Patent ID: 7099934

Claim:
A power management method comprising: providing power to a power input of a local power distribution apparatus comprising (i) a vertical housing vertically mounted to a vertical electrical equipment rack, (ii) a power input penetrating the vertical housing, and (iii) a plurality of power outlets penetrating the vertical housing and connected to an associated plurality of electrical appliances mounted in the vertical electrical equipment rack or another vertical electrical equipment rack; with a sensor system mounted in the local power distribution apparatus, (A) sensing whether at least one power outlet mounted in the local power distribution apparatus and in communication with the sensor is configured either (i) in the “off” state or (ii) in the “on” state, and also (B) sensing whether current is flowing through said at least one power outlet; generating at least one power status signal with the local power distribution apparatus based on said sensing by the sensor system; communicating the power status signal from the sensor system to a power manager system associated with the local power distribution apparatus; based on the power status signal received by the power manager system from the sensor system, transmitting power outlet status information in TCP/IP format from the local power distribution apparatus over a TCP/IP compatible network to a remote network management system; transmitting an outlet on/off state signal in TCP/IP format from the remote network management system through the TCP/IP compatible network to the local power distribution apparatus; and based an a selected power outlet in the local power distribution apparatus indicated by the outlet on/off state signal, transmitting an off-on cycle signal from the power manager system and, in response to said transmitting, cycling off and on the selected power outlet in the local power distribution apparatus.