ELECTRICAL POWER MANAGEMENT DEVICE

摘要

The present invention provides a device for managing power consumption of an electrical appliance connectable to an external power supply, comprising: an input connectable to the power supply; an output connectable to the electrical appliance; a switchable electrical connection between the input and the output to permit or prevent the supply of electrical power from the external power supply to the electrical appliance through the device; a sensor for providing an output signal indicative of the current supplied to the electrical appliance through the switchable electrical connection or indicative of an environmental condition; and a microcontroller connected to the sensor and to the switchable electrical connection that, in response to a predetermined output signal from the sensor, prevents the supply of electrical power to the electrical appliance and to the microcontroller. A device in accordance with the present invention is operable to reduce power consumption of electrical appliances and can enter a mode in which it consumes no power itself, leading to zero total power consumption.