Power supply system and power supply-side device

Abstract

To provide a power supply system and a power supply side device capable of reducing the possibility that power is supplied from an inappropriate power supply to an electronic apparatus when the power supply and the electronic apparatus are connected by a coaxial cable.SOLUTION: A power supply system includes a power-supply-side device to which power is supplied from a power supply side, an apparatus-side device that supplies power to an electronic apparatus side, and a coaxial cable that supplies power from the power-supply-side device to the apparatus-side device. The power adjusting unit of the power supply-side device sets the semi-conductor switch to a connected state (S203) in which the power supplied from the power supply side is supplied to the coaxial cables when power specifications as specifications of the power supplied by the power supply satisfy equipment requirement specifications as specifications of the power required by the electronic equipment (YES in S204), and sets the semi-conductor switch to a disconnected state (S203) in which the power supplied from the power supply side is not supplied to the coaxial cables when the power specifications do not satisfy the equipment requirement specifications (NO in S205).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply system and a power supply device that supplies power from a power supply side to an electronic device side using a coaxial cable. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, information processing systems have been known that include a power supply, an electronic device, and a coaxial cable that supplies power from the power supply to the electronic device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Here, a coaxial cable is a thick, round-shaped communication cable in which a copper wire (inner conductor) that transmits signals is surrounded by a tubular insulating layer (insulator), which is in turn surrounded by a tubular shield (outer conductor). Unlike shielded wires, coaxial cables have a guaranteed characteristic impedance, making it possible to transmit high-frequency signals. Because of their excellent durability, they are used in a wide range of applications, including home television antennas, data communications, and video distribution, and are readily available worldwide. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-339055 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The voltage and current capacity specifications required by electronic devices vary depending on the device. If the voltage specifications of the power supplied by a power supply do not meet the voltage specifications required by the electronic device, the electronic device may not operate properly or may break down. Generally, the number of cables supplying power and the connection terminals vary depending on the specifications, so to a certain extent it is possible to prevent incorrect connection of electronic devices with different specifications to a power supply. However, when using a coaxial cable, there is only one core wire and the connection terminals (connectors) are common, so it is easy to connect an electronic device to a power supply with incompatible specifications. This can cause the electronic device to not operate properly or to break down and catch fire.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a power supply system and a power supply side device that can reduce the possibility of power being supplied to an electronic device from an inappropriate power source when the power source and the electronic device are connected by a coaxial cable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The power supply system of the present invention comprises a power supply side device to which power is supplied from a power supply side, an equipment side device that supplies power to an electronic device side, and a coaxial cable that supplies power from the power supply side device to the equipment side device, wherein the power supply side device comprises a power supply specification acquisition unit that acquires power specifications as specifications of the power supplied by the power supply, and a power adjustment unit that adjusts the power supplied to the coaxial cable, and the equipment side device comprises an equipment requirement specification acquisition unit that acquires equipment requirement specifications as specifications of the power required by the electronic device, and the power adjustment unit comprises a state switching unit that can switch between a connected state in which power supplied from the power supply side is supplied to the coaxial cable and a disconnected state in which power supplied from the power supply side is not supplied to the coaxial cable, and is characterized in that the state switching unit is set to the connected state when the power supply specifications acquired by the power supply specification acquisition unit satisfy the equipment requirement specifications acquired by the equipment requirement specification acquisition unit, and is set to the disconnected state when the power supply specifications acquired by the power supply specification acquisition unit do not satisfy the equipment requirement specifications acquired by the equipment requirement specification acquisition unit.

[0007] With this configuration, the power supply system of the present invention switches the state switching unit to a disconnected state when the power supply specifications acquired by the power supply specification acquisition unit do not satisfy the equipment requirement specifications acquired by the equipment requirement specification acquisition unit, thereby reducing the possibility of power being supplied to the electronic device from an inappropriate power source when the power source and the electronic device are connected by a coaxial cable.

[0008] In the power supply system of the present invention, the power adjustment unit includes a disconnection time supply unit that supplies power supplied from the power source side to the coaxial cable when the state switching unit is in the disconnection state, and the disconnection time supply unit has a higher electrical resistance than the state switching unit in the connected state, and the equipment side device may operate with power supplied from the disconnection time supply unit via the coaxial cable.

[0009] With this configuration, in the power supply system of the present invention, when the state switching unit is in the disconnected state, the power supplied from the power supply side is supplied to the coaxial cable by the disconnected supply unit, which has a higher electrical resistance than the connected state state switching unit, and the equipment side device operates with the power supplied from the disconnected supply unit via the coaxial cable.Therefore, the equipment side device can be operated without having to provide a dedicated power supply to the equipment side device that supplies the power used to operate the equipment side device, separate from the power supply that supplies power to the power supply side device.

[0010] In the power supply system of the present invention, the coaxial cable is used not only for supplying power from the power supply side device to the equipment side device, but also for communication between the power supply side device and the equipment side device.

