JPH06332587A - Power supply protection device for computer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To stop the computer normally before the remaining battery becomes zero when the power failure continues for a long time and to smoothly restart the computer after recovering from the power failure. CONSTITUTION:When an information management part 1c detects the power failure at the power supply side, it counts the continued power failure time and calculates the permissible time for detecting the power failure substracting the normal time required to stop processing of a computer 2 and the time required to secure charging performance of the battery 1b from the permissible time required to discharge the battery 1b. When the continued power failure time reaches a permissible time for detecting the power failure, the notification of the long-time power failure is outputted to an information utilizing part 2a. The part 2a stops the computer 2 in the normal order. After the processing of stopping the computer 2 is finished, the information management part 1c cuts the power supply from the battery 1b to the computer 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a power supply protection device for protecting a computer from a power failure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a conventional power supply protection device for a computer. In FIG. 8, 1 is an uninterruptible power supply device,
1a is a power supply unit of the uninterruptible power supply 1, 1b is a battery used when the uninterruptible power supply 1 fails, 2 is a computer that receives power from the uninterruptible power supply 1, 3a is a power source such as a commercial power supply Power supply lines 3b for supplying electric power to the power supply unit 1a are power supply lines for supplying electric power from the power supply unit 1a to the computer 2.

Next, the operation of the conventional power supply protection device for a computer will be described. The power supply unit 1a receives power from a power source such as a commercial power supply (not shown) through the power line 3a, supplies the received power to the computer 2 through the power line 3b, and at the same time, a part of the received power is supplied to the battery 1b. To charge. Then, at the same time that a power failure occurs on the power supply side such as a commercial power supply, the uninterruptible power supply 1 automatically supplies the power of the battery 1b to the computer 2 through the power supply line 3b.

[0004]

In the conventional power supply protection device for a computer, when a power failure occurs on the power supply side such as a commercial power supply as described above, the battery 1b is automatically utilized as a backup power supply for the computer 1. Although it is designed to protect the battery so that the operation is continued, when the remaining amount of the battery 1b becomes zero, the power supply from the battery 1b to the computer 2 is stopped even if the power failure is not recovered. Therefore, in the case of a long-term blackout, the power outage does not recover before the remaining amount of the battery 1b becomes zero, and the computer 2 is not stopped in a normal procedure, and the startup of the computer 2 after the power outage cannot be restarted smoothly. . Further, in the case of a long-term power failure, the remaining amount of the battery becomes zero, so that there is a problem that the charging performance of the battery after the power failure is recovered and the useful life of the battery is deteriorated.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and even in the case of a long-term power failure, by stopping the computer in a normal procedure before the remaining battery level becomes zero, An object of the present invention is to obtain a power supply protection device for a computer that can smoothly restart the computer after a power failure recovery and can secure the useful life of a battery.

[0006]

A power supply protection device for a computer according to a first aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, is a computer side information utilization section for stopping a computer in a normal procedure. A and a power supply side information management unit B that manages power supply from a power supply such as a commercial power supply to the computer and power supply from the battery to the computer.
A power outage determination means C and a power outage notification means D are provided in the power outage determination means C, and the power outage determination means C takes into account the power outage detection allowable time, the power supply stop time, and the stop processing time required for the stop processing in the normal procedure of the computer. A long-term power failure in which electric power cannot be supplied from the battery to the computer is determined, and the power failure notification unit D outputs a long-term power failure notification to the computer-side information utilization unit A based on the long-term power failure determination result from the power failure determination unit C. It is a thing.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer power source protection device, wherein the computer side information utilization section A is provided.
In FIG. 1, a takeover information means E shown by a virtual line is provided, and this takeover information means E notifies another computer, which exchanges information with the computer, of the takeover information associated with the stop processing according to the normal procedure of the computer. It is something that is done.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer power source protection device, wherein the computer side information utilization section A is provided.
1 is provided with a timer value setting means F shown by a virtual line, and the timer value setting means F sets the power failure detection allowable time and the power supply stop time.

