Power control device and control method

Abstract

The application discloses a power control device, comprising: an input component having a switch and being electrically connected to an actuator, the input component generating a trigger signal according to the state of the switch or a control signal inputted by the actuator; an operation component electrically connected to the input component, and outputting a first signal from a control output end and a second signal from a feedback output end when the trigger signal is received; an output component electrically connected to the control output end of the operation component, and changing the power-on state of a controlled device when the voltage level of the first signal changes; and a feedback component electrically connected to the feedback output end of the operation component, and outputting a feedback signal to the actuator according to the second signal. The application also discloses a power control method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a power control device and control method, and more particularly to a hardware-based power control device and control method. Background Technology

[0002] With the advent of the big data era, servers, with their powerful computing capabilities and large storage capacity, and their ability to provide services to intranets or extranets via the internet, are increasingly becoming the go-to source for processing massive amounts of data across various industries. Generally, server power on / off control is achieved through a baseboard management controller (BMC) coupled with software.

[0003] However, compared to hardware, software is not only more prone to unexpected failures, but its development and maintenance costs are also higher. On the other hand, power control devices based on board management controllers and software, due to server structural limitations, often only allow signal transmission between simple components rather than a complete circuit. Therefore, power control devices based on board management controllers and software often lack a feedback mechanism that allows users to confirm the device's power-on status, resulting in users being unable to detect device malfunctions in a timely manner.

[0004] Therefore, there is currently a need for a power control device and control method to improve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a power control device and control method, which are implemented in hardware and provide a feedback mechanism to confirm whether the device is powered on, thereby improving the problems mentioned in the prior art.

[0006] The present invention provides a power control device, comprising: an input component having a switch, the input component being electrically connected to an actuator, the input component generating a trigger signal based on the state of the switch or based on a control signal input from the actuator; an arithmetic component electrically connected to the input component to receive the trigger signal, the arithmetic component outputting a first signal from a control output terminal and a second signal from a feedback output terminal when receiving the trigger signal; an output component electrically connected to the control output terminal of the arithmetic component to receive the first signal, the output component being configured to change the energization state of a controlled device when the voltage level of the first signal changes; and a feedback component electrically connected to the feedback output terminal of the arithmetic component to receive the second signal, the feedback component being configured to output a feedback signal to the actuator based on the second signal.

[0007] This invention provides a power control method, comprising: generating a trigger signal by an input component based on the state of a switch or based on a control signal input from an actuator; when an arithmetic component receives the trigger signal, outputting a first signal from a control output terminal and a second signal from a feedback output terminal upon receiving the trigger signal; and changing the energization state of a controlled device by the output component when the voltage level of the first signal changes; and

[0008] The feedback component outputs a feedback signal based on the second signal.

[0009] The present invention provides a power control device and control method. The device and method are implemented based on hardware, which is more stable than software and can provide a feedback mechanism to confirm whether the device is powered on, allowing users to more effectively confirm whether the hardware is operating normally.

[0010] The foregoing description of the invention and the following description of the embodiments are intended to demonstrate and explain the spirit and principles of the invention, and to provide a further explanation of the scope of protection of the patent application claims. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1A This is a block architecture diagram of an embodiment of the power control device of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 1B This is a block architecture diagram of another embodiment of the power control device of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a circuit architecture diagram of the input component of a power control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 3 This is a circuit architecture diagram of the output component of a power control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a circuit architecture diagram of the feedback component of a power control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 5 This is a circuit diagram of another embodiment of the power control device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a power control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] In the attached figures, the following labels are used:

