Auto Power Controller of External Equipment on Valid Check

• US 20090195072A1
• Filed: 08/16/2006
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEXG Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NEXG Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jae-hak
• Granted Patent: US 8,013,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

The present invention relates to a power controller for at least one piece of external equipment, the power controller being connected to the external equipment. The power controller includes a main unit (203) for transmitting an external equipment status checking request signal, required to detect an abnormality of the external equipment, to the external equipment at preset regular intervals or at a preset time point, determining that an abnormality has occurred in the external equipment when an abnormality is present in an external equipment status checking signal received from the external equipment in response to the external equipment status checking request signal, or when no external equipment status checking signal is received, and consequently transmitting a power reset request signal to an expansion unit (201). The expansion unit (201) resets power of the external equipment in response to the received power reset request signal.

Claims

1. A power controller for at least one piece of external equipment, the power controller being connected to the external equipment, comprising:

a main unit for transmitting an external equipment status checking request signal, required to detect an abnormality of the external equipment, to the external equipment at preset regular intervals or at a preset time point, determining that an abnormality has occurred in the external equipment when an abnormality is present in an external equipment status checking signal received from the external equipment in response to the external equipment status checking request signal, or when no external equipment status checking signal is received, and consequently transmitting a power reset request signal to an expansion unit; and

the expansion unit for resetting power of the external equipment in response to the received power reset request signal.

2. The power controller according to claim 1, wherein:

the main unit is connected to the external equipment through a serial port, and the external equipment status checking request signal and the external equipment status checking signal correspond to transmitted and received signals, respectively, when a method of checking status of the external equipment is a method of comparing output results relative to a designated input with each other and determining the status of the external equipment.

3. The power controller according to claim 1, wherein:

the main unit is connected to the external equipment through a Local Area Network (LAN), and

the external equipment status checking request signal and the external equipment status checking signal correspond to transmitted and received signals, respectively, when a method of checking status of the external equipment is a method using any one selected from among Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) Packet Internet Grouper (PING), Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) PING, User Datagram Protocol (UDP) echo, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection, UDP communication, and TCP communication.

4. The power controller according to claim 1, further comprising a status display unit for displaying operating status of the power controller, power connection status of the external equipment, and status of connection of the external equipment to a serial port.

5. The power controller according to claim 4, wherein:

the expansion unit determines whether power is supplied to the external equipment, and thus transmits a power connection determination signal to the main unit, and

the main unit controls display of power connection status of each piece of external equipment on the status display unit on the basis of the received power connection determination signal.

6. The power controller according to claim 5, wherein the expansion unit comprises:

at least one power connection unit for supplying power to the external equipment;

a switch driving unit for switching supply of power from the power connection unit to the external equipment under control of the main unit; and

a power connection determination unit for determining whether the power connection unit supplies power to the external equipment, and consequently transmitting a power connection determination signal to the main unit.

7. The power controller according to claim 5, wherein the main unit comprises:

a console port unit for providing connection between the control unit and the external equipment through a serial port;

a network adaptor unit for providing connection between the control unit and the external equipment through a Local Area Network (LAN);

an expansion unit interface for providing an interface for transmission and reception of the power connection determination signal and the power reset request signal between the control unit and the expansion unit; and

a control unit for controlling operation of the console port unit, the network adaptor unit, and the expansion unit interface, transmitting the external equipment status checking request signal to the external equipment through the console port unit or the network adaptor unit at preset regular intervals or at a preset time point, determining that an abnormality has occurred in the external equipment when an abnormality is present in the external equipment status checking signal, received from the external equipment through the console port unit or the network adaptor unit in response to the external equipment status checking request signal, or when no external equipment status checking signal is received, transmitting a power reset request signal to the expansion unit through the expansion unit interface, and controlling display operation of the status display unit.

8. A power controller for at least one piece of external equipment, the power controller being connected to the external equipment and to a serial console or a terminal through a network, comprising:

a main unit for receiving an external equipment status checking request signal, required to detect an abnormality of the external equipment, from the serial console or the terminal connected through the network, transmitting the external equipment status checking request signal to the external equipment, transmitting an external equipment status checking signal to the serial console or the terminal connected through the network when the external equipment status checking signal is received from the external equipment in response to the external equipment status checking request signal, and controlling supply of power from an expansion unit to the external equipment; and

the expansion unit for supplying power to the external equipment under control of the main unit,

wherein the main unit transmits a power reset request signal to the expansion unit when a reset command is received from the serial console or the terminal connected through the network, and the expansion unit resets power of the external equipment in response to the power reset request signal.

9. The power controller according to claim 8, wherein:

the main unit is connected to the external equipment through a serial port, and the external equipment status checking request signal and the external equipment status checking signal correspond to transmitted and received signals, respectively, when a method of checking status of the external equipment is a method of comparing output results relative to a designated input with each other and determining the status of the external equipment.

10. The power controller according to claim 8, wherein:

the main unit is connected to the external equipment through a Local Area Network (LAN), and

the external equipment status checking request signal and the external equipment status checking signal correspond to transmitted and received signals, respectively, when a method of checking status of the external equipment is a method using any one selected from Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) Packet Internet Grouper (PING), Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) PING, User Datagram Protocol (UDP) echo, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection, UDP communication, and TCP communication.

11. The power controller according to claim 8, further comprising a status display unit for displaying operating status of the power controller, power connection status of the external equipment, and status of connection of the external equipment to a serial port.

12. The power controller according to claim 11, wherein:

the expansion unit determines whether power is supplied to the external equipment, and thus transmits a power connection determination signal to the main unit; and

the main unit controls display of power connection status of each piece of external equipment on the status display unit on the basis of the received power connection determination signal.

13. The power controller according to claim 12, wherein the expansion unit comprises:

at least one power connection unit for supplying power to the external equipment;

a switch driving unit for switching supply of power from the power connection unit to the external equipment under control of the main unit; and

a power connection determination unit for determining whether the power connection unit supplies power to the external equipment, and thus transmitting a power connection determination signal to the main unit.

14. The power controller according to claim 12, wherein the main unit comprises:

a console port unit for providing an interface for connection of a serial console to the power controller, and linking the serial console, connected to the power controller, with the external equipment;

a network adaptor unit for providing an interface for connection of a remote terminal to the power controller through a network;

an expansion unit interface for providing an interface for transmission and reception of the power connection determination signal and the power reset request signal between the control unit and the expansion unit; and

a control unit for controlling operation of the console port unit, the network adaptor unit, and the expansion unit interface, transmitting a power reset request signal to the expansion unit through the expansion unit interface when a reset command is received from the serial console or the remote terminal through the console port unit or the network adaptor unit, and controlling a display operation of the status display unit,

wherein the console port unit or the network adaptor unit transmits the external equipment status checking request signal, received from the serial console or the remote terminal, to the external equipment, and transmits the external equipment status checking signal to the serial console or the terminal, connected through the network, when the external equipment status checking signal is received from the external equipment in response to the external equipment status checking request signal.