Network remote power management outlet strip

• US 8,549,062 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US13/214,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20120042180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 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. An electrical power distribution system of a type being connectable to provide power to one or more electrical loads in an electrical equipment rack, the power distribution system comprising:

a power distribution unit enclosure comprising an integral housing mountable in an electrical equipment rack;

a power input penetrating the power distribution unit enclosure;

a plurality of power outputs disposed in the power distribution unit enclosure, wherein each of the plurality of power outputs is connectable to a corresponding one of the one or more electrical loads;

a power distribution unit bus portion having data communications capability within the power distribution unit enclosure;

an intelligent power system within the power distribution unit enclosure, and in communication with at least one of the plurality of power outputs and connectable to a communications network external to the power distribution unit enclosure, the intelligent power system comprising (i) a first controller system being in power controlling communication with at least a first power output of the plurality of power outputs and (ii) a second controller system in communication with the first controller system through the power distribution unit bus portion and being in power controlling communication with at least a second power output of the plurality of power outputs;

a remote power manager application connectable to be in communication with the intelligent power system through the power distribution unit bus portion, wherein the power manager application is in power-on sequencing communication with the intelligent power system;

wherein a communications protocol of the communications network is different than a communications protocol of the power distribution unit communications bus portion; and

wherein the intelligent power system communicates with the power manager application through the external network using a first communications protocol and communicates with the first and second controller systems through the power distribution unit bus portion using a second communications protocol.

2. The electrical power distribution system of claim 1 wherein the power manager application and intelligent power system support Internet Protocol communications through the communications network.

3. The electrical power distribution system of claim 2, wherein the power distribution unit enclosure has a vertical form factor.

4. The electrical power distribution system of claim 3, wherein the intelligent power system is in communication with each among the plurality of power outputs.

5. The electrical power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the power distribution unit enclosure has a vertical form factor.

6. The electrical power distribution system of claim 5, wherein the intelligent power system is in communication with each among the plurality of power outlets.

7. The electrical power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the intelligent power system is in communication with each among the plurality of power outputs.

8. The electrical power distribution system of claim 1, wherein the first controller system and second controller system are in controlling communication with one or more relays that each supply operating power to an associated power output.