Programmable timed electrical power management device

• US 5,278,771 A
• Filed: 07/12/1991
• Issued: 01/11/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SETi Company Limited (MIDI Partecipazioni SPA)
• Original Assignee: SETi Company Limited (MIDI Partecipazioni SPA)
• Inventors: Nyenya, Seth S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEESO, THOMAS R
• Application Number:
  US07/729,368
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 364/481, 364/483, 364/492, 307/38, 307/39
• US Class Current: 700/293
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/04 responsive to excess voltage lightning arrestors H01C7/12, H01C8/04, H01G9/18, H01T
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00001 characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0004 involved in a protection system
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/01 Arrangements for reducing harmonics or ripples
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/40 Arrangements for reducing harmonics

Abstract

A programmable timed electrical power management device protects and controls electrical equipment and peripherals which are plugged into it. The front of the housing containing the electrical circuitry is provided with a LCD display, a series of pressure sensitive switches for inputting function and control commands to control the operation of the device. A series of LED'"'"'s mounted on the front of the housing indicate the operational status of the device. The back of the housing is provided with an AC power input receptacle, an on/off reset switch, a series of AC outlets which are divided into pairs of filtered banks, and two or more modular jacks for receiving the modular plug of a telephone, fax, and/or modem. The device circuitry includes a CPU, timer/calendar, a sound generator, voltage sensors, and a back-up battery power supply. The outlets and modular plugs are protected from electrical surges. Each bank of outlets can be selectively programmed to turn on and off at a different time of the day and different days of the week. When more than one bank is set to start at the same time, power is sequentially supplied to each electrical outlet bank allowing the voltage to stabilize before turning on the next bank. A warning tone will sound fifteen, ten, and five minutes prior to shutting off any of the banks, to alert the user that the system is approaching the preset time for the power to the outlets to be turned off, to prevent accidental loss of information.

Claims

1. A programmable electrical power management device for connecting a plurality of electrical devices to a source of AC power and selectively controlling the application of electrical power to the electrical devices comprising;

a housing adapted for connection to a source of AC electrical power,

a plurality of electrical outlets mounted on said housing for receiving the plugs of electrical devices and supplying AC power to the devices,

a voltage surge suppression circuit within said housing and connected to said electrical outlets for suppressing unwanted voltage transients and surges occurring in the electrical power supplied to said electrical outlets,

programmable control means in said housing connected with said voltage surge suppression circuit and said electrical outlets and responsive to user input for controlling the application of electrical power to said electrical outlets,

timing means connected to said programmable control means for controlling date, time of day, and the length of time electrical power will be supplied to said electrical outlets,

user input means on said housing connected with said programmable control means for allowing a user to input data for selectively controlling the application of electrical power to said electrical outlets, and

visual display means connected to said programmable control means and said user input means for indicating the inputted data and visually displaying the voltage being supplied to said electrical outlets and the status of operation of said power management device.

2. A power management device according to claim 1 including;

a plurality of modular jacks mounted on said housing for receiving the modular plugs of electrical peripheral devices and connected to said voltage surge suppression circuit, and

said voltage surge suppression circuit including circuitry for suppressing unwanted voltage transients and surges occurring in the power supplied through said modular jacks.

3. A power management device according to claim 1 in which;

said visual display means comprises a liquid crystal display screen for indicating the inputted data and status of operation of said power management device.

4. A power management device according to claim 1 in which;

said visual display means comprises a series of light emitting diodes for indicating the inputted data and status of operation of said power management device.

5. A power management device according to claim 1 including;

sound generating means connected to said programmable control means and said timing means for producing an audible signal indicating acceptance of the user inputted data and for warning the user prior to expiration of the length of time electrical power is supplied to one or more selected said electrical outlets.

6. A power management device according to claim 1 in which;

said programmable control means comprises microprocessor means including first memory storage means for storing data, second memory means having stored data processing programs for processing and manipulating data, a video display controller connected to said visual display means, input and output ports for receiving and transmitting data, and a central processing unit responsive to user input for controlling the operation of said first memory storage means, said second memory means, said input and output ports, and said video display controller, and

said user input means comprises on or more keypad switches on said housing for allowing a user to input data for selectively controlling the application of electrical power to said electrical outlets.

