Power supply event notification system

• US 20020138775A1
• Filed: 03/20/2001
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: LʼHeureux, Diane M., Redmond, Daniel J., Hammond, Brad T., Giaquinto, Todd J., Collemer, Jeffrey B.
• Granted Patent: US 6,865,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/310
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00001 characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/00 Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/40 Display of information, e.g. of data or controls

Abstract

An event notification system for a plurality of power supplies coupled to a computer network is provided. In one embodiment of the invention, the notification system includes a computer system connected to the computer network, wherein the computer system includes a database, a data retrieval program, a comparison program and an electronic notification program. The data retrieval program obtains data from the plurality of power supplies. The comparison program compares the data from the plurality of power supplies with data of at least one predetermined event to determine if a predetermined event has occurred. The database stores information relating to an occurrence of the predetermined event and the number of the power supplies associated with the occurrence of the predetermined event. The electronic notification program sends an electronic notification, which includes information about the occurrence of the predetermined event and the number of the power supplies to which the event occurred, to one or more predetermined destinations. In another embodiment of the invention, a method of providing notification of a predetermined event of a power supply is provided.

Claims

1. An event notification system for a plurality of power supplies coupled to a computer network, the notification system comprising:

a computer system connected to the computer network, the computer system being adapted to;

obtain data over the network from the plurality of power supplies;

compare the data obtained from the plurality of power supplies with data of at least one predetermined event to determine if a predetermined event has occurred;

store information relating to an occurrence of the predetermined event and a number of power supplies associated with the occurrence of the predetermined event; and

send an electronic notification to one or more predetermined destinations, the electronic notification including information about the occurrence of the predetermined event and the number of the power supplies to which the event occurred.

2. The notification system of claim 1, wherein the electronic notification is an e-mail.

3. The notification system of claim 2, wherein one of the destinations of the e-mail is a monitoring station.

4. The notification system of claim 2, wherein an SMTP server of the electronic mail notification can be designated.

5. The notification system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event is a predetermined age of at least one battery.

6. The notification system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event is a predetermined age of the power supply system.

7. The notification system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event is a predetermined remaining runtime of at least one battery.

8. The notification system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event is a failure of the power supply system to pass a self diagnostic test.

9. The notification system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event is a battery of one of the at least one power supplies needing to be replaced.

10. The notification system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event is a power load of the power supply system being greater than a predetermined limit.

11. The notification system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event is a difference of a power load of the power supply system measured at a first time and a second time being greater than a predetermined limit.

12. The notification system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event is the power supply system being unavailable.

13. The notification system of claim 1, wherein the computer system is further adapted to identify the power supply to which the predetermined event occurred.

15. The notification system of claim 14, wherein the electronic notification is an e-mail.

16. The notification system of claim 15, wherein one of the destinations of the e-mail is a monitoring station.

17. The notification system of claim 15, wherein an SMTP server for the e-mail can be designated.

18. The notification system of claim 14, wherein the predetermined event is a predetermined age of at least one battery.

19. The notification system of claim 14, wherein the predetermined event is a predetermined age of the power supply system.

20. The notification system of claim 14, wherein the predetermined event is a predetermined remaining runtime of at least one battery.

21. The notification system of claim 14, wherein the predetermined event is a failure of the power supply system to pass a self diagnostic test.

22. The notification system of claim 14, wherein the predetermined event is a battery of one of the at least one power supplies needing to be replaced.

23. The notification system of claim 14, wherein the predetermined event is a power load of the power supply system being greater than a predetermined limit.

24. The notification system of claim 14, wherein the predetermined event is a difference of a power load of the power supply system measured at a first time and a second time being greater than a predetermined limit.

