Programmable power control unit
View Patent ↗A programmable power system may be used to control the supply of power from a battery to protect the battery from accidental discharge and excessive wear. A programmable power control unit may be connected between a battery and one or more battery operated devices. Typically, the battery is installed in a vehicle (e.g., a motor vehicle, an airplane, or a watercraft) although the unit may be used with any battery powered system. The programmable power control unit may be used to control the supply of power from the battery to one or more auxiliary devices, such as, for example, a two-way CB and ham radio, an AM/FM radio, a music player, a PDA, a TV, a DVD player, a cellular phone, a radar device, a GPS device, a data terminal, a display, and a computer. The programmable power control unit automatically turns the devices on in response to a predetermined battery operating condition, and turns the devices off after a predetermined time period in response a non operating condition.
1. A programmable power control unit for connecting a device to a battery to supply power from the battery to the device, the unit comprising:
a first contact to connect to the battery;
a second contact to connect to the device;
a relay disposed between the first contact and the second contact to electrically connect the first contact to the second contact in response to a signal;
a voltage detector connected to the first contact to detect a voltage at the first contact; and
a processor to generate the signal to engage the relay if the voltage detected by the detector is above a predetermined level V 1 , to implement a timer function to count down a time period T 1 when the detected voltage falls below V 1 and the relay is engaged, to reset the timer if the detected voltage rises above V 1 during a countdown, and to remove the signal to disengage the relay when the timer times out, and to remove the engage signal to disengage the relay if the detected voltage falls below a second predetermined voltage V 2 , wherein V 2 <V 1 .
2. The unit of claim 1 further comprising:
a third contact to connect to the battery;
a high and low voltage detector to generate a high and low voltage detection signal in response to high voltage V 3 and low voltage V 4 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the engage signal in response a detected voltage V 3 or V 4 to engage the relay.
3. The unit of claim 1 further comprising an output to generate a signal to cause a device connected to the output to initiate a shutdown protocol wherein the processor is configured to generate the output signal at a predetermined time period T 2 before the expiration of the timer countdown.
4. The unit of claim 1 further comprising an input to connect to an external clock, wherein the processor generates an engage signal to engage the relay in response to a signal on the input.
5. The unit of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to implement a second timer function to count down a time period T 2 when the detected voltage falls below a third predetermined voltage V 3 and the relay is engaged, to discontinue the second timer if the detected voltage rises above V 3 during the countdown, and to remove the engage signal to disengage the relay when the second timer times out, where and V 2 <V 3 <V 1 and T 2 <T 1 .
6. The unit of claim 1 further comprising an input to generate an override signal wherein the processor is configured to generate the signal to engage the relay in response to the override signal to implement a second timer function to count down a time period T 2 , and to discontinue the engage signal to disengage the relay when the second timer times out.
7. A programmable power control unit for connecting a device to a battery to supply power from the battery to the device, the unit comprising:
a first contact to connect to the battery;
a second contact to connect to the device;
a relay disposed between the first contact and the second contact to electrically connect the first contact to the second contact in response to a signal;
an engine sensor to detect operation of engine;
a voltage detector connected to the first contact to detect a voltage at the first contact; and
a processor to generate the signal to engage the relay when engine operation is detected, to implement a timer function when the detected voltage falls below V 1 and the relay is engaged to count down a time period T 1 , to implement the timer function when no operation of the engine is detected, to reset the timer if the detected voltage rises above V 1 during a countdown or engine operation is detected, and to remove the signal to disengage the relay when the timer times out, and to remove the signal to disengage the relay if the detected voltage falls below a second predetermined voltage V 2 , wherein V 2 <V 1 .
8. The unit of claim 7 further comprising means for removing noise from the engine sensor causing the engine sensor to generate false indications of engine operation to the processor and preventing starting of the timer function.
9. The unit of claim 7 further comprising:
a third contact to connect to the battery; and
a high and low voltage detector to generate a high and low voltage detection signal in response to high voltage V 3 and low voltage V 4 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the engage signal in response a detected voltage V 3 or V 4 to engage the relay.
10. The unit of claim 7 further comprising an output to generate a signal to cause a device connected to the output to initiate a shutdown protocol wherein the processor is configured to generate the output signal at a predetermined time period T 2 before the expiration of the timer countdown.
11. The unit of claim 7 further comprising an input to connect to an external clock, wherein the processor generates an engage signal to engage the relay in response to a signal on the input.
12. The unit of claim 7 wherein the processor is configured to implement a second timer function to count down a time period T 2 when the detected voltage falls below a third predetermined voltage V 3 and the relay is engaged, to discontinue the second timer if the detected voltage rises above V 3 during the countdown, and to remove the engage signal to disengage the relay when the second timer times out, where and V 2 <V 3 <V 1 and T 2 <T 1 .
13. The unit of claim 7 further comprising an input to generate an override signal wherein the processor is configured to generate the signal to engage the relay in response to the override signal to implement a second timer function to count down a time period T 2 , and to discontinue the engage signal to disengage the relay when the second timer times out.
14. A power control system comprising:
a battery;
a first contact to connect to the battery;
a second contact to connect to the device;
a relay disposed between the first contact and the second contact to electrically connect the first contact to the second contact in response to a signal;
a voltage detector connected to the first contact to detect a voltage at the first contact; and
a processor to generate the signal to engage the relay if the voltage detected by the detector is above a predetermined level V 1 , to implement a timer function to count down a time period T 1 when the detected voltage falls below V 1 and the relay is engaged, to reset the timer if the detected voltage rises above V 1 during a countdown, and to remove the signal to disengage the relay when the timer times out, and to remove the engage signal to disengage the relay if the detected voltage falls below a second predetermined voltage V 2 , wherein V 2 <V 1 .
15. The system of claim 14 further comprising:
a third contact to connect to the battery; and
a high and low voltage detector to generate a high and low voltage detection signal in response to high voltage V 3 and low voltage V 4 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the engage signal in response a detected voltage V 3 or V 4 to engage the relay.
16. The system of claim 14 further comprising an output to generate a signal to cause a device connected to the output to initiate a shutdown protocol wherein the processor is configured to generate the output signal at a predetermined time period T 2 before the expiration of the timer countdown.
17. The system of claim 14 further comprising an input to connect to an external clock, wherein the processor generates an engage signal to engage the relay in response to a signal on the input.
18. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor is configured to implement a second timer function to count down a time period T 2 when the detected voltage falls below a third predetermined voltage V 3 and the relay is engaged, to discontinue the second timer if the detected voltage rises above V 3 during the countdown, and to remove the engage signal to disengage the relay when the second timer times out, where and V 2 <V 3 <V 1 and T 2 <T 1 .
19. The system of claim 14 further comprising an input to generate an override signal wherein the processor is configured to generate the signal to engage the relay in response to the override signal to implement a second timer function to count down a time period T 2 , and to discontinue the engage signal to disengage the relay when the second timer times out.
20. The system of claim 14 further comprising an engine and an engine sensor to detect operation of the engine wherein the processor is configure to generate the signal to engage the relay when engine operation is detected, to implement the timer function when no operation of the engine is detected, to reset the timer if the detected voltage rises above V 1 during a countdown or engine operation is detected, and to remove the signal to disengage the relay when the timer times out.
21. The system of claim 20 further comprising means for removing noise from the engine sensor causing the engine sensor to generate false indications of engine operation to the processor and preventing starting of the timer function.