Reliable low-cost hybrid switch module for switched power distribution systems

1. An apparatus for implementing switched power distribution unit, comprising:

a plurality of power outlets;

a first hybrid switching module that switches on or off the plurality of power outlets, the hybrid switching module comprising a solid-state relay and a pair of electro-mechanical relays for at least one power outlet of the plurality of power outlets, in which the solid-state relay is shared among the plurality of power outlets;

a controller that communicates with the hybrid switching module via at least one or more digital lines to provide the switched power distribution; and

a display for displaying information related to the at least one power outlet.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first current detection circuitry that detects a total current on an inlet of the apparatus; and

a second current detection circuitry that detects an individual load of the at least one power outlet, wherein the second detection circuitry is shared among the plurality of power outlets; and

an overload protection and automatic recovery feature for the at least one power outlet using at least the first current detection circuitry and the second current detection circuitry.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first current detection circuitry functions the total current continuously, and the second current detection circuitry functions based on a criterion.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a voltage detection circuitry for measuring electrical voltage.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the solid state relay comprises a zero-crossing semiconductor relay.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the solid state relay is optically isolated from a load of the apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the solid state relay is configured to switch at zero voltage.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first current detection circuitry or the second current detection circuitry comprises a type of an inductive circuitry or a resistive circuitry.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the type of the voltage detection circuitry is determined by a criterion, in which the criterion includes at least one of power consumption measurement accuracy requirement and a maximum load into the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the voltage detection circuitry comprises a simple alternating current voltage divider providing power to drive an analog input of the controller.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a web server running thereon.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller comprises at least one of a direct current converter, an Ethernet driver, an EEPROM, and a signal processor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the web server interacts with a web interface stored in the EEPROM, wherein the web interface is used to respond to one or more requests for the apparatus from a user.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a second hybrid switching module, wherein the first hybrid switching module and the second hybrid switching module share the solid-state relay.

15. A method for implementing switched power distribution unit, comprising:

identifying a plurality of power outlets on a switched power distribution system;

using a controller that communicates with a hybrid switching module that switches on or off the plurality of power outlets,

switching at least one power outlet of the plurality of power outlets to an ON state or an OFF state by using at least the hybrid switching module, wherein the hybrid switching module comprises a solid-state relay and a pair of electro-mechanical relays for at least one power outlet of the plurality of power outlet; and

displaying information related to the at least one power outlet on a display component of the switched power distribution system.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

performing first power monitoring for an input of the apparatus by using a first current detection circuitry; and

performing second power monitoring for the at least one power outlet by using a second current detection circuitry.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

performing electrical voltage monitoring by using a voltage detection circuitry.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

determining a type of the voltage detection circuitry based at least in part upon a criterion, the criterion comprising at least one of power consumption measurement accuracy requirement and a maximum load into the apparatus.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

identifying a web interface running on the controller in response to one or more requests on the power distribution system from a remote user, wherein the web interface comprises one or more web pages are stored on at least a memory of the switched power distribution system.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

providing outlet level overload protection by using the first current detection circuitry and the second current detection circuitry;

scaling up a total number of the plurality of power outlets in the switched power distribution system using a corresponding number of hybrid switching modules; and

preventing misfiring of EMRs by connecting an enable bit of two octal latches between driver and controller.