Adaptive peak power management of load devices sharing a power source

1. An adaptive power management system, comprising:

a plurality of load devices including a burst load device configurable to operate with a time-varying load having a controllable duty cycle;

a shared power source configured to supply power to the plurality of load devices;

a power manager configured to adaptively determine a power allocation for the burst load device based on operational requirements of the plurality of load devices;

a multi-level power limiter configured to limit a maximum average power level supplied to the burst load device to one of a plurality of selectable average power levels in response to the power allocation determined by the power manager; and

a power storage module configured to store power supplied by the shared power source and to supply sufficient power to permit the burst load device to operate with a peak power that exceeds the maximum average power level during burst periods, wherein the power manager controls the duty cycle of the burst periods of the burst load device to maintain the power stored by the power storage module above a desired level.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of load devices has a peak power requirement, and wherein a peak power available from the shared power source is less than the sum of the peak power requirements of the plurality of load devices.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power manager controls the duty cycle of the burst load device by controlling at least one of a duration and a repetition rate of the burst periods.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power storage module monitors a power storage state indicating a currently remaining amount of power in the power storage module, and wherein the power manager controls the duty cycle of the burst load device based on the power storage state.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power manager controls the duty cycle of the burst load device as a function of the power level controlled by the multi-level power limiter.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power manager, the multi-level power limiter, the power storage module, and the burst load device are components of a load device module.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power manager is coupled to each of the plurality of load devices having a time-varying load and controls duty cycles of burst periods of each of the load devices having a time-varying load.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power manager controls the peak power of the burst load device to maintain the power stored by the power storage module above the desired level.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

at least first and second load devices, the first load device being configurable to operate with a time-varying load having a controllable duty cycle;

a shared power source configured to supply power to the first and second load devices;

a power controller configured to adaptively determine a power allocation for the first load device based on operational requirements of the first and second load devices and configured to adaptively limit power supplied by the shared power source to the first load device to one of a plurality of selectable power levels based on the power allocation; and

a power storage module configured to store power supplied by the shared power source and to supply sufficient power to permit the first load device to operate during burst periods with a peak power that exceeds an average power supplied to the power storage module by the shared power source, wherein the power controller controls the duty cycle of the burst periods of the first load device to maintain the power stored by the power storage module above a desired level.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the first and second load devices each have a peak power requirement, and wherein a peak power available from the shared power source is less than the sum of the peak power requirements of the first and second load devices.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the power manager controls the duty cycle of the first load device by controlling at least one of a duration and a repetition rate of the burst periods.

12. The device of claim 9 , wherein the power storage module monitors a power storage state indicating a currently remaining amount of power in the power storage module, and wherein the power manager controls the duty cycle of the first load device based on the power storage state.

13. The device of claim 9 , wherein the power manager controls the duty cycle of the first load device as a function of the power level controlled by the multi-level power limiter.

14. The device of claim 9 , wherein the power manager, the multi-level power limiter, the power storage module, and the first load device are components of a load device module.

15. The device of claim 9 , wherein the power manager is coupled to each of the plurality of load devices having a time-varying load and controls duty cycles of burst periods of each of the load devices having a time-varying load.

16. The device of claim 9 , wherein the power manager controls the peak power of the burst load device to maintain the power stored by the power storage module above the desired level.

17. A method of adaptively managing power supplied to a plurality of load devices by a shared power source, the load devices including a burst load device configurable to operate with a time-varying load having a controllable duty cycle, the method comprising:

adaptively determining a power allocation for the burst load device based on operational requirements of the plurality of load devices;

limiting power supplied by the shared power source to the first load device to one of a plurality of selectable power levels based on the power allocation;

storing power supplied by the shared power source in a power storage device;

supplying sufficient power from the power storage device to permit the burst load device to operate during burst periods with a peak power that exceeds the average power supplied to the storage device; and

controlling the duty cycle of the burst periods of the burst load device to maintain the power stored by the power storage device above a desired level.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of load devices has a peak power requirement, and wherein a peak power available from the shared power source is less than the sum of the peak power requirements of the plurality of load devices.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the duty cycle of the burst load device is controlled by controlling at least one of a duration and a repetition rate of the burst periods.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

monitoring a power storage state indicating a currently remaining amount of stored, wherein the duty cycle of the burst mode device is controlled as a function of the power storage state.

21. The method of claim 17 , wherein the duty cycle of the burst mode device is controlled as a function of a power level to which the burst load device is limited.

22. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

controlling the peak power of the burst load device to maintain the power stored by the power storage module above the desired level.

23. An electronic device, comprising:

at least first and second means for drawing power, the first means for drawing power being configurable to operate with a time-varying load having a controllable duty cycle;

means for supplying power in a shared manner to the first and second means for drawing power;

means for adaptively determining a power allocation for the first means for drawing power based on operational requirements of the first and second means for drawing power;

means for adaptively limiting power supplied by the means for supplying power to the first means for drawing power to one of a plurality of selectable power levels based on the power allocation; and

means for storing power supplied by the shared power source and for supplying sufficient power to permit the first means for drawing power to operate during burst periods with a peak power that exceeds an average power supplied to the means for storing power;

and means for controlling the duty cycle of the burst periods of the first means for drawing power to maintain the power stored by the means for storing power above a desired level.

24. A program product apparatus having a computer readable medium with computer program logic recorded thereon for facilitating adaptive management of power supplied to a plurality of load devices by a shared power source, wherein at least one of load devices includes a burst load device configurable to operate with a time-varying load having a controllable duty cycle, and wherein a power storage device is configured to store power supplied by the shared power source and supply sufficient power to permit the burst load device to operate during burst periods with a peak power that exceeds the average power supplied to the storage device, the program product apparatus comprising:

a module for adaptively determining a power allocation for the burst load device based on operational requirements of the plurality of load devices;

a module for limiting power supplied by the shared power source to the first load device to one of a plurality of selectable power levels based on the power allocation; and

a module for controlling the duty cycle of the burst periods of the burst load device to maintain the power stored by the power storage device above a desired level.