675 results about "Power supply failure" patented technology

A data preservation system for flash memory systems with a host system, the flash memory system receiving a host system power supply and energizing an auxiliary energy store therewith and communicating with the host system via an interface bus, wherein, upon loss of the host system power supply, the flash memory system actively isolates the connection to the host system power supply and isolates the interface bus and employs the supplemental energy store to continue write operations to flash memory.

A control system is provided for controlling a load powered by an auxiliary power source during an interruption in the utility power source and / or during a power failure. The control system of the present invention provides power to essential loads in a dwelling as predetermined by a user and / or per the user's real-time instructions as the needs of the user may change. Additionally, the control system of the present invention automatically controls non-essential loads in order to maintain the auxiliary power load below the maximum threshold. Furthermore, the control system of the present invention allows the user to manually override all the controlled loads in an emergency or when the needs of the user change. Additionally, the control system of the present invention allows outside triggers to change the priority of the loads in real-time and can automatically change the priority due to predetermined tasks already running.

A latching apparatus may have a normal mode of operation in which a mechanical signal is employed to actuate a door pawl, and hence to release a door latch ratchet. An electrical actuator may be employed to send that mechanical signal, and operation of the actuator may be governed by an electronic control unit (ECU). The latch apparatus may also have a second, or emergency, mode of operation in which a second mechanical signal path is employed either to cause an augmented force to be employed to release the pawl, or to cause a sudden impulse to urge the pawl to release, the sudden impulse being driven by a release of energy from an energy storage device, in particular a mechanical energy storage device. The apparatus may include either an electrical or a mechanical door handle interrupt to prevent unwanted activation. The device may also include an auxiliary electrical back-up power source in the event of a main power source failure.

A disk drive is discloses comprising a disk, a head connected to a distal end of an actuator arm, and a voice coil motor (VCM) for rotating the actuator arm about a pivot in order to actuate the head radially over the disk. If when a power failure occurs the radial location of the head is less than a predetermined distance from the outer diameter of the disk, the VCM is controlled to move the head toward the inner diameter of the disk and stopping the head before it reaches the inner diameter of the disk. The VCM is then controlled to move the head toward the outer diameter of the disk until the actuator arm unloads onto a ramp.

A sump pump control system for monitoring and driving AC pumps that are supplied by directly either by AC utility power, or converted DC battery power. AC power is continuously monitored and the control automatically switches to DC battery supply in the case of power failure. DC battery power is converted to AC power. The control is equipped with unique pump switching circuitry allowing the pumps to be configured in parallel or staggered positions. Both pumps automatically alternate to prevent damage to pumps from humidity and corrosion that can result from remaining idle. Each pump has its own float switch to control operation. A third float switch controls both pumps in case of failure of either pump or float switch. Multiple visual and audio signals are included, displaying present power and pump conditions as well as alerting to any pump malfunction. The control utilizes two 12 volt deep cycle lead acid batteries that are being monitored for voltage level and continuously trickle charged to maintain maximum capacity. Batteries can be paralleled to obtain longer pump running time when AC power fails. The control system also allows for use of a single pump in the absence of a second pump.

A method of preventing data loss in a data storage system includes supplying write data to a high speed volatile write buffer and supplying electrical power from an energy storage device upon detection of a primary power loss event. The backup electrical power is supplied to the write buffer and nonvolatile cache. Under backup power, the write data is transferred into the nonvolatile cache and the backup power is removed. Upon regaining main power, a data presence indication triggers a transfer of the write data from the nonvolatile cache to the long term storage media. The method may be implemented for a system to protect it from inadvertent power losses or it may implemented in a system where the long term storage device is power cycled to save power. The energy storage device is not necessarily needed in the power cycled system unless power failure protection is also desired.

