KR100681383B1 - Communication protocol for energy system integrated on a system communication bus - Google Patents

Abstract

The computer system has an integrated energy system on the system communication bus, the integrated energy system comprising a number of energy devices. Each energy device is integrated on a system communication bus and includes a memory and a processor. Each energy device processor selectively monitors a system communication bus during communication data idle and when communication data is idle, each energy device attempting to communicate with other energy devices in the energy system. The energy device attempts to communicate according to a predetermined sequence after the communication data idle state is detected. Examples of energy devices are battery packs, desktop chargers, analyzers, and radios.

System Communication Bus, Energy Device Processor, Memory, Battery Pack, Desktop Charger, Communication Data

Description

COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL FOR ENERGY SYSTEM INTEGRATED ON A SYSTEM COMMUNICATION BUS}

1 is a block diagram of a computer system including an integrated energy system having multiple energy devices in the energy system.

2 is a flow chart illustrating a preferred protocol that each energy device uses to monitor the system communication bus and optionally communicate with other energy devices.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10: computer system

12: energy system

14: system communication bus

16: battery pack

18: Analyzer

20: radio

22: desktop charger

24: desktop charger display

26: other energy system devices

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to computer systems comprising resident energy systems, and more particularly, to energy supply systems integrated on a system communication bus, wherein the energy supply system is further adapted to the particular communication protocol. Communicate with energy devices.

Energy systems for portable electronic devices such as cellular phones have been highly sophisticated electronically. Conventional energy devices, such as rechargeable batteries, often have electronic memory and processing capabilities. An example of a rechargeable battery with memory is the United States, issued to Kreisinger et al. On July 9, 1996, entitled "Battery with Memory for Storing Charge Procedure." It is shown in patent number 5,534,765. Crashinger discloses a battery charger system comprising a rechargeable battery having a memory for storing certain charging parameters and a charger for supplying charging current and voltage. The charging parameter is generally battery related information that controls the charging of the battery. The battery related information stored in the memory of the battery may also include a charging instruction for the charger or a specific procedure for charging the battery. Thus, the battery must access the system communication bus to send and receive charging commands or procedures for the charger.

In conventional energy systems for portable electronic devices, only two energy system devices need to share the system communication bus of the electronic device. However, modern energy systems may include five or more energy devices that are all connected to the system communication bus and communicate via the system communication bus. Due to the increased complexity of communication between the various energy devices, the flow of other data through the bus, such as the communication data of a cellular phone, can be interrupted and the functionality of the electronic device can be severely disturbed.

Therefore, depending on the use of multiple energy devices integrated on the system communication bus, appropriate communication protocols may be provided that allow other energy devices to communicate without interfering with the functionality of other electronic devices such as gauging, charging, communication, and the like. There is a need. Therefore, the present invention mainly relates to an improved energy system having a satisfactory communication protocol between energy devices residing on a system communication bus.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail. In the drawings, like numerals refer to like parts of the figures. As used throughout the description and claims, the following terms have the meanings explicitly associated with the context, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, and the terms "a", "an", and "the" include several references. "In" includes the meaning of "in" and "on".

1 shows a computer system 10 in which an energy system 12 is integrated on a system communication bus 14. Computer system 10 resides in a portable electronic device such as a cellular phone and requires an active energy management system such as battery recharge. Although the computer system 10 is shown here to include an energy system 12, the device may be selectively implemented as a separate computer system 10 and an energy system 12, or only as an energy system 12. . Energy system 12 includes a number of energy devices in battery pack 16, analyzer 18, radio 20, desktop charger 22, desktop charger display 24, or other energy system device 26. They are each integrated on the system communication bus 14 so that they can communicate via the bus 14. The system communication bus 14 allows multipoint communication between energy devices in either half duplex mode or full duplex mode, whereby each device establishes a communication dialog with another device via the communication bus 14. can do.

The energy device is in a communication data idle state, i.e., while the other devices of the computer shown in block 28 do not use the system communication bus 14 for data transmission, each energy device processor may optionally select the system communication bus 14 Each of which includes an energy device processor. In addition, the energy device preferably includes a memory capable of storing data for the energy device, which data is transmitted to other devices when the communication bus 14 is available. The energy device processor may be any processor such as a microcontroller, microprocessor, or the like known in the art. When communication data is idle on the system communication bus 14, each energy device 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 is energized on the system communication bus 10 in accordance with the preferred sequence discussed above. Attempts to communicate with other energy devices 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 of system 12. The energy device then preferably polls other devices on the system communication bus 14 to determine if energy system device data is present for transmission.

The processors of the energy devices 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 monitor the communication bus in a predetermined sequence so that the monitoring of the device does not cause the device to detect the communication on the system communication bus 12 erroneously. The energy device also attempts to communicate over the idle system communication bus 14 with a protocol having a predetermined sequence so that the energy devices do not communicate with each other on the bus 14 causing data collisions or other bus interference. Because of the sequential protocol, the energy devices of energy system 12 may share a single wire system communication bus 14, such as a one-wire dallas bus, having multiple devices. However, some battery packs, such as battery pack 16, also include two Dallas Semiconductor One-Wire interface devices for energy system 12, each interface device having a system communication bus 14. Can be connected. The desktop charger 22 can also preferably read DS2502 EPROMs, DS2438 Smart Battery Monitors, DS2423 NVSRAMs, and coding resistors.

