SMART POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20110087904A1
• Filed: 03/19/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powertech Industrial Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Powertech Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: LIN, TSUNG-CHIH, LEE, YU-LUNG, KUO, MING-CHOU
• Granted Patent: US 8,301,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/261 PC controlled powerstrip
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

The present invention provides a smart power management system, comprising a power management apparatus and at least one electric socket device. The plurality of electric socket devices produce a second wireless signal according to power consumption, and the power management apparatus receives the second wireless signal and computes relevant cost or the carbon footprint information shown on a display unit for reference. In addition, the power management apparatus also compares a setup signal inputted by a user to the second wireless signal, the electricity cost or the carbon footprint information to produce a first wireless signal, thereby controlling the plurality of electric socket devices for providing power supply or stopping power supply.

Claims

1. A smart power management system, suitable for use for monitoring power consumption of an electrical appliance and adapted for power-saving management, comprising:

a power management apparatus, comprising;

a display unit, receiving a first control signal for displaying;

a memory unit, preprogrammed default information and stored signal information;

a first wireless module, receiving a second wireless signal or generating a first wireless signal based on a second control signal;

a first processing unit, being electrically connected to the display unit, the memory unit and the first wireless module, receiving the second wireless signal and generating the first control signal accordingly or storing the signal information contained within the second wireless signal, or alternatively computing and comparing the default information with the signal information, thereby generating the second control signal;

an electric socket device, including;

a power output unit for supplying electric power;

a switch unit, being electrically connected to the power output unit for controlling the power output unit to enable power supply or stop power supply based on a third control signal;

a second wireless module, receiving the first wireless signal, or generating the second wireless signal based on a fourth control signal; and

a second processing unit, being electrically connected to the switch unit and the second wireless module so as to generate the fourth control signal or receiving the first wireless signal thereby accordingly generating the third control signal;

whereby, the first wireless module and the second wireless module are capable of transmitting and receiving signals mutually, so that the power management apparatus controls the electric socket device to be in a conduction state or in a cutoff state in accordance with the third control signal.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the default information installed within the memory unit consists of electric power cost information or carbon footprint information, the signal information is power consumption information, surge blockage information and the like relating to the electric socket device, and the first processing unit executes computations from the default information and the signal information contained in the second wireless signal and represents the computation result on the display unit.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the power management apparatus further includes an input unit for inputting a setup signal, and the setup signal includes at least one of a time signal, an upper limit for electric power cost, an upper limit for carbon footprint, a temperature setup value and an upper limit for power consumption.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the power management apparatus further includes a time unit, which is electrically connected to the first processing unit to generate the time signal, and the first processing unit generates the second control signal based on the time signal and the comparison result of the time signal.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein, upon the occurrence of power outage, the time unit starts to count and the power management apparatus displays the start time and the end time in the event of a power outage, and displays an elapsed time indicated in a timing signal of the time unit.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the power management apparatus further includes a temperature detecting unit which detects the ambient temperature to generate a temperature detection signal, and the power management apparatus displays a temperature signal on the display unit signal based on the temperature detection signal and controls the switch unit in the electric socket device based on the comparison result of the temperature signal and the temperature setup value.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the electric socket device further includes a surge protection unit which is connected between the switch unit and a power input unit so as to absorb or block a surge signal inputted from the power input unit.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the surge protection unit is further electrically connected to the second processing unit, and the second processing unit generates the fourth control signal based on the surge signal absorbed or blocked by the surge protection unit.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the power management apparatus further includes a network module for connecting to a network system and transferring the setup signal to the power management apparatus through the network system.

10. A smart power management system, suitable for use for monitoring power consumption and adapted for power-saving management, comprising:

an electric socket device, being configured with a power output unit for outputting electric power, and generating a second wireless signal based on power consumption in the power output unit; and

a power management apparatus, receiving the second wireless signal and accordingly computing and generating a result displayed on a display unit, and the electric socket device and the power management apparatus are communicating with each other thru receiving and transmitting wireless signals;

wherein the power management apparatus is allowed to input a setup signal, to generate a first wireless signal accordingly and to control the electric socket device to be in a conduction state or in a cutoff state, wherein the electric socket device controls the plurality of power output units respectively for providing power supply or stopping power supply basing on the first wireless signal received.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the electric socket device further includes a second wireless module for generating the second wireless signal, and the power management apparatus further comprises a first wireless module for receiving the second wireless signal, and further includes a first processing unit being electrically connected to the first wireless module by receiving the second wireless signal so as to compute and compare the second wireless signal with default information for generating the result.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the power management apparatus further includes a memory unit, the default information and signal information stored in the memory unit, the default information includes electric power cost information or carbon footprint information, the signal information contains power consumption information, surge blockage information and the like relating to the electric socket device, and the first processing unit executes computations from the default information and the signal information contained in the second wireless signal and displays the computation result on the display unit.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the power management apparatus further includes an input unit electrically connected to the first processing unit for inputting a setup signal, and the setup signal consists of at least one of a time signal, an upper limit for electric power cost, an upper limit for carbon footprint, a temperature setup value and an upper limit for power consumption.

14. A method of smart power management, suitable for use for monitoring power consumption of an electrical appliance and adapted for power-saving management, comprising:

providing a power management apparatus for receiving a setup signal and generating a first wireless signal based on the setup signal; and

providing a electric socket device for receiving the first wireless signal and accordingly controlling the electric socket device to provide power supply or stop power supply;

wherein, the electric socket device generates a second wireless signal based on the outputted electric power and the power management apparatus receives the second wireless signal, controls the electric socket device to be in a conduction state or in a cutoff state, and accordingly generates a result displayed on a display unit.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the power management apparatus further comprising:

the display unit, receiving a first control signal for displaying;

a memory unit, preprogrammed default information;

a first wireless module, receiving the second wireless signal or generating the first wireless signal based on a second control signal;

a first processing unit, being electrically connected to the display unit, the memory unit and the first wireless module, for receiving the second wireless signal and accordingly generating the first control signal, or alternatively computing and comparing the default information with the signal information to generate the second control signal.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the electric socket device further comprising:

a power output unit for outputting electric power;

a switch unit, being electrically connected to the power output unit for controlling the power output unit to enable power supply or stop power supply based on a third control signal;

a second wireless module, receiving the first wireless signal, or generating the second wireless signal based on a fourth control signal; and

a second processing unit, being electrically connected to the switch unit and the second wireless module so as to generate the fourth control signal or receives the first wireless signal thereby accordingly generating the third control signal.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the memory unit is installed therein with the default information and signal information, the default information includes electric power cost information or carbon footprint information, the signal information is power consumption information, surge blockage information and the like relating to the electric socket device, and the first processing unit executes computations from the default information and the signal information contained in the second wireless signal and displays the result on the display unit.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the power management apparatus further includes an input unit for inputting the setup signal, and the setup signal consists of at least one of a time signal, an upper limit for electric power cost, an upper limit for carbon footprint, a temperature setup value and an upper limit for power consumption.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the power management apparatus further includes a time unit being electrically connected to the first processing unit to generate a time signal, and the first processing unit generates the second control signal based on the time signal and the comparison result of the time signal.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the electric socket device further includes a surge protection unit being connected between the switch unit and a power input unit so as to absorb or block the surge signal inputted from the power input unit, wherein the surge protection unit is further electrically connected to the second processing unit, and the second processing unit generates a fourth control signal based on the surge signal absorbed or blocked by the surge protection unit.