This invention relates to an apparatus and method for power management and further to an apparatus and method for space utilisation monitoring.

Background

In modern user working environments it is commonplace to have a so-called "hot desking" system involving one desk or other user space being shared between several people who use that space at different respective times. Sensibly applied, hot desking can deliver significant space savings by maximising utilisation of a desk or office space and can furthermore provide increased power efficiency by reducing the amount of electrical equipment needed to be supplied and run in that space.

Traditional Desk Space Utilisation Studies (DSUS) are carried out manually, wherein monitoring personnel gather and report on occupancy data. Such studies are usually carried out over a two to four week period to obtain occupancy data during core office hours. Separately, information is often gathered and reported on the identity of the occupiers within an office space in order to provide geographical certainty regarding individuals in a working environment. Rather than being carried out over an extended one off period, geographical certainty studies usually involve several shorter individual studies being carried out over the course of a year in order to update the geographical certainty data provided.

It will be appreciated that such manual auditing methods are slow, expensive and manually intensive. Furthermore, the results of the above-described studies are often skewed by events such as staff sickness, staff holidays, weather and transport issues, as well as atypical staff behavioural patterns as a reaction to being observed. However, the data obtained in these studies is intended and used in developing complex corporate workplace strategies. It has thus been found that when such strategies are applied universally they are inaccurate and not fully representative of real- world work style and cultures.

As well as optimising space management in a modern user working environment, it is desirable to deliver power to the desktop or other working space in an efficient and effective manner, supplying the minimum level required by the business user. Power design for a working environment is generally focussed on having enough capacity to achieve a planned power demand. Furthermore, power must be delivered in a secure and reliable manner since a risk of data or function loss due to powering off a device when it is in use is unacceptable.

Current power design strategies do not account for the "business value", economic or environmental aspects of power demand. According to known strategies, many devices consume power out of business hours whilst performing no useful task. Typical examples of this include monitors being powered whilst the central processing unit (CPU) of a device is switched off, phone chargers being plugged in and consuming power when no phone is attached thereto and CPU's being powered on when there is no user logged on or otherwise utilising the device. This is highly undesirable, both from an economic and an environmental perspective.

There is no known device or approach which reliably and accurately monitors usage of office space and effectively manages power in a user working environment accordingly. One known device used for power control is the "Oneclicks Intellipanel". This device can be used to monitor power usage at the CPU of a computer and switch off peripherals such as monitors, printers, speakers and scanners when the computer is not in use or in standby mode. However, this device does not take into account whether a user is occupying the working space in which the computer is provided and/or whether or when that user or another person may wish to use the computer again. It will be appreciated that it is inconvenient and inefficient for a user to have to regularly switch on peripheral units if they have been automatically switched off to minimise power usage during a working period.

Alternative known means for controlling power usage in an office space include Wake Over LAN (WOL), which can be centrally managed to power down all or part of the functions of one or more CPU's. However this is not intelligent in that it does not take account for actual office space occupancy or geographical certainty of individuals within the space. Further alternatives include internal programming of a CPU to switch itself off at predetermined times and physically touring the floors of a building to manually switch machinery on or off according to occupancy and user needs at any given time.

The invention is set out in the claims.

Because an apparatus is provided that includes both a sensor and a user authenticator, the apparatus can monitor and record user non-specific occupancy data for a defined area such as a desk or workstation and can also monitor and record geographical certainty data for one or more users within that area. This information can be used to monitor space usage in an area such as an office building and the information can be reviewed for consideration of space reallocation. By providing a power controller working in conjunction with the authenticator, the apparatus enables power supply to one or more electrical devices in an area under study to be activated based on whether or not a user requesting power supply in the area is authorised to use the electrical device or devices therein. It further ensures that power continues to be supplied to those devices according to whether or not the authorised user continues to be present in the area.

