TW202319880A - Computer system and method for supplying power - Google Patents

Abstract

A computer system and a power supply method implementing a hybrid mode and a control strategy, allowing the number of power suppliers and backup battery units to be flexibly configured. In a computer system, the core module is driven by a DC current. The power supply is connected with the core module to receive and convert an AC current to the DC current. The backup battery unit is connected with the core module and the power supply, and the operation mode can be determined according to the statuses thereof. When the power supply detects that the DC current is higher than the current critical value, the power supply outputs a constant DC current and notifies the backup battery unit to output a battery current, so that the constant DC current and the battery current jointly supply power to the core module.

Description

Computer system and power supply method

The present application relates to the field of power supplies for computer systems, and in particular to a method of mixing power supplies with power supplies and backup battery units.

In a traditional computer system, a power supply unit (Power Supply Unit; power supply unit) is basically configured. A power supply is a device that can transform AC current into DC current, so that the core modules and peripheral accessories in the computer system can be driven by DC current. The output current of this power supply is usually configured slightly higher than the upper limit of the power consumption of the computer system itself.

In practical applications, it is found that the computer system does not always operate at the highest load. In contrast, most of the time, the computer system is often in a standby state or a low-load operation. Therefore, the high output current power supply configured for a few occasional situations becomes an additional waste of cost. Especially for servers that hang online for a long time, the proportion of time in standby mode is even more significant. These servers focus on maintaining online stability, so a backup battery unit (Battery Backup Unit; backup battery unit) will be configured in the computer system. The backup battery unit is similar to the Uninterrupted Power System, the difference is that the backup battery unit is configured inside the computer system and directly supplies DC power to the core modules or peripheral accessories in the computer system. In other words, the installation cost of the server is extremely high. In addition to burdening an over-specified power supply, a backup battery unit is also required.

In view of this, a computer system and an improved power supply method that can reduce the installation cost of servers are to be developed.

The application proposes a computer system and a power supply method, which are suitable for a computer system including a backup battery unit and a power supply system. The embodiment of the present application adopts a mixed power supply working mode and control strategy, which can flexibly configure the number of power supplies and backup battery units. Only the total output current of the power supply and the backup battery unit is greater than the maximum load requirement of the computer system, which will help to greatly reduce the total installed output current of the power supply and the backup battery unit, thereby reducing the system cost.

One embodiment of the application provides a computer system. In the computer system, a core module is driven by direct current to run. A power supply connected to the core module can receive and convert AC current to supply the DC current. A backup battery unit is connected to the core module and the power supply, and the operation mode can be determined according to the states of the power supply, the core module, and the backup battery unit. For example, when the power supply detects that the DC current is higher than the current threshold, the power supply outputs a constant DC current, and notifies the backup battery unit to output battery current, so that the constant DC current and the battery current common power supply to the core module.

In a further embodiment, the upper limit of the output current of the power supply is smaller than the upper limit of the load current of the core module, and the combined upper limit of the output current of the power supply and the backup battery unit is not less than the upper limit of the core module. Load current upper limit.

In a further embodiment, when the remaining power of the backup battery unit is less than a power threshold, the backup battery unit may send a low battery notification to the core module.

In a further embodiment, the core module can monitor the remaining power of the backup battery unit.

In a further embodiment, when the power supply detects that the DC current is not higher than the current threshold and the remaining power of the backup battery unit is less than the charging threshold, the backup battery unit receives the output of the power supply part of the DC current to charge.

In a further embodiment, when the power supply detects that the DC current is not higher than the current threshold and the remaining power of the backup battery unit is greater than the charging threshold, the power supply supplies power to the core module, and The backup battery unit enters a standby state. More precisely, when the charging of the backup battery unit ends, the capacity will slowly decrease due to the self-discharge effect. In this embodiment, as long as the remaining power of the backup battery unit is higher than the charging threshold, the backup battery unit enters the standby state, and does not need to be kept in the charging state at any time.

In a further embodiment, when the power supply fails to supply the DC current, the core module determines whether to reduce the operating load according to the remaining power of the backup battery unit.

Another embodiment of the present application is a power supply method applied to the computer system. Firstly, the power supply unit receives AC current and converts it into DC current to supply power to the core module, so that the core module can run driven by the DC current. When the power supply detects that the DC current is higher than the current threshold, the power supply outputs a constant DC current, and notifies the backup battery unit to output battery current, so that the constant DC current and the battery current jointly supply power to the battery. Core mods.

