Patent Publication Number: US-2013238911-A1

Title: Power supply device for computer systems and computer system using the power supply device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to power supply devices, and particularly to a power supply device for computer systems with a plurality of servers and a computer system using the same. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A computer system can employ a plurality of servers to enhance data processing capability. For example, a common four-in-one server system includes four servers, and the four servers share one hard disk backboard that is electrically connected to hard disk drives. In use, each of the four servers can control a plurality of hard disk drives via the hard disk backboard, so that the four-in-one server system achieves high data processing capability. 
     In a computer system employing a plurality of servers, the servers generally require to work independently from each other to prevent failures of any one of the servers from adversely affecting the other servers. Therefore, each of the servers may need a power supply that is independent from power supplies of the other servers. However, equipping an exclusive power supply for each of the servers may be costly and complicate a hardware structure of the computer system. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the various drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the figures. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a computer system, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a circuit diagram of the computer system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a computer system  200 , according to an exemplary embodiment. In one embodiment, the computer system  200  is a four-in-one computer system, and includes four servers A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , and A 4 , and a power supply device  100 . The power supply device  100  can selectively provide electrical power to one or more of the servers A 1 -A 4 . 
     The power supply device  100  includes a connection unit  10 , a main board  20 , and an actuation circuit  30 . The connection unit  10  can be a typical bridging board. The servers A 1 -A 4  are all electrically connected to the main board  20  via the connection unit  10 . Furthermore, the servers A 1 -A 4  are all electrically connected to the actuation circuit  30 . 
     The main board  20  includes a power supply  21 , a control unit  22 , and a switch circuit  23 . The power supply  21  can be a battery, or an electrical connector configured for electrically connecting with a wall socket. The control unit  22  can be an integrated circuit (IC), such as an IDTQS3125QG8 circuit. Also referring to  FIG. 2 , the control unit  22  includes four input pins IN 1 , IN 2 , IN 3 , and IN 4  corresponding to the servers A 1 -A 4 , and four output pins OUT 1 , OUT 2 , OUT 3 , and OUT 4  corresponding to the input pins IN 1 -IN 4 . The servers A 1 -A 4  are respectively electrically connected to the input pins IN 1 -IN 4  via the connection unit  10 . Each of the servers A 1 -A 4  can generate a selection signal, and transmit the selection signal to the control unit  22  via the input pin IN 1 /IN 2 /IN 3 /IN 4  corresponding to the server A 1 /A 2 /A 3 /A 4 . Upon receiving the selection signal from one or more of the input pins IN 1 -IN 4 , the control unit  22  can generate a switching signal on and send the switching signal via the output pin OUT 1 /OUT 2 /OUT 3 /OUT 4  corresponding to the input pin IN 1 /IN 2 /IN 3 /IN 4  receiving the selection signal. The control unit  22  further includes a power supply pin PS electrically connected to the power supply  21 . The control unit  22  can turn the power supply  21  on and off by sending a power signal to the power supply  21  via the power supply pin PS. 
     The switch circuit  23  can be a strobe circuit or a multiplex switch. The servers A 1 -A 4  are all electrically connected to the power supply  21  via the switch circuit  23 , and the output pins OUT 1 -OUT 4  are all electrically connected to the switch circuit  23 . When one or more of the output pins OUT 1 -OUT 4  sends the switching signal to the switch circuit  23 , the switch circuit  23  electrically connects the server A 1 /A 2 /A 3 /A 4  corresponding to the output pin OUT 1 /OUT 2 /OUT 3 /OUT 4  sending the switching signal with the power supply  21 . Thus, the power supply  21  can supply electrical power to the server A 1 /A 2 /A 3 /A 4 . 
     When one or more of the servers A 1 -A 4  requires power, the server A 1 /A 2 /A 3 /A 4  generates the selection signal. Power for generating the selection signal can be provided by a typical backup power supply (not shown) integrated within the server A 1 /A 2 /A 3 /A 4  or the main board  20 . The selection signal can be automatically generated by a typical integrated baseboard management controller (iBMC) of the server A 1 /A 2 /A 3 /A 4 , and can also be manually generated by manual operations applied to the server A 1 /A 2 /A 3 /A 4 . 
     The selection signal generated by the server A 1 /A 2 /A 3 /A 4  requiring power is transmitted to the control unit  22  via the input pin IN 1 /IN 2 /IN 3 /IN 4  corresponding to the server A 1 /A 2 /A 3 /A 4  requiring power. Upon receiving the selection signal, the control unit  22  turns on the power supply  21 , and generates a switching signal on the output pin OUT 1 /OUT 2 /OUT 3 /OUT 4  corresponding to the input pin IN 1 /IN 2 /IN 3 /IN 4  receiving the selection signal, and sends the switching signal to the switching circuit  23 . Upon receiving the switching signal, the switching circuit  23  electrically connects the server A 1 /A 2 /A 3 /A 4  requiring power with the power supply  21 . Thus, the power supply  21  can supply electrical power to the server A 1 /A 2 /A 3 /A 4  requiring power. 
     According to the above-described method, when receiving the selection signal from one or more of the servers A 1 -A 4 , the control unit  22  turns on the power supply  21 . At the same time, only the server A 1 /A 2 /A 3 /A 4  sending the selection signal is electrically connected to the power supply  21  via the switch circuit  23 . In this way, the power supply device  100  is capable of selectively providing electrical power to one or more of the servers A 1 -A 4 , and power supply of each of the servers A 1 -A 4  is independent from that of the other of the servers A 1 -A 4 . By means of using the power supply device  100 , the computer system  200  does not need to equip an exclusive power supply for each of the servers S 1 -S 4 . Therefore, the computer system  200  costs less, and a hardware structure of the computer system  200  is simplified. 