Because the power controller may be arranged to discontinue power supply to an electrical device after a predefined time period unless the sensor determines that power supply should continue, the apparatus reduces power consumption by ensuring that devices are not powered unnecessarily when a user is not present to make use of them. Furthermore, because the power controller can apply two different control strategies to two respective electrical devices, an intelligent system is provided wherein peripheral devices that don't store data may be switched off to save power consumption but data-storing devices may be kept switched on to avoid data loss. The data-storing devices may be kept on in "sleep" or stand-by mode if appropriate, to balance reduction of power consumption with protection against information loss.

Because a number of apparatus may be used as part of a network or system, occupancy and geographical certainty information may be obtained and power supply controlled over an area such as an office floor or department, rather than at just a single point such as a user desk or workstation. By providing a central memory and/or a central controller, information may be obtained on a broader scale than merely for a single point such as a user desk. Furthermore, the central controller may be used to override the logic of an individual apparatus, in order to meet the power supply needs of the system or network as appropriate at any given time. It will be appreciated that no prior art apparatus or method provides the advantages associated with the presently claimed invention. In particular, there is no known approach for obtaining reliable and detailed information on actual user activity in terms of location occupancy, user identity and power consumption , in such an efficient and non-obtrusive manner. Furthermore, no prior art approach provides such data on a real-time or continuous basis as is achieved according to the present apparatus and methods.

Description of Figures

Embodiments according to the present application will now be described with reference to the figures of which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic of the logical architecture of an embodiment; Figure 2 shows a typical physical architecture suitable for implementing the logical architecture of Figure 1 ; and Figure 3 shows a state transition diagram for an embodiment.

Overview

In overview, an apparatus and method are provided to achieve power management and desk utilisation reporting for an office space or other geographical area. The apparatus can comprise a desktop unit and/or a similar monitoring device fitted at an appropriate geographical point in the space which is to be monitored.

The apparatus is programmed and operable to carry out space usage monitoring and/or power management steps, in dependence upon information received at its inputs. These inputs comprise one or more integrated presence detectors, for example short range infrared sensors, to detect occupancy of the desk or other area under study. The apparatus further preferably comprises user authentication means for receiving information from an individual's identification card or tag. This received information is read and analysed, either at the apparatus or at a central processor, in order to activate a power supply in the vicinity of the apparatus if the identified user is authorised to make use of one or more electrical devices powered thereby. All data obtained by the apparatus maybe stored locally for subsequent analysis. Furthermore the data may be made available online, for example in the form of a web browser based report, and may allow other functions to be integrated therewith.

The apparatus may function as a stand alone unit. Alternatively, a plurality of networked units may be provided. It will be appreciated that employing a plurality of networked units is useful in obtaining and analysing information on space occupation, user identification and power usage throughout a wider geographical area such as an office floor rather than merely at a single point such as a desktop. A plurality of networked units may be managed online through via a wired or wireless connection, in order to provide central management of the units. However data can also be collected and analysed for a single unit in an offline mode via the local memory.

The apparatus can be installed simply and quickly with minimal disruption to staff or other personnel during installation. The apparatus can connect to the power supply for a desk or other area via a data link, for example a USB cable, to provide on/off functionality for the power in that area.

Data is obtained by the apparatus in a non-intrusive manner such that it does not disrupt normal working practices. The data can be obtained continuously and on a real-time basis, thereby providing dynamically updated information in a straightforward, efficient and cost effective manner. The apparatus enables power usage at the desktop or other area to be limited to the times at which a user is actually present in that area and requiring power supply to one or more devices. It can also limit or otherwise control power supply according to the particular needs or authorisation level of the individual occupying the area. Therefore significant power savings, and the associated economic and environmental benefits, are provided.

Detailed Description

Architecture

Figure 1 shows a possible logical architecture of an application for power management and desk utilisation reporting. The architecture described below can be applied to a single, stand-alone power management and desk utilisation reporting unit or for a plurality of networked units.