7. A power management device according to claim 6 in which said voltage surge suppression circuit comprises;

a power supply inlet,

a combination electrical filter and surge suppression circuit connected to said power supply inlet by the hot, common, and neutral electrical leads of the source of AC electrical power,

the output of said combination electrical filter and surge suppressor circuit connected to said plurality of electrical outlets, and

control switches connected in the hot electrical lead between said combination electrical filter and surge suppression circuit and said electrical outlets and controlled by said programmable control means.

8. A power management device according to claim 7 in which

said combination electrical filter and surge suppression circuit comprises;

varistors connected in parallel across the hot, common, and ground leads to short circuit high frequency bursts to the common ground.

9. A power management device according to claim 8 including:

a plurality of modular jacks mounted on said housing for receiving the modular plugs of electrical peripheral devices and said combination electrical filter and surge suppression circuit,

said modular jacks connected to the common ground through fuses, and

said combination electrical filter and surge suppression circuit comprises varistors connected in parallel across the hot, common, and ground leads to suppress unwanted voltage transients and surges occurring in the power supplied through said modular jacks.

10. A power management device according to claim 7 in which

said microprocessor has a control bus, a data bus, and an address bus each having an input/output port connected by leads to an electrical outlet to be controlled, and

each electrical outlet to be controlled has an address which can be called up by placing the bit combination of the address on the address bus lead.

11. A power management device according to claim 10 including;

an oscillator for supplying timing signals required by said microprocessor,

a voltage sensor connected between the power supply and said microprocessor control bus to monitor the power supply voltages and upon sensing low voltage to issue an interrupt signal through said control bus to said microprocessor upon power failure, and

said microprocessor second memory means having stored data processing programs for initiating a shut-down sequence, whereby

said microproccesor upon receipt of said interrupt signal initiates an orderly shut-down sequence of the electrical outlets controlled by it prior to complete power failure.

12. A power management device according to claim 11 in which;

said voltage sensor connected between the power supply and said microprocessor control bus to monitor the power supply voltages upon sensing start-up voltage to issue a start-up signal through said control bus to said microprocessor upon an initial power on condition, and

said microprocessor second memory means having a stored data processing programs for initiating a start-up sequence, whereby

said microproccesor upon receipt of said start-up signal initiates an orderly start-up sequence of the electrical outlets controlled by it such that power is sequentially supplied to each said electrical outlet controlled by said microprocessor and the voltage is allowed to stabilize after power is supplied to one of said electrical outlets and before supplying power to the next sequential said electrical outlet.

13. A power management device according to claim 11 including;

a programmable timer/calendar IC chip connected to said control bus, data bus, and address bus, and

an auxiliary back-up battery connected to said microprocessor and said timer/calendar to maintain back-up power to said microprocessor and timer/calendar when the main power is off or unplugged, and

said timer/calendar IC chip providing the timing signals and keeping track of the date, month, and year.

14. A power management device according to claim 13 including;

a buffer latch connected to said keypad switches and to said microprocessor control bus, data bus, and address bus,

device drivers connected to said control switches and to said microprocessor control bus to affect turn-on of said control switches, and

said microprocessor second memory means having stored data processing programs for reading, recording, and operating according to the inputted times in said buffer latch, whereby

each said electrical outlet controlled by said control switches and said microprocessor can be selectively programmed by a user through said keypad switches to turn on and off at a different time of the day and different days of the week and the length of time power is supplied to each said controlled electrical outlet can be selectively programmed by the user.

15. A power management device according to claim 14 including;

a second buffer latch and a light emitting diode matrix connected to said microprocessor control bus, data bus, and address bus, and

said microprocessor is capable of writing to said second buffer latch to drive said light emitting diode matrix and give the user a visual readout of the status of the system.

16. A power management device according to claim 14 in which;

said visual display means comprises a liquid crystal display screen connected to said microprocessor control bus, data bus, and address bus, and

said microprocessor is capable of writing to said liquid crystal display to create visual characters corresponding to the status of operation of the system and to programming operations to facilitate programming of the device apparatus by the user.

17. A power management device according to claim 16 in which;

an IC analog-to-digital converter is connected to the output of said combination filter and surge suppression circuit and to said microprocessor control bus for reading the AC voltage supplied to said controlled electrical outlets, and

said microprocessor is capable of writing to said liquid crystal display to create visual characters corresponding to voltage being supplied to said controlled electrical outlets.