Extension unit

Abstract

To provide an extension unit which allows a user to set ID and facilitates reducing the cost.SOLUTION: An extension unit is connected with an uninterruptible power supply. The extension unit comprises: a housing provided with a first button which is used for a first operation of the uninterruptible power supply when the housing is used for the uninterruptible power supply; a battery which is accommodated in the housing and used for power supply to an external device via the uninterruptible power supply; and an acceptance unit which accepts setting of an ID used for identification of the extension unit by the uninterruptible power supply by using the first button.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an add-on unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Uninterruptible power supplies are used to protect electronic devices during power outages. Some uninterruptible power supplies can expand the battery capacity by connecting an expansion unit. An ID is set in the expansion unit using, for example, a dip switch, so that each expansion unit can be identified by the uninterruptible power supply (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-157380 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-069453 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If an expansion unit is provided with an additional part for setting an ID, such as a DIP switch, the increase in the number of parts makes it difficult to reduce the price of the expansion unit. In addition, it is possible to set the ID when the expansion unit is shipped without adding an ID setting part to the expansion unit, but this would prevent the user from freely setting the ID, which may reduce the degree of freedom in the operation of the expansion unit by the user.

[0005] One aspect of the disclosed technology is to provide an add-on unit that allows a user to set an ID and can be easily made inexpensive. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the disclosed technology is exemplified by the following expansion unit: An expansion unit connected to an uninterruptible power supply includes a housing provided with a first button used for a first operation of the uninterruptible power supply when the housing is used for the uninterruptible power supply, a battery housed in the housing and used to supply power to an external device via the uninterruptible power supply, and a reception unit that uses the first button to receive setting of an ID used for identifying the expansion unit by the uninterruptible power supply.

[0007] According to this expansion unit, an ID can be set in the expansion unit using the first button. The first button is provided as a button to be used for the first operation when the housing is used in an uninterruptible power supply. Therefore, according to this expansion unit, an ID can be set using an existing button, so there is no need to provide an additional component such as a dip switch for setting the ID. Therefore, according to this expansion unit, it is easy to reduce the cost and size.

[0008] Here, the ID set for this expansion unit is used as information indicating the expansion unit in communication with the uninterruptible power supply, for example. Since the uninterruptible power supply can identify the expansion unit by the ID, even if multiple expansion units are connected to the uninterruptible power supply, the status of each expansion unit can be managed by associating it with the ID.

[0009] The housing may also be provided with an output unit for outputting information indicating the set ID. By providing such an output unit, it becomes easy for the user to check the ID set in the extension unit. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the disclosed technology, it is possible to provide an add-on unit that allows the user to set an ID and can be easily manufactured at a low price. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a first diagram showing an example of an uninterruptible power supply system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a second diagram showing an example of an uninterruptible power supply system according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the UPS main body. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an internal configuration of the extension unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing block of a control unit of the extension unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a process flow of an ID setting process in the extension unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] <Application Examples> An application example of the present invention will be described. Expansion units 2A, 2B, and 2C according to the application example are units that are connected to a UPS main body 1 to increase the battery capacity of the UPS main body 1, as exemplified in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Between the UPS main body 1 and the expansion units 2A, 2B, and 2C, device-to-device communication is performed by, for example, RS485. In device-to-device communication, an ID is used to identify the communication partner.

[0013] In this application example, the IDs for the extension units 2A, 2B, and 2C are set using the ID buttons 231A, 231B, and 231C. Here, the housings 24A, 24B, and 24C for the extension units 2A, 2B, and 2C are repurposed housings designed as the housing 14 for the UPS main body 1. That is, the ID buttons 231A, 231B, and 231C for the extension units 2A, 2B, and 2C are repurposed power button 131 for the UPS main body 1. Therefore, according to this application example, the IDs for the extension units 2A, 2B, and 2C can be set using the ID buttons 231A, 231B, and 231C that are repurposed from the existing power button 131, so that it is not necessary to add components such as dip switches to the extension units 2A, 2B, and 2C for ID setting. Therefore, according to this application example, the IDs can be set by the user, and the cost of the extension unit 2 can be easily reduced by reducing the number of components.

