IP Library Granted Patent US 11,221,660
Granted Patent B2
US 11,221,660 · App. 16/264,017 · Granted Jan 11, 2022

Fault detection based on comparing input current and moving average input current

Inventor: William James Walker (Houston, TX)
Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
G06F1/28G01R31/40G06F1/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,221,660
App. No.
16/264,017
Granted
Jan 11, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An example power supply for supplying electrical power to an electronic device includes converters to convert an input power signal into an output power signal, and a controller. The controller is to periodically measure an input current being drawn from the input power signal, periodically determine a moving average of the input current, and periodically compare the moving average of the input current to the present input current. The controller identifies that a fault may have occurred in response to the present input current exceeding the moving average by a threshold amount. The controller shuts down supply of power to the electronic device responsive to identifying the fault.

Claims (55)

1. A power supply for supplying electrical power to an electronic device, comprising:

one or more converters that are to convert a received input power signal into a DC power signal that is to supply the electrical power to the electronic device;

a controller that is configured to:

periodically measure an input current being drawn from the input power signal;

periodically determine a moving average of the input current;

periodically compare the moving average of the input current to the present input current; and

identify a fault in response to the present input current exceeding the moving average by a threshold amount; and

shut down supply of power to the electronic device responsive to identifying the fault.

2. The power supply of claim 1 ,

wherein the controller is configured to identify the fault when the present input current exceeds the moving average by the threshold amount for longer than a specified amount of time or more than a secured number of times within a specified period.

3. The power supply of claim 1 , comprising:

power factor correction (PFC) circuitry that is configured to correct a power factor of the DC power signal,

wherein the controller is configured to monitor an amount of correction (φ) being applied to the DC power signal by the PFC circuitry, and identify the fault when both of the following conditions are satisfied together:

the present input current exceeds the moving average by the threshold amount; and

φ is within a second threshold of zero degrees for a third threshold amount of time.

4. The power supply of claim 1 ,

wherein the controller comprises:

a register that is to store measured values of the input current,

averaging logic that is to determine the moving average of the input current by averaging the values stored in the register, and

comparison logic that is to compare the moving average of the input current to the present input current.

5. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing processor executable instructions for fault detection in a power supply that converts an input power signal into a DC power signal for an electronic device, the instructions being to, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

periodically measure an input current being drawn by the power supply from the input power signal;

periodically determine a moving average of the input current;

periodically compare the moving average of the input current to the present input current; and

identify a fault in response to the present input current exceeding the moving average by a threshold amount; and 3

shut down supply of power to the electronic device responsive to identifying the fault.

6. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 5 ,

wherein the controller is configured to identify the fault when the present input current exceeds the moving average by the threshold amount for longer than a specified amount of time or more than a secured number of times within a specified period.

7. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 5 ,

wherein the power supply includes power factor correction (PFC) circuitry that is configured to correct a power factor of the DC power signal, and

the instructions cause the processor to:

monitor an amount of correction (φ) being applied to the DC power signal by the PFC circuitry, and identify the fault when both of the following conditions are satisfied together:

the present input current exceeds the moving average by the threshold amount; and

φ is within a second threshold of zero degrees for a third threshold amount of time.

8. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 5 ,

wherein the instructions cause the processor to:

store measured values of the input current in a register, and

determine the moving average of the input current by averaging the values stored in the register.

9. A method for fault detection in a power supply that converts an input power signal into a DC power signal for an electronic device, the method comprising:

periodically measuring an input current being drawn from the input power signal;

periodically determining a moving average of the input current;

periodically comparing the moving average of the input current to the present input current; and

identifying a fault in response to the present input current exceeding the moving average by a threshold amount; and

shutting down supply of power to the electronic device responsive to identifying the fault.

10. The method of claim 9 , comprising:

wherein identifying the fault in response to the present input current exceeding the moving average by the threshold amount includes identifying the fault responsive to the present input current exceeding the moving average by the threshold amount for longer than a specified amount of time or more than a secured number of times within a specified period.

11. The method of claim 9 ,

wherein the power supply includes power factor correction (PFC) circuitry that is configured to correct a power factor of the DC power signal,

the method comprises monitoring an amount of correction (φ) being applied to the DC power signal by the PFC circuitry, and

identifying the fault in response to the present input current exceeding the moving average by the threshold amount includes identifying the fault responsive to both of the following conditions being satisfied together:

the present input current exceeds the moving average by the threshold amount; and

φ is within a second threshold of zero degrees for a third threshold amount of time.

12. The method of claim 9 , comprising:

storing measured values of the input current in a register; and

determining the moving average of the input current by averaging the values stored in the register.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 31, 2019
From: WALKER, WILLIAM JAMES
To: HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT LP
Reel/Frame 050109/0777 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200249736A1 · Aug 6, 2020