Power supply critical state monitoring system

• US 20020138785A1
• 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: Giaquinto, Todd, LʼHeureux, Diane, Redmond, Daniel J., Hammond, Brad, Collemer, Jeffrey B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,114,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/14
• 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 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

A system and method for providing critical state monitoring for a power supply, such as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), is provided. In one embodiment, the invention includes a notification system for at least one power supply coupled to a computer network and adapted to transmit information such as a trap over the computer network when one of the power supplies undergoes the entry of a critical state, wherein the notification system includes a computer system connected to the computer network and has running on it a monitoring program, a reporting program and a database. The monitoring program monitors the network and detects the information being associated with the entry of the critical state. The database stores the information relating to the information transmitted over the network being associated with the entry of the critical state. The reporting program reports over the computer network the information relating to the duration of the critical state. In another embodiment, the invention includes a method of providing over a computer network a notification of a power supply in a critical state.

Claims

1. A notification system for at least one power supply coupled to a computer network and adapted to transmit data over the computer network when the at least one power supply undergoes an entry of a critical state, the notification system comprising:

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

monitor information transmitted over the computer network and detect an occurrence of the data being associated with the entry of the critical state;

store information relating to the data being associated with the entry and exit of the critical state; and

report over the computer network information relating to a duration of the critical state.

2. A notification system of claim 1, further comprising the at least one power supply coupled to a computer network, wherein the power supply includes a network card coupled to the computer network for communicating with the computer network.

3. A notification system of claim 1, further comprising a computer coupled to the at least one power supply and having a network card coupled to the computer network.

4. A notification system of claim 1, wherein upon the occurrence of detecting the occurrence of the data being associated with the entry of the critical state, the monitoring program continuously polls the power supply system at predetermined time intervals until a poll indicates that the power supply system has left the critical state.

5. A notification system of claim 1, further comprising the at least one power supply coupled to the computer network.

6. A notification system of claim 1, wherein the critical state is a loss of output power of a battery.

7. A notification system of claim 1, wherein the critical state is a loss of communication with a power supply.

8. A notification system of claim 1, wherein the data being associated with the entry of the critical state is packetized data.

9. A notification system of claim 1, wherein the data being associated with the entry of the critical state is a trap.

10. A notification system for a plurality of power supplies each coupled to a computer network and each adapted to transmit a trap over the computer network when the power supply undergoes an entry of a critical state, the notification system comprising:

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

monitor information transmitted over the computer network and detect a trap being associated with the entry of the critical state, wherein upon detecting from a power supply the trap being associated with the entry of the critical state, the power supply is polled at predetermined time intervals until a poll indicates that the power supply has left the critical state;

store information relating to the trap being associated with the entry of the critical state of each power supply; and

report over the computer network the information relating to the duration of each critical state of each power supply.

11. A notification system of claim 10, further comprising the plurality of power supplies coupled to a computer network, wherein each power supply includes a network card coupled to the computer network for communicating with the computer network.

12. A notification system of claim 10, further comprising the plurality of computers each having a network card coupled to the computer network, wherein one computer is coupled to each of the power supplies.

13. A notification system of claim 10, further comprising the plurality of power supplies coupled to the computer network.

14. A notification system of claim 10, wherein the critical state is a loss of output power of a battery.

15. A notification system of claim 10, wherein the critical state is a loss of communication with a power supply.

17. A notification system of claim 16, further comprising:

the computer network;

the plurality of power supplies each coupled to the computer network and adapted to transmit a trap over the computer network when the power supply undergoes an entry of a critical state; and

means for coupling each of the plurality of power supplies to the computer network.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting a trap from the power supply over the network to provide the indication that the power supply has entered the critical state.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein storing information relating to each critical state comprises storing information on a database relating to a duration of each critical state of each power supply.

16. A notification system for a plurality of power supplies each coupled to a computer network and each adapted to transmit a trap over the computer network when the power supply undergoes an entry of a critical state, the notification system comprising:

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

means for monitoring information transmitted over the computer network and detects a trap being associated with the entry of the critical state, wherein upon detecting from a power supply the trap being associated with the entry of the critical state, the means for monitoring polls the power supply at predetermined time intervals until a poll indicates that the power supply has left the critical state;

means for storing information relating to a duration of each critical state of each power supply; and

means for reporting over the computer network the information relating to the duration of each critical state of each power supply.

18. A method of providing over a computer network a notification of a power supply in a critical state, the method comprising:

monitoring the computer network for an indication that a power supply has entered a critical state;

polling the power supply at predetermined time intervals until a poll indicates that the power supply has left the critical state;

storing information relating to the critical state of the power supply; and

reporting over the computer network the information relating to a duration of the critical state of the power supply.

21. A method of providing over a computer network a notification of a power supply in a critical state, the method comprising:

monitoring the computer network for an indication that a power supply has entered a critical state;

if the power supply has entered a critical state, monitoring over the computer network for a status of a battery of a power supply;

if monitoring has indicated that the battery is operative and was previously inoperative, recording a time period that the battery was inoperative; and

if monitoring has indicated that communication is reestablished but was previously lost with the power supply, recording a time period that communication was lost with the power supply.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

if monitoring has indicated that the battery is inoperative, polling the power supply at a predetermined time interval.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

if monitoring has indicated that communication is lost to the power supply, polling the power supply at a predetermined time interval.

24. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for providing over a computer network a notification of a power supply in a critical state, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing the computer system to monitor the computer network for an indication that a power supply has entered a critical state;

computer readable program code means for causing the computer system to poll the power supply at predetermined time intervals until a poll indicates that the power supply has left the critical state;

computer readable program code means for causing the computer system to store information relating to the critical state of the power supply; and

computer readable program code means for causing the computer system to report over the computer network the information relating to a duration of the critical state of the power supply.