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by persons of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts fall within the protection scope of this application.

FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of a computer system 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. The computer system 100 includes a core module 130 driven by electric current to run. The core module 130 is here used as a general term for various electronic components in a computer system 100, including at least a motherboard, a processor, a south bridge chip, a north bridge chip, memory, flash memory, display card, memory, and/or Any and all control modules and peripheral accessories attached to it. Since various components that may exist in the core module 130 belong to the prior art, no detailed examples are given here. The power consumed by the core module 130 , also known as the load, is usually proportional to the calculation amount of code execution and data processing. It is to be understood that a load can generally be described by the power consumed (wattage). When the voltage source is a fixed value, the load is proportional to the current, so it can also be described by the size of the operating current. Generally, the computing power of the core module 130 is limited, so the working current also has an upper limit.

In the embodiment of the computer system 100 , in addition to a power supply 110 , a backup battery unit 120 is also configured. The power supply 110 is connected to the core module 130 and can receive and convert an alternating current #AC to supply a direct current #DC to the core module 130 . The core module 130 will constantly change the consumed direct current #DC with the change of the calculation amount. Therefore, for the power supply 110, the load state of the core module 130 can be detected according to the consumption of the direct current #DC.

The backup battery unit 120 proposed in this embodiment is connected to the core module 130 and the power supply 110, and can be determined according to the states of the power supply 110, the core module 130, and the backup battery unit 120 mode of operation. The operation modes of the backup battery unit 120 may at least include a charging mode, a discharging mode, a standby mode, and a hybrid mode proposed in this application.

The purpose of the backup battery unit 120 is to serve as a backup power source, which is usually in a standby mode. In the standby mode, the backup battery unit 120 is neither charged nor discharged, and only the power supply 110 supplies power to the core module 130 . When the power supply 110 cannot receive the alternating current #AC or supply the direct current #DC due to various reasons, the backup battery unit 120 can enter the discharge mode (discharge mode) to ensure that the core module 130 is charged within a certain period of time. Continuous and stable power supply. In a traditional computer system, both the installed capacity of the backup battery unit 120 and the maximum output value of the power supply 110 are required to be greater than the load limit of the core module 130 . This traditional design requirement has greatly increased the cost of the computer system, and it has also been proved statistically that most of the time, the remaining capacity has no chance to be fully utilized, resulting in low cost-effectiveness.

In order to solve the problem of cost-effectiveness, this application proposes a hybrid mode, so that the installed specifications of the power supply 110 and the backup battery unit 120 do not need to meet the traditional high-capacity requirements, but can also complete power supply. For example, when the direct current #AC is normally supplied and the remaining capacity of the backup battery unit 120 is sufficient, when the power supply 110 detects that the direct current #DC is higher than a current threshold, It means that the load of the core module 130 is close to the load limit of the power supply 110 . At this time, the power supply 110 enters a constant current mode, so that the output direct current #DC is a constant value. At the same time, the power supply 110 notifies the backup battery unit 120 to add power supply together. The power supply 110 then enters the discharge mode and starts to output the battery discharge current #IB. In other words, the hybrid mode proposed in this application is to supply power from the power supply 110 and the backup battery unit 120 at the same time, and jointly supply the core with the direct current #DC and the battery discharge current #IB with a fixed value Module 130. In addition to jointly supplying power to the core module 130 , the backup battery unit 120 also ensures that the voltage of the direct current #DC maintains a stable range by controlling the magnitude of the battery discharge current #IB. The power supply 110 and the backup battery unit 120 can be connected through a bus to transmit a command #S for informing the backup battery unit 120 to charge, discharge or stand by. The bus between the power supply 110 and the backup battery unit 120 excludes the use for transmitting the command #S, and the backup battery unit 120 can also use the bus to simultaneously monitor the voltage drop of the node through which the direct current #DC passes to control the backup. Aids the discharge of the battery unit 120.

It can be understood that although a power supply 110 and a backup battery unit 120 are shown in the computer system 100 of FIG. 1 , the design of the object is not limited thereto. The power supply 110 of the computer system 100 can adopt multiple same or different power supplies connected in parallel. The backup battery unit 120 of the computer system 100 can also adopt multiple same or different backup batteries connected in parallel.

FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of the backup battery unit 120 according to the embodiment of the present application. The backup battery unit 120 may include one or more battery modules 210 . Each battery module 210 includes at least one or more battery cells 214 . The battery core 214 can be, but not limited to, a lithium-ion battery, a lithium-iron battery or other chemical reaction batteries. The battery module 210 further includes a battery management system (Battery Management System; BMS) 212 for monitoring the temperature and voltage of the battery core 214 to provide various protection measures, such as over-charging protection, over-discharging protection, and high-temperature protection. The battery module 210 is externally connected through an interface module 280 . Taking FIG. 1 as an example, the backup battery unit 120 is connected to the core module 130 through the interface module 280 . In a further embodiment, the interface module 280 can provide a simple battery identification code for anti-counterfeiting, or record information such as the accumulated charge and discharge amount. Since the charging and discharging of the battery module 210 are transmitted through the same circuit, a multiplexer 270 is needed for simple current direction control. The multiplexer 270 in this embodiment also provides the function of a fuse (Fuse) to prevent excessive current from causing high temperature ignition. The multiplexer 270 can also assist in circuit rerouting under special circumstances, such as hot swapping for one of the plurality of battery modules 210 .

A microcontroller 240 is included in the backup battery unit 120 , which can prepare the backup battery unit 120 to operate in various modes through programmatic control. For example, in the discharging mode, the microcontroller 240 enables the discharging module 220 and disables the charging module 230 so that the battery module 210 outputs the battery discharging current #IB to the interface module 280 through the discharging module 220 . In contrast, in the charging mode, the microcontroller 240 enables the charging module 230 and turns off the discharging module 220 , so that the battery module 210 receives the battery charging current #IC input from the interface module 280 through the charging module 230 . The microcontroller 240 can further control a cooling module 250 . For example, the heat dissipation module 250 may be a heat dissipation blade set including a fan. When the temperature rises, the microcontroller 240 can command the fan to speed up to enhance heat dissipation. The backup battery unit 120 further includes an auxiliary power module 260 , which can convert the electric energy of the battery module 210 into a power source for each module in the backup battery unit 120 . The auxiliary power module 260 can also receive the externally input battery charging current #IC through the multiplexer 270 and the interface module 280 to drive the modules in the backup battery unit 120 . The above-mentioned embodiment of the backup battery unit 120 is only to briefly introduce the functional modules and operation modes that may be included in the backup battery unit 120 in a schematic manner, and does not limit the possible structural design during actual manufacture.

The battery core 214 in the backup battery unit 120 mentioned in FIG. 2 can be a rechargeable battery, such as the aforementioned lithium-ion battery, lithium-iron battery, various chemical reaction batteries, or a super capacitor (Super Capacitor). The battery core 214 can also be other non-rechargeable energy storage types, such as fuel cells, flywheel energy storage, superconducting energy storage and so on. In the case of using a rechargeable battery, the power supply 110 of FIG. 2 can provide a battery charging current #IC to supplement power for the backup battery unit 120 . In the case of using a non-rechargeable battery, when the power of the backup battery unit 120 is low, the backup battery unit 120 can be replenished with fuel or replace the battery core 214 .

In the embodiment of FIG. 2 , although the discharging module 220 and the charging module 230 are described as two independent functional modules, they are not actually limited to the design of the object circuit. It can be understood that the discharging module 220 and the charging module 230 can be implemented by a bidirectional converter module. In a bidirectional converter module, energy flows in both directions, both charging and discharging. Therefore, when the bidirectional converter module operates in the charging mode, its function is equivalent to that of the charging module 230 . In contrast, when the bidirectional converter module operates in the discharging mode, its function is equivalent to that of the discharging module 220 .

3 to 5 are flow charts of the power supply method in the embodiment of the present application. The power supply method proposed in this application is applicable to a computer system including a backup battery unit 120 and a power supply 110 system. This embodiment adopts a mixed power supply working mode and control strategy, which can flexibly configure the power supply 110 and the backup battery unit 120 with different power supply specifications. Under the premise of ensuring that the total power supply capacity (total output current) of the power supply 110 and the backup battery unit 120 can meet the maximum load demand of the computer system 100, this embodiment can avoid configuring the power supply 110 and the backup battery unit with excessive specifications. The battery unit 120 is supported, thereby reducing the system cost.