The unit 1 may be a desktop unit (DU) as described further below or any other suitable monitoring device. The unit's hardware comprises a card reader 2, power strip 4, one or more movement sensors 5 and socket 6. The unit's software or logical functionality includes an event manager 14, polling monitor 18, socket controller 10, power management logic 16 and system database 20.

The card reader 2 is associated with a desk and with the power strip 4 that enables a user to request power on/off for one or more devices 8 in the vicinity of that desk. Those devices 8 may include data devices, for example Cental Processing Units (CPU's) that manipulate data locally, and peripheral devices such as monitors and phone chargers. As discussed further below, data devices require particular consideration since powering them down may result in data and/or function loss. The unit 1 is therefore arranged and operable to function according to local policies which define how and when data devices are powered down. This may include conditions such as "user not logged on" for powering down PC type devices.

The socket 6 within the unit 1 is the physical connection that is arranged to provide power to the desktop devices 8. It is preferably controlled over the power supply network on which the device 1 operates by the socket controller 10 as discussed further below.

A card 12 is used as the interface between an individual user and the power management and desk utilisation reporting unit 1. The card 12 may be a swipe card comprising a magnetic strip, a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) card or other proximity card that can be used to uniquely identify and authenticate an individual user at a desktop or other workspace. Preferably the technology employed in the card 12 should match that of the door entry system or other security system employed in an office building or other work environment in which the unit 1 operates, so that users can use a single card to both gain access to the facility and enable power at a desk therein.

In use according to the logical architecture of Figure 1, the card reader 2 receives the card 12 and obtains card identification information therefrom. Each user's card should have a unique card identification, such that identification of a card 12 at the unit 1 can lead to identification and authentication of the associated user. The card reader 2 can support a large number of card technologies, including multi application RFID cards. If required according to the card 12 technology employed, the card reader 2 may include an additional data converter and integration means. The event manager 14 receives card swipe information from the card reader 2 and passes it on to the power management logic 16 discussed further below. The primary function of the event manager 14 is to map or abstract different types and protocols of card readers 2 on to recognised system events such as card inserted, card removed, card swiped and so on. As discussed with respect to a particular embodiment below, identification/authentication information should be provided by the user via his or her card 12 before power supply to the desktop device 8 is provided. Furthermore, power supply to particular devices 8 can be controlled according to an individual user's activity and requirements whilst occupying the desk area.

The socket controller 10 comprises the power strip logic that controls the on/off switch of a power socket 6 that is arranged to provide power to a desktop device 8. The socket controller 10 activates power supply according to user authentication information received via the card reader 2. The socket controller 10 may effectively be a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), network controllable on/off switch.

Cards, and therefore their associated users, can be authorised per socket controller 10 or per group of socket controllers 10. Furthermore, socket controllers 10 can be individually activated or included in groups wherein user authentication via card identification at the card reader 2 of a single unit 1 can activate power supply at more than one socket controller 10. In addition, each user card 12 can have a time zone allocated per socket controller 10 or per group of socket controllers, during which time the user is authorised to use the associated devices 8. For example there may be a local policy applied that after a set time in the working day authorisation is only provided to users possessing cards 12 having manager level authentication. Furthermore, an exception time zone can be created to record and report unusual usage, whilst still allowing access to at least certain functions at a desktop, for example to print jobs.

As well as being activatable according to information received from an individual user's card 12, the socket controller 10 of one or more units 1 may be remotely activated, usually via central management software. Furthermore, an override mode can be provided, to allow desk use and power supply without identification of a user. Additionally, a deadlock mode may be employed in which all cards 12 are rejected such that a socket controller 10 will not activate power supply at a desktop or other area, regardless of the user requesting power supply access.

One or more sensors, preferably movement sensors 5, iare provided with or integral to the unit 1 for detecting ongoing occupation of a desk or other area once power supply there has been activated by the socket controller 10. The sensor 5 may be an infrared sensor, for example a Passive Infra Red (PIR) sensor, or any other suitable sensor for detecting, for example, movement in the vicinity of the desktop. Power supply may be controlled and manipulated according to whether user occupation at a desktop is detected by the sensor 5 at any given time. Furthermore, a timeout feature may be provided.

