Power management of networked devices

Abstract

A network-centric, power management system and method is disclosed for monitoring and controlling device nodes attached to a network. The monitoring and controlling includes collecting and processing information available on the network about the device nodes and using the collected information to manage power on the device nodes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for managing power consumption of a device node coupled to a communication node of a communication network by way of a communication link, the system comprising:
 a control node coupled to the communication node and configured for:   calculating a plurality of probability values corresponding to a plurality of past time epochs, where each probability value of the plurality of probability values is calculated from at least one activity value of a plurality of activity values and corresponds to the probability that the device node is active during the corresponding past time epoch;   correlating a first past time epoch of the plurality of past time epochs to a current or a future time epoch of the device node;   automatically generating a command for setting the device node into an operational mode associated with the current or future time epoch based on the probability value of the device node corresponding to the correlated first past time epoch; and   sending the command to the device node, through the communication link, for setting the device node into an operational mode associated with the current or future time epoch of the device node based on the probability value corresponding to the correlated first past time epoch.