[0009]

In the power supply protection device for a computer according to the first aspect of the present invention, the power supply side information management unit B continues the power outage when the power supply side information management unit B detects a power outage on the power supply side due to the switching of the power supply to the computer from the power supply such as the commercial power supply to the battery. Time is counted. At the same time, the power failure determination means C calculates the power failure detection allowable time by subtracting the stop processing required time required for the stop processing according to the normal procedure of the computer from the battery power failure allowable time (dischargeable time). When the power failure continuation time reaches the power failure detection permissible time, the power failure determination means C determines that it is a long-term power failure, and outputs the determination result to the power failure notification means D.
Then, the power failure notification means D outputs a long-term power failure notification to the computer-side information utilization unit A. As a result, the computer side information utilization unit A stops the computer in a normal procedure. When the power failure duration time reaches the power supply stop time after the termination processing of the computer is completed, the power supply side information management unit B shuts off the power supply from the battery to the computer. Further, if the power failure on the power supply side is recovered before the power supply side information management unit B cuts off the power supply from the battery to the computer, the power supply side information management unit B
Detects the recovery of power failure on the power source side due to the switching of the power supply to the computer from the battery to the power source such as the commercial power source and notifies the computer side information utilization unit A to continue the management.
Then, the computer side information utilization unit A restarts the activation while suspending the stop processing according to the normal procedure of the computer.

In the power supply protection device for a computer according to the second aspect of the present invention, when the power supply side information management unit B detects a power outage on the power supply side due to switching of the power supply to the computer from a power supply such as a commercial power supply to a battery, the power outage continues. Time is counted.
At the same time, the power failure determination means C calculates the power failure detection allowable time by subtracting the stop processing required time required for the stop processing in the normal procedure of the computer from the battery power failure allowable time. When the power failure continuation time reaches the power failure detection permissible time, the power failure determination means C determines that it is a long-term power failure, and outputs the determination result to the power failure notification means D. Then, the power failure notification means D outputs a long-term power failure notification to the computer-side information utilization unit A. As a result, the takeover information means E notifies another computer, which exchanges information with the computer, of the takeover information associated with the stop processing according to the normal procedure of the computer, and the computer-side information utilization unit A makes the computer operate normally. Stop according to the procedure. When the power failure duration time reaches the power supply stop time after the termination processing of the computer, the power supply side information management unit cuts off the power supply from the battery to the computer. Further, if the power failure on the power source side is recovered before the power source side information management unit B cuts off the power supply from the battery to the computer,
The power supply side information management unit B detects recovery from power failure on the power supply side due to switching of power supply to the computer from a battery to a power supply such as a commercial power supply, and notifies the computer side information use unit A to continue management. Then, the computer side information utilization unit A restarts the activation while suspending the stop processing according to the normal procedure of the computer.

In the power supply protection device for a computer according to the third aspect of the present invention, when the power supply side information management unit B detects a power outage on the power supply side due to switching of the power supply to the computer from a power supply such as a commercial power supply to a battery, the power outage continues. Time is counted.
At the same time, the timer value setting means F transmits to the power supply side information management section B the power outage detection permissible time and the power supply stop time in consideration of the computer stop processing required time. When the power failure continuation time reaches the power failure detection permissible time, the power failure determination means C determines that it is a long-term power failure, and outputs the determination result to the power failure notification means D. Then, the power failure notification means D outputs a long-term power failure notification to the computer-side information utilization unit A. As a result, the computer side information utilization unit A stops the computer in a normal procedure. When the power failure duration time reaches the power supply stop time after the termination processing of the computer is completed, the power supply side information management unit cuts off the power supply from the battery to the computer. If the power failure on the power supply side is recovered before the power supply side information management unit B cuts off the power supply from the battery to the computer, the power supply side information management unit B supplies the power to the computer from the battery. The recovery of the power failure on the power source side due to the switching to the power source such as the commercial power source is detected and the management is continued while notifying the computer side information utilization unit A. Then, the computer side information use section A
Restarts the startup while stopping the stop processing of the computer according to the normal procedure.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 2 to FIG.

Embodiment 1. (Corresponding to claim 1) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a power supply protection device for a computer as Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the power supply protection device for the computer, and FIG. It is a timing chart which shows operation | movement of the power supply protection device of a computer.

In FIG. 2, the uninterruptible power supply 1 has a power supply unit 1a, a battery 1b, a power supply side information management unit 1c, and a timer 1d. The computer 2 is the computer side information use unit 2
a.

