Power Management of Network-Connected Devices in Peak Power Periods

• US 20090322151A1
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ferlitsch, Andrew Rodney
• Granted Patent: US 8,138,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/39
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/52 The controlling of the operation of the load not being the total disconnection of the load, i.e. entering a degraded mode or in current limitation
• 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: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

A system and method are provided for managing network-connected devices in peak power periods. The method establishes a network of connected devices, identifying a first device in the network as an off-peak device, and a second device as a peak device. If a peak power warning signal is detected, the off-peak device is disabled, but not the peak device. Any job destined for the off-peak device from a source device is relayed to the peak device and processed by the peak device. If the job destined for the off-peak device is a job format associated with the off-peak device, relaying the job to the peak device may further include the operation of converting the job to a job format associated with the peak device. In one aspect, a destination change message is sent to the source device, indicating the location of the peak device processing the job.

Claims

1. A method for managing network-connected devices in peak power periods, the method comprising:

establishing a network of connected devices;

identifying a first device in the network as an off-peak device;

identifying a second device in the network as a peak device;

detecting an electromagnetic waveform representing a peak power warning signal; and

,

disabling the off-peak device in response to the peak power warning signal, but not the peak device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein disabling the off-peak device in response to the peak power warning signal, but not the peak device, includes:

receiving an electromagnetic waveform representing a job destined for the off-peak device from a source device;

relaying the job to the peak device; and

,

the peak device processing the job.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein receiving the job destined for the off-peak device includes receiving the job in a first job format associated with the off-peak device;

and,

wherein relaying the job to the peak device includes converting the job to a second job format associated with the peak device.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein disabling the off-peak device in response to the peak power warning signal, but not the peak device, further includes sending an electromagnetic waveform to the source device representing a destination change message, indicating the location of the peak device processing the job.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein disabling the off-peak device in response to the peak power warning signal, but not the peak device, includes a front panel display of the off-peak device indicating:

the disabled status of the off-peak device; and

,

the identification of the peak device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the peak power warning signal includes each device in the network detecting the peak power warning signal.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing the network of connected devices includes establishing a network of devices connected through a central management device;

and,

wherein detecting the peak power warning signal includes the central management device detecting the peak power warning signal.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein disabling the off-peak device in response to the peak power warning signal, but not the peak device, includes the central management device sending an electromagnetic waveform representing disable instructions to the off-peak device.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein disabling the off-peak device in response to the peak power warning signal, but not the peak device, includes:

the central management device receiving an electromagnetic waveform representing a job destined for the off-peak device from a source device;

the central management device relaying the job to the peak device; and

,

the peak device processing the job.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein detecting the peak power warning signal includes detecting a signal including rate information;

and,

wherein disabling the off-peak device in response to the peak power warning signal, but not the peak device, includes selecting off-peak devices in response to the rate information.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing the network of connected devices includes establishing a network of devices, where each device is selected from a group consisting of a printer, copier, multifunctional peripheral (MFP), electronic whiteboard, smartboard, teleconferencing equipment, air conditioners, heaters, lighting, and audio/visual equipment.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the first device in the network as the off-peak device includes:

comparing the power consumption of the first device to the second device; and

,

selecting the first device as the device with the higher power consumption.

13. A system for managing network-connected devices in peak power periods, the system comprising:

a plurality of devices each having a network-connected interface, including a first device identified as an off-peak device and a second device identified as a peak device;

a power management module having an interface to accept an electromagnetic waveform representing a peak power warning and to supply an electromagnetic waveform representing a disable signal to the off-peak device; and

,

wherein the off-peak device is disabled in response to the disable signal.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the off-peak device, subsequent to receiving the disable signal, receives an electromagnetic waveform representing a job from a source device, and relays the job to the peak device;

and,

wherein the peak device processes the job.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the off-peak device sends an electromagnetic waveform to the source device representing a destination change message, indicating the location of the peak device processing the job.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the off-peak device includes a front panel display and a network interface card (NIC), and in response to NIC receiving the disable signal, the front panel display indicating the disabled status of the off-peak device and the identification of the peak device.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein each network-connected device includes a power management module.

18. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a central management server connected to the network; and

,

wherein the power management module supplies an electromagnetic waveform representing off-peak disable instructions to the central management server.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the central management server sends an electromagnetic waveform representing the disable signal to the off-peak device in response to the off-peak disable instructions.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the central management server receives an electromagnetic waveform representing a job destined for the off-peak device from a source device and relays the job to the peak device;

and,

wherein the peak device processes the job.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the power management module detects a peak power warning signal including rate information and supplies off-peak disable instructions in response to the rate information.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein each of the plurality of network-connected devices is selected from a group consisting of a printer, copier, multifunctional peripheral (MFP), electronic whiteboard, smartboard, teleconferencing equipment, air conditioners, heaters, lighting, and audio/visual equipment.

23. The system of claim 13 wherein the power management module compares the power consumption of the devices in the network and supplies the disable signal to the device having the highest power consumption.