TWI588648B - Main board with backup battery - Google Patents

Description

Battery board

The present invention relates to a motherboard, and more particularly to a motherboard having a plurality of batteries.

In general computer use, the user will set some configuration options such as preset options or passwords via the basic input output system (BIOS). After setting or entering these settings via the basic I/O system, these configuration settings are stored in the storage module on the motherboard.

In general, a battery is placed on the motherboard to continue to provide power to some of the components of the motherboard (such as RTC) after the system is turned off. However, as far as the current settings are concerned, when the battery on the motherboard is dead, the motherboard configuration configuration is reset when the basic input/output system is turned on and the RTC (real time clock) information is checked. At this point, all settings will be restored to their default values or the password will be cleared. Even in the case of setting to Secure Boot, the operating system (OS) cannot be entered until the corresponding key is re-entered. Although, these mechanisms are designed to allow the user to easily restore the motherboard default configuration when the motherboard is abnormal, and simply replace the battery and re-adjust the configuration to overcome these conditions, but because the battery of the motherboard is dead. When these situations occur without warning, the user is bound to be affected at the moment, and the time cost outside the plan must be additionally spent to deal with the problem.

The present invention provides a motherboard for overcoming the problem that the configuration configuration is reset caused by the battery of the motherboard being powered down.

The invention discloses a motherboard with a battery, wherein the battery board has a first battery, a second battery, a switching circuit and a detection module. The first battery is used to provide a first voltage. The second battery is used to provide a second voltage. The switching circuit has a first end, a second end, a third end, and a fourth end. The first end is electrically connected to the first battery. The second end is electrically connected to the second battery. The switching circuit has a switching unit. The control end of the switch unit is electrically connected to the first end. One end of the switch unit is electrically connected to the second end. The other end of the switch unit is electrically connected to the third end and the fourth end. The detection module is electrically connected to the third end of the switching circuit. The detection module is configured to selectively reset the configuration configuration of the motherboard according to the power provided by the first battery or the power provided by the second battery. Wherein, when the first voltage is greater than the threshold value, the switch unit is not turned on, and the first battery is powered to the detecting module via the first current path between the first end and the third end. When the first voltage is less than the threshold value, the switch unit is turned on, and the second battery is powered by the switch unit to the detection module, and the switching circuit outputs the prompt signal via the fourth end according to the second voltage.

In summary, the present invention provides a motherboard having a plurality of batteries and switching circuits. The switching circuit selectively switches the power supply path in accordance with the output voltage of one of the batteries. In this way, the motherboard can be switched to be powered by another battery when one of the batteries is out of power or the output voltage is insufficient, so as to prevent the setting configuration from being reset due to the dead battery, which affects the user experience.

The above description of the disclosure and the following description of the embodiments of the present invention are intended to illustrate and explain the spirit and principles of the invention, and to provide further explanation of the scope of the invention.

The detailed features and advantages of the present invention are set forth in the Detailed Description of the Detailed Description of the <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> </ RTI> </ RTI> <RTIgt; The objects and advantages associated with the present invention can be readily understood by those skilled in the art. The following examples are intended to describe the present invention in further detail, but are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a motherboard according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the motherboard 1 has a first battery 12, a second battery 14, and a switching circuit 16. The switching circuit 16 has a first end N1, a second end N2, a third end N3, and a fourth end N4. The first end N1 is electrically connected to the first battery 12. The second end N2 is electrically connected to the second battery 14. The third end N3 is electrically connected to the detecting module 18.

The first battery 12 is used to provide a first voltage. The second battery 14 is used to provide a second voltage. In one embodiment, the first voltage is substantially equal to the second voltage, or the first battery 12 has a voltage equal to the rated voltage of the second battery 14. The first battery 12 and the second battery 14 are, for example, lithium batteries, and the first voltage and the second voltage are, for example, 3 volts, but are not limited thereto.