[0014] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 and 2 are diagrams showing an example of an uninterruptible power supply system 100 according to an embodiment. Figure 1 illustrates an example of the appearance of the front side of the uninterruptible power supply system 100, and Figure 2 illustrates an example of the appearance of the rear side of the uninterruptible power supply system 100. The uninterruptible power supply system 100 comprises a UPS main body 1, an expansion unit 2A, an expansion unit 2B, and an expansion unit 2C. When there is no need to distinguish between the expansion units 2A, 2B, and 2C, they are also referred to as expansion units 2.

[0015] The uninterruptible power supply system 100 is a system that supplies power to electronic devices such as personal computers connected to an outlet 11 from batteries built into a UPS main unit 1 and an expansion unit 2 in the event of a failure such as a power outage in the commercial power supply.

[0016] The UPS main unit 1 is a module that supplies power to electronic devices and controls the expansion unit 2. In the UPS main unit 1, an operation panel 13 is disposed on the front side of a housing 14. The operation panel 13 has a power button 131, an alarm sound stop button 132, an AC indicator light 133, a battery display Including an indicator light 134 and a warning indicator light 135.

[0017] The power button 131 is a button for switching the power of the UPS main body 1 on / off. By turning on the power of the UPS main body 1 with the power button 131, it becomes possible to supply power from the batteries built into the UPS main body 1 and the expansion unit 2 to electronic devices connected to the outlet 11. The alarm sound stop button 132 is a button for stopping an alarm sound that issues an alarm when some abnormality occurs in the UPS main body 1 and the expansion unit 2. The AC indicator light 133 is an LED that indicates the presence or absence of power supply from the commercial power source. The battery indicator light 134 is an LED that indicates the status of the batteries built into the UPS main body 1 and the expansion unit 2. The warning indicator light 135 is an LED that indicates an abnormality in the UPS main body 1 and the expansion unit 2.

[0018] Five outlets 11 and a connection terminal 12 are arranged on the rear side of the housing 14 of the UPS main body 1. Although five outlets 11 are arranged in FIG. 2, there is no limitation on the number of outlets 11. For example, three outlets 11 may be arranged. The UPS main body 1 supplies power from a built-in battery to an electronic device such as a personal computer connected to the outlets 11 when a failure such as a power outage occurs in the commercial power supply. The extension unit 2 is connected to the connection terminal 12. The connection terminal 12 is, for example, a terminal that complies with RS485.

[0019] The extension unit 2 is a module that expands the battery capacity of the uninterruptible power supply system 100 by being connected to the UPS main body 1. In the extension unit 2A, an operation panel 23A is arranged on the front side of the housing 24A. The operation panel 23A includes an ID button 231A, a maintenance button 232A, an ID2 indicator light 234A, and a status indicator light 235A. Similarly, in the extension unit 2B, an operation panel 23B including an ID button 231B, a maintenance button 232B, an ID2 indicator light 234B, and a status indicator light 235B is arranged on the front side of the housing 24B. In addition, in the extension unit 2C, an operation panel 23C including an ID button 231C, a maintenance button 232C, an ID2 indicator light 234C, and a status indicator light 235C is arranged on the front side of the housing 24C. When the operation panels 23A, 23B, and 23C are not to be distinguished from each other, they are also referred to as operation panels 23. When the ID buttons 231A, 231B, and 231C are not differentiated from one another, they are also referred to as ID buttons 231. When the maintenance buttons 232A, 232B, and 232C are not differentiated from one another, they are also referred to as maintenance buttons 232. When the ID1 indicator lights 233A, 233B, and 233C are not differentiated from one another, they are also referred to as ID1 indicator lights 233. When the ID2 indicator lights 234A, 234B, and 234C are not differentiated from one another, they are also referred to as ID2 indicator lights 234. When the status indicator lights 235A, 235B, and 235C are not differentiated from one another, they are also referred to as status indicator lights 235. When the housings 24A, 24B, and 24C are not differentiated from one another, they are also referred to as housings 24.

