# US 2019/0377394 A1 · Methods and systems for identifying a connection path between a power source and a load

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- Number: US 2019/0377394 A1
- Document ID: US20190377394A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/396,854
- Filed: 2019-04-29
- Published: 2019-12-12
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-08
- Assignees: Ovh
- Applicants: Ovh
- Inventors: Miroslaw Piotr KLABA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190377394A1

## CPC

- G06F 1/26: Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C)
- H02J 13/00: Circuit arrangements for providing remote monitoring or remote control of equipment in a power distribution network
- H02J 9/06: with automatic change-over {, e.g. UPS systems}
- H05K 7/1497: {Rooms for data centers; Shipping containers therefor}
- 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 20/12: Energy storage units, uninterruptible power supply [UPS] systems or standby or emergency generators, e.g. in the last power distribution stages
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- 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

Methods and systems identify connection paths between a power source and a plurality of loads. A reachability signal is sent on a cable connecting a power output of the power source to a power distribution unit (PDU). The PDU receives the reachability and forwards a modified reachability signal on one or more power outputs of the PDU to one or more loads. The PDU receives a return reachability signal from the one or more loads and forwards corresponding modified return reachability signals on the cable to the power source. The power output of the power source receives a plurality of modified return reachability signals that each comprises an identity of the PDU, an identity of a respective power output of the PDU, and an identity of a respective load. A reference between these identities is stored by the power source in a database.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method implemented in a power source for identifying connection paths between the power source and a plurality of loads, comprising:
sending, from a power output of the power source, on a cable connecting the power output of the power source to a power distribution unit (PDU), a reachability signal comprising an identity of the power source and an identity of the power output of the power source;
receiving, at the power output of the power source, on the cable, a plurality of return reachability signals, each received return reachability signal comprising the identity of the power source, the identity of the power output of the power source, an identity of the PDU, an identity of a respective power output of the PDU, and an identity of a respective load; and
for each received return reachability signal, storing, in a database, a respective reference between the identity of the power source, the identity of the power output of the power source, the identity of the PDU, the identity of the respective power output of the PDU, and the identity of the respective load.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
each return reachability signal further comprises an identity of a power input of the respective load; and
the method further comprises storing the identity of the power input of the respective load in the respective reference.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
each return reachability signal further comprises an identity of a power input of the PDU; and
the reference stored in the database for each return reachability signal further comprises the identity of the power input of the PDU.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the power output of the power source is one of a plurality of power outputs of the power source, the PDU is one of a plurality of PDUs, the cable is one of a plurality of cables, each one of the plurality of cables respectively connecting one of the plurality of power outputs of the power source to a respective one of the plurality of PDUs, the method further comprising:
sending a reachability signal on each cable connecting a respective one of the plurality of power outputs of the power source to a respective one of the plurality of PDUs, each reachability signal comprising the identity of the power source and an identity of the respective one of the plurality of power outputs of the power source;
receiving a plurality of additional return reachability signals, each return reachability signal:
being received at a given one of the plurality of power outputs of the power source, and
comprising the identity of the power source, the identity of the given one of the plurality of power outputs of the power source, an identity of a given one of the plurality of PDUs that is respective to the given one of the plurality of power outputs of the power source, an identity of a power output of the given one of the plurality of PDUs, and an identity of a given one of the plurality of loads; and
for each of the plurality of additional return reachability signals, storing in the database a reference between:
the identity of the power source, the identity of the given one of the plurality of power outputs of the power source, the identity of the given one of the plurality of PDUs, the identity of the power output of the given one of the plurality of PDUs, and the identity the given one of the plurality of loads.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein:
each return reachability signal further comprises an identity of a power input of the given one of the plurality of PDUs; and
the reference stored in the database for each return reachability signal further comprises the identity of the power input of the given one of the plurality of PDUs.

### Claim 6

A method implemented in a power distribution unit (PDU) for identifying a connection path between a power source and a load, comprising:
receiving, at a power input of the PDU, on an input cable connecting the power input of the PDU to the power source, a reachability signal comprising an identity of the power source and an identity of a power output of the power source;
in response to receiving the reachability signal, forwarding, from a power output of the PDU, on an output cable connecting the power output of the PDU to the load, a modified reachability signal comprising the identity of the power source, the identity of the power output of the power source, an identity of the PDU, an identity of the power output of the PDU;
after the forwarding of the modified reachability signal, receiving, at the power output of the PDU, on the output cable, a return reachability signal comprising the identity of the power source, the identity of the power output of the power source, the identity of the PDU, the identity of the power output of the PDU and an identity of the load; and
in response to receiving the return reachability signal, forwarding, from the power input of the PDU, on the input cable, a modified return reachability signal comprising the identity of the power source, the identity of the power output of the power source, the identity of the PDU, the identity of the power output of the PDU and the identity of the load.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising storing, in a database, a reference between the identity of the load, the identity of the power source, the identity of the power output of the power source, the identity of the PDU, and the identity of the power output of the PDU.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein each of the modified reachability signal, the return reachability signal and the modified return reachability signal further comprises an identity of the power input of the PDU.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising storing, in a database, a reference between the identity of the load, the identity of the power source, the identity of the power output of the power source, the identity of the PDU, the identity of the power output of the PDU and the identity of the power input of the PDU.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the power output of the PDU is one of a plurality of power outputs of the PDU, the load is one of a plurality of loads, the output cable is one of a plurality of output cables, each one of the plurality of output cables respectively connecting one of the plurality of power outputs of the PDU to one of the plurality of loads, the method further comprising:
broadcasting the modified reachability signal on the plurality of power outputs of the PDU; and
for each given one of the plurality power outputs of the PDU:
receiving a return reachability signal comprising an identity of a respective one of the plurality of loads, and
forwarding, on the power input of the PDU, a modified return reachability signal comprising an identity of the given one of the plurality of power outputs of the PDU and the identity of the respective one of the plurality of loads.

