Dynamic power system adjustment to store energy for power excursions

• US 9,207,739 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2012
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Richards, George G. III, Muccini, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Abbaszadeh, Jaweed A
• Assistant Examiner(s): PANDEY, KESHAB R
• Application Number:
  US13/633,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20140095917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/310, 713/320, 713/321, 713/322, 713/323, 713/324, 713/330, 713/340, 713/375, 700/295, 361/87
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality

Abstract

A power system is coupled to a powered system and a system capacitance. The power system includes a power system output sensor, a power conversion device, and a power system output controller. The power system output controller includes a powered system threshold that is related to a power excursion capability of the powered system. The power system output controller is operable, in response to receiving a power system output signal from the power system output sensor that exceeds the powered system threshold, to control the power conversion device to increase the power system output from the power conversion device in order to increase the energy stored in the system capacitance for use by the powered system during a power excursion. The powered system may include processors that draw power from the system capacitance during power excursions so as to not exceed the limits of the power system.

Claims

1. A power system, comprising:

a power system connector that is configured to couple to a powered system and a system capacitance that is coupled between the power system connector and the powered system;

a power system output sensor coupled to the power system connector;

a power conversion device coupled to the power system connector and configured to provide a power system output to the system capacitance and the powered system; and

a power system output controller coupled to the power conversion device and the power system output sensor, wherein the power system output controller includes a powered system threshold that is related to a power excursion capability of the powered system, and wherein the power system output controller is configured to control the power conversion device to provide a first power system output level to the system capacitance and the powered system and, in response to subsequently receiving a power system output signal from the power system output sensor that exceeds the powered system threshold, to control the power conversion device to increase the first power system output level from the power conversion device to a second power system output level in order to increase the energy stored in the system capacitance for use by the powered system during a power excursion.

2. The power system of claim 1, wherein the power system connector is configured to couple to a system power management engine, and wherein the system power management engine is configured to provide the powered system threshold that is related to the power excursion capability of the powered system to the power system output controller.

3. The power system of claim 1, wherein the power system output controller includes a first powered system threshold and a second powered system threshold that is lower than the first powered system threshold, and wherein the power system output controller is configured to control the power conversion device to increase the first power system output level to the second power system output level in response to the power system output signal exceeding the first powered system threshold, and wherein the power system output controller is configured to control the power conversion device to decrease the second power system output level to the first system output level if in response to the power system output signal decreasing below the second powered system threshold.

4. The power system of claim 1, wherein the power system output sensor includes a power system output current sensor and the power system output signal is indicative of the current drawn by the powered system.

5. The power system of claim 4, wherein the power system output is a power system output voltage.

6. The power system of claim 1, wherein the powered system threshold is related to a configuration of powered components in the powered system.

7. The power system of claim 1, wherein the system capacitance includes a power system capacitance of the power system, a powered component capacitance of powered components in the powered system, a powered component voltage regulator capacitance of powered component voltage regulators in the powered system, and a board capacitance of the powered system.

8. An information handling system (IHS), comprising:

a circuit board;

a processor that is mounted to the circuit board;

a system capacitance coupled to the processor and that is provided, at least in part, by the circuit board; and

a power system coupled to the processor and the system capacitance, wherein the system capacitance is coupled between the power system and the processor, and wherein the power system includes;

a power system output sensor coupled to the processor;

a power conversion device that is configured to provide a power system output to the system capacitance and the processor; and

a power system output controller coupled to the power conversion device and the power system output sensor, wherein the power system output controller includes a IHS power threshold that is related to a power excursion capability of the processor, and wherein the power system output controller is configured to control the power conversion device to provide a first power system output level to the system capacitance and processor and, in response to subsequently receiving a power system output signal from the power system output sensor that exceeds the IHS power threshold, to control the power conversion device to increase the first power system output level from the power conversion device to a second power system output level in order to increase the energy stored in the system capacitance for use by the processor during a power excursion.

9. The IHS of claim 8, further comprising:

an IHS power management engine that is configured to provide the IHS power threshold that is related to the power excursion capability of the processor to the power system output controller.

10. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the power system output controller includes a first IHS power threshold and a second IHS power threshold that is lower than the first IHS power threshold, and wherein the power system output controller is configured to control the power conversion device to increase the first power system output level the a second power system output level in response to the power system output signal exceeding the first IHS power threshold, and wherein the power system output controller is configured to control the power conversion device to decrease the second power system output level to the first power system output level in response to the power system output signal decreasing below the second IHS power threshold.

11. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the power system output sensor includes a power system output current sensor and the power system output signal is indicative of the current drawn by the IHS.

12. The IHS of claim 11, wherein the power system output is a power system output voltage.

13. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the IHS power threshold is related to a configuration of IHS components in the IHS.

14. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the system capacitance includes a power system capacitance of the power system, an IHS component capacitance of IHS components in the IHS, a voltage regulator capacitance of voltage regulators in the IHS, and aboard capacitance of a circuit board in the IHS.

15. A method for dynamically storing energy in an information handling system (IHS) for power excursions, comprising:

monitoring a power system output signal that is indicative of a power system output that is provided baa power supply unit(PSU)to an IHS ;

providing a first power system output level from the PSU to the IHS;

determining that the power system output signal exceeds an IHS power threshold that is related to a power excursion capability of the IHS; and

causing the PSU to increase the first power system output level to a second Power system output level in response to determining that the power system output signal exceeds the IHS power threshold, wherein the second power system output level increases the energy stored in a system capacitance that is housed in the IHS for use by at least one component in the HIS during a power excursion.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving the IHS power threshold that is related to the power excursion capability of the IHS from the IHS.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the power system output is increased from a first power system output level to a second power system output level in response to the power system output signal exceeding a first IHS power threshold and the method further comprises:

causing the PSU to decrease the second power system output level to the first power system output level in response to the power system output signal decreasing below a second IHS power threshold that is lower than the first IHS power threshold.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the power system output signal is indicative of the current drawn by the IHS.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the power system output is a power system output voltage.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the IHS power threshold is related to a configuration of IHS components in the IHS.