Electrical transmission or interconnection systems – Plural load circuit systems – Plural sources of supply
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-09
2002-11-19
Sterrett, Jeffrey (Department: 2838)
Electrical transmission or interconnection systems
Plural load circuit systems
Plural sources of supply
C307S026000, C307S029000, C307S039000, C307S066000, C307S072000, C307S080000, C307S086000, C307S150000, C713S300000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06483204
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric power supply system which has power-side hardware such as an electric power supply adapter, a battery supplying electric power and an allotter allotting electric power and can be widely used for various electronic apparatuses (called consumption-side hardware) having different rated electric powers.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 29
is a block diagram showing a conventional electric power supply system arranged in a notebook-sized personal computer. In
FIG. 29
,
1
indicates a notebook-sized personal computer (hereinafter, called a personal computer).
2
indicates an alternating current (hereinafter called AC) adapter attached to the personal computer
1
. In the personal computer
1
,
3
indicates a central process ing unit (hereinafter, called CPU),
4
indicates a memory,
5
indicates a smart battery system (SBS), and
6
indicates an electric power supply system. The smart battery system
5
is based on battery management standards of the personal computer
1
. The battery management standards are proposed by Intel Corporation and Duracell Inc. in 1994. That is, because a communication function or the like are given to a battery of the smart battery system
5
, a battery charger can be widely used for various batteries, the battery has a long-term life, a driving time of a unit operated by using the battery is lengthen, and a charging time required in the battery is shortened. The smart battery system
5
is connected with the CPU
3
through an ISA (industrial standard architecture) bus, the smart battery system
5
is connected with the electric power supply system
6
through a power supply line, and the smart battery system
5
is connected with the CPU
3
and the memory
4
through an electric power line.
Also, in the smart battery system
5
,
7
indicates a system host,
8
indicates each of two smart batteries,
9
indicates a smart charger, and
10
indicates a smart selector. In cases where only one smart battery
8
is arranged in the smart battery system
5
, the smart selector
10
is not required. Each of the system host
7
, the group of smart batteries
8
, the smart charger
9
and the smart selector
10
has its internal statuses (for example, a possible electric power to be supplied, a suspension status and a temperature status) and a set of commands, and those are connected with each other through an SM (system management) bus which conforms to I
2
C bus developed in Philips Corporation and denotes a type of two-wire serial communication. As is described above, because this smart battery system
5
has intelligent functions, the general term “smart” is used in the name of the smart battery system
5
.
Next, an operation of the conventional electric power supply system is described.
The smart battery system
5
is connected with the CPU
3
through the ISA bus, internal data of each smart battery
8
is transferred to the CPU
3
through the ISA bus under control of the system host
7
, and an instruction of the CPU
3
is received in the system host
7
through the ISA bus to control the smart battery system
5
. A battery power is supplied from each smart battery
8
to the CPU
3
and the memory
4
though the electric power line, charging data optimum to the smart battery
8
is transferred from the smart battery
8
to the smart charger
9
to change an output characteristic of the smart charger
9
to a specific output characteristic suited to the smart battery
8
. That is, when the charging data sent from the smart battery
8
is received in the smart charger
9
, an optimum charging electric power based on the charging data is supplied to the smart battery
8
through a charging line. In this case, because the smart battery system
5
has the plurality of (two in this example) smart batteries
8
, the smart selector
10
changes over a group of the SM bus, the charging line and a discharging line between one smart battery
8
and the smart selector
10
to another group of lines between another smart battery
8
and the smart selector
10
. This control is performed according to an instruction of the CPU
3
which is received in the system host
7
.
Here, other techniques relating to that of this conventional electric power supply system are, for example, disclosed in the Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Applications No. H2-93812 of 1990, No. H8-186925 of 1996, No. H10-271230 of 1998 and No. H8-106340 of 1996.
However, because the conventional electric power supply system has the above configuration, the smart battery system
5
having the system host
7
, the group of smart batteries
8
, the smart charger
9
and the smart selector
10
has to be arranged in the personal computer
1
. Therefore, the weight of the personal computer
1
is increased, and the portability of the personal computer
1
deteriorates. Also, the intelligent functions of the smart battery system
5
arranged in one personal computer
1
cannot be used for another personal computer. Also, the AC adapter
2
is not arranged in the smart battery system
5
, the AC adapter
2
corresponding to one type of notebook-sized personal computer has to be prepared for each type of notebook-sized personal computer to privately use each type of AC adapter
2
for the corresponding type of notebook-sized personal computer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide, with due consideration to the drawbacks of the conventional electric power supply system, an electric power supply system, having power-side hardware such as an electric power supply adapter and an allotter, which is widely used for various electronic apparatuses (called consumption-side hardware) having different rated powers.
Also, the object of the present invention is to provide an electric power supply system which is used as one infrastructure of a high speed communication network in which the consumption-side hardware is connected as a terminal apparatus with one of node apparatuses denoting the power-side hardware.
The object is achieved by the provision of an electric power supply system, which is connected with consumption-side hardware consuming an electric power and supplies the electric power required by the consumption-side hardware to the consumption-side hardware, comprising two or more devices, which are connected with each other and are selected from a plurality of devices denoting power-side hardware, to supply an electric power obtained in one device of the electric power supply system to the consumption-side hardware according to electric power data which is received from the consumption-side hardware by using a communication function of the consumption-side hardware, wherein the power-side hardware comprises:
an electric power supply adapter, having a communication function and an electric power adjusting function, for receiving electric power data from one device or the consumption-side hardware, which is connected with the electric power supply adapter on an electric power output side of the electric power supply adapter, by using the communication function, converting an electric power, which is received from an outside of the electric power supply adapter, into another electric power according to the electric power data and outputting the converted electric power to the device or the consumption-side hardware;
an allotter, having a communication function and an electric power adjusting function, for receiving an electric power, which is required in the allotter, from one device connected with the allotter on an electric power input side of the allotter, receiving electric power data from one device or the consumption-side hardware, which is connected with the allotter on an electric power output side of the allotter, by using the communication function, converting the electric power into another electric power according to the electric power data and outputting the converted electric power to the device or the consumption-side hardware. connected with th
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
Sterrett Jeffrey
LandOfFree
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