Method and apparatus for initializing a power distribution circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10838477-B2
Application number	US-201816174331-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2018
Priority date	Nov 24, 2017
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

A power distribution node and method of associating a permanent identity includes a node communication input port and a node communication output port, a first power controller having a first switchable element and a first controller module configured to operate the first switchable element, the first controller module having a first communication input port connected with the node communication input port and a first communication output port, and a second power controller having a second switchable element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power distribution node comprising:
a node communication input port and a node communication output port; and
a set of sequentially-arranged power controllers having a corresponding set of communication input ports and communication output ports, the set of power controllers comprising at least:
a first power controller having at least a first communication input port connected with the node communication input port, a first communication output port connected with the node communication output port, a second communication input port, and a second communication output port; and
a second power controller having at least a second communication input port connected with the second communication output port of the first power controller, and a second communication output port connected with the second communication input port of the first power controller;

wherein the first and second power controllers are adapted to be identified with a permanent identity by way of a transmittable data signal receivable at the node communication input port;
wherein the set of communication input ports and communication output ports are arranged such that the transmittable data signal receivable at the node communication input port is received by the second power controller and returned to the first power controller, whereby it is transmittable to the node communication output port.

2. The power distribution node of claim 1 , wherein the set of power controllers are sequentially arranged by connecting a respective communication output port of one power controller to a respective communication input port of an adjacent power controller.

3. The power distribution node of claim 2 wherein the communication output port of the last of the set of sequentially arranged power controllers is connected with the node communication output port.

4. The power distribution node of claim 2 wherein the set of power controllers are sequentially arranged in a daisy chain.

5. The power distribution node of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first power controller or the second power controller includes a solid-state power controller.

6. The power distribution node of claim 1 further comprising a communication data bus connected with the first and second power controller, and adapted to receive a power distribution node instruction signal.

7. The power distribution node of claim 6 , wherein the first and second power controllers are addressable via instruction signal by way of the permanent identity.

8. The power distribution node of claim 1 wherein the transmittable data signal includes a unique identifying value related to the permanent identity.

9. The power distribution node of claim 8 wherein the unique identifying value is incremented by at least one of the first or second-power controllers prior to subsequent transmittal of the data signal.

10. The power distribution node of claim 1 wherein the permanent identity is unique to the power distribution node.

11. A method of associating a permanent identity with a set of power switches, the method comprising:
A) receiving an identifying data signal to a communications input of a power distribution node including the set of power switches and respective set of controller modules arranged in a communication sequence;
B) supplying the identifying data signal to one of the set of controller modules;
C) permanently identifying the one of the set of controller modules with a unique identity;
D) repeating steps B) and C) sequentially in the next of the set of controller modules in the communication sequence; and
E) transmitting the identifying data signal from a second controller module in the set of controller modules to the one of the set of controller modules and to a communications output of the power distribution node.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising iterating the identifying data signal prior to permanently identifying the next of the set of controller modules.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the identifying data signal is used for generating the unique identity.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein, after completing repeating, further programming the set of power switches by way of a common communication bus by addressing the set of power switches by their respective unique identity.

15. A power distribution node programming assembly comprising:
a node communication input port, and a node communication output port;
a power distribution node having a set of power controllers, each power controller including a switch controller module having a set of communication input ports and a set of communication output ports, wherein the set of power controllers are sequentially arranged such that the node communication input port is connected with the first of the sequentially: arranged switch controller modules, and one of the set of communication input ports of each successive switch controller module is connected with one of the set of communication output ports of the preceding switch controller module, and wherein one of the set of communication output ports of the last of the sequentially: arranged switch controller modules is connected with the node communication output port and with one of the set of second communication input ports of the first of the sequentially-arranged switch controller modules; and
a programming controller module configured to generate a programming data signal supplied to the node communication input port, wherein the programming data signal is configured to sequentially identify each of the set of power controllers with a permanent identity, and wherein the set of communication input ports and the set of communication output ports are arranged such that the programming data signal is returned to the first of the sequentially-arranged switch controller modules, whereby it is transmittable to the node communication output port.

16. The power distribution node programming assembly of claim 15 wherein the programming data signal includes a unique identifying value related to the permanent identity.

17. The power distribution node programming assembly of claim 16 wherein the unique identifying value is iterated prior to identifying the sequentially next of the set of power controllers with a permanent identity.

18. The power distribution node programming assembly of claim 15 wherein the permanent identity is unique to the power distribution node.

Assignees

• Ge Aviat Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Elliott David Alan
• Elder James Angelo
• Handy Peter James
• Weale Denis Vaughan

Classifications

• H02J2105/32

  for aircrafts · CPC title

• H02J13/1321

  using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus · CPC title

• H02J4/00

  Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as AC or DC; Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks combining AC and DC sections or sub-networks (arrangements using intermediate DC-AC-DC conversion H02J1/002; arrangements using high-voltage DC [HVDC] links H02J3/36) · CPC title

• B64D41/00 Primary

  Power installations for auxiliary purposes · CPC title

• G06F1/266 Primary

  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 title