UNINTERRUPTABLE POWER SUPPLY

• US 20080164761A1
• Filed: 01/08/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rugged Portable Computers, LLC
• Original Assignee: Maxvision Corporation
• Inventors: Imsand, Bruce, Bahl, Erik S., O'Bryant, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 7,679,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads

Abstract

The present invention is an apparatus for providing an uninterruptible power supply for an electronic device. The apparatus includes an AC-to-DC power supply that receives an external AC voltage supply and outputs a DC voltage to the electronic device. The power supply includes a bridge rectifier that rectifies the AC voltage from the external AC voltage supply, a boost power factor correction (PFC) converter that boosts the rectified voltage, and a line isolated DC-to-DC converter that changes the boosted voltage to the operating voltage range of the electronic device. The apparatus also includes an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) subsystem that contains, a controller that monitors the external AC voltage supply for interruptions, and a high voltage isolated DC-to-DC (HVDC) converter that supplies high voltage DC power directly to the PFC converter if the controller detects an interruption in the external AC voltage supply.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing an uninterruptible power supply for an electronic device, comprising:

(a.) an AC-to-DC power supply that receives an external AC voltage supply and outputs a DC voltage to the electronic device comprising,

a bridge rectifier that receives AC voltage from the external AC voltage supply and rectifies the voltage,

a boost power factor correction (PFC) converter that boosts the rectified voltage from the bridge rectifier, and

a line isolated DC-to-DC converter that changes the boosted voltage to the operating voltage range of the electronic device; and

(b.) an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) subsystem comprising,

a controller that monitors the external AC voltage supply for interruptions, and

a high voltage isolated DC-to-DC (HVDC) converter that supplies high voltage DC power directly to the PFC converter if the controller detects an interruption in the external AC voltage supply.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, where the UPS subsystem further comprises:

a battery that supplies the HVDC converter; and

a battery charger that charge the battery with power from the PFC converter when the HVDC converter is not in use.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, where the battery charger is controlled by the controller.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, where battery directly supplies the boost PFC converter with high voltage DC power.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, where the controller is powered by a universal serial bus (USB).

6. The apparatus of claim 5, where the universal serial bus provides 5 volts of power.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, where the controller implements an orderly shutdown of the electronic device through the USB in order to preserve data integrity.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, where the controller logs historical performance data of the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, where the UPS subsystem is located in series between the external AC voltage supply and the AC-to-DC power supply, where the UPS subsystem provides input to the bridge rectifier.

10. An apparatus that provides an isolated DC-to-DC power supply for an electronic device, comprising:

(a.) a DC input source; and

(b.) a plurality of isolated DC-to-DC voltage converters that receive the input from the DC input source and generate an isolated DC output, where the plurality of isolated DC-to-DC voltage converters are arranged in series to produce the isolated DC output.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, where the isolated DC output is evenly balanced across the isolated DC-to-DC voltage converters.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, where the isolated DC-to-DC voltage converters utilizes half-bridge power conversion topology.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, where the isolated DC-to-DC voltage converters operate in an open-loop which enables a common control circuit to drive all of the isolated DC-to-DC voltage converters.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, where the isolated DC-to-DC voltage converters use a single transformer with multiple output windings and a single input winding.

15. An apparatus for providing an uninterruptible power supply for an electronic device, comprising:

(a.) a DC-to-DC power supply that receives an external DC voltage supply and outputs a DC voltage to the electronic device comprising,

a bridge rectifier that receives DC voltage from the external DC voltage supply and rectifies the voltage,

a boost power factor correction (PFC) converter that boosts the rectified voltage from the bridge rectifier, and

a line isolated DC-to-DC converter that changes the boosted voltage to the operating voltage range of the electronic device; and

(b.) an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) subsystem comprising,

a controller that monitors the external AC voltage supply for interruptions, and

a high voltage isolated DC-to-DC (HVDC) converter that supplies high voltage DC power directly to the PFC converter if the controller detects an interruption in the external AC voltage supply.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, where the UPS subsystem further comprises:

a battery that supplies the HVDC converter; and

a battery charger that changes the battery with power from the PFC converter when the HVDC converter is not in use.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, where the external DC voltage supply comprises a vehicular power supply.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, where the external DC voltage supply is 28 volts.

19. An apparatus for providing an uninterruptible power supply for an electronic device, comprising:

(a.) an AC-to-DC power supply that receives an external AC voltage supply in combination with an external DC voltage supply as a backup voltage supply, where the power supply outputs a DC voltage to the electronic device comprising,

a bridge rectifier that receives DC voltage from the external DC voltage supply and rectifies the voltage,

a boost power factor correction (PFC) converter that boosts the rectified voltage from the bridge rectifier, and

a line isolated DC-to-DC converter that changes the boosted voltage to the operating voltage range of the electronic device; and

(b.) an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) subsystem comprising,

a controller that monitors the external AC voltage supply for interruptions, and

a high voltage isolated DC-to-DC (HVDC) converter that supplies high voltage DC power directly to the PFC converter if the controller detects an interruption in the external AC voltage supply.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, where the UPS subsystem further comprise:

a battery that supplies the HVDC converter; and

a battery charger that changes the battery with power from the PFC converter when the HVDC converter is not in use.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, where the external DC voltage supply comprises a vehicular power supply.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, where the external DC voltage supply is 28 volts.

23. An apparatus for providing an uninterruptible power supply for an electronic device, comprising:

(a.) an AC-to-DC power supply that receives an external AC voltage supply in combination with an external DC voltage supply and an external battery as a backup voltage supply, where the power supply outputs a DC voltage to the electronic device comprising,

a bridge rectifier that receives DC voltage from the external DC voltage supply and rectifies the voltage,

a boost power factor correction (PFC) converter that boosts the rectified voltage from the bridge rectifier, and

a line isolated DC-to-DC converter that changes the boosted voltage to the operating voltage range of the electronic device; and

(b.) an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) subsystem comprising,

a controller that monitors the external AC voltage supply for interruptions, and

a high voltage isolated DC-to-DC (HVDC) converter that supplies high voltage DC power directly to the PFC converter if the controller detects an interruption in the external AC voltage supply.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, where the UPS subsystem further comprises:

a battery that supplies the HVDC converter; and

a battery charger that charges the battery with power from the PFC converter when the HVDC converter is not in use.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, where the external DC voltage supply comprises a vehicular power supply.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, where the external DC voltage supply is 28 volts.