Referring to FIG. 2, a preferred protocol for sequential monitoring and sequential communication of energy devices is shown. Each of the energy devices 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 monitors the system communication bus 14 for the flow of communication data through the system communication bus 14, as shown in step 34. The energy device may detect communication data with a positive or negative edge trigger. A determination is then made on the activity of communication data for the cellular phone on the bus 14 in decision step 36. As shown in step 38, if there is a flow of communication data on the bus, the device waits for a predetermined period of time in an idle state and once again monitors the system communication bus 14 for communication data, which goes to step 34. It is going back. However, if the device continuously monitors the communication bus 14 for a very short time, such as a few microseconds, that is, continuously or periodically monitors the communication bus 14, the monitoring status and the step ( The idle state in 38 may be the same step. Otherwise, the standby state will enter during the monitoring phase cycle.

An example of a predetermined idle period before remonitoring the system communication bus 14 is as follows:

Radio (20): 10 msec +/- 499 msec

Desktop Charger (22): 11 msec +/- 499 msec

Desktop Charger Display (24): 12 msec +/- 499 msec

Analyzer (18): 13 msec +/- 499 msec

Other Energy System Devices (26): 14 msec +/- 499 msec

The importance of the above sequential sequence is that the communication bus 14 is monitored sequentially so that the device does not detect the monitoring activity of another device and does not make the mistake of monitoring the communication activity on the line. Therefore, while the energy devices of the communication bus 14 are sequentially monitored, the actual delay period between the devices monitoring the communication bus 14 must be more than sufficient to prevent monitoring of another device. Therefore, other energy devices, such as battery pack 16, have an idle monitoring cycle that is one millisecond faster or slower than the shortest or longest idle time of devices in energy system 12, and can easily be added to a sequential protocol. Able to know.

Looking back at decision step 36, if the system communication bus 14 is idle, the energy device attempts to communicate with other devices on the energy system 12 in a predetermined sequence, as shown in step 40. . A good transmission protocol begins with a pulse that causes a reset of all external data devices in energy system 12. An example of a timing sequence in which each energy device generates a reset pulse on the communication bus 14 is as follows:

Radio (20): 574 msec +/- 10 msec

Desktop Charger (22): 553 msec +/- 10 msec

Desktop charger display (24): 532 msec +/- 10 msec

Analyzer (18): 511 msec +/- 10 msec

Other Energy System Devices (26): 490 msec +/- 10 msec

According to the sequential monitoring of the communication bus 14, the order of the reset pulses must be such that the device does not attempt to communicate on the communication bus 14 at the same time and cause no data collision. Thus, the sequence is merely one example of a sequence to avoid data collisions, and other periods or communications between reset pulses may be used alternately.

One example of control of the communication bus 14 is that when the battery pack is in the desktop charger 22, the charger 22 changes the bus 14 to a specific state, such as a high idle state. If the communication bus 14 is idle in a high state, the detection of an idle low state indicates that there is no charger 22 or that the communication is not occurring and that the system 14 other than the charger needs to use the bus 14 to communicate. Point out that you can. However, such pull-up must be suppressed upon completion of communication by the energy device over the bus 14. Other methods of controlling the communication bus 14 known in the art may alternatively be used in the present invention.

After the reset pulse, the energy device determines if the system communication bus 14 is operating, as shown in decision step 42. That is, the system communication bus 14 is monitored to determine if data flows past the system communication bus 14. If there is communication via the system communication bus 14, the energy device must assume that there is communication data on the system communication bus 14 data line and must wait once again in an idle state for a predetermined period (step 38). And / or to monitor the bus 14 for the communication data of step 34 after a predetermined idle period. If there is no communication data on the system communication bus 14 after the reset pulse, the energy system device may send data over the system communication bus 14, as shown in step 44. In essence, the energy system device sequentially moves the system communication bus 14 without the possibility of high data collisions, due to the transmission protocol of the energy devices 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 in communication over the present system communication bus 14. Can be monitored and used. Once the communication data has been sent by the energy system device over the system communication bus 14, the device returns to step 34 such that the system communication bus 14 monitors the communication data or data from another energy system device. come.

Depending on the polling of the system communication bus 14 and the detection of the communication data in the decision step 42, the desktop charger 22 may stop any flow of charge or discharge current for the battery pack 16. This operation minimizes the occurrence of undesirable electromagnetic interference (EMF) by the flow of charging current to other components of the computer system 10. However, in a system where there are other disturbances by the EMF and the charging current, the desktop charger 22 does not have to suppress the charging current upon detection of the communication data on the communication bus 14.

While the invention has been shown in the foregoing embodiments, there may be variations in form and arrangement of elements, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention according to the claims below.

The system communication bus of the present invention provides an appropriate communication protocol that can communicate without interfering with the functionality of other electronic devices, depending on the use of various energy devices. In addition, the energy system of the present invention has the effect of providing a satisfactory communication protocol between resident energy devices.

Claims (5)

A computer system having an integrated energy system on a system communication bus, An energy system integrated on the system communication bus, the energy system including a plurality of energy devices, each of the energy devices being integrated on the system communication bus and including a memory and an energy device processor; Including; Each of the energy device processors selectively monitor the system communication bus during a communication data idle state, and when the communication data is idle, each of the energy devices is the other energy device of the energy system on the system communication bus. And try to communicate with the computer system. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein each energy device processor selectively monitors the system communication bus during a communication data idle state in a predetermined sequence. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein each of said energy device processors attempts to communicate to said idle system communication bus in a predetermined sequence. The system of claim 1 wherein the energy device is a desktop charger. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the desktop charger inhibits charging and discharging of current if communication data is on the system communication bus.

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