Small form factor power supply for powering electronics appliances
AssigneeComarco Wireless Technologies, Inc.
InventorThomas W. Lanni
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A progammable power supply for providing a regulated DC output power is disclosed. The power supply provides the output power to any one of a plurality of electronic devices adapted for receiving the output power at an operational voltage or an operational current. The power supply receives a programming signal to maintain the output power at the operational voltage or operational current associated with a particular selected electronic device. Accordingly, by varying the programming signal, the power supply can be programmed to provide output power to any one of several electronic devices having differing input power requirements.
Claims46
A power supply which is programmable for providing DC power to a selected one of a plurality of electronic appliances, each of the plurality of electronic appliances being adapted for receiving DC power to meet an input power requirement associated with the electronic appliance of at least one of an input current and an input voltage, the power supply comprising:
- an input circuit for receiving input power from a power source;
- an output circuit adapted for coupling to the selected electronic appliance at an output connection terminal for transmitting power to the selected electronic appliance;
- and
- a power conversion circuit for providing output power at the input current or the input voltage of the input power requirement associated with the selected electronic appliance in response to a detection of a programming signal received at the output connection terminal to substantially meet the input power requirement associated with the selected appliance.
A method for providing power to a selected one of a plurality of electronic applicances, each of the plurality of electronic appliances being adapted to receive input power to substantially meet an input power requirement associated with the electronic appliance of at least one of an input current and an input voltage, the method comprising:
- receiving input power from a power source;
- detecting a power programming signal at a connector coupled to the selected electronic appliance;
- converting the input power into output power having one of the input current and the input voltage of the input power requirement associated with the selected electronic appliance in response to the power programming signal;
- and
- transmitting the output power to the selected electronic appliance through the connector to substantially meet the input power requirement associated with the selected electronic appliance.
A power supply for providing power to selected one of a plurality of electronic appliances, each of the plurality of electronic appliances being adapted to receive input power to substantially meet an input power requirement associated with the electronic appliance of at least one of an input current and an input voltage, the power supply comprising:
- means for receiving input power from a power source;
- means for detecting a power programming signal at a connector coupled to the selected electronic appliance;
- means for converting the input power into output power having one of the input current and the input voltage in response to the programming signal;
- and
- means for transmitting the output power to the selected electronic appliance through the connector to substantially meet the input power requirement associated with the selected electronic appliance.
A system of providing power to portable electronic devices, the system comprising:
- an electronic appliance selected from a plurality of electronic appliances, each of the plurality of electronic appliances being adapted for receiving power at an input power requirement associated with the electronic appliance of at least one of an input current and an input voltage;
- a power supply adapted for receiving input power from a power source for providing DC power to a DC input of the selected electronic appliance, the power supply including an input circuit for receiving input power from a power source, an output connection terminal adapted for coupling to the DC input of selected electronic appliance, an output circuit for transmitting output power to the output connection terminal, and a power conversion circuit for converting power received from a power source into the output power, the output power being at about the input current or the input voltage of the input power requirement associated with the selected electronic appliance in response to a detection of a programning signal received at the output connection terminal;
- and
- a connector for coupling the DC input of the selected electronic appliance to the output connection terminal for transmitting power from the power supply to the selected electronic appliance, the connector having at least one conductor adapted for mating with a conductor of the output connection terminal for transmitting the programming signal to the power supply.
A method of controlling a power supply to provide output power, the method comprising:
- selecting an electronic appliance from among a plurality of electronic appliances, each of the electronic appliances being adapted to receive input power at an input power requirement associated with the electronic appliance of at least one of an input current and an input voltage;
- selecting one of a plurality of connectors for transmitting power from the power supply to the selected electronic appliance, each of the plurality of connectors being associated with one of the plurality of electronic appliances, the selected connector being associated with the selected electronic appliance;
- coupling the selected connector between a power output connection terminal of the power supply and a power input connection terminal of the selected electronic appliance;
- and
- transmitting a programming signal from the selected connector to the output connection terminal of the power supply to control the power supply to transmit output power to the selected portable appliance at about the input current or input voltage of the input power requirement associated with the selected appliance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.