Method and apparatus for controlling distribution of power

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9047071-B2
Application number	US-201013699073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2010
Priority date	May 21, 2010
Publication date	Jun 2, 2015
Grant date	Jun 2, 2015

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for controlling distribution of power. The apparatus is used for controlling application of power to a plurality of devices including at least one master device and at least one controlled device. The apparatus includes: a power inlet constructed and arranged to receive power from a power source; a plurality of power outlets including at least one master power outlet ( 12 M) and at least one controlled power outlet ( 12 S); and means for generating a power profile of the at least one master device electrically connected to the master power outlet, determining a characteristic of a stand-by power consumption level of the at least one master device and controlling a supply of power from the power inlet to the at least one controlled power outlet in response to a comparison of a characteristic of power delivered to the at least one master device with the characteristic of the stand-by power consumption level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for controlling application of power to a plurality of devices including at least one master device and at least one controlled device, the apparatus comprising:
a power inlet constructed and arranged to receive power from a power source;
a plurality of power outlets including at least one master power outlet and at least one controlled power outlet;
a sense circuit adapted to sense at least one first characteristic of power delivered to the at least one master power outlet; and
a controller adapted to:
generate at least one first power profile corresponding to the at least one first characteristic;
compare the at least one first power profile with at least one second power profile stored in at least one profile database and determine whether the at least one first power profile is similar to the at least one second power profile;
determine a characteristic of a stand-by power consumption level of a device electrically connected to the at least one master power outlet, wherein the stand-by power consumption level is extracted from the at least one second power profile in response to a determination that the at least one first power profile is similar to the at least one second power profile, and wherein the stand-by power consumption level is extracted from the at least one first power profile in response to a determination that the at least one first power profile is not similar to the at least one second power profile;
compare the first characteristic of power delivered to the at least one master power outlet with the characteristic of the stand-by power consumption level; and
control a supply of power from the power inlet to the at least one controlled outlet responsive to the comparison of the first characteristic of power with the characteristic of the stand-by power consumption level.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first characteristic of power delivered to the at least one master power outlet is current.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the at least one first characteristic of power delivered to the at least one master power outlet further comprises voltage.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the stand-by power consumption level is total power.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the stand-by power consumption level is current.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a non-volatile memory configured to store a representation of the stand-by power consumption level.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one profile database includes a pre-programmed profile database.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein in response to a determination that the at least one first power profile is not similar to the at least one second power profile, the controller is further adapted to store the at least one first power profile in the at least one profile database.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an uninterruptable power supply.

10. A method of controlling power distribution to a plurality of devices including at least one master device and at least one controlled device, the at least one master device having at least a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, with the second mode of operation being a lower power mode of operation than the first mode of operation, the method comprising:
providing power to the at least one master device through at least one primary outlet;
sensing at least one characteristic of the power provided through the at least one primary outlet with the at least one master device in the second mode of operation;
generating, based on the act of sensing, a first power profile of the at least one master device;
comparing the first power profile with at least one second power profile stored in at least one database and determining whether the first power profile is similar to the at least one second power profile;
setting a first threshold characteristic of the power provided through the primary outlet, wherein the first threshold characteristic is extracted from the at least one second power profile in response to a determination that the first power profile is similar to the at least one second power profile, and wherein the first threshold characteristic is extracted from the first power profile in response to a determination that the first power profile is not similar to the at least one second power profile;
providing power, in the first mode of operation, to the at least one controlled device through a secondary outlet;
measuring an operating characteristic of power provided through the primary outlet; and
controlling power to the at least one controlled device responsive to the measured operating characteristic of power provided through the primary outlet.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising verifying, in response to a determination that the first power profile is not similar to the at least one second power profile, whether the first power profile is accurate.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising storing, in response to a determination that the first power profile is accurate, the first power profile in the at least one database.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein sensing the at least one characteristic of power provided through the primary outlet to the master device is initiated manually by a user.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing an indication that the master device is operating in the second mode of operation.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising removing, in the second mode of operation, power to the at least one controlled device responsive to the operating characteristic of power provided through the primary outlet being at least one of the same as or less than the first threshold characteristic of the power provided through the primary outlet.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising setting a second threshold characteristic of power provided through the primary outlet based on the sensed characteristic of the power provided through the primary outlet.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the act of providing power, in the first mode of operation, to the at least one controlled device through a secondary outlet comprises providing power to the at least one controlled device responsive to the operating characteristic of power provided through the primary outlet being greater than the second threshold characteristic of the power provided through the primary outlet.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising replacing the at least one master device with at least one second master device, the at least one second master device having at least a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, with the second mode of operation being a lower power mode of operation than the first mode of operation;
providing power to the at least one second master device through the at least one primary outlet;
sensing at least one characteristic of the power provided through the primary outlet with the second master device in the second mode of operation;
generating, based on the act of sensing, a third power profile of the at least one second master device;
comparing the third power profile with the at least one second power profile stored in the at least one database and determining whether the third power profile is similar to the at least one second power profile; and
setting a third threshold characteristic of the power provided through the primary outlet, wherein the third threshold charact

Assignees

• Galsim Marlon
• Chiang Wei-Shih
• Schneider Electric It Corp

Inventors

• Galsim Marlon
• Chiang Wei-Shih

Classifications

• H02J2105/51

  according to a condition being electrical · CPC title

• G06F1/266 Primary

  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 title

• H01R25/003

  the coupling part being secured only to wires or cables · CPC title

• H02J3/14

  by switching loads on to, or off from, the networks, e.g. progressively balanced loading · CPC title

• H02J9/005

  using a power saving mode (for copiers G03G15/5004) · CPC title