Power sampling systems and methods

• US 7,812,478 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Green Plug, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Green Plug, Inc.
• Inventors: Menas, Gregory W.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUTLAND WALLIS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/931,420
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 307/11, 307/31
• US Class Current: 307/31
• 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 2200/261 PC controlled powerstrip
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/652 with earth pin, blade or socket
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/66 Structural association with built-in electrical component coupling devices having concentrically or coaxially-arranged contacts H01R24/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/701 the switch being actuated by an accessory, e.g. cover, locking member
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/52 mounted in or to a panel or structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/68 mounted on directly pluggable apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/70 with additional earth or shield contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/78 with additional earth or shield contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/003 the coupling part being secured only to wires or cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/03 Connectors arranged to contact a plurality of the conductors of a multiconductor cable , e.g. tapping connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An automatic sensing power system automatically has a voltage sampling system that samples a voltage from an electrical device, determines a power requirement for the electrical device, converts power to the required level, and outputs the power to the electrical device when the electrical device is connected to the automatic sensing power system.

Claims

1. A power system for configuring alternating current (AC) power, the power system comprising:

a plurality of direct current (DC) receptacles;

a communication system to receive a communication comprising configuration data that, when processed, identifies at least one selected DC power level;

at least one AC to DC regulator to convert the AC power to DC power;

a power sampling system to sample a DC power level from at least one power sampling receptacle and to generate a signal comprising sampling data that, when processed, identifies the sampled DC power level;

at least one DC to DC regulator to receive the DC power from the at least one AC to DC regulator, to convert the DC power to the selected DC power level, to generate the DC power at the selected DC power level for at least one DC receptacle, to convert the DC power to the sampled DC power level, and to generate the DC power at the sampled DC power level for at least one other DC receptacle, the selected DC power level and the sampled DC power level are not initially preset; and

a processor to;

process the communication and, in response thereto, determine the selected DC power level based on the configuration data and configure the at least one DC to DC regulator to convert the DC power to the selected DC power level; and

process the signal and, in response thereto, determine the sampled DC power level and configure the at least one DC to DC regulator to convert the DC power to the sampled DC power level.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the received communication is in at least one format selected from a group consisting of a universal serial bus format, a Bluetooth format, an Ethernet format, a Firewire format, a cable format, a phone line format, a digital subscriber line service format, and an internet protocol format.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication system is configured to format the communication to a format processable by the processor.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the configuration data comprises at least one particular device identification;

the power system comprises memory comprising a plurality of device identifications and corresponding DC power levels; and

the processor is configured to process the communication with the particular device identification and, in response thereto, to search the memory to determine the selected DC power level corresponding to the particular device identification.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the power system comprises at least one member of another group consisting of a power strip, a rack mount system, a cabinet mount system, and a detachable device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication system comprises at least one modulator configured to receive the communication from the at least one DC receptacle and to transmit the communication to the processor.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising an electrical device configured to receive the DC power at the selected DC power level from the at least one DC receptacle.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the electrical device comprises at least one member of a group consisting of a computer, a printer, a fax machine, a pocket PC, a personal digital assistant, a phone, a camera, a recoding device, an audio device, a video device, and a drill.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the power sampling system is further configured to receive the communication comprising the configuration data from the electrical device, the configuration data comprises at least one particular device identification selected from a group consisting of a device name, a model name, and another device identification.

5. The system of claim wherein:

the configuration data comprises an identification of the selected DC power level; and

the processor is configured to process the communication with the selected DC power level identification and, in response thereto, to dynamically configure the at least one DC to DC regulator to dynamically convert the DC power to the selected DC power level.

11. A power system for configuring alternating current (AC) power, the power system comprising:

a plurality of direct current (DC) receptacles;

a communication system to receive a communication comprising configuration data that, when processed, identifies at least one selected DC power level;

at least one AC to DC regulator to convert the AC power to DC power;

a voltage sampling system to sample a voltage from at least one voltage sampling receptacle and to generate a signal comprising sampling data that, when processed, identifies the sampled voltage;

at least one DC to DC regulator to receive the DC power from the at least one AC to DC regulator, to convert the DC power to the selected DC power level, to generate the DC power at the selected DC power level for at least one DC receptacle, to convert the DC power to the sampled voltage, and to generate the DC power at the sampled voltage for at least one other DC receptacle, the selected DC power level and the sampled voltage are not initially preset; and

a processor to;

process the communication and, in response thereto, determine the selected DC power level based on the configuration data and configure the at least one DC to DC regulator to convert the DC power to the selected DC power level; and

process the signal and, in response thereto, determine the sampled voltage and configure the at least one DC to DC regulator to convert the DC power to the sampled voltage.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the communication system comprises at least one modulator configured to receive the communication from the at least one DC receptacle and to transmit the communication to the processor.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising an electrical device configured to receive the DC power at the selected DC power level from the at least one DC receptacle.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the electrical device comprises at least one member of another group consisting of a computer, a printer, a fax machine, a pocket PC, a personal digital assistant, a phone, a camera, a recoding device, an audio device, a video device, and a drill.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the voltage sampling system is further configured to receive the communication comprising the configuration data from the electrical device, the configuration data comprises at least one particular device identification selected from a group consisting of a device name, a model name, and another device identification.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the configuration data comprises at least one particular device identification;

the power system comprises memory comprising a plurality of device identifications and corresponding DC power levels; and

the processor is configured to process the communication with the particular device identification and, in response thereto, to search the memory to determine the selected DC power level corresponding to the particular device identification.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the configuration data comprises an identification of the selected DC power level; and

the processor is configured to process the communication with the selected DC power level identification and, in response thereto, to dynamically configure the at least one DC to DC regulator to dynamically convert the DC power to the selected DC power level.