25. The notification system of claim 14, wherein the predetermined event is the power supply system being unavailable.

26. The notification system of claim 14, wherein the computer system further includes means for identifying the power supply to which the predetermined event occurred.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising comparing the data obtained from the at least one power supply with at least one threshold value to determine if a predetermined event has occurred.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein comparing the data obtained from the at least one power supply with at least one threshold value comprises comparing the data obtained from the power supply with a predetermined age of the at least one battery to determine if the at least one battery is too old.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein comparing the data obtained from the power supply with at least one threshold value comprises comparing the data obtained from the power supply with a predetermined age of the power supply to determine if the power supply is too old.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein comparing the data obtained from the power supply with at least one predetermined event comprises using data from the power supply to determine if the power supply system is unavailable.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein comparing the data obtained from the power supply with at least one predetermined event comprises using the data obtained from the power supply to determine if the power supply system failed to pass a self diagnostic test.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein comparing the data obtained from the power supply with at least one predetermined event comprises comparing an age of a battery with a predetermined age to determine if the battery is too old.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein comparing the data obtained from the power supply with at least one predetermined event comprises comparing an age of a power supply system with a predetermined age to determine if the power supply system is too old.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein comparing the data obtained from the power supply with at least one predetermined event comprises comparing a remaining runtime of a battery with a predetermined time period to determine if the remaining runtime of the battery is too short.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein comparing the data obtained from the power supply with at least one predetermined event comprises comparing data from the power supply to determine if the power supply system has failed to pass a self diagnostic test.

37. The method of claim 27, wherein comparing the data obtained from the power supply with at least one predetermined event comprises using data from the power supply to determine if a battery of one of the plurality of power supplies needs to be replaced.

38. The method of claim 27, wherein comparing the data obtained from the power supply with at least one predetermined event comprises comparing a difference of a power load of a power supply measured at a first time and a second time with a predetermined limit to determine if the difference is too large.

39. The method of claim 27, further comprising waiting a predetermined time period before obtaining data from the power supply again.

40. The method of claim 27, wherein sending over the computer network an electronic notification comprises sending over the computer network an e-mail.

41. The method of claim 27, wherein the electronic notification is an e-mail, further comprising sending to a monitoring station an e-mail including information relating to the occurrence of the predetermined event and a number of the power supplies associated with the occurrence of the predetermined event.

42. The method of claim 27, further comprising identifying the power supply to which the predetermined event occurred.

14. A notification system for a plurality of power supplies coupled to a computer network, the notification system comprising:

a computer system connected to the computer network, the computer system including;

means for obtaining data from plurality of power supplies;

means for comparing the data from the plurality of power supplies with data of at least one predetermined event to determine if a predetermined event has occurred;

means for storing information relating to an occurrence of the predetermined event and a number of power supplies associated with the occurrence of the predetermined event; and

means for sending an e-mail to one or more predetermined destinations, the e-mail including information about the occurrence of the predetermined event and the number of the power supplies to which the event occurred.

27. A method of providing over a computer network connected to a plurality of power supplies a notification of a predetermined event one of the plurality of power supplies, the method comprising:

obtaining data over the computer network from the plurality of power supplies;

comparing the data obtained from at least one of the power supplies with at least one predetermined event to determine if the predetermined event has occurred;

storing information relating to an occurrence of the predetermined event and the number of the power supplies to which the event occurred; and

sending over the computer network an electronic notification including information relating to the occurrence of the predetermined event and the number of the power supplies to which the event occurred.

43. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for providing over a computer network connected to a plurality of power supplies a notification of a predetermined event one of the plurality of power supplies, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing the computer system to obtain data over the computer network from the plurality of power supplies;

computer readable program code means for causing the computer system to compare the data obtained from at least one of the power supplies with at least one predetermined event to determine if the predetermined event has occurred;

computer readable program code means for causing the computer system to store information relating to an occurrence of the predetermined event and the number of the power supplies to which the event occurred; and

computer readable program code means for causing the computer system to send over the computer network an electronic notification including information relating to the occurrence of the predetermined event and the number of the power supplies to which the event occurred.

44. The article of manufacture of claim 43, wherein the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture further comprises:

computer readable program code means for causing the computer system to compare the data obtained from the at least one power supply with at least one threshold value to determine if a predetermined event has occurred.