Smart power device

• US 8,390,441 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WTEC GmbH
• Original Assignee: Redwood Systems, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Covaro, Mark, Leonard, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US13/568,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20120303173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 210 Days
• Field of Search: 340/538, 340/3.1, 340/12.32, 340/12.33, 340/12.377, 340/538.11, 340/538.15, 340/568.2, 340/870.02, 340/12.37
• US Class Current: 340/538
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/577 for plural loads
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/545 Audio/video application, e.g. interphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/547 via DC power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/548 the power on the line being DC arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

A power device may include channels coupled to conductors in lines, where each one of the channels is coupled to a different one of the lines than the other channels and where the channels deliver direct current power signals over the conductors to the load devices. Each one of the load devices may be powered by a different one of the direct current power signals. The power device may include a power communicator that communicates with the load devices over the conductors that propagate the direct current power signals. The power communicator may determine a target power level for the load devices based on the communication over the conductors. The load device may adjust an amount of power in the direct current power signals in order to match the target power level.

Claims

1. A power device comprising:

a power converter configured to provide power to a plurality of load devices over a plurality of conductors when the power converter is electrically coupled to the load devices with the conductors, wherein the conductors propagate the power from the power converter to the load devices as direct current power signals;

a power communicator configured to receive data digitally transmitted by a plurality of load communicators over the conductors that propagate the direct current power signals to the load devices, wherein each of the load communicators is paired with a corresponding one of the load devices; and

a processor configured to determine a target power level for each of the load devices based on the data digitally transmitted by the load communicators over the conductors that propagate the direct current power signals to the load devices, and wherein the processor is further configured to cause the power converter to adjust the power to the load devices in accordance with the target power level for each of the load devices.

2. The power device of claim 1, wherein the load devices comprise a plurality of sensors.

3. The power device of claim 2, wherein the load communicators receive sensor signals from the sensors, and the power communicator is further configured to receive, from the load communicators over the conductors that provide the direct current power signals to the load devices, information that is based on the sensor signals.

4. The power device of claim 1, wherein the data digitally transmitted by the load communicators includes an indication of a type of a load device that is paired with a load communicator, wherein the indication is transmitted by the load communicator, the load device is included in the load devices, and the load communicator is included in the load communicators.

5. The power device of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to determine the target power level for the load device based on the type of the load device.

6. The power device of claim 5, wherein the type of the load device indicates that the load device is a type of light fixture.

7. The power device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to increase a load factor of the power device from an interleaving of the direct current power signals.

8. A load communicator for a load device, the load communicator comprising:

a communication circuit configured to communicate with a power device over a plurality of conductors in a line, wherein the load device is powered by a direct current power signal propagated by the conductors from the power device to the load device; and

a processor configured to cause the communication circuit to transmit data to the power device over the conductors that propagate the direct current power signal from the power device to the load device, wherein the data includes information from which the power device determines a target power level for the load device, and the power device adjusts the power in the direct current power signal to match the target power level.

9. The load communicator of claim 8, wherein the communication circuit is further configured to transmit an identity of the load device to the power device over the conductors that propagate the direct current power signal from the power device to the load device.

10. The load communicator of claim 9, wherein the communication circuit receives a driver for the load device from the power device in response to transmission of the identity of the load device to the power device.

11. The load communicator of claim 9, wherein the load communicator reprograms the load communicator based on the identity of the load device.

12. The load communicator of claim 8, wherein communication between the load communicator and the power device, which is over the conductors that propagate the direct current power signal from the power device to the load device, depends on an identity of the load device.

13. The load communicator of claim 8, wherein the load device comprises at least one of a photosensor, a light fixture, or a motion detector.

14. The load communicator of claim 8, wherein the load device comprises an output device controlled by the power device with data transmitted from the power device to the communication circuit over the conductors that propagate the direct current power signal from the power device to the load device.

15. The load communicator of claim 14, wherein the output device comprises an HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) controller.

16. The load communicator of claim 14, wherein the output device comprises a motor.

17. A system for powering devices comprising:

a power converter that powers a plurality of load devices over a plurality of conductors, wherein the conductors propagate power from the power converter to the load devices as direct current power signals;

a power communicator that receives data transmitted by a plurality of load communicators over the conductors that propagate the direct current power signals to the load devices, wherein each of the load communicators communicates with the power communicator over the conductors on behalf of a corresponding one of the load devices; and

a processor that determines a target power level for each of the load devices based on the data digitally transmitted by the load communicators over the conductors that propagate the direct current power signals to the load devices, and wherein the processor causes the power converter to adjust the power to the load devices in based on the target power level for each of the load devices.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the load devices include an output device.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein communication between a load communicator and the power communicator, which is over a conductor that propagates one of the direct current power signals from the power device to a load device, depends on an identity of the load device that is transmitted by the load communicator to the power device over the conductor that propagates the one of the direct current power signals, wherein the load communicator is included in the load communicators, the conductor is included in the conductors, and the load device is included in the load devices.

20. The system of claim 17 further comprising a source selector configured to determine which of a plurality of power sources powers the power device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the source selector determines which of a plurality of power sources powers the power device based on an amount of power available from each of the power sources.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is a first processor, and each of the load communicators includes a second processor that causes the data to be digitally transmitted the over the conductors that propagate the direct current power signals to the load devices.

23. A system for receiving power for a device, the system comprising:

a communication circuit that communicates, on behalf of a load device, with a power device over a plurality of conductors in a line, wherein the load device is powered by a direct current power signal propagated by the conductors from the power device to the load device; and

a processor that causes the communication circuit to transmit data to the power device over the conductors that propagate the direct current power signal from the power device to the load device, wherein the data includes information from which the power device determines a target power level for the load device, and the power device adjusts the power in the direct current power signal to match the target power level.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor receives a sensor signal from a photosensor, and wherein the data, which the load communicator transmitted to the power device over the conductors that propagate the direct current power signal from the power device to the load device, comprises a light level that the processor determined from the sensor signal.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein load device comprises a light fixture, and wherein the power device determines the target power level for the load device based on the light level.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the communication circuit communicates with the power device, on behalf of a plurality of load devices including the load device, over the conductors in the line, and wherein the power device powers the load devices over the conductors in the line.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the conductors consist of just two conductors.