Control Apparatus for Power Supply Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communications and ICT devices face challenges in convenient power-on and power-off operations, especially in high-power systems with N+m backup configurations, where a single switch failure can lead to power interruption due to insufficient backup power modules.
Innovation Solution
A control apparatus and method utilizing a switch module with at least two switches connected to a control module via pull-up or pull-down resistors, allowing for easy power supply or cutoff to loads, and a power supply source conversion module that maintains power when switches are faulty, ensuring continuous power supply through intelligent signal management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a switch is added to each power supply input in high-power devices with multiple power supply circuits, then power control flexibility is improved, but device complexity increases and operation convenience deteriorates due to the large number of switches
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control functions of multiple power supply inputs into a single control switch. Instead of having separate switches for each power supply circuit, one switch controls all power supply inputs simultaneously through an OR logic relationship, reducing the number of switches from multiple to one while maintaining control flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The single control switch serves multiple functions by controlling all power supply inputs at once. The switch implements a universal control mechanism that can manage the entire power supply system regardless of the number of power input channels, making the control system adaptable to different configurations
2Reliability
If N+N backup power supply configuration is used to improve reliability, then power supply reliability is improved, but device complexity increases and operation convenience deteriorates due to requiring two control switches
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the control of two separate power supply sources (A and B) into a single control switch. The control signals from both sources are OR-ed together, allowing one switch to control both power supply channels simultaneously, thus maintaining N+N backup reliability while simplifying operation to a single switch
3Ease of operation
If a single control switch is used to simplify operation in N+m backup systems, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates because a single switch failure can cause power interruption when m < N
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an OR logic circuit as an intermediary between the single control switch and the multiple power supply inputs. This intermediary ensures that when one power supply channel is interrupted due to switch failure, the other channels can still receive control signals and maintain power supply, thus protecting against single-point failures
Solution Approach 2:
The control circuit is designed with redundant control paths through the OR logic relationship. Before a failure occurs, the system is configured so that control signals can propagate through multiple channels, providing a cushion against potential switch failures and ensuring continuous power supply even when one channel is compromised
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a control method and apparatus. The apparatus includes: a switch module, a control module, and a power supply source conversion module, where the switch module includes at least two switches, each switch is connected to each control module, a high-level or low-level signal is provided for each control module by closing the switches; the control module controls, according to a state of each signal received by the control module, a power module to supply power to or power off a load, and when states of all received input signals are different, allows the power supply source conversion module to maintain a state of supplying power to the load, so that a power-supply or power-off operation on the load is easy and convenient and the state of supplying power to the load can still be maintained when a switch is faulty.