The polling monitor 18 is a system service that polls the power strip 4 at regular intervals to determine current power consumption. The results of this polling can be stored in the system database 20 and used for projecting power saving as a result of devices 8 being switched off in accordance with the data obtained and logic applied by the unit 1. The power management logic 16 is the core of the logical functionality of the power management and desk utilisation reporting unit 1 and method. It provides the majority of the logic and policy enforcement for authenticating individual user cards 12, switching on and off sockets 6 and storing activity records in its system database 20. It will be appreciated that this logic may include business, economic, environmental and individual or generalised user requirement considerations, as well as constraints according to the limits of workspace and/or power supply available within the working environment in which the unit 1 operates. The power management logic 16 runs continuously as a system service, "listening" for system events such as card swipes and desk power timeouts and switching power on or off as defined in the system's policy.

The system database 20 is the core data store for the unit 1. All data obtained by the unit 1 may be stored in the system database 20 for provision of a report thereon. Physically, the system database can be integral to the power management and desk utilisation reporting unit 1 or separate and shared amongst a plurality of networked units 1. In addition to storing activity at the unit 1, the system database 20 or other database local to a unit can store a record of all valid users and their corresponding card 12 identifications. This record can be updated using central management software.

In the logical architecture according to Figure 1, a report server or web server 22 is arranged to query the system database 20 and forward data obtained therefrom to a report client 24 such as web browser for display. Typically according to the logical architecture of Figure 1, the report client 24 is browser based, accessed for example by internet explorer. The user can be presented with one or more fixed reports that allow parameters or filtering to be entered. Report results can then be returned interactively within a manner of a few seconds. Crucially, no third party components need to be installed at the report client 24 in order for the reports to be accessed or manipulated. Therefore the logical architecture can be deployed for a wide range of users and operating systems.

In addition to the logical architecture components described above, a security database 26, human resources database 28 and Cable Management System (CMS) (30) may be employed to interact with the power management logic (16) of the power management and desk utilisation reporting unit 1. The Human Resources (HR) database 28 may be used to map individuals onto departments or divisions within an office or other employment structures. This may be as simple as a snapshot taken periodically as a spreadsheet or a live database lookup in a wider HR system. The security database 26 is a database used to map cards 12 onto people. Typically in modem working environments there will be security measures in place for facility access and a security database for the present logical architecture could therefore be maintained by the facility security team.

The Cable Management System (CMS) 30 is a system to document and manage change in cable infrastructure within a working environment. This is an important element in the power control aspect of the presently described application, since it manages the connections and distribution of electrical devices at workspaces. Preferably the interface to the CMS application can be abstracted, so as to be portable and applicable to alternative CMS applications. The CMS interface should be service oriented, performing one potentially large and complicated task which maps onto specific user functions at the desktop.

Figure 2 shows a typical physical architecture onto which the above-described logical architecture can directly map. As shown therein, the unit 1 may comprise two physically separate components; the card reader 2 and the power strip 4. Alternatively, the card reader 2 and power strip 4 may be physically integral to one another. The power strip is control-connected to desktop devices such as a CPU 40, monitor 38 and peripheral 36, for example a photocopier or scanner. This connection can be implemented using, for example, a USB cable.

In a networked system having more than one power management and desk utilisation reporting unit 1 connected therein, a power management server 32 and database server 34 may be provided. Therefore control can be implemented on a network- wide basis, as well as on a unit-by-unit basis.

Desktop Units

According to a particular embodiment, power management and desktop utilisation analysis and reporting is carried out by a desktop unit (DU). In practice, a desktop unit is provided for use in situ at a user's desk to capture occupancy data at that desk and furthermore to capture geographical certainty of an individual to a desk location and preferably also to control power usage at the desk. The unit comprises user authentication means as well as at least one sensor to detect desk occupation.

