Apparatus and method for a networked power management system with one-click remote battery discharge testing

1. A method of operating a power management system, comprising:

receiving a battery test command by control and access logic positioned on a power supply and battery charger board, the battery test command from a user interface on a remote device;

controlling, by the control and access logic, a switching unit located on the power supply and charger board to switch an external load from an alternating current to direct current (AC-to-DC) power supply on the power supply and charger board to battery backup in response to the battery test command to initiate a battery discharge test;

monitoring, by the control and access logic, voltage and discharge current of the battery;

determining, by the control and access logic, that the battery has reached a threshold capacity due to battery discharge;

terminating the battery discharge test by the control and access logic in response to determining that the battery has reached the threshold capacity; and

switching, by the control and access logic, the external load back to the AC-to-DC power supply and off of the battery backup.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a one-click selection input at a user interface on the remote device; and

sending the battery test command to the control and access logic in response to the one-click selection input.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

comparing the monitored voltage and discharge current of the battery with battery specification data; and

determining that the battery has reached the threshold capacity based on the comparison.

4. The method of claim 1 , where receiving the battery test command by the control and access logic from the user interface on the remote device, comprises:

receiving the battery test command by the control and access over a network connection.

5. The method of claim 4 , where controlling a switching unit to switch the external load from the AC-to-DC power supply to the battery backup in response to the battery test command, comprises:

controlling at least one relay of the switching unit by the control and access logic to switch the external load from the AC-to-DC power supply to the battery backup in response to the battery test command.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

receiving the battery test command from data manager and interface logic over the network;

forwarding the battery test command to the control and access logic on the power supply and battery charger board; and

providing measurement data to the remote device by the data manager and interface logic, the measurement data comprising voltage and discharge current of the battery measured by the control and access logic and by the data manager and interface logic.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

generating and emailing a battery test report conforming to a plurality of configurable report settings in response to termination of the battery discharge test.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a power supply and battery charger board comprising:

alternating current to direct current (AC-to-DC) power supply;

a battery charger, operatively coupled to the AC-to-DC power supply;

a switching unit, operatively coupled to the AC-to-DC power supply and to the battery charger, and having outputs for connecting DC power to an external load; and

control and access logic, operatively coupled to the battery charger and to the switching unit, wherein the control and access logic is operative to:

receive a battery test command from a user interface on a remote device;

control the switching unit to switch an external load from the AC-to-DC power supply to battery backup to initiate a battery discharge test in response to the battery test command;

monitor voltage and discharge current of the battery;

determine that the battery has reached a threshold capacity due to battery discharge;

terminate the battery discharge test in response to determining that the battery has reached the threshold capacity; and

switch the external load back to the AC-to-DC power supply and off of the battery backup.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , comprising:

data manager and interface logic, operatively coupled to the control and access logic, the data manager and interface logic comprising a plurality of interface ports including at least one network interface port, the data manager and interface logic being operative to:

receive a one-click selection input from the user interface on the remote device over the network interface port; and

send the battery test command to the control and access logic in response to the one-click selection input.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , where at least one of the control and access logic or the data manager and interface logic is operative to:

compare the monitored voltage and discharge current of the battery with battery specification data; and

determine that the battery has reached the threshold capacity based on the comparison.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , where the control and access logic is operative to control the switching unit to switch the external load from the AC-to-DC power supply to the battery backup in response to the battery test command, by controlling at least one relay of the switching unit to switch the power supply to the battery backup in response to the battery test command.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , where the data manager and interface logic is operative to:

generate the battery test command based on the one-click selection input and send the battery test command to the control and access logic; and

provide measurement data to the remote device, the measurement data comprising voltage and discharge current of the battery measured by the control and access logic and by the data manager and interface logic.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , where the data manager and interface logic is operative to:

generate and email a battery test report conforming to a plurality of configurable report settings in response to termination of the battery discharge test.

14. A computer readable memory comprising:

executable instructions for execution by at least one processor, that when executed cause a first processor to:

receive a battery test command from a user interface on a remote device;

control a switching unit on a power supply and battery charger board to switch an external load from an alternating current to direct current (AC-to-DC) power supply located on the power supply and battery charger board to battery backup in response to the battery test command to initiate a battery discharge test;

monitor voltage and discharge current of the battery;

determine that the battery has reached a threshold capacity due to battery discharge;

terminate the battery discharge test in response to determining that the battery has reached the threshold capacity; and

switch the external load back to the AC-to-DC power supply and off of the battery backup.

15. The computer readable memory of claim 14 , wherein said executable instructions, when executed further cause a second processor to:

receive a one-click selection input at a user interface on the remote device; and

send the battery test command in response to the one-click selection input.

16. The computer readable memory of claim 15 , wherein said executable instructions, when executed further cause the second processor to:

receive the battery test command over a network;

forward the battery test command to the first processor located on the power supply and battery charger board; and

provide, by the second processor, measurement data to the remote device, the measurement data comprising voltage and discharge current of the battery measured by the first processor and by the second processor.

17. The computer readable memory of claim 15 , wherein said executable instructions, when executed further cause the second processor to:

generate and email a battery test report conforming to a plurality of configurable report settings in response to termination of the battery discharge test.

18. The computer readable memory of claim 14 , wherein said executable instructions, when executed further cause the first processor to:

compare the monitored voltage and discharge current of the battery with battery specification data; and

determine that the battery has reached the threshold capacity based on the comparison.

19. The computer readable memory of claim 14 , wherein said executable instructions, when executed further cause the first processor to receive a battery test command from a user interface on a remote device, by:

receiving the battery test command over a network connection.

20. The computer readable memory of claim 14 , wherein said executable instructions, when executed further cause the first processor to switch the external load from the AC-to-DC power supply to the battery backup in response to the battery test command, by:

controlling at least one relay of the switching unit to switch the external load from the AC-to-DC power supply to the battery backup in response to the battery test command.