Auxiliary power supply apparatus

• US 6,057,609 A
• Filed: 04/30/1998
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Iwase, Sumio, Yamazaki, Kazuo, Nagai, Tamiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAPLAN, JONATHAN STUART
• Application Number:
  US09/069,540
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 307/43, 307/44, 307/64, 307/65, 307/66, 307/80, 307/85, 307/86, 307/87
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

Abstract

The AC electric power of the commercial AC power supply is safely supplied to an electronic appliance functioning as a load during an occurrence of a power interruption by an auxiliary power supply apparatus. In the auxiliary power supply apparatus, normally usable electric power derived from a diode bridge energized by the commercial AC power supply, and auxiliary electric power produced from a DC/DC converter energized by a cell are selectively conducted to an output connector of this auxiliary power supply apparatus via a selection switch and a load connection switch, which are controlled in response to a detection result of a power-interrupt detecting circuit. When an AC plug of a load set is inserted into this output connector, a switch is turned ON, and then, a DC voltage applied from a voltage divider to this connector is changed, depending upon the types of the power supply circuits employed in the load sets, namely, a transformer type power supply circuit and a switching type power supply circuit. This voltage change is detected by a voltage/gradient detecting circuit, so that the load connection switch is turned ON only for the switching type load set. A modem apparatus and the like may be continuously operated.

Claims

1. An auxiliary power supply apparatus for an electronic appliance connected to commercial AC power, the apparatus comprising:

an output connector connected to an AC plug of the electronic appliance employing commercial AC power as primary power;

power-interrupt detecting means for detecting an interruption of said commercial AC power;

a built-in cell for producing auxiliary power fed to said output connector in response to a detection result of said power-interrupt detecting means;

load discriminating means for discriminating a first kind of electronic appliance having a transformer type power supply circuit in which a primary winding of a transformer is connected to said AC plug connected to said output connector from a second kind of electronic appliance having a switching type power supply circuit connected to the AC plug connected to said output connector;

power producing means for producing power having a DC voltage substantially equal to a DC voltage produced by said switching type power supply circuit included in said second kind of electronic appliance while the electronic power is supplied from the commercial AC power;

auxiliary power producing means for producing auxiliary power having a DC voltage from said built-in cell, said DC voltage being substantially equal to the DC voltage produced from said switching type power supply circuit included in said second kind of electronic appliance; and

power supply control means for selectively supplying one of said primary power and said auxiliary produced from said power producing means and said auxiliary power producing means to said second kind of electronic appliance having the switching type power supply circuit in response to outputs from said power-interrupt detecting means and said load discriminating means.

2. The auxiliary power supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said load discriminating means includes means for applying a DC low voltage lower than said DC voltage produced by said switching type power supply via said output connector, and discriminates the type of the power supply circuit employed in said electronic appliance based upon a voltage change appearing at said output connector upon commencing applying said DC low voltage.

3. The auxiliary power supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said power supply control means includes overcurrent/overpower detecting means for detecting one of overcurrent and overpower, and said power supply control means is controlled in response to a detection result of said overcurrent/overpower detecting means.

4. The auxiliary power supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein

when the primary power is supplied from said commercial AC power, said power producing means is brought into an operation condition and said auxiliary power producing means is brought into an operation condition by the power produced by said power producing means;

and

when the interruption of the commercial AC power is detected by said power-interrupt detecting means, said auxiliary power producing means produces said auxiliary power from said built-in cell.

5. The auxiliary power supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

when the primary power is supplied from said commercial AC power, said power producing means is brought into an operation condition and said auxiliary power producing means is brought into a waiting condition by the power produced by said power producing means; and

when the interruption of the commercial AC power is detected by said power-interrupt detecting means, said auxiliary power producing means produces said auxiliary power from said built-in cell.