Control for electrically isolating power supply from external source with momentary switch and latching relay controlled by signal generated from power supply voltage

• US 8,874,946 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2009
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Abraham, Benjamin, Campesi, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, KENNETH S
• Application Number:
  US13/259,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20120017103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,016 Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power

Abstract

A system includes a power supply and a power switch to connect an external power source that is external to the system to the power supply. The power switch has an on position and an off position. The power switch if actuated to the off position causes the system to be electrically isolated from the external power source. A control circuit is responsive to actuation of the power switch to provide a signal to cause software control of a power state of the system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

electrical components;

a power supply to provide power to the electrical components;

a momentary power switch to connect an external power source that is external to the system to the power supply, wherein the power switch has an on position, an off position, and a neutral position, and wherein the power switch if actuated to the off position causes the system to be electrically isolated from the external power source, wherein the power switch is to return to the neutral position after actuation to the on position;

a latching relay to maintain electrical connection between the external power source and the power supply in response to actuation of the power switch to the on position, wherein the latching relay is to maintain electrical connection between the external power source and the power supply even though the power switch has returned to the neutral position; and

a control circuit responsive to actuation of the power switch to the on position to provide a signal generated from a voltage provided by the power supply, the signal to cause machine-readable instructions to awaken the system from a system off state, and wherein the control circuit is to further provide the signal to the latching relay to actuate the latching relay to maintain the electrical connection.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the power switch if actuated to the off position causes electrical isolation of the system from the external power source such that the system does not draw power from the external power source.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the electrical isolation of the system from the external power source prevents the electrical components from drawing power from the external power source, and wherein the power switch if actuated to the on position causes power from the external power source to be connected to the electrical components.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the power switch when actuated to the on position is to cause the voltage provided by the power supply to be connected to a first input of the latching relay to cause closing of the latching relay.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein in response to actuation of the power switch to the off position, the latching relay is caused to be opened to electrically isolate the external power source from the power supply.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising power control machine-readable instructions, wherein the power control machine-readable instructions are executable to perform graceful shutdown of the system in response to actuation of the power switch to the off position, and to activate a signal to open the latching relay in response to actuation of the power switch to the off position.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising a time constant circuit that defines a time constant, wherein the latching relay is to open to cause a hard shutdown of the system in response to actuation of the power switch to the off position for longer than the time constant.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising the machine-readable instructions, wherein the machine-readable instructions are responsive to the signal to transition the system from a first power state to a second, different power state.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first power state is the system off state, and the second power state is a system on state.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the power switch comprises:

a first pin to be connected to the external power source, and a second pin connected to the voltage provided by the power supply; and

contacts connected to the first and second pins and actuated to connect the external power source to an input of the power supply, and the voltage provided by the power supply to the signal, in response to the power switch being actuated to the on position, and

the contacts actuated to connect the voltage provided by the power supply to a signal for transitioning the system to the system off state, in response to the power switch being actuated to the off position.

11. A method of power control in a system, comprising:

detecting, by a control circuit, actuation of a momentary power switch to an off position, the power switch having the off position, a neutral position, and an on position, and the power switch is to return to the neutral position after actuation to the on position or the off position;

performing graceful shutdown of the system in response to actuation of the power switch to the off position;

electrically isolating the system from an external power source after performing the graceful shutdown of the system;

detecting actuation of the power switch to an on position;

in response to detecting actuation of the power switch to the on position,

connecting the external power source to a power supply in the system, wherein the power supply provides an output voltage in response to being connected to the external power source;

generating, by a control circuit, an activation signal from the output voltage of the power supply, the activation signal to cause machine-readable instructions to transition the system to a system on state; and

providing the activation signal to a latching relay to close the latching relay to maintain electrical connection between the external power source and the power supply, wherein the latching relay is to maintain electrical connection between the external power source and the power supply even though the power switch has returned to the neutral position from the on position.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein electrically isolating the system from the external power source comprises opening a switch in the latching relay to isolate components in the system from the external power source.

13. A power control apparatus for use in a system, comprising:

a momentary power switch having an on position, an off position, and a neutral position, wherein the power switch is to return to the neutral position after actuation to the on position or the off position;

a latching relay, wherein the latching relay is to be closed in response to actuation of the power switch to the on position to maintain electrical connection between an external power source and a power supply of the system, and the latching relay to maintain electrical connection between the external power source and the power supply even though the power switch has returned to the neutral position, wherein the latching relay is to be opened in response to actuation of the power switch to the off position to electrically isolate the external power source from the power supply; and

a control circuit to;

cause electrical connection between the external power source and the system in response to actuation of the power switch to the on position,

cause electrical isolation between the external power source and the system in response to actuation of the power switch to the off position,

assert a signal in response to actuation of the power switch to the on position, the signal generated from a voltage provided by the power supply and to cause machine-readable instructions to transition the system from a system off state to a system on state, wherein the control circuit is to further provide the signal to the latching relay to actuate the latching relay to maintain the electrical connection between the external power source and the power supply.

14. The power control apparatus of claim 13, wherein the signal is a first signal, and the control circuit is to activate a second signal to cause the system to transition to the system off state.

15. The power control apparatus of claim 13, wherein the power switch comprises:

a first pin to be connected to the external power source, and a second pin to be connected to the voltage provided by the power supply; and

contacts connected to the first and second pins and actuated to connect the external power source to an input of the power supply, and the voltage provided by the power supply to the signal, in response to the power switch being actuated to the on position, and

contacts actuated to connect the voltage provided by the power supply to a signal for transitioning the system to the system off state, in response to the power switch being actuated to the off position.