# US 8,786,131 B2 · Uninterruptible power supply and method for enabling the same to save energy > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,786,131 B2 - Document ID: US8786131B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/791,125 - Filed: 2010-06-01 - Published: 2010-12-02 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2009-06-01 - Assignees: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC - Applicants: You Chen; Yu Ma - Inventors: You Chen; Yu Ma - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8786131B2 ## CPC - H02J 9/06: with automatic change-over {, e.g. UPS systems} - H02J 9/005: {using a power saving mode (for copiers G03G15/5004)} - Y02B 70/30: Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level - Y04S 20/20: End-user application control systems - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - 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 An uninterruptible power supply configured to automatically detect a load level and automatically power off and disable power supply or automatically power on and enable the power supply based on a detected load level, so that energy of a backup source of the uninterruptible power supply is not wasted and a life-cycle of the uninterruptible power supply is extended. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An uninterruptible power supply having a standby mode and a backup mode, the uninterruptible power supply comprising: an input unit configured to receive AC input power from an AC source; a control unit coupled to the input unit; and an output unit coupled to the control unit and configured to supply AC output power to a load; wherein the control unit is configured to: automatically detect a load level measurement; determine whether the uninterruptible power supply is operating in the backup mode or the standby mode based on whether power is being supplied to a load from the uninterruptible power supply, wherein the backup mode is determined when the uninterruptible power supply supplies power to the load and the standby mode is determined when the uninterruptable power supply does not supply the power to the load; automatically power off to disable the power supplies to the load when operating in the backup mode and when the detected load level measurement is less than a predetermined value; and automatically power on and start supplying power to the load according to the detected load level measurement. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, wherein when operating in the standby mode and when the detected load level measurement is greater than the predetermined value, the uninterruptible power supply is configured to automatically power on to enable the power supply to the load. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The uninterruptible power supply according to claim 2, wherein the load level measurement is an output power of the load. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, wherein the load has a backup battery and the control unit is further configured to: determine that the detected load level measurement is greater than or equal to the predetermined value when the load is in a non-working state and a power of the backup battery is not complete; continue operating in the backup mode to charge the backup battery of the load until the power of the backup battery is complete; and determine that the detected load level measurement is less than the specified value, automatically shut down the backup battery, and cut off an AC output to enter the standby mode after the backup battery of the load is charged to complete power. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to control an operating mode of the uninterruptible power supply and automatically detect the load level-measurement to enable the uninterruptible power supply to automatically power off and stop supplying power to the load. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The uninterruptible power supply according to claim 5, wherein the control unit comprises: a current sensor configured to sense a current of the load as the detected load level measurement; a detection unit configured to process the load current sensed by the current sensor; and a judgment unit configured to determine whether the detected load level measurement is greater than the predetermined value based on the current from the detection unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The uninterruptible power supply according to claim 6, wherein the control unit further comprises a timed wakeup unit configured to: wake the uninterruptible power supply at a specified time interval when the uninterruptible power supply is in the standby mode and to enable AC power output by the output unit in a very short time interval to detect the load level measurement; enable the uninterruptible power supply to power on and start supplying power to the load when the detected load level measurement is above the predetermined value; and sleep the control unit and enable the uninterruptible power supply to enter the standby mode when the detected load level measurement is below the predetermined value. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The uninterruptible power supply according to claim 6, wherein the current sensor comprises a Hall sensor or a current sampling resistance. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises a microprocessor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, further comprising: a current sensor configured to sense a current of the load as the detected load level measurement; and a detection unit configured to process the load current sensed by the current sensor; wherein the control unit is further configured to enable the uninterruptible power supply to automatically power off and stop the power supply or to automatically power on and start the power supply based on the detected load level measurement. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The uninterruptible power supply according to claim 10, wherein the control unit comprises: a judgment unit configured to determine whether the detected load level measurement is greater than the predetermined value based on the current from the detection unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The uninterruptible power supply according to claim 11, wherein the control unit further comprises a timed wakeup unit configured to: wake the uninterruptible power supply at a specified time interval when the uninterruptible power supply is in the standby mode and to enable AC power output by the output unit in a very short time interval to detect the load level measurement; enable the uninterruptible power supply to power on and start supplying power to the load when the detected load level measurement is above the predetermined value; and sleep the control unit and enable the uninterruptible power supply to enter the standby mode when the detected load level measurement is below predetermined value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, wherein the load level measurement is an output power of the load. ### Claim 14 A method for enabling an uninterruptible power supply to save energy, the method comprising: supplying AC output power to a load; automatically detecting a load level measurement; determining whether the uninterruptible power supply is operating in the backup mode or the standby mode based on whether AC output power is being supplied to a load from the uninterruptible power supply, wherein the backup mode is determined when the uninterruptible power supply supplies AC output power to the load and the standby mode is determined when the uninterruptable power supply does not supply the AC output power to the load; automatically powering off the uninterruptible power supply and disabling power supply to the load when the uninterruptible power supply is in the backup mode and the load level measurement is less than a predetermined value; and automatically powering on the uninterruptible power supply and enabling the power supply to the load when the uninterruptible power supply is in the standby mode and the load level measurement is above the predetermined value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, further comprising: detecting whether the uninterruptible power supply is connected with an external AC source; if the detection is positive, switching from the uninterruptible power supply to an external AC source for direct power supply to the load; if the detection is negative, switching to an internal backup battery of the uninterruptible power supply for the power supply; detecting an AC output current of the load and calculating an output power of the load as the load level measurement when power is supplied from the backup battery of the uninterruptible power supply; comparing the output power of the load with the predetermined value; when the output power is greater than the predetermined value, continually enabling the AC output; and when the output power is less than the predetermined value, entering a standby mode. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising automatically powering on the uninterruptible power supply and enabling the power supply to the load when the uninterruptible power supply is in the standby mode and the load level measurement is above the predetermined value. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, further comprising: awakening the uninterruptible power supply at a predetermined time interval when the uninterruptible power supply is in the standby mode; enabling an AC output for a specified time period; detecting the AC output level as the load level measurement and comparing the detected AC output level to the predetermined value; when the detected AC output level is greater than predetermined value, automatically powering on the uninterruptible power supply; and when the detected AC output level is less than predetermined value, re-entering the standby mode.