The detecting module 18 is configured to selectively reset the setting configuration of the motherboard 1 according to the power provided by the first battery 12 or the power provided by the second battery 14. In an embodiment, when the voltage level provided by the first battery 12 is lower than the preset threshold and the voltage level provided by the second battery 14 is lower than the preset threshold, the detection module 18 provides relevant information to Set the configuration configuration of the motherboard 1. The detection module 18 is, for example, an RTC (real time clock) module in the Platform Controller Hub (PCH) on the motherboard 1 , but is not limited thereto.

The switching circuit 16 has a switching unit 162. The control end of the switch unit 162 is electrically connected to the first end N1. One end of the switch unit 162 is electrically connected to the second end N2. The other end of the switch unit 162 is electrically connected to the third end N3 and the fourth end N4. In other words, the switching unit 162 selectively turns on the first end N1 and the third end N3 by being controlled by the first voltage provided by the first battery 12. When the first voltage is greater than the threshold value, the switching unit 162 is not turned on. The first battery 12 is powered to the detection module 18 via a first current path between the first end N1 and the third end N3. When the first voltage is less than the threshold value, the switch unit 162 is turned on, and the second battery 14 is powered by the switch unit 162 to the detecting module 18 . The switching circuit 16 further outputs a prompt signal via the fourth terminal N4 according to the second voltage. In an embodiment, when the motherboard 1 is powered by the first battery 12 to the detection module 18, the voltage level of the fourth terminal N4 is a relatively low voltage level, and when the motherboard 1 is the second battery 14 When the power is supplied to the detecting module 18, the voltage level of the fourth terminal N4 is a relatively high voltage level.

The switching unit 162 is, for example, a relay or a P-type metal oxide semi-conductor field effect transistor (MOSFET). In an embodiment, the switch unit 162 is, for example, a relay of Digi-Key Corporation, such as V23026C1056B201-ND or 374-1322-ND. The above is merely an example, but it is not limited to this.

2 is a circuit diagram of a motherboard according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the switching unit 162 is a P-type metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor. The gate terminal G of the switch unit 162 is electrically connected to the first terminal N1 indirectly, the source S is indirectly electrically connected to the second terminal N2, and the drain terminal D is electrically connected to the fourth terminal N4 indirectly.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the switching circuit 16 further has a first unidirectional element D1, a second unidirectional element D2, a first resistor R1 and a second resistor R2. The first unidirectional element D1 is connected in series with the first resistor R1. The second unidirectional element D2 is connected in series with the second resistor R2. The first unidirectional element D1 connected in series is electrically connected to the first resistor R1 between the first end N1 and the third end N3. The second unidirectional element D2 and the second resistor R2 connected in series are electrically connected between the third end N3 and the fourth end N4. The output end of the first unidirectional element D1 and the output end of the second unidirectional element D2 are electrically connected to the third end N3 directly or indirectly. Among them, in this embodiment, the switching circuit 16 has more limited current resistors R3, R4. One end of the current limiting resistor R3 is electrically connected to the gate terminal G of the switching unit 162, and the other end of the current limiting resistor R3 is grounded. One end of the current limiting resistor R4 is electrically connected to the fourth end N4, and the other end of the current limiting resistor R4 is grounded.

In one embodiment, the resistor R1 and the resistor R2 are used to control the voltage of the gate terminal G of the switching unit 162, and the resistor R3 is used to control the voltage of the PCH GPI pin. The resistor R4 is used to ensure that the power is supplied to the first battery 12. When the detection module 18 is given, the fourth terminal N4 must be an input signal that is kept at a low voltage level.

In this embodiment, the first unidirectional element D1 and the second unidirectional element D2 are diodes or metal oxide semiconductor transistors connected in the form of a diode. By the first unidirectional element D1 and the second unidirectional element D2, the current flow direction can be restricted to prevent the component from malfunctioning or the component being burnt due to the wrong current flow when the voltage of the battery is insufficient or when the current path is switched. . In another embodiment, the first unidirectional element D1 and the second unidirectional element D2 are metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors connected in the form of a diode, and the relevant element connection details are generally known to those skilled in the art. It can be derived from the related description of Fig. 2, and will not be described here.