[0011] With this configuration, the power supply system of the present invention uses the same coaxial cable to supply power from the power supply side device to the equipment side device and to communicate between the power supply side device and the equipment side device.Therefore, compared to a configuration in which separate coaxial cables are provided for supplying power from the power supply side device to the equipment side device and for communicating between the power supply side device and the equipment side device, the work of connecting the power supply side device and the equipment side device to the coaxial cables can be made easier, and the possibility of incorrect connection between the power supply side device and the equipment side device and the coaxial cables can be reduced.

[0012] In the power supply system of the present invention, the power supply side device may include a power supply side communication unit that communicates with the equipment side device using high-frequency AC signals, and a coupling capacitor connected between the coaxial cable and the power supply side communication unit.

[0013] With this configuration, in the power supply system of the present invention, when induced lightning occurs in the coaxial cable, the coupling capacitor connected between the coaxial cable and the power supply side communication unit blocks the DC component caused by induced lightning, thereby reducing the possibility of the power supply side communication unit being damaged by induced lightning.

[0014] In the power supply system of the present invention, the equipment-side device may include an equipment-side communication unit that communicates with the power supply-side device using high-frequency AC signals, and a coupling capacitor connected between the coaxial cable and the equipment-side communication unit.

[0015] With this configuration, in the case where induced lightning occurs in the coaxial cable, the power supply system of the present invention has a coupling capacitor connected between the coaxial cable and the device-side communication unit that blocks the DC component caused by the induced lightning, thereby reducing the possibility of the device-side communication unit being damaged by induced lightning.

[0016] The power supply system of the present invention may further include a surge absorber connected to the coaxial cable.

[0017] With this configuration, when induced lightning occurs in the coaxial cable, the power supply system of the present invention uses the surge absorber connected to the coaxial cable to suppress the increase in voltage in the coaxial cable due to induced lightning, thereby reducing the possibility of the power supply side communication unit or the equipment side communication unit failing due to induced lightning.

[0018] The power supply side device of the present invention is a power supply side device of a power supply system comprising a power supply side device to which power is supplied from a power supply side, an equipment side device that supplies power to an electronic device side, and a coaxial cable that supplies power from the power supply side device to the equipment side device, and is equipped with a power supply specification acquisition unit that acquires power specifications as specifications of the power supplied by the power source, and a power adjustment unit that adjusts the power supplied to the coaxial cable, and the power adjustment unit is equipped with a state switching unit that can switch between a connected state in which power supplied from the power supply side is supplied to the coaxial cable and a disconnected state in which power supplied from the power supply side is not supplied to the coaxial cable, and is characterized in that the state switching unit is set to the connected state when the power supply specifications acquired by the power supply specification acquisition unit satisfy the equipment requirement specifications as specifications of the power required by the electronic device, which are acquired by the equipment side device, and the state switching unit is set to the disconnected state when the power supply specifications acquired by the power supply specification acquisition unit do not satisfy the equipment requirement specifications acquired by the equipment side device.

[0019] With this configuration, the power supply side device of the present invention switches the state switching unit to a disconnected state when the power supply specifications acquired by the power supply specification acquisition unit do not satisfy the equipment requirement specifications acquired by the equipment requirement specification acquisition unit, thereby reducing the possibility of power being supplied to the electronic device from an inappropriate power supply when the power supply and electronic device are connected by a coaxial cable. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] The power supply system and power supply side device of the present invention can reduce the possibility of power being supplied to an electronic device from an inappropriate power source when the power source and the electronic device are connected by a coaxial cable. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram of a power supply side communication unit shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a power adjustment unit shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a block diagram of a device-side communication unit shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart of the operation of the power adjustment unit shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a power adjustment unit shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0023] (First embodiment) First, the configuration of an information processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information processing system 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing system 10 includes a power supply 20, an electronic device 30 that operates using power supplied from the power supply 20, and a power supply system 40 that supplies power from the power supply 20 to the electronic device 30.

[0026] The information processing system 10 may be a system that is installed outdoors, such as on a mountain.

[0027] The power supply 20 supplies DC power. The power supply 20 may be a battery or may not be a battery. For example, the power supply 20 may be four D-cell batteries connected in series with a voltage of 6 volts, or a lithium-ion battery with a voltage of 14.4 V.

[0028] The electronic device 30 may be a device that is equipped with environmental sensors that detect environmental information, such as a water level sensor that detects water levels such as the water level of a river, a water flow sensor that detects water currents such as the current of a river, a rainfall sensor that detects rainfall, a soil moisture sensor that detects soil moisture, a wind direction and wind speed sensor that detects wind direction and wind speed, and a solar radiation sensor that detects the intensity of solar radiation, and that transmits the information detected by the environmental sensors to a remote computer via wireless communication.

[0029] The power supply system 40 includes a power supply side device 50 to which power is supplied from the power supply 20 side, an equipment side device 60 to which power is supplied to the electronic device 30 side, and a coaxial cable 70 as an electric wire to supply power from the power supply side device 50 to the equipment side device 60.

