Programmable power supply

• US 6,707,284 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2002
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Comarco Wireless Systems LLC (AppBrilliance, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Comarco Wireless Technologies Incorporated (Comarco Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lanni, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane, Adolf D.
• Application Number:
  US10/277,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20030042881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 363/20, 363/21.01, 363/24, 363/25, 363/78, 363/80, 363/97, 363/98, 363/132, 363/144, 363/147, 323/293, 323/297
• US Class Current: 323/297
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/2819 Planar transformers with printed windings, e.g. surrounded by two cores and to be mounted on printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/24 resilient; resiliently-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6675 with built-in power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/24 for radio transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00041 in response to measured battery parameters, e.g. voltage, current or temperature profile
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4258 using a single converter stage both for correction of AC input power factor and generation of a regulated and galvanically isolated DC output voltage H02M1/4241 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/28 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode to produce the intermediate ac
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33507 with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33523 with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3372 of the parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3378 in a push-pull configuration of the parallel type H02M3/3374 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3382 in a push-pull circuit arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3387 : in a push-pull configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 : Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 : Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0262 : Arrangements for regulating voltages or for using plural voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/029 : having a programmable lay-out, i.e. adapted for choosing between a few possibilities
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/16 : incorporating printed electric components, e.g. printed resistor, capacitor, inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 : incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/086 : for inductive purposes, e.g. printed inductor with ferrite core
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09063 : Holes or slots in insulating substrate not used for electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 : Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 : Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A progammable power supply for providing a regulated DC output power is disclosed. The power supply provides the output power to any one of a plurality of electronic devices adapted for receiving the output power at an operational voltage or an operational current. The power supply receives a programming signal to maintain the output power at the operational voltage or operational current associated with a particular selected electronic device. Accordingly, by varying the programming signal, the power supply can be programmed to provide output power to any one of several electronic devices having differing input power requirements.

Claims

1. A method of selectively providing power to a plurality of electronic devices, said method comprising:

supplying input power to a power supply having a power conversion circuit;

selecting one of said plurality of electronic devices to which to provide power, each of said plurality of devices requiring at least one of an operational voltage and an operational current;

providing output power from said power supply to a first input terminal of said selected electronic device, said selected electronic device receiving said output power characterized by at least one of said operational voltage and said operational current of said selected electronic device;

selecting a connector from among a plurality of connectors, said selected connector having a first end adapted to couple to said first input terminal of said selected electronic device, a second end adapted to couple to an output terminal of the power supply, and a programming resistor;

coupling said first end of said selected connector to said first input terminal of said electronic device;

coupling said second end of said selected connector to said output terminal of said power supply so as to electrically couple said programming resistor to said power conversion circuit; and

converting said input power to said output power based on a resistance of said programming resistor.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said in put power is supplied to said power supply by an AC power source, and said output power is DC.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said power conversion circuit includes a transformer, and converting said input power includes applying power to said transformer.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said power conversion circuit includes a rectifier circuit, and converting said input power includes rectifying said input power.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said power supply includes an input power cable having a second input terminal, and said method further includes coupling said second input terminal to an input power source.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said second input terminal is selected from the group consisting of an electrical plug, an automobile cigarette lighter adapter, and a airplane adapter.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said output terminal of said power supply is at an end of a power output cable.

8. A method of selectively providing electrical power, said method comprising:

decoupling a first connector from a power supply and a first electronic device receiving operational power from said power supply at one of a first operational voltage and a first operational current that is characteristic of said first electronic device;

coupling a second connector to said power supply, said second connector corresponding to a second electronic device to which operational power is supplied at one of a second operational voltage and a second operational current that is characteristic of said second electronic device;

generating operational power, one of a voltage and a current corresponding to which of said first connector and said second connector is coupled to said power supply; and

transmitting operational power from said power supply to said second electronic device via said second connector.

9. The method according to claim 8, further including supplying input power to said power supply.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein coupling said second connector further includes selecting said second connector from among a plurality of connectors.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein coupling said second connector includes coupling a first end of said second connector to an input terminal of said second electronic device.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein coupling said second connector includes coupling a second end of said second connector to an output terminal of said power supply.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein said second connector contains a resistor, and coupling said second connector causes said resistor to be electrically coupled between a first conductor and a second conductor of an output terminal of said power supply.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein generating said output power includes determining a resistance value of said resistor when said second connector is coupled to said power supply.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said first connector includes a second resistor.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said second resistor is coupled between said first conductor and said second conductor of said output terminal when said first connector is coupled to said power supply, and said second resistor has a different resistance value than the resistance value of said resistor of said second connector.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein said second resistor is coupled between said first conductor and a third conductor of said output terminal when said first connector is coupled to said power supply.

18. The method according to claim 8, wherein coupling said second connector includes coupling said second connector to a free end of a power output cable fixedly attached to a power supply housing.

19. The method according to claim 8, wherein coupling said second connector includes coupling said second connector to a free end of an electrical cable fixedly attached to said second electronic device.

20. A system to supply power to a plurality of electronic devices, said system comprising:

a power supply having an input terminal and an output terminal, said output terminal having an output pin, a ground pin, a control input pin; and

a plurality of connectors, each of said connectors containing a programming resistor and having a first end configured to mate with said output terminal and a second end configured to mate with a device input terminal of at least one of said plurality of electronic devices,

wherein said programming resistor is electrically coupled between said control input pin and one of said output pin and said ground pin.

21. The system according to 20, further including an input cable fixedly coupled to said input terminal of said power supply, said input cable terminating in one of an electrical plug, an automobile cigarette lighter adapter, and an airplane adapter.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein said control input pin is a current control pin, and output power is characterized by an output current value determined by a resistance of said programming resistor.

23. The system according to claim 20, wherein said control input pin is a voltage control pin, and output power is characterized by an output voltage value determined by a resistance of said programming resistor.

24. The system according to claim 20, wherein said output terminal includes a second control input pin.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein at least one of said plurality of connectors contains a second programming resistor electrically coupled between said second control input pin and one of said output pin and said ground pin.

26. The system according to claim 20, wherein said second end of at least one of said plurality of connectors has two pins.

27. A method of supplying power to a plurality of electronic devices having different operational power requirements, said method comprising:

providing a user of said plurality of electronic devices with a plurality of connectors, each of said plurality of connectors including a programming resistor and corresponds to at least one of said plurality of electronic devices;

indicating to said user to which of said plurality of electronic devices each of said plurality of connectors corresponds;

providing said user with a common power supply configured to be coupled to each of said plurality of connectors, said common power supply including a power conversion circuit; and

coupling one of said plurality of connectors between said power supply and one of said plurality electronic devices with which said coupled connector corresponds,

wherein said programming resistor of said coupled connector is electrically coupled to said power conversion circuit, and output power generated by said common power supply satisfies an operational power requirement associated with the one of said plurality of electronic devices to which said coupled connector is coupled.

28. The method of claim 27, further including preventing said user from coupling one of said plurality of connectors to said power supply and coupling said coupled connector to one of said plurality of electronic devices to which said coupled connector does not correspond.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein each of said plurality of connectors has a first end configured to mate with only corresponding ones of said plurality of electronic devices.

30. The method according to claim 27, wherein at least one of said connectors corresponds to more than one of said plurality of electronic devices, each of said corresponding electronic devices sharing a common operational power requirement.

31. The method according to claim 27, wherein said operational power requirement is an operational voltage value.

32. The method according to claim 27, wherein said operational power requirement is an operational current value.