JP7747802B2 - Overcurrent detection device, overcurrent detection method, and overcurrent detection program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an overcurrent detection device, an overcurrent detection method, and an overcurrent detection program.

Power supplies that supply power to electrical equipment detect overcurrents to prevent damage to internal components caused by overcurrents exceeding the rated current, and if an overcurrent is detected, the system issues a warning and cuts off the power supply. However, if the power supply does not properly detect overcurrents, it could be damaged or cause the power supply to be inappropriately cut off, so there is a need for technology that can properly detect overcurrents.

In relation to the above-mentioned technology, Patent Document 1 discloses a power conversion device that prevents erroneous overcurrent detection. The overcurrent calculation unit in this device calculates the lower limit of the current determined to be an overcurrent that corresponds to the input voltage detection parameter and the temperature of the semiconductor switch detected by the temperature detection unit, based on voltage detection parameters that indicate the characteristics of the components of the voltage detection unit and the correlation between the temperature of the semiconductor switch and the current of the semiconductor switch. The threshold calculation unit in this device then calculates the voltage value corresponding to this lower limit of the current as the overcurrent determination threshold, and the comparison unit compares the overcurrent determination threshold with the voltage of the semiconductor switch.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-030032

When the power load to which a power supply device supplies power has load characteristics such as occasional instantaneous increases in current value, a power supply device with a rated current that matches the maximum value of that instantaneous increase in current is typically used. Since the rated current is generally proportional to the cost of a power supply device, the cost of a power supply device that supplies power to a power load with the load characteristics described above will depend on the maximum value of the instantaneous increase in current value.

On the other hand, the rated current value set for a typical power supply is a current value that allows for long-term power output, as long as the internal components do not reach the end of their lifespan and fail. For this reason, the rated current value is usually set to a value that allows for a certain amount of leeway relative to the ratings of the internal components, and the power supply can output a current that exceeds the rated current value, for example, for a short period of time. Also, while power supplies can supply more power in low-temperature environments than in high-temperature environments, the rated current value is generally set with the supply of power in high-temperature environments in mind.

For these reasons, power supply devices with a rated current value greater than the rated current value actually required to supply power to a power load (i.e., over-spec) are often used, which is a factor in increasing the cost of the power supply device. In order to use a power supply with an appropriate rated current value (i.e., not over-spec) so as not to increase the cost of the power supply device, it is necessary to more appropriately detect the occurrence of overcurrent in the power supply device, taking into account the state of the power supply device. The technology disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 cannot be said to be sufficient to solve this problem.

The primary objective of this invention is to more appropriately detect the occurrence of an overcurrent in a power supply device, taking into account the state of the power supply device.

An overcurrent detection device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a temperature acquisition means for acquiring the temperature of a power supply device, a current value acquisition means for acquiring a current value representing the magnitude of the current output from the power supply device, a generation means for generating current transition information representing the time series transition of the current value, a detection means for detecting the occurrence of an overcurrent based on the temperature, the current transition information, and a detection criterion for detecting the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device according to the temperature and the current transition information, and a notification means for notifying the power supply device of the detected occurrence of the overcurrent.

In another aspect of achieving the above object, an overcurrent detection method according to one aspect of the present invention includes, by an information processing device, acquiring the temperature of a power supply device, acquiring a current value representing the magnitude of the current output from the power supply device, generating current trend information representing the time series trend of the current value, detecting the occurrence of an overcurrent based on the temperature and the current trend information and a detection criterion for detecting the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device according to the temperature and the current trend information, and notifying the power supply device of the detected occurrence of the overcurrent.

In addition, in a further aspect of achieving the above object, an overcurrent detection program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer to execute a temperature acquisition process for acquiring the temperature of a power supply device, a current value acquisition process for acquiring a current value representing the magnitude of the current output from the power supply device, a generation process for generating current transition information representing the time series transition of the current value, a detection process for detecting the occurrence of an overcurrent based on the temperature, the current transition information, and a detection criterion for detecting the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device according to the temperature and the current transition information, and a notification process for notifying the power supply device of the detected occurrence of the overcurrent.

Furthermore, the present invention can also be realized by a computer-readable, non-volatile recording medium on which such an overcurrent detection program (computer program) is stored.