[0020] The ID1 indicator light 233 and the ID2 indicator light 234 are LEDs that indicate the ID set in the expansion unit 2. When the ID "1" is set in the expansion unit 2, the ID1 indicator light 233 turns on and the ID2 indicator light 234 turns off. When the ID "2" is set in the expansion unit 2, the ID1 indicator light 233 turns off and the ID2 indicator light 234 turns on. When the ID "3" is set in the expansion unit 2, both the ID1 indicator light 233 and the ID2 indicator light 234 turn on. The status indicator light 235 turns on when an abnormality occurs in the expansion unit 2.

[0021] The ID button 231 is a button for executing operations related to the ID of the extension unit 2. When the ID button 231 is pressed, the ID set in the extension unit 2 is displayed by the ID1 indicator lamp 233 and the ID2 indicator lamp 234. Furthermore, when the ID button 231 is kept pressed for a predetermined period of time (hereinafter also referred to as a long press), the extension unit 2 transitions to an ID setting mode. The extension unit 2 that has transitioned to the ID setting mode counts the number of times the ID button 231 has been pressed. Based on this, the extension unit 2 is allowed to have its ID set. For example, when the ID button 231 is pressed once, the ID "1" is set, when the ID button 231 is pressed twice, the ID "2" is set, and when the ID button 231 is pressed three times, the ID "3" is set. The maintenance button 232 is a button for switching the extension unit 2 into a maintenance mode.

[0022] The housing 24 is a housing designed as the housing 14 that has been repurposed as the housing of the expansion unit 2. Therefore, the layout of the buttons and indicator lights is common to the UPS main body 1 and the expansion unit 2. In this embodiment, the ID button 231, maintenance button 232, ID1 indicator light 233, ID2 indicator light 234, and status indicator light 235 of the expansion unit 2 are respectively repurposed from the power button 131, alarm sound stop button 132, AC indicator light 133, battery indicator light 134, and warning indicator light 135 of the UPS main body 1.

[0023] Connection terminals 21A and 22A are arranged on the rear side of housing 24A of extension unit 2A, connection terminals 21B and 22B are arranged on the rear side of housing 24B of extension unit 2B, and connection terminals 21C and 22C are arranged on the rear side of housing 24C of extension unit 2C. When there is no need to distinguish between connection terminals 21C and 22C, they are also referred to as connection terminals 21 and 22. Connection terminals 21 and 22 are, for example, terminals that comply with RS485.

[0024] The connection terminal 12 and the connection terminal 21A are connected by a cable 31. The connection terminal 22A and the connection terminal 21B are connected by a cable 32. The connection terminal 22B and the connection terminal 21C are connected by a cable 33. That is, the UPS main body 1 and the extension units 2A, 2B, and 2C are connected by a daisy chain. The cables 31, 32, and 33 are, for example, connection cables compliant with RS485.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the UPS main unit 1. The UPS main unit 1 has a control unit 101 and a battery 102 in a housing 14. The control unit 101 includes a charging circuit that controls charging the battery 102 from a commercial power source, and a discharging circuit that controls power supply from the battery 102 to the electronic device. The control unit 101 also controls power supply to the electronic device from the battery 102 and a battery 202 (see FIG. 4) of the extension unit 2 connected via the connection terminal 12. The battery 102 is, for example, a lithium-ion battery. For safety reasons and to ensure traceability of the module, the discharge of the battery 102 is locked (prohibited) by the control unit 101 in the shipping state. The lock is released by the control unit 101 when a predetermined key code is input. The key code is issued, for example, when a user registers the UPS main unit 1 on a website of the manufacturer of the UPS main unit 1.

