System and method for disabling an electrical device

• US 20070271474A1
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lingafelt, Charles S., Kim, Nathaniel W.
• Application Number:
  US11/436,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20070271474A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/310
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for disabling an electrical device (e.g., that utilizes a data networking protocol such as 802.1X). Specifically, under the present invention, the electrical device is connected to a power socket of a power delivery network via a power bar. When disablement of a particular device is desired, the device is located by an authentication server (that communicates with the power bar over the power delivery network) using information stored in a devices information database. Once the particular device is located, an instruction to disable it is sent from the authentication server to a component, which then disables the device via the power bar.

Claims

1. A system for disabling an electrical device, comprising:

a power bar associated with a power socket of a power delivery network, wherein the electrical device is connected to the power delivery network via the power bar; and

a first component for providing authentication information corresponding to the electrical device to an authentication server over the power delivery network, and for disabling the electrical device via the power bar in response to an instruction received from the authentication server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first component is contained within the power bar.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first component is contained within the power socket.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second component for providing an location for the power bar; and

a third identification component for providing an identity of electrical device, wherein authentication information comprises the location and the identity, and wherein the authentication information is used to authenticate and enable the electrical device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second component and the third component are contained within the power bar.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the second component is contained within the power socket, and wherein the third component is contained within the power bar.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first database for storing information pertaining to the electrical device, the power bar, and the power socket.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first database further stores information pertaining to enablement and disablement of the electrical device.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising a second database for storing a location of the power socket, wherein the location is associated with an identity of the power socket.

10. A system for disabling an electrical device, comprising:

a power bar associated with a power socket of a power delivery network, wherein the electrical device is connected to the power delivery network via the power bar;

means for providing an identity of the electrical device; and

means for receiving the identity from the identification component, for providing the identity to an authentication server over the power delivery network, and for disabling the electrical device via the power bar in response to an instruction received from the authentication server.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for providing location of the power bar.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for receiving is contained within the power bar.

13. A method for disabling an electrical device, comprising:

receiving an instruction to disable the electrical device in a first component from an authentication server over a power delivery network; and

disabling the electrical device in response to the instruction via a power bar that is connected to a power socket of the power delivery network and the electrical device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

accessing a database to identify and locate the electrical device; and

sending the instruction from the authentication server to the first component after the accessing.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing authentication information for the electrical device from the first component to the authentication server over the power delivery network; and

enabling the electrical device via the power bar upon successful authentication of the electrical device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the electrical device is connected to the power delivery network via the power bar.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first component is contained within the power bar.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the first component is contained within the power socket.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the authentication information comprises an identity of the electrical device as provided by an third component.

19. The method of claim 19, wherein the authentication information further comprises a location of the electrical device as provided by a second component.