The present invention can more appropriately detect the occurrence of an overcurrent in a power supply device, taking into account the state of the power supply device.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an overcurrent detection device 10 according to the present disclosure. This figure illustrates an example of the trend of current value 172 indicated by current trend information 173 and the waveform of a warning signal from notification unit 15 when instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141 of the present disclosure detects the occurrence of an overcurrent when temperature 171 is Temp0 (Temp0 < Temp1). This figure illustrates an example of the trend of current value 172 indicated by current trend information 173 and the waveform of the warning signal generated by notification unit 15 when instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141 of the present disclosure detects the occurrence of an overcurrent when temperature 171 is Temp1 (Temp0 < Temp1). This figure illustrates an example of the trend of current value 172 indicated by current trend information 173 and the waveform of the warning signal generated by notification unit 15 when steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142 of the present disclosure detects the occurrence of an overcurrent when temperature 171 is Temp0 (Temp0 < Temp1). This figure illustrates an example of the trend of current value 172 indicated by current trend information 173 and the waveform of the warning signal generated by notification unit 15 when steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142 of the present disclosure detects the occurrence of an overcurrent when temperature 171 is Temp1 (Temp0 < Temp1). This figure illustrates an example of the trend of current value 172 indicated by current trend information 173 and the waveform of the warning signal generated by notification unit 15 when average current detection unit 143 of the present disclosure detects the occurrence of an overcurrent when temperature 171 is Temp0 (Temp0 < Temp1). This figure illustrates an example of the trend of the current value 172 indicated by the current trend information 173 and the waveform of the warning signal generated by the notification unit 15 when the average current detection unit 143 of the present disclosure detects the occurrence of an overcurrent when the temperature 171 is Temp1 (Temp0 < Temp1). 10 is a flowchart showing an operation of the overcurrent detection device 10 according to the present disclosure, which detects the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 by the instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141. 10 is a flowchart showing an operation of the overcurrent detection device 10 according to the present disclosure, which detects the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 by the steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142. 10 is a flowchart showing an operation of the overcurrent detection device 10 according to the present disclosure to detect occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 by the average current detection unit 143. 10 is a diagram illustrating a comparison result of temperature derating curves for the overcurrent detection device 10 according to the present disclosure and a general overcurrent detection device. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an overcurrent detection device 30 according to the present disclosure. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the overcurrent detection device 30 according to the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information processing device 900 capable of realizing an overcurrent detection device according to each embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment
1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an overcurrent detection device 10 according to the present disclosure. The overcurrent detection device 10 detects an overcurrent occurring in a power supply device 20 that supplies power to a power load 21 (electrical equipment), and if an overcurrent is detected, issues a warning to the power supply device 20 indicating that an overcurrent has occurred. When the power supply device 20 receives the warning, the power supply device 20, for example, immediately stops supplying power to the power load 21. Note that the overcurrent detection device 10 may be, for example, an independent information processing device, or may be a circuit or module that performs predetermined information processing and is built into the power supply device 20.

The overcurrent detection device 10 includes a temperature acquisition unit 11, a current value acquisition unit 12, a generation unit 13, a detection unit 14, a notification unit 15, a calculation unit 16, and a memory unit 17. The temperature acquisition unit 11, the current value acquisition unit 12, the generation unit 13, the detection unit 14, the notification unit 15, and the calculation unit 16 are examples of a temperature acquisition means, a current value acquisition means, a generation means, a detection means, a notification means, and a calculation means, respectively.

The memory unit 17 is, for example, a storage device such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or a hard disk 904, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 14. The memory unit 17 stores a temperature 171, a current value 172, current transition information 173, and detection criteria 174. The detection criteria 174 include an instantaneous overcurrent threshold 175, a steady-state overcurrent threshold 176, a steady-state overcurrent specified time 177, an average current threshold 178, and an average current specified time 179. The information stored in the memory unit 17 will be described later.

The temperature acquisition unit 11 constantly acquires the temperature 171 at a predetermined position measured by a temperature sensor (not shown) attached to the power supply device 20. Note that there may be multiple temperature sensors, and the temperature acquisition unit 11 may acquire temperatures 171 at multiple positions on the power supply device 20. The temperature acquisition unit 11 stores the acquired temperatures 171 in the memory unit 17.

The current value acquisition unit 12 constantly acquires a current value 172 that represents the magnitude of the current supplied from the power supply device 20 to the power load 21. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the current value acquisition unit 12 may acquire the potential difference across a current observation resistor inserted into the positive output terminal of the power supply device 20, and calculate the current value 172 by dividing the acquired potential difference by the resistance value of the current observation resistor. Alternatively, the current value acquisition unit 12 may use the secondary side of a current transformer, the primary side of which is inserted into the positive output terminal of the power supply device 20, as a load sense line, and calculate the current value 172 from the potential difference across that line. The current value acquisition unit 12 stores the acquired current value 172 in the memory unit 17.

The generation unit 13 generates current transition information 173 that represents the time series transition of the current value 172 acquired at any time by the current value acquisition unit 12. The generation unit 13 stores the generated current transition information 173 in the storage unit 17.

The detection unit 14 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 based on the temperature 171, current transition information 173, and detection criteria 174. The detection criteria 174 are criteria for detecting the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 according to the temperature 171 and current transition information 173. The detection criteria 174 may be provided, for example, by an administrator of the overcurrent detection device 10, or may be acquired by the overcurrent detection device 10 from an external device.

The detection unit 14 includes an instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141, a steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142, and an average current detection unit 143. That is, the detection unit 14 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 using three different detection methods. Below, the operation of the instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141, steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142, and average current detection unit 143 to detect an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 will be described in order. The detection unit 14 detects an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 in parallel using the instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141, steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142, and average current detection unit 143. The notification unit 15, described below, notifies the power supply device 20 of the occurrence of an overcurrent when an overcurrent is detected by at least one of the instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141, steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142, and average current detection unit 143.

<Detection of Overcurrent in Power Supply Device 20 by Instantaneous Overcurrent Detector 141>
The operation of the instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141 to detect the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.

Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the transition of the current value 172 indicated by the current transition information 173 and the waveform of the overcurrent occurrence warning signal generated by the notification unit 15 when the instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141 according to the present disclosure detects the occurrence of an overcurrent when the temperature 171 is Temp0.

The instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 when the current value 172 exceeds the instantaneous overcurrent threshold 175 in accordance with the detection criteria 174. The instantaneous overcurrent threshold 175 is a threshold calculated by the calculation unit 16 as a reference threshold for detecting the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 from the current value 172 at a certain time. The instantaneous overcurrent threshold 175 depends on the temperature 171, and the calculation unit 16 calculates a higher instantaneous overcurrent threshold 175 the lower the temperature 171. However, information such as a calculation formula for calculating the instantaneous overcurrent threshold 175 from the temperature 171 is provided, for example, by an administrator of the overcurrent detection device 10, and is included in the detection criteria 174.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, the instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent when the current value 172 exceeds the instantaneous overcurrent threshold 175 at time Ta. The notification unit 15 then generates a warning signal indicating the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 detected by the instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141 at time Ta, and notifies the power supply device 20 of the generated warning signal.

Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the transition of the current value 172 indicated by the current transition information 173 and the waveform of the warning signal for the occurrence of an overcurrent generated by the notification unit 15 when the instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141 according to the present disclosure detects the occurrence of an overcurrent when the temperature 171 is Temp1. Note that Temp1 represents a temperature higher than Temp0 in Figure 2. Note that the current transition information 173 is the same in the examples shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Because Temp1 is a higher temperature than Temp0, the calculation unit 16 calculates the instantaneous overcurrent threshold 175 to be a lower value than in the example shown in Figure 2, as described above. Therefore, in the example of Figure 3, the occurrence of an overcurrent is more easily detected than in the example of Figure 2, and the instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent when the current value 172 exceeds the instantaneous overcurrent threshold 175 at time Tb, which is earlier than the above-mentioned time Ta. Then, at time Tb, the notification unit 15 generates a warning signal indicating the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 detected by the instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141, and notifies the power supply device 20 of the generated warning signal.

<Detection of Overcurrent in Power Supply Device 20 by Steady-State Overcurrent Detector 142>
The operation of the steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142 to detect the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG.

Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the transition of the current value 172 indicated by the current transition information 173 and the waveform of the overcurrent occurrence warning signal generated by the notification unit 15 when the steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142 according to the present disclosure detects the occurrence of an overcurrent when the temperature 171 is Temp0.

The steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent when the period during which the current value 172, represented by the current transition information 173, continuously exceeds the steady-state overcurrent threshold 176 exceeds the steady-state overcurrent specified time 177, in accordance with the detection criteria 174. Note that the steady-state overcurrent threshold 176 is a threshold calculated by the calculation unit 16 as a reference threshold for detecting the occurrence of an overcurrent, as described above. The steady-state overcurrent threshold 176 depends on the temperature 171, and the calculation unit 16 calculates a higher steady-state overcurrent threshold 176 the lower the temperature 171. However, information such as a calculation formula for calculating the steady-state overcurrent threshold 176 from the temperature 171 is provided, for example, by an administrator of the overcurrent detection device 10, and is included in the detection criteria 174. Furthermore, at the same temperature, the calculation unit 16 calculates a steady-state overcurrent threshold 176, which is a threshold when an overcurrent is not detected until the period of continuous overcurrent exceeding the steady-state overcurrent specified time 177, to be lower than the instantaneous overcurrent threshold 175, which is an instantaneous threshold. The steady-state overcurrent specified time 177 is provided, for example, by an administrator of the overcurrent detection device 10.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, the length of the period Int1 during which the current value 172 continuously exceeds the steady-state overcurrent threshold 176 is shorter than the steady-state overcurrent specified time 177. Therefore, the steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142 does not detect an overcurrent during the period Int1. The steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent at time Tc, when the period during which the current value 172 continuously exceeds the steady-state overcurrent threshold 176 exceeds the steady-state overcurrent specified time 177. The notification unit 15 then generates a warning signal indicating the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 detected by the steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142 at time Tc, and notifies the power supply device 20 of the generated warning signal.

Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the transition of the current value 172 indicated by the current transition information 173 and the waveform of the overcurrent occurrence warning signal generated by the notification unit 15 when the steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142 according to the present disclosure detects the occurrence of an overcurrent when the temperature 171 is Temp1. However, as mentioned above, Temp1 represents a temperature higher than Temp0 in Figure 4. Note that the current transition information 173 is the same in the examples shown in Figures 4 and 5.

Because Temp1 is a higher temperature than Temp0, the calculation unit 16 calculates the steady-state overcurrent threshold 176 as a lower value than in the example shown in FIG. 4, as described above. Therefore, the occurrence of an overcurrent is more easily detected in the example shown in FIG. 5 than in the example shown in FIG. 4. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the length of the period Int2 during which the current value 172 continuously exceeds the steady-state overcurrent threshold 176 is longer than the steady-state overcurrent specified time 177. Therefore, the steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent at time Td, which is within the period Int2 and occurs when the period during which the current value 172 continuously exceeds the steady-state overcurrent threshold 176 exceeds the steady-state overcurrent specified time 177, and is a time earlier than the above-mentioned time Tc. Then, at time Td, the notification unit 15 generates a warning signal indicating the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 detected by the steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142, and notifies the power supply device 20 of the generated warning signal.

<Detection of Overcurrent in Power Supply Device 20 by Average Current Detector 143>
The operation of the average current detector 143 to detect the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG.

Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the transition of the current value 172 indicated by the current transition information 173 and the waveform of the overcurrent occurrence warning signal generated by the notification unit 15 when the average current detection unit 143 according to the present disclosure detects the occurrence of an overcurrent when the temperature 171 is Temp0.

The average current detection unit 143 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent when, in accordance with the detection criteria 174, the value obtained by subtracting the value indicating the accumulated period up to the present during which the current value 172 exceeds the average current threshold 178, as represented by the current trend information 173, from the value indicating the accumulated period up to the present during which the current value 172 is below the average current threshold 178, exceeds the average current specified time 179. As described above, the average current threshold 178 is a threshold calculated by the calculation unit 16 as a reference threshold for detecting the occurrence of an overcurrent. The average current threshold 178 depends on the temperature 171, and the calculation unit 16 calculates a higher average current threshold 178 the lower the temperature 171. However, information such as a calculation formula for calculating the average current threshold 178 from the temperature 171 is provided, for example, by an administrator of the overcurrent detection device 10, and is included in the detection criteria 174. Furthermore, at the same temperature, the calculation unit 16 calculates a steady-state overcurrent threshold 176, which is a threshold when an overcurrent is not detected until the value calculated as described above for the period during which the current value 172 exceeds and falls below the average current threshold 178, exceeds the average current specified time 179, to be lower than the instantaneous overcurrent threshold 175, which is an instantaneous threshold. The average current specified time 179 is provided, for example, by an administrator of the overcurrent detection device 10.