[0026] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the extension unit 2. The extension unit 2 has a control unit 201 and a battery 202 in a housing 24. The control unit 201 includes a charging circuit that controls charging the battery 202 from a commercial power source, and a discharging circuit that controls power supply from the battery 202 to an electronic device. The control unit 201 controls discharging the battery 202 in response to an instruction from the control unit 101. The battery 202 is, for example, a lithium ion battery. For safety reasons and to ensure traceability of the module, the discharge of the battery 202 is locked (prohibited) by the control unit 201 in the shipped state. The lock is released by the control unit 201 when a predetermined key code is input. The key code is issued, for example, when a user registers the extension unit 2 on a website of the manufacturer of the extension unit 2.

[0027] <Processing blocks of the control unit 201> FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a processing block of the control unit 201 of the extension unit 2. The control unit 201 includes a switching unit 211, a receiving unit 212, and a storage unit 213. The control unit 201 can be regarded as a computer including a processor and a memory. The processor executes a predetermined program, whereby the control unit 201 realizes processing blocks such as a switching unit 211, a receiving unit 212, and a storage unit 213.

[0028] The switching unit 211 switches between the initial mode and the ID setting mode by accepting a predetermined operation. In the initial mode, the ID button 231 is used to display the ID by the ID1 indicator lamp 233 and the ID2 indicator lamp 234. In the ID setting mode, the ID button 231 is used to set the ID for the extension unit 2. An example of the predetermined operation for switching between the initial mode and the ID setting mode is an operation of pressing and holding the ID button 231. When the switching unit 211 transitions to the ID setting mode, it notifies the user that the mode has transitioned to the ID setting mode by blinking the ID1 indicator lamp 233, the ID2 indicator lamp 234, and the status indicator lamp 235 in a predetermined pattern. An example of the blinking in the predetermined pattern is blinking the ID1 indicator lamp 233 and the ID2 indicator lamp 234 at 0.5 second intervals and blinking the status indicator lamp 235 at 2 second intervals.

[0029] The reception unit 212 accepts the setting of the ID by the ID button 231 in the ID setting mode. Each time the ID button 231 is pressed, the ID selected for the extension unit 2 is switched from "1" to "2" to "3". Which ID is selected is indicated by the lighting pattern of the ID1 indicator light 233 and the ID2 indicator light 234. For example, when the selected ID is "1", the ID1 indicator light 233 is lit, when the selected ID is "2", the ID2 indicator light 234 is lit, and when the selected ID is "3", the ID1 indicator light 233 and the ID2 indicator light 234 are lit. When a setting operation is performed with any ID selected, the selected ID is stored in the storage unit 213, so that the selected ID is set in the extension unit 2, and the mode transitions to the initial mode. An example of the setting operation is not pressing either the ID button 231 or the maintenance button 232 for 5 seconds or more. The extension unit 2 that transitions to the initial mode indicates the set ID by the lighting pattern of the ID1 indicator light 233 and the ID2 indicator light 234. The set ID is used for identifying the communication destination in inter-device communication between the UPS main body 1 and the extension unit 2.

[0030] The storage unit 213 is a non-volatile storage unit, and may be, for example, an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), a flash memory, a solid state drive (SSD), or a hard disk drive (HDD).

[0031] <Processing flow of ID setting process by extension unit 2> 6 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of the ID setting process in the extension unit 2. Hereinafter, an example of a processing flow of the ID setting process by the extension unit 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0032] In step S1, the switching unit 211 accepts a transition from the initial mode to the ID setting mode. In step S2, the reception unit 212 accepts a selection of an ID by the ID button 231. In step S3, upon accepting a setting operation, the reception unit 212 stores the ID selected in step S2 in the storage unit 213, thereby setting the ID of the extension unit 2.

