Power management device with communications capability and method of use

• US 8,601,291 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• 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): CONNOLLY, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US13/290,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20120117396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 361/601, 361/622, 307/11
• US Class Current: 713/300
• 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 power management device can include a housing, a power input associated with the housing, and a plurality of power outputs associated with the housing. At least certain power outputs can be connectable to one or more electrical loads external to the housing and to the power input. In some embodiments, a communications bus and one or more power control sections can be associated with the housing. In some embodiments, one or more power control sections can communicate with the communications bus and with one or more corresponding power outputs among the plurality of power outputs. In some embodiments, a power information display can communicate with the communications bus. If desired, a power information determining section can be associated with the housing and in communication with the communications bus. The power information determining section may communicate power-related information to the power information display.

Claims

1. A power management device housing;

A. a power management device housing;

B. a plurality of power inputs disposed in the power management device housing;

C. a first plurality of power outputs disposed in the power management device housing, each among the first plurality of power outputs being connectable to one or more electrical loads external to the power management device housing and connected to a first power input among the plurality of power inputs;

D. a second plurality of power outputs disposed in the power management device housing, each among the second plurality of power outputs being connectable to one or more electrical loads external to the power management device housing and connected to a second power input among the plurality of power inputs;

E. a communications bus associated with the power management device housing;

F. a plurality of power control sections associated with the power management device housing, each among the plurality of power control sections being in communication with the communications bus and thereby in power controlling communication with one or more corresponding power outputs among the first or second plurality of power outputs;

G. a communications system associated with the power management device housing, being in communication with said communications bus, and having a communications processor system in communication with (i) said communications bus;

(ii) at least one among said plurality of power control sections through the communications bus; and

(iii) a communications port connectable to an external communications link external to the power management device housing;

H. a power information display associated with the power management device housing in communication with the communications bus; and

I. a power information determining with section associated with the power management device housing in communication with the communications bus, whereby the power information determining section may communicate power-related information to the power information display,

wherein said communications section, includes a slave application in communication with a communications port mounted in the power management device housing, whereby the communications system may serve as a slave to a master communications section in a separate power management device.

2. The power management device of claim 1 wherein said communications processor system comprises an Internet Protocol network communications processor in selectively removable communication with the external communications link through the communications port.

3. The power management device of claim 2 wherein each among the plurality of power control sections includes a power control relay in power controlling communication with at least one corresponding power output.

4. The power management device of claim 1 wherein each among the plurality of power control sections includes a power-on status determination circuit, whereby the power-on status determination circuit may report power-on status of said corresponding power output through said communications bus.

5. The power management device of claim 4 wherein each among the plurality of power control sections includes a power control relay in power-controlling communication with at least one corresponding power output.

6. The power management device of claim 1 wherein each among the plurality of power control sections includes a power control relay in power-controlling communication with at least one corresponding power output.

7. A power management device of the type useable to remotely control, or assess information relating to, power provided to external electrical loads from a manager location distal from the external electrical loads, the power management device comprising in combination:

A. a power management device housing;

B. a power input disposed in the power management device housing;

C. a plurality of power outputs disposed in the power management device housing, each said power output being connectable to an electrical load external to the power management device housing;

D. at least one intelligent power section disposed in the power management device housing in power controlling communication with at least one corresponding power output among said plurality of power outputs;

E. a network communications module (i) having memory and a transfer-control-protocol/Internet Protocol network interface application system residing in the memory and providing a web page interface, and (ii) being associated with the power management device housing in communication with the at least one intelligent power sections and in communication with at least a first external network communications port; and

F. a current display mounted in association with the power management device housing in current-determining communication with at least one among the plurality of power outputs;

whereby an external power manager and the network communications module may exchange, through the first external network communications port and an external network link, information relating to the at least one intelligent power sections in the power management device housing.

8. The power management of claim 7 wherein the network communications module also includes a second communications port communicatingly connectable to at least an additional power management device.

9. The power management device of claim 8 wherein the first communications port provides a first communications service format and the second communications port provides a second communications service format.

10. The power management device of claim 9 wherein the network communications module is removably mounted in the power management device housing and alternately comprises a master application or a slave application, whereby the master application may communicate with a slave network communications module in an additional power management device.

11. The power management device of claim 9 wherein the network communications module is removably mounted in the power management device housing and alternately comprises a master application or plural slave applications, whereby the master application may communicate with a plurality of slave network communications modules in an additional power management device.

12. The power management device of claim 8 wherein the network communications module alternately comprises a master application or a slave application, whereby the master application may communicate with a slave network communications module in an additional power management device.

13. The power management device of claim 8 wherein the current display mounted in association with the power management device housing is in current-determining communication with the plurality of power outputs.

14. The power management device of claim 13 wherein the network communications module is removably mounted in the power management device housing and may alternately comprise a master application or plural slave applications, whereby the master application may communicate with a plurality of slave network communications modules in an additional power management device.

15. The power management device of claim 8 wherein the network communications module alternately comprises a master application or plural slave application, whereby the master application may communicate with a plurality of slave network communications modules in an additional power management device.

16. The power management device of claim 7 wherein the network communications module alternately comprises a master application or a slave application, whereby the master application may communicate with a slave network communications module in an additional power management device.

17. The power management device of claim 16 wherein the current display mounted in association with the power management device housing is in current-determining communication with the plurality of power outputs.

18. The power management device of claim 9 wherein the current display mounted in association with the power management device housing is in current-determining communication with the plurality of power outputs.

19. The power management device of claim 18 wherein the network communications module may alternately comprise a master application or plural slave application, whereby the master application may communicate with a plurality of network slave network communications modules in an additional power management device.

20. The power management device of claim 7 wherein the network communications module alternately comprises a master application or plural slave applications, whereby the master application may communicate with a plurality of slave network communications modules in an additional power management device.