Patent ID: 7162521

Claim:
A network power manager apparatus of the type useable in a computer network having a host system with a network power manager application adapted to issue network commands and communicate network commands over a network communications connect supporting IP communications, the network power manager apparatus comprising in combination: a power supply housing; a power manager agent application mounted in the power supply housing and being connectable to the network communications connection; a plurality of power outlets mounted in the power supply housing; and a plurality of intelligent power modules (IPMs) mounted in the power supply housing and connectable to said network communications connection and thereby being in IP communication with said network power manager application through said power manager agent application, each said intelligent power module being adapted to provide power from a power source to a corresponding power outlet among the plurality of power outlets and being in communication with said power manager agent application to provide power cycling on-off of said corresponding power outlet and at least one of power state sensing and load-sensing with respect to said corresponding power outlet in response to one or more commands, wherein each intelligent power module comprises a microprocessor connected by a power on/off device to independently control the power applied to said corresponding power outlet, and wherein said microprocessor is also connected by at least one among a voltage sensing device to independently sense the power state of said corresponding power outlet and a load sensing device to independently sense the load status of said corresponding power outlet.