SMART POWER DEVICE

• US 20100237695A1
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WTEC GmbH
• Original Assignee: Redwood Systems, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leonard, Dave, Covaro, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,248,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/19
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/577 for plural loads
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/545 Audio/video application, e.g. interphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/547 via DC power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/548 the power on the line being DC arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• 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 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

A power device may include channels coupled to conductors in lines, where each one of the channels is coupled to a different one of the lines than the other channels and where the channels deliver direct current power signals over the conductors to the load devices. Each one of the load devices may be powered by a different one of the direct current power signals. The power device may include a power communicator that communicates with the load devices over the conductors that propagate the direct current power signals. The power communicator may determine a target power level for the load devices based on the communication over the conductors. The load device may adjust an amount of power in the direct current power signals in order to match the target power level.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a power device electrically coupled to a plurality of lines, wherein the power device provides a direct current power signal on each one of the lines;

a plurality of load devices electrically coupled to the lines, the load devices being powered from the direct current power signals generated on respective ones of the lines, each one of the load devices being coupled to a different one of the lines than the other load devices; and

a plurality of load communicators electrically coupled to the lines, each one of the load communicators being coupled to a different one of the lines than the other load communicators, wherein;

the load communicators transmit data to the power device via conductors of the respective lines that propagate the direct current power signal to the respective load devices;

the power device determines a target power level for each one of the load devices based on the data; and

the power device adjusts the power in the direct current power signal on each one of the lines to match the target power level for each respective one of the load devices.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the power device includes a network interface controller, wherein the data is communicated over a data network via the network interface controller.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein an additional line is electrically coupled to both the power device and one of the load devices, the one of the load devices being powered by a combination of a direct current power signal on the additional line and the direct current power signal on one of the lines included in the plurality of lines.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein at least one of the load communicators determines whether to communicate with the power device over the additional line or the one of the lines included in the plurality of lines.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the power device selects a power source from among a plurality of power sources, and the power source powers at least a portion of the load devices.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the power device transmits data to the load communicators through a pulse-width modulation of the direct current power signal on each one of the lines.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein each one of the load devices includes a corresponding one of the load communicators.

8. A power device comprising:

a plurality of channels connectable to a plurality of conductors in a plurality of lines, each one of the channels being connectable to a different one of the lines than the other channels, wherein the channels deliver direct current power signals to connected conductors for a plurality of load devices;

a power communicator, wherein the power communicator is configured to communicate with the load devices over the conductors that propagate the direct current power signals, wherein the power communicator determines a target power level for the load devices based on the communication over the conductors, and wherein the channels adjust an amount of power in the direct current power signals to match the target power levels of the load devices.

9. The power device of claim 8, wherein the direct current power signals are pulse-width modulated signals based on the target power level.

10. The power device of claim 8 further comprising a modular chassis, the modular chassis configured to receive a plurality of inlet cards, each one of the inlet cards configured to receive power from a different power source than the other inlet cards.

11. The power device of claim 8 further comprising a source selector configured to determine which of a plurality of power sources powers the power device.

12. The power device of claim 8 wherein the source selector determines which of a plurality of power sources powers the power device based on an amount of power available from the power sources and an amount of power consumed by the load devices.

13. The power device of claim 8 further comprising a source selector configured to select one of a plurality of power sources to power a first subset of the channels and select a different one of the power sources to power a second subset of the channels.

14. The power device of claim 8 further comprising a modular chassis, the modular chassis configured to receive a plurality of output channel cards, each one of the output channel cards including a respective one of the channels, wherein each one of the output channel cards provides a different maximum power level per channel than any of the other output channel cards.

15. A method to power a plurality of load devices affixed to a building, the method comprising:

generating a direct current power signal on each respective one of a plurality of lines by a power device, the direct current power signal powering the load devices, the load devices being coupled to a different one of the lines than the other load devices;

receiving information at the power device from the load devices via conductors that propagate the direct current power signal to the load devices, the lines comprising the conductors;

determining a target power level for each respective one of the load devices based on the information; and

adjusting, by the power device, an amount of power in the direct current power signal on at least one of the lines to match the target power level for a respective one of the load devices.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising charging a battery in an emergency light with the direct current power signal, the emergency light being included in the load devices.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving a condition of a battery from at least one emergency light via the conductors at the power device, the at least one emergency light included in the load devices, the battery being in the at least one emergency light.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising sequentially flashing lamps in a plurality of light fixtures by switching the direct current power signal on each one of the lines on and off, the order in which the light fixtures are flashed indicating a direction to travel within the building, the load devices including the light fixtures.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising increasing a load factor of the power device by interleaving the direct current power signal on each one of the lines, the direct current power signal on each one of the lines being periodic.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising the measuring the power factor for each of the load devices.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving a power measurement from one of the load devices over the conductors that propagate the direct current power signal to the one of the load devices;

determining a power drop between the power device and the one of the load devices based on the power measurement, and determining whether the one of the load devices is properly coupled to the conductors based on the power drop.

22. The method of claim 15 further comprising altering the direct current power signal to a subset of the load devices in response to detecting an RFID tag in the building.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein altering the direct current power signal to the subset of the load devices comprises flashing lamps in light fixtures, the light fixtures being included in the load devices.

24. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving an identity of the load devices in the information received at the power device;

receiving a driver for the load devices over a data network at the power device based on the identity of the load devices;

transmitting the driver to the load devices from the power device; and

storing the driver in a memory of the load devices.