Portable power supply

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12294232-B2
Application number	US-202117554315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2021
Priority date	Dec 18, 2020
Publication date	May 6, 2025
Grant date	May 6, 2025

Abstract

A portable power supply including an internal power source, an AC output, a DC output, and an input unit configured to receive power from a first external source. The portable power supply further includes a first power conversion unit configured to convert the power received from the first external source to a first DC power used for charging the internal power source, an AC power conversion unit configured to convert power output by the internal power source to an AC power used for powering a first peripheral device connected to the AC output, and a DC power conversion unit configured to convert power output by the internal power source to a second DC power used for powering a second peripheral device connected to the DC output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable power supply comprising:
an internal power source, the internal power source enclosed within a housing of the portable power supply;
an alternating current (AC) power output;
a direct current (DC) power output;
an input unit configured to receive power from a first external source;
a first power conversion unit configured to convert the power received from the first external source to a first DC power used for charging the internal power source;
an AC power conversion unit configured to convert power output by the internal power source to an AC power used for powering a first peripheral device connected to the AC power output;
a DC power conversion unit configured to convert power output by the internal power source to a second DC power used for powering a second peripheral device connected to the DC power output;
a wireless communication circuit configured to communicate with an external device; and
a controller including an electronic processor configured to receive, via the wireless communication circuit, a value for setting at least one of a charge cutoff threshold and discharge cutoff threshold for the internal power source.

2. The portable power supply of claim 1 , wherein the first power conversion unit includes a power factor correction (PFC) circuit and DC-DC converter; and
wherein the internal power source is a large-capacity battery pack.

3. The portable power supply of claim 1 , wherein the AC power conversion unit includes a DC-DC converter and an inverter.

4. The portable power supply of claim 3 , wherein the AC power conversion unit further includes a rectifier configured to convert a second AC power input from a peripheral device connected to the AC power output to a third DC power for charging the internal power source.

5. The portable power supply of claim 1 , wherein the DC power conversion unit includes a DC-DC converter.

6. The portable power supply of claim 1 , further comprising a relay configured to selectively connect the input unit to the AC power output.

7. The portable power supply of claim 1 , wherein the input unit is further configured to receive power from a second external source.

8. The portable power supply of claim 7 , further comprising a second power conversion unit configured to convert the power received from the second external source to a third DC power used for charging the internal power source.

9. The portable power supply of claim 8 , wherein:
the first power conversion unit is configured to charge the internal power source with the first DC power at a first rate;
the second power conversion unit is configured to charge the internal power source with the third DC power at a second rate; and
wherein the first rate is greater than the second rate.

10. The portable power supply of claim 1 , further comprising a load switch configured to connect the first power conversion unit to the DC power conversion unit.

11. The portable power supply of claim 1 , further comprising a second AC power conversion unit; and
wherein the AC power conversion unit and the second AC power conversion unit are electrically connected in parallel between the internal power source and the AC output.

12. The portable power supply of claim 1 , further comprising a second internal power source and a second power conversion unit configured to charge the second internal power source;
wherein the second internal power source is configured to provide power to the controller included in the portable power supply.

13. The portable power supply of claim 1 , wherein the second peripheral device connected to the DC power output is a power tool battery pack;
wherein power provided by the power tool battery pack is used for charging the internal power source; and
wherein power provided by the power tool battery pack is used for powering the first peripheral device connected to the AC power output.

14. The portable power supply of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a first housing, a second housing, a third housing, and a fourth housing, and wherein the input unit is contained in the first housing, the internal power source is contained in the second housing, the AC power conversion unit is contained in the third housing, and the DC power conversion unit is contained in the fourth housing.

15. The portable power supply of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second internal power source;
a second AC power output;
a second input unit configured to receive power from a second external source;
a second power conversion unit configured to convert the power received from the second external source to a third DC power used for charging the second internal power source; and
a second AC power conversion unit configured to convert power output by the second internal power source to a second AC power used for powering a second peripheral device connected to the second AC power output.

16. The portable power supply of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to measure a voltage of the internal power source; and
the controller including the electronic processor configured to:
monitor a voltage of the internal power source based on voltage measurements taken by the sensor,
disable the first power conversion unit when the voltage of the internal power source exceeds the charge cutoff threshold, the charge cutoff threshold having a value that is less than 90% of a nominal charge capacity of the internal power source; and
disable at least one of the AC power output and the DC power output when the voltage of the internal power source is less than the discharge cutoff threshold, the discharge cutoff threshold having a value that is greater than 10% of the nominal charge capacity of the internal power source;

wherein the controller receives, via the wireless communication circuit, the value of the charge cutoff threshold from the external device.

17. The portable power supply of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor; and
the controller including the electronic processor configured to:
monitor, using the sensor, an amount of power that is output by the AC power output and the DC power output;
determine an amount of power that is output by the AC power output and the DC power output during a time interval; and
shut off the portable power supply when the amount of power output by the AC power output and the DC power output during the time interval is less than a power threshold.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Swamy Mahesh M
• Shirazi Omid H
• Polakowski Matthew R
• Gustafson Nathan J
• Chao Paul C
• Billetdeaux Samantha L
• Halverson Michael R
• Tesch Benjamin C
• Tang Chun Jian
• Matthews Michael A
• Dykstra James
• Hockers Brian M
• Semon Catherine Kelli
• Lentz Andrew S

Classifications

• H02J7/96

  in response to battery voltage · CPC title

• H02J7/80

  including monitoring or indicating arrangements · CPC title

• H02J7/50 Primary

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• H02J7/855 Primary

  with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery · CPC title