On the other hand, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the switching circuit 16 is more electrically connected to the light-emitting diode DL. More specifically, the anode end of the light-emitting diode DL is connected to the drain terminal D of the switching element 162, and the cathode end of the light-emitting diode DL is grounded via the current limiting resistor R5. Therefore, when the output voltage of the first battery 12 is less than the threshold value and the switching element 162 is turned on, the second battery 14 is powered via the switching element 162 while the light-emitting diode DL is turned on to emit light. Therefore, the user can be reminded that the motherboard 1 is currently powered by the second battery 14 to the detection module 18, and the first battery is no longer used and replaced. In another embodiment, the anode end of the LED DL is electrically connected to the fourth end N4 of the switching circuit 16, and the cathode end of the LED DL is grounded via the current limiting resistor R5. In practice, the anode end of the LED DL can be electrically connected to any of the electrical nodes on the current path of the detection module 18, which is not limited herein.

Referring to FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a motherboard according to a further embodiment of the present invention. The motherboard 1' further has a storage module 19, a platform controller 19 (PCH) and a processor 15. The fourth end N4 of the switching circuit 16 is electrically connected to a general purpose input input (GPIO) of the platform path controller 11. The storage module 19 is configured to store the configuration configuration of the motherboard 1. The storage module 19 is, for example, a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM).

The processor 15 is configured to run a basic input output system. The basic input/output system is configured to determine whether the voltage level of the general-purpose input/output pin of the platform path controller 11 is greater than a threshold value. When the basic input/output system determines that the voltage level of the general-purpose input/output pin of the platform path controller 11 is greater than another threshold, the basic input/output system displays a warning message via a screen (not shown) electrically connected to the motherboard 1 .

The setting of the other threshold value is associated with, for example, the voltage level of the power source of the platform path controller 11. In an embodiment, when the voltage level of the power supply of the platform path controller 11 is 3.3 volts, the other threshold value is not less than 2.145 volts and the threshold value is not more than 3.7 volts. In another embodiment, when the voltage level of the power supply of the platform path controller 11 is 1.8 volts, the other threshold value is not less than 1.17 volts and the threshold value is not more than 2.2 volts.

Moreover, as described above, the detection module 18 is, for example, an RTC module in the platform path controller 10. 4 is a functional block diagram of a motherboard according to still another embodiment of the present invention. When the detection module is the RTC module 18' in the platform path controller 10, in an embodiment, the RTC module 18' is used to generate energy according to the power supplied by the first battery 12 or the power supplied by the second battery 14. Power supply information. The power supply information is used to indicate whether the first battery 12 is powered to the RTC module 18' or the second battery 14 is powered to the RTC module 18'. When the power supply information indicates that the voltage level provided by the first battery to the RTC module 18' is less than the first threshold and the voltage level provided by the second battery 14 to the RTC module 18' is less than the second threshold, the basic input output system According to the power supply information, the setting configuration stored in the storage module 19 is reset when the system is powered on. The first threshold value and the second threshold value may be the same or different. In an embodiment, the first threshold value is the same as the second threshold value, and the first threshold value and the second threshold value are, for example, 3 volts. .

In summary, the motherboard has a plurality of batteries and switching circuits. The switching circuit selectively switches the power supply path in accordance with the output voltage of one of the batteries. In this way, the motherboard can be switched to be powered by another battery when one of the batteries is out of power or the output voltage is insufficient, so as to prevent the setting configuration from being reset due to the dead battery, which affects the user experience. In addition, the switching circuit can provide a prompt signal according to the output voltage of the battery to notify the user that it is time to replace the battery. In other words, even when one of the batteries is out of power, the motherboard can be temporarily powered by another battery to the detection module to continuously maintain the voltage supplied to the detection module. The user can replace the dead battery at this time, and the process does not cause the detection module to generate abnormal information, and does not need to repeatedly set various options or passwords, which is quite practical.

Although the present invention has been disclosed above in the foregoing embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention. It is within the scope of the invention to be modified and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Please refer to the attached patent application for the scope of protection defined by the present invention.

