Power distribution unit and alarm method applied in the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10168374-B2
Application number	US-201715645343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2017
Priority date	Jun 24, 2014
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus including a base, a socket, a first switch, a second switch, and an AND gate is provided. The socket is disposed at the base and the socket is configured to receive a plug. The socket has a power end in communication with the first switch and a ground end in communication with the second switch. When a plug is disposed at the socket, the AND gate outputs an alarm signal responsive to the first switch being short when the plug is electrically connected to the power end of the socket and the second switch being open when the plug is electrically disconnected from the ground end of the socket.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first socket configured to receive a plug, the first socket having a first power end and a first ground end, and the first socket disposed at a base;
a first AND gate having a first input end and a second input end, and the first input end is electrically connected to a first output end of a first inverter;
a first switch positioned proximal to the first power end, the first switch having a first end and a second end, the first end is electrically connected to a third input end of the first inverter, the first end and the third input end are together electrically connected to a preset power, and the second end is grounded;
a second switch positioned proximal to the first ground end, the second switch having a third end and a fourth end, the third end is electrically connected to the second input end, the third end and the second input end are together electrically connected to the preset power, and the fourth end is grounded; and
a second output end of the first AND gate to output an alarm signal responsive to the first switch being short when the plug is electrically connected to the first power end and the second switch being open when the plug is electrically disconnected from the first ground end.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second socket configured to receive the plug, the second socket disposed at the base and the second socket having a second power end and a second ground end;
a second AND gate having a fourth input end and a fifth input end, and the fifth input end is electrically connected to a third output end of a second inverter;
a third switch positioned proximal to the second power end, the third switch having a fifth end and a sixth end, the fifth end is electrically connected to a sixth input end of the second inverter, the fifth end and the sixth input end are together electrically connected to the preset power, and the sixth end is grounded;
a fourth switch positioned proximal to the second ground end, the fourth switch having a seventh end and an eighth end, the seventh end is electrically connected to the fifth input end, the seventh end and the fifth input end are together electrically connected to the preset power, and the eighth end is grounded; and
a fourth output end of the second AND gate to output the alarm signal responsive to the third switch being short when the plug is electrically connected to the second power end of the second socket and the second switch being open when the plug is electrically disconnected from the ground end of the socket.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
an OR gate having a seventh input end, an eighth input end, and a fifth output end, the second output end is electrically connected to the seventh input end and the fourth output end is electrically connected to the eighth input end, and the fifth output end to output the alarm signal in response to one of the seventh and eighth input ends receiving the alarm signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a management unit having a ninth input, the ninth input electrically connected to the fifth output, the management unit to perform a predetermined operation in response to the received alarm signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the predetermined operation performed by the management unit is to generate a communication selected from the group consisting of: a visual alarm message and an auditory alarm sound.

6. A computer program product for employing an alarm signal responsive to electrical communication between a socket and a plug, the computer program product comprising a computer readable hardware storage device having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processing unit to:
configure a first socket to receive the plug having a first power end and a first ground end, the first socket disposed at a base;
configure a first AND gate having a first input end and a second input end, and the first input end is electrically connected to a first output end of a first inverter;
configure a first switch positioned proximal to the first power end, the first switch having a first end and a second end, the first end is electrically connected to a third input end of the first inverter, the first end and the third input end are together electrically connected to a preset power, and the second end is grounded;
configure a second switch positioned proximal to the first ground end, the second switch having a third end and a fourth end, the third end is electrically connected to the second input end, the third end and the second input end are together electrically connected to the preset power, and the fourth end is grounded; and
output an alarm signal from a second output end of the first AND gate responsive to the first switch being short when the plug is electrically connected to the first power end and the second switch being open when the plug is electrically disconnected from the first ground end.

7. The computer program product claim 6 , further comprising program code to:
configure a second socket having a second power end and a second ground end, the second socket disposed at the base;
configure a second AND gate having a fourth input end and a fifth input end, and the fifth input end is electrically connected to a third output end of a second inverter;
configure a third switch positioned proximal to the second power end, the third switch having a fifth end and a sixth end, the fifth end is electrically connected to a sixth input end of the second inverter, the fifth end and the sixth input end are together electrically connected to the preset power, and the sixth end is grounded;
configure a fourth switch positioned proximal to the second ground end, the fourth switch having a seventh end and an eighth end, the seventh end is electrically connected to the fifth input end, the seventh end and the fifth input end are together electrically connected to the preset power, and the eighth end is grounded; and
output the alarm signal from a fourth output end of the second AND gate responsive to the third switch being short when the plug is electrically connected to the second power end of the second socket and the second switch being open when the plug is electrically disconnected from the ground end of the socket.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , further comprising program code to:
configure an OR gate having a seventh input end, an eighth input end, and a fifth output end, the second output end is electrically connected to the seventh input end and the fourth output end is electrically connected to the eighth input end; and
output the alarm signal from the fifth output end in response to one of the seventh and eighth input ends receiving the alarm signal.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising program code to:
perform a predetermined operation in response to the received alarm signal from the fifth output end.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined operation performed is to generate a communication selected from the group consisting of: a visual alarm message and an auditory alarm sound.

11. A method comprising:
configuring a first socket to receive a plug having a first power end and a first ground end, the first socket disposed at a base;
configuring a first AND gate having a first input end and a second input end, and the first input end is electrically connected to a first output end of a first inverter;
configuring a first switch positioned proximal to the first power end, the first switch having a first end and a second end, the first end is electrically connected

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Chen Wei T
• Darmanto Yulianti
• Lin Cheng-Hao
• Liu Y K
• Tsai Claire H W

Classifications

• G01R31/52

  Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults · CPC title

• G01R31/69

  of terminals at the end of a cable or a wire harness; of plugs; of sockets, e.g. wall sockets or power sockets in appliances · CPC title

• G08B21/185

  Electrical failure alarms · CPC title

• G01R31/50 Primary

  Testing of electric apparatus, lines, cables or components for short-circuits, continuity, leakage current or incorrect line connections (testing of sparking plugs H01T13/58) · CPC title

• G01R31/025

  Physics · mapped topic