System and method for managing power supply units

• US 9,047,072 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fulian Precision Electronics Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chiang, Ren-Hong, Cheng, Dun-Hong, Chen, Jin-Xiu
• Primary Examiner(s): CONNOLLY, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US13/730,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20130290745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/340
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• 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 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24

Abstract

A power supply management system includes a power supply backplane, a plurality of power supply units connected to the power supply backplane, and a power controller chip. The power controller chip sends a plurality of power controlling signals to the power supply backplane. The power supply backplane transmits the plurality of power controlling signals to the plurality of power supply units, transition the plurality of power supply units into specific working states according to the plurality of power controlling signals, collect present working states of the plurality of power supply units, and sends the present working states of the plurality of power supply units to the power controller chip. A method for managing power supply units is also provided.

Claims

1. A power supply management system comprising:

a power supply backplane comprising a register;

a plurality of power supply units connected to the power supply backplane;

a first power controller chip configured to send a plurality of power controlling signals to the power supply backplane;

wherein the power supply backplane is configured to transmit the plurality of power controlling signals to the plurality of power supply units, to transition the plurality of power supply units into specific working states according to the plurality of power controlling signals, to collect present working states of the plurality of power supply units, to store the present working states of the plurality of power supply units in the register, and to send the present working states of the plurality of power supply units to the first power controller chip.

2. The power supply management system of claim 1, wherein the first power controller chip is further configured to generate one or more new power controlling signals that are configured to transition one or more power supply units to a new working state, according to the present working states of the plurality of power supply units.

3. The power supply management system of claim 1, wherein the first power controller chip is further configured to send a report pertaining to a present working state of the first power controller chip to a controlling center at set time intervals.

4. The power supply management system of claim 3, wherein the controlling center is configured to enter a failure mode when the controlling center has not received the report pertaining to the present working state of the first power controller chip in a preset time period.

5. The power supply management system of claim 4, wherein while in the failure mode, the power supply backplane is further configured to maintain the plurality of power supply units in the working states which are stored in the register.

6. The power supply management system of claim 4, wherein while in the failure mode, the controlling center is further configured to notify a system administrator.

7. The power supply management system of claim 4, further comprising a second power controller chip, wherein while in the failure mode, to take control of the plurality of power supply units.

8. The power supply management system of claim 7, wherein while in the failure mode, the second power controller chip is configured to retrieve the working states of the plurality of power supply units from the register.

9. The power supply management system of claim 1, further comprising a second power controller chip, wherein the first power controller chip is further configured to send a report pertaining to a present working state of the first power controller chip to the second power controller chip at set time intervals.

10. The power supply management system of claim 9, wherein the second power controller chip is further configured to take control of the plurality of power supply units when the second power controller chip has not received the report pertaining to the present working state of the first power controller chip in a preset time period.

11. A method for managing power supply units, the method comprising:

sending a plurality of power controlling signals to a power supply backplane by a first power controller chip;

transmitting the plurality of power controlling signals to a plurality of power supply units by the power supply backplane;

transitioning the plurality of power supply units into specific working states in response to the plurality of power controlling signals;

reporting present working states of the plurality of power supply units to the power supply backplane;

storing the present working states of the plurality of power supply units in a register of the power supply backplane; and

sending the present working states of the plurality of power supply units to the first power controller chip.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating one or more new power controlling signals that transition one or more power supply units to a new working state, according to the present working states of the plurality of power supply units by the first power controller chip.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending a report pertaining to a present working state of the first power controller chip to a controlling center at set time intervals.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising entering a failure mode when the controlling center has not received the report pertaining to the present working state of the first power controller chip in a preset time period.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, while in the failure mode, maintaining the plurality of power supply units in the working states which are stored in the register.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising, while in the failure mode, notifying a system administrator by the controlling center.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising, while in the failure mode, taking control of the plurality of power supply units by a second power controller chip.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising, while in the failure mode, retrieving the working states of the plurality of power supply units from the register by the second power controller chip.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending a report pertaining to a present working state of the first power controller chip to a second power controller chip at set time intervals by the first power controller chip.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising taking control of the plurality of power supply units by the second power controller chip when the second controller chip has not received the report pertaining to the present working state of the first power controller chip in a preset time period.