Method and apparatus for providing uninterruptible power

Abstract

A power supply system has a power input to receive input power from a power source, a power output to provide output power to a load, at least one battery module having a battery output that provides battery power, at least one power module coupled to the power input to receive the input power, coupled to the battery output to receive the battery power and coupled to the power output to provide the output power, a controller, coupled to the at least one power module, constructed and arranged to monitor and control the output power from the at least one power module, and a redundant controller, coupled to the at least one power module and to the controller, constructed and arranged to provide redundant monitoring and controlling of the output power from the at least one power module.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A power supply system comprising: 
 a power input to receive input power from a power source;    a power output to provide output power to a load;    at least one battery module having a battery output that provides battery power;    at least one power module coupled to the power input to receive the input power, coupled to the battery output to receive the battery power and coupled to the power output to provide the output power;    a controller, coupled to the at least one power module, constructed and arranged to monitor and control the output power from the at least one power module; and    a redundant controller, coupled to the at least one power module and to the controller, constructed and arranged to provide redundant monitoring and controlling of the output power from the at least one power module.    
     
     
         2 . The power supply system of    claim 1   , wherein the redundant controller is constructed and arranged to monitor and control the output power from the at least one power module upon failure of the controller.  
     
     
         3 . The power supply system of    claim 1   , wherein the at least one power module, the controller and the redundant controller are constructed and arranged such that one of the controller and the redundant controller regulates the output power from the at least one power module.  
     
     
         4 . The power supply system of    claim 3   , wherein the at least one power module, the controller and the redundant controller are constructed and arranged such that one of the controller and the redundant controller provides phase synchronization for the output power from the at least one power module.  
     
     
         5 . The power supply system of    claim 1   , wherein the at least one power module includes circuitry to regulate the output power to predetermined levels.  
     
     
         6 . The power supply system of    claim 1   , wherein the controller and the redundant controller are constructed and arranged to allow the redundant controller to monitor operation of the controller, and to assume control of the at least one power module upon detection of a fault in the controller.  
     
     
         7 . The power supply system of    claim 6   , wherein: 
 the controller includes a main processor and a slave processor coupled to the main processor;    the redundant controller includes a redundant processor coupled to the main processor in the controller; and    the main processor is constructed and arranged to determine an operational state of the power supply system and to provide control signals to the slave processor and the redundant processor indicative of the operational state.    
     
     
         8 . The power supply system of    claim 7   , wherein the slave processor is substantially identical to the redundant processor.  
     
     
         9 . The power supply system of    claim 1   , further comprising control lines from the controller to the at least one power module and control lines from the redundant controller to the at least one power module, and wherein the at least one power module is constructed and arranged to respond to either the control lines from the controller or the control lines from the redundant controller based on operational states of the controller and the redundant controller.  
     
     
         10 . The power supply system of    claim 7   , wherein the at least one power module is a plurality of power modules and the at least one battery is a plurality of batteries.  
     
     
         11 . The power supply system of    claim 10   , wherein each of the power modules is constructed and arranged to select one of the battery power or the input power as a source for generating the output power.  
     
     
         12 . The power supply system of    claim 1   , wherein the at least one power module is constructed and arranged to select one of the battery power or the input power as a source for generating the output power.  
     
     
         13 . The power supply system of    claim 1    further comprising a second redundant controller, coupled to the controller, the redundant controller and the at least one power module.  
     
     
         14 . A power supply system comprising: 
 a power input to receive input power from a power source;    a power output to provide output power to a load;    at least one battery module having a battery output that provides battery power;    means for generating the output power using one of the input power and the battery power;    means for monitoring and controlling the output power generated by the means for generating; and    redundant means for monitoring and controlling the output power generated by the means for generating.    
     
     
         15 . The power supply system of    claim 14   , wherein the redundant means for monitoring and controlling includes: 
 means for detecting a fault in the means for monitoring and controlling; and    means for assuming control of the output power upon detection of the fault.    
     
     
         16 . The power supply system of    claim 15   , wherein: 
 the redundant means for monitoring and controlling includes a first processor;    the means for monitoring and controlling the output power includes a second processor, means for detecting an operational state of the power supply system, and means for communicating the operational state to the first processor and to the second processor.    
     
     
         17 . The power supply system of    claim 14   , wherein the means for generating includes means for selecting one of the means for monitoring and controlling and the redundant means for monitoring and controlling as a control source for controlling characteristics of the output power.  
     
     
         18 . In a power supply system having at least one battery module that provides battery power, at least one power module that provides output power, a controller that monitors and controls the output power and a redundant controller, a method comprising steps of: 
 detecting a fault in the controller; and    transferring control of the output power from the controller to the redundant controller.    
     
     
         19 . The method of    claim 18   , wherein the power supply system has a plurality of operational states, and wherein the method further includes steps of: 
 detecting the operational state of the power supply system; and    communicating the operational state to the controller and the redundant controller.    
     
     
         20 . The method of    claim 19   , wherein the power supply system further includes a communication card to allow communications with external devices, and wherein the method further includes a step of transferring a data source for external communications from the controller to the redundant controller when control of the output power is transferred from the controller to the redundant controller.