[0019] 11 Input Components

[0020] 12 Computing Components

[0021] 13 Output Components

[0022] 14 Feedback Components

[0023] 110 switch

[0024] 111 First Input Transistor

[0025] 112 Second Input Transistor

[0026] 121 Input Terminal

[0027] 122 Control Output Terminal

[0028] 123 Feedback Output Terminal

[0029] DC controlled device

[0030] 131 First output transistor

[0031] 141 First Feedback Transistor

[0032] 142 Second Feedback Transistor

[0033] 110a base terminal

[0034] 110b First trigger terminal

[0035] 110c Second Trigger Terminal

[0036] 111a, 112a, 131a, 141a, 142a control terminals

[0037] 111b, 112b, 131b, 141b, 142b First end

[0038] 111c, 112c, 131c, 141c, 142c Second End

[0039] A1 Actuator

[0040] A2 Another actuator

[0041] CS control signal

[0042] FBS feedback signal

[0043] FS First Signal

[0044] SS Second Signal

[0045] TS trigger signal

[0046] P1, P3, P4 power input ports

[0047] P2 power supply Detailed Implementation

[0048] The following detailed description of the features and advantages of the present invention in the embodiments is sufficient to enable any person skilled in the art to understand the technical content of the present invention and implement it accordingly. Based on the disclosure in this specification, the scope of protection of the claims, and the accompanying drawings, any person skilled in the art can easily understand the related objects and advantages of the present invention. The following embodiments further illustrate the points of the present invention in detail, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 1A , Figure 1A This is a block architecture diagram of an embodiment of a power control device according to the present invention. The power control device includes: an input component 11, a calculation component 12, an output component 13, and a feedback component 14.

[0050] Input component 11 is electrically connected to actuator A1 and has a switch 110. Input component 11 generates a trigger signal TS based on the state of switch 110 or based on a control signal CS input from actuator A1. Specifically, input component 11 is a component for starting a power control device, wherein the starting method can be divided into two types: control by switch 110 and control by actuator A1. In detail, the user can start or stop the power supply to the power control device by changing the closed or open state of the switch 110 contacts. Alternatively, the user can also control the power supply state of the power control device by operating actuator A1 to send a control signal CS to input component 11. In this embodiment, actuator A1 can be implemented by a switch (SAS-Switch), and the trigger signal TS can be a falling edge of a voltage signal changing from a high voltage level to a low voltage level; however, depending on different server architectures, actuator A1 and trigger signal TS can also be implemented in other forms, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0051] like Figure 1AAs shown, the input terminal 121 of the arithmetic component 12 is electrically connected to the input component 11 to receive the aforementioned trigger signal TS. Furthermore, when the arithmetic component 12 receives the trigger signal TS, it can output a first signal FS from the control output terminal 122 and a second signal SS from the feedback output terminal 123, enabling the output component 13 and the feedback component 14 to operate upon receiving the signals. Specifically, the control output terminal 122 is electrically connected to the output component 13, and the feedback output terminal 123 is electrically connected to the feedback component 14. In this embodiment, the arithmetic component 12 can be an integrated circuit (IC). However, depending on factors such as computational load, size, or cost, the arithmetic component 12 can also be configured as a microprocessor or a central processing unit (CPU) or other arithmetic device; this invention is not limited to these limitations.

[0052] Output component 13 is electrically connected to the control output terminal 122 of arithmetic component 12 to receive the first signal FS. Furthermore, when the voltage level of the first signal FS received by output component 13 changes, the power-on state of the controlled device Dc can be changed. For example, when the voltage level of the first signal FS changes from a high voltage level to a low voltage level, the power-on state of the controlled device Dc changes from being powered to being de-powered, but the reverse is also possible. In this embodiment, the controlled device Dc can be implemented using a lighting fixture, such as a light-emitting diode (LED), but it can also be implemented using other lighting fixtures or different types of electronic components; the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0053] Feedback component 14 is electrically connected to the feedback output terminal 123 of arithmetic component 12 to receive the second signal SS. Furthermore, when feedback component 14 receives the second signal SS, it can output a feedback signal FBS to actuator A1. Through this mechanism, the user can confirm whether the input component 11, arithmetic component 12, and output component 13 are operating normally based on whether actuator A1 receives the feedback signal FBS.

[0054] Please refer to Figure 1B , Figure 1B This is a block architecture diagram of another embodiment of the power control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1A The difference is, Figure 1BThe power control device shown is electrically connected not only to actuator A1, but also to another actuator A2. Specifically, actuator A2 can also generate and transmit control signals CS to input component 11, and receive feedback signals FBS transmitted by processing component 12. Therefore, the operating mechanism of actuator A2 is largely the same as that of actuator A1 for the power control device. In this embodiment, actuator A2 can be a chip electrically connected to a rack management controller (RMC), but depending on the server architecture, actuator A2 can be implemented with other components, and this invention is not limited thereto.

[0055] Please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a circuit diagram of the input component 11 of a power control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In addition to the aforementioned switch 110, the input component 11 further includes a first input transistor 111, a second input transistor 112, and a power input port P1. Specifically, the first input transistor 111 is electrically connected to actuator A1, the second input transistor 112 is electrically connected to another actuator A2, and the power input port P1 is electrically connected to the aforementioned switch 110 and is used to receive DC power.

