Method and system for controlling and monitoring an array of point-of-load regulators

• US 7,882,372 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2007
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bel Power Solutions Inc.
• Original Assignee: Power-One Incorporated (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Chapuis, Alain, Guz, Mikhail
• Primary Examiner(s): Bae; Ji H
• Application Number:
  US11/696,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20070226526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 323/371
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/189 Power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3253 Power saving in bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/08 Three-wire systems; Systems having more than three wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/082 Plural DC voltage, e.g. DC supply voltage with at least two different DC voltage levels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/008 Plural converter units for generating at two or more independent and non-parallel outputs, e.g. systems with plural point of load switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge

Abstract

A power control system comprises a plurality of POL regulators, at least one serial data bus operatively connecting the plurality of POL regulators, and a system controller connected to the serial data bus and adapted to send and receive digital data to and from the plurality of POL regulators. The serial data bus further comprises a first data bus carrying programming and control information between the system controller and the plurality of POL regulators. The serial data bus may also include a second data bus carrying fault management information between the system controller and the plurality of POL regulators. The power control may also include a front-end regulator providing an intermediate voltage to the plurality of POL regulators on an intermediate voltage bus.

Claims

1. A method for managing power in a system, the method comprising:

configuring at least one operating characteristic of at least one POL regulator by coupling at least one control input pin of the at least one POL regulator to a static value;

the at least one POL regulator monitoring first status information transmitted by at least one other POL regulator;

the at least one POL regulator providing respective one or more regulated output voltages according to the at least one operating characteristic and the first status information; and

configuring a plurality of operating characteristics of the at least one POL regulator by performing one or more of;

coupling specified ones of a plurality of control input pins of the at least one POL regulator to respective constant values; and

leaving specified ones of the plurality of control input pins of the at least one POL regulator uncoupled.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring and said transmitting are performed via a bidirectional serial data bus.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the at least one POL regulator performing at least one power regulating function in response to the first status information.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

the at least one POL regulator performing at least one power regulating function based on the first status information and the at least one operating characteristic.