Abstract:
An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) apparatus is controllable by a monitoring apparatus via a network system. The UPS apparatus includes a backup power supply module and a network adapting module. The backup power supply module is used for providing stable and continued power supply to a load, and includes a controller. The network adapting module includes a network controller and a network physical transmission device. The network controller is electrically connected to the controller of the backup power supply module for controlling data transmission between the network adapting module and the backup power supply module. The network physical transmission device is electrically connected to the network controller for controlling data transmission between the network adapting module and the monitoring apparatus.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) apparatus, and more particularly to a UPS apparatus controllable by a monitoring apparatus via a network system.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) apparatus is applied as backup power supply when commercial AC power supply is interrupted. Nowadays, the UPS apparatus is widely used for minimizing the influences of high and low voltage, surge voltage and noise so as to provide a stable power supply to a load such as a host computer or an electronic apparatus. If the voltage of the commercial AC power supply is subject to a sudden variation or interruption, the power supplied to the load could be maintained at an applicable level by using the UPS apparatus. The UPS apparatus is not only a power supply system, but also a power protection device. For example, when the electricity quality is unusual, the load could have sufficient time to be turned off normally in the presence of the UPS apparatus. Therefore, the undesirable system failure or data damage may be avoided.  
         [0003]     Since the UPS apparatus is very important to provide a stable power supply, the function thereof should be regularly monitored. In a case that the distance between the UPS apparatus and the monitoring apparatus is not so far, an RS232/USB interface device is satisfied to interconnect them. In such manner, the monitoring apparatus can monitor the operating statuses of the UPS apparatus via the RS232/USB interface device. On the contrary, in a case that a monitoring apparatus is required to monitor one or more UPS apparatuses in distributed locations, these UPS apparatuses can be monitored by the monitoring apparatus via a network.  
         [0004]     For being linked to the monitoring apparatus via the network, a network adapter card and a hub device should be employed. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a remote monitoring system for monitoring a UPS apparatus is shown. In  FIG. 1 , via a power cord  12 , the UPS apparatus  11  is connected to one or more host computers or electronic apparatuses  13  so as to provide stable and continued power supply to these loads. The UPS apparatus  11  is further provided with a network adapter card  14 . The monitoring apparatus  17  is connected to a hub device  16  via a network cable  18  and the hub device  16  is also connected to the network adapter card  14  via another network cable  15 . Via electrical connection of the network adapter card  14  with the hub device  16 , the UPS apparatus  11  is monitored by the monitoring apparatus  17  through network communication. The use of the network adapter card  14  facilitates linking to the network with no computer such that the UPS apparatus  11  may be distant from the monitoring apparatus  17 . Furthermore, for avoiding data damage in a case of AC power supply interruption, the hub device  16  is connected to the UPS apparatus  11 .  
         [0005]     The remote monitoring system of  FIG. 1  still has some drawbacks. For example, the network adapter card  14  and the hub device  16  are not cost-effective and occupy some space.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     It is an object of the present invention to provide an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) apparatus controllable by a monitoring apparatus via a network system so as to provide cost-effectiveness and have the function of the network hub.  
         [0007]     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) apparatus controllable by a monitoring apparatus via a network system. The UPS apparatus comprises a backup power supply module and a network adapting module. The backup power supply module provides stable and continued power supply to a load, and comprises a controller. The network adapting module comprises a network controller and a network physical transmission device. The network controller is electrically connected to the controller of the backup power supply module for controlling data transmission between the network adapting module and the backup power supply module. The network physical transmission device is electrically connected to the network controller for controlling data transmission between the network adapting module and the monitoring apparatus.  
         [0008]     In an embodiment, the network adapting module further comprises a memory device electrically connected to the network controller.  
         [0009]     In an embodiment, the memory device is a non-volatile memory.  
         [0010]     In an embodiment, the status information associated with the backup power supply module is transmitted to the monitoring apparatus via the network controller of the network adapting module.  
         [0011]     In an embodiment, a control signal is transmitted from the monitoring apparatus to the backup power supply module via the network controller of the network adapting module.  
         [0012]     In an embodiment, the backup power supply module further comprises a first communication port electrically connected to the controller. The UPS apparatus further comprises a first sensing device electrically connected to the first communication port for sensing an ambient condition of the UPS apparatus and transmitting the status information associated with the ambient condition to the controller.  
