Method and apparatus for controlling power to a device
Inventors
Krummey, Michael • Yetter, Scott J.
Assignees
GREEN POWER TECHNOLOGIES LLC • BEST ENERGY REDUCTION TECHNOLOGIES LLC
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Publication Number
US-9007186-B1
Publication Date
2015-04-14
Expiration Date
Abstract
A system and method for remotely controlling power to an electrically powered device having a GFCI or surge protector is disclosed herein. The system preferably comprises an apparatus, an electrically-powered device and a controller. The apparatus preferably comprises a cord, an alternating current outlet socket, an alternating current input plug, a latching relay, a GFCI or surge protector, a processor and a transceiver. The system preferably uses a WiFi communication signal to transmit commands from the remote controller to the apparatus.
Core Innovation
A remote power control system provides ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) capability for controlling electrical power to a vending machine. The system includes an apparatus with a plug, cords, and a housing, where a GFCI female plug disables electrical power to the apparatus due to a ground fault event or an electrical power surge, and a processor transmits a warning message when the GFCI female plug disables electrical power.
The apparatus includes a transceiver for receiving commands and for wirelessly transmitting the warning message over a WiFi network and/or a local area network. A mobile phone wirelessly transmits commands to the apparatus and wirelessly receives the warning message, where the warning message is received as a warning screen on a display of the mobile phone. A command from the mobile phone controls electrical power to the vending machine through the processor and enables electrical power to the apparatus after the GFCI female plug disables electrical power.
In an apparatus implementation, electrical power to the vending machine is controlled through a latching relay positioned between an alternating current input plug and at least one alternating current outlet socket. The processor instructs the latching relay to enable and disable electrical power to the at least one alternating current outlet socket and transmits a warning message when the GFCI female plug disables electrical power to the apparatus, while the only electrical power for the vending machine is provided through the at least one alternating current outlet socket.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims are clm-00001, clm-00004, and clm-00005. They center on a GFCI-enabled apparatus that disables power upon a ground fault event or electrical power surge, transmits a warning message wirelessly over a network, and supports remote commands to control and re-enable power for a vending machine, with clm-00004 adding latching relay enable/disable control and clm-00005 defining a method flow including status updates at a mobile phone.
Mobile-phone based GFCI warning and remote re-enabling for a vending machine over WiFi
An apparatus having a plug, cords, a housing, and a GFCI female plug configured to disable electrical power to the apparatus due to a ground fault event or an electrical power surge, where a processor transmits a warning message when the GFCI female plug disables electrical power, and a transceiver receives commands and wirelessly transmits the warning message over a WiFi network, with a vending machine powered only through the apparatus and with a mobile phone wirelessly transmitting commands to control electrical power and to enable electrical power to the apparatus after the GFCI female plug disables electrical power.
Latching relay enable/disable control with GFCI-triggered network warning
An apparatus for controlling electrical power to a vending machine including at least one alternating current outlet socket, an alternating current input plug, a latching relay electrically positioned between the input plug and the at least one outlet socket, a GFCI female plug configured to disable electrical power to the apparatus due to a ground fault event or an electrical power surge, a processor configured to instruct the latching relay to enable and disable electrical power to the at least one outlet socket and to transmit a warning message when the GFCI female plug disables electrical power, and a transceiver for receiving commands and wirelessly transmitting the warning message over a local area network, where commands control electrical power to the vending machine and enable electrical power to the apparatus after the GFCI female plug blocks electrical power.
End-to-end method flow for GFCI disabling, warning, remote enabling, and status response
A method for controlling electrical power to a vending machine through an apparatus having a plug, cords, a housing, a GFCI female plug configured to disable electrical power due to a ground fault event or an electrical power surge, a processor configured to transmit a warning message when the GFCI female plug disables electrical power, and a transceiver for receiving commands and wirelessly transmitting the warning message over a WiFi network, including switching the GFCI female plug from an enabling state to a disabling state, transmitting a warning message indicating the ground fault event or electrical power surge occurred and the vending machine is no longer receiving electrical power, receiving the warning at a mobile phone over a local area network, transmitting a wireless command from the mobile phone over the local area network to enable power, receiving the wireless command at the apparatus transceiver and communicating it to the processor, switching the GFCI female plug from the disabling state to the enabling state to enable power, and transmitting a response updating the status of the vending machine to the mobile phone over the local area network.
Across the independent claims, the inventive focus is on an apparatus with GFCI capability that disables power upon a ground fault event or electrical power surge, communicates a warning message wirelessly over a network to a remote device, and accepts remote commands to control and re-enable power for a vending machine; clm-00004 further specifies latching relay-based enable/disable instruction by the processor, and clm-00005 specifies a method that includes warning reception and a response that updates vending machine status on the mobile phone.
Stated Advantages
Provides remote warning message transmission to a mobile phone when power is disabled due to a ground fault event or an electrical power surge.
Allows remote control commands from a mobile phone to control electrical power to the vending machine through the processor and to enable electrical power to the apparatus after GFCI disablement.
Uses an apparatus architecture where the only electrical power for the vending machine is provided through the apparatus outlet connection.
Documented Applications
Remote power control for electrically powered devices including a vending machine where GFCI or surge protector disables power and a remote controller is notified with an optional remote reactivation command.
Use in scenarios involving a ground fault event or an electrical power surge, with warning screens displayed on a mobile phone and remote commands for re-enabling electrical power to the vending machine.
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