A power management system uses software to predictively estimate remaining battery endurance by considering battery usage in context of a predetermined battery output and equipment load profiles, and appropriately issuing a shutdown alert or commencing a shutdown event as the end of battery endurance nears. More particularly, a battery supplies power to electrical equipment when a primary power source fails. Initially, the system receives one or more estimates of the battery's endurance and capability of supplying electrical power to the equipment. The system tracks battery use by prescribed electrical equipment. Utilizing software, for example, the system determines when estimated endurance minus battery usage equals a predetermined difference. Relative to this time, the system takes appropriate action(s) such as initiating shutdown of the equipment or issuing a shutdown alert.

A method and system for preventing loss of data in a computer interface board during power failure includes providing a secondary data path to a non-volatile storage element from a cache memory of the computer interface board. Components in the secondary data path, such as the cache memory and non-volatile storage element, are powered by a secondary power supply. The cache memory of the computer interface board is a volatile memory. The secondary data path with the non-volatile storage element enables reliable memory operation during both normal and power fail modes. A power failure at the computer interface board is detected. The power failure may result in incomplete transactional data within the cache memory. Upon detection of power failure, the incomplete transactional data at the cache memory is transmitted to the non-volatile storage element through the secondary data path using the power from the secondary power supply. The non-volatile storage element preserves the transactional data of the cache memory during power failure.

A computer system (20) utilizes a monitor (24), keyboard (26), hard disk drive (28), processor (30), computer memory block (32), and memory based disk emulation device (22) to reduce access time for swap and paging files, thereby enhancing the computer system performance. The disk emulation device includes a device (22) manager (38) operable to select the number of logical drives, and a disk emulator (40) operable to cause actual memory devices (44-50) to appear as the virtual memory of the computer system disk drive (28). A memory controller (42) divides data bytes into data sets of two or four bits and saves the data sets simultaneously to the emulation memory devices (44-50). A backup battery (52) is provided to power the memory controller (42) and emulation memory devices (44-50) in the event of primary power supply failure.

A data protection method suitable for a plurality of physical blocks mapped to a logical block in a non-volatile memory is provided. The data protection method includes recording data update information in each of the physical blocks for identifying an update relationship of the physical blocks and re-establishing the update relationship of the physical blocks according to the data update information. The data update information is composed of a plurality of words having a circular relationship, and the number of these words is greater than the number of the physical blocks. The data update information is sequentially recorded in each of the physical blocks according to the update relationship and the circular relationship.

A system and method for automatically saving the contents of volatile memory in a data processing device on power failure. A secondary power supply is provided, which upon failure of the primary power supply supplies power long enough for all modified information stored in volatile memory to be written to a non-volatile memory device such as NAND flash in an AutoSave procedure. In the preferred embodiment modified sectors in volatile memory are flagged, and only modified sectors with a directory list are written to non-volatile memory during the AutoSave procedure.

In an optical network some optical nodes are fitted with optical switches. The optical switches support the optical coupling and decoupling of the optical nodes and the remainder of the optical network. Electrical power supply failures to a node result in the node being optically decoupled from the remainder of the optical network thereby allowing the remaining nodes to continue normal operation.

A sump pump control system for monitoring and driving AC pumps that are supplied by directly either by AC utility power, or converted DC battery power. AC power is continuously monitored and the control automatically switches to DC battery supply in the case of power failure. DC battery power is converted to AC power. The control is equipped with unique pump switching circuitry allowing the pumps to be configured in parallel or staggered positions. Both pumps automatically alternate to prevent damage to pumps from humidity and corrosion that can result from remaining idle. Each pump has its own float switch to control operation. A third float switch controls both pumps in case of failure of either pump or float switch. Multiple visual and audio signals are included, displaying present power and pump conditions as well as alerting to any pump malfunction. The control utilizes two 12 volt deep cycle lead acid batteries that are being monitored for voltage level and continuously trickle charged to maintain maximum capacity. Batteries can be paralleled to obtain longer pump running time when AC power fails. The control system also allows for use of a single pump in the absence of a second pump.