         [0013]     In an embodiment, the network adapting module further comprises a second communication port electrically connected to the network controller. The UPS apparatus further comprises a second sensing device electrically connected to the first second communication port for sensing an ambient condition of the UPS apparatus and transmitting the status information associated with the ambient condition to the network controller.  
         [0014]     In an embodiment, the network physical transmission device has a plurality of connection ports.  
         [0015]     In an embodiment, the network physical transmission device is a wireless communication transmission interface.  
         [0016]     In an embodiment, the network physical transmission device is an Ethernet Switch IC.  
         [0017]     In an embodiment, the network adapting module complies with the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) or the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).  
         [0018]     In an embodiment, the backup power supply module further comprises a filter/surge suppressor, a switching device, a charging circuit, a rechargeable battery, an inverter and an output circuit.  
         [0019]     In an embodiment, the controller of the backup power supply module is electrically connected to the switching device, the charging circuit, the rechargeable battery, the inverter and the output circuit so as to controls operations thereof.  
         [0020]     In an embodiment, the backup power supply module is electrically connected to an AC power supply device and the load via an input terminal and an output terminal, respectively. 
     
    
       [0021]     The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]      FIG. 1  is a schematic circuit block diagram illustrating a conventional remote monitoring system;  
         [0023]      FIG. 2  is a schematic circuit block diagram illustrating a remote monitoring system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a schematic circuit block diagram illustrating a remote monitoring system according to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0025]     The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed.  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a remote monitoring system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. The remote monitoring system comprising a UPS apparatus  2 , an AC power supply device  40 , a load  50 , a network system  60  and a monitoring apparatus  70 . The UPS apparatus  2  can be an on-line, off-line or line-interactive UPS apparatus, and comprises a backup power supply module  20  and a network adapting module  30 . The backup power supply module  20  comprises a filter/surge suppressor  21 , a switching device  22 , a charging circuit  23 , a rechargeable battery  24 , an inverter  25 , an output circuit  26 , a controller  27  and a communication port  28 . Via an input terminal (not shown), the backup power supply module  20  is electrically connected to the AC power supply device  40 . Whereas, via an output terminal (not shown), the backup power supply module  20  is electrically connected to the load  50  such as a host computer or an electronic apparatus. The operation principle of the backup power supply module  20  will be illustrated as follows.  
         [0027]     Via the input terminal, an AC voltage is supplied from the AC power supply device  40  to the filter/surge suppressor  21 . By the filter/surge suppressor  21 , the AC voltage is filtered to generate a filtered AC voltage and the over-voltage or over-current resulting from surge is absorbed. The filtered AC voltage is converted by the charging circuit  23  into a DC voltage with a predetermined voltage, which is subsequently charged to the rechargeable battery  24 . The switching device  22  receives the filtered AC voltage from the filter/surge suppressor  21  and another AC voltage from the inverter  25 . The controller  27  may discriminate whether the filtered AC voltage from the filter/surge suppressor  21  lies in an acceptable tolerance range. If the controller  27  discriminates that the filtered AC voltage from the filter/surge suppressor  21  lies in the acceptable tolerance range, it is meant that the AC power supply device  40  operates normally. Meanwhile, the switching device  22  is controlled to provide the filtered AC voltage from the filter/surge suppressor  21  to the load  50  by the controller  27 . Otherwise, if the filtered AC voltage from the filter/surge suppressor  21  is discriminated beyond the acceptable tolerance range, it is meant that a usual condition such as power outage or power surge occurs. Meanwhile, the inverter  25  is controlled to receive the DC voltage from the rechargeable battery  24  by the controller  27 . The DC voltage is then converted into an AC voltage with a predetermined level. Meanwhile, the switching device  22  is controlled to provide the converted AC voltage from the inverter  25  to the load  50  by the controller  27 .  