According to one embodiment of the Desktop Unit (DU), a swipe card reader and first and second movement sensors are provided. The sensors are based on infrared technology, having factory programmable logic for range volume and direction sensing to prevent sensing of users at nearby desks. Further adjustments can be made to the unit in use in order to screen the direction and angle of operations. The two sensors recognise movement and hence can identify occupation of the desk or work space regardless of whether a swipe card has been used in conjunction with the swipe card reader. This provides "occupancy data" on a user non-specific basis, indicating whether or not a desk is in use at any given time.

The first sensor is provided on top of the desktop unit and identifies presence of a user in the desk area. Preferably this first movement sensor is built into the desktop unit. A second, similar sensor is mounted below the desk or worktop, in order to recognise movement therebelow in case the top sensor gets covered or otherwise becomes inactive. Preferably the desktop unit is fitted to a worktop using a mounting bracket and the second sensor is mounted on the underside of said mounting bracket. This second sensor is preferably provided in a small housing connected to the main desktop unit through any suitable datalink connector thereon. The range of the second sensor should be limited, for example, to no more than 1.5 metres, and should be reduced if used in a forward direction in order to prevent detection of users at nearby desks rather than user occupancy at the desk at which the two sensors are fitted.

The desktop unit includes means for recording information on the occupancy detected by the movement sensors, including the time and duration of the occupancy. Therefore occupancy data for the desk or other work space can be obtained for an extended, possibly continuous period of time via the desktop unit. The information is obtained and recorded in real time and the occupancy data record may be dynamically updated over time as more information is collated.

The swipe card reader works in combination with the sensors in order to go one step further than recording mere occupancy data. When a user swipes his or her individual swipe card in the swipe card reader the desktop unit recognises the identity of that individual. Again, the unit has means for recording this information in combination with the occupancy data. Therefore not only can the unit record when and for how long the desk is occupied but also by whom.

Preferably the desk top unit includes a power block or strip which is arranged to control power usage at the desktop or other location at which the desktop unit is provided. In order to activate power usage at the desktop, the user should insert or display their swipe card in or at the swipe card reader. As long as the identified swipe card is authorised at the location of the desktop unit, the unit will activate power of, for example, a computer, phone charger, scanner, monitor or other electrically powered device at the desktop. The desktop unit may have sufficient data stored locally to instantaneously identify the user from the swipe card identification or, alternatively, it may authorise use of the device(s) based on card identification only. Since business users almost always require use of one or more electrically powered devices when occupying a workstation, the operation of the desktop unit encourages the user to participate in the data collection process by requiring them to identify themselves to the desktop unit before full functionality of the workspace can be provided. This participation is achieved in a straightforward and non-obtrusive manner, thereby reducing the risk of atypical staff behaviour during the data collection process.

Once the user has been identified to the desktop user and hence power has been activated, the movement sensors will periodically check for movement at the workspace to ascertain whether it is still being occupied. For example, the sensors can track occupancy once every ten minutes, hence providing dynamically updated occupancy and geographical certainty information six times per hour. The desktop unit can then further control power supply at the workspace dependent on the outcome of the movement sensor checks. For example, if no movement is detected at the workspace over two or more consecutive checks, the desktop unit could switch off sockets connected to desk peripherals such as monitors, printers or other devices on which data is not stored, based on the assumption that the user is not present. However if it is detected that a user is still present at the desk but is not using those devices at that time, the unit can determine whether the peripheral devices should remain switched on, according to the local rules/policies on which it operates. Therefore the desktop unit doesn't automatically switch off one or more electrical devices merely because they haven't been used for a period of time, but instead applies intelligent logic to determine whether it might be useful to the user for them to remain switched on whilst the user occupies the desk or workstation. Hence the user won't unnecessarily lose functionality at the desk or be obliged to switch devices back on whilst occupying the desk in order to resume using them.

