Network-based electrical unit on/off switching control method and system

• US 20050259374A1
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Inventors: Lai, Chang-Chin
• Application Number:
  US10/850,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20050259374A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/90
• 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: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/40 Display of information, e.g. of data or controls

Abstract

A network-based electrical unit on/off switching control method and system is proposed, which is designed for use in conjunction with a network system for a client workstation to control the ON/OFF status of one or more electrical units, and which is characterized by the capability of allowing the user to browse the respective installed locations of the electrical units as well as the ON/OFF status thereof, and further allows the user to switch the ON/OFF status of these electrical units remotely via this/her client workstation. This feature allows new employers to an enterprise or company to quickly learn about where to find the ON/OFF switches of the electrical units in the office and conference rooms where they work, so that they can quickly get familiar with their working environments.

Claims

1. A network-based electrical unit on/off switching control method for on a network system for a client workstation linked to the network system to control the ON/OFF status of at least one electrical unit;

the network-based electrical unit on/off switching control method comprising;

detecting the ON/OFF status of the electrical unit to thereby generate an ON/OFF status description message indicative the ON/OFF status of the electrical unit being detected;

building an electrical unit installation plan which shows the installed location of the electrical unit as well as the ON/OFF status thereof based on the ON/OFF status description message;

downloading the electrical unit installation plan via the network system to the client workstation;

while the electrical unit installation plan is being displayed on the client workstation, responding to a user-initiated control event to generate an switching enable message; and

responding to the switching enable message to switch the ON/OFF status of the electrical unit.

2. The network-based electrical unit on/off switching control method of claim 1, wherein the type of the electrical unit is selected from the group comprising lighting unit, air conditioner, and electronically-controlled door/window unit.

3. The network-based electrical unit on/off switching control method of claim 1, wherein the network system includes Internet.

4. The network-based electrical unit on/off switching control method of claim 1, wherein the network system includes an intranet system.

5. The network-based electrical unit on/off switching control method of claim 1, wherein the network system includes an extranet system.

6. The network-based electrical unit on/off switching control method of claim 1, wherein the network system includes an LAN (Local Area Network) system.

7. The network-based electrical unit on/off switching control method of claim 1, wherein the electrical unit installation plan is displayed on the client workstation through a Web page.

8. The network-based electrical unit on/off switching control method of claim 1, further comprising:

a password-checking login procedure for checking the authorization status of the client workstation via password checking.

9. A network-based electrical unit on/off switching control system for use in conjunction with a network system for a client workstation linked to the network system to control the ON/OFF status of at least one electrical unit;

the network-based electrical unit on/off switching control system comprising;

an ON/OFF status detecting module, which is coupled to the electrical unit for detecting the ON/OFF status of the electrical unit, and which is capable of generating an ON/OFF status description message indicative the ON/OFF status of the electrical unit being detected;

a network linking module, which is connected to the network system for the client workstation to link via the network system to this network-based electrical unit on/off switching control system;

an installation plan browsing module, which is capable of serving up an electrical unit installation plan via the network system to the client workstation, where the electrical unit installation plan is used to show the installed location of the electrical unit as well as the ON/OFF status thereof based on the ON/OFF status description message from the ON/OFF status detecting module;

a user control module, which is capable of generating a switching enable message in response to a user-initiated control event that intends to switch the ON/OFF status of the electrical unit; and

an ON/OFF status switching module, which is coupled to the electrical unit, and which is capable of being activated in response to the user-initiated control event from the user control module to switch the ON/OFF status of the electrical unit.

10. The network-based electrical unit on/off switching control system of claim 9, wherein the type of the electrical unit is selected from the group comprising lighting unit, air conditioner, and electronically-controlled door/window unit.

11. The network-based electrical unit on/off switching control system of claim 9, wherein the network system includes Internet.

12. The network-based electrical unit on/off switching control system of claim 9, wherein the network system includes an intranet system.

13. The network-based electrical unit on/off switching control system of claim 9, wherein the network system includes an extranet system.

14. The network-based electrical unit on/off switching control system of claim 9, wherein the network system includes an LAN (Local Area Network) system.

15. The network-based electrical unit on/off switching control system of claim 9, wherein the installation plan browsing module displays the electrical unit installation plan through a Web page.

16. The network-based electrical unit on/off switching control system of claim 9, wherein the network linking module includes a password-checking login function for providing a password-checking login procedure to the client workstation.