METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING POWER STRIP

• US 20200136396A1
• Filed: 09/27/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Inventors: SUN, Yongli
• Granted Patent: US 11,075,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6683 with built-in sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7137 with thermal interrupter H01R13/7132 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/003 the coupling part being secured only to wires or cables
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/085 making use of a thermal sensor, e.g. thermistor, heated by the excess current also responsive to the temperature of the protected device H02H5/041, thermal images H02H6/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/62 The condition being non-electrical, e.g. temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances

Abstract

A method for controlling a power strip includes: acquiring a present temperature parameter of an ambient environment; determining a presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip based on the present temperature parameter; acquiring a total power of electronic devices presently powered by the power strip; and controlling the power strip to cut off power supply to at least one of the electronic devices when the total power is greater than the presently-allowed maximum power. In the technical solution, the presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip can be adjusted automatically based on the present temperature parameter of the ambient environment of the power strip, which improves flexibility of adjusting the maximum power.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a power strip, comprising:

acquiring a present temperature parameter of an ambient environment;

determining a presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip based on the present temperature parameter;

acquiring a total power of electronic devices presently powered by the power strip; and

controlling the power strip to cut off power supply to at least one of the electronic devices when the total power is greater than the presently-allowed maximum power.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip based on the present temperature parameter comprises:

determining the presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip at the present temperature parameter according to a preset correspondence between a temperature parameter and an allowed maximum power,

wherein the preset correspondence between the temperature parameter and the allowed maximum power is a negative correlation.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip based on the present temperature parameter comprises:

determining a previously-determined maximum power as the presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip when a difference between the present temperature parameter of the ambient environment and a temperature parameter corresponding to the previously-determined maximum power is less than or equal to a preset threshold; and

adjusting the presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip in a preset adjustment manner when the difference between the present temperature parameter of the ambient environment and the temperature parameter corresponding to the previously-determined maximum power is greater than the preset threshold.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the preset adjustment manner comprises:

when the present temperature parameter is increased by a preset temperature with respect to the temperature parameter corresponding to the previously-determined maximum power, the presently-allowed maximum power is decreased by a preset power with respect to the previously-determined maximum power; and

when the present temperature parameter is decreased by a preset temperature with respect to the temperature parameter corresponding to the previously-determined maximum power, the presently-allowed maximum power is increased by a preset power with respect to the previously-determined maximum power.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein controlling the power strip to cut off power supply to the at least one of the electronic devices comprises:

controlling the power strip to cut off power supply to a recently-powered electronic device of the electronic devices.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

outputting, when the total power is greater than the presently-allowed maximum power, prompt information for prompting a user that the power strip has an excessive power.

7. A device for controlling a power strip, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor,

wherein the processor is configured to;

acquire a present temperature parameter of an ambient environment;

determine a presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip based on the present temperature parameter;

acquire a total power of electronic devices presently powered by the power strip; and

control the power strip to cut off power supply to at least one of the electronic devices when the total power is greater than the presently-allowed maximum power.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip at the present temperature parameter according to a preset correspondence between a temperature parameter and an allowed maximum power,

wherein the preset correspondence between the temperature parameter and the allowed maximum power is a negative correlation.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a previously-determined maximum power as the presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip when a difference between the present temperature parameter of the ambient environment and a temperature parameter corresponding to the previously-determined maximum power is less than or equal to a preset threshold; and

adjust the presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip in a preset adjustment manner when the difference between the present temperature parameter of the ambient environment and the temperature parameter corresponding to the previously-determined maximum power is greater than the preset threshold.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein preset adjustment manner comprises:

when the present temperature parameter is increased by a preset temperature with respect to the temperature parameter corresponding to the previously-determined maximum power, the presently-allowed maximum power is decreased by a preset power with respect to the previously-determined maximum power; and

when the present temperature parameter is decreased by a preset temperature with respect to the temperature parameter corresponding to the previously-determined maximum power, the presently-allowed maximum power is increased by a preset power with respect to the previously-determined maximum power.

11. The device according to claim 7, wherein controlling the power strip to cut off power supply to at least one of the electronic devices comprises:

controlling the power strip to cut off power supply to a recently-powered electronic device of the electronic devices.

12. The device according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

output, when the total power is greater than the presently-allowed maximum power, prompt information for prompting a user that the power strip has an excessive power.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed by a processor of a device, cause the device to perform a method for controlling a power strip, the method comprising:

acquiring a present temperature parameter of an ambient environment;

determining a presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip based on the present temperature parameter;

acquiring a total power of electronic devices presently powered by the power strip; and

controlling the power strip to cut off power supply to at least one of the electronic devices when the total power is greater than the presently-allowed maximum power.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein determining the presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip based on the present temperature parameter comprises:

determining the presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip at the present temperature parameter according to a preset correspondence between a temperature parameter and an allowed maximum power,

wherein the preset correspondence between the temperature parameter and the allowed maximum power is a negative correlation.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein determining the presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip based on the present temperature parameter comprises:

determining a previously-determined maximum power as the presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip when a difference between the present temperature parameter of the ambient environment and a temperature parameter corresponding to the previously-determined maximum power is less than or equal to a preset threshold; and

adjusting the presently-allowed maximum power of the power strip in a preset adjustment manner when the difference between the present temperature parameter of the ambient environment and the temperature parameter corresponding to the previously-determined maximum power is greater than the preset threshold.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the preset adjustment manner comprises:

when the present temperature parameter is increased by a preset temperature with respect to the temperature parameter corresponding to the previously-determined maximum power, the presently-allowed maximum power is decreased by a preset power with respect to the previously-determined maximum power;

or

when the present temperature parameter is decreased by a preset temperature with respect to the temperature parameter corresponding to the previously-determined maximum power, the presently-allowed maximum power is increased by a preset power with respect to the previously-determined maximum power.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein controlling the power strip to cut off power supply to the at least one of the electronic devices comprises:

controlling the power strip to cut off power supply to a recently-powered electronic device of the electronic devices.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, the method further comprising:

outputting, when the total power is greater than the presently-allowed maximum power, prompt information for prompting a user that the power strip has an excessive power.