1, 1'‧‧‧ motherboard
11‧‧‧Platform Path Controller
12‧‧‧First battery
14‧‧‧Second battery
15‧‧‧ processor
16‧‧‧Switching circuit
162‧‧‧Switch unit
18‧‧‧Detection module
18'‧‧‧RTC module
19‧‧‧ Storage Module
N1~N4‧‧‧
D1~D2‧‧‧ unidirectional components
DL‧‧‧Light Emitting Diode
R1~R5‧‧‧ resistance
D, G, S‧‧‧

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a motherboard according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic circuit diagram of a motherboard according to another embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a motherboard according to a further embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a motherboard according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

1‧‧‧ motherboard

12‧‧‧First battery

14‧‧‧Second battery

16‧‧‧Switching circuit

162‧‧‧Switch unit

18‧‧‧Detection module

N1~N4‧‧‧

Claims (10)

A motherboard having a battery, comprising: a first battery for providing a first voltage; a second battery for providing a second voltage; a switching circuit having a first end, a a second end, a third end and a fourth end, the first end is electrically connected to the first battery, the second end is electrically connected to the second battery, and the switching circuit comprises a switch unit, the switch unit The control terminal is electrically connected to the first end, and one end of the switch unit is electrically connected to the second end, and the other end of the switch unit is electrically connected to the third end and the fourth end; and a detecting module is electrically Connected to the third end of the switching circuit, the detecting module is configured to selectively reset a setting configuration of the motherboard according to the power provided by the first battery or the power provided by the second battery; When the first voltage is greater than a threshold, the switch unit is not turned on, and the first battery is powered by the first current path between the first end and the third end to the detecting module, when the first When a voltage is not greater than a threshold, the switch unit is turned on, The second battery is powered by the switch unit to the detection module, and the switching circuit further outputs a prompt signal via the fourth end according to the second voltage. The motherboard of claim 1, wherein the switch unit is a relay or a P-type metal oxide semi-conductor field effect transistor (MOSFET). The motherboard of claim 1, wherein the switching circuit further comprises a first unidirectional component, a second unidirectional component, a first resistor and a second resistor, the first unidirectional component being connected in series with the first The second unidirectional element is connected in series with the second resistor, and the first unidirectional element connected in series is electrically connected between the first end and the third end, and the second unidirectional is connected in series An element is electrically connected to the second resistor between the third end and the fourth end; wherein an output end of the first unidirectional element and an output end of the second unidirectional element are electrically connected directly or indirectly Connect the third end. The motherboard of claim 3, wherein the first unidirectional element and the second unidirectional element are diodes or metal oxide semiconductor transistors connected in the form of a diode. The motherboard of claim 1, wherein the fourth end is electrically connected to a light emitting diode. The motherboard of claim 1, wherein the detection module is an RTC module in a platform controller (PCH), wherein the fourth end is electrically connected to one of the platform path controllers. General purpose input and output pin. The motherboard of claim 6, wherein the motherboard has a processor for running a basic input/output system, and the basic input/output system is configured to determine whether the voltage level of the universal input/output pin is If the basic input/output system determines that the voltage level of the universal input/output pin is greater than the other threshold, the basic input/output system displays a warning via a screen electrically connected to the motherboard. message. The motherboard of claim 7, further comprising a storage module, wherein the storage module is configured to store the configured configuration of the motherboard, and the RTC module is configured to use the power supplied by the first battery or the first The power supplied by the two batteries generates a power supply information, wherein the power supply information is used to indicate whether the first battery supplies power to the RTC module or whether the second battery supplies power to the RTC module, and the power supply information indicates that the first battery is provided When the voltage level of the RTC module is less than a first threshold and the voltage level provided by the second battery to the RTC module is less than a second threshold, the basic input/output system is powered on according to the power supply information. Reset the configuration configuration stored in the storage module. The motherboard of claim 7, wherein the other threshold is no less than 2.145 volts and the other threshold is no greater than 3.7 volts. The motherboard of claim 7, wherein the other threshold is no less than 1.17 volts and the other threshold is no greater than 2.2 volts.