Patent ID: 8547054
Filing Date: 2013-10-01
Classification: H02J

Abstract:
1. A power supply apparatus for supplying power to a device connected thereto, the apparatus comprising: a power supply; a voltage conversion unit which varies a voltage inputted from said power supply to output to the device a varied voltage which is an output voltage of said power supply apparatus; an ammeter which measures an output current value of said power supply apparatus; and a control unit which controls said voltage conversion unit to vary the output voltage of said power supply apparatus, wherein said control unit controls the voltage conversion unit to discretely increase the output voltage of said power supply apparatus, and monitors the output current value to detect that the output voltage of said power supply apparatus has reached a voltage capable of driving the device, after detecting that the output voltage has reached the voltage capable of driving the device, said control unit controls said voltage conversion unit to continuously decrease the output voltage of said power supply apparatus, and monitors the output current value to detect a lower limit voltage capable of driving the device, and said control unit controls the voltage conversion unit to transmit information on said power supply apparatus to the device by periodically varying, based on a function readable by the device and associating a conversion cycle of the output voltage with the information on the power supply apparatus, the output voltage of said power supply apparatus between the voltage capable of driving the device and the lower limit voltage capable of driving the device so as to convert the information on the power supply apparatus into the conversion cycle, and by transmitting the conversion cycle to the device so that the device reads the information from the output voltage varying in accordance with the function.