Power supply for simultaneously providing operating voltages to a plurality of devices

• US 20060256595A1
• Filed: 07/12/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comarco Wireless Technologies Incorporated (Comarco Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Comarco Wireless Technologies Incorporated (Comarco Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lanni, Thomas W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,649,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/2819 Planar transformers with printed windings, e.g. surrounded by two cores and to be mounted on printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/24 resilient; resiliently-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6675 with built-in power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/24 for radio transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00041 in response to measured battery parameters, e.g. voltage, current or temperature profile
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4258 using a single converter stage both for correction of AC input power factor and generation of a regulated and galvanically isolated DC output voltage H02M1/4241 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/28 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode to produce the intermediate ac
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33507 with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33523 with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3372 of the parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3378 in a push-pull configuration of the parallel type H02M3/3374 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3382 in a push-pull circuit arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3387 : in a push-pull configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 : Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 : Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0262 : Arrangements for regulating voltages or for using plural voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/029 : having a programmable lay-out, i.e. adapted for choosing between a few possibilities
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/16 : incorporating printed electric components, e.g. printed resistor, capacitor, inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 : incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/086 : for inductive purposes, e.g. printed inductor with ferrite core
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09063 : Holes or slots in insulating substrate not used for electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 : Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 : Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A power supply for providing a regulated DC output power is disclosed. An interface is coupled to the power supply and the interface provides a plurality of operational voltages to any one of a plurality of electronic devices. The plurality of operational voltages correspond to input power requirements of respective portable electronic devices. The interface may include a regulator which provides a second of the plurality of operational voltages at a different value than a first of the plurality of operational voltages.

Claims

1. A power supply system to provide an operational voltage to a plurality of electronic devices, comprising:

a power adapter, the power adapter including an input terminal to receive an input voltage, a conversion circuit in electrical communication with the input terminal to convert the input voltage into an output voltage; and

an output terminal to receive the output voltage;

a cable to receive the output voltage and to transfer the output voltage; and

an interface to receive the output voltage and to provide a first operational voltage to a first output port, the interface including a regulator, the regulator receiving the first operational voltage via a tap and changing the first operational voltage to a second operational voltage which is transferred to a second output port.

2. The power supply system of claim 1, wherein the first operational voltage has a larger magnitude than the second operational voltage.

3. The power supply system of claim 1, wherein the first operational voltage has a smaller magnitude than the second operational voltage.

4. The power supply system of claim 1, wherein the first operational voltage has substantially the same magnitude as the output voltage from the power adapter.

5. The power supply system of claim 1, wherein the interface is in a separate housing apart from the cable, and the housing includes a single input port, the first output port and the second output port.

6. A power supply system to provide an operational voltage to a plurality of electronic devices, comprising:

a power adapter including an input terminal to receive an input voltage, a conversion circuit in electrical communications with the input terminal to convert the input voltage into an output voltage and an output terminal to receive the output voltage; and

an interface, in a physical housing separate from the power adapter, the interface including a regulator, a first output port and a second output port, wherein the interface receives the output voltage from the power adapter via the cable, provides a first operational voltage to the first output port, and the regulator receives the first operational voltage and provides a second operational voltage to the second output port.

7. The power supply system of claim 6, wherein the regulator steps up the first operational voltage to produce the second operational voltage.

8. The power supply system of claim 6, wherein the regulator steps down the first operational voltage to produce the second operational voltage.

9. The power supply system of claim 6, further including a first device cable and a first electronic device, the first device cable connected to the first output port and providing the first operational voltage corresponding to an input voltage requirement of the first electronic device.

10. The power supply system of claim 9, further including a second device cable and a second electronic device, the second device cable connected to the second output port and providing the second operational voltage corresponding to an input voltage requirement of the second electronic device.

11. A power supply system to provide an operational voltage to a plurality of electronic devices, comprising:

an input terminal to receive an input voltage;

a conversion circuit in electrical communication with the input terminal to convert the input voltage into an output voltage;

an interface in electrical communication with the power conversion circuit for receiving the output voltage from the power conversion circuit; and

a regulator in electrical communication with the interface, wherein the interface provides a first operational voltage corresponding to a first input voltage requirement of a first electronic device, and the regulator receives the first operational voltage and provides a second operational voltage corresponding to an input voltage requirement of a second electronic device.

12. The power supply system of claim 11, wherein the regulator is located internal to the interface.

13. The power supply system of claim 12, wherein the regulator steps up the first operational voltage to produce the second operational voltage.

14. The power supply system of claim 12, wherein the regulator steps down the first operational voltage to produce the second operational voltage.

15. The power supply system of claim 11, wherein the regulator is located within a cable connected to the interface.

16. A power supply system to provide an operational voltage to a plurality of electronic devices, comprising:

a power adapter, the power adapter including an input terminal to receive an input voltage, a conversion circuit in electrical communication with the input terminal to convert the input voltage into an output voltage; and

an output terminal to receive the output voltage;

a cable to receive the output voltage and to transfer the output voltage; and

an interface to receive the output voltage and to provide a first operational voltage to a first output port and to provide a second operational voltage to a second output port, wherein the first operational voltage and the second operational voltage have different values.

17. The power supply system of claim 16, wherein the interface is in a separate housing apart from the cable, and the housing includes a single input port, the first output port and the second output port.

18. The power supply system of claim 16, wherein the first operational voltage has a substantially same magnitude as the output voltage.

19. An interface to provide a plurality of operational voltages, comprising:

an input port to receive an input voltage from a power adapter via a cable;

a first output port to provide a first operational voltage based on the input voltage; and

a second output port to provide a second operational voltage based on the input voltage, wherein the first operational voltage has a different value than the second operational voltage.

20. The interface of claim 19, wherein the first operational voltage has a larger magnitude than the second operational voltage.

21. The interface of claim 19, wherein the first operational voltage has a smaller magnitude than the second operational voltage.

22. An interface adapted to provide a plurality of operational voltages, comprising:

an input port to receive an input voltage from a power adapter via a cable;

a first output port to provide a first operational voltage;

a regulator to receive the input voltage and to generate a second operational voltage; and

a second output port to receive the second operational voltage and to provide the second operational voltage.

23. The interface of claim 22, wherein the first operational voltage has substantially a same magnitude as the input voltage.

24. The interface of claim 22, wherein the first operational voltage has a larger magnitude than the second operational voltage.

25. The interface of claim 22, wherein the first operational voltage has a smaller magnitude than the second operational voltage.

26. A method of providing power to a plurality of electronic devices, comprising:

receiving an input voltage from a power source;

converting the input voltage by a conversion circuit into an output voltage;

providing a first operational voltage derived from the output voltage to a first electronic device corresponding to a first input voltage requirement of the first electronic device; and

simultaneously providing a second operational voltage derived from the output voltage to a second electronic device corresponding to a second input voltage requirement of the second electronic device, wherein the second operational voltage is derived from the output voltage by inputting the output voltage to a regulator, the regulator generating the second operational voltage.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first operational voltage is lower than the second operational voltage.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the first operational voltage is higher than the second operational voltage.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the regulator is in an interface, and the regulator and interface are in separate physical devices.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the regulator is within an interface and the first electronic device is connected to the interface via a cable.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the regulator is within an interface and the first electronic device is connected to the interface via a cable and a tip.

32. The method of claim 26 wherein the second electronic device receives the second operational voltage, the regulator is in an interface, and the second electronic device is connected to the interface via a cable.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the second electronic device receives the second operational voltage, the regulator is in an interface, and the second electronic device is connected to the interface via a cable and a tip.