Patent ID: 7774443

Claim:
A reconfigurable network-equipment power- management system, comprising: a power-distribution apparatus having a power input disposed in the power-distribution apparatus and a communication interface disposed in the power-distribution apparatus for communicating with a remote user system; a plurality of power-control outlets disposed in the power-distribution apparatus, the plurality of power-control outlets connectable in power supply communication with the power input and one or more separate electronic appliances; a plurality of power-control relays disposed in the power-distribution apparatus, each of the plurality of power-control relays in power control communication with at least one among the plurality of power-control outlets, whereby the plurality of power-control outlets and the plurality of power-control relays provide operating power to the one or more separate electronic appliances and are able to interrupt the operating power to the one or more separate electronic appliances; a power-control outlet user configuration accessible by the remote user system for affecting the power provided or interrupted to the plurality of power-control outlets, wherein the power-control outlet user configuration comprises user configuration data for at least one of e the plurality of power-control outlets disposed in the power-distribution apparatus; a memory disposed in the power-distribution apparatus and having a power-control outlet user configuration storage area; and at least one power controller disposed in the power-distribution apparatus, wherein the at least one power controller corresponds to at least two of the plurality of power-control outlets, the at least one power controller comprising a power-control outlet user configuration transfer mechanism in communication with the communication interface accessible by the remote user system, whereby the power-control outlet user configuration transfer mechanism imports and exports the power-control outlet user configuration data between the power-distribution apparatus and the remote user system via the communication interface as a plurality of data packets that are assembled to form the power-control outlet user configuration; and a network software conversion agent in communication with a remote power manager at the remote user system, whereby the network software conversion agent converts software commands communicated as TCP/IP packets into signals that can be understood by the remote power manager.