Power management system for modular electronics

A power management system for a modular electronic system comprising:

• means for receiving a modular electronic component, said component having an associated known maximum power demand;
• means for querying the component having a first end and a second end connected together through said means for receiving, said first end adapted to couple said means for querying to the component;
• means for supervising attached to said means for receiving and to said second end, said means for receiving adapted to query said means for querying and to receive therefrom an associated known maximum power demand of the component;
• means for providing first information indicative of available power resources of the modular electronic system;
• and
• means for providing second information indicative of existing power resource utilization of the modular electronic system,
• wherein the power management system is adapted to compare said first information, said second information and said associated known power demand of the component to determine if sufficient power resources exist to successfully fully power up the component.

A power management system for a modular electronic system comprising:

• means for receiving a modular electronic component, the component having an associated known maximum power demand;
• means for querying the component, said means for querying having a first end and a second end connected together through said means for receiving, said first end adapted to be coupled to the component;
• means for supervising attached to said means for receiving and to said second end, said means for supervising adapted to query said means for querying and to receive therefrom an associated known maximum power demand of the component;
• and
• means for providing first information indicative of excess power resources of the modular electronic system,
• wherein, the power management system is adapted to compare said first information and said associated known power demand of the component to determine if sufficient power resources exist to successfully fully power up the component.

A modular electronic system comprising:

• means for receiving an electronic module having a known maximum power requirement;
• means for supervising connected to said means for receiving;
• means for querying coupling a query node of said electronic module to said means for supervising through said means for receiving;
• means for encoding associated with the electronic module for providing signals to said means for supervising which are indicative of said maximum power requirement, wherein said means for encoding comprises an electrical impedance element, wherein an electrical impedance is selected to correlate with the known maximum power requirement;
• and
• means for decoding associated with said means for supervising for decoding said signals to determine the said maximum power requirement.

A modular electronic comprising:

• means for receiving an electronic module having a known maximum power requirement;
• means for supervising connected to said means for receiving;
• means for querying coupling a query node of the electronic module and said means for supervising through said means for receiving;
• means for encoding associated with said electronic module for providing signals to said means for supervising which are indicative of the maximum power requirement, said encoding means for encoding comprising a first resistor having a resistance selected to correlate with the known maximum power requirement;
• and
• means for decoding said signals to determine the maximum power requirement, the signals being voltage signals produced by passing an electric current through said first resistor,
• said first resistor being connected between said query node and a source of a first voltage, and
• the signals being carried over a query conductor passing from the query node through said means for receiving and coupled through a second resistor to a source of a second voltage.