[0030] The power supply side device 50 includes a memory 51 that stores power supply specifications 51a as the specifications for the power supplied by the power supply 20, a power supply specification acquisition unit 52 that acquires the power supply specifications from the memory 51, a coupling capacitor 53 that is connected to the coaxial cable 70 and blocks DC components and passes high-frequency modulated signals having a frequency of, for example, 100 MHz to 1 GHz, a power supply side communication unit 54 that is connected to the coupling capacitor 53 and communicates with the equipment side device 60 using high-frequency signals as AC signals, a low-pass filter 55 that is connected to the coaxial cable 70 and blocks high-frequency modulated signals and passes DC components, and a power adjustment unit 56 that adjusts the power supplied to the coaxial cable 70.

[0031] Although not shown in FIG. 1, the memory 51, the power supply specification acquisition unit 52, the power supply side communication unit 54, and the power adjustment unit 56 are each supplied with power from the power supply 20 to operate.

[0032] The memory 51 is configured, for example, by a flash memory. The power supply specifications 51a stored in the memory 51 may include, for example, a specific voltage value such as 5V, or a specific voltage range such as 5V to 100V. The power supply specifications 51a may include not only the voltage but also, for example, information such as 1A as the maximum current that can be supplied. Furthermore, the power supply specifications 51a may include, for example, a value of 1mV as the value of the noise level generated by the power supply 20. Furthermore, the power supply specifications 51a may include, for example, information such as 0°C to 40°C as the operating temperature range of the power supply 20. Furthermore, the power supply specifications 51a may include information such as the type of power supply 20 (for example, a primary battery, a power supply using a solar panel, a hydroelectric power supply, or a wind power supply).

[0033] The power supply specification acquisition unit 52 is configured by an MCU (microcontroller unit).

[0034] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the power supply side communication unit 54.

[0035] 2, the power supply side communication unit 54 is configured with a plurality of circuit blocks for realizing a communication function. That is, the power supply side communication unit 54 includes an MCU 101 that controls the overall operation of the power supply side communication unit 54, a local oscillator 102 that generates a carrier signal of a specific frequency, such as 200 MHz, an error correction code adding unit 111 that adds a code, such as a cyclic redundancy check code for detecting errors occurring in the transmission path, and a code, such as a convolutional code for correcting errors occurring in the transmission path, to the signal output from the MCU 101, a modulator 112 that adds a preamble signal indicating the start of the transmission signal to the signal output from the error correction code adding unit 111 and then frequency-modulates the signal to which the preamble signal has been added so that the signal can be easily decoded even if the signal is subject to fluctuations during transmission, a mixer 113 that multiplies the signal output from the modulator 112 with the carrier signal generated by the local oscillator 102 to increase the frequency to that of the carrier signal, and a power The power supply side communication unit 54 includes a high-frequency amplifier 114 that amplifies the signal to generate a high-frequency modulated signal so that the signal is not buried in noise even if the high-frequency modulated signal is attenuated on the transmission path; a low-noise amplifier 121 that amplifies the high-frequency modulated signal that has been attenuated on the transmission path and input to the power supply side communication unit 54, thereby restoring the amplitude of the high-frequency modulated signal; a mixer 122 that removes components of the carrier signal generated by the local oscillator 102 from the high-frequency modulated signal output from the low-noise amplifier 121; a band-pass filter 123 that removes unnecessary frequency components from the signal output from the mixer 122 to improve the SNR (signal-to-noise ratio); a decoding unit 124 that converts the signal output from the band-pass filter 123 back into a digital signal; and an error correction unit 125 that corrects errors that have occurred on the transmission path in the signal output from the decoding unit 124 and inputs the error-corrected signal to the MCU 101.

[0036] MCU 101 is connected to power adjustment unit 56. High-frequency amplifier 114 and low-noise amplifier 121 are connected to coupling capacitor 53. Therefore, power supply-side communication unit 54 outputs a signal according to an instruction from power adjustment unit 56 to error correction code addition unit 111, and outputs the high-frequency modulated signal generated by high-frequency amplifier 114 from high-frequency amplifier 114 to coupling capacitor 53. Furthermore, power supply-side communication unit 54 inputs the high-frequency modulated signal output from coupling capacitor 53 to low-noise amplifier 121, and MCU 101 outputs the signal output from error correction unit 125 to power adjustment unit 56.

[0037] The functions of the multiple circuit blocks included in the power supply side communication unit 54 described above, namely, the MCU 101, local oscillator 102, error correction code addition unit 111, modulator 112, mixer 113, high frequency amplifier 114, low noise amplifier 121, mixer 122, band pass filter 123, decoder 124 and error correction unit 125, are basically equivalent to the technology used in wireless communication, and therefore all of these functions can be easily implemented by using semiconductor elements manufactured and sold commercially for the purpose of wireless communication (for example, wireless communication transceiver semiconductors sold commercially by Silicon Labs or Texas Instruments).

[0038] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the power adjustment unit 56.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3, the power adjustment unit 56 includes an MCU 131 that controls the overall operation of the power adjustment unit 56, and a semiconductor switch 132 that supplies the power supplied from the power supply 20 to the low-pass filter 55.

[0040] The MCU 131 is connected to the power supply specification acquisition unit 52 and the power supply side communication unit 54 .

