Power sampling systems and methods

• US 7,812,479 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:
  US11/931,426
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 307/11, 307/38, 307/31, 700/22
• 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 system for configuring alternating current (AC) power comprising:

a power system comprising;

a plurality of direct current (DC) receptacles;

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

a power sampling system configured 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 configured to receive the DC power from the AC to DC regulator, 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 DC receptacle, the sampled DC power level not initially preset, the sampling receptacle and the at least one DC receptacle being separate receptacles;

a processor configured to 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; and

a user interface configured to generate for display an identification of the sampled DC power level wherein the user interface is configured to enable initiating sampling the DC power level from the at least one power sampling receptacle in response to a user input.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the power system further comprises a plurality of AC receptacles configured to convey the AC power at an AC power level; and

the user interface is configured to enable selecting the at least one power sampling receptacle from the group consisting of the plurality of DC receptacles and the plurality of AC receptacles.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the at least one power sampling receptacle is selected from the plurality of DC receptacles and.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface is configured to generate for display status information of the power system, the status information selected from a group consisting of an operation of the power system, an event log of the power system, a disable of the least one power sampling receptacle, an enable of the at least one power sampling receptacle, a disable of the at least one DC receptacle, an enable of the at least one DC receptacle, a state of the at least one power sampling receptacle, a power level sampled by the at least one power sampling receptacle, a power setting for the at least one DC receptacle, and a device identification received for an electrical device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface is configured to enable selecting the at least one DC receptacle at which to generate the DC power at the sampled DC power level.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface is configured to enable and disable the at least one DC receptacle.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface is configured to enable detecting a connection between the at least one power sampling receptacle and an electrical device and to enable automatically initiating sampling of the DC power level from the at least one power sampling receptacle upon detecting the connection, and 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 recording device, an audio device, a video device, and a drill.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the user interface is configured to receive a user input assigning a name to a connected electrical device and to generate for display the name of the connected electrical device.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the power sampling system is configured to generate a second signal comprising other sampling data that, when processed, identifies whether the connected electrical device is power sensing enabled;

the processor is configured to process the second signal and, in response thereto, determine whether the electrical device is power sensing enabled; and

the user interface is configured to;

generate for display an indication that the connected electrical device is an enabled power sensing device when the electrical device is determined to be power sensing enabled; and

generate for display an indication that the connected electrical device is not an enabled power sensing device when the electrical device is determined not to be power sensing enabled.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the user interface is configured to receive user input defining a desired DC power level; and

the processor is configured to process the user input and, in response thereto, determine the desired DC power level and configure the at least one DC to DC regulator to convert the DC power to the desired DC power level, and enable the at least one DC to DC regulator to generate the DC power at the desired DC power level for at least one other DC receptacle.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the power system further comprises a plurality of AC receptacles configured to convey the AC power at an AC power level; and

the user interface is configured to generate for display a default name for each of the plurality of DC receptacles and each of the plurality of AC receptacles.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the user interface is configured to receive a user input assigning a different name for at least one receptacle selected from the group consisting of the plurality of DC receptacles and the plurality of AC receptacles and to generate for display the different name assigned to the at least one receptacle.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the displayed default name or the displayed different name of the at least one receptacle has a first appearance when the at least one receptacles is enabled and has a second appearance when the at least one receptacle is not enabled.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the user interface is further configured to enable automatically assigning the sampled DC power level to a default receptacle when the at least one DC receptacle is not open for a connection to an electrical device;

the power sampling system is configured to generate another signal, that when processed, indicates whether the at least one DC receptacle is open for the connection to the electrical device; and

the processor is configured to process the other signal, and in response thereto, determine whether the at least one DC receptacle is open for the connection and enable the at least one DC to DC regulator to generate the DC power at the sampled DC power level for the default receptacle when the at least one DC receptacle is determined not to be open for the connection.