[0056] For a description of the structure of switch 110, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 2 Switch 110 has a base terminal 110a, a first trigger terminal 110b, and a second trigger terminal 110c; wherein the first trigger terminal 110b is a ground terminal, and the second trigger terminal 110c is electrically connected to the power input port P1 to receive external DC power. Furthermore, the base terminal 110a is electrically connected to the power input port P1 and is also electrically connected to either the first trigger terminal 110b or the second trigger terminal 110c, so that switch 110 presents a first state and a second state. Specifically, when the base terminal 110a is electrically connected to the second trigger terminal 110c, the power input port P1 continuously provides an external voltage to the input terminal 121 of the arithmetic component 12, causing the input component 11 to continuously provide a high voltage level to the arithmetic component 12. Therefore, when the base terminal 110a is electrically connected to the second trigger terminal 110c, switch 110 is in an off state (i.e., the second state), and the input component 11 does not generate a trigger signal TS. On the other hand, when the base terminal 110a is electrically connected to the first trigger terminal 110b, the voltage level transmitted from the input component 11 to the arithmetic component 12 changes from high to low. Therefore, when the base terminal 110a is electrically connected to the first trigger terminal 110b, the switch 110 is in the on state (i.e., the first state), and the input component 11 converts the external voltage provided by the power input port P1 into a trigger signal TS (i.e., a signal that changes from high to low voltage level) and transmits it to the arithmetic component 12.

[0057] For an explanation of the first input transistor 111, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 2 The first input transistor 111 is electrically connected between the arithmetic component 12 and the actuator A1, and has a control terminal 111a, a first terminal 111b, and a second terminal 111c. Specifically, the control terminal 111a is electrically connected to the actuator A1 to receive a control signal CS, the first terminal 111b is electrically connected to the arithmetic component 12 to transmit a trigger signal TS to the arithmetic component 12, and the second terminal 111c is a ground terminal. Furthermore, the first input transistor 111 can be implemented as a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) or a bipolar junction transistor (BJT). For example, when the first input transistor 111 is configured as a MOSFET, the control terminal 111a can be the gate, the first terminal 111b can be the drain, and the second terminal 111c can be the source. On the other hand, when the first input transistor 111 is configured as a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), the aforementioned control terminal 111a can be the base, the first terminal 111b can be the collector, and the second terminal 111c can be the emitter.

[0058] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 2 In another embodiment of this invention, the input component 11 further includes a second input transistor 112. The main difference from the first input transistor 111 described above is that the second input transistor 112 is electrically connected between the arithmetic component 12 and another actuator A2. Specifically, the control terminal 112a of the second input transistor 112 is electrically connected to the other actuator A2, the first terminal 112b of the second input transistor 112 is electrically connected to the arithmetic component 12, and the second terminal 112c of the second input transistor 112 is grounded. Furthermore, when the second input transistor 112 is configured as a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) or a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), the terminals of the MOSFET or BJT corresponding to the control terminal 112a, the first terminal 112b, and the second terminal 112c are the same as those of the first input transistor 111, and therefore will not be described again here.

