Programmable power supply to simultaneously power a plurality of electronic devices

• US 6,831,848 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Issued: 12/14/2004
• 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:
  US10/314,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20030132668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 363/20, 363/21.01, 363/24, 363/25, 363/71, 363/78, 363/79, 363/80, 363/97, 363/98, 363/132, 363/144, 363/147, 323/212, 307/11, 307/29, 307/38, 307/39
• US Class Current: 363/144
• 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 3/28 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode to produce the intermediate ac
• 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: 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 power supply system to provide operational power to a plurality of electronic devices, comprising:

an input terminal to receive input power;

a power conversion circuit in electrical communication with the input terminal to convert the input power into output power;

an interface in electrical communication with the power conversion circuit, a first electronic device, and a second electronic device, the interface receiving the output power from the power conversion circuit, wherein the interface provides first operational power to the first electronic device corresponding to a first input power requirement of the first electronic device, and the interface simultaneously provides second operational power to the second electronic device corresponding to a second input power requirement of the second electronic device; and

a connector interconnecting the interface with an input terminal of the first electronic device, the connector adapted to generate a programming signal for transmission to the power conversion circuit indicating the first input power requirement of the first electronic device to program the power conversion circuit to generate the first operational power.

2. The power supply system according to claim 1, further including an output terminal interconnecting the power conversion circuit with the interface.

3. The power supply system according to claim 1, further including a second connector interconnecting the interface with an input terminal of the second electronic device, the second connector adapted to generate a second programming signal for transmission to the power conversion circuit indicating the second input power requirement of the second electronic device to program the power conversion circuit to generate the second operational power.

4. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the connector includes a cable and a tip at an end of the cable adapted to fit with the input terminal of the first electronic device.

5. The power supply system according to claim 3, wherein the second connector includes a cable and a tip at an end of the cable adapted to fit with the input terminal of the second electronic device.

6. The power supply system according to claim 3, wherein the first connector and the second connector share a common connection to the interface.

7. The power supply system according to claim 4, wherein the tip is removably coupled to the end of the cable.

8. The power supply system according to claim 5, wherein the tip is removably coupled to the end of the cable.

9. The power supply system according to claim 1, further including a regulator to receive and to convert the output power into at least one of the first operational power and the second operational power.

10. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the second input power requirement differs from the first input power requirement.

11. The power supply system according to claim 1, further including a second connector interconnecting the interface with an input terminal of the second electronic device.

12. The power supply system according to claim 11, wherein the second connector includes a cable and a tip at an end of the cable adapted to fit with the input terminal of the second electronic device.

13. The power supply system according to claim 12, wherein the tip is removably coupled to the end of the cable.

14. A power supply system to provide operational power to a plurality of electronic devices, comprising:

an input terminal to receive input power;

a power conversion circuit in electrical communication with the input terminal to convert the input power into output power;

an interface in electrical communication with the power conversion circuit, a first electronic device, and a second electronic device, the interface receiving the output power from the power conversion circuit, wherein the interface provides first operational power to the first electronic device corresponding to a first input power requirement of the first electronic device, and the interface simultaneously provides second operational power to the second electronic device corresponding to a second input power requirement of the second electronic device;

a connector interconnecting the interface with an input terminal of the first electronic device, the connector adapted to generate a programming signal for transmission to the power conversion circuit indicating the first input power requirement of the first electronic device to program the power conversion circuit to generate the first operational power; and

a second connector interconnecting the interface with an input terminal of the second electronic device.

15. The power supply system according to claim 14, further including an output terminal interconnecting the power conversion circuit with the interface.

16. The power supply system according to claim 14, wherein the second connector is adapted to generate a second programming signal for transmission to the power conversion circuit indicating the second input power requirement of the second electronic device to program the power conversion circuit to generate the second operational power.

17. The power supply system according to claim 14, wherein the connector includes a cable and a tip at an end of the cable adapted to fit with the input terminal of the first electronic device.

18. The power supply system according to claim 14, wherein the second connector includes a cable and a tip at an end of the cable adapted to fit with the input terminal of the second electronic device.