15. A system for configuring alternating current (AC) power comprising:

a power system comprising;

a plurality of direct current (DC) receptacles;

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

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

at least one DC to DC regulator configured to receive the DC power from the at least one AC to DC regulator, to convert the DC power to the sampled voltage and to generate the DC power at the sampled voltage for at least one DC receptacle, the sampled voltage not initially preset, the sampling receptacle and the at least one DC receptacle being separate receptacles;

a processor configured to 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; and

a user interface configured to generate for display an identification of the sampled voltage the power system further comprises a plurality of AC receptacles configured to convey AC power at an AC power level; and

the user interface is configured to enable selecting the at least one voltage sampling receptacle from the group consisting of the plurality of DC receptacles and the plurality of AC receptacles.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the at least one voltage sampling receptacle is selected from the plurality of DC receptacles and wherein the user interface is configured to enable sampling the voltage from the at least one voltage sampling receptacle only in response to a user input.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the user interface is configured to generate for display status information of the power system, the status information selected from a group consisting of an operation of the power system, an event log of the power system, a disable of the at least one voltage sampling receptacle, an enable of the at least one voltage sampling receptacle, a disable of the at least one DC receptacle, an enable of the at least one DC receptacle, a state of the at least one voltage sampling receptacle, a voltage sampled by the at least one voltage sampling receptacle, a voltage setting for the at least one DC receptacle, and a device identification received for an electrical device.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the user interface is configured to:

enable selecting the at least one DC receptacle at which to generate the DC power at the sampled voltage; and

enable and disable the at least one DC receptacle.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the user interface is configured to enable detecting a connection between the at least one voltage sampling receptacle and an electrical device and to enable automatically sampling the voltage from the at least one voltage sampling receptacle upon detecting the connection, and 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 recording device, an audio device, a video device, and a drill.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein:

the user interface is configured to receive user input defining a desired voltage; and

the processor is configured to process the user input and, in response thereto, determine the desired voltage, configure the at least one DC to DC regulator to convert the DC power to the desired voltage, and enable generating the DC power at the desired voltage for at least one other DC receptacle.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein:

the power system further comprises a plurality of AC receptacles configured to convey the AC power at an AC power level; and

the user interface is configured to generate for display a name for each of the plurality of DC receptacles and each of the plurality of AC receptacles and to change an appearance of the name corresponding to the at least one voltage sampling receptacle and to the at least one DC receptacle.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the user interface is configured to receive a user input assigning a different name for at least one receptacle selected from the group consisting of the plurality of DC receptacles and the plurality of AC receptacles and to generate for display the different name assigned to the at least one receptacle.

23. The system of claim 15 wherein:

the user interface is further configured to enable automatically assigning the sampled DC power level to at least one other DC receptacle when the at least one DC receptacle is not open for a connection to an electrical device;

the voltage sampling system is configured to generate another signal, that when processed, indicates whether the at least one other DC receptacle is open for the connection to the electrical device; and

the processor is configured to process the other signal, and in response thereto, determine whether the at least one DC receptacle is open for the connection and to enable the at least one DC to DC regulator to generate the DC power at the sampled voltage level for the at least one other DC receptacle when the at least one DC receptacle is determined not to be open for the connection.

24. A system for configuring alternating current (AC) power comprising:

a power system comprising;

a plurality of direct current (DC) receptacles;

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

a voltage sampling system configured to sample a voltage from at least one voltage sampling receptacle and to generate a signal indicating the sample voltage;

at least one DC to DC regulator configured to receive the DC power from the at least one AC to DC regulator, to convert the DC power to the sampled voltage, and to generate the DC power at the sampled voltage for at least one DC receptacle, the sampled voltage not initially preset, the sampling receptacle and the at least one DC receptacle being separate receptacles;

a processor configured to 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; and

a user interface configured to;

enable detecting a connection between the at least one voltage sampling receptacle and an electrical device;

generate for display an identification of the sampled voltage;

enable automatically initiating sampling of the voltage from the at least one voltage sampling receptacle upon detecting the connection;

enable selecting the at least one DC receptacle from the plurality of DC receptacles at which to generate the DC power at the sampled voltage; and

enable and disable the at least one DC receptacle.