6, the average current detection unit 143 compares the current value 172 with the average current threshold 178 each time the current value acquisition unit 12 acquires the current value 172. When the current value 172 exceeds the average current threshold 178, the average current detection unit 143 increments the average current time count value indicated by its counter by one. When the current value 172 is equal to or less than the average current threshold 178, the average current detection unit 143 decrements the average current time count value indicated by its counter by one. Note that when the average current time count value is 0, the average current detection unit 143 does not decrement the counter value even if the current value 172 is equal to or less than the average current threshold 178. Here, the average current time count value is counted up during the period when the current value 172 exceeds the average current threshold 178 and counted down during the period when the current value 172 is equal to or less than the average current threshold 178. Therefore, it can also be said to be an index of the proportion of time during which the current value 172 exceeds the average current threshold 178.

In the example shown in FIG. 6, during period Int3, the individual peaks of the periodically fluctuating current value 172 are far apart on the time axis, so the average current time count value does not reach the count value corresponding to the average current specified time 179. In contrast, during period Int4, the individual peaks of the periodically fluctuating current value 172 are close together on the time axis, so the average current time count value tends to increase over time. The average current detection unit 143 then detects the occurrence of an overcurrent at time Te, when the average current time count value exceeds the count value corresponding to the average current specified time 179. The notification unit 15 then generates a warning signal indicating the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 detected by the average current detection unit 143 at time Te, and notifies the power supply device 20 of the generated warning signal.

Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the transition of the current value 172 indicated by the current transition information 173 and the waveform of the warning signal for the occurrence of an overcurrent generated by the notification unit 15 when the average current detection unit 143 according to the present disclosure detects the occurrence of an overcurrent when the temperature 171 is Temp1. However, as mentioned above, Temp1 represents a temperature higher than Temp0 in Figure 6. Note that the current transition information 173 is the same in the examples shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Because Temp1 is a higher temperature than Temp0, the calculation unit 16 calculates the average current threshold 178 as a lower value than in the example shown in FIG. 6, as described above. Therefore, the occurrence of an overcurrent is more easily detected in the example shown in FIG. 7 compared to the example shown in FIG. 6. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the rate at which the average current time count value increases during period Int4 is faster than in the example shown in FIG. 6. Therefore, the average current detection unit 143 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent at time Tf, which is during period Int4 and earlier than the above-mentioned time Te, when the average current time count value exceeds the count value corresponding to the average current specified time 179. Then, at time Tf, the notification unit 15 generates a warning signal indicating the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 detected by the average current detection unit 143, and notifies the power supply device 20 of the generated warning signal.

Next, the operation (processing) of the overcurrent detection device 10 according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the flowcharts in Figures 8 to 10.

Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the overcurrent detection device 10 according to the present disclosure, in which the instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20.

The temperature acquisition unit 11 acquires the temperature 171 of the power supply device 20 and stores the acquired temperature 171 in the memory unit 17 (step S101). The calculation unit 16 calculates an instantaneous overcurrent threshold 175, a steady-state overcurrent threshold 176, and an average current threshold 178 from the temperature 171 acquired by the temperature acquisition unit 11 based on the detection criteria 174, and stores the calculated instantaneous overcurrent threshold 175, steady-state overcurrent threshold 176, and average current threshold 178 in the memory unit 17 (step S102).

The current value acquisition unit 12 acquires the current value 172 supplied from the power supply device 20 to the power load 21 and stores the acquired current value 172 in the memory unit 17 (step S103). The generation unit 13 generates current transition information 173 that represents the time series transition of the current value 172 and stores the generated current transition information 173 in the memory unit 17 (step S104).

The instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141 of the detection unit 14 determines whether the current current value 172 exceeds the instantaneous overcurrent threshold 175 in the current transition information 173 (step S105). If the current current value 172 does not exceed the instantaneous overcurrent threshold 175 (No in step S106), the process returns to step S101. If the current current value 172 exceeds the instantaneous overcurrent threshold 175 (Yes in step S106), the instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 (step S108). The notification unit 15 generates a warning signal indicating the occurrence of an overcurrent and notifies the power supply device 20 of the generated warning signal (step S108), and the entire process ends.

Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the overcurrent detection device 10 according to the present disclosure, in which the steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20.

The overcurrent detection device 10 executes steps S101 to S104 shown in FIG. 8 (step S201). The steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142 of the detection unit 14 determines whether the current current value 172 exceeds the steady-state overcurrent threshold 176 in the current transition information 173 (step S202).

If the current current value 172 does not exceed the steady-state overcurrent threshold 176 (No in step S203), processing returns to step S201. If the current current value 172 exceeds the steady-state overcurrent threshold 176 (Yes in step S203), the steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142 determines whether the time during which the current value 172 continuously exceeds the steady-state overcurrent threshold 176 exceeds the steady-state overcurrent specified time 177 in the current transition information 173 (step S204).

