Power supply equipment to simultaneously power multiple electronic device

• US 8,354,760 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2009
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• 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): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ BORROTO, ALFONSO
• Application Number:
  US12/607,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20110095605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 307/24, 307 26- 28, 307 72- 76, 307/128, 363/131, 363/142, 363/146, 439338-340, 439/505, 439/660
• US Class Current: 307/24
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/02 for simultaneous co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 29/00 Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, programmable connectors
• 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: H02M 1/10 Arrangements incorporating converting means for enabling loads to be operated at will from different kinds of power supplies, e.g. from ac or dc

Abstract

Power supply equipment includes low power assemblies and high power assemblies, each of which is detachably mateable to either one of two power ports. To simultaneously power two low power devices, low power assemblies are respectively mated to each of the power ports. To simultaneously power one low power and one high power device, a low power assembly is mated to one of the power ports and a high power assembly is mated to the other power port. The low power assemblies transfer a low DC voltage, but not a high DC voltage, to low power devices. The high power assemblies transfer a high DC voltage, but not a low DC voltage, to high power devices. If a high power assembly is mated to each of the power ports, power flow is interrupted without putting the power supply in an overvoltage or overcurrent condition.

Claims

1. Power supply equipment comprising:

conversion circuitry for converting an input voltage to a high DC voltage and to first and second low DC voltages;

a first power port operative to receive the high DC voltage at a first pin of the first power port and the first low DC voltage at a second pin of the first power port for output to an assembly;

a second power port operative to receive the high DC voltage at a first pin of the second power port and the second low DC voltage at a second pin of the second power port for output to an assembly;

at least one low power assembly which is detachably mateable between a corresponding low power electronic device and either of the first and second power ports;

at least two high power assemblies, each of the high power assemblies being detachably mateable between corresponding high power electronic devices and either of the first and second power ports, each of the high power assemblies having a high power configuration which identifies the assembly as a high power assembly; and

circuitry, responsive to the high power configuration of the high power assemblies, for preventing the high power electronic devices from receiving the high DC voltage when a high power assembly is mated to each of the first and second power ports, without putting the conversion circuitry in an overvoltage or overcurrent condition.

2. The power supply equipment of claim 1, wherein the circuitry includes:

a switch which when closed couples the high DC voltage to at least one of the first and second power ports; and

a control circuit which reads the high power configuration and causes the switch to open in response to a high power assembly being mated to each of the first and second power ports.

3. The power supply equipment of claim 2, wherein the high power configuration is an electrical configuration.

4. The power supply equipment of claim 3, wherein the electrical configuration is a connection of a particular pin of the high power assemblies directly to ground.

5. The power supply equipment of claim 1, wherein when a high power assembly is mated between the first power port and a high power electronic device, the high DC voltage is applied to the high power electronic device, both in a first case that the second power port is mated with a low power assembly and in a second case that the second power port is not mated with an assembly.

6. The power supply equipment of claim 5, wherein when a high power assembly is mated between the first power port and a high power electronic device, the high DC voltage is applied to the high power electronic device, and when simultaneously a low power assembly is mated between the second power port and a low power electronic device, the second low DC voltage is applied to the low power electronic device.

7. The power supply equipment of claim 6, wherein when a first low power assembly is mated between the first power port and a first low power electronic device, the first low DC voltage is applied to the first low power electronic device, and when simultaneously a second low power assembly is mated between the second power port and a second low power electronic device, the second low DC voltage is applied to the second low power electronic device.

8. The power supply equipment of claim 1, wherein

each of the high power assemblies has a first pin which is electrically coupled to the first pin of a mated power port to receive the high DC voltage and includes circuitry to transfer the high DC voltage to an output pin of the high power assembly for application to a high power device, and

each of the low power assemblies has a first pin which is electrically coupled to the first pin of a mated power port, wherein the first pin of the low power assembly has no electrical connection to an output pin of the low power assembly.

9. The power supply equipment of claim 8, wherein

each of the low power assemblies has a second pin which is electrically coupled to the second pin of a mated power port to receive the first or second low DC voltage and includes circuitry to transfer the received low DC voltage to the output pin of the low power assembly for application to a low power device, and

each of the high power assemblies has a second pin which is electrically coupled to the second pin of a mated power port, wherein the second pin of the high power assembly has no electrical connection to the output pin of the high power assembly.