[0041] The semiconductor switch 132 is configured by, for example, a Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET). The semiconductor switch 132 is connected to the power supply 20 and the low-pass filter 55. The semiconductor switch 132 configures a state switching unit that can switch between a low-impedance connected state in which power supplied from the power supply 20 side is supplied to the coaxial cable 70 (see FIG. 1) via the low-pass filter 55, and a high-impedance disconnected state in which power supplied from the power supply 20 side is not supplied to the coaxial cable 70.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 1, the equipment side device 60 includes a memory 61 that stores equipment requirement specifications 61a as the power specifications required by the electronic device 30, an equipment requirement specification acquisition unit 62 that acquires the equipment requirement specifications from the memory 61, a coupling capacitor 63 that is connected to the coaxial cable 70 to block DC components and pass high-frequency modulated signals having a frequency of 100 MHz to 1 GHz, an equipment side communication unit 64 that is connected to the coupling capacitor 63 and communicates with the power supply side device 50 using high-frequency signals as AC signals, a low-pass filter 65 that is connected to the coaxial cable 70 to block high-frequency modulated signals and pass DC components, and a battery 66 that supplies power to operate the memory 61, the equipment requirement specification acquisition unit 62, and the equipment side communication unit 64, respectively.

[0043] The memory 61 is configured, for example, by a flash memory. The device requirement specifications 61a stored in the memory 61 may be information on a specific voltage value, such as 5 V. Furthermore, the memory 61 may also include information related to requirement specifications other than voltage values, such as a maximum current of 0.1 A and an allowable noise level of 10 mV or less.

[0044] The device requirement specification acquisition unit 62 is configured by an MCU.

[0045] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the device-side communication unit 64. As shown in FIG.

[0046] 4, the device-side communication unit 64 is configured by a plurality of circuit blocks to realize the communication function. That is, the device-side communication unit 64 includes an MCU 141 that controls the operation of the entire device-side communication unit 64, a local oscillator 142 that generates a carrier signal of a specific frequency such as 200 MHz, an error correction code adding unit 151 that adds a code such as a cyclic redundancy check code for detecting errors occurring in the transmission path and a code such as a convolutional code for correcting errors occurring in the transmission path to the signal output from the MCU 141, a modulator 152 that adds a preamble signal indicating the start of the transmission signal to the signal output from the error correction code adding unit 151 and then frequency-modulates the signal to which the preamble signal has been added so that the signal can be easily decoded even if the signal is subject to fluctuations during transmission, a mixer 153 that multiplies the signal output from the modulator 152 by the carrier signal generated by the local oscillator 142 to increase the frequency to the frequency of the carrier signal, and a mixer 154 that multiplies the signal output from the modulator 152 by the carrier signal generated by the local oscillator 142 to increase the frequency of the carrier signal. The MCU 141 includes a high-frequency amplifier 154 that amplifies the signal to generate a high-frequency modulated signal so that the signal will not be buried in noise even if the high-frequency modulated signal output from the device-side communication unit 64 is attenuated on the transmission path; a low-noise amplifier 161 that amplifies the high-frequency modulated signal that has been attenuated on the transmission path and is input to the device-side communication unit 64, thereby restoring the amplitude of the high-frequency modulated signal; a mixer 162 that removes components of the carrier signal generated by the local oscillator 142 from the high-frequency modulated signal output from the low-noise amplifier 161; a band-pass filter 163 that removes unnecessary frequency components from the signal output from the mixer 162 to improve the SNR (signal-to-noise ratio); a decoding unit 164 that converts the signal output from the band-pass filter 163 back into a digital signal; and an error correction unit 165 that corrects errors that have occurred on the transmission path in the signal output from the decoding unit 164 and inputs the error-corrected signal to the MCU 141.

[0047] The MCU 141 is connected to the equipment required specifications acquisition unit 62. The high-frequency amplifier 154 and the low-noise amplifier 161 are connected to the coupling capacitor 63. Therefore, in the equipment-side communication unit 64, the high-frequency modulated signal output from the coupling capacitor 63 is input to the low-noise amplifier 161, and the MCU 141 outputs the signal output from the error correction unit 165 to the equipment required specifications acquisition unit 62. In addition, in the equipment-side communication unit 64, the equipment required specifications output from the equipment required specifications acquisition unit 62 are input to the MCU 141, and the high-frequency modulated signal generated by the high-frequency amplifier 154 is output from the high-frequency amplifier 154 to the coupling capacitor 63.

[0048] The functions of the multiple circuit blocks included in the device-side communication unit 64 described above, namely, the MCU 141, local oscillator 142, error correction code addition unit 151, modulator 152, mixer 153, high-frequency amplifier 154, low-noise amplifier 161, mixer 162, band-pass filter 163, decoder 164, and error correction unit 165, are basically equivalent to the technology used in wireless communication. Therefore, all of these functions can be easily implemented by using semiconductor elements manufactured and sold commercially for wireless communication purposes (for example, wireless communication transceiver semiconductors sold commercially by Silicon Labs or Texas Instruments).

