# US 2013/0154512 A1 · Smart power device

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- Number: US 2013/0154512 A1
- Document ID: US20130154512A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/769,550
- Filed: 2013-02-18
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2009-02-20
- Assignees: Redwood Systems, Inc.
- Inventors: Mark Covaro; Dave Leonard
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130154512A1

## CPC

- G05F 1/577: for plural loads
- H02J 4/00: Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as AC or DC; Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks combining AC and DC sections or sub-networks (arrangements using intermediate DC-AC-DC conversion H02J1/002; arrangements using high-voltage DC [HVDC] links H02J3/36)
- H04B 3/548: {the power on the line being DC (arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02)}
- H05B 47/10: Controlling the light source
- H05B 47/185: via power line carrier transmission
- H02J 13/12: Monitoring network conditions, e.g. electrical magnitudes or operational status
- H02J 13/1321: {using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus}
- H02J 2105/42: Home appliances
- H04B 2203/5441: Wireless systems or telephone
- H04B 2203/5445: Local network
- H04B 2203/545: Audio/video application, e.g. interphone
- H04B 2203/547: via DC power distribution
- Y02B 20/40: Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
- 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)
- Y04S 40/121: using the power network as support for the transmission
- Y04S 40/124: using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
- G05F: SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H04B: TRANSMISSION
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## Abstract

A power device may include channels coupled to conductors in lines, where each one of the channels is coupled to a different one of the lines than the other channels and where the channels deliver direct current power signals over the conductors to the load devices. Each one of the load devices may be powered by a different one of the direct current power signals. The power device may include a power communicator that communicates with the load devices over the conductors that propagate the direct current power signals. The power communicator may determine a target power level for the load devices based on the communication over the conductors. The load device may adjust an amount of power in the direct current power signals in order to match the target power level.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a power converter configured to power a plurality of light fixtures with direct current power signals transmitted over wiring from the power converter to the light fixtures; and
a power communicator configured to communicate with a plurality of load communicators, each of the load communicators paired with a corresponding one of the light fixtures, wherein
the power communicator is further configured to determine a respective target power level for each of the light fixtures based on the communication with the load communicators and to cause the power converter to the power each of the light fixtures at the respective target power level.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 further comprising channels configured to couple the power converter to the wiring, wherein the wiring and the light fixtures are affixed to a building.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the power communicator is further configured to identify a model of each of the light fixtures based on the communication with the load communicators.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 further comprising a network interface controller, wherein the power communicator is further configured to transmit a request over a data network via the network interface controller, wherein the request is for a driver for one of the light fixtures.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the power communicator is further configured to receive the driver over the data network and transmit the driver over the wiring to one of the load communicators corresponding to the one of the light fixtures, wherein the driver is executable with a processor in the one of the load communicators.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the power communicator is further configured to receive the driver over the data network, and wherein the driver is executable with a processor of the power communicator.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the power converter is configured to generate each of the direct current power signals out of phase with each other.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 further comprising a first power device that comprises the power converter and the power communicator, wherein the first power device is configured to communicate with a second power device over a data network.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the direct current power signals generated by the first power device are a plurality of first direct current power signals, and wherein the first power device is configured to generate each of the first direct current power signals out of phase with a plurality of second direct current power signals generated by the second power device based on communication between the first power device and the second power device over the data network.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the power communicator is further configured to receive a power level reading from one of the load communicators, determine, from the power level reading, a power drop from the power converter to a corresponding one of the light fixtures that is paired with the one of the load communicators, and determine whether the corresponding one of the light fixtures is properly connected based on the power drop.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 further comprising a network interface controller, wherein the power communicator is further configured to receive the respective target power level for each of the light fixtures over a data network via the network interface controller.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the power communicator is further configured to receive the respective target power level for each of the light fixtures from a corresponding one of the load communicators.

### Claim 13

A system comprising:
a power device comprising a power converter and a power communicator,
the power converter configured to power a plurality of load devices with direct current power signals transmitted over wiring from the power converter to the load devices, and
the power communicator configured to communicate with a plurality of load communicators, each of the load communicators paired with a corresponding one of the load devices; and
a computing device configured to communicate with the power device over a data network, the computing device further configured to determine a respective target power level for each of the light fixtures based on the communication between the power device and the load communicators and to cause the power converter to power each of the load devices at the respective target power level.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the power communicator is further configured to receive a power level measurement over the wiring from a load communicator, the power level measurement indicative of power at a load device that is paired with the load communicator, the load communicators including the load communicator, and the load devices including the load device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the power communicator is further configured to determine, based on the power level measurement, a power drop from the power converter to the load device.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the power communicator is further configured to determine whether the load device is properly connected to the power device based on the power drop.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the power communicator is further configured to determine whether a change in the power level measurement results in a change in efficiency of power conversion in the load device.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the power device is further configured to power one of the load devices with a plurality of the direct current power signals transmitted by the power device over a plurality of lines to the one of the load devices, wherein the plurality of lines are included in the wiring.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18, wherein the power device is configured to determine which of the plurality of the lines over which to communicate with a load communicator paired with the one of the load devices and to communicate with the load communicator over the determined one of the lines, wherein the load communicator is included the load communicators.

### Claim 20

A method comprising:
powering a plurality of light fixtures by transmitting direct current power signals from a power device over wiring to the light fixtures;
communicating between the power device and a plurality of load communicators, each of the load communicators paired with a corresponding one of the light fixtures; and
determining a respective target power level for each of the light fixtures with the power device based on data communicated between the power device and the load communicators; and
adjusting the power of the direct current power signals with the power device to match the respective target power level determined for each of the light fixtures.