Power manager
First Claim
1. A power manager comprising:
- a power bus operating at a first DC bus voltage;
an electronic controller including a memory module;
a plurality device ports each configured to interface with an external DC power device;
a power converter channel disposed between each device port and the power bus wherein each power converter channel includes a unidirectional DC to DC power converter and one or more switches each operable by the electronic controller to connect the device port to or disconnect the device port from the power bus with appropriate power conversion settings;
a direct power channel disposed between each device port and the power bus wherein each direct power channel includes one or more switches operable by the electronic controller to directly connect the device port to or disconnect the device port from the power bus;
wherein at least one power converting channel includes a unidirectional DC to DC input power converter having an input side and an output side disposed along the power converting channel between the power bus and an input device port wherein the input power converter input side connects to the input device port and the input power converter output side connects to the power bus;
wherein at least one power converting includes a unidirectional DC to DC output power converter having an input side and an output side disposed along the power converting channel between the power bus and an output device port wherein the output power converter output side connects to the output device port and the output power converter input side connects to the power bus;
a bus sensor module in communication with the electronic controller configured to sense the first DC bus voltage; and
,energy management schema operating on the electronic controller operable to;
determine for each external DC power device interfaced with one of the plurality of device ports a device type and an operating voltage range thereof;
generate a list of external DC power devices to connect to the DC power bus as a power source;
generate a list of external DC power devices to connect to the DC power bus as a power load;
determine a power conversion setting, based on the first DC bus voltage, for each external DC power device that has a non-bus compatible operating voltage; and
,calculate a total power conversion loss associated with the power conversion settings.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved power manager includes a power bus (410) and multiple device ports (1-5), with at least one device port configured as a universal port (3 and 4) to be selectively connected to the power bus over an input power channel that includes an input power converter (510) or over a output or universal power channel (412, 416) that includes an output power converter (440, 442). The universal power channel (412) allows the input port (4) to be selected as an output power channel instead of an input power channel (i.e. operated as a universal port) for outputting power to device port (4) over power converter (440). The improved power manager (500) includes operating modes for altering an operating voltage of the power bus (505), to minimize overall power conversion losses due to DC to DC power conversions used to connect non-bus voltage compatible power devices to the power bus.
35 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A power manager comprising:
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a power bus operating at a first DC bus voltage; an electronic controller including a memory module; a plurality device ports each configured to interface with an external DC power device; a power converter channel disposed between each device port and the power bus wherein each power converter channel includes a unidirectional DC to DC power converter and one or more switches each operable by the electronic controller to connect the device port to or disconnect the device port from the power bus with appropriate power conversion settings; a direct power channel disposed between each device port and the power bus wherein each direct power channel includes one or more switches operable by the electronic controller to directly connect the device port to or disconnect the device port from the power bus; wherein at least one power converting channel includes a unidirectional DC to DC input power converter having an input side and an output side disposed along the power converting channel between the power bus and an input device port wherein the input power converter input side connects to the input device port and the input power converter output side connects to the power bus; wherein at least one power converting includes a unidirectional DC to DC output power converter having an input side and an output side disposed along the power converting channel between the power bus and an output device port wherein the output power converter output side connects to the output device port and the output power converter input side connects to the power bus; a bus sensor module in communication with the electronic controller configured to sense the first DC bus voltage; and
,energy management schema operating on the electronic controller operable to; determine for each external DC power device interfaced with one of the plurality of device ports a device type and an operating voltage range thereof; generate a list of external DC power devices to connect to the DC power bus as a power source; generate a list of external DC power devices to connect to the DC power bus as a power load; determine a power conversion setting, based on the first DC bus voltage, for each external DC power device that has a non-bus compatible operating voltage; and
,calculate a total power conversion loss associated with the power conversion settings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for operating a power manager that comprises, a plurality of device ports, an electronic controller in communication with each device port, a data storage module in communication with the electronic controller, a power bus that can be operated at a plurality of different discreet DC bus operating voltages, a power converting channel that includes a unidirectional DC to DC power converter and a first switch disposed between each device port and the power bus, a direct connect channel and a second switch disposed between each device port and the power bus, and at least two external DC power devices electrically interfaced with two different ones of the plurality of device ports comprising the steps of:
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receiving, by the electronic controller, data from each of the at least two external DC power devices, wherein the data at least includes a device type and an operating voltage range of the external DC power device; comparing, by the electronic controller, the operating voltage range of each external DC power device with a present DC bus operating voltage; calculating, by the electronic controller, for the present DC bus operating voltage, a first total power conversion loss associated with connecting each external DC power device that has a non-bus compatible voltage to the power bus over the power converter channel; selecting, by the electronic controller, one or more second DC bus operating voltages; calculating, by the electronic controller, one or more second total power conversion losses associated with connecting each external DC device that has a non-bus compatible voltage to the power bus; and selecting, by the electronic controller, a DC bus operating voltage associated with the lowest total power conversion loss. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A power manager comprising:
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an electronic controller and associated memory module; two input device ports each connectable to the power bus over an input power converter channel disposed between the power bus and each of the two input device ports; two output device ports each connectable to the power bus over an output power converter channel disposed between the power bus and each of the two output device ports; a unidirectional DC to DC input power converter disposed between the power bus and each of the two input device ports wherein the unidirectional DC to DC power converter includes an input side connected with each of the two input device ports and an output side connected with the power bus; a unidirectional DC to DC output power converter disposed between the power bus and each of the two output device ports wherein the unidirectional DC to DC includes an input side connected with the power bus and an output side connected to each of the two output device ports; a direct power channel associated with each of the two input device ports and the two output device ports wherein each direct power channel directly connects a corresponding device port to the power bus; a first switch controllable by the electronic controller, disposed along the direct power channel between the corresponding device port and the power bus; a second switch controllable the electronic controller disposed between each one of the two input device ports and the input power converter input side; a third switch controllable by the electronic controller disposed between each one of the two output ports and the output side of the output power converter; wherein the power bus is operable at a plurality of different DC bus operating voltages; and
,wherein the electronic controller operates to calculate a total power conversion loss associated with each of the plurality of different DC bus operating voltages and to select from the plurality of different DC bus voltages a present DC bus voltage that is suitable for minimizing the total power conversion loss. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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Specification