Remote power control system

• US 20070016664A1
• Filed: 03/07/2006
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Server Technology Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Server Technology Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Ewing, Carrel, Cleveland, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• 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: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• 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: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

An SNMP network comprises a power manager with an SNMP agent in TCP/IP communication over a network with an SNMP network manager. The power manager is connected to control several intelligent power modules each able to independently control the power on/off status of several network appliances. Power-on and load sensors within each intelligent power module are able to report the power status of each network appliance to the SNMP network manager with MIB variables in response to GET commands. Each intelligent power module is equipped with an output that is connected to cause an interrupt signal to the network appliance being controlled. The SNMP network manager is able to test which network appliance is actually responding before any cycling of the power to the corresponding appliance is tried.

Claims

1-38. -38. (canceled)

39. An electrical power distribution system of the type being connectable to provide power to one or more electrical loads in an electrical equipment rack, the power distribution system comprising:

a power distribution unit enclosure;

a power input penetrating the power distribution unit enclosure;

a plurality of power outputs disposed in the power distribution unit enclosure, wherein each of the plurality of power outputs is connectable to a corresponding one of the one or more electrical loads;

an intelligent power section in communication with at least one of the plurality of power outputs and disposed in the power distribution unit connectable to a communications network external to the power distribution unit enclosure; and

a remote power manager application connectable to be in communication with the intelligent power section through the communications network, the remote power manager application providing an administrative grouping feature whereby a user of the remote power manager application may direct a command to a predetermined power output subset of the plurality of power outputs.

40. The electrical power distribution system of claim 39, wherein an administrative grouping comprises four of the plurality of power outputs.

41. The electrical power distribution system of claim 39, further comprising a command interface in administrative grouping power management communication with the remote power manager application.

42. A method of using a power manager application to control operating power supplied to a plurality of power outputs within an electrical power distribution system of the type being connectable to provide power to one or more electrical loads in an electrical equipment rack, the method comprising:

providing a login to the power manager having administrative capabilities;

identifying the plurality of power outputs;

providing an administrative ability to group a sub-plurality of the plurality of power outputs into an administrative group;

determining a configuration corresponding to the administrative group;

providing an ability to manipulate the administrative group.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising providing an ability to change the configuration corresponding to the administrative group.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the step of providing a login is performed through an interface comprising a keyboard.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein the step of providing an ability to manipulate the administrative group comprises providing an ability to add/delete a username.

46. The method of claim 42, wherein the step of providing an ability to manipulate the administrative group comprises providing an ability to change a password.

47. The method of claim 42, wherein the step of providing an ability to manipulate the administrative group comprises providing an ability to change a modem initialization data rate.

48. The method of claim 42, wherein the step of providing an ability to manipulate the administrative group comprises modifying the configuration.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising saving a configuration modification to non-volatile RAM.

50. The method of claim 42, wherein the step of providing an ability to manipulate the administrative group comprises providing a user interface to allow an operator to control operating power supplied to the administrative group.

51. The method of claim 42, further comprising providing an administrative ability to group another sub-plurality of the plurality of power outputs into another administrative group.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising determining another configuration corresponding to the other administrative group and providing an ability to manipulate the other administrative group.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the steps of providing an ability to manipulate the administrative group and the step of providing an ability to manipulate the other administrative group comprise providing a user interface to allow an operator to control operating power supplied to the administrative group and the other administrative group.