US 12,348,074 B2
Battery charger system
Ron Silorio, Pittsburg, CA (US); Charles Henry Reynolds, Morgan Hill, CA (US); and Ximing Shi, Fremont, CA (US)
Assigned to CyberSwitchingPatents, LLC, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by CyberSwitchingPatents, LLC, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 17, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/775,966.
Application 18/775,966 is a continuation of application No. 18/496,314, filed on Oct. 27, 2023, granted, now 12,074,468.
Application 18/496,314 is a continuation of application No. 17/330,185, filed on May 25, 2021, granted, now 11,837,905, issued on Dec. 5, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0372393 A1, Nov. 7, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H02J 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC H02J 7/00714 (2020.01) [H02J 7/0013 (2013.01); H02J 7/0047 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A power control system comprising:
a power input port receiving external power into the power control system;
a plurality of power channels, each configured to receive power from the power input port;
a plurality of power outlets, wherein each one of the plurality of power channels has one of the plurality of power outlets;
a current sensor for each of the plurality of power outlets, the current sensor measuring current passing through each of the plurality of power channels;
a relay for each of the plurality of power channels, the relay operable to open or close a connection of power from the power input port to each of the plurality of power outlets via each of the plurality of power channels, each relay being in an initially open state; and
a controller, the controller operable to:
(a) step-wise close each relay of each of the plurality of power channels until a most recently closed one of the relays causes a total current estimate, obtained by measuring a sum of current through each of the current sensors, is greater than a maximum current limit;
(b) open the most recently closed one of the relays;
(c) when the total current estimate is less than a threshold current, close the most recently opened one of the relays, the threshold current being less than the maximum current limit; and
(d) repeat from step (a), wherein the step-wise closing of each relay is performed by a sequential sweep by performing the steps (a1) through (e1) below, sequentially for a set of OFF state relays, the set of OFF set relays defined as relays, from the plurality of relays, that are in the open state, the set of OFF state relays being numbered sequentially from 1, and n is set to 1:
(a1) providing an ON state signal to an n-th relay of the set of OFF state relays to close the n-th relay;
(b1) determining whether, when the n-th relay is changed to the closed state, the total current estimate is less than the maximum current limit;
(c1) if the total current estimate is less than the maximum current limit, keeping the n-th relay provided with the ON state signal in the closed state;
(d1) if the total current estimate is greater than the maximum current limit, then turning the n-th relay provided with the ON state signal in the open state; and
(e1) incrementing n to be n+1 and repeating steps (a1) through (d1) until the n-th relay is a final sequential relay of the set of OFF state relays.