Apparatus and method for a networked power management system for security and life safety applications

• US 8,566,651 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LifeSafety Power Inc. (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: LifeSafety Power Inc. (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Liu, Guang, Holland, Joseph Malchus, Ye, Larry Liwei, Olliver, John Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUDIRKA, JOSEPH R
• Application Number:
  US12/946,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20120124418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 714/14, 714/22, 714/48, 714/56, 714/57, 714/47.1
• US Class Current: 714/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3062 where the monitored property is the power consumption power management in a computing system G06F1/3203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3065 Monitoring arrangements determined by the means or processing involved in reporting the monitored data error or fault reporting or logging G06F11/0766

Abstract

An apparatus includes a data manager and interface logic with a plurality of interface ports including at least one network interface port. The data manager and interface logic is operative to obtain digital and analog data, via the plurality of interface ports, from a plurality of digital and analog device types, where the data includes device operating parameters and alert condition notifications related to device faults or potential device failure. The data manager and interface logic is also operative to write and email a report conforming to a plurality of configurable report settings in response to occurrence of a device alert condition or a specified reporting interval, obtain updates to the device operating parameters from a remote device over the at least one network interface port, and provide the updates to corresponding devices over the plurality of interface ports.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

data manager and interface logic, comprising a plurality of interface ports including at least one network interface port, operative to;

obtain digital and analog data, via said plurality of interface ports, from a plurality of digital and analog device types, wherein said data includes device operating parameters and alert condition notifications related to device faults or potential device failure;

write and email a report conforming to a plurality of configurable report settings in response to occurrence of a device alert condition or a specified reporting interval;

obtain updates to said device operating parameters from a remote device over said at least one network interface port; and

provide said updates to corresponding devices over said plurality of interface ports.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

at least one power supply operatively coupled to control and access logic, said control and access logic operatively coupled to said data manager and interface logic, wherein said control and access logic is operative to;

monitor said power supply for fault conditions;

send control commands to local fault reporting devices in response to detection of a fault condition; and

enable said data manager and interface logic access to fault report data corresponding to said fault condition.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising:

a battery charger operatively coupled to said power supply and to said control and access logic, wherein said control and access logic is further operative to;

monitor said battery charger for fault conditions;

obtain battery charger programming commands from said data manager and interface logic, and update battery charger data in response to said programming commands; and

control switching to battery power in response to a fault condition of said power supply, or a loss of AC power to said power supply.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data manager and interface logic is further operative to:

provide a navigable graphical user interface accessible by a remote device and operable to receive inputs and provide said inputs to said data manager and interface logic over said network interface port.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data manager and interface logic is further operative to:

detect and identify each device of the plurality of digital and analog device types;

determine an alert condition for each device; and

write and email said report individually for each device in response to occurrence of a device alert condition for a corresponding individual device.

6. A method, comprising:

obtaining digital and analog data by an apparatus, via a plurality of interface ports, from a plurality of digital and analog device types, wherein said data includes device operating parameters and alert condition notifications related to device faults or potential device failure;

writing and emailing a report by the apparatus conforming to a plurality of configurable report settings in response to occurrence of a device alert condition or a specified reporting interval;

obtaining updates to said device operating parameters from a remote device over at least one network interface port; and

providing said updates to corresponding devices over said plurality of interface ports.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

monitoring a power supply for fault conditions;

sending control commands to local fault reporting devices in response to detection of a fault condition; and

enabling access, by data manager and interface logic, to fault report data corresponding to said fault condition.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising

monitoring a battery charger for fault conditions;

obtaining battery charger programming commands from said data manager and interface logic, and updating battery charger data in response to said programming commands; and

controlling switching to battery power in response to a fault condition of said power supply, or a loss of AC power to said power supply.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing a navigable graphical user interface accessible by a remote device and operable to receive inputs and provide said inputs to data manager and interface logic over said network interface port.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting and identifying each device of the plurality of digital and analog device types;