[0049] The coaxial cable 70 shown in FIG. 1 is used not only for supplying power from the power supply side device 50 to the equipment side device 60 but also for communication between the power supply side device 50 and the equipment side device 60.

[0050] Next, the operation of the information processing system 10 will be described.

[0051] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the operation of the power adjustment unit 56 of the power supply side device 50.

[0052] 5, the MCU 131 of the power adjustment unit 56 acquires the equipment required specifications (S201). Specifically, the MCU 131 instructs the power supply-side communication unit 54 to acquire the equipment required specifications. When the MCU 101 of the power supply-side communication unit 54 is instructed by the power adjustment unit 56 to acquire the equipment required specifications, the MCU 101 outputs a signal requesting the equipment required specifications (hereinafter referred to as the "specification request signal") to the error correction code addition unit 111. The specification request signal output from the MCU 101 to the error correction code addition unit 111 is output to the coupling capacitor 53 via the error correction code addition unit 111, the modulation unit 112, the mixer 113, and the high-frequency amplifier 114 in this order. The specification request signal output from the power supply-side communication unit 54 to the coupling capacitor 53 is input to the low-noise amplifier 161 of the equipment-side communication unit 64 of the equipment-side device 60 via the coupling capacitor 53, the coaxial cable 70, and the coupling capacitor 63 in this order. The specification request signal input to the low-noise amplifier 161 is input to the MCU 141 via the low-noise amplifier 161, mixer 162, band-pass filter 163, composite unit 164, and error correction unit 165 in this order. When the specification request signal is input, the MCU 141 instructs the equipment required specifications acquisition unit 62 to acquire the equipment required specifications. When instructed by the MCU 141 to acquire the equipment required specifications, the equipment required specifications acquisition unit 62 reads the equipment required specifications 61a from the memory 61 and notifies the equipment-side communication unit 64 of the read equipment required specifications. When the MCU 141 of the equipment-side communication unit 64 is notified of the equipment required specifications by the equipment required specifications acquisition unit 62, it outputs the equipment required specifications notified from the equipment required specifications acquisition unit 62 to the error correction code addition unit 151. The device requirement specifications output from the MCU 141 to the error correction code addition unit 151 are output to the coupling capacitor 63 via the error correction code addition unit 151, modulation unit 152, mixer 153, and high-frequency amplifier 154 in that order. The device requirement specifications output from the device-side communication unit 64 to the coupling capacitor 63 are input to the low-noise amplifier 121 of the power-supply-side communication unit 54 of the power-supply-side device 50 via the coupling capacitor 63, coaxial cable 70, and coupling capacitor 53 in that order.The equipment requirement specifications input to the low-noise amplifier 121 are input to the MCU 101 via the low-noise amplifier 121, mixer 122, band-pass filter 123, composite unit 124, and error correction unit 125 in this order. When the equipment requirement specifications are input, the MCU 101 notifies the power adjustment unit 56 of the input equipment requirement specifications.

[0053] When the processing of S201 is completed, the MCU 131 of the power adjustment unit 56 acquires the power supply specifications (S202). Specifically, the MCU 131 instructs the power supply specification acquisition unit 52 to acquire the power supply specifications. When instructed by the power adjustment unit 56 to acquire the power supply specifications, the power supply specification acquisition unit 52 reads the power supply specifications 51a from the memory 51 and notifies the power adjustment unit 56 of the read power supply specifications.

[0054] When the processing of S202 ends, the MCU 131 of the power adjustment unit 56 determines whether the power supply specifications acquired in S202 satisfy the required equipment specifications acquired in S201 (S203). Specifically, if the voltage range indicated in the power supply specifications acquired in S202 includes the entire voltage range indicated in the required equipment specifications acquired in S201, the MCU 131 determines that the power supply specifications acquired in S202 satisfy the required equipment specifications acquired in S201, and if the voltage range indicated in the power supply specifications acquired in S202 does not include at least a part of the voltage range indicated in the required equipment specifications acquired in S201, the MCU 131 determines that the power supply specifications acquired in S202 do not satisfy the required equipment specifications acquired in S201.

[0055] In S203, similar judgments are made regarding the maximum current and noise level. For example, let us consider a case where the power supply specifications acquired in S201 indicate that the maximum supplyable current is 1 A and the noise level generated by the power supply 20 is 1 mV. In this case, if the required specifications acquired in S202 indicate a maximum current of 0.1 A and an allowable noise level of 10 mV, both the maximum current and the noise level are greater than or equal to the required specifications, and therefore the required specifications are met. Therefore, in this case, S203 is judged as "Yes." On the other hand, if the required specifications acquired in S202 indicate a maximum current of 2 A, for example, then the required specifications are not met, and S203 is judged as "No."

[0056] If the MCU 131 determines in S203 that the power supply specifications acquired in S202 satisfy the device requirement specifications acquired in S201, it sets the semiconductor switch 132 to a connected state (S204). Therefore, the power supplied from the power supply 20 to the semiconductor switch 132 is supplied to the electronic device 30 via the low-pass filter 55, the coaxial cable 70, and the low-pass filter 65 of the device-side device 60 in this order.