The power supply side information management section 1c is composed of a microprocessor so as to include the power failure judging means C and the power failure notifying means D shown in FIG. 1, and through the power supply line 3a according to the program set in the microprocessor. The power supply from a power source such as a commercial power source to the computer 2 and the power supply from the battery 1b to the computer 2 are managed. Specifically, the power supply side information management unit 1c receives the power failure continuation time t measured by the timer 1d by the switching operation signal from the power supply line 3a side to the battery 1b side in the power supply unit 1a, and the power failure continuation time t From the charge amount of the battery 1b, based on the allowable power failure time T1, the allowable power failure detection time T3 of the uninterruptible power supply 1, the power supply stop time T4, and the stop processing time T5 required for the stop processing in the normal procedure of the computer 2, It determines a long-term power failure on the power supply side, which makes it impossible to supply power from the battery 1b to the computer 2, and outputs a long-term power failure notification to the computer-side information utilization unit 2a through the communication line 4. In addition, the power supply side information management unit 1c causes the power supply supply unit 1a to operate when the power failure continuation time t reaches the power supply stop time T4.
To stop the power supply from the battery 1b to the computer 2 side.

The timer 1d starts clocking the power failure continuation time t by a switching operation signal from the power supply line 3a side to the battery 1b side in the power supply unit 1a, and supplies a signal corresponding to the measured power failure continuation time t. It is output to the side information management unit 1c. In addition, the timer 1d is the power supply unit 1
The above clock operation is stopped by the switching operation signal from the battery 1b side to the power supply line 3a side in a or the power supply cutoff notification in the power supply side information management unit 1c, and the power failure continuation time t measured by then is returned to zero. To do.

The computer side information utilization section 2a stops the computer 2 according to a normal procedure by receiving the long-term power failure notification from the power source side information management section 1c. The power supply side information management section 1c and the timer 1d are adapted to be supplied with operating power from the battery 1b at the same time when the power supply side power failure occurs.

Next, the operation of the power supply protection device for the computer in the first embodiment will be described. Based on empirical rules such as measurement by the user, the stop processing required time T3 required for the stop operation according to the normal procedure in the computer 2 currently used, the power consumption amount per unit time of the computer 2, and the charging performance of the battery 1b are ensured. The time T4 and the power supply side information management 1c are set in advance.

Next, the power supply operation of the uninterruptible power supply 1 is started, and the power supply unit 1a receives power from a power source such as a commercial power source (not shown) through the power line 3a, and supplies the supplied power to the power source. The supply unit 1a stably supplies the computer 2 through the power supply line 3b, charges a part of the power supplied from the power supply line 3a into the battery 1b, and further manages another part of the supplied power on the power supply side information management. It is supplied to the section 1c.
Therefore, as the power supply from the power supply line 3a to the computer 2 is started by the uninterruptible power supply 1, the power supply side information management unit 1c supplies the power supply from the power supply line 3a to the computer 2 and the power supply from the battery 1b to the computer 2. The monitoring operation that manages is started.

When the computer 2 is running, the power supply from the power supply line 3a to the power supply unit 1a is interrupted by a power failure on the power supply side such as a commercial power supply. When a power failure occurs on the power supply side, the uninterruptible power supply 1 switches the power supply unit 1a from the power supply line 3a side to the battery 1 side. By this switching operation, the power supply unit 1a causes the battery 1b to
Power is automatically supplied to the computer 2 from the power supply line 3b, and the battery 1b supplies operating power to the power supply unit 1a, the power supply side information management unit 1c and the timer 1d. At the same time, the timer 1d starts the time counting operation to measure the power failure continuation time t, while the power supply side information management section 1c executes the power failure processing, so that the power failure seen from the charge amount of the battery 1b at the time of the power failure detection. The allowable time (dischargeable time) T1 and the power failure detection allowable time T3 of the uninterruptible power supply 1 are calculated.

That is, the power supply side information management unit 1c divides the charge amount of the battery 1b at the time of the power failure detection by the power consumption amount of the computer 2 per unit time to obtain the battery 1
The power failure allowable time T1 of b is calculated, and this power failure allowable time T1
The required stop time T5 of the computer 1, the charging performance ensuring time T2 of the battery 1b, and the safety time ΔT are subtracted from the above to calculate the power failure detection allowable time T3 of the uninterruptible power supply 1 (T3 = T1- [T2 + T5 + ΔT ]).

The safety time ΔT is determined by the information management unit 1 on the power source side.
Computer-side information utilization unit 2 from the instruction of the long-term power failure notification by c
delay time until a starts the stop processing by the normal procedure of the computer 2 and the charging performance ensuring time T2 of the battery 1b
This is the total time with the margin time before the stop processing of the computer 2 is completed. Further, the power supply stop time T4 of the uninterruptible power supply 1 is obtained by subtracting the charging performance securing time T2 of the battery 1b and the power outage detection time T3 of the uninterruptible power supply 1 from the power outage allowable time T1 of the battery 1b (T4 = T1
-[T2 + T3]; see FIG. 4).