determining an alert condition for each device; and

writing and emailing said report individually for each device in response to occurrence of a device alert condition for a corresponding individual device.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a power supply and battery charger board comprising;

a power supply;

a battery charger; and

control and access logic operatively coupled to said power supply and said battery charger, wherein said control and access logic is operative to;

monitor said power supply and said battery charger for fault conditions;

send control commands to local fault reporting devices in response to detection of a fault condition;

enable remote access to fault report data corresponding to said fault condition;

obtain battery charger programming commands from a remote device via an interface, and update battery charger data in response to said programming commands; and

control switching to battery power in response to a fault condition of said power supply, or a loss of AC power to said power supply.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, comprising:

data manager and interface logic, operatively coupled to said control and access logic, said data manager and interface logic comprising a plurality of interface ports including at least one network interface port, said data manager and interface logic being operative to;

obtain digital and analog data, via said plurality of interface ports, from a plurality of digital and analog device types, wherein said data includes device operating parameters and alert condition notifications related to device faults or potential device failure;

write and email a report conforming to a plurality of configurable report settings in response to occurrence of a device alert condition or a specified reporting interval;

obtain updates to said device operating parameters from a remote device over at least one network interface port; and

provide said updates to corresponding devices, including said power supply and battery charger board, over said plurality of interface ports.

13. A computer readable memory comprising:

executable instructions for execution by at least one processor, that when executed cause said at least one processor to;

obtain digital and analog data, via a plurality of interface ports, from a plurality of digital and analog device types, wherein said data includes device operating parameters and alert condition notifications related to device faults or potential device failure;

write and email a report conforming to a plurality of configurable report settings in response to occurrence of a device alert condition or a specified reporting interval;

obtain updates to said device operating parameters from a remote device over at least one network interface port; and

provide said updates to corresponding devices over said plurality of interface ports.

14. The computer readable memory of claim 13, wherein said executable instructions, when executed further cause the at least one processor to:

monitor a power supply for fault conditions;

send control commands to local fault reporting devices in response to detection of a fault condition; and

enable access, by an operatively coupled external processor, to fault report data corresponding to said fault condition.

15. The computer readable memory of claim 14, wherein said executable instructions, when executed further cause the at least one processor to:

monitor a battery charger for fault conditions;

obtain battery charger programming commands from said external processor, and update battery charger data in response to said programming commands; and

control switching to battery power in response to a fault condition of said power supply, or a loss of AC power to said power supply.

16. The computer readable memory of claim 13, wherein said executable instructions, when executed further cause the at least one processor to:

provide a navigable graphical user interface accessible by a remote device and operable to receive inputs and provide said inputs to said at least one processor over said network interface port.

17. The computer readable memory of claim 13, wherein said executable instructions, when executed further cause the at least one processor to:

detect and identify each device of the plurality of digital and analog device types;

determine an alert condition for each device; and

write and email said report individually for each device in response to occurrence of a device alert condition for a corresponding individual device.

18. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory operatively coupled to said processor, wherein said memory contains instructions for execution by said at least one processor, wherein said at least one processor upon executing said instructions is operable to;

provide a power management system configuration graphical user interface (GUI) for display on a remote device in communication with said at least one processor over a network, wherein said GUI includes;

a navigable initial page having a plurality of selections;

a plurality of input pages, navigable to by selecting corresponding selections of said plurality of selections of said navigable initial page, said input pages including inputs for configuring alert conditions triggering email output notifications, sender email account settings, recipient email address settings, email report content settings, and device parameter settings for a plurality of power management system devices including a power supply and a battery charger.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the input pages of said GUI further include:

an email report content setting page corresponding to each power management system device of said plurality of power management system devices, wherein said email report content setting page includes a list of selectable parameters that are selectable for inclusion in an email report.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the plurality of input pages of the GUI comprises a battery charger input page for said battery charger, comprising:

a list of settable values, settable by entries into the battery charger input page.