Patent ID: 7312962

Claim:
A system for preventing an overcurrent, comprising: (a) means for determining if each power supply of a plurality of power supplies is operating within a list of specifications; (b) means for disabling each power supply that is operating outside said list of specifications; and (c) means for monitoring a total amount of output current of said plurality of power supplies; wherein one or more of said plurality of power supplies is shut down when said total amount of output current is greater than a desired amount of current, said desired amount of current being less than a maximum current output capable of being supplied by each power supply, wherein said power supplies are shut down by disabling an enable signal coupled to each power supply, the total amount of output current being monitored by summing individual amounts of output current supplied by each power supply through a current sense line coupled to each power supply, wherein upon a first power supply is disabled for operating outside said list of specifications, said total amount of output current from enabled power supplies is still monitored.