Supplemental power systems and methods
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMark L. Cloud, Erik Jon Haugen, Justin Rapozo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system includes a latch circuit configured to monitor a switch and to operate an electronic latch based on a position of the switch. The system also includes a power supply circuit configured to provide a first voltage level to the latch circuit during normal operations and a second voltage level to the latch circuit during power loss. The power supply circuit includes a primary power circuit configured to provide the first voltage level to the latch circuit and a plurality of supercapacitors configured to be charged by the primary power circuit and provide the second voltage level to the latch circuit.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a latch circuit configured to monitor a switch and to operate an electronic latch based on a position of the switch;
- and
- a power supply circuit configured to provide a voltage level to the latch circuit on a coupling coupled to an output terminal of the power supply circuit and coupled to the latch circuit, wherein the voltage level is:
- a predefined first voltage level during normal operations, and
- a predefined second voltage level different from the first voltage level during power loss,
- wherein the power supply circuit comprises:
- a primary power circuit configured to provide the first voltage level on the coupling;
- and
- a plurality of supercapacitors configured to be charged by the primary power circuit and provide the second voltage level on the coupling;
- wherein the latch circuit comprises a power failure detection circuit coupled to the coupling and configured to determine a presence or loss of power from the primary power circuit based on whether the voltage level on the coupling corresponds to the first voltage level or the second voltage level.
A method comprising:
- providing, by a primary power circuit, a first voltage for use during normal operations;
- providing, by a supercapacitor circuit comprising a bank of supercapacitors, a second voltage for use during power loss;
- determining if the first voltage is a predefined first voltage level for use during normal operations;
- upon determining that the first voltage is the first voltage level, providing the first voltage to an output terminal of a power supply circuit comprising the primary power circuit and the supercapacitor circuit, the output terminal being coupled to a latch circuit;
- upon determining that the first voltage is not the first voltage level, providing the second voltage to the output terminal, the second voltage being a predefined second voltage level different from the first voltage level;
- applying the voltage on the output terminal to an electronic latch coupled with the latch circuit in response to receiving an unlatch command;
- charging, by the primary power circuit, a bank of supercapacitors;
- and
- monitoring the voltage on the output terminal to detect a loss of power from the primary power circuit based on the voltage on the output terminal being different than the first voltage level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.