         [0028]     In this embodiment, the controller  27  is connected to the switching device  22 , the charging circuit  23 , the rechargeable battery  24 , the inverter  25 , the output circuit  26  and the communication port  28  so as to control operation of the switching device  22 , the charging circuit  23 , the inverter  25  and the output circuit  26 . In addition, the status information associated with the backup power supply module  20  is transmitted to the network adapting module  30  via the controller  27 . After the network adapting module  30  is linked to a network system  60 , the UPS apparatus  2  will be monitored by a local monitor or indicator (not shown) or a remote monitoring apparatus  70  in real time.  
         [0029]     The network adapting module  30  complies with the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) or the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). The network adapting module  30  comprises a network controller  31 , a memory device  32 , a network physical transmission device  33  and a communication port  34 . The network controller  31  is electrically connected to the controller  27  of the backup power supply module  20 , the memory device  32 , the network physical transmission device  33  and the communication port  34 . The network controller  31  is employed to control data transmission between the backup power supply module  20  and the network adapting module  30 . For example, via the network controller  31 , the status information associated with the backup power supply module  20 , for example the statuses of the commercial AC power supply, the remaining electricity of the battery, the output voltage or the system temperature, can be transmitted to the network physical transmission device  33  or the memory device  32 . The status information can be stored in the memory device  32  or converted into network packets by the network physical transmission device  33 . These network packets will be transmitted to the monitoring apparatus  70  via the network system  60  so as to monitor the UPS apparatus  2  in real time.  
         [0030]     Furthermore, via the network system  60 , the monitoring apparatus  70  can control the UPS apparatus  2 . The control signal from the monitoring apparatus  70  can be transmitted to the network controller  31  of the network adapting module  30  of the UPS apparatus  2  via the network physical transmission device  33 , and then stored into the memory device  32  or transmitted to the controller  27  of the backup power supply module  20 . In response to the control signal, the controller  27  controls corresponding operations of the UPS apparatus  2 , for example setting the UPS apparatus, periodically turning on/off the UPS apparatus, testing the battery, etc. In such manner, the UPS apparatus  2  is remotely monitored in real time accordingly.  
         [0031]     In the above embodiments, the memory device  32  can be a non-volatile memory. The network physical transmission device  33  can be for example an Ethernet Switch IC. The network physical transmission device  33  may have a plurality of connection ports (not shown) to provide the similar function as the network hub, such that several electronic apparatuses can be linked to the network system  60  via these connection ports. The network physical transmission device  33  can be communicated with the monitoring apparatus  70  in a wired transmission manner. Alternatively, the network physical transmission device  33  can be designed as a wireless communication transmission interface so as to communicate with monitoring apparatus  70  in a wireless transmission manner.  
         [0032]     A further embodiment of a remote monitoring system is illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The backup power supply module  20  and the network adapting module  30  included in the UPS device are similar to those shown in  FIG. 2 , and are not to be redundantly described herein. In this embodiment, the UPS apparatus  2  further comprises a sensing device  80  connected to the communication port  28  of the backup power supply module  20  for sensing the ambient condition of the UPS apparatus  2 . The status information associated with the ambient condition of the UPS apparatus  2  is then transmitted to the controller  27 . Alternatively, the sensing device  80  may be connected to the communication port  34  of the network adapting module  30 , and the information associated with the ambient condition of the UPS apparatus  2  is then transmitted to the network controller  31 . For example, in a case that the UPS apparatus  2  is in a smoke condition, the status information associated with the smoke condition will be transmitted to the network controller  31 . Such status information can be stored in the memory device  32  or transmitted to the monitoring apparatus  70  via the network physical transmission device  33  and the network system  60  so as to monitor the UPS apparatus  2  in real time. In addition, the ambient conditions to be sensed by the sensing device  80  include temperature or humidity of the environment where the UPS apparatus  2  is disposed.  
         [0033]     From the above description, since the status information associated with the UPS apparatus is transmitted to the monitoring apparatus and the control signal issued from the monitoring apparatus is transmitted to the UPS apparatus via the network system, the monitoring apparatus is capable of remotely monitoring the UPS apparatus in real time. Furthermore, the functions of the hub device and the SNMP/HTTP network card are integrated into the UPS apparatus of the present invention, and thus the cost and the overall volume for the remote monitoring system are reduced. Since the status information associated with the UPS apparatus and monitoring apparatus can be stored in the memory device, it is convenient for the user to maintain the remote monitoring system.  
         [0034]     While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.