Connector Overheat Protection via Communication Line Parameter Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connector overheat protection solutions are costly and unreliable, with positive temperature coefficient thermistors having low temperature sensitivity, circuit breakers being large and expensive, and control ICs and NTC temperature sensors incurring high costs and no-load loss.
Innovation Solution
A connector protection method that uses detection units and controllers in connected devices to communicate parameters through a communication line, determining connector faults by comparing voltage or current differences, allowing for fault signal output and power supply control without additional hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If PTC is used for connector overheat protection, then the cost is low, but the temperature sensitivity is relatively low and the consistency is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a communication line as an intermediary to transmit voltage parameters between the connector and the detection unit. This allows the detection unit to indirectly measure connector temperature through voltage changes, achieving high temperature sensitivity without using traditional temperature sensors directly at the connector location.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the physical temperature sensing mechanism (mechanical/thermal contact) with an electrical measurement system. By measuring voltage parameters through the communication line and inferring temperature from voltage changes, the system achieves temperature detection without direct thermal contact, improving both sensitivity and consistency.
2Measurement precision
If circuit breakers are used for connector overheat protection, then the temperature sensitivity and consistency are improved, but the volume and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the temperature detection function from a separate physical sensor and integrates it into the existing communication line. By utilizing the voltage parameter transmission capability of the communication line, the system achieves temperature monitoring without adding separate sensing components, thereby reducing volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication line is given multiple functions: it serves both for normal data/power transmission and for temperature detection. By measuring voltage parameters through the same communication line used for other purposes, the system avoids additional components and reduces overall volume while maintaining temperature sensitivity.
3Measurement precision
If control ICs and NTC temperature sensors are used for connector overheat protection, then the temperature sensitivity and accuracy are high, but the cost and no-load loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses its own existing components (detection unit, controller, communication line) to perform temperature monitoring. The detection unit that already exists for other purposes is utilized to measure voltage parameters related to connector temperature, eliminating the need for separate temperature sensing components that would consume additional power.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature detection function is merged with the existing communication and control functions. By combining multiple functions into the same hardware components (using the communication line for both data transmission and temperature sensing), the system reduces component count and minimizes no-load loss from additional sensors.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a connector protection method in which the connector is used to connect a first device and a second device, and the method includes, a first detection unit of the first device detects a first parameter of the first device; a first controller of the first device obtains a second parameter from the second device through the communication line in the connector; and the first controller determines whether the connector is faulty based on the first parameter and the second parameter.