If the time during which the current value 172 continuously exceeds the steady-state overcurrent threshold 176 does not exceed the steady-state overcurrent specified time 177 (No in step S205), the process returns to step S201. If the time during which the current value 172 continuously exceeds the steady-state overcurrent threshold 176 exceeds the steady-state overcurrent specified time 177 (Yes in step S205), the steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 (step S206). The notification unit 15 generates a warning signal indicating the occurrence of an overcurrent and notifies the power supply device 20 of the generated warning signal (step S207), and the entire process ends.

Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the overcurrent detection device 10 according to the present disclosure, in which the average current detection unit 143 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20.

The overcurrent detection device 10 executes steps S101 to S104 shown in FIG. 8 (step S301). The average current detection unit 143 of the detection unit 14 determines whether the current current value 172 exceeds the average current threshold 178 in the current transition information 173 (step S302).

If the current value 172 does not exceed the average current threshold 178 (No in step S303), processing proceeds to step S304. If the average current time count value is not greater than 0 (i.e., is 0) (No in step S304), processing returns to step S301. If the average current time count value is greater than 0 (Yes in step S304), the average current detection unit 143 subtracts 1 from the average current time count value (step S305), and processing returns to step S301.

If the current value 172 exceeds the average current threshold 178 (Yes in step S303), the average current detection unit 143 increments the average current time count value by 1 (step S306). The average current detection unit 143 determines whether the average current time count value exceeds the count value corresponding to the average current specified time 179 (step S308).

If the average current time count value does not exceed the count value corresponding to the average current specified time 179 (No in step S308), processing returns to step S301. If the average current time count value exceeds the count value corresponding to the average current specified time 179 (Yes in step S308), the average current detection unit 143 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 (step S309). The notification unit 15 generates a warning signal indicating the occurrence of an overcurrent and notifies the power supply device 20 of the generated warning signal (step S310), and the entire processing ends.

The overcurrent detection device 10 according to the present disclosure can more appropriately detect the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 based on the state of the power supply device 20. This is because the overcurrent detection device 10 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 based on the temperature 171 and current transition information 173 of the power supply device 20, and the detection criteria 174 for detecting the occurrence of an overcurrent in accordance with the temperature 171 and current transition information 173.

The effects achieved by the overcurrent detection device 10 according to the present disclosure are described in detail below.

When the power load to which a power supply device supplies power has load characteristics such as occasional instantaneous increases in current value, a power supply device with a rated current that matches the maximum value of that instantaneous increase in current is typically used. Since the rated current is generally proportional to the cost of a power supply device, the cost of a power supply device that supplies power to a power load with the load characteristics described above will depend on the maximum value of the instantaneous increase in current value.

On the other hand, the rated current value set for a typical power supply is a current value that allows for long-term power output, as long as the internal components do not reach the end of their lifespan and fail. For this reason, the rated current value is usually set to a value that allows for a certain amount of leeway relative to the ratings of the internal components, and the power supply can output a current that exceeds the rated current value, for example, for a short period of time. Also, while power supplies can supply more power in low-temperature environments than in high-temperature environments, the rated current value is generally set with the supply of power in high-temperature environments in mind.

For these reasons, power supplies with a rated current greater than the rated current actually required to supply power to the power load (i.e., over-spec) are often used, which is a factor in increasing the cost of the power supply. In order to use power supplies with an appropriate rated current (i.e., not over-spec) so as not to increase the cost of the power supply, the challenge is to more appropriately detect the occurrence of overcurrent in the power supply, taking into account the state of the power supply.

To address this issue, the overcurrent detection device 10 disclosed herein acquires the temperature 171 of the power supply device 20 and acquires a current value 172 that represents the magnitude of the current output from the power supply device 20. The overcurrent detection device 10 generates current transition information 173 that represents the time series transition of the current value 172, detects the occurrence of an overcurrent based on the temperature 171, the current transition information 173, and detection criteria 174 for detecting the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 according to the temperature 171 and the current transition information 173, and notifies the power supply device 20 of the detected overcurrent. In other words, because the overcurrent detection device 10 detects an overcurrent using the detection criteria 174 according to the temperature 171 and the current transition information 173, it can more appropriately detect the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 20 based on the state of the power supply device 20.

Figure 11 illustrates a comparison of the temperature derating curves for the overcurrent detection device 10 according to the present disclosure and a general overcurrent detection device. Temperature derating refers to operating a power supply at a temperature below a predetermined rated value depending on the operating temperature. As illustrated in Figure 11, a general overcurrent detection device detects overcurrent in a power supply device by treating its rated current as constant when the operating temperature of the power supply device is low. Therefore, a power supply device controlled by a general overcurrent detection device cannot fully utilize the power supply device's inherent power supply capacity. In contrast, the overcurrent detection device 10 according to the present disclosure treats the power supply device's rated current as higher the lower the operating temperature of the power supply device, and relaxes the overcurrent detection conditions. This allows the overcurrent detection device 10 to appropriately detect the occurrence of an overcurrent so as to utilize the power supply device's inherent power supply capacity as much as possible.

The detection criterion 174 used by the overcurrent detection device 10 according to this embodiment indicates that an overcurrent is detected when the current value 172 at a given time, as represented by the current transition information 173, exceeds the instantaneous overcurrent threshold 175. The detection criterion 174 also indicates that an overcurrent is detected when the period during which the current value 172 continuously exceeds the steady-state overcurrent threshold 176, as represented by the current transition information 173, exceeds the steady-state overcurrent specified time 177 (a predetermined length). The detection criterion 174 also indicates that an overcurrent is detected when the value obtained by subtracting the value representing the accumulated period during which the current value 172 is below the average current threshold 178, as represented by the current transition information 173, from the value representing the accumulated period during which the current value 172 exceeds the average current threshold 178, as represented by the current transition information 173, exceeds the average current specified time 179 (a given value). In this way, the overcurrent detection device 10 can flexibly detect overcurrent using multiple different detection methods, allowing it to more appropriately detect the occurrence of overcurrent in the power supply device 20 based on the state of the power supply device 20.

