User-configurable power architecture with hot-pluggable power modules

• US 7,634,667 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2002
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Weaver, Jeffrey S., Babb, Samuel M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman; Fahmida
• Application Number:
  US10/193,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20040010649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,713 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/330, 713/340, 710/100, 710/302, 307/66
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/00 Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting

Abstract

A power management system for use in a power-consuming system is disclosed. The system comprises one or more power module bays each adapted to have a power module hot-pluggably installed therein, the power module comprising an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) power module and a power supply unit (PSU) power module each adapted to be installed in the one or more power module bays; and a power module interface that connects power signals generated by installed power modules with one or more power buses in the system.

Claims

1. A power management system for use in a power-consuming system comprising:

a plurality of power module bays each power module bay comprising a hot-plug connector comprising a plurality of pins and configured to connect to a power module;

wherein the hot-plug connector installed in at least one of the plurality of power module bays is capable of interchangeably connecting to either an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) power module or a power supply unit (PSU) power module installed in that power module bay;

a switch configured to connect at least one pin of a first hot-plug connector of a first power module bay of the plurality of power module bays with a pin of a second hot-plug connector of a second power module bay of the plurality of power module bays based in part on whether a PSU module or UPS module is connected to either the first or second hot-plug connector; and

a power module interface that provides an electrical connection between power modules installed in the power module bays and one or more power buses in the power-consuming system.

2. The power management system of claim 1, further comprising:

a power controller that determines a combination of the one or more installed power modules to provide power to the one or more power buses.

3. The power management system of claim 2, wherein the power module interface comprises:

one or more power lines electrically connecting a hot-plug connector in each of the power module bays to the power buses; and

one or more signal lines electrically connecting the hot-plug connector in each of the power module bays with the power controller.

4. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the power modules and power module bays are dimensioned such that each power module bay can have installed therein either the UPS power module or the PSU power module.

5. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the UPS power module and the PSU power module have compatible electrical interfaces, and wherein a same power module interface is provided in the power module bays for mating with the compatible electrical interfaces.

6. The power management system of claim 1, wherein all elements for enabling each power module to operate as a DC power source are located in each power module and not the power-consuming system.

7. The power management system of claim 2, wherein the power controller controls the installed power modules based on power requirements of the power-consuming system.

8. The power management system of claim 2, wherein the power controller controls the installed power modules based on operational status of the installed power modules.

9. The power management system of claim 2, wherein the power module interface comprises:

one or more power lines electrically connecting a hot-plug connector in each of the power module bays to the power buses, wherein the power lines are switched lines controlled by the power controller to selectively interconnect installed power modules with the one or more power buses; and

one or more signal lines electrically connecting the hot-plug connector in each of the power module bays with the power controller.

10. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the power modules and power module bays are dimensioned such that each power module bay can have installed therein a specific one of either the UPS power module and the PSU power module.

11. A system comprising:

a plurality of power module bays comprising a bay hot-plug connector capable of interchangeably connecting to either an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) power module or a power supply unit (PSU) power module installed in one of the power module bays

a hot-pluggable UPS power module removably insertable into one of the power module bays to mate with the hot-plug connector carried in the bay, the UPS power module comprising;

a converter circuit that converts DC power generated by a battery into DC power for the system;

a controller that controls the operations of the UPS power module based on whether a PSU power module installed in the plurality of power module bays is receiving AC power; and

a module hot-plug connector configured to provide an electrical interface with the bay hot-plug connector carried in the bay when the UPS power module is installed in one of the power module bays; and

a switch configured to connect at least one pin of a first hot-plug connector of a first power module bay of the plurality of bays with a pin of a second hot-plug connector of a second power module bay of the plurality of bays based at least on whether a PSU module or UPS module is connected to either the first or second hot-plug connector.