Considering that the load current of the core module 130 is less than the upper limit of the load current most of the time in actual work, for the computer system 100 that has been equipped with the backup battery unit 120, the installed output current of the power supply 110 no longer needs to be forced Meet the maximum requirements of the core module 130. The present application adds a hybrid discharge mode, which allows the computer system 100 to install a power supply with a lower specification (that is, a lower output current), so as to save installation costs. When the computer system 100 occasionally has a high-load computing demand, the backup battery unit 120 and the power supply 110 are mixed to supply power to the core module 130 to meet the load demand at low cost.

Since the stored power of the backup battery unit 120 is limited, the time for the computer system 100 to continuously operate under the maximum load is also limited. In the process of manufacturing the computer system 100 for a specific customer, the application records of the specific customer can be analyzed in advance with large data, for example, the occurrence rate and duration of the maximum load can be counted to determine the hardware specification of the power supply 110 with the best cost, and /or the ratio of capacity configuration of the backup battery unit 120 .

In other words, in the further embodiment of the computer system 100, although the upper limit of the output current of the configured power supply 110 is smaller than the upper limit of the load current of the core module, the power supply 110 and the backup battery unit 120 The configuration arrangement can ensure that the upper limit of the total output current is sufficient to load the upper limit of the load current of the core module.

This implementation further provides a mechanism for load reduction operation. When the maximum load current required by the core module 130 exceeds the combined output capability range of the power supply 110 and the backup battery unit 120 , the core module 130 can immediately reduce the load to run according to a specific monitoring signal or instruction.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a power supply method according to an embodiment of the present application. This power supply method is applicable to the aforementioned embodiments of the computer system 100 . In step 301, the computer system 100 is started to start running services. Generally, the prerequisite for normal startup is that the AC power must be able to supply power to the power supply 110 normally. In this case, the power supply 110 receives the AC current and converts it into a DC current to supply power to the core module, so that the core module is driven by the DC current to operate. If it is in a power failure state, even if the computer system 100 is forced to start by relying on the backup battery unit 120, some basic backup tasks can only be performed on the premise of shutting down the computer.

In step 303 , the computer system 100 can determine whether the power supply 110 normally receives the alternating current #AC and supplies the direct current #DC, and whether the storage of the backup battery unit 120 is maintained above a certain water level. When both the power supply 110 and the backup battery unit 120 meet the conditions in step 303 , proceed to step 400 to determine the power supply mode according to the state of the computer system 100 . In contrast, when either the power supply 110 or the backup battery unit 120 does not meet the conditions in step 303 , proceed to step 500 to determine the power supply mode according to the conditions of the power supply 110 and the backup battery unit 120 .

FIG. 4 is a further flowchart of step 400 of the embodiment of the present application. When determining the power supply mode according to the state of the computer system 100 , first in step 401 , the system load of the computer system 100 is determined. For example, in the process of providing the direct current #DC to the core module 130, the power supply 110 can judge the system load of the core module 130 according to the value of the direct current #DC.

In step 403, when the system load of the core module 130 is greater than a total output threshold, the computer system 100 executes step 405 to enter the hybrid power supply mode. For example, the total output threshold may be 80% of the upper limit of the total output capability of the power supply 110 and the backup battery unit 120 .

In the hybrid power supply mode of step 405 , the core module 130 in the computer system 100 is powered by the power supply 110 and the backup battery unit 120 at the same time. More specifically, when the power supply 110 detects that the output direct current #DC is higher than a current threshold, it means that the core module 130 is operating under a high load state, which may exceed the capability of the power supply 110 alone. . At this time, it is necessary to start the backup battery unit 120 to provide power together. The power supply 110 can change the output direct current #DC to a fixed magnitude, and notify the backup battery unit 120 to output the battery discharge current #IB, so that the fixed magnitude direct current #DC and the battery discharge current #IB supplies power to the core module 130 together.

Generally speaking, when the charging of the backup battery unit is close to saturation, the charging efficiency will gradually decrease due to the increased self-discharge effect. Therefore, as long as the remaining power of the backup battery unit 120 is higher than a charging threshold, it does not need to keep charging at any time. Therefore, if it is judged in step 403 that the load is not heavy, then proceed to step 407, only the power supply 110 supplies power to the core module 130, and the backup battery unit 120 enters a standby state. In other words, when the power supply 110 detects that the direct current #DC is not higher than the current threshold, it means that the output capability of the core module 130 is sufficient to bear the load of the core module 130 alone. If the remaining power of the backup battery unit 120 is greater than the charging threshold at this time, it means that the power is sufficient and does not need to be charged. At this time, the power supply 110 alone supplies power to the core module, and the backup battery unit 120 enters a standby state.

