Power managers and methods for operating power managers
Inventors
Robinson, Philip T. • Dziengeleski, Seth M. • Kazmierczak, James D. • Holigan, David J.
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11569667-B2
Publication Date
2023-01-31
Expiration Date
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.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a power manager operable with a power bus at a DC bus voltage and a plurality of device ports operably connectable to the power bus. The device ports include a first port on a first surface for connecting with a radio, a second port on a second surface for connecting with a rechargeable battery, and a third port on a third surface for connecting with an external power source. A processor determines for each device port if an external device is connected and, if so, determines a power type of the external device, enabling port-by-port power handling decisions.
For each device port, the power manager disposes a switch controllable by the processor in a channel between the device port and the power bus. The method disconnects each device port from the power bus when no external power device is connected by operating a different controllable switch to interrupt each channel. The method then accesses information from newly connected devices including a radio and a newly connected power supply device, determines whether the newly connected power supply device can be connected to the power bus without power conversion, and if not, determines whether it can be connected over an available power converter and configures the converter accordingly.
The invention further includes configuring converters to connect selected external devices to the power bus by operating controllable switches to complete channels associated with the selected external devices. In a power manager device, the physical arrangement includes a first surface, a second surface opposing the first surface, and a plurality of third surfaces disposed between the first surface and the second surface, with a radio device port on the first surface, a battery device port on the second surface, and a power device port on at least one of the plurality of third surfaces. The processor determines an operating voltage of a power device connected to the power device port and configures a first DC to DC power converter to convert a voltage of a power signal received from the power device to a voltage compatible with an operating voltage of a rechargeable battery connected to the battery device port.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims cover four core aspects of the power manager and operation: a multi-surface, multi-port DC bus power manager with processor-determined power type; a switch controllable by the processor in each port channel; conditional disconnect/reconnect with converter configuration for newly connected devices; and DC-to-DC conversion based on operating voltage compatibility with a rechargeable battery.
Power bus with multi-surface ports and processor-determined power type
A power bus operable at a DC bus voltage; a plurality of device ports operably connectable to the power bus including a first port on a first surface for connecting with a radio, a second port on a second surface for connecting with a rechargeable battery, and a third port on a third surface for connecting with an external power source; and a processor configured to determine for each of the device ports if an external device is connected to the device port and if so, to determine a power type of the external device.
Controllable switch per port channel between device port and power bus
For each of the plurality of device ports, a switch controllable by the processor is disposed in a channel between the device port and the power bus.
Port disconnect/reconnect with converter decision for newly connected power supply
A method comprising providing a power manager comprising a processor, a power bus and a plurality of device ports operably connectable to the power bus, disconnecting each device port from the power bus when no external power device is connected by operating a different controllable switch to interrupt each channel; accessing information from a newly connected radio; accessing information from a newly connected power supply device; determining if the newly connected power supply device can be connected to the power bus without power conversion; if not, determining if the newly connected power supply device can be connected to the power bus over an available power converter; if so, configuring the available power converter for power conversion; and connecting selected external devices to the power bus by operating a different controllable switch to complete each channel disposed between the device ports associated with the selected external devices and the power bus.
Dc-to-dc power converter configured based on operating voltage compatibility with rechargeable battery
A power manager device comprising a first surface, a second surface opposing the first surface, and a plurality of third surfaces disposed between the first surface and the second surface; a power bus operable at a DC power bus voltage; a radio device port disposed on the first surface; a battery device port disposed on the second surface; a power device port disposed on at least one of the plurality of third surfaces; a first controllable DC to DC power converter disposed between the power device port and each of the radio device port and the battery device port; and a processor configured to determine an operating voltage of a power device connected to the power device port and to configure the first DC to DC power converter to convert a voltage of a power signal received from the power device to a voltage that is compatible with an operating voltage of a rechargeable battery connected to the battery device port.
Across the independent claims, the invention centers on a DC power bus power manager that uses processor-determined device presence and power type, controllable switches per port channel, conditional disconnection and reconnection, and converter-based voltage compatibility to connect selected radio, rechargeable battery, and external power devices to the power bus.
Stated Advantages
Battery utilization increase.
Faster changeover.
Reduced need for high-cost coulomb counting.
Documented Applications
Operating a portable power manager system that dynamically connects and disconnects multiple device ports to a DC power bus based on device-discovered power characteristics, including classifying power type and allocating power with priority.
Managing charging and/or discharging of selected rechargeable batteries based on remaining charge.
Maintaining power during a source drop via fast hot-change-over circuitry using a low-voltage sensor that quickly connects reserve or secondary sources without waiting for processor timing.
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