POWER CONTROLLER, POWER CONTROLLING DEVICE AND POWER-SAVING METHOD FOR POWER CONTROLLING DEVICE

• US 20120297217A1
• Filed: 09/24/2011
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powertech Industrial Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Powertech Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: LEE, YU-LUNG, LIN, TSUNG-CHIH
• Granted Patent: US 8,862,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/261 PC controlled powerstrip

Abstract

The present disclosure illustrates a power controller adapted for controlling the operation of a power socket. The power controller includes a first signal transmission interface and a first micro-control unit. The first signal transmission interface receives power control flow data and a mode signal for the peripheral devices of a host computer. The first micro-control unit outputs a control signal in accordance with the received periphery power control flow data and the received mode signal from a host computer. Further, the first micro-control unit through the communication established between a first communication unit and the second communication unit of the power socket outputs a control signal to the power socket, in order to control the power socket to power or not to power the peripheral devices after a predetermined time delay.

Claims

1. A power controller adapted for controlling operations of a power socket, comprising:

a first signal transmission interface, connected to a second signal transmission interface of a host computer, for receiving a periphery power control flow data and a mode signal from the host computer, wherein the mode signal is either a working signal or a non-working signal; and

a first micro-control unit electrically coupled to the first signal transmission interface, for outputting a control signal according to the periphery power control flow data and the mode signal, and for communicating with a second communication unit of the power socket through a first communication unit to transmit the control signal to the power socket;

wherein when the mode signal is the working mode signal, the control signal is a start powering signal, and when the mode signal is the non-working signal, the control signal is a stop powering signal, which is configured to stop the power socket from being powered after a predetermined time delay.

2. The power controller according to claim 1, wherein when the mode signal is the working mode signal and the control signal is the start powering signal the power socket is powered after the predetermined time delay.

3. The power controller according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first memory unit electrically coupled to the first micro-control unit, the first memory unit storing a software application program, the host computer interfacing with human operators while executing the software application program, and allowing for the human operators to configure a periphery power control flow, wherein the periphery power control flow comprises associating different sets of the predetermined time delay with operation modes of the host computer, and storing electricity usage information having accumulated carbon emission information and accumulated electricity usage over a predetermined period of time on the first memory unit by the first communication unit.

4. The power controller according to claim 3, further comprising an user interface adopted for displaying console windows related to periphery power control management, power control device learning mode or peripheral device record, wherein the user interface further comprises a status bar corresponding to the operating mode of the host computer and a configuration menu bar enabling the human operator to control operations of peripheral devices connected to the power socket and to select or adjust the predetermined time delay depending on the operation modes of the host computer.

5. The power controller according to claim 4, wherein the user interface further comprises a learning and selection button, wherein the learning button is for enabling the power controller to perform a remote pairing learning process, and the selection button is adopted for providing the human operator with capability to activate or deactivate a manual control of the powering socket, and wherein when the remote learning button is selected, the host computer outputs a learning signal to the power socket, which is configured to store an identification serial number of the power controller.

6. A power socket, adapted for determining whether or not to power the corresponding peripheral devices associated with a host computer according to a control signal outputted from a power controller, the power controller comprising a first communication unit and a first micro-control unit, the power socket comprising:

a second communication unit, for communicating with the first communication unit;

a second micro-control unit, electrically coupled to the second communication unit;

a power switching unit, electrically coupled to the second micro-control unit;

a timing output unit; and

a full-time output unit, wherein the power switching unit is electrically coupled between an input power interface and the timing output unit, the second micro-control unit is further electrically coupled to the power switching unit, the power switching unit allows for insertion of the peripheral devices, and upon receiving the control signal through the second communication unit the second micro-control unit controls operations of the power switching unit before controlling the timing output unit to output a first power from the input power interface, and wherein the timing output unit is configured to stop outputting the power to the peripheral devices associated with the host computer from the input power interface after the predetermined time delay.

7. The power socket according to claim 6, wherein the power switching unit is configured to output the power to the peripheral devices associated with the host computer after the predetermined time delay.

8. The power socket according to claim 6, wherein the power socket further comprises a counter unit electrically coupled to the second micro-control unit, the second micro-control unit controls the counter unit to count the predetermined time delay when the second micro-control unit receives the control signal, the power socket further comprises an indication unit electrically coupled to the second micro-control unit, which controls the indication unit to output a corresponding indication signal according to a counting result of the counter unit.

9. The power socket according to claim 6, wherein the power socket further comprises a power detection unit electrically coupled between the input power interface and the timing output unit and the power detection unit is further coupled between the input power interface and the full-time output unit, wherein the power detection unit is for detecting the first power across the input power interface and the timing output unit as well as a second power across the input power interface and the full-time output unit, and the second micro-control unit calculates the accumulated electricity usage on basis of the power detection unit detecting the first power and the second power within the predetermined period of time and outputs the accumulated electricity usage through the second communication interface transmits to the power controller.

10. A power-saving method for a power control device capable of regulating an electricity usage of peripheral devices of a host computer having a display unit, wherein the power control device comprises a power controller connected to the host computer and a power socket for powering the peripheral devices associated with the host computer, comprising:

the power socket receiving a control signal outputted from the power controller, wherein the control signal corresponds to the operation mode of the host computer and the power supply mode of the peripheral devices associated with the host computer;

the power socket determining whether or not to power the peripheral devices associated with the host computer according to the received control signal;

if the host computer operating in a working mode, the power socket begin to power the peripheral devices associated with the host computer after the power socket finishes counting a predetermined time delay; and

if the host computer operating in a non-working mode, the power socket stopping the peripheral devices associated with the host computer from being powered after the power socket finishes counting the predetermined time delay.