Energy conserving (stand-by mode) power saving design for battery chargers and power supplies with a control signal

• US 8,232,685 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Glithouby MGMT LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Perper, Harry Leonard, Beckers, James Randall
• Primary Examiner(s): Deberadinis, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US12/913,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20110037324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 307/140
• US Class Current: 307/140
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/108 using diodes blocking reverse current flow H02J1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

Abstract

A system is described that turns off a high power, power supply when a device no longer needs high power. A low power, power supply or a rechargeable battery provides power to determine when the device again needs high power. The low power supply consumes a minimum possible power when the device does not need high power and the power rechargeable battery is not charged. That is, the high power and low power, power supplies are turned on or off based on the real time power consumption need of the device and the charged state of the battery. The power need of the device is monitored by a current shunt monitoring circuit and a control signal monitoring circuit.

Claims

1. A power supply apparatus for a DC device, comprising:

an actuable AC to DC power supply for supplying power to the device and having a first power supply supplying the device and a second power supply; and

a control circuit, powered by the second power supply, for turning the first power supply on/off when the device is connected/disconnected from the apparatus and when the device does not need power.

2. A power supply apparatus for a DC device, comprising:

an actuable AC to DC power supply for supplying low and high power to the device; and

a control circuit for turning only the high power supply on/off when the device does not need power.

3. A power supply apparatus for a device that produces a control signal and receives power from a power source, comprising:

a first low power supply receiving power from the power source and supplying low power to the device;

a second high power supply receiving power from the power source and supplying high power to the device; and

a control circuit supplying the high power to the device and disconnecting the second high power supply from the power source responsive to the control signal.