OVERCURRENT EVENT POWER THROTTLING

• US 20190332155A1
• Filed: 04/27/2018
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Humphrey, Daniel, Goodson, II, Stewart Gavin, Rivera, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 10,747,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• 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 1/305 in the event of power-supply fluctuations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An example system includes a server including a power supply and a microcontroller. The power supply may store parameters for a plurality of different ranges of overcurrent and a plurality of corresponding different time periods. The power supply may also receive information from the electrical component corresponding to the speed at which the electrical component can reduce the amount of power the electrical component is consuming. The controller may receive information from the power supply to determine the amount of current that will cause an overcurrent event in the electrical component. The controller may signal the electrical component to reduce the amount of power the electrical component is drawing from the power supply in response to the detected amount of current corresponding to the overcurrent event.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a server including;

a power supply including a microcontroller to;

store parameters for a plurality of different ranges of overcurrent and a plurality of corresponding different time periods; and

receive information from an electrical component corresponding to the speed at which the electrical component can reduce an amount of power the electrical component is consuming; and

a controller to;

receive information from the power supply to determine an amount of current that will cause an overcurrent event in the electrical component;

and

signal the electrical component to reduce the amount of power the electrical component is drawing from the power supply in response to the detected amount of current corresponding to the overcurrent event.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is to receive an alert to detect the overcurrent.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the alert comprises:

a first alert signal corresponding to a first range of overcurrent;

a second alert signal corresponding to a second range of overcurrent; and

a third alert signal corresponding to a third range of overcurrent, and wherein a first alert signal and a second alert signal in combination correspond to a third range of overcurrent.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is to:

allow a first range of overcurrent to continue for a first period of time;

allow a second range of overcurrent to continue for a second period of time; and

allow a third range of overcurrent to continue for a third period of time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller throttles power to the electrical component responsive to a determination that the overcurrent corresponding to a first range of overcurrent lasts longer than a first period of time, a determination that the overcurrent corresponding to a second range of overcurrent lasts longer than a second period of time, and a determination that the overcurrent corresponding to a third range of overcurrent lasts longer than a third period of time.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the range of overcurrent is altered during the overcurrent event, and wherein a period of time the overcurrent event is allowed to last is altered respective to a change in a range of overcurrent.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein, as the overcurrent range changes and at least one of the corresponding plurality of time periods changes, an amount of time spent at a first range of overcurrent is carried over to a second range of overcurrent.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein parameters of a first range of overcurrent correspond to a range of overcurrent at which at least one of the server and the power supply safely operates.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein parameters of a second range of overcurrent correspond to a range of overcurrent at which the server is protected from a server transient, wherein the server transient includes at least one of a variation in current, a variation in voltage, and a variation in frequency.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein parameters of the third range of overcurrent correspond to a range of overcurrent at which at least one of the power supply and the server is protected from a short circuit.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a controller including a processing resource coupled to a memory resource, the processing resource to execute instructions stored on the memory resource to cause the processing resource to;

detect an overcurrent;

determine that the overcurrent corresponds to an overcurrent event; and

throttle power to an electrical component responsive to a determination that the overcurrent persists for longer than a predetermined period of time, wherein the memory resource is to store data corresponding to different ranges of overcurrent and corresponding periods of time the overcurrent is allowed to persist before the controller throttles power to the electrical component.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing resource is to execute instructions stored on the memory resource to:

allow the overcurrent event to continue for a first period of time responsive to a determination that the overcurrent corresponds to a first range of overcurrent;

allow the overcurrent event to continue for a second period of time responsive to a determination that the overcurrent corresponds to a second range of overcurrent; and

allow the overcurrent event to continue for a third period of time responsive to a determination that the overcurrent corresponds to a third range of overcurrent.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing resource is to execute instructions to throttle power to the electrical component responsive to a determination that the overcurrent event corresponds to a first range of overcurrent and lasts longer than a first period of time.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing resource is to execute instructions to throttle power to the electrical component responsive to a determination that the overcurrent event corresponds to a second range of overcurrent and lasts longer than a second period of time.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing resource is to execute instructions to throttle power to the electrical component responsive to a determination that the overcurrent event corresponds to a third range of overcurrent and lasts longer than a third period of time.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the memory resource stores information corresponding to a first range of overcurrent, a second range of overcurrent, and a third range of overcurrent.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the memory resource stores information corresponding to a first period of time associated with a first range of overcurrent, a second period of time associated with a second range of overcurrent, and a third period of time associated with a third range of overcurrent.

18. A method comprising:

determining, using a power supply, an amount of current needed to create an overcurrent;

setting conditions wherein a controller will throttle power to an electrical component responsive to a determination that an overcurrent event has occurred;

detecting, using the controller, the overcurrent event;

determining, using the controller, which of at least three different ranges of overcurrent and at least three different periods of time the overcurrent event corresponds to; and

throttling the power to the electrical component responsive to a determination that the overcurrent event lasts longer than a period of time associated with a range of overcurrent.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining, using the controller, the amount of current needed to create the overcurrent by receiving information from the power supply about a capacity of the electrical component to safely receive current.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving, by the controller, an alert to detect the overcurrent event.