A disk array device can carry out battery backup including a destage process of data by a battery mounted in a case body of the disk array device and can enhance instantaneous power failure durability to an instantaneous power failure. A logic box mounts a channel controlling unit, a disk controlling unit, a cache memory and a switch; and a hard disk box mounts a plurality of memory devices. A battery box mounts a nickel hydrogen battery for supplying a backup power source at the time of a power failure and is disposed at a lower portion of each case body including the logic box and the hard disk box. The nickel hydrogen battery of the battery box is cooled through natural convection of air created inside the case body by a fan for cooling each of the logic box and the hard disk box.

A disk array controller reliably improves performance in RAID configurations without the need for a battery backup. Write completion interrupts are queued until a write cache flush has been performed and are then sent to a host system. States of ranges of disk addresses (activity bins) are stored in nonvolatile storage elements associated with the ranges. The states allow rebuild times to be reduced after power failures and drive failures. A range is in a Changing state if at least one of the addresses is the target of a write operation that has been initiated but not completed. The range is in a Stable state if no addresses are the target of an uncompleted write operation. Two additional states are used to identify ranges of disk addresses that have been zeroed or never been written to. The additional states allow substantial reductions in RAID volume creation times.

A solid state drive has a power failure savings mode that permits a reduction in holdup time for a temporary backup power supply. The solid state drive stores data in a multi-level cell (MLC) mode. In a power fail saving mode system metadata is written in a pseudo Single Level Cell (pSLC) mode. In the normal operating mode page writes are performed in complete blocks. In the power fail save saving mode data from a write buffer is written and additional dummy pages written to reduce the total number of pages that must be written to below a complete block size with the dummy pages providing protection from data corruption.

A power controller for power sourcing equipment in a distributed power network provides power down policies and priority in the event of a power supply failure. The power down priority and policy permits implementation of a rapid decrease in the power demand of the distributed power network to avoid overload of a backup power supply. The priority may be derived based on the relative position of port information in a linked list. Devices associated with a high priority can remain powered in response to a main power supply failure, while lower priority devices can be rapidly powered down to reduce the overall load demand on the backup power supply. The ability to configure ports on the basis of priority and available policies provides a flexible and simple implementation of a response in the event of a main power supply failure.

A power controller for power sourcing equipment in a distributed power network provides power down policies and priority in the event of a power supply failure. The power down priority and policy permits implementation of a rapid decrease in the power demand of the distributed power network to avoid overload of a backup power supply. The priority may be derived based on the relative position of port information in a linked list. Devices associated with a high priority can remain powered in response to a main power supply failure, while lower priority devices can be rapidly powered down to reduce the overall load demand on the backup power supply. The ability to configure ports on the basis of priority and available policies provides a flexible and simple implementation of a response in the event of a main power supply failure.

A system and method for automatically saving the contents of volatile memory in a data processing device on power failure. A secondary power supply is provided, which upon failure of the primary power supply supplies power long enough for all modified information stored in volatile memory to be written to a non-volatile memory device such as NAND flash in an AutoSave procedure. In the preferred embodiment modified sectors in volatile memory are flagged, and only modified sectors with a directory list are written to non-volatile memory during the AutoSave procedure.

A disk array controller reliably improves performance in RAID configurations without the need for a battery backup. Write completion interrupts are queued until a write cache flush has been performed and are then sent to a host system. States of ranges of disk addresses (activity bins) are stored in nonvolatile storage elements associated with the ranges. The states allow rebuild times to be reduced after power failures and drive failures. A range is in a Changing state if at least one of the addresses is the target of a write operation that has been initiated but not completed. The range is in a Stable state if no addresses are the target of an uncompleted write operation. Two additional states are used to identify ranges of disk addresses that have been zeroed or never been written to. The additional states allow substantial reductions in RAID volume creation times.

