Using an IR sensor module to reduce the standby power consumption of a PC monitor

This paper presents a way to reduce the standby power consumption of a personal computer (PC) monitor in standby status. Although a PC monitor enters standby by means of the power management of the operating system (OS) after a preset idle time and awakens when the keyboard is hit or the mouse is moved, the monitor still consumes 0.3–1 W power in standby status. This design features a socket to plug-in the PC monitor, which consumes 0.01 W in standby status and is not only easy to set up but also inexpensive. This socket supplies the monitor with power when the user appears; when the user leaves it turns the monitor off, and the electric power is cut off to reduce the standby power. A micro control unit (MCU) receives signals from an infrared (IR) sensor module which detects the user approaching the monitor. The MCU controls the relay On/Off when used as a switch for cutting off the standby power.