[0057] If the MCU 131 determines in S203 that the power supply specifications acquired in S202 do not satisfy the equipment required specifications acquired in S201, it turns off the semiconductor switch 132 (S205). Therefore, power is not supplied from the power supply 20 to the low-pass filter 55 via the semiconductor switch 132, and as a result, power is not supplied from the power supply 20 to the coaxial cable 70, the low-pass filter 65 of the equipment-side device 60, and the electronic device 30 via the semiconductor switch 132.

[0058] When the process of S204 or S205 ends, the MCU 131 executes the process of S201.

[0059] As described above, the power supply system 40 switches the semiconductor switch 132 to a disconnected state when the power supply specifications acquired by the power supply specification acquisition unit 52 do not satisfy the equipment requirement specifications acquired by the equipment requirement specification acquisition unit 62. Therefore, when the power supply 20 and the electronic device 30 are connected by the coaxial cable 70, the possibility of power being supplied to the electronic device 30 from an inappropriate power supply 20 can be reduced.

[0060] The power supply system 40 uses the same coaxial cable 70 to supply power from the power supply side device 50 to the equipment side device 60 and to communicate between the power supply side device 50 and the equipment side device 60. Therefore, compared to a configuration that has separate coaxial cables for supplying power from the power supply side device 50 to the equipment side device 60 and for communicating between the power supply side device 50 and the equipment side device 60, the power supply system 40 can simplify the work of connecting the power supply side device 50 and the equipment side device 60 to the coaxial cables and reduce the possibility of incorrect connection between the power supply side device 50 and the equipment side device 60 and the coaxial cables.

[0061] Coaxial cables are used in home televisions and are therefore inexpensive and in stable supply. Coaxial cables and connectors for coaxial cables are general-purpose products and are therefore easily available. Many coaxial cables and connectors for coaxial cables that can be used outdoors are also commercially available.

[0062] In certain cases, such as when the information processing system 10 is installed outdoors, induced lightning may occur in the coaxial cable 70.

[0063] In the case of the power-side device 50, when induced lightning strikes the coaxial cable 70, the coupling capacitor 53 connected between the coaxial cable 70 and the power-side communication unit 54 blocks the DC component caused by the induced lightning, thereby reducing the possibility of the power-side communication unit 54 being damaged by the induced lightning. Similarly, in the case of the device-side device 60, when induced lightning strikes the coaxial cable 70, the coupling capacitor 63 connected between the coaxial cable 70 and the device-side communication unit 64 blocks the DC component caused by the induced lightning, thereby reducing the possibility of the device-side communication unit 64 being damaged by the induced lightning.

[0064] The power supply side device 50 and the equipment side device 60 are connected to each other by only one coaxial cable 70, so each device only needs to have one coupling capacitor, which allows the power supply side device 50 and the equipment side device 60 to be miniaturized.

[0065] The power supply side device 50 and the device side device 60 can be miniaturized because the coupling capacitor can be made smaller as the communication frequency between them is increased. In wireless communication, high frequencies of 100 MHz or more are generally used to shorten wavelengths. Therefore, if the power supply side communication unit 54 and the device side communication unit 64 are realized using transceiver semiconductors used in wireless communication, the communication frequency can be set to a high frequency of 100 MHz or more, allowing the use of a small coupling capacitor.

[0066] 5, the power adjustment unit 56 acquires the device requirement specifications before the power supply specifications. However, the power adjustment unit 56 may acquire either the device requirement specifications or the power supply specifications first. In other words, the power adjustment unit 56 may acquire the power supply specifications before the device requirement specifications.

[0067] In the above, the power supply system 40 determines whether the power supply specifications satisfy the equipment required specifications using the power supply side device 50. However, the power supply system 40 may determine whether the power supply specifications satisfy the equipment required specifications using the equipment side device 60, and the equipment side device 60 may notify the power supply side device 50 of the determination result.

[0068] As described above, in the power supply system 40, the supply of power from the power supply side device 50 to the equipment side device 60 and communication between the power supply side device 50 and the equipment side device 60 are realized by a single coaxial cable 70.

[0069] (Second embodiment) First, the configuration of an information processing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0070] The configuration of the information processing system according to this embodiment is the same as the configuration of the information processing system 10 (see FIG. 1) according to the first embodiment, except for the configuration described below. Of the components of the information processing system according to this embodiment, the same components as the components of the information processing system 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals as the components of the information processing system 10, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0071] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an information processing system 310 according to this embodiment.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 6, the configuration of the information processing system 310 is the same as that of the information processing system 10 except that the power supply system 340 is replaced with the power supply system 40 (see FIG. 1).

[0073] The configuration of the power supply system 340 is the same as that of the power supply system 40, except that the power supply side device 350 and the equipment side device 360 ​​are replaced with the power supply side device 50 (see Figure 1) and the equipment side device 60 (see Figure 1), respectively.

[0074] The configuration of the power supply side device 350 is the same as that of the power supply side device 50 except that the power adjustment unit 356 is replaced with the power adjustment unit 56 (see FIG. 1).