Then, in the case of a long-term power failure in which the power failure duration time t measured by the timer 1d has reached the power failure detection allowable time T3 of the uninterruptible power supply 1, a power supply side information management section 1c
Outputs a long-term power failure notification to the computer-side information utilization unit 2a, and thereafter outputs a power-off notification to the power supply unit 1a before the charging performance securing time T2 of the battery 1b.

The power failure processing operation in the power supply side information management section 1c will be described again with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the power supply side information management unit 1c receives the switching operation signal from the power supply line 3a side of the power supply unit 1a to the battery 1b side, it is determined that a power failure has occurred, and the timer 1
The timing operation of d is started (steps 101 and 10).
2).

When the power failure continuation time t counted by the timer 1d reaches the power failure detection allowable time T3, and the power supply from the battery 1b to the computer 2 is further continued, the remaining capacity of the battery 1b is the charging performance of the battery 1b. Since it means that the power outage is a long-term power outage, which means that it is impossible to finish the stop processing by the normal procedure of the computer 2 before it becomes less than or equal to the amount required to secure the power supply side information management unit 1c. Outputs a long-term power failure notification to the computer-side information utilization unit 2a (steps 103 and 104).

Upon receiving the long-term power failure notification, the computer-side information utilization unit 2a receives the long-term power failure notification, and then causes the computer 2 to start the shutdown process according to a normal procedure (step 107).

Next, the power outage duration t measured by the timer 1d is the power supply stop time obtained by subtracting the charging performance securing time T2 and the power outage detection permissible time T3 of the uninterruptible power supply 1 from the power outage allowable time T1 of the battery 1b. When T4 is reached, it means that if the power supply from the battery 1b to the computer 2 is further continued, the remaining amount of the battery 1b becomes less than or equal to the amount required to secure the battery charging performance. The management unit 1c sends a power-off notification to the power supply unit 1
It is output to a (steps 105 and 106). Due to this power-off notification, the power supply unit 1a moves from the battery 1b to the computer 2
To stop the power supply to.

In short, according to the first embodiment, the power supply unit 1a supplies power from the battery 1b to the computer 2 through the power supply line 3b at the same time as the occurrence of a power failure on the power supply line 3a side. In parallel with this, as shown in the timing chart of FIG. 4, the power supply side information management unit 1c determines from the power failure allowable time T1 of the battery 1b to the stop processing required time T5 of the computer 2 and the charging performance securing time T2 of the battery 1b and the safety time. ΔT is subtracted from the uninterruptible power supply 1 to calculate the power failure detection allowable time T3 (T3 = T1− [T2 + T5 + ΔT]). Then, the power supply side information management unit 1c determines that there is a long-term power failure when the power failure duration time t reaches the power failure detection allowable time T3 of the uninterruptible power supply device 1, and transmits a long-term power failure notification to the computer-side information utilization unit 2a. Then, the computer-side information use unit 2a causes the computer 2 to
Start the stop processing according to the normal stop procedure of. After the stop processing required time T5 has elapsed from the start of the stop processing, the stop processing according to the normal stop procedure of the computer 2 ends. After the stop processing according to the normal stop procedure of the computer 2, the power supply side information management unit 1c stops the power supply from the battery 1b to the computer 2. As a result, before the remaining amount of the battery 1b becomes less than or equal to the amount required to secure the battery charging performance, the computer 2
Ends the stop process according to the normal stop procedure. Therefore,
It is possible to stop the computer 2 in a normal stop procedure according to how to use the computer 2 when a power failure is detected. In addition, after the power failure on the power supply line 3a side is restored, it is possible to smoothly restart the computer 2 after the power failure is restored. In addition, since the stop process of the computer 2 according to the normal stop procedure ends before the time when the charging performance of the battery 1b can be secured, the battery 1b is normally charged after the power failure is recovered, and the computer after the power failure is recovered. The battery 1b becomes fully charged as the driving time of 2 elapses.

Example 2. (Corresponding to claim 2) In the first embodiment, when the computer-side information utilization unit 2a receives the long-term power failure notification, the computer 2 is immediately stopped by the normal procedure, but as shown in FIG. When the computer 2 is in a state of forming a data communication system for exchanging information with another computer 5, the computer side information utilization unit 2a is provided with the takeover information notifying means E shown in FIG. As a result, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6, the computer-side information utilization unit 2a receives the long-term power failure notification from the power-source-side information management unit 1c, thereby notifying another computer 5 of the takeover information accompanying the stop processing. After that, the computer 2 may be stopped in a normal procedure. By notifying another computer 5 of the takeover information as in the second embodiment, it is possible to cause another computer 5 to take over the processing that the computer 2 has been performing.