     When the servers A 1 -A 4  are electrically connected to the main board  20 , they generally need to spend a predetermined actuation time in achieving normal working statuses. During the actuation time, if instructions are input to the computer system  200 , failures may occur in the system device  200 . Therefore, the actuation circuit  30  is configured to prevent these failures. 
     The computer system  200  further includes a main control terminal P. Predetermined electronic signals input to the main control terminal P can control the computer system  200  to be turned on and off. In this embodiment, the computer system  200  is turned on when the main control terminal P receives a predetermined logic 0 signal (e.g., a relatively lower voltage), and is turned off when the main control terminal P receives a predetermined logic 1 signal (e.g., a relatively higher voltage). The actuation circuit  30  includes a logic circuit  31  and a system switch  32 . The servers A 1 -A 4  and the system switch  32  are all electrically connected to the logic circuit  31 , and the logic circuit  31  is electrically connected to the main control terminal P. All of the servers A 1 -A 4  and the system switch  32  can send status signals to the logic circuit  31 , and the logic circuit  31  logically calculates the status signals. The calculation result is used as a main control signal and transmitted to the main control terminal P to turn on and off the computer system  200 . 
     The logic circuit  31  includes two AND gates U 1  and U 2 , an NAND gate U 3 , and an OR gate U 4 . Two of the servers A 1 -A 4  (e.g., the servers A 1  and A 2 ) are respectively electrically connected to two input ends of the AND gate U 1 , and the other two of the servers A 1 -A 4  (e.g., the servers A 3  and A 4 ) are respectively electrically connected to two input ends of the AND gate U 2 . Output ends of the two AND gates U 1  and U 2  are respectively electrically connected to two input ends of the NAND gate U 3 . An output end of the NAND gate U 3  and the system logic  32  are respectively electrically connected to two input ends of the OR gate U 4 , and an output end of the OR gate U 4  is electrically connected to the main control terminal P. 
     In this embodiment, any valid operation applied to the system switch  32  generates a logic 0 system signal transmitted to the input end of the OR gate U 4  electrically connected to the system switch  32 . Each of the servers A 1 -A 4  is set to generate a logic 0 status signal when it does not achieve a normal working status, and generate a logic 1 status signal when it has achieved the normal working status. Furthermore, if one or more of the servers A 1 -A 4  is not electrically connected to the logic circuit  31 , the input end of the AND gate U 1 /U 2  which is not electrically connected to any sever is set to generate a logic 1 signal. 
     In use, when at least one of the servers A 1 -A 4  is electrically connected to the logic circuit  31  but does not achieve the normal working status, at least one input end of the AND gate U 1  or U 2  receives a logic 0 status signal from the at least one of the servers A 1 -A 4 , which causes the NAND gate U 3  to input a logic 1 signal to the OR gate U 4 . Thus, no matter what system signal is received from the system switch  32  by the OR gate U 4 , the OR gate U 4  outputs a logic 1 signal to the main control terminal P. The computer system  200  is maintained to be turned off due to the logic 1 signal received by the main control terminal P. In this way, although the system switch  32  is operated, the computer system  200  is not turned on, and the aforementioned possible failures are avoided. 
     When at least one of the servers A 1 -A 4  is electrically connected to the logic circuit  31 , and each of the servers A 1 -A 4  electrically connected to the logic circuit  31  has achieved the normal working status, all input ends of the AND gates U 1  and U 2  receive logic 1 signals. Thus, both the AND gates U 1  and U 2  output logic 1 signals, and the NAND gate U 3  outputs a logic 0 signal to the OR gate U 4 . If the system switch  32  is operated now, both the two input ends of the OR gate U 4  receive logic 0 signals, and the OR gate U 4  outputs a logic 0 signal to the main control terminal P to turn on the computer system  200 . 
     In another embodiment, the switch circuit  23  includes a plurality of (e.g., four) single-way switches (not shown) corresponding to the servers A 1 -A 4  and the output pins OUT 1 -OUT 4 . Each of the single-way switches is electrically connected between the server A 1 /A 2 /A 3 /A 4  corresponding to the single-way switch and the power supply  21 , and is further electrically connected to the output pin OUT 1 /OUT 2 /OUT 3 /OUT 4  corresponding to the single-way switch. The control unit  22  can control one or more of the single-way switches to electrically connect the server A 1 /A 2 /A 3 /A 4  corresponding to the controlled single-way switch to the power supply  21  via the output pin OUT 1 /OUT 2 /OUT 3 /OUT 4  corresponding to the controlled single-way switch, such that the power supply  21  can supply electrical power to the server A 1 /A 2 /A 3 /A 4  corresponding to the controlled single-way switch. 
     In other embodiments, the control unit  22  can include more than four input pins and output pins corresponding to more than four servers. Each of the additional servers is electrically connected to the power supply  21  via the switch circuit  23 , and is further electrically connected to the control unit  22  via the corresponding input pin and output pin. Correspondingly, the logic circuit  31  can include more AND gates, and each of the additional servers is electrically connected to the NAND gate U 3  via an AND gate. Methods for using these embodiments are similar to the aforementioned method for using the power supply device  100 . 
     It is to be further understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of structures and functions of various embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.