Network remote power management outlet strip

• US 7,171,461 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• 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: Cleveland, Andrew J., Auclair, Brian P., Maskaly, James P., McGlumphy, Dennis W., Ewing, Carrel W., Bigler, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, ASHOKKUMAR B
• Application Number:
  US10/313,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20030126253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 307/34, 307/35, 307/36, 307/37, 307/38, 307/11, 307/18, 307/31, 307/32, 307/43, 307/149, 307/150, 361/601, 361/622, 713/330, 713/340, 439/652, 337/186, 337/189, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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 vertical-mount network remote power management outlet strip embodiment of the present invention comprises a long, thin outlet strip body with several independently controllable power outlet sockets distributed along its length. A power input cord is provided at one end, and this supplies AC-operating power to relays associated with each of the power outlet sockets. The relays are each addressably controlled by a microprocessor connected to an internal I2C-bus serial communications channel. The power-on status of each relay output to the power outlet sockets is sensed and communicated back on the internal I2C-bus. A device-networking communications processor with an embedded operating system translates messages, status, and controls between the internal I2C-bus and an Ethernet port, and other external networks.

Claims

1. A remotely manageable power management output strip comprising in combination:

A. a power strip housing;

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

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

E. a communications bus disposed in the power strip housing;

F. a plurality of power control sections disposed in the power strip housing, each said power control section 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 disposed in the power strip housing, being in communication with said communications bus, and having a communications processor system in communication with (i) said communications bus;

(ii) said plurality of power control sections through the communications bus;

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

H. a display disposed in the power strip housing in communication with the communications bus; and

I. a current determining section disposed in the power strip housing in communication with the communications bus, whereby the current determining section may communicate power-related information to said display.

2. The remotely manageable power management output strip 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 remotely manageable power management output strip 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.

4. The remotely manageable power management output strip 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.

5. The remotely manageable power management output strip 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.

6. The remotely manageable power management output strip of claim 3 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. The remotely manageable power management output strip of claim 1 wherein said communications section includes a slave application in communication with a slave communications port mounted in the plug strip housing, whereby the communications system may serve as a slave to a master communications section in a separate remotely manageable power management output strip.

8. A remotely manageable power management output strip 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 remotely manageable power management output strip comprising in combination:

A. a power strip housing;

B. a power input disposed in the power strip housing;

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

D. at least one intelligent power section disposed in the power strip 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 disposed in the power strip housing in independent communication with the 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 strip 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 intelligent power sections in the power strip housing.

9. The remotely manageable power management output strip of claim 8 wherein the network communications module also includes a second communications port communicatingly connectable to at least an additional remotely manageable power management output strip.

10. The remotely manageable power management output strip of claim 9 wherein the first communications port provides a first communications service format and the second communications port provides a second communications service format.

11. The remotely manageable power management output strip 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 remotely manageable power management output strip.

12. The remote power output strip of claim 9 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 remotely manageable power management output strip.

13. The remote power output strip of claim 10 wherein the network communications module is removably mounted in the power strip 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 remotely manageable power management output strip.

14. The remote power output strip of claim 8 wherein the current display mounted in association with the power strip housing is in current-determining communication with the plurality of power outputs.

15. The remote power output strip of claim 9 wherein the current display mounted in association with the power strip housing is in current-determining communication with the plurality of power outputs.

16. The remote power output strip of claim 11 wherein the current display mounted in association with the power strip housing is in current-determining communication with the plurality of power outputs.

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

18. The remote power output strip of claim 9 wherein the network communications module alternately comprises a master application or a plural slave application, whereby the master application may communicate with a plurality of slave network communications modules in an additional remotely manageable power management output strip.

19. The remote power output strip of claim 10 wherein the network communications module is removably mounted in the power strip housing and alternately comprises a master application or a plural slave application, whereby the master application may communicate with a plurality of slave network communications modules in an additional remotely manageable power management output strip.

20. The remote power output strip of claim 14 wherein the network communications module may alternately comprise a master application or a plural slave application, whereby the master application may communicate with a plurality of slave network communications modules in an additional remotely manageable power management output strip.

21. The remote power output strip of claim 15 wherein the network communications module is removably mounted in the power strip housing and may alternately comprise a master application or a plural slave application, whereby the master application may communicate with a plurality of slave network communications modules in an additional remotely manageable power management output strip.