Power management of network-connected devices in peak power periods

• US 8,138,627 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ferlitsch, Andrew Rodney
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fauth, Justen
• Application Number:
  US12/414,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20090322151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 307/39
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/52 The controlling of the operation of the load not being the total disconnection of the load, i.e. entering a degraded mode or in current limitation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

A system and method are provided for managing network-connected devices in peak power periods. The method establishes a network of connected devices, identifying a first device in the network as an off-peak device, and a second device as a peak device. If a peak power warning signal is detected, the off-peak device is disabled, but not the peak device. Any job destined for the off-peak device from a source device is relayed to the peak device and processed by the peak device. If the job destined for the off-peak device is a job format associated with the off-peak device, relaying the job to the peak device may further include the operation of converting the job to a job format associated with the peak device. In one aspect, a destination change message is sent to the source device, indicating the location of the peak device processing the job.

Claims

1. A method for managing network-connected devices in peak power periods, the method comprising:

establishing a network of connected devices, each consuming power supplied by a power utility;

identifying a first device in the network as an off-peak device;

identifying a second device in the network as a peak device;

detecting an electromagnetic waveform representing a peak power warning signal, where the peak power warning signal indicates a utility power rate increase;

disabling the off-peak device in response to the peak power warning signal, but not the peak device;

wherein disabling the off-peak device in response to the peak power warning signal, but not the peak device, includes;

receiving an electromagnetic waveform representing a job destined for the off-peak device from a source device;

relaying the job to the peak device; and

, the peak device processing the job.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the job destined for the off-peak device includes receiving the job in a first job format associated with the off-peak device;

and,

wherein relaying the job to the peak device includes converting the job to a second job format associated with the peak device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein disabling the off-peak device in response to the peak power warning signal, but not the peak device, further includes sending an electromagnetic waveform to the source device representing a destination change message, indicating the location of the peak device processing the job.

4. A system for managing network-connected devices in peak power periods, the system comprising:

a plurality of devices each having a network-connected interface and an interface to accept power supplied by a power utility, the plurality of devices including a first device identified as an off-peak device and a second device identified as a peak device;

a power management module having an interface to accept an electromagnetic waveform representing a peak power warning indicating a utility power rate increase, and to supply an electromagnetic waveform representing a disable signal to the off-peak device;

wherein the off-peak device is disabled in response to the disable signal;

wherein the off-peak device, subsequent to receiving the disable signal, receives an electromagnetic waveform representing a job from a source device, and relays the job to the peak device; and

, wherein the peak device processes the job.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the off-peak device sends an electromagnetic waveform to the source device representing a destination change message, indicating the location of the peak device processing the job.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the power management module compares the power consumption of the devices in the network and supplies the disable signal to the device having the highest power consumption.