Controlling and minimizing electrical power consumed by electrical components connected to a networked computing environment

• US 8,738,943 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Generac Power Systems Incorporated (Generac Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Amadeu, Ariane Hernandes
• Primary Examiner(s): Yanchus, III, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choudhury, Zahid
• Application Number:
  US13/052,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20120246497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/310, 713/320
• US Class Current: 713/310
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for controlling and minimizing electrical power consumption of a plurality of lights and electronic devices connected to a networked computing environment, wherein asset and space management software can be utilized to monitor and remotely turn off the electronic devices that are determined as not being utilized, based on observed indicators of inactivity associated with the electronic devices. Specifically, the location of the electronic devices are determined and then registered and stored in a database, wherein the electronic devices include desktop computers, laptops, phones, and heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that are connected to the networked computing environment.

Claims

1. A method for controlling electrical power consumption of electrical components connected to a networked computing environment, the method comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, location information of electrical components that are connected to a networked computing environment;

receiving, by one or more processors, computer related events of one or more electrical components that are logged in to and connected to the networked computing environment, wherein the received computer related events include one or more of;

sound received through a computer microphone, and motion detected through a webcam;

determining, by one or more processors, that utilization associated with one of the computer related events of the electrical components that are logged in to and connected to the networked computing environment is less than a corresponding threshold condition of utilization;

responsive to determining that the utilization associated with the one computer related event of an electrical component that is logged in to and connected to the networked computing environment is less than the corresponding threshold condition of utilization, turning off, by one or more processors, the electrical component; and

turning off, by one or more processors, one or more of the electrical components based on location information of the one or more electrical components in relation to the one electrical component with utilization associated with the computer related event that is less than the associated threshold condition of utilization.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the one or more electrical components are connected to the networked computing environment through a wired access point or a wireless access point connection;

and

wherein the one or more electrical components include one or more of;

lights, laptop computers, desktop computers, phones, printers, and heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein location information of the one or more electrical components connected to the networked computing environment is determined

by trilateration or triangulation for any of the one or more electrical components connected through a wireless access point connection, and/or retrieving a previously stored location for any of the one or more electrical components through a wired access point.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

utilization associated with the computer related events includes one or more of:

timestamp information of the computer related events, and custom option information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold condition of utilization is a configurable threshold condition corresponding to computer related events.

6. A system for controlling electrical power consumption of electrical components connected to a networked computing environment, the system comprising:

a bus;

a processor coupled to the bus;

a memory medium coupled to the bus, the memory medium comprising instructions to;

determine location information of electrical components that are connected to a networked computing environment;

receive computer related events of one or more electrical components that are logged in to and connected to the networked computing environment, wherein the received computer related events include one or more of;

sound received through a computer microphone, and motion detected through a webcam;

determine that utilization associated with one of the computer related events of the electrical components that are logged in to and connected to the networked computing environment is less than a corresponding threshold condition of utilization;

responsive to determining that the utilization associated with the one computer related event of an electrical component that is logged in to and connected to the networked computing environment is less than the corresponding threshold condition of utilization, turn off the electrical components; and

turn off one or more of the electrical components based on location information of the one or more electrical components in relation to the one electrical component with utilization associated with the computer related event that is less than the associated threshold condition of utilization.

7. The system of claim 6,

wherein the one or more electrical components are connected to the networked computing environment through a wired access point or a wireless access point connection;

and

wherein the one or more electrical components include one or more of;

lights, laptop computers, desktop computers, phones, printers, and heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein location information of the one or more electrical components connected to the networked computing environment is determined by trilateration or triangulation for any of the one or more electrical components connected through a wireless access point connection, and/or retrieving a previously stored location for any of the one or more electrical components through a wired access point.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein utilization associated with the computer related events includes one or more of:

timestamp information of the computer related events, and custom option information.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the threshold condition of utilization is a configurable threshold condition corresponding to computer related events.

11. A computer program product for controlling electrical power consumption of electrical components connected to a networked computing environment, the computer program product comprising:

one or more hardware storage device and program instructions stored on the one or more hardware storage device, to;

determine, by one or more processors, location information of electrical components that are connected to a networked computing environment;

receive computer related events of one or more electrical components that are logged in to and connected to the networked computing environment, wherein the received computer related events include one or more of;

sound received through a computer microphone, and motion detected through a webcam;

determine that utilization associated with one of the computer related events of the electrical components that are logged in to and connected to the networked computing environment is less than a corresponding threshold condition of utilization;

responsive to determining that the utilization associated with the one computer related event of an electrical component that is logged in to and connected to the networked computing environment is less than the corresponding threshold condition of utilization, turn off the electrical components; and

turn off one or more of the electrical components based on location information of the one or more electrical components in relation to the one electrical component with utilization associated with the computer related event that is less than the associated threshold condition of utilization.

12. The computer program product of claim 11,

wherein the one or more electrical components are connected to the networked computing environment through a wired access point or a wireless access point connection;

and

wherein the one or more electrical components include one or more of;

lights, laptop computers, desktop computers, phones, printers, and heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein location information of the one or more electrical components connected to the networked computing environment is determined

by trilateration or triangulation for any of the one or more electrical components connected through a wireless access point connection, and/or retrieving a previously stored location for any of the one or more electrical components through a wired access point.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein utilization associated with the computer related events includes one or more of:

timestamp information of the computer related events, and custom option information.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the threshold condition of utilization is a configurable threshold condition corresponding to computer related events.