System and method for secure electric power delivery

Abstract

A system or method provides electric power to an authorized user and denies electric power to an unauthorized user. An administrator requests access for a user, and a central controller generates a key/receptacle tuple for the access. The key/receptacle tuple is communicated to a site power controller, which broadcasts the key/receptacle information to secure receptacles in a facility. The key is also communicated to the user. The user plugs in a device into a secure receptacle and provides the key via a secure adapter. If the key is valid, the device is supplied with electric power; otherwise, electric power is denied. The central controller logs and analyzes activities of the secure receptacles and reports to the administrator.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for secure electric power delivery comprising:
 an administrator approving a user for access to electrical power at a site including one or more secure receptacles;   providing a generated key to the user;   connecting a user device, a secure adapter, and a selected one of the secure receptacles;   the user providing an entered key through the secure adapter to the selected secure receptacle; and   providing power from the selected secure receptacle to the user device in response to determining that the entered key is valid.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising disabling power from the selected secure receptacle to the user device in response to determining the entered key does is not valid. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting connection of the user device to the selected secure receptacle; and   disabling power from the selected secure receptacle if the user fails to provide an entered key that is valid before a timeout period ends.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising limiting validity of the generated key to secure receptacles determined by the administrator. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising limiting validity of the generated key to an access duration determined by the administrator. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising issuing an alert to the user prior to expiration of the access duration. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , extending the administrator extending the access duration prior to expiration of the access duration. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising logging key entry events in an activity log. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising reporting key and secure receptacle usage and anomalies to the administrator. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a central controller that is remote from the site performs a process including:
 generating the generated key;   the providing of the generated key to the user; and   providing the generated key to a site power controller for validation of the entered key.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the administrator transmitting a request to the central controller, the request including one or more of:
 a user identifier identifying the user;   a receptacle identifier indicating which secure receptacles the user is approved to access; and   an access duration indicating a time during which the user is approved to access power.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the secure adapter is one of:
 a component of one of the secure receptacles;   a component of the user device; and   an interconnector including an adapter inlet and an adapter outlet, the adapter inlet being shaped to connect to and detach from the selected secure receptacle, the adapter outlet being shaped to connect to and detach from the user device.