[0059] Please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a circuit architecture diagram of the output component 13 of a power control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3As shown, the output component 13 further includes a first output transistor 131, which is electrically connected between the arithmetic component 12 and the controlled device Dc. Similar to the first input transistor 111 and the second input transistor 112 described above, the first output transistor 131 also has a control terminal 131a, a first terminal 131b, and a second terminal 131c, and can be implemented using a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) or a bipolar junction transistor (BJT). Specifically, the control terminal 131a is electrically connected to the arithmetic component 12 to receive a first signal FS, and the first terminal 131b is electrically connected to the controlled device Dc and the power supply P2 to change the energizing state of the controlled device Dc. Furthermore, the second terminal 131c is a ground terminal. In detail, when the first signal FS received by the control terminal 131a of the first output transistor 131 is at a low voltage level, the first output transistor 131 is in an off-state, so the controlled device Dc is also not energized. Conversely, when the first signal FS received by the control terminal 131a of the first output transistor 131 is at a high voltage level, the first terminal 131b and the second terminal 131c of the first output transistor 131 are effectively short-circuited, causing the power supplied by the power supply P2 to form a current flowing through the controlled device Dc. At this time, the controlled device Dc is energized. Furthermore, the aforementioned first signal FS can be a voltage level change at the control output terminal 122 of the arithmetic component 12; for example, the rising edge of a voltage signal changing from a preset low voltage level (low) to a high voltage level (high), but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0060] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a circuit architecture diagram of the feedback component 14 of a power control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4As shown, the feedback component 14 further includes a first feedback transistor 141, which is electrically connected between the arithmetic component 12 and the actuator A1. Similar to the first input transistor 111, the second input transistor 112, and the first output transistor 131 described above, the first feedback transistor 141 has a control terminal 141a, a first terminal 141b, and a second terminal 141c, and can be implemented using a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) or a bipolar junction transistor (BJT). Specifically, the control terminal 141a is electrically connected to the feedback output terminal 123 of the arithmetic component 12 to receive the second signal SS; the first terminal 141b is electrically connected to the actuator A1 and the power input port P3, and transmits the feedback signal FBS to the actuator A1; the second terminal 141c is a ground terminal. Specifically, when the second signal SS received by the feedback component 14 is at a low voltage level, the first feedback transistor 141 is in an off state, so the feedback signal FBS generated by the feedback component 14 is at a high voltage level. Conversely, when the feedback component 14 receives the second signal SS as a high voltage level, the first terminal 141b and the second terminal 141c of the first feedback transistor 141 form a short circuit. Therefore, the voltage supplied by the power input port P3 changes from a high voltage level to a low voltage level, and the feedback signal FBS generated by the feedback component 14 is at a low voltage level. It is worth mentioning that the aforementioned second signal SS can be the voltage change at the feedback output terminal 123 of the arithmetic component 12; for example, from a preset high voltage level to a low voltage level, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0061] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 4 As previously described, in another embodiment of this invention, the feedback component 14 further includes a second feedback transistor 142, which is electrically connected between the computing component 12 and another actuator A2. Unlike the first feedback transistor 141, the first terminal 142b of the second feedback transistor 142 is electrically connected to the power input port P4 of the other actuator A2. Furthermore, similar to the first feedback transistor 141, the second feedback transistor 142 can generate and transmit a feedback signal FBS to the other actuator A2 based on the second signal SS. Since the process by which the second feedback transistor 142 generates the feedback signal FBS is the same as that of the first feedback transistor 141, it will not be described again in this paragraph.

[0062] Please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5This is a circuit diagram of another embodiment of the power control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the first input transistor 111, the second input transistor 112, the first output transistor 131, the first feedback transistor 141, and the second feedback transistor 142 are all configured as metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). Furthermore, the first input transistor 111 and the first feedback transistor 141 are connected to the same actuator A1, while the second input transistor 112 and the second feedback transistor 142 are connected to the same actuator A2. It should be noted that... Figure 5 The circuit diagram shown is one embodiment of this invention and is illustrated to more clearly explain the technical features of the invention. Therefore, Figure 5 The configuration shown is not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the technical features of the invention are based on... Figure 1A As shown in the architecture, the other actuator A2, the second input transistor 112, and the second feedback transistor 142 are all optional components and can be selectively configured as needed. This invention is not limited to the aforementioned optional components and related operations.

[0063] Please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a power control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to step S1: The input component generates a trigger signal based on the state of the switch or based on a control signal input from the actuator; wherein the state of the switch can be divided into a first state (generating a trigger signal and the device is energized) and a second state (not generating a trigger signal and the device is not energized), and the control signal can be generated by the actuator itself or by user operation. Please refer to step S2: The arithmetic component outputs a first signal from the control output terminal and a second signal from the feedback output terminal; wherein the control output terminal is electrically connected to the output component, and the feedback output terminal is electrically connected to the feedback component. When the arithmetic component outputs the first signal from the control output terminal, and the voltage level of the first signal changes, please refer to step S3: The output component changes the energization state of the controlled device; wherein the output component can change the energization state of the controlled device using a first output transistor. On the other hand, when the arithmetic component outputs the second signal from the feedback output terminal, please refer to step S4: The feedback component outputs a feedback signal to the actuator based on the second signal. In detail, in step S4, the feedback component receives the second signal via the first feedback transistor and outputs a feedback signal at a high voltage level (high) or a low voltage level (low) to the actuator based on the voltage level of the second signal. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the second signal may be a change in voltage from a preset high voltage level (high) to a low voltage level (low) at the feedback output terminal of the arithmetic component, and the first feedback transistor can convert the received low voltage level (low) to a high voltage level (high) and transmit it to the actuator. Therefore, the feedback signal may have the same waveform as the first signal.

