Power managers and methods for operating power managers

• US 8,633,619 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Revision Military Soldier Power, LLC
• Original Assignee: Protonex Technology Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Robinson, Philip T., Dziengeleski, Seth M., Kazmierczak, James K., Holigan, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): AMAYA, CARLOS DAVID
• Application Number:
  US13/620,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20130342011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 307/19, 307/23, 307/31, 307/115, 713/300
• US Class Current: 307/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• 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 3/04 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/04 by static converters controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, e.g. by tap changing H02P13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/04 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Various aspects of invention provide portable power manager operating methods. One aspect of the invention provides a method for operating a power manager having a plurality of device ports for connecting with external power devices and a power bus for connecting with each device port. The method includes: disconnecting each device port from the power bus when no external power device is connected to the device port; accessing information from newly connected external power devices; determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus without power conversion; if not, determining if the newly connected external power devices can be connected to the power bus over an available power converter; and if so, configuring the available power converter for suitable power conversion.

Claims

1. A power manager comprising:

a power bus;

a plurality of device ports each configured to operably connect with an external power device;

a first power channel comprising a first conductive path disposed between each device port and the power bus;

a first controllable switching element disposed along the first conductive path for selectively connecting and disconnecting each device port to and from the power bus over the first power channel;

a second power channel comprising a second conductive path disposed between each device port and the power bus and a second controllable switching element disposed along the second conductive path for selectively connecting and disconnecting each device port to and from the power bus over the second power channel;

a data processing device and associated memory in communication with each of the first and second controllable switches; and

,

energy management schema operating on the power manager for independently operating each of the first and second controllable switches.

2. The power manager of claim 1 further comprising:

a sensor in communication with the data processor for sensing a low power condition on the power bus and for generating a low power signal in response thereto;

logic elements in communication with the data processor disposed on a conductive path extending between the sensor and at least one of the first and second controllable switching elements of device ports having a power or energy source connected thereto;

wherein at least one of the device port having a power or energy source connected thereto is disconnected from the power bus; and

,

wherein the low power signal causes the logic elements to operate at least one controllable switching element corresponding to at least one of the disconnected device ports having a power or energy source connected thereto to become connected to the power bus without interaction with the data processing device.

3. The power manager of claim 1, further comprising a communication channel that includes a communications interface device disposed between each device port and the data processing device for communicating with power devices operably connected with the device ports.

4. The power manager of claim 1 further comprising:

a sealed enclosure formed to house the power bus, data processor, associated memory and the first and second power channels;

a terminal connector associated with each device port disposed to extend through an external wall of the sealed enclosure for connecting with the external power devices by wire cables; and

a user input device in communication with the data processing device and disposed for responding to user inputs from outside the sealed enclosure; and

one of a display device and an indicator device in communication with the data and disposed to indicate user feedback.

5. The power manager of claim 4, wherein the sealed enclosure comprises opposing substantially rectangular top and bottom faces, opposing substantially rectangular longitudinal front and back faces and opposing substantially rectangular transverse side faces and wherein the terminal connectors are only disposed on the transverse side faces and on one of the longitudinal front and back faces.

6. The power manager of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second controllable switching elements comprises a semiconductor switch suitable for bidirectional power exchange between the power bus and corresponding device ports.

7. The power manager of claim 1, wherein the power bus is configured for an average operating voltage in the range of 1-50 VDC.

8. The power manager of claim 1, wherein the energy management schema cause the power manager to:

access information from each external power device connected to one of the plurality of device ports;

characterize each external power device as one of a power load and a power or energy source; and

assign each power or energy source a source priority.

9. A method for operating a power manager having a plurality of device ports, a power bus, two or more power channels disposed between each device port and the power bus, controllable switches disposed along each power channel for connecting and disconnecting the device port to the power bus over each power channel, a processing device for controlling the controllable switches and a communication channel disposed between each device port and the processing device for communicating with external power devices connected with each device port, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying power sources connected to device ports;

selecting a power source for powering the power bus;

connecting the selected power source to the power bus; and

,

disconnecting any non-selected power sources from the power bus.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

sensing a power characteristic of the power bus;

generating a low power signal in response to the sensed power bus power characteristic falling below a threshold value; and

,

connecting one or more of the disconnected non-selected power sources to the power bus in response to the low power signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the power characteristic is a bus voltage.

12. A method for operating a power manger having a plurality of device ports for connecting with external power devices and a power bus for connecting with each device port comprising the steps of:

accessing information from each external power device connected to one of the plurality of device ports;

characterizing each external power device as one of a power load and a power or energy source;

assigning each power or energy source a source priority;

using the source priority assignment to select one or more power or energy sources to connect to the power bus;

disconnecting any non-selected power or energy sources from the power bus; and

exclusively using the selected power or energy sources to deliver power to the power bus.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

assigning each power load a load priority; and

allocating the total power available on the power bus to the power loads in priority order from a highest load priority to a lowest load priority.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of assigning each power or energy source a source priority assigns a high priority ranking to desirable power or energy sources and a lower priority ranking to less desirable power or energy sources further comprises the steps of:

connecting the highest priority power source or energy source to the power bus;

disconnecting all lower priority power or energy sources from the power bus; and

powering all of the power loads connected to the power bus with the highest priority power or energy source.