System and method for power distribution in a autonomous modular system

• US 9,919,814 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spire Global Subsidiary, Inc. (Spire Global, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Spire Global, Inc.
• Inventors: Cappaert, Jeroen, Wong, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Htun, Win
• Application Number:
  US14/632,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20160251092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 307 9
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/10 Artificial satellites; Systems of such satellites; Interplanetary vehicles space shuttles B64G1/14
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/36 using sensors, e.g. sun-sensors, horizon sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/425 Power storage
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/428 Power distribution and management
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/443 Photovoltaic cell arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/66 Arrangements or adaptations of apparatus or instruments, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells

Abstract

A power distribution system and a method thereof regulate power distribution in a small form factor satellite flight system. The power distribution system may include a power source and a plurality of power channels. The power channels may distribute power from the power source to a plurality of systems in the small form factor satellite flight system. A processor may monitor power availability of the power source. The processor may also collect housekeeping information of the plurality of systems in the small form factor satellite flight system. The processor may regulate the power channels based on the power availability and the housekeeping information.

Claims

1. A power distribution system implemented in a small form factor satellite flight system, comprising:

a power distribution board, coupled to a power source, the board including;

a processor;

a plurality of connectors connecting the board to a plurality of systems external to the power distribution board in the small form factor satellite flight system;

a plurality of switches disposed between the processor and the connectors; and

a user interface to receive a user-initiated command during flight of the small form factor satellite flight system, the user-initiated command instructing the processor to perform a task that modifies power distribution,

wherein the processor regulates the power distribution from the power source to the plurality of systems in the small form factor satellite flight system by;

monitoring a power availability of the power source;

collecting housekeeping information from the plurality of systems in the small form factor satellite flight system;

regulating the power distribution to the plurality of systems by controlling the switches based on the power availability and the housekeeping information;

identifying at least one of the plurality of the systems related to the task in response to the user-initiated command; and

controlling at least one switch related to the identified at least one system to modify the power distribution to the identified at least one system.

2. The power distribution system of claim 1, further comprising a backplane hosting at least one of the plurality of connectors.

3. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the processor regulates the power distribution to each of the plurality of systems by switching the switches on and off.

4. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of systems external to the power distribution board include at least one of an on-board computer, a communications system, an automatic identification system, a camera, an infrared camera, a UHF antenna system, a VHF antenna system, an attitude detection/control system, a GPS radio occultation receiver, and a burn system.

5. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the power source includes at least one of an electrical power source and a battery.

6. The power distribution system of claim 5, wherein the electrical power source is at least one of a power generator and a solar power system.

7. The power distribution system of claim 5, wherein the battery draws power from the electrical power source.

8. The power distribution system of claim 5, wherein the battery powers the plurality of systems in the small form factor satellite flight system external to the power distribution board.

9. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the housekeeping information includes at least one of a battery voltage measurement, a temperature measurement, a current measurement, and a system state.

10. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to reset power distribution.

11. The power distribution system of claim 1, further comprising a finite state machine that monitors the power availability of the power source.

12. The power distribution system of claim 1, further comprising a watchdog that monitors states of the plurality of the systems external to the power distribution board by pinging the systems.

13. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the power distribution board is connected to the plurality of systems via one or more of the following connections:

an inter-integrated circuit, a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter, and a controller area network bus.

14. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the processor controls antenna deployment during flight of the small form factor satellite flight system in response to the user-initiated command.

15. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the processor turns off an infrared camera system in response to the user-initiated command.

16. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the processor provides a configurable feature of the power distribution board to a user in response to the user-initiated command.

17. A method for regulating power distribution in a small form factor satellite flight system, comprising:

monitoring, by a processor of a power distribution board, a power availability of a power source;

collecting, by the processor, housekeeping information from a plurality of systems external to the power distribution board in the small form factor satellite flight system;

regulating, by the processor, the power distribution from the power source to the plurality of systems, based on the power availability and the housekeeping information, by controlling switches disposed on the power distribution board between the processor and a plurality of connectors, where the connectors connect the board to the plurality of systems;

receiving a user-initiated command from a user interface of the power distribution board during flight of the small form factor satellite flight system, the user-initiated command instructing the processor to perform a task that modifies the power distribution;

identifying, by processor, at least one of the plurality of systems related to the task in response to the user-initiated command; and

controlling at least one switch related to the identified at least one system to modify the power distribution to the identified at least one system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of systems include at least one of an on-board computer, a communications system, an automatic identification system, a camera, an infrared camera, a UHF antenna system, a VHF antenna system, an attitude detection/control system, a GPS radio occultation receiver, and a burn system.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the power source includes an electrical power source and a battery.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the battery draws power from the electrical power source.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the battery powers the plurality of systems in the small form factor satellite flight system.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the housekeeping information includes at least one of a battery voltage measurement, a temperature measurement, a current measurement, and a system state.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of pinging each of the plurality of the systems to obtain information thereof.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the processor controls antenna deployment during flight of the small form factor satellite flight system in response to the user-initiated command.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the processor turns off an infrared camera system in response to the user-initiated command.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the processor provides a configurable feature of the power distribution board to a user in response to the user-initiated command.