WO1997000508A1

WO1997000508A1 - Control for power supply

Info

Publication number: WO1997000508A1
Application number: PCT/GB1996/001437
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrew Lawrence Gold
Original assignee: Andrew Lawrence Gold
Priority date: 1995-06-15
Filing date: 1996-06-14
Publication date: 1997-01-03
Also published as: AU6231596A; GB9512218D0

Abstract

Disclosed is a power supply provided with terminals for allowing the power supply to power different devices, and further provided with means for adjusting different parameters of the power supplied so as to power different power requirements. The power supply has a sensor for receiving signals from a remote control unit which allows control of the parameters from the remote control unit. The remote control unit can be arranged to control a plurality of different power supplies and can be provided with a keypad for inputting control data and a display showing data entered. In a further modification, the power supply has transmitting means for sending signals to the remote control unit concerning the state of the power supply.

Description

Control For Power Supply

This invention relates to power supplies, and in particular relates to a way of controlling power supplies which is, at present, a very time consuming awkward operation.

Remote control units are well known in the field of home entertainment equipment such as televisions, video recorders and music equipment.

These devices have means for powering them which can often be turned on or off using the remote control units, but these powering means are permanently connected to and housed within the devices in question. This invention does not relate to powering means of this type, but instead relates to power supplies provided with terminals allowing the power supphes to power a plurality of different devices, usually allowing control over different parameters of the voltage/current produced. The advantages of remote control units of the prior art lie in the fact that it is often inconvenient to access controls located on the appliance being controlled by the remote control unit. This might be because the appliance is in an awkward place, such as sitting near ground level, or, more typically, because the user would want to operate the appliance from a location distant therefrom. In the past, power supplies have been operated using controls on the body thereof or by means of a hard wire remote control link. There are many problems associated with having the controls physically linked to the power supply.

Generally the normal operation ofthe controls will be time consuming and awkward due to the positioning ofthe controls, and a significant amount of bench space can be taken up near the equipment being powered. While these power supplies will have to be set to very different settings at different times, there will often be a need to set the power supply to previous settings. The problem of having to spend a great amount of time changing settings could be avoided by having programmable power supplies, but a problem still exists if a set of power supplies are all to run in synchronisation, on the same or different settings. The power supply operator will have to individually set each power supply.

Previous power supplies have also suffered from the disadvantage that, as they are often in dangerous and inaccessible locations, they can be difficult to operate. For example, they might be in areas close to high voltage components, devices operating at high temperature, or even chemically hazardous environments. It would therefore be of great benefit to the user if the power supply could be operated without direct physical contact.

According to the present invention there is provided a power supply, comprising means for receiving a wireless control signal and means responsive to said receiving means for controlling a parameter of the output of the power supply, wherein the parameter in question is additional to simply switching the supply on or off.

An advantage of the present invention is that a power supply controlled by the remote control device of the invention need not be in a position where the controls are accessible; accessibility is not only intended to be limited to the physical location and orientation of the device, but also to the power supply's surroundings, which might make access dangerous. This is of particular importance in the operation of power supplies, as opposed to domestic appliances, as power supplies are likely to be found in laboratories and other research environments where high voltages and temperatures are likely to be present. The power supply might even itself be supplying very high voltages and currents to other devices, making the avoidance of physical contact with the power supply highly preferable.

The power supply of the invention needs only to be in range of the signals transmitted by the remote control device. A further advantage of the present invention is that a plurality of power supplies can be set simultaneously using the same remote control device, either to the same settings or to different settings.

In a specific embodiment of the present invention, a remote control is provided to control various parameters adjustable on a power supply or on various power supplies arranged to operate under the control ofthe remote control unit. The remote confrol device is provided with a transmitter and means for inputting data to the remote confrol device, such as a keypad. The fransmitter is provided so that the remote confrol can transmit information entered into the input means on the remote control unit to a power supply. In a preferred modification, the remote confrol unit comprises a display device. This allows the user ofthe remote control unit to check that the information to be transmitted is that which is intended.