More specifically, when the power supply 110 detects that the DC current #DC reaches the preset upper threshold, the power supply 110 enters the constant current operation mode, and at the same time, the power supply 110 sends a signal to activate the backup battery unit 120, so that The backup battery unit 120 leaves the standby mode and starts discharging. At this time, the power supply 110 and the backup battery unit 120 jointly supply power to the core module 130 and maintain a stable voltage of the core module 130 . As long as the sum of the power supply capabilities of the power supply 110 and the backup battery unit 120 is greater than or equal to the maximum load requirement of the system, the core module 130 can be guaranteed to maintain full-load operation.

As the backup battery unit 120 is depleted, the time for the core module 130 to maintain full load operation is limited. In an extreme situation, the core module 130 may be overloaded and consume more current than the total output capacity of the power supply 110 and the backup battery unit 120 . At this time, the computer system 100 of this embodiment will send a request for immediate load-down operation to the core module 130 . For example, when the power supply 110 fails to supply the direct current #DC due to failure, and the remaining capacity or output capacity of the backup battery unit 120 cannot independently meet the demand of the core module 130, it is also necessary to immediately request The core module 130 runs under reduced load.

The core module 130 of this embodiment designs a mechanism for monitoring the backup battery unit 120 . A bus bar can be used to connect the core module 130 and the backup battery unit 120 . When the battery discharge current #IB output by the backup battery unit 120 is lower than a power critical value, the backup battery unit 120 may send a power notification #L to the core module 130 . The core module 130 can use this to determine that the backup battery unit 120 is about to reach the discharge limit. In this manner, the core module 130 can monitor the remaining power of the backup battery unit 120 to determine when to reduce the operating load.

FIG. 5 is a further flowchart of step 500 of the embodiment of the present application. When one of the power supply 110 or the backup battery unit 120 fails to supply power normally, the computer system 100 of the present application also supports normal operation mode switching. In step 501 , the output status and battery capacity of the power supply 110 are determined. The premise that the output state of the power supply 110 is normal is that it can stably receive the alternating current #AC and output the direct current #DC. If the AC current is disconnected or the power supply 110 fails, the power supply 110 cannot output normally.

In step 503 , if it is determined that the power supply 110 can output normally, then step 505 is performed to use the power supply 110 to supply power to the core module 130 . In other words, when the power supply 110 detects that the direct current #DC is not higher than the current threshold, it means that the core module 130 is not operating at full load. If the remaining power of the backup battery unit 120 is less than the power threshold at this time, the power supply 110 still has enough power to charge the backup battery unit 120 . For example, in step 505, it may be determined simultaneously whether the storage capacity of the backup battery unit 120 is lower than a charging threshold. The charging threshold may be 80% of the maximum charge. If the storage capacity of the backup battery unit 120 is lower than the charging threshold, the power supply 110 further provides a surplus current within its capability, such as the battery charging current #IC, to charge the backup battery unit 120 . The backup battery unit 120 can be switched to the charging mode to receive the shunt of the direct current #DC output by the power supply 110 , that is, the battery charging current #IC for charging.

In step 507, if it is judged that there is a problem with the power supply 110, such as a power outage or failure, and the backup battery unit 120 is still sufficient, then step 509 is executed, and the backup battery unit 120 switches to the discharge mode, and the core module 130 alone powered by. At this time, the power supply 110 cannot supply the direct current #DC, and the core module 130 can also determine whether to reduce the operating load according to the remaining power of the backup battery unit 120 . For example, since the battery discharge current #IB outputted by the backup battery unit 120 may not be able to fully operate the core module 130, the backup battery unit 120 can notify the core module 130 to reduce the operating load through the bus. In this case, this embodiment can set the low battery threshold of the backup battery unit 120 . When the discharge current drops below the low-battery critical value, the backup battery unit 120 sends a power notification #L to the core module 130 to make the core module 130 determine whether to reduce the load to run. In another case, if the output current of the backup battery unit 120 is greater than or equal to the maximum load demand of the core module 130, entering the discharge mode is enough to bear all the required load current of the core module 130 alone, so the core module 130 does not need to reduce load operation.