[0075] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the power adjustment unit 356.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 7, the configuration of the power adjustment unit 356 is the same as that of the power adjustment unit 56, which includes a disconnection supply unit 357 that supplies power supplied from the power source 20 to the coaxial cable 70 when the semiconductor switch 132 is in the disconnection state.

[0077] The disconnection supply unit 357 continues to supply a weak current of, for example, several milliamperes from the power supply 20 to the low-pass filter 55 even when the semiconductor switch 132 is in the disconnected state. The disconnection supply unit 357 has a higher electrical resistance than the semiconductor switch 132 in the connected state. The disconnection supply unit 357 is a fixed resistor of, for example, about 1 kΩ.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 6, the configuration of the device-side device 360 ​​is the same as that of the device-side device 60, except that it has an electric double layer capacitor 361 for storing power and a charging unit 362 for storing power in the electric double layer capacitor 361, instead of a battery 66 (see FIG. 1).

[0079] Next, the operation of the information processing system 310 will be described.

[0080] The operation of the information processing system 310 is similar to the operation of the information processing system 10 according to the first embodiment, except for the operations described below.

[0081] Even when semiconductor switch 132 is in the disconnected state, power adjustment section 356 of power supply-side device 350 continues to supply a weak current from power supply 20 to low-pass filter 55 via disconnection supply section 357. Therefore, the weak current supplied to low-pass filter 55 is supplied to charging section 362 of equipment-side device 360 ​​via coaxial cable 70 and low-pass filter 65 of equipment-side device 360 ​​in this order.

[0082] When a weak current is supplied, the charging unit 362 of the device-side device 360 ​​stores the power of the supplied weak current in the electric double layer capacitor 361. Then, when the voltage of the power stored in the electric double layer capacitor 361 reaches a specific voltage, the charging unit 362 supplies the power stored in the electric double layer capacitor 361 to the memory 61, the device required specifications acquisition unit 62, and the device-side communication unit 64, respectively.

[0083] As described above, when the semiconductor switch 132 is in the disconnected state, the power supply system 340 supplies the power used for operating the equipment-side device 360 ​​from the power supply 20 side to the coaxial cable 70 via the disconnection supply unit 357. Therefore, the equipment-side device 360 ​​can be operated without having to provide a power source such as a dedicated battery 66 (see Figure 1) that supplies the power used for operating the equipment-side device 360 ​​to the equipment-side device 360, separate from the power source 20 that supplies power to the power-source-side device 350.

[0084] (Third embodiment) First, the configuration of an information processing system according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0085] The configuration of the information processing system according to this embodiment is the same as the configuration of the information processing system 310 according to the second embodiment (see FIG. 6), except for the configuration described below. Of the components of the information processing system according to this embodiment, the same components as those of the information processing system 310 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the information processing system 310, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0086] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an information processing system 410 according to this embodiment.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 8, the configuration of the information processing system 410 is the same as that of the information processing system 310 except that the power supply system 440 is replaced with the power supply system 340 (see FIG. 6).

[0088] The configuration of the power supply system 440 is the same as that of the power supply system 340, which is equipped with a surge absorber 450 connected to the coaxial cable 70 on the power supply side device 350 side to suppress the rise in voltage of the coaxial cable 70 due to induced lightning, and a surge absorber 460 connected to the coaxial cable 70 on the equipment side device 360 ​​side to suppress the rise in voltage of the coaxial cable 70 due to induced lightning.

[0089] The surge absorber 450 may be a part of the power supply side device 350. Similarly, the surge absorber 460 may be a part of the device side device 360.

[0090] The surge absorber 450 can suppress the voltage of the coaxial cable 70 to a specific voltage, such as 40 volts, when induced lightning strikes the coaxial cable 70. Similarly, the surge absorber 460 can suppress the voltage of the coaxial cable 70 to a specific voltage, such as 40 volts, when induced lightning strikes the coaxial cable 70.

[0091] If surge absorber 450 can suppress the voltage of coaxial cable 70 due to induced lightning to, for example, about 40 volts when induced lightning occurs on coaxial cable 70, coupling capacitor 53 may have a withstand voltage of about 100 V, with a margin of about twice that. Similarly, if surge absorber 460 can suppress the voltage of coaxial cable 70 to, for example, about 40 volts when induced lightning occurs on coaxial cable 70, coupling capacitor 63 may have a withstand voltage of about 100 V.

[0092] Next, the operation of the information processing system 410 will be described.

[0093] The operation of the information processing system 410 is similar to that of the information processing system 310 according to the second embodiment, except for the operations described below.

[0094] In certain cases, such as when the information processing system 410 is installed outdoors, induced lightning may occur in the coaxial cable 70. The voltage rise in the coaxial cable 70 due to induced lightning may reach several thousand volts.

[0095] When induced lightning strikes the coaxial cable 70, the surge absorbers 450 and 460 suppress the voltage rise in the coaxial cable 70 due to the induced lightning strike to a specific voltage, such as 40 volts. Therefore, in the power supply-side device 350, the current whose DC component has been cut by the coupling capacitor 53 flows to the power supply-side communication unit 54. Similarly, in the device-side device 360, the current whose DC component has been cut by the coupling capacitor 63 flows to the device-side communication unit 64.

