Network remote power management outlet strip

• US 20030126253A1
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Server Technology Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Server Technology Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Cleveland, Andrew J., Auclair, Brian P., Maskaly, James P., McGlumphy, Dennis W., Ewing, Carrel W., Bigler, Mark J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,171,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3246 by software initiated power-off
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/364 using independent requests or grants, e.g. using separated request and grant lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/261 PC controlled powerstrip
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 47/00 Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the relay and designed to obtain desired operating characteristics or to provide energising current
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/003 the coupling part being secured only to wires or cables
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0005 the elements or equipment being or involving power plugs or sockets
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/66 one of the loads acting as master and the other or others acting as slaves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/14 Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 : using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

A vertical-mount network remote power management outlet strip embodiment of the present invention comprises a long, thin outlet strip body with several independently controllable power outlet sockets distributed along its length. A power input cord is provided at one end, and this supplies AC-operating power to relays associated with each of the power outlet sockets. The relays are each addressably controlled by a microprocessor connected to an internal I2C-bus serial communications channel. The power-on status of each relay output to the power outlet sockets is sensed and communicated back on the internal I2C-bus. A device-networking communications processor with an embedded operating system translates messages, status, and controls between the internal I2C-bus and an Ethernet port, and other external networks.

Claims

1. A network remote power management outlet strip, comprising:

a plurality of power outlet sockets that each provide for an independently controlled source of operating power to a corresponding electrical load;

an internal serial communications bus capable of being daisy-chain connected amongst a plurality of printed circuit board (PCB) modules;

a device networking communications processor disposed on an interchangeable PCB personality module and providing for network communication between the internal serial communications bus and an external network;

a power input PCB for receiving electrical operating power to be ultimately supplied to said electrical loads, and for providing a total-current digital message related to a total current delivered to said electrical loads communicated on the internal serial communications bus;

a digital display PCB connected to receive a total-current digital message communicated on the internal serial communications bus; and

a plurality of power control relay PCB'"'"'s each connected to independently switch electrical current from the power input PCB to corresponding ones of said electrical loads according to digital messages communicated on the internal serial communications bus.

2. The outlet strip of claim 1, wherein:

the device networking communications processor further comprises a communications interface for Ethernet 10/100 BaseT supported by a communication protocol.

3. The outlet strip of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of power outlet sockets each have an AC-ground and an AC-neutral connection that are bussed through to groups of said sockets by two wires that originate at the power input PCB, and that further include a single plug-in connector on the plurality of power control relay PCB'"'"'s that connects each AC-Line to each power outlet socket.

4. The outlet strip of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of power control relay PCB'"'"'s each includes circuits for reporting a power-on status of an associated socket via the internal serial communications bus.

5. The outlet strip of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of power control relay PCB'"'"'s each includes circuits and LED'"'"'s for indicating a visual power-on status to a user.

6. The outlet strip of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of power control relay PCB'"'"'s each includes circuits for reporting via the internal serial communications bus any load current supplied by each outlet socket.

7. A network remote power management outlet strip, comprising:

a power input printed circuit board (PCB) for receiving electrical operating power to be ultimately supplied to a set of sixteen electrical loads, and for providing a total-current digital message communicated on an I2C-bus internal serial communications bus that is related to a total current delivered to said electrical loads;

a line of sixteen power outlet sockets disposed in a plugstrip enclosure and connected in parallel to receive AC-Neutral and AC-Ground wiring from the power input PCB;

a set of four power control relay PCB'"'"'s each individually connected to independently switch AC-Line current from the power input PCB to four each corresponding ones of said electrical loads according to digital messages communicated on said I2C-bus internal serial communications bus;

an interchangeable PCB personality module including a device networking communications processor providing for communication between said I2C-bus internal serial communications bus and an external Internet network with power management administration, and further including an HTTP user interface for Ethernet 10/100 BaseT supported by a TCP/IP communication protocol; and

a digital display PCB connected to receive said total-current digital message communicated on the I2C-bus internal serial communications bus.