A power outage typically results from an interruption to an electrical power supply. Power outages may have varying durations spanning from a few seconds to many days. In some geographic regions, power outages may occur relatively frequently, such as monthly. Even in developed cities with substantial infrastructure, power outages may frequently occur for a number of reasons, such as natural causes (e.g., wind storms, heavy rain or snow, etc.) or high demand on the electrical power supply (e.g., air conditioners used during high temperatures which drain the electrical power supply). The operation of many alternating current (AC) electrical devices may be disrupted when a power outage occurs despite the existence of precautionary measures.
When an electrical power supply is disrupted, a number of undesirable events may occur. For example, when some people lose power, they may also lose unsaved data on their computer or other electronic devices. Additionally, some people may experience a deactivation of their home security system when their electrical power supply is interrupted. The loss of data and the deactivation of electronic equipment may adversely affect a person in many ways such as by costing them time, money, and even personal safety. Further, many people typically contact their electrical power supplier to report a power outage. A flow of calls to report a power outage may create an additional drain on system resources, require redundant activities, and may slow communications for reporting a power outage.
Some people may use uninterrupted power supply (UPS) devices to minimize some of the adverse affects experienced during a power outage. However, UPS devices may be expensive, have limited power supply capacity, or may be unreliable. Connecting a UPS device to all of a person's essential electronic devices may also be difficult or expensive.
The description below addresses these and other shortcomings in the present art.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds