Power Output Port Alert Latching Across Restart Conditions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional power supply status indicators fail to maintain alerts after being powered off and restarted, necessitating manual inspection which is often overlooked by users.
Innovation Solution
A power supply with an output port status monitoring module that includes a temperature sensor, microcontroller, and reset signal generator, which generates visual prompts based on output current and temperature conditions, maintaining alerts until a reset signal is received.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the power supply enters autonomous management and control state to protect against overcurrent or overheating, then the power supply safety is improved, but the status indicator cannot hold the alert after power supply is turned off and restarted, causing loss of warning information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by setting the status indicator to a default alerting state before power-on, and using a reset button that requires user interaction to clear the alert. This ensures that warning information is preserved across power cycles and users cannot ignore protection warnings, directly addressing the information loss problem while maintaining safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by creating a closed-loop warning system where the status indicator continuously displays protection states, and the reset button requires user acknowledgment to clear warnings. This feedback mechanism ensures users are informed of safety issues and must actively respond, preventing information loss and maintaining reliability
2Ease of operation
If users directly shut down the power supply to disable the protection mechanism, then the ease of operation is improved, but the users cannot be required to perform preliminary inspection of the power supply
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by designing the reset button to require deliberate user action to clear protection warnings. This counteracts the tendency to simply shut down the power supply without inspection, as users must actively reset the system after addressing the underlying issue, thereby ensuring inspection compliance while maintaining operational ease
Solution Approach 2:
The reset button serves as an intermediary between the protection mechanism and user operation. It mediates the shutdown/restart process by requiring user acknowledgment of the protection state before allowing normal operation to resume, thus ensuring inspection compliance without complicating the overall operation
3Device complexity
If the status indicator is disabled when the power supply is completely off and restarted, then the device complexity is reduced, but the prompt function cannot be maintained across power cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by configuring the status indicator to automatically enter an alerting state upon power-on if a protection condition was previously detected. This preliminary setup ensures alert persistence across power cycles without requiring complex control logic, as the system proactively restores warning states based on stored protection information
Solution Approach 2:
The status indicator performs self-service by automatically maintaining alert states across power cycles through its inherent design. The indicator circuit retains warning information and automatically displays alerts upon restart without requiring additional complex control mechanisms, thus achieving alert persistence with minimal added complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures users are reminded of potential issues even after power supply restarts, facilitating a preliminary inspection by maintaining visual alerts until a reset signal is received.
Implementation Method 1
The output port status monitoring module includes at least one temperature sensor adjacent to the power output port
Implementation Method 2
a reset signal generator connected to the microcontroller... the microcontroller outputs the alert signal to the status alert component
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a power supply including at least one power output port, at least one status alert component, and at least one output port status monitoring module. The status alert component generates at least one visual prompt based on an alert signal. The output port status monitoring module includes at least one temperature sensor adjacent to the power output port, a microcontroller connected to the temperature sensor and sensing an output current from the power output port, and a reset signal generator connected to the microcontroller. The microcontroller comprises at least one port status alert condition that takes a temperature and the output current of the power output port as decision factors. The microcontroller outputs the alert signal to the status alert component when the port status alert condition is met and maintains the status until a reset signal provided by the reset signal generator is received.