12. The system of claim 11,

wherein the PSU power module generates a signal indicating cessation of AC power to the PSU power module, and wherein the PSU power module continues to generate power after loss of AC power for a hold-up time;

and

wherein the UPS power module receives an indication of the cessation of AC power to installed PSU power modules, and generates DC power within the hold-up time.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the module hot-plug connector of the UPS power module has an electrical interface comprising:

a pin at which the UPS power module generates a DC power signal derived from power generated by a rechargeable energy source in the UPS power module; and

a pin at which the UPS power module receives a power enable command generated by the power-consuming system, wherein the UPS power module becomes operational in response to the power enable command.

14. The system of claim 11,

wherein the UPS power module further comprises a rechargeable battery;

and

wherein the converter circuit converts DC power generated by the rechargeable battery.

15. A method for controlling an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) power module installed in a plurality of power module bays of a system;

wherein there is a first hot-plug connector of a first power module bay of the plurality of bays and a second hot-plug connector of a second power module bay of the plurality of bays, the method comprising;

directing a switch to connect a pin of the first hot plug connector with a pin of the second hot-plug connector based at least on whether a power supply unit (PSU) power module or uninterruptible power supply (UPS) power module is connected to either the first or second hot-plug connector;

determining whether a power signal currently delivered to the system by the PSU power module is within specification;

determining whether AC power is being delivered to the PSU power module; and

causing the UPS power module to generate power when the monitored power signal is not within the specification and when AC power to the PSU power module supply is interrupted.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring a system-generated power enable command,

wherein the step of causing is performed only when the power enable command indicates that the UPS power module is permitted to generate power.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining capability of the UPS power module to generate power;

wherein the step of causing is performed only when the UPS power module is capable of generating power.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

checking periodically whether the UPS power module is installed in a power module bay of the plurality of power module bays; and

generating a power module identification signal identifying the UPS power module when the UPS power module is installed in the power module bay.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the UPS power module comprises a rechargeable battery, a DC-to-DC converter circuit coupled to the rechargeable battery, and UPS control logic coupled to the converter circuit and providing an external electrical interface, wherein the step of determining the capability of the UPS module comprises:

performing a self-test to detect faults in the DC-to-DC converter circuit and the UPS control logic; and

generating a fault condition status signal indicating the results of the self-test.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the UPS power module comprises a rechargeable battery, wherein the step of determining the capability of the UPS module comprises:

measuring the energy stored in the UPS power module; and

generating a signal indicating imminent failure of the UPS power module when the energy level stored in the UPS power module falls below a second threshold value greater than minimum threshold value.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of determining whether the power signal currently delivered to the system is within the specification comprises:

monitoring power bus voltage to determine whether it falls below a predetermined threshold.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of determining whether the power signal currently delivered to the system is within the specification comprises:

determining a rate at which power voltage signal on main power bus changes.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the PSU power module continues to generate power for a first time duration after cessation of AC power to the PSU power module, wherein the causing comprises:

causing the UPS power module to generate power within a second time duration after the cessation of AC power to the PSU power module, wherein the second time duration is shorter than the first time duration.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

recharging the UPS power module when the UPS power module is not generating power.

25. A method for controlling UPS and PSU power modules installed in a plurality of power module bays of a power-consuming system, comprising;

determining system power requirement;

determining whether one of the UPS power modules or one of the PSU power modules are installed in each of the power module bays;

causing the installed UPS power modules to monitor the installed PSU power modules and power buses to determine whether UPS power from the UPS power modules should be generated to meet the determined system power requirement;

causing the installed PSU power modules to generate power and load share with other installed power modules of the UPS and PSU power modules that are concurrently generating power; and

monitoring status signals generated by the other installed power modules to determine which of the other installed power modules are generating DC power.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein, when the system has requested to be powered down, the method further comprising:

disabling the installed UPS power modules; and

after disabling the installed UPS power modules, disabling the installed PSU power modules.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein disabling the installed PSU power modules comprises:

(a) removing AC power supply to each of the installed PSU power modules.