Determining suitability for disconnection from an electrical outlet based on status of power supplies of a hardware device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9945893-B2
Application number	US-201514935930-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2015
Priority date	Feb 14, 2012
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A programmable logic circuit assigns a value to an outlet of a power distribution unit (PDU) that comprises a power source at an input of the PDU and at least one light-emitting diode (LED) associated with the outlet. The programmable logic circuit sends the value to a program on a hardware device that comprises one or more power supplies. The programmable logic circuit receives information from the program. Subsequently, an illumination state of the LED is modified based on the information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a first power source;
a hardware device;
an electrical outlet;
an indicator hardware set; and
a programmable logic circuit;
wherein:
the hardware device comprises a first power supply;
the hardware device is powered by the electrical outlet;
the first power supply is disconnectably electrically connected to the electrical outlet;
the first power source is disconnectably electrically connected to the electrical outlet;
the electrical outlet is configured to supply electrical power from the first power source to the first power supply through the electrical outlet;
the electrical outlet is located in close proximity to the indicator hardware set;
the hardware device is configured to:
determine information related to the status of the first power supply, the information including a first value;
generate a signal that includes the information; and
send the signal through a communication network to the programmable logic circuit; and

the programmable logic circuit is configured to:
assign the first value to the electrical outlet;
modify the first value to include a first identifier identifying the electrical outlet, and a first name representing the first power source;
send the first value to a program on the hardware device that comprises the first power supply and is powered by the electrical outlet;
receive the signal through the communication network, from the hardware device related to the status of the first power supply coupled to the electrical outlet; and
modify an indication state of the indicator hardware set based, at least in part, on the signal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the indication state indicates that the first power supply is in a suitable operational status to be electrically disconnected from the electrical outlet.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second power source;
wherein:
the information of the first power supply reflects whether the hardware device is receiving electrical power from a member of a group consisting of:
the first power source;
the second power source; and
both the first power source and the second power source.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein assigning the first value to the electrical outlet includes utilizing a switch to select the first value.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the switch is a dual-in-line package (DIP) switch having selectors that toggle to select the first value.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware device is deployed to accomplish a specific task within an infrastructure in which essential resources such as processing power, storage, and network bandwidth can be allocated as needed.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information includes a member of a group consisting of:
an identity of an outlet connected to the hardware device via the first power supply;
whether the hardware device is powered on;
whether the hardware device is powered off;
whether the hardware device is receiving electrical power via the first power supply from at least two different power sources;
a name corresponding to the first power source;
an identity of an outlet that is connected to the first power supply that is non-functional; and
an identity of an outlet that is connected to the first power supply that is functional.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein modifying the indication state of the indicator hardware set based, at least in part, on the signal comprises:
determining the hardware device is powered on and is receiving electrical power, via the first power supply, from at least two different power sources, including the first power source represented by the first name and a second power source represented by a second name; and
activating the indicator hardware set.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein modifying the indication state of the indicator hardware set based, at least in part, on the signal comprises:
determining the hardware device is powered off; and
deactivating the indicator hardware set.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein modifying the indication state of the indicator hardware set based, at least in part, on the signal comprises:
determining the hardware device is powered on;
determining the electrical outlet is connected to the first power supply, which is non-functional; and
deactivating the indicator hardware set.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein modifying the indication state of the indicator hardware set based, at least in part, on the signal comprises:
determining the hardware device is powered on;
determining the hardware device is not receiving electrical power, via the first power supply, from at least two different power sources, including the first power source represented by the first name and a second power source represented by a second name; and
causing the indicator hardware set to blink an indicator light.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein sending the first value to the program on the hardware device comprises:
sending a unique ID associated with the electrical outlet in which the unique ID allows the electrical outlet to be individually identified by the program on the hardware device.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the hardware device further comprises a set of power supplies including the first power supply; and
the hardware device is configured to determine information related to individual statuses of each power supply in the set of power supplies.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Hilburn John C
• Smith Jeffrey J
• Stanley Marshall S
• Windell David T

Classifications

• G01R21/00

  Arrangements for measuring electric power or power factor (G01R7/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K7/1492

  having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications · CPC title

• G06F1/189 Primary

  Power distribution · CPC title

• G01R31/40

  Testing power supplies (testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10) · CPC title

• G06F1/28

  Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision · CPC title