Power supply for computer system manager

• US 5,272,382 A
• Filed: 09/09/1991
• Issued: 12/21/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Heald, Arthur D., Brown, Alan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellinen, A. D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elms, Richard T.
• Application Number:
  US07/757,066
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 307/66, 307/64, 307/85-87, 307/45, 307/46, 320/9, 320/13, 320/14, 323/300, 323/299
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads

Abstract

A power supply for a computer system manager, wherein the power supply has its own secondary power source operable when primary input power to the system manager no longer meets preset threshold values. The power supply monitors the primary input power as well as the secondary power source. Further, the power supply includes a regulating circuit which maintains the power emitted by the secondary power source to within a very narrowly defined voltage range. The power supply regulates the secondary power source while the secondary power source is being used by the computer system manager and while the primary input power is being used by the computer system manager. The power supply switches among power modes to conserve secondary power while the secondary power source provides power. The power supply includes a charger for the secondary power source.

Claims

1. A power supply for monitoring and regulating energy delivered to a power consuming apparatus, said power supply comprising:

a primary power source;

a secondary power source, said secondary power source comprising at least one battery for generating an output voltage greater than a desired operating level;

means for monitoring said primary power source;

means for switching from said primary power source to said secondary power source when said monitoring means determines that energy received from said primary power source falls below a preset threshold value;

means for regulating said secondary power source when said secondary power source is supplying power to said power consuming apparatus, said secondary power regulating means comprising means for reducing said output voltage to said desired operating level and negative feedback loop control means for decreasing the reduction of said output voltage by said reducing means in response to decreases in said output voltage and increasing the reduction of said output voltage by said reducing means in response to increases in said output voltage;

means for monitoring said secondary power source, said means for monitoring said secondary power source in electronic communication with said secondary power regulating means; and

means for maintaining said secondary power within a preset operating range which includes said desired operating level.

2. The power supply according to claim 1 wherein said means for monitoring said primary power monitors high and low voltages at different discrete levels.

4. The power supply according to claim 1 and further comprising:

means for preregulating said secondary power source when said primary power source is supplying power to said power consuming apparatus;

means for transitioning from said primary power source to said secondary power source when said primary power source fails to deliver power at said preset threshold value to said power consuming apparatus; and

means for initially regulating said secondary power source when said power consuming system undergoes initial energization.

5. The power supply according to claim 1 wherein said negative feedback loop control means regulates power emitted by said secondary power source to within a two percent accuracy of said desired operating level.

6. The power supply according to claim 1 wherein said means for maintaining said secondary power source within said preset operating range comprises a battery charging circuitry.

7. The power supply according to claim 6 wherein said battery charging circuitry further comprises a fast charge circuit, said fast charge circuit rapidly boosting the electrical charge stored within said secondary power source when said secondary power source charge falls below a lower bound of said preset operating range.

8. The power supply according to claim 6 wherein said battery charging circuitry further comprises a trickle charge circuit, said trickle charge circuit providing continuous electrical charge to said secondary power source when said secondary power source charge is within said preset operating range.

9. The power supply according to claim 6 wherein said battery charging circuitry further comprises means for indicating the charge status of said secondary power source.

3. The power supply according to claim 3 wherein said means for monitoring said primary power comprises an open collector quad comparator, said comparator generating a signal should any one of said voltages being monitored fail to conform to said preset operating range.

10. A method for monitoring, regulating and delivering power to a power consuming apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving power from a primary power source;

storing power in a secondary power source;

monitoring power received from said primary power source;

switching from said primary power source to said secondary power source when power received from said primary power source falls below a preset threshold value, said secondary power source generating an output voltage above a desired operating level;

regulating said secondary power source, said regulation occurring while said primary power is received and when said primary power receipt is terminated, said step of regulating said secondary power source when said primary power receipt is terminated comprising the steps of reducing said output voltage to said desired operating level, decreasing said reduced supply voltage in response to decreases in said output voltage, increasing said reduction of said output voltage in response to increases in said output voltage and regulating power emitted by said secondary power source within a two percent accuracy of said desired operating level;

monitoring said secondary power source; and

maintaining said secondary power source at within a preset operating range which includes said desired operating level.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of regulating said secondary power source further comprises the steps of:

preregulating said secondary power source when said primary power source is supplying power to said power consuming apparatus;

transitioning from said primary power source to said secondary power source when said primary power source fails to deliver power within said preset operating range to said power consuming apparatus; and

initiating regulation of said secondary power source when said power consuming apparatus undergoes initial energization.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of regulating said secondary power source regulates said secondary power source at an accuracy of within two percent of said desired operating voltage.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of maintaining said secondary power source within said preset operating range comprises the steps of:

providing a trickle charge when said secondary power source is within said preset operating range;

providing a fast charge when said secondary power source charge falls outside of said preset operating range; and

indicating the charge status of said secondary power source.

14. A power supply for monitoring and regulating energy delivered to a power consuming apparatus having a variety of components, said power supply comprising:

a primary power source;

a secondary power source, said secondary power source comprising at least one battery for generating an output voltage greater than a desired operating level;

means for monitoring said primary power source;

means for switching from said primary power source to said secondary power source when said monitoring means determines that energy received from said primary power source falls below a preset threshold value;

means for regulating said secondary power source when said secondary power source is supplying power to said power consuming apparatus, said secondary power regulating means comprising means for reducing said output voltage to said desired operating level and negative feedback loop control means for decreasing the reduction of said output voltage by said reducing means in response to decreases in said output voltage and increasing the reduction of said output voltage by said reducing means in response to increases in said output voltage;

means for monitoring said secondary power source, said means for monitoring said secondary power source in electronic communication with said secondary power regulating means;

means for maintaining said secondary power within a preset operating range which includes said desired operating level; and

means for conserving energy conducted by said secondary power source to said energy demanding device by terminating energy flow to said selected ones of said variety of individualized components when said secondary power source powers said energy demanding device.

15. A power supply for monitoring and regulating energy delivered to a power consuming apparatus having a variety of components according to claim 14 and further comprising means for terminating all energy flow when said secondary power source power source monitoring means determines that energy conducted by said secondary power source fails to meet a lower bound of said preset operating range.

16. A power supply for monitoring and regulating energy delivered to a power consuming apparatus having a variety of components according to claim 15 wherein said variety of components includes a random access memory and wherein said means for conserving energy further comprises means for preserving data stored in said random access memory until all energy flow is terminated by selectively terminating energy flow to said variety of individualized components other than said random access memory when said secondary power source powers said energy demanding device while maintaining energy flow to said random access memory.

17. A power supply for monitoring and regulating energy delivered to a power consuming apparatus having a variety of components according to claim 16 wherein said negative feedback loop control means regulates power emitted by said secondary power source to within a two percent accuracy of said desired operating level.

18. A power supply for monitoring and regulating energy delivered to a power consuming apparatus having a variety of components according to claim 17 wherein said means for monitoring said primary power comprises an open collector quad comparator, said comparator generating a signal should any one of said voltages being monitored fail to conform to said preset operating range.