Power supply with performance display

• US 7,355,362 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acbel Polytech Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Acbel Polytech Incorporated
• Inventors: Yeh, Hsin-I, Pai, Ching-Yuan, Yeh, Jung-Tai
• Primary Examiner(s): DUDA, RINA I
• Application Number:
  US11/136,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20060217905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 388/800, 388/806, 388/815, 388/822, 388/903, 388/907.5, 388/917, 388/934, 318/254, 318/432, 318/434
• US Class Current: 318/432
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 388/934 Thermal condition

Abstract

A power supply with performance display is disclosed. The computer power supply mainly has a power converter, a control module, and a display. The control module receives and processes the operating signals from the power converter, and then sends those processed signals to a display in a numerical value form. The power supply can be applied in a computer, an adapter, or other electronic products, which is convenient for users to know the operating status of the power converter.

Claims

1. A power supply with performance display comprising:

a power converter to transform external power to at least one direct current power;

a control module including (i) an analog to digital (A/D) converter connected to the power converter to receive status signals from the power converter, the status signals including at least one voltage signal that represents an output current of the power converter, and (ii) at least one microprocessor connected to the A/D converter to receive output signals from the A/D converter; and

a display connected to the control module to show performance information of the power converter based on the status signals.

2. The power supply with performance display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control module further includes an external interrupt source that receives a warning signal generated from the power converter, and the control module informs the microprocessor when the warning signal has a status change that occurs prior to power interruption of the power converter.

3. The power supply with performance display as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control module further includes a real time clock to count a total operation time of the power converter.

4. The power supply with performance display as claimed in claim 3, wherein the power converter includes a temperature sensing circuit with an output connected to the A/D converter, and temperature signals outputted from the temperature sensing circuit are processed by the A/D converter and then sent to the microprocessor.

5. The power supply with performance display as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

the power converter further includes a cooling fan that outputs a speed signal representing a rotation speed of the cooling fan; and

the control module further includes a time/number counter and a digital to analog (D/A) converter both connected to the microprocessor, wherein the speed signal is received by the time/number counter and further transmitted to the microprocessor so that the microprocessor is able to output a control signal in response to the speed signal to adjust the rotation speed of the cooling fan through the D/A converter.

6. The power supply with performance display as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control module further includes a memory.

7. The power supply with performance display as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control module further includes a transmission interface for data communicating with a computer through a communication protocol.

8. The power supply with performance display as claimed in claim 7, wherein the microprocessor is linked with a monitoring application program built in an operation system of the computer, and provides an operating window shown on a desktop display connected to the computer.

9. The power supply with performance display as claimed in claim 8, wherein the transmission interface is a serial bus.

10. The power supply with performance display as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control module further includes a control interface connected with the microprocessor to control the rotation speed of the cooling fan.

11. The power supply with performance display as claimed in claim 10, wherein the control interface has press keys.

12. The power supply with performance display as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control module further includes an alarm generator connected to the microprocessor.

13. The power supply with performance display as claimed in claim 12, wherein the alarm generator is a buzzer.

14. The power supply with performance display as claimed in claim 6, wherein the memory is an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).

15. The power supply with performance display as claimed in claim 6, wherein the memory is a flash RAM.

16. The power supply with performance display as claimed in claim 5, wherein the display is an LCD.

17. The power supply with performance display as claimed in claim 5, wherein the display is an LED-based display.