Method and Apparatus to Distribute Current Indicator to Multiple End-Points

• US 20200133380A1
• Filed: 10/31/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Jenne, John E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,852,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/189 Power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3253 Power saving in bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3275 Power saving in memory, e.g. RAM, cache
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/106 for load balancing, symmetrisation, or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An information handling system includes a PSU current level combiner, a current level indication splitter, and a load element. The PSU current level combiner receives a PSU current level indication from each of a plurality of PSUs, and provides a system current level indication that indicates a total amount of current supplied by the PSUs. Each PSU current level indication is a current signal and wherein a current level of each PSU current level indication is proportional to the amount of current supplied by the associated PSU. The system current level indication is a current signal. A current level of the system current level indication is proportional to the total amount of current. The system current level indication splitter receives the system current level indication, and provides copies of the system current level indication. The load element receives a copy of the system current level indication, and modifies a behavior of the first load element based on the copy of the system current level indication.

Claims

1. An information handling system, comprising:

a power supply unit (PSU) current level combiner configured to receive a PSU current level indication from each of a plurality of PSUs, and to provide a system current level indication that indicates a total amount of current supplied by the PSUs, wherein each PSU current level indication is a current signal and wherein a current level of each PSU current level indication is proportional to the amount of current supplied by the associated PSU, and wherein the system current level indication is a current signal and wherein a current level of the system current level indication is proportional to the total amount of current;

a first system current level indication splitter configured to receive the system current level indication, and to provide a plurality of copies of the system current level indication; and

a first load element configured to receive a first one of the copies of the system current level indication, and to modify a behavior of the first load element based on the first copy of the system current level indication.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second load element of the information handling system configured to receive a second one of the copies of the system current level indication, and to modify a behavior of the second load element based on the second copy of the system current level indication.

3. The information handling system of claim 2, further comprising:

a second system current level indication splitter configured to receive a third one of the copies of the system current level indication, and to provide a plurality of copies of the third system current level indication.

4. The information handling system of claim 3, further comprising:

a third load element of the information handling system configured to receive one of the copies of the third system current level indication, and to modify a behavior of the third load element based on the copy of the third system current level indication.

5. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the first load element is incompliance with a voltage regulator (VR) 14 specification.

6. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the first system current level indication splitter includes a current mirror circuit.

7. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the first load element increases a power usage when the first copy of the system current level indication indicates the total amount of current supplied by the PSUs is below a current threshold.

8. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein the first load element decreases the power usage when the first copy of the system current level indication indicates the total amount of current supplied by the PSUs is above the current threshold.

9. A method, comprising:

providing, by each one of a plurality of power supply units (PSUs), a power rail to power of an information handling system;

providing, by each one of the PSUs, a PSU current level indication that indicates an amount of current supplied by the PSU, wherein each PSU current level indication is a current signal and wherein a current level of each PSU current level indication is proportional to the amount of current supplied by the associated PSU;

receiving, by a PSU current level combiner, each PSU current level indication;

providing a system current level indication that indicates a total amount of current supplied by the PSUs, wherein the system current level indication is a current signal and wherein a current level of the system current level indication is proportional to the total amount of current;

receiving, by a first system current level indication splitter, the system current level indication;

providing a plurality of copies of the system current level indication;

receiving, by a first load element of the information handling system, a first one of the copies of the system current level indication; and

modifying a behavior of the first load element based on the first copy of the system current level indication.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by a second load element of the information handling system, a second one of the copies of the system current level indication; and

modifying a behavior of the second load element based on the second copy of the system current level indication.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, by a second system current level indication splitter, a third one of the copies of the system current level indication; and

providing a plurality of copies of the third system current level indication.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by a third load element, one of the copies of the third system current level indication; and

modifying a behavior of the third load element based on the copy of the third system current level indication.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first load element is incompliance with a voltage regulator (VR) 14 specification.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first system current level indication splitter includes a current mirror circuit.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

increasing, by the first load element, a power usage when the first copy of the system current level indication indicates the total amount of current supplied by the PSUs is below a current threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

decreasing, by the first load element, the power usage when the first copy of the system current level indication indicates the total amount of current supplied by the PSUs is above the current threshold.

17. An information handling system, comprising:

a plurality of power supply units (PSUs), each PSU configured to provide a power rail to power of the information handling system, and a PSU current level indication that indicates an amount of current supplied by the PSU, wherein each PSU current level indication is a current signal and wherein a current level of each PSU current level indication is proportional to the amount of current supplied by the associated PSU;

a PSU current level combiner configured to receive each PSU current level indication, and to provide a system current level indication that indicates a total amount of current supplied by the PSUs, wherein the system current level indication is a current signal and wherein a current level of the system current level indication is proportional to the total amount of current;

a first system current level indication splitter configured to receive the system current level indication, and to provide a plurality of copies of the system current level indication; and

a first load element configured to receive a first one of the copies of the system current level indication, and to modify a behavior of the first load element based on the first copy of the system current level indication.

18. The information handling system of claim 17, further comprising:

a second load element of the information handling system configured to receive a second one of the copies of the system current level indication, and to modify a behavior of the second load element based on the second copy of the system current level indication.

19. The information handling system of claim 18, further comprising:

a second system current level indication splitter configured to receive a third one of the copies of the system current level indication, and to provide a plurality of copies of the third system current level indication.

20. The information handling system of claim 19, further comprising:

a third load element of the information handling system configured to receive one of the copies of the third system current level indication, and to modify a behavior of the third load element based on the copy of the third system current level indication.