Patent ID: 8374728

Claim:
A power management apparatus, comprising: a communication unit configured to communicate with a power management network within a building or within one or more rooms of a building; and a control unit operatively connected to the communication unit, the control unit configured to: determine a total power consumption target level for the power management network, determine a first power consumption target level for a first consumer electronic device connected to the power management network, the first power consumption target level being equal to or less than the total power consumption target level, transmit, to the first consumer electronic device, a first power restriction command including the first power consumption target level, determine whether the first consumer electronic device has sent an acceptance response including an operating power or a rejection response including a required power based on a result of comparing the first power consumption target level with a level of the required power, and supply the operating power to the first consumer electronic device based on the acceptance response or perform a negotiation procedure with a plurality of consumer electronic devices to secure redundant power in order to increase power to be assigned to the first consumer electronic device based on the rejection response, wherein the plurality of consumer electronic devices are connected to the power management network and include the first consumer electronic device.