Hot-pluggable computer power supplies
OwnerRaoji Patel, Robert Guentherinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a computer system having redundant removable power supply modules, a power supply module comprises a voltage output and a signal input. At the voltage output, a voltage is supplied to components of the computer system. At the signal input, a module present signal is received from another power supply module. When the module present signal received from the other power supply module is asserted, the voltage is supplied at a nominal voltage. Upon deassertion of the module present signal received from the other power supply module, the voltage is increased to a maximum voltage.
Claims17
A computer system comprising:
- first and second hot-pluggable power supplies, each power supply asserting a signal indicating that it is present in the computer system, each power supply receiving the signal from the other power supply, each power supply maintaining an output voltage at a nominal voltage in response to assertion of the signal from the other power supply, each power supply increasing the output voltage to a maximum voltage in response to deassertion of the signal from the other power supply.
A computer system comprising:
- first and second redundant means for powering components of the computer system;
- means for indicating whether each of the powering means is present in the computer system;
- means for causing each of the powering means to supply a nominal voltage to the components in response to indication that the other of the powering means is present in the computer system;
- and
- means for causing each of the powering means to generate a maximum voltage, above the nominal voltage, in response to indication that the other of the powering means is not present in the computer system.
A power supply module for a computer system having redundant removable power supply modules, comprising:
- a voltage output at which a voltage is supplied to components of the computer system;
- and
- a signal input at which a module present signal is received from another power supply module;
- and wherein:
- when the module present signal received from the other power supply module is asserted, the voltage is supplied at a nominal voltage;
- and
- upon deassertion of the module present signal received from the other power supply module, the voltage is increased to a maximum voltage.
A method of removing a power supply from a computer system having redundant power supplies during operation of the computer system, comprising:
- sending a signal from a first power supply to a second power supply indicating that the first power supply is present;
- maintaining a voltage output by the second power supply at a nominal voltage in response to assertion of the signal;
- removing the first power supply from the computer system to cause deassertion of the signal;
- and
- increasing the voltage output by the second power supply to a maximum voltage in response to deassertion of the signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.