Auxiliary power conservation for telecommunications site

• US 20060182262A1
• Filed: 02/15/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Krock, Richard E., Rauscher, Karl F., Goldman, Stuart O., Runyon, James P.
• Application Number:
  US11/057,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20060182262A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/323
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/08 with current supply sources at the substations generating ringing current H04M19/04
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and/or system (24) is provided for managing power in a telecommunications site (20) having an auxiliary power supply (22) that selectively powers the site (20) when an outage is experienced in connection with a primary power (30) supply for the site (20). The method includes: detecting a power outage to the primary power supply (30); determining a duration for the detected outage; selecting a power conservation protocol based on the determined duration of the outage; switching to the auxiliary power supply (22); and, implementing the selected power conservation protocol.

Claims

1. A method for managing power in a telecommunications site having an auxiliary power supply that selectively powers the site when an outage is experienced in connection with a primary power supply for the site, the method comprising:

(a) detecting a power outage to the primary power supply;

(b) determining a duration for the detected outage;

(c) selecting a power conservation protocol based on the determined duration of the outage;

(d) switching to the auxiliary power supply; and

,

(e) implementing the selected power conservation protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises:

estimating the duration from data relating to one or more prior power outages to the primary power supply.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

maintaining the data from which the duration is estimated in a database accessible by the telecommunications site.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises:

receiving a message over a telecommunication networks to which the site belongs, said message indicating said duration.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary power supply has a finite baseline lifespan with reference to the site operating at a full power consumption level, and the power conservation protocol selected reduces the power consumption level of the site relative to the full power consumption level thereby extending a useful lifespan of the auxiliary power supply relative to the baseline lifespan.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the power conservation protocol is selected from a plurality of power conservation protocols, said plurality of protocols being defined to operate the site at a plurality of different power consumption levels.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected power conservation protocol is implemented at or near the beginning of the site switching to auxiliary power.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the power conservation protocol conserves power by disabling selected power consuming features of the site.

9. A system that manages power in a telecommunications site having an auxiliary power supply that selectively powers the site when an outage is experienced in connection with a primary power supply for the site, the system comprising:

means for detecting a power outage to the primary power supply;

means for determining a duration for the detected outage;

means for selecting a power conservation protocol based on the determined duration of the outage;

means for switching to the auxiliary power supply; and

,

means for implementing the selected power conservation protocol.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for determining comprises:

means for estimating the duration from data relating to one or more prior power outages to the primary power supply.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the system further comprises:

a database accessible by the telecommunications site, said database containing the data from which the duration is estimated.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the site is a base station for a wireless telecommunications network.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the power conservation protocol calls for disabling a number of transceivers for the base station.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the power conservation protocol calls for reducing a maximum power setting for the base station.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the power conservation protocol calls for limiting traffic carried by the base station to selected types of calls.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the site is a landline switching center for a telecommunications network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the power conservation protocol calls for limiting traffic carried by the switching center to selected types of calls.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the power conservation protocol calls for limiting an application of ring voltage to a set number of rings.