It is possible to also switch off the CPU or other intelligent/control means at a workspace if it is detected that the previously present user has finished using the workspace. Of course, it is necessary that no data or function is lost due to powering off a device during use. The desktop unit is therefore arranged and operable to work according to a set of rules/policies provided in order to define safe and reliable power control. For example, the desktop unit can include means for the user logging off when he or she is finished working at a workspace, preferably by using their swipe card, at which point the desktop unit would recognise that it is safe to switch off the CPU at the workspace. Additionally or alternatively, in a networked system comprising two or more units, if a user is logged into a first unit and subsequently logs into a second, different unit, he or she may be automatically logged out of the first unit.

Figure 3 shows a typical state transition diagram for a desktop unit embodiment. The desktop unit includes programmable "Off Time" which can be applied for several periods each day, scheduled over 7 days. For example it may be programmed so that the unit itself, and/or the power supply which it controls, is off between midnight and 9am and again between 6pm and midnight on Monday to Friday and all day on each of Saturday and Sunday. When a card is swiped or otherwise identified to the desktop unit during an allowable "On Time", it switches on and preferably activates power to the associated electrical device(s) within a time period of preferably less than 2 seconds. There is a programmable "On Timer" which begins as soon as the unit has been switched on. When the "On Timer" expires, the power supply to some or all of the devices associated with the desktop unit will be "Pending Off." If there are no "Cancel Off signals - either a card swipe at the card reader or a movement detected by the sensor - received within a preset time period once the "Pending Off state has been reached, the power to the one or more devices will be switched off. The unit itself may also switch off at that time. If, however, there is a "Cancel Off signal received such that the unit and power supply remain switched on, an "Inactivity Timer" will then be activated, whereby if there is no further activity detected within a predefined time period, the unit will return to the "Pending Off state. The unit has functionality to enable or disable movement detection as a source of "Cancel Off signalling. The unit may instead activate power supply on receipt of a card swipe from an authorised user card, and discontinue power supply after a preset time period unless a further card swipe, from the same user card or another authorised user card, is received.

The power supply to particular devices at a desktop or other location may be manipulated or controlled according to the identity of the user, based on his or her unique card identification. The user's authentication profile stored on his or her identification card may be pre-programmed to include his or her device requirements and/or restrictions on the devices to which he or she should be provided access. User profiles may be updated over time according to the recorded usage statistics for that user and/or according to changing requirements or access rights.

In addition to recording occupancy data and geographical certainty data, the desktop unit can record power usage including the power that is saved by switching off devices for a period of time during the working day in which they would ordinarily have been switched on. The desktop unit (DU) itself does not require significant power in order to run and function correctly. The power used directly by the power strip and indirectly by the connected switch port for a workspace at which a desktop unit is utilised is thus much lower than the power saved by introducing the desktop unit for a desk or workspace which is not permanently occupied during the working day.

According to an embodiment, the desktop unit (DU) comprises lights or other visual indicators to show whether a desk is occupied at any given time. This is to avoid a potential new user assuming that a desktop is available merely if it is physically unoccupied at a particular instant in time. According to one embodiment, three light effects are provided to distinguish between a desk being in use, a desk being available and a desk being available as a "hot desk" and therefore not assigned to any specific owner. Preferably the visual indicators are provided by LED lighting and the casing of the desktop unit includes a clear strip or other portion around its body such that, when lit, the LED's would be clearly visible in excess of 10 metres.

An additional optional feature of the desktop unit is an LCD display on its top surface. When the operator swipes or otherwise displays his or her card to the unit, the LCD may display that user's name. This could therefore replace a name plate on the user's desk, which would be particularly useful for a hot desk at which the user will regularly change. Alternatively or additionally, the LCD may display the mode in which the unit is currently operating, and/or the current availability status of the desktop.

Preferably the desktop unit is removably attachable to a desktop. This can be done using industrial double-sided tape, with screws, or with a docking station bracket. Optionally such a bracket includes integrated cabling and fixing for the second sensor. A plurality of desks or other work spaces in a working environment could be fitted with docking station brackets and desktop units physically moved therebetween, dependent on the desired location of hot desks or other desks to be managed.

