Apparatus and method for centralized power management

• US 7,188,260 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2001
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaffer, Shmuel, Gleichauf, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo; James K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang; Eric
• Application Number:
  US09/947,081
• Time in Patent Office: 2,015 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/300, 700/291, 705/37
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/189 Power distribution
• 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: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

The invention describes a system and method for arranging to provide power to a power monitor device. The disclosure describes the system and method receiving a request for power for at least one device specified by a power monitor device. The disclosure describes receiving at least one proposal from an entity desiring to supply power according to the request for power. A best proposal of the at least one proposal is determined. And the system and method command the power monitor device to supply power in accordance with the best proposal.

Claims

1. A method for arranging to provide power to a device, comprising:

receiving, from a communications network, a request for power for at least one device specified by a power monitor device;

receiving a plurality of proposals from a plurality of entities desiring to supply power according to the request for power;

determining a best proposal of the plurality of proposals based on a selected auction type, wherein the best proposal comprises a time frame for supplying the power to the at least one device; and

commanding the power monitor device to control a supply of power in accordance with the best proposal, wherein commanding the power monitor device comprises transmitting a first token to the power monitor device, using the communications network, at a beginning of the time frame, the first token comprises conditions for power consumption in accordance with the best proposal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the commanding step comprises commanding the power monitor device to make power available to the at least one device at the beginning of the time frame.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the commanding step further comprises commanding the power monitor device to begin recording a first power profile for a power supply circuit associated with the at least one device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first power profile includes a total amount of energy expended by the power supply circuit during the time frame.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first power profile includes an amount of energy expended by the power supply circuit during each of a plurality of discrete time intervals of the time frame.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the commanding step further comprises commanding the power monitor device to transmit the first power profile at an end of the time frame.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the commanding step comprises providing power to the at least one device through a particular electrical outlet associated with the at least one device at the beginning of the time frame.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first token causes the power monitor device to provide power to the at least one device through a particular electrical outlet associated with the at least one device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first token causes the power monitor device to begin a first power profile for a power supply circuit associated with the at least one device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the commanding step comprises transmitting the first token to the power monitor device before the beginning of the time frame, the first token includes a start time describing the beginning of the time frame, and the first token causes the power monitor device to cause the at least one device to begin operating at the start time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the commanding step comprises commanding the power monitor device to disconnect power from the at least one device at an end of the time frame.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the commanding step comprises terminating power to the at least one device from a particular electrical outlet associated with the at least one device at an end of the time frame.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the commanding step comprises receiving a command to terminate power to the at least one device from the particular electrical outlet associated with the at least one device at an end of the time frame, and in response transmitting a first power profile at the end of the time frame.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the commanding step comprises receiving a command to terminate power to the at least one device from a particular electrical outlet associated with the at least one device at an end of the time frame, and in response discontinues recording the power consumed by the at least one device in a first power profile at the end of the time frame.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the commanding step comprises transmitting a second token to the power monitor device at an end of the time frame, the second token commands the power monitor device to terminate power to the at least one device from a particular electrical outlet associated with the at least one device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the commanding step comprises transmitting a second token to the power monitor device before an end of the time frame, the second token includes an end time describing the end of the time frame.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of proposals comprises a price for supplying the power to the at least one device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the best proposal comprises an amount of energy to be supplied to the at least one device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the commanding step comprises terminating the supply of power to the at least one device when the amount of energy set forth in the best proposal has been supplied to a particular electrical outlet.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of commanding the power monitor device to supply power in accordance with the best proposal is preceded by the step comprising informing an entity with the best proposal that the proposal of the entity was accepted.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the power monitor device request for power comprises:

a close time for determining the best proposal,

an amount of power desired,

a time frame within which the power monitor device wants to use the power, and

a maximum price for the power.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of proposals includes a price, and wherein the step of determining the best proposal of the plurality of proposals, includes selecting at least one proposal associated with a lowest price.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein an entity desiring to supply power supplies power according to the request for power on a best effort basis.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for power includes a digital signature.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the digital signature is used to authenticate that the request originated with the power monitor device.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the digital signature is used to verify that the request for power has not been tampered with after being sent by the power monitor device.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein a digital signature verification is accomplished using public-private key techniques.