10. The power supply equipment of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second low DC voltages is generated by a respective regulator which receives as its input the high DC voltage.

11. The power supply equipment of claim 10, wherein the conversion circuitry is capable of generating the high DC voltage over a range of DC voltages and sets the high DC voltage at the low end of the range in response to respective low power assemblies being mated to each of the first and second power ports.

12. The power supply equipment of claim 1, wherein the conversion circuitry is capable of generating the high DC voltage over a range of DC voltages and, in a case that respective high power assemblies are mated to each of the first and second power ports, sets the high DC voltage to a predetermined DC voltage within the range.

13. The power supply equipment of claim 12, wherein in a case that a high power assembly is mated to only one of the first and second power ports, the conversion circuitry sets the high DC voltage at a programmed DC voltage within the range based on a voltage programming configuration of the high power assembly mated to the one power port.

14. The power supply equipment of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second low DC voltages is programmable within a range, and in a case that first and second low power assemblies are respectively mated to the first and second power ports, the conversion circuitry sets the first low DC voltage to a first programmed voltage within the range based on a voltage programming configuration of the first low power assembly and sets the second low DC voltage to a second programmed voltage within the range based on a voltage programming configuration of the second low power assembly.

15. Power supply equipment comprising:

an input terminal to receive a high DC voltage;

conversion circuitry for converting the high DC voltage to first and second low DC voltages;

a first power port operative to receive the high DC voltage at a first pin of the first power port and the first low DC voltage at a second pin of the first power port, the first power port being mateable one at a time to each of low power assemblies and high power assemblies;

a second power port operative to receive the high DC voltage at a first pin of the second power port and the second low DC voltage at a second pin of the second power port, the second power port being mateable one at a time to each of the low power assemblies and the high power assemblies; and

a switch which when closed couples the high DC voltage to at least one of the first and second power ports, and, in response to a high power configuration of the high power assemblies, opens when a high power assembly is mated to each of the first and second power ports.

16. Power supply equipment comprising:

an input terminal to receive a high DC voltage;

conversion circuitry for converting the high DC voltage to a low DC voltage;

a first power port operative to receive the high DC voltage at a first pin of the first power port and the low DC voltage at a second pin of the first power port, the first power port being mateable one at a time to each of low power assemblies and high power assemblies;

a second power port operative to receive the high DC voltage at a first pin of the second power port and the low DC voltage at a second pin of the second power port, the second power port being mateable one at a time to each of the low power assemblies and the high power assemblies; and

circuitry, responsive to a low power configuration of the low power assemblies and a high power configuration of the high power assemblies being mated to the first and second power ports, to apply the high DC voltage to the first pin of at least one of the first and second power ports and to apply the low DC voltage to the second pin of at least one of the first and second power ports when a high power assembly and a low power assembly are mated to the first and second power ports, and which prevents application of the high DC voltage to the first pin of both the first power port and the second power port when a high power assembly is mated to each of the first and second power ports.

17. The power supply equipment of claim 16, wherein the circuitry prevents application of the low DC voltage to the second pin of both the first power port and the second power port when a low power assembly is mated to each of the first and second power ports.

18. Power supply equipment comprising:

conversion circuitry for converting an input voltage to a high DC voltage and a low DC voltage;

a first power port operative to receive the high DC voltage at a first pin of the first power port and the low DC voltage at a second pin of the first power port, the first power port being mateable one at a time to each of low power assemblies and high power assemblies;

a second power port operative to receive the high DC voltage at a first pin of the second power port and the low DC voltage at a second pin of the second power port, the second power port being mateable one at a time to each of the low power assemblies and the high power assemblies; and

circuitry, responsive to a low power configuration of the low power assemblies and a high power configuration of the high power assemblies being mated to the first and second power ports, to apply the high DC voltage to the first pin of at least one of the first and second power ports and to apply the low DC voltage to the second pin of at least one of the first and second power ports when a high power assembly and a low power assembly are mated to the first and second power ports, and which prevents application of the high DC voltage to the first pin of both the first power port and the second power port when a high power assembly is mated to each of the first and second power ports.

19. The power supply equipment of claim 18, wherein the circuitry prevents application of the low DC voltage to the second pin of both the first power port and the second power port when a low power assembly is mated to each of the first and second power ports.