Power fault protection in a computer system having multiple power supplies
First Claim
1. A computer system comprising:
- a processing unit;
a memory bus coupled to the processing unit, the memory bus conveys instructions and data to and from the processing unit;
a memory subsystem coupled to the memory bus, the memory subsystem contains the instructions and data; and
a power system which proyides operating power to the computer system, the power system including;
a plurality of available power supplies which supply an operating voltage to the computer system, the plurality of available power supplies includesan AC adapter selectively chosen by the power system for providing the operating voltage to the computer system,a first battery selectively chosen by the power system for providing the operating voltage to the computer system, anda second battery selectively chosen by the power system for providing the operating voltage to the computer system,wherein during normal operation of the computer system only one of the plurality of power supplies is selectively chosen by the power system for providing the operating voltage to the computer system,power fault detection circuitry to detect a power system fault condition, andpower supply bridging circuitry, responsive to the power fault detection circuitry, to operatively couple the plurality of available power supplies together to supply power to the computer system when said power system fault condition exists.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A power system fault handling mechanism for portable electronic devices having multiple power supplies. A safety-net circuit is triggered when a power fault condition is detected. The safety-net circuit is a diode-based bridging circuit which couples all available power supplies to the power load, yet avoids feeding power back from any of the supplies to one another. This ensures that the load continues to receive power after a fault condition occurs without interruption. A microcontroller may then implement a routine to switch to a working power supply so that the device may resume normal operation. The power system fault detection mechanism therefor allows for the switching between system power supplies without disrupting a running process.
32 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A computer system comprising:
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a processing unit; a memory bus coupled to the processing unit, the memory bus conveys instructions and data to and from the processing unit; a memory subsystem coupled to the memory bus, the memory subsystem contains the instructions and data; and a power system which proyides operating power to the computer system, the power system including; a plurality of available power supplies which supply an operating voltage to the computer system, the plurality of available power supplies includes an AC adapter selectively chosen by the power system for providing the operating voltage to the computer system, a first battery selectively chosen by the power system for providing the operating voltage to the computer system, and a second battery selectively chosen by the power system for providing the operating voltage to the computer system, wherein during normal operation of the computer system only one of the plurality of power supplies is selectively chosen by the power system for providing the operating voltage to the computer system, power fault detection circuitry to detect a power system fault condition, and power supply bridging circuitry, responsive to the power fault detection circuitry, to operatively couple the plurality of available power supplies together to supply power to the computer system when said power system fault condition exists. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification