System and method for notifying and for controlling power demand

• US 8,849,473 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Claise, Benoit, Parello, John D., Schoening, Charles B., Tychon, Emmanuel, Ghose, Tirthankar
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ramesh
• Application Number:
  US13/211,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20130043730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 700/291, 700/295, 700/297, 323/299, 323/300
• US Class Current: 700/297
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• 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: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/0075 for providing alternative feeding paths between load and source according to economic or energy efficiency considerations, e.g. economic dispatch
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes computing energy usage associated with a domain that includes a plurality of endpoints; identifying particular endpoints of the plurality of endpoints that are capable of switching from a first power source to a battery power source; and communicating a broadcast message to the particular endpoints to switch to their corresponding battery power source.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

computing energy usage associated with a domain that includes a plurality of endpoints;

identifying particular endpoints of the plurality of endpoints that are capable of switching from a first power source to a battery power source; and

communicating a broadcast message to the particular endpoints to switch to their corresponding battery power source.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving energy demand data;

receiving energy pricing information; and

identifying a time interval associated with higher energy demands, wherein the broadcast message before the time interval occurs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast message includes a time interval for which the particular endpoints use their corresponding battery power source.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating a second broadcast message to the particular endpoints to discontinue using their corresponding battery power source.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving acknowledgments from at least some of the particular endpoints, wherein the acknowledgments indicate that at least some of the particular endpoints will switch to their corresponding battery power source.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a discovery protocol is used in order to identify which of the plurality of endpoints have a capability to switch to their corresponding battery power source.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the particular endpoints evaluate their current battery level in order to determine that a recommendation within the broadcast message will not be followed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast message indicates at least some of the particular endpoints should switch to their corresponding battery source until associated battery levels fall below a designated percentage of battery life.

9. Logic encoded in non-transitory media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor operable to perform operations comprising:

computing energy usage associated with a domain that includes a plurality of endpoints;

identifying particular endpoints of the plurality of endpoints that are capable of switching from a first power source to a battery power source; and

communicating a broadcast message to the particular endpoints to switch to their corresponding battery power source.

10. The logic of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

receiving energy demand data;

receiving energy pricing information; and

identifying a time interval associated with higher energy demands, wherein the broadcast message before the time interval occurs.

11. The logic of claim 9, wherein the broadcast message includes a time interval for which the particular endpoints use their corresponding battery power source.

12. The logic of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

communicating a second broadcast message to the particular endpoints to discontinue using their corresponding battery power source.

13. The logic of claim 9, wherein a discovery protocol is used in order to identify which of the plurality of endpoints have a capability to switch to their corresponding battery power source.

14. The logic of claim 9, wherein at least some of the particular endpoints evaluate their current battery level in order to determine that a recommendation within the broadcast message will not be followed.

15. The logic of claim 9, wherein the broadcast message indicates at least some of the particular endpoints should switch to their corresponding battery source until associated battery levels fall below a designated percentage of battery life.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory element configured to store electronic code;

a processor operable to execute instructions associated with the electronic code; and

a demand response module configured to interface with the processor such that the apparatus is configured for;

computing energy usage associated with a domain that includes a plurality of endpoints;

identifying particular endpoints of the plurality of endpoints that are capable of switching from a first power source to a battery power source; and

communicating a broadcast message to the particular endpoints to switch to their corresponding battery power source.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is further configured for:

receiving energy demand data;

receiving energy pricing information; and

identifying a time interval associated with higher energy demands, wherein the broadcast message before the time interval occurs.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the broadcast message includes a time interval for which the particular endpoints use their corresponding battery power source.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

communicating a second broadcast message to the particular endpoints to discontinue using their corresponding battery power source.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a discovery protocol is used in order to identify which of the plurality of endpoints have a capability to switch to their corresponding battery power source, and wherein at least some of the particular endpoints evaluate their current battery level in order to determine that a recommendation within the broadcast message will not be followed.