AC/DC portable power connecting architecture

A computer system comprising:

• a power supply containing at least one inductor;
• a programmable processor and a memory, connected to be powered by said power supply;
• at least one user input device, and at least one output device;
• a power cord connector on the exterior of said computer, including;
• a guide structure which snugly receives a standard power cord connector;
• power contacts which are electrically connected to said power supply, and
• at least one switch which is mechanically actuated by the presence of connector portions, on a connector which has been fully inserted into said guide structure, which do not fall within said standard power cord connector footprint, and is electrically connected to reroute connections of said power supply, in dependence on whether said presence detector detects the presence of a connector which has a larger footprint than said standard connector.

A power connector, comprising:

• a guide structure which is shaped to snugly receive standard AC power cord connectors of a first format, and also to snugly receive power cord connectors of a second format which is partially larger than said first format and is not a standard AC power cord format;
• power contacts which are electrically connected to pass power;
• and
• at least one switch which is actuated when a connector in said second format is fully inserted, but not when a connector in said first format is fully inserted.

A power connector architecture, comprising:

• a first power cord having a wall-connection end in a standard AC mains-connection format, and having an appliance end in a standard appliance-connection format for AC power;
• a second power cord having a wall-connection end in a DC connection format, and having an appliance end which is partly larger than said standard appliance-connection format for AC power;
• a first electrical appliance having thereon a power-input connector in said standard appliance-connection format, which will receive said first power cord but not said second power cord;
• and
• a second electrical appliance having thereon
• a power-input connector in a modification of said standard appliance-connection format, which will receive either said first power cord or said second power cord, and
• at least one switch which is actuated by insertion of said first cord but not by insertion of said second cord.

A method for operating a computer system, comprising the steps of:

• providing power to a memory from a power supply;
• providing power to said power supply from a power cord connector on the exterior of said computer, which includes a guide structure which can snugly receive a standard power cord connector, power contacts which are electrically connected to provide power to said power supply, and presence detectors which detect the presence of connector portions, on a connector which has been fully inserted into said guide structure, which do not fall within said standard power cord connector footprint;
• and
• changing the electrical connection of components of said power supply in dependence on the output of said presence detector.

A method for operating a computer system, comprising the steps of:

• providing power to a memory from a power supply;
• and
• providing power to said power supply from a power cord connector on the exterior of said computer, which includes a guide structure which can snugly receive a standard power cord connector, power contacts which are electrically connected to provide power to said power supply, and at least one switch which is mechanically actuated by the presence of connector portions, on a connector which has been fully inserted into said guide structure, which do not fall within said standard power cord connector footprint;
• wherein said switch connects and disconnects at least one component of said power supply, to optimize said power supply for either an AC input or a DC input.