[0096] As described above, when induced lightning occurs in the coaxial cable 70, the power supply system 440 uses the surge absorbers 450, 460 connected to the coaxial cable 70 to suppress the increase in voltage in the coaxial cable 70 due to induced lightning, thereby reducing the possibility of the power supply side communication unit 54 or the equipment side communication unit 64 breaking down due to induced lightning.

[0097] In the above, the information processing system 410 includes a surge absorber 450 on the power supply side device 350 side, and a surge absorber 460 on the device side device 360 ​​side. However, the information processing system 410 may include only one surge absorber for the coaxial cable 70.

[0098] In the above, the configuration of the power supply system 440 is the same as the configuration of the power supply system 340, which includes the surge absorber 450 and the surge absorber 460. However, the configuration of the power supply system 440 may be the same as the configuration of the power supply system 340, which includes a surge absorber connected to the coaxial cable 70 on the power supply side device 50 side to suppress a rise in voltage on the coaxial cable 70 due to induced lightning, and a surge absorber connected to the coaxial cable 70 on the equipment side device 60 side to suppress a rise in voltage on the coaxial cable 70 due to induced lightning. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 20 Power supply 30 Electronic equipment 40 Power Supply System 50 Power supply side equipment 51a Power Supply Specifications 52 Power supply specification acquisition section 53 Coupling capacitor 54 Power supply communication unit 56 Power adjustment section 60 Equipment side device 61a Equipment requirements specifications 62 Equipment requirement specification acquisition unit 63 Coupling capacitor 64 Device side communication unit 70 Coaxial Cable 132 Semiconductor switch (state changeover section) 340 Power Supply System 350 Power supply side equipment 356 Power adjustment section 357 Cutting supply section 360 Equipment side device 440 Power Supply System 450, 460 surge absorber

Claims

1. a power supply side device to which power is supplied from a power supply side; an equipment side device that supplies power to the electronic device; a coaxial cable for supplying power from the power supply side device to the equipment side device; Equipped with The power supply side device is a power supply specification acquisition unit that acquires power supply specifications as specifications of the power supplied by the power supply; a power adjustment unit that adjusts the power supplied to the coaxial cable; Equipped with the device-side device includes a device requirement specification acquisition unit that acquires device requirement specifications as specifications of power required by the electronic device; the power adjustment unit includes a state switching unit that is capable of switching between a connected state in which power supplied from the power source side is supplied to the coaxial cable and a disconnected state in which power supplied from the power source side is not supplied to the coaxial cable, and the state switching unit is set to the connected state when the power supply specifications acquired by the power supply specification acquisition unit satisfy the equipment requirement specifications acquired by the equipment requirement specification acquisition unit, and is set to the disconnected state when the power supply specifications acquired by the power supply specification acquisition unit do not satisfy the equipment requirement specifications acquired by the equipment requirement specification acquisition unit.

2. the power adjustment unit includes a disconnection-time supply unit that supplies the coaxial cable with power supplied from the power source when the state switching unit is in the disconnection state, the disconnection supply unit has a higher electrical resistance than the state switching unit in the connected state, 2. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the device-side device operates on power supplied from the power supply unit during disconnection via the coaxial cable.

3. The power supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that the coaxial cable is used not only for supplying power from the power supply side device to the equipment side device, but also for communication between the power supply side device and the equipment side device.

4. The power supply side device is a power supply side communication unit that communicates with the equipment side device using a high frequency AC signal; a coupling capacitor connected between the coaxial cable and the power supply side communication unit; The power supply system according to claim 3, further comprising:

5. The equipment side device is an equipment-side communication unit that communicates with the power supply-side device using a high-frequency AC signal; a coupling capacitor connected between the coaxial cable and the device-side communication unit; The power supply system according to claim 3, further comprising:

6. 6. The power supply system according to claim 4, further comprising a surge absorber connected to the coaxial cable.

7. a power supply side device to which power is supplied from a power supply side; an equipment side device that supplies power to the electronic device; a coaxial cable for supplying power from the power supply side device to the equipment side device; The power supply side device of a power supply system comprising: a power supply specification acquisition unit that acquires power supply specifications as specifications of the power supplied by the power supply; a power adjustment unit that adjusts the power supplied to the coaxial cable; Equipped with The power adjustment unit is provided with a state switching unit that can switch between a connected state in which power supplied from the power source side is supplied to the coaxial cable and a disconnected state in which power supplied from the power source side is not supplied to the coaxial cable, and is characterized in that the state switching unit is set to the connected state when the power supply specifications acquired by the power supply specification acquisition unit satisfy the equipment requirement specifications, which are the power specifications required by the electronic device and which are acquired by the equipment side device, and the state switching unit is set to the disconnected state when the power supply specifications acquired by the power supply specification acquisition unit do not satisfy the equipment requirement specifications acquired by the equipment side device.

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