### Claim 11

A power source, comprising:
a power output adapted to supply electric power to a plurality of loads via a cable connecting the power output to a power distribution unit (PDU), the power output being further adapted to send and receive signals to and from the PDU via the cable; and
a processor operatively connected to a database and to the power output, the processor being adapted to:
cause the power output to send to the PDU, on the cable, a reachability signal comprising an identity of the power source and an identity of the power output of the power source,
receive, from the power output, a plurality of return reachability signals, each return reachability signal comprising the identity of the power source, the identity of the power output of the power source, an identity of the PDU, an identity of a respective power output of the PDU, and an identity of a respective load, and
cause the database to store, for each return reachability signal, a respective reference between the identity of the power source, the identity of the power output of the power source, the identity of the PDU, the identity of the respective power output of the PDU, and the identity of the respective load.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The power source of claim 11, wherein:
each return reachability signal further comprises an identity of a power input of the PDU; and
the reference stored in the database for each return reachability signal further comprises the identity of the power input of the PDU

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The power source of claim 11, wherein the power output is one of a plurality of power outputs, the PDU is one of a plurality of PDUs, the cable is one of a plurality of cables, each one of the plurality of cables respectively connecting one of the plurality of power outputs to a respective one of the plurality of PDUs, the processor being further adapted to:
cause sending a reachability signal on each cable connecting a respective one of the plurality of power outputs to a respective one of the plurality of PDUs, each reachability signal comprising the identity of the power source and an identity of the respective one of the plurality of power outputs of the power source;
receive, from a given one of the plurality of power outputs, a plurality of additional return reachability signals, each return reachability signal comprising the identity of the power source, the identity of the given one of the plurality of power outputs of the power source, an identity of a given one of the plurality of PDUs that is respective to the given one of the plurality of power outputs of the power source, and an identity of a power output of the given one of the plurality of PDUs, and an identity of a given one of the plurality of loads, and
cause the database to store, for each return reachability signal, a reference between the identity of the power source, the identity of the given one of the plurality of power outputs, the identity of the given one of the plurality of PDUs, the identity of the power output of the given one of the plurality of PDUs, and the identity of the given one of the plurality of loads.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein:
each return reachability signal further comprises an identity of a power input of the given one of the plurality of PDUs; and
the reference stored in the database for each return reachability signal further comprises the identity of the power input of the given one of the plurality of PDUs.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The power source of claim 11, wherein the power source is an uninterruptible power supply.

### Claim 16

A power distribution unit (PDU), comprising:
a power input adapted to receive electric power from a power source via an input cable and to send and receive signals to and from the power source via the input cable;
a power output adapted to supply electric power to a load via an output cable and to send and receive signals to and from the load via the output cable; and
a processor operatively connected to the power input and to the power output, the processor being adapted to:
receive, from the power input, a reachability signal comprising an identity of the power source and an identity of a power output of the power source,
in response to receiving the reachability signal, cause the power output to forward a modified reachability signal to the load, the modified reachability signal comprising the identity of the power source, the identity of the power output of the power source, an identity of the PDU, an identity of the power output of the PDU,
after the forwarding of the modified reachability signal, receive, from the power output, a return reachability signal comprising the identity of the power source, the identity of the power output of the power source, the identity of the PDU, the identity of the power output of the PDU and an identity of the load, and
in response to receiving the return reachability signal, cause the power input to forward to the power source, on the input cable, a modified return reachability signal comprising the identity of the power source, the identity of the power output of the power source, the identity of the PDU, the identity of the power output of the PDU and the identity of the load.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The PDU of claim 16, wherein each of the modified reachability signal, the return reachability signal and the modified return reachability signal further comprises an identity of the power input of the PDU.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The PDU of claim 16, further comprising a modem implementing a power line communication protocol and operatively connected to the processor, to the power input and to the power output of the PDU, the modem being adapted to generate the modified reachability signal and the modified return reachability signal and to interpret the reachability signal and the return reachability signal.