The desktop units may be battery powered although any appropriate powering means may be used, including power-over- Ethernet. They can be provided in a compact, non-intrusive physical casing to avoid using up or cluttering a workspace.

The desk utilisation reporting and power management according to the present embodiments can be implemented on a stand alone basis for individual units or for a plurality of networked units as illustrated in the architectures of Figures 1 and 2. The desktop unit preferably has one network RJ45 for connection to a network or portable data collection device and a second one for connection to the second movement sensor as described above. Speeds of 10MB are supported. Upon disconnection of an individual unit or network cable, a central alarm may sound and a disconnection may be reported to a central management system if used in the online mode. Email and SMS are options for alarm management and, additionally, out of hours systems can be managed by an approved alarm receiving sensor over standard internet connections or via SNMP if required. Optionally, the desktop unit supports wireless communication, for example at 868 MHz. A low cost bidirectional wireless unit allows communication wirelessly to a data collector with a transceiver or online to central server software. A single transceiver may communicate with up to multiple desktop control units, subject to the range of the transceiver. Repeaters can be added if required to simplify the connectivity.

The Central Management Software employed for a group of desktop units may be any suitable monitoring software package, such as the AX200 system available from "Axxess Identification". The Central Management Software provides an overview of the mode settings for all desktop units, such that mode changes can be made either manually or automatically. Furthermore, detailed information is available from the Central Management Software on individual desk use, offline units and transactions. The Central Management Software does not comprise analysis software but instead is employed for authorising users and controlling operation of individual desktop units.

The Central Management Software preferably has a backup scheduler built in with Local and Wide Area Network support for system and transaction backups. In addition, each desktop unit includes a local database of all valid users and thus can function independently without the Central Management Software being online. Preferably, multiple transactions can be stored and automatically uploaded to the Central Management Service when it comes back online after a period of being offline. A typical survey time for using a desktop unit is 2 to 4 weeks. Therefore the desktop unit preferably has sufficient offline storage capacity to record all the transaction data over such a survey period. Optionally, a dual redundant version of the Central Management Software maybe provided, with support over LAN and WAN, with full automatic switching between servers on failure of either one.

Preferably, the Central Management Software includes means for automatically updating the user database at an individual desktop unit level at set intervals. For example, the desktop units within a network may be updated once a day, after office hours, to determine user authorisation and authentication for the following day.

Reports can be generated from the Central Management Software to filter per user or per desk unit within set time periods. Alternatively, data can be looked at for a particular group of users or spaces. The data can be exported to various report formats for customised reporting and analysis, including Excel and Crystal reports.

Variations

In addition or as an alternative to providing desktop units to assess occupancy, geographical certainty and power usage at an individual desktop or other work station, data may be collected from communal areas such as meeting spaces, vending areas, staff rooms and so on. By providing sensors in such areas, it can be detected whether or not those areas are occupied at any given time. Powering of devices in those areas can thus be controlled and monitored according to the occupancy data obtained.

As a further development, user identification may be implemented throughout a building or section of a building, rather than being restricted to individual desks. According to such an embodiment the user identification and authentication means comprises RFID fob technology, such that a user can be identified by means of his or her proximity to a strategically placed monitoring device rather than having to actively swipe in or otherwise identify him or herself to the device. A plurality of monitoring devices may be networked in order to record actual movement of individuals around a geographical area. It follows that power control and monitoring can be implemented throughout a building, not just at a desk or work station location.

The embodiments described herein enable power usage to be controlled and space to be managed according to actual movements and requirements of real users. Whilst the embodiments detailed have been described with respect to an office working environment it will be appreciated that they may apply equally to other environments in which occupancy may vary and power usage might be usefully analysed and controlled. For example, desktop units or similar monitoring devices might be implemented in study space within an academic library and/or staff areas in other work places such as hospitals, factories and so on.