In a further situation, when the determinations in step 503 and step 507 are not consistent, it means that the AC power has been cut off, and the backup battery unit 120 is about to be exhausted. At this time, the power supply to the core module 130 can no longer be continued, and only step 511 can be executed to notify the computer system 100 to prepare to enter a shutdown or sleep state, so as to reduce data loss caused by power failure.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart 600 of monitoring the remaining power of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present application. In step 601 , start monitoring the remaining power in the backup battery unit 120 . The monitoring mechanism can be implemented in the microcontroller 240 of FIG. 2 or in the battery management system 212 . In the embodiments of FIGS. 1-5 , the remaining power in the backup battery unit 120 may be continuously monitored. According to the status of the remaining power, the computer system 100 can provide different processing methods. In step 603, it is determined whether the remaining power in the backup battery unit 120 is less than a charging threshold. Generally speaking, when the storage power of the backup battery unit 120 is close to saturation, the self-discharge effect will increase, and the charging efficiency will gradually decrease. In this embodiment, as long as the remaining power of the backup battery unit 120 is higher than a charging threshold, step 605 is executed to make the backup battery unit 605 enter a standby state, and it is not necessary to keep charging at any time. For example, the charging threshold may be, but not limited to, 95% of the maximum capacity. In contrast, if it is determined in step 603 that the remaining power of the backup battery unit 120 is less than the charging threshold, then in step 607, it is determined whether the remaining power of the backup battery unit 120 is less than a low battery threshold. The low battery threshold is an indicator that the backup battery unit 120 is close to being exhausted, and the specific value may be, but not limited to, 10% or 20% of the maximum battery capacity. In other words, the low battery threshold is smaller than the above charging threshold.

If the remaining power of the backup battery unit 120 is between the low battery threshold and the charging threshold, go to step 609 , and the computer system 100 controls the power supply 110 to charge the backup battery unit 120 . In a further embodiment, even if the backup battery unit 120 meets the charging condition in step 607 , it may further consider the load status of the computer system to determine whether to perform step 609 . Various situations have been listed in the embodiments of FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 , which will not be repeated here.

If the remaining power of the backup battery unit 120 is lower than the low-battery threshold, it means that the backup battery unit 120 is about to be exhausted, and then in step 611 , a transmission power notification is sent to the core module 130 . In this case, it usually means that the time for the core module 130 to maintain high-load operation is not much. The best countermeasure for the core module 130 is to start preparing to reduce the operating load. Therefore, in this embodiment, the backup battery unit 120 in FIG. 1 can send a power notification #L to the core module 130, so that the core module 130 can decide whether to reduce the load immediately.

Although it is illustrated in FIG. 6 that the remaining power of the backup battery unit 120 is checked first whether it is less than the charging threshold, and then whether the remaining power of the backup battery unit 120 is less than the low voltage threshold is checked. However, it can be understood that the execution order of these steps is not limited to this embodiment. Steps 603 and 607 can be executed individually in the object design. In addition, the various critical values mentioned in the foregoing embodiments can be determined through experiments or experiences within a reasonable range. This embodiment does not limit its specific numerical value. Although the operation modes of the power supply 110 and the backup battery unit 120 are mentioned as charging mode, discharging mode, standby mode and hybrid power supply mode, there may be other combinations in actual applications as required. As long as the combination of the power supply 110 with a lower output capability and the backup battery unit 120 is configured, it belongs to the spirit of the present invention. It should be noted that, in this document, the term "comprising", "comprising" or any other variation thereof is intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion such that a process, method, article or apparatus comprising a set of elements includes not only those elements, It also includes other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent in the process, method, article, or device. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus comprising that element.

The embodiments of the present application have been described above in conjunction with the drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned specific implementations. The above-mentioned specific implementations are only illustrative and not restrictive. Those of ordinary skill in the art will Under the inspiration of this application, many forms can be made without departing from the purpose of this application and the scope of protection of the claims, all of which are within the protection of this application.

100: Computer system 110: Power supply 120: backup battery unit 130: Core module #AC: AC current #DC: direct current #IB: battery discharge current #IC: battery charging current #S: command #L:Battery Notification 210: battery module 212: Battery management system 214: battery cell 220: discharge module 230: charging module 240: microcontroller 250: cooling module 260: Auxiliary power module 270: multiplexer 280: interface module 301, 303, 400, 500, 401, 403, 405, 407, 501, 503, 505, 507, 509, 511: steps 600: Flowchart 601-611: Steps

The drawings described here are used to provide a further understanding of the application and constitute a part of the application. The schematic embodiments and descriptions of the application are used to explain the application and do not constitute an improper limitation to the application. In the schema: FIG. 1 is a computer system architecture diagram of an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of a backup battery unit according to an embodiment of the present application. 3 to 5 are flow charts of the power supply method in the embodiment of the present application. FIG. 6 is a flowchart 600 of monitoring the remaining power of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present application.

