Multisource power delivery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016190813-A1
Application number	US-201414582969-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 24, 2014
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

One embodiment provides an apparatus. The apparatus includes a plurality of storage elements coupled in series. The storage elements are to capture and store energy received from a plurality of sources. The apparatus further includes a balancer coupled to the plurality of storage elements. The balancer is to balance energy drawn from each storage element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of storage elements coupled in series, the storage elements to capture and store energy received from a plurality of sources; and a balancer coupled to the plurality of storage elements, the balancer to balance energy drawn from each storage element.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising control logic coupled to the balancer, the control logic to control operation of the balancer.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of output stages, each output stage coupled to a respective balancer output port and at least one of: each output stage comprises a pass gate and/or at least one output stage comprises a voltage regulator.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each storage element comprises at least one of a battery and/or a capacitor.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of taps, each tap to couple to a respective load.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the balancer comprises at least one of a switched capacitor voltage regulator, a buck voltage regulator and/or a buck-boost voltage regulator.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the balancer comprises at least one voltage regulator.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein at least one voltage regulator of the at least one voltage regulator is to operate open loop.

9 . A method comprising:
capturing, by a plurality of storage elements coupled in series, energy received from a plurality of sources; storing, by each storage element, the energy received from a respective source; and balancing, by a balancer coupled to the plurality of storage elements, energy drawn from each storage element.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising controlling, by control logic, operation of the balancer.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising controlling, by each of a plurality of output stages, a respective output of the balancer.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein each storage element comprises at least one of a battery and a capacitor.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising coupling, by each of a plurality of taps, an output of a power device to a respective load.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the balancer comprises at least one of a switched capacitor voltage regulator, a buck voltage regulator and/or a buck-boost voltage regulator.

15 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising providing, by a plurality of sources, the energy.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the controlling comprises regulating a voltage.

17 . A system comprising:
a plurality of sources; and a power device coupled to the plurality of sources, the power device comprising:
a plurality of storage elements coupled in series, each storage element to capture and store energy received from a respective source, and
a balancer coupled to the plurality of storage elements, the balancer to balance energy drawn from each storage element.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the power device further comprises control logic coupled to the balancer, the control logic to control operation of the balancer.

19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the power device further comprises a plurality of output stages, each output stage coupled to a respective balancer output port.

20 . The system of claim 17 , wherein each storage element comprises at least one of a battery and/or a capacitor.

21 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the power device further comprises a plurality of taps, each tap to couple the power device to a respective load.

22 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the balancer comprises at least one of a switched capacitor voltage regulator, a buck voltage regulator and/or a buck-boost voltage regulator.

23 . The system of claim 19 , wherein at least one output stage comprises a voltage regulator.

24 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of sources comprises at least one unconventional power source.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Kumar Pavan

Classifications

• H02J7/865 Primary

  Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/54

  Passive balancing, e.g. using resistors or parallel MOSFETs · CPC title

• H02J4/25 Primary

  for transfer of electric power between AC and DC networks, e.g. for supplying the DC section within a load from an AC mains system · CPC title

• H02J1/106

  for load balancing, symmetrisation, or sharing · CPC title

• H02J2207/20

  Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter · CPC title