Apparatus and method for power supply

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9811139-B2
Application number	US-201414561162-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2014
Priority date	Dec 23, 2013
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for power supply are provided. The apparatus for power supply includes a main power circuit, an auxiliary power circuit and a power switching control circuit. The main power circuit is configured to generate a main power suitable to be provided to a first load and a second load for use. The auxiliary power circuit is configured to generate an auxiliary power suitable to be provided to the second load for use. The power switching control circuit is configured to detect a voltage difference between the main power and the auxiliary power and determine whether the apparatus meets a normal power supply condition, so as to select one of the main power and auxiliary power as a power source of the second load.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for power supply, comprising:
a main power circuit, configured to generate a main power, wherein the main power is suitable to be provided to a first load and a second load for use;
an auxiliary power circuit, configured to generate an auxiliary power, wherein the auxiliary power is suitable to be provided to the second load for use;
a power switching control circuit, coupled to the main power circuit and the auxiliary power circuit and configured to detect a voltage difference between the main power and the auxiliary power and determine accordingly whether the apparatus for power supply meets a normal power supply condition, thereby selecting one of the main power and the auxiliary power as a power source of the second load according to the determined result; and
a protection circuit, coupled to the main power circuit and the power switching control circuit, configured to detect an operation state of the main power circuit, and sending an operation suspending signal when the operation state of the main power circuit is abnormal, so that the main power circuit stops generating the main power in response to the operation suspending signal.

2. The apparatus for power supply as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
when the power switching control circuit determines that the apparatus for power supply meets the normal power supply condition, the main power is provided to the second load for use through the power switching control circuit, and
when the power switching control circuit determines that the apparatus for power supply does not meet the normal power supply condition, the auxiliary power is solely provided to the second load for use.

3. The apparatus for power supply as claimed in claim 2 , wherein:
when the power switching control circuit detects that a voltage value of the main power is greater than or equal to a voltage value of the auxiliary power by a predetermined value, it is determined that the apparatus for power supply meets the normal power supply condition; and
when the power switching control circuit detects that the voltage value of the main power is not greater than or equal to the voltage value of the auxiliary power by the predetermined value, it is determined that the apparatus for power supply does not meet the normal power supply condition.

4. The apparatus for power supply as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:
when the power switching control circuit detects that the voltage value of the main power is continuously greater than or equal to the voltage value of the auxiliary power for a predetermined period, it is determined that the apparatus for power supply meets the normal power supply condition; and
when the power switching control circuit detects that the voltage value of the main power is not continuously greater than or equal to the voltage value of the auxiliary power for the predetermined period, it is determined that the apparatus for power supply does not meet the normal power supply condition.

5. The apparatus for power supply as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the power switching control circuit comprises:
a switch element, coupled between output ends of the main power circuit and the auxiliary power circuit; and
a switch control circuit, configured to detect voltage values of the main power and the auxiliary power and determining accordingly whether the apparatus for power supply meets the normal power supply condition, so as to control whether the switch element is turned on or off.

6. The apparatus for power supply as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the switching control circuit turns on the switch element when determining that the apparatus for power supply meets the normal power supply condition, and turns off the switch element when determining that the apparatus for power supply does not meet the normal power supply condition.

7. The apparatus for power supply as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the switching control circuit further turns off the switch element when receiving a turn-off notification signal sent by a user, so that the auxiliary power is solely provided to the second load for use.

8. The apparatus for power supply as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the switch control circuit is coupled to the protection circuit to receive the operation suspending signal, and the switching control circuit determines that the apparatus for power supply does not meet the normal power supply condition in response to the operation suspending signal and simultaneously turns off the switch element, so that the auxiliary power is solely provided to the second load for use.

9. A method for power supply, comprising:
generating a main power and an auxiliary power, wherein the main power is suitable to be provided to a first load and a second load for use, and the auxiliary power is suitable to be provided to the second load for use;
detecting voltage values of the main power and the auxiliary power;
determining whether a normal power supply condition is met according to a voltage difference between the main power and the auxiliary power;
selecting one of the main power and the auxiliary power as a power source of the second load according to the determined result;
detecting an operation state of a main power circuit configured to generate the main power;
determining whether the operation state of the main power circuit is abnormal;
sending an operation suspending signal when the operation state of the main power circuit is abnormal; and
determining that the normal power supply condition is not met in response to the operation suspending signal, so as to stop generating the main power.

10. The method for power supply as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the step of determining whether the normal power supply condition is met according to the voltage difference between the main power and the auxiliary power comprises:
when the voltage value of the main power is greater than or equal to the voltage value of the auxiliary power by a predetermined value, determining that the normal power supply condition is met; and
when the voltage value of the main power is not greater than or equal to the voltage value of the auxiliary power by the predetermined value, determining that the normal power supply condition is not met.

11. The method for power supply as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the step of determining whether the normal power supply condition is met according to the voltage difference between the main power and the auxiliary power comprises:
when the voltage value of the main power is continuously greater than equal to the voltage value of the auxiliary power for a predetermined period, determining that the normal power supply condition is met; and
when the voltage value of the main power is not continuously greater than or equal to the voltage value of the auxiliary power for the predetermined period, determining that the normal power supply condition is not met.

12. The method for power supply as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the step of selecting one of the main power and the auxiliary power as the power source of the second load according to the determined result comprises:
when it is determined that the normal power supply condition is met, providing the main power to the first load and the second load for use simultaneously; and
when it is determined that the normal power supply condition is not met, providing solely the auxiliary power source to the second load for use.

13. The method for power supply as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the step of selecting one of the main power and the auxiliary power as the power source of the second load according to the determined result further compris

Assignees

• Fsp Tech Inc

Inventors

• Tsai Chien-Li

Classifications

• G06F1/30 Primary

  Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations (for resetting only G06F1/24) · CPC title

• H02J1/10

  Parallel operation of DC sources · CPC title

• G06F1/263

  Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC (G06F1/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J9/061 Primary

  for DC powered loads · CPC title

• Y10T307/344

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic