Patent · US Expired

Anticipatory power failure detection apparatus and method

US4658204A · kind A · utility

28Cited by
5References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 7, 1986
Grant dateApr 14, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 7, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02M3/156
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An anticipatory power failure detection apparatus and method, for use in connection with power supplies providing a regulated voltage signal to an electronic load such as a computer, employing circuitry for determining whether a control signal, within the regulated power supply circuit, is in a saturation state. Upon detecting a saturation state for the control signal, circuitry signals that an input power failure is occurring. The regulated power supply system can be a switching-type voltage regulation control system, wherein a pulse-width modulated switching system controls the periodic input of energy to an energy-storage network which generates the regulated voltage output signal. A derivative of the error signal is periodically sampled for determining whether it is in the saturation state. The regulated power supply control signal will be in the saturation state when the unregulated input voltage supply is insufficient to maintain the regulated voltage signal at the specified optimum operating point.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.