The overcurrent detection device 10 may also be equipped with a learning model that learns the relationship between the temperature 171, current transition information 173, and the detection criteria 174 by using data on past failures caused by overcurrent in power supply devices. This allows the overcurrent detection device 10 to efficiently generate appropriate detection criteria 174.

Second Embodiment
FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an overcurrent detection device 30 according to the present disclosure.

The overcurrent detection device 30 according to the present disclosure includes a temperature acquisition unit 31, a current value acquisition unit 32, a generation unit 33, a detection unit 34, and a notification unit 35. The temperature acquisition unit 31, the current value acquisition unit 32, the generation unit 33, the detection unit 34, and the notification unit 35 are examples of a temperature acquisition means, a current value acquisition means, a generation means, a detection means, and a notification means, respectively.

The temperature acquisition unit 31 acquires the temperature 310 of the power supply device 40. The power supply device 40 is, for example, a device similar to the power supply device 20 of the overcurrent detection device 10. The temperature 310 is, for example, information similar to the temperature 171 of the overcurrent detection device 10. The temperature acquisition unit 31 operates, for example, in the same manner as the temperature acquisition unit 11 of the overcurrent detection device 10.

The current value acquisition unit 32 acquires a current value 320 that indicates the magnitude of the current output from the power supply device 40. The current value 320 is, for example, information similar to the current value 172 associated with the overcurrent detection device 10. The current value acquisition unit 32 operates in the same manner as the current value acquisition unit 12 associated with the overcurrent detection device 10, for example.

The generator 33 generates current transition information 330 that represents the time series transition of the current value 320. The current transition information 330 is, for example, information similar to the current transition information 173 related to the overcurrent detection device 10. The generator 33 operates in the same manner as the generator 13 related to the overcurrent detection device 10, for example.

The detection unit 34 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent based on the temperature 310, current transition information 330, and detection criteria 340 for detecting the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 40 in accordance with the temperature 310 and current transition information 330. The detection criteria 340 are, for example, criteria similar to the detection criteria 174 of the overcurrent detection device 10. The detection unit 34 operates in the same manner as the detection unit 14 of the overcurrent detection device 10, for example.

The notification unit 35 notifies the power supply device 40 of the detected overcurrent. The notification unit 35 operates, for example, in the same manner as the notification unit 15 of the overcurrent detection device 10.

Next, the operation (processing) of the overcurrent detection device 30 according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart in Figure 13.

The temperature acquisition unit 31 acquires the temperature 310 of the power supply device 40 (step S401). The current value acquisition unit 32 acquires the current value 320 representing the magnitude of the current output from the power supply device 40 (step S402). The generation unit 33 generates current transition information 330 representing the time series transition of the current value 320 (step S403).

The detection unit 34 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 40 based on the temperature 310, current transition information 330, and detection criteria 340 (step S404). The notification unit 35 notifies the power supply device 40 of the detected occurrence of an overcurrent (step S405), and the entire process ends.

The overcurrent detection device 30 according to the present disclosure can more appropriately detect the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 40, taking into account the state of the power supply device 40. This is because the overcurrent detection device 30 detects the occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device 40 based on the temperature 310 and current transition information 330 of the power supply device 40, and detection criteria 340 for detecting the occurrence of an overcurrent in accordance with the temperature 310 and current transition information 330.

<Hardware configuration example>
1 and 12 can be realized by dedicated HW (Hardware) (electronic circuitry). In addition, in FIGS. 1 and 12, at least the following components can be considered as functional (processing) units (software modules) of a software program including instructions executed by a processor.
Temperature acquisition units 11 and 31,
Current value acquisition units 12 and 32,
generation units 13 and 33,
Detection units 14 and 34
Instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 141,
A steady-state overcurrent detection unit 142,
Average current detection unit 143,
Notification units 15 and 35,
Calculation unit 16,
- Storage control function in the storage unit 17.

However, the division of each component shown in these drawings is for the sake of convenience, and various configurations are possible when implementing the system. An example of the hardware environment in this case will be explained with reference to Figure 14.

Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing device 900 (computer) capable of realizing the overcurrent detection device according to the present disclosure. That is, Figure 14 shows the configuration of a computer (information processing device) capable of realizing the overcurrent detection device shown in Figures 1 and 12, and represents a hardware environment capable of realizing each function in the above-described embodiment. However, each unit in the above-described question creation support device may be distributed across multiple information processing devices 900, or at least some of the functions may be provided on a server or the like that constitutes a cloud computing environment.

The information processing device 900 shown in FIG. 14 includes the following components.
・CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901,
・ROM (Read Only Memory) 902,
・RAM (Random Access Memory) 903,
Hard disk (storage device) 904,
communication interface 905,
Bus 906 (communication line),
A reader/writer 908 capable of reading and writing data stored in a recording medium 907 such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory),
Input/output interface 909 including a monitor, speaker, keyboard, etc.

In other words, the information processing device 900 having the above components is a general computer in which these components are connected via a bus 906. The information processing device 900 may have multiple CPUs 901, or may have a CPU 901 configured with multiple cores. The information processing device 900 may also not have some of the above components.

The present invention, explained using the above-mentioned embodiment as an example, supplies a computer program capable of realizing the following function to the information processing device 900 shown in Figure 14. The function is the above-mentioned configuration in the block diagram (Figures 1 and 12) or the function of the flowchart (Figures 8 to 10 and 13) referred to in the description of the embodiment. The present invention is then achieved by reading, interpreting, and executing the computer program into the CPU 901 of the hardware. Furthermore, the computer program supplied to the device may be stored in readable and writable volatile memory (RAM 903) or a non-volatile storage device such as ROM 902 or hard disk 904.