28. A method for arranging to provide power to a power monitor device, comprising:

receiving, from a communications network, a request for power for at least one device specified by a power monitor device, including;

a close time for determining a best proposal,

an amount of power desired, and

a time frame within which the power monitor device wants to use the power;

receiving a plurality of proposals from a plurality of entities desiring to supply power according to the request for power;

determining the best proposal of the plurality of proposals based on a selected auction type, wherein the best proposal comprises a time frame for supplying the power to the at least one device;

informing an entity of the plurality of entities with the best proposal that the proposal of the entity was accepted; and

commanding the power monitor device to control a supply of power in accordance with the best proposal, wherein commanding the power monitor device comprises transmitting a first token to the power monitor device, using the communications network, at a beginning of the time frame, the first token comprises conditions for power consumption in accordance with the best proposal.

29. An arrangement for providing power to a power monitor device, comprising:

means for receiving, from a communications network, a request for power specified by a power monitor device;

means for receiving a plurality of proposals from a plurality of entities desiring to supply power according to the request for power;

means for determining a best proposal of the plurality of proposals based on a selected auction type, wherein the best proposal comprises a time frame for supplying the power to the at least one device; and

means for commanding the power monitor device to control a supply of power in accordance with the best proposal, wherein commanding the power monitor device comprises transmitting a first token to the power monitor device, using the communications network, at a beginning of the time frame, the first token comprises conditions for power consumption in accordance with the best proposal.

30. The arrangement of claim 29, wherein the commanding step further comprises commanding the power monitor device to begin a first power profile for all of at least one power supply circuit.

31. The arrangement of claim 30, wherein the commanding step comprises commanding the power monitor device to transmit the first power profile at an end of the time frame.

32. The arrangement of claim 30, further comprising receiving the first power profile after an end of the time frame of the best proposal.

33. A method for arranging to provide power to at least one device, comprising:

receiving an offer to sell power at a preferential rate from a power supplier;

receiving, from a communications network, a plurality of proposals from a plurality of devices desiring to purchase power according to the offer to sell power;

determining a best proposal of the plurality of proposals based on a selected auction type, wherein the best proposal comprises a time frame for supplying the power to the at least one device;

informing the power supplier of a best offer; and

commanding a device of the plurality of devices associated with the best proposal to consume power in accordance with the best proposal, wherein commanding the device of the plurality of devices comprises transmitting a first token to the at least one device, using the communications network, at a beginning of the time frame, the first token comprises conditions for power consumption in accordance with the best proposal.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the commanding step comprises commanding the at least one device to consume power during the time frame.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the commanding step further comprises commanding the at least one device to begin recording a first power profile for the at least one device.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the commanding step comprises transmitting the first token to the at least one device before the beginning of the time frame.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the offer to sell power includes a time frame.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the first token comprises a start time describing the beginning of the time frame.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein the offer to sell power includes an amount of power to be sold.

40. A method for arranging to purchase power from at least one device, comprising:

transmitting an offer to purchase at least one power token at a first particular rate within a first particular time frame;

receiving a plurality of proposals from a plurality of devices desiring to sell the at least one power token, each of the plurality of proposals including an associated particular sale rate;

determining a best proposal of the plurality of proposals based on a selected auction type, wherein the at least one power token comprises a time frame for consuming an amount of power; and

purchasing the at least one power token in accordance with the best proposal, wherein the at least one power token comprises conditions for power consumption in accordance with the best proposal.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the at least one power token comprises the amount of power.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the at least one power token comprises a start time indicating a beginning of the time frame and an end time indicating an end of the time frame.