[0064] In summary, the present invention provides a power control device and a control method. The device and method are implemented in hardware, which is more stable than software and provides a feedback mechanism to confirm whether the device is powered on, allowing users to more effectively verify whether the hardware is functioning correctly.

[0065] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the scope defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A power control device, characterized in that, The power control device includes: An input component having a switch and the input component being electrically connected to an actuator, the input component generating a trigger signal based on the state of the switch or based on a control signal input from the actuator; An arithmetic component is electrically connected to the input component to receive the trigger signal, and when the arithmetic component receives the trigger signal, it outputs a first signal from a control output terminal and a second signal from a feedback output terminal. An output component is electrically connected to the control output terminal of the arithmetic component to receive the first signal, and the output component is used to change the power-on state of a controlled device when the voltage level of the first signal changes. as well as A feedback component is electrically connected to the feedback output terminal of the arithmetic component to receive the second signal, and the feedback component is used to output a feedback signal to the actuator according to the second signal, and the actuator is used to confirm whether the input component, arithmetic component and output component are operating normally.

2. The power control device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The feedback component further includes a first feedback transistor electrically connected between the arithmetic component and the actuator. The first feedback transistor has a control terminal, a first terminal, and a second terminal. The control terminal is electrically connected to the feedback output terminal of the arithmetic component to receive the second signal. The first terminal is electrically connected to the actuator to transmit the feedback signal to the actuator. The first terminal is also electrically connected to a first power input port. The second terminal is a ground terminal.

3. The power control device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The feedback component further includes a second feedback transistor electrically connected between the arithmetic component and another actuator. The control terminal of the second feedback transistor is electrically connected to the feedback output terminal of the arithmetic component. The first terminal of the second feedback transistor is used to electrically connect the other actuator to a second power input port. The second terminal of the second feedback transistor is a ground terminal.

4. The power control device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The input component's switch is electrically connected to a third power input port to receive an external voltage, and the switch has a first state and a second state; when the switch is in the first state, the input component converts the external voltage into a trigger signal and transmits it to the arithmetic component; when the switch is in the second state, the input component does not generate the trigger signal.

5. The power control device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The input component's switch further includes a base terminal, a first trigger terminal, and a second trigger terminal, wherein the first trigger terminal is a ground terminal, the second trigger terminal is electrically connected to the third power input port, and the base terminal is electrically connected to one of the first trigger terminal and the second trigger terminal; when the base terminal is electrically connected to the first trigger terminal, the switch is in the first state; when the base terminal is electrically connected to the second trigger terminal, the switch is in the second state.

6. The power control device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The input component further includes a first input transistor electrically connected between the arithmetic component and the actuator. The first input transistor has a control terminal, a first terminal and a second terminal. The control terminal is electrically connected to the actuator to receive the control signal. The first terminal is electrically connected to the arithmetic component to transmit the trigger signal to the arithmetic component. The second terminal is a ground terminal.

7. The power control device as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The input component further includes a second input transistor electrically connected between the arithmetic component and another actuator, wherein the control terminal of the second input transistor is electrically connected to the other actuator, the first terminal of the second input transistor is electrically connected to the arithmetic component, and the second terminal of the second input transistor is a ground terminal.

8. The power control device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The output component further includes a first output transistor for electrically connecting the computing component and the controlled device. The first output transistor has a control terminal, a first terminal and a second terminal. The control terminal is electrically connected to the computing component to receive the first signal. The first terminal is electrically connected to the controlled device to change the power-on state of the controlled device. The first terminal is electrically connected to a power supply, and the second terminal is a ground terminal.

9. A power control method, characterized in that, This power control method includes: An input component generates a trigger signal based on the state of a switch or a control signal input from an actuator; When a processing unit receives the trigger signal, the processing unit outputs a first signal from a control output terminal and a second signal from a feedback output terminal upon receiving the trigger signal. When the voltage level of the first signal changes, an output component changes the power-on state of a controlled device; and A feedback component outputs a feedback signal to the actuator based on the second signal, and the actuator is used to confirm whether the input component, the arithmetic component and the output component are operating normally.

10. The power control method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The feedback component outputs the feedback signal to the actuator based on the second signal, including: The second signal is converted into the feedback signal by a first feedback transistor; The feedback signal has the same waveform as the first signal.

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