In a further preferred modification, the remote control also comprises a receiver and any power supplies controlled by the remote confrol unit comprise a fransmitter. The receiver/transmitter combination is provided so that the power supply can transmit back to the remote confrol unit the settings it has achieved, so that these can be displayed by the remote control on the display device. This is often advantageous, as a power supply might not be able to achieve the settings the operator has entered. Furthermore, if the power supply were programmed to transmit a response to an instruction from the remote control unit, the remote confrol unit would be able to establish whether or not it was in range on the basis of whether or not it received an acknowledgement and alert the operator appropriately.

The principle used for transmitting and receiving is not a fundamental feature of the present invention; the transmission might be based on infra-red, radio frequency or ultrasonic waves.

The input means on the remote confrol is arranged such that the parameters of a power supply can be entered. These parameters might include amplitude, frequency, current voltage, waveform and timing information for delayed operation. Other parameters of relevance to the power supply ofthe embodiment would also be included, although the actual parameters present are not relevant to the definition ofthe invention.

The display device is constructed in such a way that the parameters entered into the remote confrol unit, or status information transmitted by the power supply unit to the remote control unit, can be conveniently displayed on the remote confrol circuit. The remote confrol unit and the power supply unit could also be fitted with clock or timing means so that delayed operation could be achieved, or a schedule of operation of the power supply or power supplies being controlled could be generated. The schedule of operation could consist of a preprogrammed sequence of different power supply settings, rather than simply an on/off sequence. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the remote control unit is also fitted with security means. This security means could be used to prevent prospective users ofthe remote control from changing settings on any power supplies to which they do not have access. This means of limiting access to a specific power supply to a privileged group could be achieved using similar means on the power supply itself, although this is likely to be a nuisance ifthe power supply is not in an easily accessible place.

In a further preferred embodiment ofthe invention, means are provided for attaching the remote control to a printer. The printer could print out any programmed settings ofthe remote control or could keep a log of transmissions to and from the remote confrol unit as and when they occur.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the power supply is used for measuring other functions such as airflow and temperature. Test loads could be built in or added onto- the power supply unit and controlled by the remote control.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A power supply comprising means for receiving a wireless control signal and means responsive to said receiving means for controlling a parameter ofthe output of the power supply wherein the parameter in question is additional to simply switching the supply on or off.

2. A power supply according to claim 1 further comprising ttansmitting means for transmitting signals carrying data.

3. A power supply according to claim 2 wherein said data comprises a signal acknowledging receipt of said control signal.

4. A power supply according to claim 2 or 3 wherein said data comprises information concerning the state of said power supply parameters.

5 A power supply according to any preceding claim wherein said signals comprise infra-red waves.

6. A power supply according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein said signals comprise radio waves.

7. A power supply according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein said signals comprise ultrasonic waves.

8. A power supply according to any preceding claim wherein one of the parameters is output amplitude.

9. A power supply according to any preceding claim wherein one of the parameters is output frequency.

10. A power supply according to any preceding claim further comprising clock means arranged to allow conttolled parameters to be changed at times other than the time the conttol signal is received.

11. A power supply system comprising a power supply according to any preceding claim and a remote conttol unit comprising means for ttansmitting said conttol signal.

12. The power supply system according to 11 wherein said remote conttol unit comprises means for receiving any data ttansmitted by said power supply.

13. A power supply system according to claims 11 or 12 wherein said remote conttol device comprises means for inputting data.

14. A power supply system according to claim 13 wherein said means for inputting data comprises a keypad.

15. A power supply system according to any of claims 11 to 14 wherein said remote confrol device is further ananged to conttol parameters of one or more further power supplies.

16. A power supply system according to claim 15 wherein said conttol signals sent by the remote conttol device have the same effect on each of said power supplies.

17. A power supply system according to claims 15 or 16 wherein the conttol signals sent by the remote conttol device have different effects on each of said power supplies.

18. A power supply system according to any of claims 11 to 17 wherein the remote control device further comprises a display device ananged to display data entered.

19. A power supply system according to any of claims 11 to 18 wherein the remote control unit further comprises security means.

20. A power supply system according to any of claims 11 to 19 wherein the remote confrol unit further comprises means for attaching the remote confrol unit to a printer.