Integrated circuit and method for classification of electrical devices and short circuit protection
First Claim
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1. A method for classifying as to type electrical devices adapted to receive power from an output port of a respective power control circuit coupled to a battery, comprising:
- storing reference current responses of different types of electrical devices in a memory, wherein the reference current responses include reference in-rush currents as a function of time;
calculating a first steady state current from the reference current responses;
calculating a second steady state current from a measured real-time current response of a specific electrical device, wherein the measured real-time current response includes a real-time in-rush current;
comparing, by a processor, the measured real-time current response of the specific electrical device to the reference current responses;
classifying the specific electrical device as having a first classification type based on the current response comparison;
comparing the first steady state current to the second steady state current of the specific electrical device; and
classifying the specific electrical device as having a second classification type based on the steady state current comparison.
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Abstract
An integrated circuit device and method for classifying electrical devices is disclosed. A reference current response of a plurality of electrical devices is determined and stored in a memory. Real-time current response of a specific electrical device is measured and stored in the memory. A processor compared the measured real-time current response of the specific electrical device to the reference current responses of the plurality of electrical devices. A classification of the electrical device is then made based on the comparison.
57 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method for classifying as to type electrical devices adapted to receive power from an output port of a respective power control circuit coupled to a battery, comprising:
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storing reference current responses of different types of electrical devices in a memory, wherein the reference current responses include reference in-rush currents as a function of time; calculating a first steady state current from the reference current responses; calculating a second steady state current from a measured real-time current response of a specific electrical device, wherein the measured real-time current response includes a real-time in-rush current; comparing, by a processor, the measured real-time current response of the specific electrical device to the reference current responses; classifying the specific electrical device as having a first classification type based on the current response comparison; comparing the first steady state current to the second steady state current of the specific electrical device; and classifying the specific electrical device as having a second classification type based on the steady state current comparison. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An integrated circuit device for classifying as to type electrical devices adapted to receive power from an output port of a respective power control circuit coupled to a battery, comprising:
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a memory adapted to store a reference current response of different types of electrical devices, wherein the reference current response includes a reference in-rush current as a function of time; a processor electrically coupled to the memory, the processor adapted to calculate a first steady state current from the reference current response; a power control circuit adapted to be electrically coupled to an electrical device, the power control circuit adapted to control the power delivered to the electrical device responsive to a power control signal from the processor; a current sense circuit adapted to be electrically coupled to the electrical device, the current sense circuit adapted to measure the current flowing in the electrical device and provide a current sense signal representative of the measured real-time current response to the processor; and the processor further adapted to calculate a second steady state current from the measured real-time current response, classify the electrical device as to a first classification type by comparing the stored reference current response to the measured real-time current response, and classify the electrical device as to a second classification type by comparing the first steady state current to the second steady state current. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for identifying a short circuit state at an output port of a trailer tow connector having a plurality of output ports each configured to provide power to an electrical device installed in a trailer attached to a vehicle, the trailer tow connector having a processing circuit coupled to a memory, the method comprising:
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determining, by the processing circuit, a learned short circuit current value of the output port, the learned short circuit current value being based on a fractional value multiplied by the average of a plurality of measured steady state learn-phase load currents at the output port, the learn-phase load currents being continually determined while a load is connected; storing the learned short circuit current value in the memory; measuring the load current at the output port with a measurement circuit; comparing, by the processing circuit, the load current value to the learned short circuit current value; and identifying the short circuit condition based on the comparison. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for classifying as to type electrical devices adapted to receive power from an output port of a respective power control circuit coupled to a battery, comprising:
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storing reference current responses of different types of electrical devices in a memory, wherein the reference current responses include reference in-rush currents as a function of time; calculating, by a processor, a steady state current from a measured real-time current response of a specific electrical device, wherein the measured real-time current response includes a real-time in-rush current; determining if the measured in-rush current is substantially equal to the reference in-rush current; assigning a potential first classification type to the specific electrical device if the measured in-rush current is substantially equal to the reference in-rush current, the assigned potential first classification type indicating that the specific electrical device may potentially be a first type of electrical device subject to validation; determining if the steady state current is substantially equal to the reference steady state current; assigning a potential second classification type to the specific electrical device if the steady state current is substantially equal to the reference steady state current, the assigned potential second classification type indicating that the specific electrical device may potentially be a second type of electrical device subject to validation; comparing the potential first classification type to the potential second classification type; assigning a valid classification type to the specific electrical device if the potential first and second classification types are the same, the valid classification type identifying the specific electrical device-type; and reporting the valid classification type. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method for classifying as to type electrical devices adapted to receive power from an output port of a respective power control circuit coupled to a battery, comprising:
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determining a maximum threshold current for the output port to which the electrical device is connected, the maximum threshold current being a short circuit current limit at the output port and being based on the characteristic of the output port; measuring a steady state current flowing in the electrical device for pre-selected times; calculating, by a processor, a learned short circuit threshold current value from the steady state current values, the learned short circuit current value being less than the maximum threshold current value; measuring a real-time steady state current flowing in the electrical device; comparing the measured real-time steady state current to the maximum threshold current and to the learned short circuit current; reporting a hard short circuit condition at the output port if the measured real-time steady state current is greater than the maximum threshold current; and reporting a soft short circuit condition at the output port if the measured real-time steady state current is more than the learned short circuit current but less than the maximum threshold current. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for classifying as to type electrical devices adapted to receive power from an output port of a respective power control circuit coupled to a battery, comprising:
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storing reference current responses of different types of electrical devices in a memory; measuring a real-time current response of a specific electrical device; comparing, by a processor, the measured real-time current response of the specific electrical device to the reference current responses of the plurality of electrical devices; classifying the specific electrical device as to type based on the current response comparison; determining a high threshold current for the output port to which the electrical device is connected, the high threshold current being a short circuit current limit at the output port and being based on the characteristic of the output port; measuring a steady state current flowing in the electrical device for pre-selected times; and calculating a learned short circuit current value from the steady state current values, the learned short circuit current value being less than the high threshold current value. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification