Network power administration system

• US 8,489,667 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2005
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Server Technology Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Server Technology Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Ewing, Carrel W., Auclair, Brian P., Cleveland, Andrew J., Maskaly, James P., McGlumphy, Dennis W., Bigler, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US11/126,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20050203987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,990 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/223, 361/601, 361/622, 713/340, 439/652, 307/11, 307/18, 307/31, 307/32, 307/36, 307/37, 307/43, 307/149
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• 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 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3246 by software initiated power-off
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/364 using independent requests or grants, e.g. using separated request and grant lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/261 PC controlled powerstrip
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 47/00 Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the relay and designed to obtain desired operating characteristics or to provide energising current
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/003 the coupling part being secured only to wires or cables
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0005 the elements or equipment being or involving power plugs or sockets
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/66 one of the loads acting as master and the other or others acting as slaves
• 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: 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/14 Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 : using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

A vertical-mount network remote power management outlet strip embodiment of the present invention comprises a long, thin outlet strip body with several independently controllable power outlet sockets distributed along its length. A power input cord is provided at one end, and this supplies AC-operating power to relays associated with each of the power outlet sockets. The relays are each addressably controlled by a microprocessor connected to an internal I2C-bus serial communications channel. The power-on status of each relay output to the power outlet sockets is sensed and communicated back on the internal I2C-bus. A device-networking communications processor with an embedded operating system translates messages, status, and controls between the internal I2C-bus and an Ethernet port, and other external networks.

Claims

1. A method of remotely managing a power distribution system comprising in combination:

A. with a power manager system running at least in part on a power manager computing system communicatingly connected to a communications network, monitoring at least one remotely located power distribution unit installed in a RETMA equipment rack having a network appliance stack-mounting area, the power distribution unit having;

i. a power distribution unit housing mounted in a portion of the RETMA equipment rack externally of the network appliance stack-mounting area;

ii. at least one power input disposed in the power distribution unit housing;

iii. a first plurality of power outlet sockets disposed in the power distribution unit housing, at least one power outlet socket being connected to a first appliance installed in the rack and a second power outlet socket being connected to a second appliance installed in the rack;

iv. power output control apparatus disposed in the power distribution unit housing and being controllably connected to the at least one power outlet socket and the second power outlet socket among said first plurality of power outlet sockets; and

v. a network communications system (i) supporting a transfer-control protocol/Internet Protocol and (ii) communicatingly connected to the communications network;

B. with the power manager system, creating one or more subsets of the power outlet sockets among the first plurality of power outlet sockets;

C. with the power manager system, administratively restricting level of access by another user to one or more of the subsets of said power outlet sockets;

D. with the power manager system, monitoring a subordinate power distribution unit through the power distribution unit, the subordinate power distribution unit comprising at least a second plurality of power outlet sockets;

E. with the power manager system, creating one or more subsets of the power outlet sockets among the second plurality of power outlet sockets; and

F. with the power manager system, establishing a power on sequence for one or more of the power outlet sockets in one or more of the subsets of the first plurality of power outlet sockets and a power on sequence for one or more of the power outlet sockets in one or more of the subsets of the second plurality of power outlet sockets.

2. The method of remotely managing a power distribution system of claim 1 also including:

G. with the power manager system, administratively restricting the level of access by another user to one or more of the subsets of the second plurality of power outlet sockets.

3. The method of remotely managing a power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the power distribution housing comprises a relatively long, thin outlet strip vertically mountable in an electrical equipment rack.

4. The method of remotely managing a power distribution system of claim 2, wherein the power distribution housing comprises a relatively long, thin outlet strip vertically mountable in an electrical equipment rack.

5. The method of remotely managing a power distribution system of claim 1, also including:

G. with the power manager system, generating a user interface on a user terminal associated with the power manager computing system.

6. The method of remotely managing a power distribution system of claim 1, also including:

G. with the power manager system, generating a user interface on a user terminal associated with the at least one remotely located power distribution unit.

7. The method of remotely managing a power distribution system of claim 1, also including:

G. with the power manager system, generating a value indicative of current flow through the at least one power input and displaying the value on a display associated with the at least one remotely located power distribution unit.

8. The method of remotely managing a power distribution system of claim 7, wherein generating a value indicative of current flow comprises averaging current values over a plurality of AC cycles.

9. The method of remotely managing a power distribution system of claim 1, also including:

G. executing a resynchronization program in the at least one remotely located power distribution unit housing.