The user-specific identification/authentication means has been described above as being a card or swipe card. However it will be appreciated that any other suitable means could be used including a fob, key ring or tag. A corresponding user authenticator such as a card reader is provided as part of the power management and desktop utilisation reporting unit, to obtain user information therefrom. A user password may be required by the user authenticator in order to provide an additional level of security and authentication before the unit activates power supply.

Whilst particular physical embodiments of a power management and desk utilisation reporting unit are described above, it will be appreciated that any suitable physical housing can be used according to the present application. The units may be fixed in situ or portable as desired. Furthermore, they may include one or more sensors as appropriate to the environment which they are to be placed. The sensors may detect movement or any other suitable activity, such as heat or sound above a particular background level.

The described power management and space usage monitoring methods can be run and controlled using any suitable hardware or software means. Instructions for carrying out the described methods may be recorded in a digital or analogue record earner or computer readable medium. The record carrier may comprise optical storage means such as a readable disk or may be in the form of a signal such as a focussed laser beam. A magnetic record carrier such as a computer hard drive may also be used for storage of instructions for carrying out described methods. Alternatively, solid state storage or any suitable signal recording may be employed. Furthermore, permanent or removable storage means may be provided for recording the information received during operation.

A computer or other suitable processing means may be programmed to execute instructions for carrying out the described methods. Such processing means may be incorporated into a device including other features such as a card reader, a sensor, a memory, and/or a link for transmitting information as described in detail above. Furthermore, a computer program may be provided for use in such a processing means in order to implement the described methods. Such computer implementation of the described methods may be used to provide automated space usage monitoring and power management. However, the described methods may be carried out using any suitable combination of computer and user implemented steps. Advantages and Applications

A key benefit of the embodiments described above is that they provide realtime data and can operate on a continuous basis if desired. They allow for intelligent control of power usage at a desktop or other environment as well as providing real world information that enables identification of areas of under and/or over allocation of space per user within a working environment or other area. Such information can be used in strategic space management and facilities management, since it enables the user to see what devices are needed per person per unit time in order to provide a fully functional and efficient working area for the user therein. There is no need to carry out labour- intensive manual studies to provide this information.

The information provided by the power management and desk utilisation reporting unit and method described herein enable the user to compare actual occupation, geographical certainty and power management data obtained over a period of time to desired or target information. These comparisons can be carried out on an evolving, dynamically updatable basis rather than relying on a snapshot based in time as has been the case for prior art methods.

The power management and desk utilisation reporting unit captures data passively, without disruption to business as usual activities of the observed users. In fact, by employing user ID cards for activation and control of power supply at a desk or other location, the units and method actively encourage and require user participation in the data collection process, and reduce the risk of out-of-character staff behaviour during that process. Therefore a more realistic picture can be obtained. Furthermore, because the information is obtained in real-time and continuously, anomalies in the data recorded are more easily accounted for. By controlling power usage within a working environment according to actual user activity and requirements in real-time, as opposed to providing full power supply at all times or intermittent power supply according to pre-set timescales, power use can be minimised whilst still allowing fully functional and efficient working. It will be appreciated that minimisation of power usage has clear advantages from both an economic and an environmental perspective.

The units and method according to the present embodiment can provide information in real-time to existing space management and Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) software operating systems. This real-time information can improve the accuracy and timeliness of those existing systems, without requiring any changes to be made thereto.

As discussed above, reports provided according to the present devices and methods can be accessed by any suitable known method, for example via a web browser. Alternatively or additionally, an individual unit can provide a local readout when a download of information therefrom is requested by the user. Hence, the embodiments can be employed to report from an individual desk level up to a global level within a working environment.

The reports obtained according to the present application are highly useful for analysing and improving the efficiency of personnel and device distribution within a defined geographical area such as an office building. The reports are unique in that they can combine occupancy data, geographical certainty of personnel and power usage data. They enable more effective use of space to be implemented, as well as facilitating significant reductions in power usage over time. Hence a highly useful practical solution is provided in a user friendly, efficient and cost effective manner.