Backup energy systems utilizing compressed air storage (CAS) systems and bridging energy systems to supply backup power to a load are provided. During a power failure, the bridging energy system provides backup power to the load at least until the CAS system begins supplying adequate power. In various embodiments, backup power capability is enhanced through the use of one or more exhaustless heaters, which are used to heat compressed air. The compressed air, in turn, drives a turbine which is used to power an electrical generator. In various embodiments, ambient air heat exchangers or other types of heat exchangers are used to heat compressed air prior to the compressed air being routed to the turbine, thereby increasing system efficiency. Backup power and backup HVAC are also provided by utilizing turbine exhaust, heat exchangers and various resistive heating elements.

A system (10) continuously drives an elevator hoist motor (14) during normal and power failure operating conditions. A regenerative drive (30, 34, 36) delivers power to the hoist motor (14) from a main power supply (17) during the normal operating condition and from a backup power supply (24) during the power failure operating condition. A controller (12) operates the regenerative drive (30, 34, 36) to provide available power on the regenerative drive (30, 34, 36) to the backup power supply (24) during the normal operating condition.

A data preservation system for flash memory systems with a host system, the flash memory system receiving a host system power supply and energizing an auxiliary energy store therewith and communicating with the host system via an interface bus, wherein, upon loss of the host system power supply, the flash memory system actively isolates the connection to the host system power supply and isolates the interface bus and employs the supplemental energy store to continue write operations to flash memory.

A back-up power source and a back-up storage device are utilized to power a processor and a volatile memory device during a primary power failure. An emergency data-storage algorithm is invoked to create a table of modified data analogous to data residing in a non-volatile memory device associated with a different processor. This table of modified data is written to the back-up storage device.

A circuit board includes a first circuit connected to a first power plane, a second circuit connected to a second power plane, and a power controller connected to the second power plane. The power controller connects the second power plane to a power subsystem such that the second circuit receives a main power signal through the second power plane while the power subsystem provides the main power signal to the first circuit through the first power plane. The power controller (i) detects a power failure event in which the power subsystem provides a backup power signal in place of the main power signal and, in response to the power failure event, (ii) disconnects the second power plane from the power subsystem such that the second circuit does not receive the backup power signal thus reducing backup power consumption.

An elevator system uses a supercapacitor to store electric energy. Furthermore, the supercapacitor can be used as a source of reserve power in emergency situations, such as power failures. The supercapacitor is connected together with three switching branches to a rectified signal of the power supply of the motor. By closing and opening the switches, the supercapacitor can be charged when the motor load is small. When the motor load is large or when the power supply fails, the electric energy contained in the supercapacitor can be discharged for use by the motor. In an emergency, the motor drives the elevator at a speed lower than normal, and therefore a supply voltage lower than normal is sufficient. Also, energy obtained from braking of the elevator can be stored in the supercapacitor, which has a storage capacity of considerable magnitude as compared to an ordinary capacitor. By applying the invention, the energy consumption of the elevator can be reduced because the waste energy obtained from the power supply can be stored and utilized when more energy is needed.

The invention discloses a wide area information-based automatic standby power supply switching adaptive modeling, standby power supply overload optimal control strategy predetermining and automatic standby power supply switching model optimizing and controlling method. The method comprises the following steps of: performing automatic standby power supply switching adaptive modeling and establishing multi-valued mapping from a fault tripping power aggregate to an automatic standby power supply switching mode aggregate; predetermining a standby power supply overload optimal control strategy; optimizing an automatic standby power supply switching model; judging a regional fault; and performing online matching and control tracking of control strategies. In the method, modeling is performed under the running condition of a regional power grid, and charging and discharging conditions, starting conditions and automatic standby power supply switching logic of the wide area are automatically generated, so that the method adapts to the varying run mode and wide area automatic standby power supply switching; an overload load shedding control strategy and the automatic standby power supply switching model are optimized based on the predetermining method; the judgment of the regional fault coordinates the automatic standby power supply switching model action for multi-power fault tripping and avoids unplanned loop closing; the control strategy is matched and searched online; and by considering that a small power supply is matched with a stable control system and a protection device, after the standby power supply is switched into operation, safe and stable running of the system is guaranteed.