19. The power supply system according to claim 17, wherein the tip is removably coupled to the end of the cable.

20. The power supply system according to claim 18, wherein the tip is removably coupled to the end of the cable.

21. The power supply system according to claim 14, wherein the first connector and the second connector share a common connection to the interface.

22. The power supply system according to claim 14, further including a regulator to receive and to convert the output power into at least one of the first operational power and the second operational power.

23. The power supply system according to claim 14, wherein the second input power requirement differs from the first input power requirement.

24. A power supply system to simultaneously supply operational power to multiple electronic devices having multiple input voltage requirements, comprising:

a first power conversion circuit to convert power from a power source into a first output power having a first voltage corresponding to a first input voltage requirement of a first electronic device;

a second power conversion circuit to convert the first output power into a second output power having a second voltage corresponding to a second input voltage requirement of a second electronic device;

a first connector in electrical communication with the first power conversion circuit and an input terminal of the first electronic device, the first connector adapted to generate a first programming signal for transmission to the first power conversion circuit indicating the first input voltage requirement of the first electronic device to program the first power conversion circuit to generate the first output power; and

a second connector in electrical communication with the second power conversion circuit and an input terminal of the second electronic device, the second connector adapted to generate a second programming signal for transmission to the second power conversion circuit indicating the second input voltage requirement of the second electronic device to program the second power conversion circuit to generate the second output power.

25. The power supply system according to claim 24, further including an interface interconnecting the first connector with the first power conversion circuit, and interconnecting the second connector with the second power conversion circuit, wherein the interface provides the first output power to the first electronic device, and the interface simultaneously provides the second output power to the second electronic device.

26. The power supply system according to claim 24, wherein the second power conversion circuit includes a voltage regulator.

27. The power supply system according to claim 24, wherein the first connector includes a cable and a tip at an end of the cable adapted to fit with the input terminal of the first electronic device.

28. The power supply system according to claim 24, wherein the second connector includes a cable and a tip at an end of the cable adapted to fit with the input terminal of the second electronic device.

29. The power supply system according to claim 27, wherein the tip is removably coupled to the end of the cable.

30. The power supply system according to claim 28, wherein the tip is removably coupled to the end of the cable.

31. The power supply system according to claim 24, wherein the first connector and the second connector share a common connection to the first power conversion circuit and the second power conversion circuit.

32. The power supply system according to claim 24, wherein the second input voltage requirement differs from the first input voltage requirement.

33. A method of providing power to a plurality of electronic devices, comprising:

receiving an input power from a power source;

converting the input power by a power conversion circuit into an output power;

providing first operational power derived from the output power to a first electronic device corresponding to a first input power requirement of the first electronic device;

providing simultaneously second operational power derived from the output power to a second electronic device corresponding to a second input power requirement of the second electronic device; and

generating a programming signal for transmission to the power conversion circuit indicating the first input power requirement of the first electronic device to program the power conversion circuit to generate the first operational power.

34. The method according to claim 33, further including generating a second programming signal for transmission to the power conversion circuit indicating the second input power requirement of the second electronic device to program the power conversion circuit to generate the second operational power.

35. The method according to claim 33, further including receiving and converting the output power by a regulator into at least one of the first operational power and the second operational power.

36. The method according to claim 33, wherein the second input power requirement differs from the first input power requirement.

37. A method of simultaneously supplying operational power to multiple electronic devices having multiple input voltage requirements, comprising:

converting power from a power source by a first power conversion circuit into a first output power having a first voltage corresponding to a first input voltage requirement of a first electronic device;

converting the first output power by a second power conversion circuit into a second output power having a second voltage corresponding to a second input voltage requirement of a second electronic device;

generating a first programming signal for transmission to the first power conversion circuit indicating the first input voltage requirement of the first electronic device to program the first power conversion circuit to generate the first output power; and

generating a second programming signal for transmission to the second power conversion circuit indicating the second input voltage requirement of the second electronic device to program the second power conversion circuit to generate the second output power.

38. The method according to claim 37, further including:

providing the first output power to the first electronic device; and

providing simultaneously the second output power to the second electronic device.

39. The method according to claim 37, wherein the second input voltage requirement differs from the first input voltage requirement.

40. The method according to claim 37, further including converting the first output power by the second power conversion circuit into the second output power with a voltage regulator.