises an electrical interface that includes a power channel and a communication channel suitable for interfacing with power and communication channels of an external power device;

providing an input power converter along an input power converting channel disposed between the power bus and a first input device port wherein the first input device port is connected to an input side of the input power converter and the power bus connected to an output side of the input power converter;

providing an output power converter along an output power converting channel disposed between the power bus and a first output device port wherein the first output device port is connected to an output side of the output power converter and the power bus is connected to an input side of the output power converter; and

,

providing a universal power channel extending between the output side of the output power converter and the first input port.

16. The method of claim 15:

wherein a first power load is connected to the first input device port, a second power load is connected to the first output device port, the first and second power loads have the same operating voltage range which is not compatible with the substantially constant power bus DC operating voltage further comprising;

setting an operating point of the output power converter to match the output converter output voltage to the operating voltage of the first and second power load; and

,

connecting both of the first and second power loads to the power bus over the output power converter.

17. The method of claim 15:

wherein a first power load is connected to the first input device port, a second power load is connected to the first output device port, the first and second power loads have the same operating voltage range which is not compatible with the substantially constant power bus DC operating voltage further comprising;

altering an operating point of the power bus to operate the power bus at a different substantially constant DC operating voltage that is compatible with the operating voltage of the first and second power load.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

providing a second input device port connected to an input side of the input power converter;

providing a non-converting power channel between the first input device port and the power bus;

providing a non-converting power channel between the second input device port and the power bus; and

,

operating the power manger to connect a power source connected to either one or the first and second input device ports to the power bus over the input power converter when the operating voltage of the power source is not compatible with the substantially constant power bus DC operating voltage.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

providing a second output device port connected to an output side of the output power converter;

providing a non-converting power channel between the first output device port and the power bus;

providing a non-converting power channel between the second output device port and the power bus; and

,

operating the power manger to connect a power load connected to either one or the first and second output device ports to the power bus over the output power converter when the operating voltage of the power load is not compatible with the substantially constant power bus DC operating voltage.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising operating the power manager to connect any external power device connected to any one of the plurality of device ports that has a bus compatible operating voltage to the power bus over a non-converting power channel.