[0033] <Effects of the embodiment> In this embodiment, the housing 24 of the expansion unit 2 is a repurposed housing designed as the housing 14 of the UPS main body 1. Therefore, the layout of the buttons and indicator lights is the same as that of the UPS main body 1. In the expansion unit 2, the button used as the power button 131 in the UPS main body 1 is repurposed as an ID button 231. The ID button 231 is used to set the ID of the expansion unit 2. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the DIP switch, etc. The ID can be set in the expansion unit 2 without providing any additional parts.

[0034] In this embodiment, an ID can be set in the expansion unit 2 without providing an additional component such as a DIP switch. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the user can set the ID, and the expansion unit 2 can be easily made cheaper than when an additional component such as a DIP switch is provided for ID setting.

[0035] In this embodiment, each of the expansion units 2A, 2B, and 2C connected to the UPS main body 1 can be identified by an ID. This makes it easy for the UPS main body 1 to monitor the status of each of the expansion units 2A, 2B, and 2C. The UPS main body 1 can collect information such as the current, voltage, and temperature of the battery 202 of each of the expansion units 2A, 2B, and 2C by communication via cables 31, 32, and 33, for example, and manage the collected information in association with the ID. In addition, the UPS main body 1 can issue an alarm specifying, by ID, an expansion unit 2 in which an abnormality such as overheating of the battery 202 has occurred.

[0036] In this embodiment, the user can set an ID for each of the extension units 2. Therefore, the physical arrangement order of the extension units 2 can be made to match the arrangement order of the IDs, which in turn makes it easier for the user to manage the extension units 2.

[0037] In this embodiment, the set ID is displayed by the lighting patterns of the ID1 indicator lamp 233 and the ID2 indicator lamp 234. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the ID set in the extension unit 2 can be displayed in a manner that is easy for the user to understand.

[0038] <Modification> In the embodiment described above, the button used as the power button 131 in the UPS main body 1 is repurposed as the ID button 231, but the button used as the alarm sound stop button 132 in the UPS main body 1 may also be repurposed as the ID button 231.

[0039] The embodiments and modifications disclosed above can be combined with each other.

[0040] <Appendix 1> An extension unit (2) connected to an uninterruptible power supply (1), a housing (24) provided with a first button (231) used for a first operation of the uninterruptible power supply (1) when used in the uninterruptible power supply (1); a battery (202) housed in the housing (24) and used to supply power to an external device via the uninterruptible power supply (1); a reception unit (212) that receives, by using the first button (231), the setting of an ID used for identifying the extension unit (2) by the uninterruptible power supply (1), Expansion unit (2). <Appendix 2> The set ID is used as information identifying the extension unit (2) in communication with the uninterruptible power supply (1). 2. An add-on unit (2) as described in Appendix 1. <Appendix 3> The housing (24) is provided with an output unit (233, 234) that outputs information indicating the set ID. 3. An expansion unit (1) as described in appendix 1 or 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1··UPS unit 2, 2A, 2B, 2C... Expansion unit 14, 24, 24A, 24B, 24C Enclosure 100··Uninterruptible Power System 101, 201 Control section 102, 202 Battery 211··Switching section 212 Reception 213...Storage section 231, 231A, 231B, 231C ID button 233, 233A, 233B, 233C...ID1 indicator light 234, 234A, 234B, 234C...ID2 indicator light

Claims

1. An extension unit connected to an uninterruptible power supply, a housing provided with a first button that is used for a first operation of the uninterruptible power supply when the housing is used for the uninterruptible power supply; a battery housed in the housing and used to supply power to an external device via the uninterruptible power supply; a reception unit that receives, by using the first button, setting of an ID used for identifying the extension unit by the uninterruptible power supply, Expansion unit.

2. The set ID is used as information indicating the extension unit in communication with the uninterruptible power supply. The add-on unit according to claim 1 .

3. The housing is provided with an output unit that outputs information indicating the set ID. The extension unit according to claim 1 or 2.

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