Example 3. (Corresponding to claim 3) In the first and second embodiments, the power supply side information management unit 1c sets the power failure detection permissible time T3 and the power supply stop time T4 of the uninterruptible power supply 1 in consideration of the stop processing required time T5 of the computer 2. I asked on the side,
As shown in FIG. 7, by providing the timer value setting means F shown in FIG. 1 in the computer side information use section 2a, the value computer side information use section 2a has a power failure detection allowable time T3 in which the stop processing required time T5 is added. The computer side information utilization unit 2a allows the power supply stop time T4 and other timer values to be set, and the computer-side information use unit 2a sends the power outage detection allowable time T3 and the power supply stop time T4 in consideration of the set stop processing required time T5 through the communication line 4. You may make it transmit and set to the power supply side information management part 1c. As in the third embodiment, by transmitting the power outage detection permissible time T3 and the power supply suspension time T4 in which the stop processing required time T5 is added from the computer side information use unit 2a, the use at the time of power outage detection in the computer 2 is performed. Even if the stop processing time based on the method is increased, the relative power outage detection permissible time T3 is shortened and the power supply stop time T4 is reduced.
Can be easily extended, and the stop process according to the normal procedure of the computer 2 can be surely performed.

[0031]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention,
When a power failure occurs on the power supply side such as a commercial power supply and the power is supplied from the battery to the computer, the computer is configured to be stopped by a normal stop procedure before the remaining battery level becomes zero. It can be stopped by a normal stop procedure according to the usage method when a power failure is detected, and the computer can be restarted smoothly after the power failure is recovered on the power supply side. Since the charging performance of the battery is ensured at that time, the battery can be brought into the fully charged state after the power failure is recovered while maintaining the useful life of the battery.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the computer-side information utilization unit receives a long-term power failure notification from the power-source-side information management unit, the computer-side information utilization unit communicates with the computer subjected to the stop processing. Since it is configured to notify another computer that exchanges information with the takeover information associated with the above stop processing, the computer that receives the stop processing at the computer side information use unit can transfer the processing that was being performed until now to another computer. be able to.

Further, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the computer-side information utilization unit is configured to set the power failure detection permissible time and the power supply stop time, so that the computer is stopped based on the method of use when a power failure is detected. Even if the processing time increases, the relative power outage detection allowable time can be easily shortened and the power supply stop time can be extended easily, and the computer can be stopped in a normal procedure before the battery level becomes zero. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing the first to third inventions.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a power supply protection device for a computer according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the power protection system for a computer according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of the power protection system for a computer according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a power supply protection device for a computer according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the computer power protection device according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram showing a power supply protection device for a computer according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional power supply protection device for a computer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 uninterruptible power supply unit 1a power supply unit 1b battery 1c, B power supply side information management unit 1d timer 2 computer 2a, A computer side information utilization unit C power failure determination means D power failure notification means E takeover information means F timer value setting means

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. The power received from a power source such as a commercial power source is supplied to a computer, and a part of the power is charged into a battery, and at the same time a power failure occurs on the power source side, the power of the battery is automatically fed to the computer. In the power supply protection device of the computer to be supplied to the computer, the computer side information use unit that stops the computer in a normal procedure, and the power supply side information that manages the power supply from the power source to the computer and the power supply from the battery to the computer. From the battery to the computer, the power supply side information management unit is added to the power supply side information management unit while taking into account the power outage detection allowable time, the power supply stop time, and the stop processing time required for the stop processing according to the normal procedure of the computer. Power failure determination means for determining a long-term power failure that will result in power failure, and a long-term power failure notification is sent to the computer-side information utilization section based on the long-term power failure determination result from this power failure determination means. A power supply protection device for a computer, which is provided with a power failure notification means for outputting. 2. The computer-side information utilization unit is provided with a takeover information means for notifying another computer, which exchanges information with the computer, of takeover information associated with a stop process according to a normal procedure of the computer. The power supply protection device for a computer according to claim 1, wherein: 3. A timer value setting means for setting the power failure detection allowable time and the power supply stop time in the computer side information utilization unit, in consideration of the stop process required time required for the stop process according to the normal procedure of the computer. The power protection device for a computer according to claim 1, wherein the power protection device is provided.