Furthermore, in the above case, the method for supplying the computer program to the hardware can be any currently common procedure. Examples of such procedures include installing the program into the device via a recording medium 907 such as a CD-ROM, or downloading it from an external source via a communications line such as the Internet. In such cases, the present invention can be considered to be constituted by the code that constitutes the computer program, or the recording medium 907 on which that code is stored.

The present invention has been described above using the above-described embodiment as an exemplary example. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. In other words, the present invention can be applied in various aspects that are understandable to those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention.

Note that some or all of the above-described embodiments may also be described as follows. However, the present invention, which has been described as an example using the above-described embodiments, is not limited to the following.

(Appendix 1)
a temperature acquisition means for acquiring the temperature of the power supply device;
a current value acquiring means for acquiring a current value representing the magnitude of a current output from the power supply device;
a generating means for generating current transition information representing a time series transition of the current value;
a detection means for detecting an occurrence of an overcurrent based on the temperature and current transition information and a detection standard for detecting an occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device according to the temperature and current transition information;
a notification means for notifying the power supply device of the occurrence of the detected overcurrent;
An overcurrent detection device comprising:

(Appendix 2)
a calculation unit for calculating a threshold value for the current value according to the temperature, the threshold value being expressed as the detection standard;
2. The overcurrent detection device of claim 1.

(Appendix 3)
The calculation means calculates the threshold value to be higher as the temperature is lower.
3. The overcurrent detection device according to claim 2.

(Appendix 4)
the calculation means calculates the threshold value in the detection criterion, which indicates that the occurrence of the overcurrent is detected when the current value at a certain time represented by the current transition information exceeds the threshold value;
4. The overcurrent detection device according to claim 2 or 3.

(Appendix 5)
the calculation means calculates the threshold value in the detection criterion, which indicates that the occurrence of the overcurrent is detected when a period during which the current value represented by the current transition information continuously exceeds the threshold value exceeds a predetermined length.
4. The overcurrent detection device according to claim 2 or 3.

(Appendix 6)
the calculation means calculates the threshold value in the detection criterion, which indicates that the occurrence of the overcurrent is detected when a value obtained by subtracting a value indicating an accumulated period of time during which the current value is below the threshold value from a value indicating an accumulated period of time during which the current value is above the threshold value, as represented by the current transition information, exceeds a given value.
4. The overcurrent detection device according to claim 2 or 3.

(Appendix 7)
The temperature sensor further includes a learning model that learns a relationship between the temperature and current transition information and the detection criterion.
7. The overcurrent detection device according to claim 1.

(Appendix 8)
Further comprising the power supply device.
8. The overcurrent detection device according to claim 1.

(Appendix 9)
By the information processing device,
Get the temperature of the power supply,
acquiring a current value representing the magnitude of a current output from the power supply device;
generating current transition information representing a time series transition of the current value;
detecting an occurrence of an overcurrent based on the temperature and current transition information and a detection criterion for detecting an occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device according to the temperature and the current transition information;
notifying the power supply device of the detected occurrence of the overcurrent;
Overcurrent detection method.

(Appendix 10)
calculating a threshold value for the current value as a function of the temperature, the threshold value being expressed as the detection criterion;
10. The overcurrent detection method according to claim 9.

(Appendix 11)
The lower the temperature, the higher the calculated threshold value.
11. The overcurrent detection method of claim 10.

(Appendix 12)
calculating the threshold value in the detection criterion, which indicates that the occurrence of the overcurrent is detected when the current value at a certain time represented by the current transition information exceeds the threshold value;
12. The overcurrent detection method according to claim 10 or 11.

(Appendix 13)
calculating the threshold value in the detection criterion, which indicates that the occurrence of the overcurrent is detected when the period during which the current value represented by the current transition information continuously exceeds the threshold value exceeds a predetermined length;
12. The overcurrent detection method according to claim 10 or 11.

(Appendix 14)
calculating the threshold value in the detection criterion, which indicates that the occurrence of the overcurrent is detected when a value obtained by subtracting a value indicating a period during which the current value is below the threshold value from a value indicating a period during which the current value is above the threshold value up to the present, which is represented by the current transition information, exceeds a given value;
12. The overcurrent detection method according to claim 10 or 11.

(Appendix 15)
a temperature acquisition process for acquiring the temperature of the power supply device;
a current value acquisition process for acquiring a current value representing the magnitude of a current output from the power supply device;
a generation process for generating current transition information representing a time series transition of the current value;
a detection process for detecting an occurrence of an overcurrent based on the temperature and the current transition information and a detection criterion for detecting an occurrence of an overcurrent in the power supply device according to the temperature and the current transition information;
a notification process of notifying the power supply device of the occurrence of the detected overcurrent;
An overcurrent detection program that causes a computer to execute the above.

(Appendix 16)
causing the computer to further execute a calculation process of calculating a threshold value for the current value according to the temperature, the threshold value being expressed as the detection standard;
16. The overcurrent detection program according to claim 15.

(Appendix 17)
The calculation process calculates the threshold value to be higher as the temperature is lower.
17. The overcurrent detection program according to claim 16.

(Appendix 18)
the calculation means calculates the threshold value in the detection criterion, which indicates that the occurrence of the overcurrent is detected when the current value at a certain time represented by the current transition information exceeds the threshold value;
18. The overcurrent detection program according to claim 16 or 17.

