Load condition controlled power strip
First Claim
1. A power strip configured to reduce power during idle operation of an electronic device, said power strip comprising:
- a plurality of outlets configured to transmit power to the electronic device; and
an outlet circuit configured to receive power from an alternating current (AC) line input and transmit power to a first outlet of said plurality of outlets, wherein said outlet circuit disengages transmitting power to said first outlet in response to said first outlet drawing substantially no power.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In accordance with various aspects of the present invention, a method and circuit for reducing power consumption of a power strip is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a power strip is configured for reducing or eliminating power during idle mode by disengaging an outlet from power input. A power strip may include two or more outlets and two or more outlet circuits, with AC power input connected to the outlets through the outlet circuit(s), which may include a current transformer, a control circuit, and a switch. The current transformer secondary winding provides an output power level signal proportional to the outlet load. If behavior of the current transformer secondary winding indicates that the outlet is drawing substantially no power from the AC power input, the switch facilitates disengaging of the current transformer primary from the outlet.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A power strip configured to reduce power during idle operation of an electronic device, said power strip comprising:
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a plurality of outlets configured to transmit power to the electronic device; and an outlet circuit configured to receive power from an alternating current (AC) line input and transmit power to a first outlet of said plurality of outlets, wherein said outlet circuit disengages transmitting power to said first outlet in response to said first outlet drawing substantially no power. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A power strip configured to efficiently provide power to an electronic device, said power strip comprising:
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at least one outlet configured to provide power to said electronic device; a current measuring system configured to monitor the current drawn by said at least one outlet; and a control circuit configured to control the coupling of said at least one outlet to an alternating current (AC) line input; wherein said control circuit decouples said at least one outlet in response to substantially no power being drawn by said at least one outlet, such that said at least one outlet is effectively disengaged from the AC line input. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of facilitating a power strip with low power consumption, the method comprising:
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providing power to an electronic device at an outlet; monitoring, with a current measuring system, a load condition at said outlet to generate a measured load condition; transmitting the measured load condition to a control circuit; and disengaging said outlet from an alternating current (AC) line input, without disengaging an additional outlet, in response to the measured load condition being below a threshold value substantially no power. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification