Power Management Circuit for Abnormal Load Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Movable electronic devices, such as robots, face safety risks due to the inability to control loads like motors and sensors during processor malfunctions, leading to potential accidents, especially when moving, as they lack effective power management to identify and respond to abnormal load operations.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with a power management circuit that includes regulators, power sensors, and a controller to monitor and adjust power distribution to loads, identifying abnormal operations by comparing actual and expected power consumption, allowing for immediate intervention to prevent accidents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a processor controls all loads in a movable electronic device, then the device can perform various operations, but the system becomes vulnerable to safety accidents when the processor malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the power control system into independent segments: the processor handles high-level operation control while a dedicated power management circuit handles power distribution and safety monitoring. This segmentation allows the power management circuit to independently monitor power consumption of each load and detect abnormalities without being affected by processor malfunctions, thereby maintaining safety integrity while preserving operation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The power management circuit acts as an intermediary between the processor and the loads. It receives power from the processor-controlled power source, monitors power consumption of individual loads, and can independently cut off power to abnormal loads. This intermediary layer provides a safety mechanism that operates independently of the processor, preventing catastrophic failures while allowing the processor to maintain versatile operation control.
2Reliability
If power management circuitry is added to monitor load operations, then safety and reliability improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into the power management circuit: voltage regulation, power distribution, load monitoring, and abnormality detection are integrated into a single circuit module. By merging these functions, the patent reduces the need for separate components and interconnections, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving comprehensive safety monitoring and control.
Solution Approach 2:
The power management circuit is designed with multi-functionality to handle various loads (motors, sensors, displays, communication modules) through a unified architecture. The switching circuit can connect any regulator to any load, and the monitoring function applies to all loads generically. This universal design approach allows the system to maintain high reliability across diverse operations without proportionally increasing complexity for each additional function.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device according to an embodiment may include: a plurality of loads, a processor, and a power management circuit configured to provide the plurality of loads with a power, wherein the power management circuit may include a plurality of regulators configured to adjust a voltage of a power received from a power source and output a voltage-adjusted power, a switching circuit configured to connect at least one of the plurality of regulators to at least one of the plurality of loads, a plurality of power sensors each power sensor being configured to measure a magnitude of a power input to each of the plurality of loads, and a controller. The controller may be configured to obtain information related to an operation of each of the plurality of loads from the processor, obtain the magnitude of the power input to each of the plurality of loads from each of the plurality of power sensors, and identify a load which operates abnormally among the plurality of loads based on the magnitude of the power input to each of the plurality of loads and the information related to the operation of each of the plurality of loads.