(Appendix 19)
the calculation process calculates the threshold value in the detection criterion, which indicates that the occurrence of the overcurrent is detected when a period during which the current value represented by the current transition information continuously exceeds the threshold value exceeds a predetermined length;
18. The overcurrent detection program according to claim 16 or 17.

(Appendix 20)
The calculation process calculates the threshold value in the detection criterion, which indicates that the occurrence of the overcurrent is detected when a value obtained by subtracting a value indicating an accumulated period of time during which the current value is below the threshold value from a value indicating an accumulated period of time during which the current value is above the threshold value, which is represented by the current transition information, exceeds a given value.
18. The overcurrent detection program according to claim 16 or 17.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Overcurrent detection device 11 Temperature acquisition unit 12 Current value acquisition unit 13 Generation unit 14 Detection unit 141 Instantaneous overcurrent detection unit 142 Steady-state overcurrent detection unit 143 Average current detection unit 15 Notification unit 16 Calculation unit 17 Storage unit 171 Temperature 172 Current value 173 Current transition information 174 Detection standard 175 Instantaneous overcurrent threshold 176 Steady-state overcurrent threshold 177 Steady-state overcurrent specified time 178 Average current threshold 179 Average current specified time 20 Power supply device 21 Power supply load 30 Overcurrent detection device 31 Temperature acquisition unit 310 Temperature 32 Current value acquisition unit 320 Current value 33 Generation unit 330 Current transition information 34 Detection unit 340 Detection standard 35 Notification unit 40 Power supply device 900 Information processing device 901 CPU
902 ROM
903 RAM
904 Hard disk (storage device)
905 Communication interface 906 Bus 907 Recording medium 908 Reader/writer 909 Input/output interface

Claims (8)

a temperature acquisition means for acquiring the temperature of the power supply device;
a current value acquiring means for acquiring a current value representing the magnitude of a current output from the power supply device;
calculation means for calculating a threshold value for the current value as a function of the temperature, the threshold value being expressed as a detection criterion;
a generating means for generating current transition information representing a time series transition of the current value;
a detection means for detecting an occurrence of an overcurrent based on the temperature and current transition information and the detection standard;
a notification means for notifying the power supply device of the occurrence of the detected overcurrent;
Equipped with
the calculation means calculates, as the threshold, the average current threshold in the detection standard, which indicates that the occurrence of an overcurrent is detected when a value obtained by subtracting a value indicating the accumulated period up to the present during which the current value is below the average current threshold from a value indicating the accumulated period up to the present during which the current value is above the average current threshold, as represented by the current transition information, exceeds a given value;
the detection criterion is a criterion for detecting the occurrence of the overcurrent in the power supply device in accordance with the temperature and the current transition information;
Overcurrent detection device. The calculation means calculates the threshold value to be higher as the temperature is lower.
The overcurrent detection device according to claim 1 . In calculating the threshold value , the calculation means further calculates, as the threshold value, the instantaneous overcurrent threshold value in the detection criterion, which indicates that the occurrence of the overcurrent is detected when the current value at a certain time represented by the current transition information exceeds the instantaneous overcurrent threshold value.
3. The overcurrent detection device according to claim 1 or 2 . In calculating the threshold, the calculation means further calculates, as the threshold, the steady-state overcurrent threshold in the detection criterion, which indicates that the occurrence of the overcurrent is detected when a period during which the current value, represented by the current transition information, continuously exceeds the steady-state overcurrent threshold exceeds a predetermined length .
3. The overcurrent detection device according to claim 1 or 2 . The temperature sensor further includes a learning model that learns a relationship between the temperature and current transition information and the detection criterion.
3. The overcurrent detection device according to claim 1 or 2. Further comprising the power supply device.
3. The overcurrent detection device according to claim 1 or 2. By the information processing device,
Get the temperature of the power supply,
acquiring a current value representing the magnitude of a current output from the power supply device;
calculating a threshold value for the current value as a function of the temperature, expressed as a detection criterion;
generating current transition information representing a time series transition of the current value;
detecting an occurrence of an overcurrent based on the temperature and current transition information and the detection criterion;
notifying the power supply device of the detected occurrence of the overcurrent;
When calculating the threshold, the average current threshold in the detection standard, which indicates that the occurrence of an overcurrent is detected when a value obtained by subtracting a value indicating the accumulated period up to the present in which the current value is below the average current threshold from a value indicating the accumulated period up to the present in which the current value is above the average current threshold, as represented by the current transition information, exceeds a given value, is calculated as the threshold;
the detection criterion is a criterion for detecting the occurrence of the overcurrent in the power supply device in accordance with the temperature and the current transition information;
Overcurrent detection method. a temperature acquisition process for acquiring the temperature of the power supply device;
a current value acquisition process for acquiring a current value representing the magnitude of a current output from the power supply device;
a calculation process for calculating a threshold value for the current value as a function of the temperature, the threshold value being expressed as a detection criterion;
a generation process for generating current transition information representing a time series transition of the current value;
a detection process for detecting occurrence of an overcurrent based on the temperature and current transition information and the detection criterion;
a notification process of notifying the power supply device of the occurrence of the detected overcurrent;
on the computer ,
In the process of calculating the threshold, the average current threshold in the detection standard, which indicates that the occurrence of an overcurrent is detected when a value obtained by subtracting a value indicating the accumulated period up to the present in which the current value is below the average current threshold from a value indicating the accumulated period up to the present in which the current value is above the average current threshold, as represented by the current transition information, exceeds a given value, is calculated as the threshold;
the detection criterion is a criterion for detecting the occurrence of the overcurrent in the power supply device in accordance with the temperature and the current transition information;
Overcurrent detection program.