Power saver controller

• US 7,622,822 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2005
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ember Technologies Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Electronic Data Control Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Gelonese, Giuseppe Antonio
• Primary Examiner(s): Deberadinis; Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US11/569,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20080106148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 307/38
• US Class Current: 307/38
• 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 1/305 in the event of power-supply fluctuations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• 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

A power supply control device for supplying power to a number of electrical devices from a single mains supply electrical outlet switch means adapted to connect an electrical supply from the supply electrical outlet to each of the controlled electrical outlets in response to the state of a master electrical device, a state sensor adapted to detect a functional state of the master electrical device, said sensor being adapted to distinguish at least three functional states of the master device. The master device may be personal computer with peripheral devices connected to the controlled outlets.

Claims

1. A power supply control device for permitting energisation of a plurality of electrical devices from a single mains supply electrical outlet characterized in that there are provided a plurality of controlled electrical outlets;

a single electrical input adapted to connect to a mains supply electrical output;

switch means adapted to connect an electrical supply from the supply electrical outlet to each of the controlled electrical outlets in response to the state of a master electrical device,

a state sensor adapted to sense the value of the power consumption of or current flow to the master device and to use threshold levels of this value to distinguish at least three functional states of the master device.

2. The power supply control device of claim 1 wherein the at least three functional states of the master device include off, standby, and fully on.

3. The power supply control device of claim 1 wherein the state sensor is adapted to receive digital information from the master device indicating its actual or intended functional state.

4. The power supply control device of claim 1 wherein the state sensor is adapted to monitor the state of any port of the master device in order to determine the state of the master device.

5. The power supply control device of claim 4 wherein the port is a serial port.

6. The power supply control device of claim 4 wherein the port is a parallel port.

7. The power supply control device of claim 4 wherein the port is a USB port.

8. The power supply control device of claim 1 wherein at least one controlled electrical outlet continues to provide an electrical power supply while the state sensor indicates that the master electrical device is in an off condition.

9. The power supply control device of claim 1 wherein at least one controlled electrical outlet continues to provide an electrical power supply while the state sensor indicates that the master electrical device is in a standby condition.

10. The power supply control device of claim 1 wherein at least one controlled electrical outlet is controlled such that it does not provide an electrical supply when the state sensor indicates that the master electrical device is in a standby state, but does provide an electrical supply when the state indicator indicates that the master device is in an on state.

11. The power supply control device of claim 1 wherein the state sensor is adapted to permit the threshold power or current level at which it will indicate that the master electrical device is in a standby mode to be set by a user.

12. The power supply control device of claim 1 wherein the state sensor is adapted to permit the threshold power or current level at which it will indicate that the master electrical device is in an on mode to be field set by a user.

13. The power supply control device of claim 1 wherein the state sensor is adapted to permit the threshold power or current level at which it will indicate that the master electrical device is in an off mode to be field set by a user.