120: backup battery unit

210: battery module

212: Battery management system

214: battery cell

220: discharge module

230: charging module

240: microcontroller

250: cooling module

260: Auxiliary power module

270: multiplexer

280: interface module

Claims (14)

A computer system comprising: A core module driven by a DC current; a power supply, connected to the core module, for receiving and converting an alternating current to supply the direct current; and A backup battery unit, connected to the core module and the power supply, the backup battery unit determines the operation mode according to the status of the power supply, the core module, and the backup battery unit; wherein: When the power supply detects that the DC current is higher than a current threshold, the power supply outputs a constant DC current, and notifies the backup battery unit to output a battery current, so that the constant DC current and the battery current supply power together to the core mod. The computer system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The upper limit of the output current of the power supply is less than a load current limit of the core module; and The upper limit of the combined output current of the power supply and the backup battery unit is not less than the upper limit of the load current of the core module. The computer system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the backup battery unit is a non-rechargeable battery; and When the remaining power of the backup battery unit is less than a power threshold, the backup battery unit sends a low battery notification to the core module, so that the core module prompts the user to replace the battery. The computer system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the backup battery unit is a rechargeable battery; The core module monitors the remaining power of the backup battery unit; and When the remaining power of the backup battery unit is less than a low battery threshold, the backup battery unit sends a low battery notification to the core module. The computer system as described in claim 4, wherein when the power supply detects that the DC current is not higher than the current threshold, and the remaining power of the backup battery unit is less than a charging threshold, the backup battery unit receives A part of the direct current output by the power supply is used for charging; wherein the charging threshold is greater than the low battery threshold. The computer system as described in claim 4, wherein when the power supply detects that the DC current is not higher than the current threshold, and the remaining power of the backup battery unit is greater than a charging threshold, the power supply supplies power to The core module, and the backup battery unit enters a standby state. The computer system as described in claim 5, wherein when the power supply cannot supply the DC current, and the combined output current of the power supply and the backup battery unit cannot meet the demand of the core module, the core Module load reduction operation. A power supply method for a computer system, wherein the computer system includes a power supply, a backup battery unit, and a core module; the core module is connected to the power supply; the backup battery unit is connected to the The core module, and the power supply; the power supply method includes: The power supply receives an alternating current and converts it into a direct current to supply power to the core module; the core module is driven by the direct current to operate; and When the power supply detects that the DC current is higher than a current threshold, the power supply outputs a constant DC current, and notifies the backup battery unit to output a battery current, so that the constant DC current and the battery current supply power together to the core mod. The power supply method as described in claim item 8, wherein: The upper limit of the output current of the power supply is less than a load current limit of the core module; and The upper limit of the combined output current of the power supply and the backup battery unit is not less than the upper limit of the load current of the core module. The power supply method as described in claim 8, wherein the backup battery unit is a non-rechargeable battery, and the power supply method further includes: when the remaining power of the backup battery unit is less than a power threshold, the backup battery unit Sending a low battery notification to the core module, so that the core module prompts the user to replace the battery. The power supply method as described in claim 8, wherein the backup battery unit is a rechargeable battery, and the power supply method further includes: The core module monitors the remaining power of the backup battery unit; When the remaining power of the backup battery unit is less than a low battery threshold, the backup battery unit sends a low battery notification to the core module. The power supply method as described in claim 11, further comprising: when the power supply detects that the DC current is not higher than the current threshold, and the remaining power of the backup battery unit is less than a charging threshold, the backup The battery unit receives a part of the direct current output by the power supply for charging; wherein the charging threshold is greater than the low battery threshold. The power supply method as described in claim 12, further comprising: when the power supply detects that the DC current is not higher than the current threshold, and the remaining power of the backup battery unit is greater than the charging threshold, the power supply The device supplies power to the core module, and the backup battery unit enters a standby state. The power supply method as described in claim 13, further comprising: when the power supply cannot supply the DC current, and the combined output current of the power supply and the backup battery unit cannot meet the demand of the core module , the core module runs under load.

Images