System, method and apparatus for portable power supply

• US 9,548,628 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2012
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yaakov Shmuel Haim Ben Aharon
• Original Assignee: Yaakov Shmuel Haim Ben Aharon
• Inventors: Ben Aharon, Yaakov Shmuel Haim
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mourad, Rasem
• Application Number:
  US14/129,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20140132069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 307/26, 307/66, 307/112, 307/125, 307130-131
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/108 using diodes blocking reverse current flow H02J1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/00 Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting

Abstract

The invention is a portable power supply having a built in battery, switch matrix, external voltage and impedance sensing means, inverter, and charging circuitry. The device uses a power plug for receiving AC from a wall electric receptacle; a transformer for transforming high voltage input to a low voltage output; a rectifier, for rectifying the low alternating voltage to direct voltage; at least one battery rechargeable by said direct voltage; an inverter, for inverting direct voltage supplied by the rechargeable battery to relatively low alternating voltage, which is supplied to the secondary winding of the transformer; and an alternating current (AC) socket, for receiving high voltage from the primary winding of the transformer. Both AC and DC of various voltages may be supplied by this device in a portable manner, which uses a single transformer both for recharging batteries and for supplying AC power produced via the batteries. A switching assembly allows for connecting the batteries (which may be rechargeable) in a variety of topologies.

Claims

1. A portable power supply for supplying power to an external load, comprising:

a power input interface for receiving alternating current (AC) voltage from a mains power supply;

an AC to DC converter operatively coupled to the power input interface for converting the received AC voltage to DC voltage;

a plurality of rechargeable batteries for receiving DC voltage from the AC to DC converter as input and for supplying DC voltage as output;

an inverter for operatively coupling and decoupling to the plurality of batteries;

a sensor for measuring a plurality of power parameters of the external load, the power parameters providing an indication of power requirements of the external load and whether the external load is an AC or a DC external load; and

a switching assembly switchably coupled to the AC to DC converter, the plurality of batteries, the inverter, and the sensor, the switching assembly configured for switching between four switch states and for arranging the plurality of batteries in a configurable topography selected from a plurality of topographies, each topography having a corresponding voltage and current,

such that, when the power input interface is operatively coupled to the mains power supply and the portable power supply is de-coupled from the external load, the switching assembly assumes a first switch state, in which, the DC voltage from the AC to DC converter is supplied to the plurality of batteries to charge the batteries, and the topography of the batteries is configured to match the voltage and current draw from the AC to DC converter,

and such that, when the power input interface is decoupled from the mains power supply and the portable power supply is coupled to the external load, the switching assembly assumes a second switch state, in which, the power parameters of the external load are measured by the sensor to determine whether the external load is an AC or DC external load,

and such that, if the external load is determined to be an AC external load based on the power parameters measured by the sensor when in the second switch state, the switching assembly assumes a third switch state, in which, the topography of the batteries is reconfigured based on the power parameters measured by the sensor when in the second switch state, the plurality of batteries are operatively coupled to the inverter, the output DC voltage from the plurality of batteries in the reconfigured topography is supplied to the inverter to supply AC voltage to the AC external load, and the supplied AC voltage is a desired function of at least a subset of the power parameters measured by the sensor when in the second switch state,

and such that, if the external device is determined to be a DC external load based on the power parameters measured by the sensor when in the second switch state, the switching assembly assumes a fourth switch state, in which, the topography of the batteries is reconfigured based on the power parameters measured by the sensor when in the second switch state, and the output DC voltage from the plurality of batteries in the reconfigured Topography is supplied to the DC external load.

2. The portable power supply of claim 1, wherein the plurality of power parameters includes:

an extant voltage of the external load, an extant impedance of the external load, and an extant resistance of the external load.

3. The portable power supply of claim 2, wherein the external load is determined to be an AC external load if the measured extant resistance of the external load satisfies a threshold criterion.

4. The portable power supply of claim 2, wherein desired function is:

5. The portable power supply of claim 1, wherein if the external load is determined to be a DC external load based on the power parameters measured by the sensor when in the second switch state, the switching assembly is further configured for:

alternatingly switching between the second and fourth switch states until at least one threshold criterion is satisfied.

6. The portable power supply of claim 5, wherein the DC external load includes a rechargeable battery, and wherein the threshold criterion includes the rechargeable battery of the DC external load reaching a threshold voltage.

7. A method for supplying power, comprising:

receiving alternating current (AC) voltage from a mains power supply;

converting the received AC voltage to a direct current (DC) voltage;

arranging a plurality of rechargeable batteries in a first topography selected from a plurality of topographies, each topography having a corresponding voltage and current, the first topography being selected according to the DC voltage;

supplying the DC voltage to the plurality of batteries to charge the plurality of batteries;

interrupting the AC voltage received from the mains power supply;

connecting an external load, the external load being either an AC load or a DC load;

determining if the external load is an AC load or a DC load by measuring a plurality of power parameters of the external load;

if the external load is determined to be an AC load;

arranging the plurality of batteries in a second topography according to the measured of the power parameters,

supplying a DC voltage from the plurality of batteries in the second topography,

inverting the supplied DC voltage to generate an AC voltage, and

supplying the generated AC voltage to the AC load, the generated AC voltage being a desired function of at least a subset of the measured power parameters, and

if the external load is determined to be a DC load;

arranging the plurality of batteries in a third topography according to the measured of the power parameters, and

supplying a DC voltage from the plurality of batteries in the third topography to the DC load.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of power parameters includes:

an extant voltage of the external load, an extant impedance of the external load, and an extant resistance of the external load.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein desired function is:

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the DC load includes a rechargeable battery, and the method further comprises:

if the external load is determined to be a DC load;

disconnecting the DC load,

subsequently measuring a plurality of power parameters of the DC load and arranging the plurality of batteries in a subsequent topography according to the subsequently measured of the power parameters,

reconnecting the DC load and supplying a DC voltage from the plurality of batteries in the subsequent topography to the DC load until at least one threshold criterion is satisfied.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one threshold criterion includes the rechargeable battery of the DC load reaching a threshold voltage.