Data and digital control communication over power

• US 9,568,967 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Mohr, David P., Humphrey, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Fahmida
• Application Number:
  US14/005,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20140006812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,135 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements

Abstract

A power supply system and method are disclosed. The power supply system is to generate a power signal for providing power to a device. The power supply system includes a transmitter to modulate a data signal onto the power signal that is demodulated at the device. The transmitter is further to transmit a separate binary control signal on the power signal to change a state of a digital control parameter associated with the device.

Claims

1. A power supply system to generate a power signal for providing power to a device, the power supply system comprising:

a transmitter to;

modulate a data signal onto the power signal as a stream of bits, the data signal to be demodulated at the device, and

modulate a single-state binary control signal onto the power signal to change a state of a digital control parameter associated with the device,

wherein the transmitter is to modulate the data signal and the single-state binary control signal to occupy different modulation states of a plurality of modulation states provided on the power signal, the plurality of modulation states being a plurality of phase angles of a phase-shift keying modulation of the power signal,

the transmitter is to modulate the single-state binary control signal on a phase angle of the plurality of phase angles different from a phase angle of the plurality of phase angles on which the transmitter modulates the data signal,

the device includes a phase-locked loop to generate a sinusoidal wave to demodulate the data signal and the binary control signal, and

the single-state binary control signal and each bit of the stream of bits of the data signal are encoded according to a same unit of time, the unit of time being a fixed multiple of a quarter-period of the sinusoidal wave.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of modulation states are provided on a carrier signal of the power signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data signal is configured as having a plurality of bits at multiple phase angles of the plurality of phase angles.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the single-state binary control signal is among a plurality of single-state binary control signals, the device being further to control a respective plurality of digital control parameters in response to the plurality of single-state binary control signals.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is to interrupt modulating the data signal onto the power signal to provide the single-state binary control signal to the device.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power distribution unit to provide the power signal to each of a plurality of devices, each of the plurality of devices comprising a respective receiver that is to demodulate the data signal and the single-state binary control signal.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the transmitter is to resume modulating the interrupted data signal on to the power signal after providing the single-state binary control signal.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the device includes a receiver to demodulate the data signal and the single-state binary control signal,

each of the transmitter and the receiver are configured as transceivers, such that the data signal and the single-state binary control signal are bidirectional signals between the power supply system and the device.

9. A method comprising:

providing to a device a power signal to power the device, the power signal having a plurality of modulation states, the plurality of modulation states being a plurality of phase angles of a phase-shift keying modulation of the power signal;

modulating a data signal onto the power signal as a stream of data bits using a first modulation state of the plurality of modulation states provided on the power signal;

interrupting the stream of data bits of the data signal to modulate a single-state binary control signal onto the power signal using a second modulation state of the plurality of modulation states, the first modulation state and the second modulation state being associated with different phase angles of the plurality of phase angles;

demodulating the data signal and the single-state binary control signal using a sinusoidal wave generated by a phase-locked loop at the device; and

changing a state of a digital control parameter at the device in response to the single-state binary control signal, wherein

the single-state binary control signal and each bit of the stream of data bits of the data signal are encoded within a same unit of time, the unit of time being a fixed multiple of a quarter-period of the sinusoidal wave.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of modulation states are provided on a carrier signal of the power signal,

the first modulation state is among multiple modulation states of the plurality of modulation states occupied by the data signal,

modulating the data signal onto the power signal comprises varying the carrier signal at the multiple modulation states occupied by the data signal according to the stream of data bits,

and wherein interrupting the stream of data bits to modulate the single-state binary control signal comprises varying the carrier signal at the second modulation state and not varying the carrier signal at the multiple modulation states occupied by the data signal.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein

modulating the data signal onto the power signal comprises phase-shifting a carrier signal of the power signal at a plurality of phase angles associated with the data signal, and

interrupting the stream of data bits to modulate the single-state binary control signal comprises phase-shifting the carrier signal at a phase angle that is separate from the plurality of phase angles associated with the data signal.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein interrupting the stream of data bits to modulate the single-state binary control signal comprises modulating the single-state binary control signal as one of a plurality of single-state binary control signals, the device being further to control a respective one of a plurality of digital control parameters in response to the one of the plurality of single-state binary control signals.

13. A power distribution system comprising:

a power distribution unit to generate a power signal for providing power, the power distribution unit comprising a transmitter to modulate a data signal and a binary control signal onto the power signal; and

a plurality of devices to receive the power signal, each of the plurality of devices comprising a receiver that is to demodulate the data signal and the binary control signal, each of the plurality of devices being further to change a state of a digital control parameter in response to the binary control signal,

wherein a plurality of modulation states are provided on the power signal, the plurality of modulation states being a plurality of phase angles of a phase-shift keying modulation of the power signal,

the transmitter modulates the binary control signal on a phase angle of the plurality of phase angles different from a phase angle of the plurality of phase angles on which the transmitter modulates the data signal,

the receiver includes a phase-locked loop to generate a sinusoidal wave to demodulate the data signal and the binary control signal,

the data signal includes a stream of data bits,

the binary control signal is a single-state signal, and

each bit of the stream of data bits of the data signal and the single-state binary control signal are encoded within a same unit of time, the unit of time being a fixed multiple of a quarter-period of the sinusoidal wave.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the transmitter and each receiver associated with the plurality of devices are configured as transceivers, such that the data signal and the binary control signal are configured as bidirectional signals between the power distribution unit and the plurality of devices.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein

the data signal communicates information about a status of the power distribution unit to the plurality of devices, and

the binary control signal is a command to control the plurality of devices without information about the power distribution unit.