Contactless connectors for use in a high frequency alternating current power distribution system

• US 6,430,069 B1
• Filed: 05/14/1999
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Drobnik, Josef C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Rajnikant B.
• Application Number:
  US09/312,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20020060918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 363/34, 363/35, 363/37, 363/60, 363/68, 361/90, 323/207, 323/262, 323/263, 323/902, 323/259
• US Class Current: 363/68
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/005 with inductive power transfer for charging H02J7/025
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type

Abstract

A high frequency alternating current (AC) power distribution system includes a transmission medium. A system power supply is coupled to the transmission medium. A high frequency AC voltage regulator module (VRM) is coupled to the transmission medium via a contactless connector.

Claims

1. A high frequency alternating current (AC) power distribution system, comprising:

a transmission medium;

a system power supply coupled to the transmission medium via a first contactless connector said first contactless connector comprising a first core with an electrical winding thereon, and a second core with an electrical winding thereon said second core removably coupled with the first core; and

a high frequency AC voltage regulator module (VRM) coupled to the transmission medium via a second contactless connector, said second contactless connector comprising a first core with an electrical winding thereon, and a second core with an electrical winding thereon, said second core removably coupled with the first core, said VRM to receive power from the system power supply through the transmission medium.

2. The high frequency AC power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium comprises a data bus.

3. The high frequency AC power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the system power supply comprises an inverter that transmits power in a high frequency AC domain on the transmission medium.

4. The high frequency AC power distribution system of claim 3, wherein the inverter comprises:

a rectifier unit that converts the power from an AC domain to a direct current (DC) domain;

a switching unit coupled to the rectifier, that converts the power from a DC domain to a high frequency AC domain; and

a resonant circuit, coupled to the switching unit, that smooths an output of the power in the high frequency AC domain.

5. The high frequency AC power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the high frequency AC VRM comprises a post-regulator unit that regulates power in a high frequency AC domain from the transmission medium to a component on a computer system.

6. The high frequency AC power distribution system of claim 5, wherein the post-regulator unit comprises:

a rectifier unit that converts the power from the high frequency AC domain to a direct current (DC) domain; and

a filtering unit, coupled to the rectifier unit, that filters out noise from an output of the power from the DC domain.

7. A high frequency alternating current (AC) voltage regulator module (VRM), comprising:

a first contactless connector coupled to a transmission medium, said first contactless connector comprising a first core with an electrical winding thereon, and a second core with an electrical winding thereon said second core removably coupled with the first core; and

a post-regulator unit coupled to the first contactless connector, to regulate power in a high frequency AC domain from the transmission medium to a component on a computer system, the power received from a system power supply coupled to the transmission medium via a second contactless connector said second contactless connector comprising a first core with an electrical winding thereon, and a second core with an electrical winding thereon, said second core removably coupled with the first core.

8. The high frequency AC VRM of claim 7, wherein the contactless connector comprises a transformer with a primary core coupled to the transmission medium and a secondary core coupled to the post-regulator unit.

9. The high frequency AC VRM of claim 7, wherein the post-regulator unit comprises:

a rectifier unit that converts the power from the high frequency AC domain to a direct current (DC) domain; and

a filtering unit, coupled to the rectifier unit, that filters out noise from an output of the power from the DC domain.

10. A system power supply, comprising:

an inverter to regulate power into a high frequency alternating current (AC) domain to transmit the power in the high frequency AC domain on a transmission medium to a high frequency AC voltage regulator module (VRM) coupled to the transmission medium via a first contactless connector said first contactless connector comprising a first core with an electrical winding thereon, and a second core with an electrical winding thereon said second core removably coupled with the first core; and

a second contactless connector to couple the inverter to the transmission medium, said second contactless connector comprising a first core with an electrical winding thereon, and a second core with an electrical winding thereon said second core removably coupled with the first core.

11. The system power supply of claim 10, wherein the inverter comprises:

a rectifier unit to convert the power from an AC domain to a direct current (DC) domain;

a switching unit, coupled to the rectifier, to convert the power from a DC domain to a high frequency AC domain; and

a resonant circuit, coupled to the switching unit, to smooth an output of the power in the high frequency AC domain.

12. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a transmission medium;

a system power supply coupled to the transmission medium via a first contactless connector, said first contactless connector comprising a first core with an electrical winding thereon, and a second core with an electrical winding thereon said second core removably coupled with the first core; and

a high frequency AC voltage regulator module (VRM), coupled to the transmission medium via a second contactless connector said second contactless connector comprising a first core with an electrical winding thereon, and a second core with an electrical winding thereon, said second core removably coupled with the first core, to regulate power from the transmission medium to the processor.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the contactless connector comprises a transformer with a primary core coupled to the system power supply and a secondary core coupled to the transmission medium.

14. An electronic system, comprising:

an electronic service;

a transmission medium;

a system power supply coupled to the transmission medium via a first contactless connector, said first contactless connector comprising a first core with an electrical winding thereon, and a second core with an electrical winding thereon, said second core removably coupled with the first core; and

a high frequency AC voltage regulator module (VRM), coupled to the transmission medium via a second contactless connector, said second contactless connector comprising a first core with an electrical winding thereon, and a second core with an electrical winding thereon, said second core removably coupled with the first core to regulate power from the transmission medium to a processor.