System for utility usage triggering action

• US 10,003,497 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2014
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Ryan Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Balseca, Franklin
• Application Number:
  US14/550,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20160149755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/10 using a centralized architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/80 Arrangements in the sub-station, i.e. sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/86 Performing a diagnostic of the sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to using sensors and measurements from sensors to trigger actions within a network. Specifically, various techniques and systems are provided for measuring usage or measurements, using sensors, of utilities or other environmental factors, generating profiles based on the usage or measurements, and triggering actions within a network device based on the usage, measurements and profiles. Embodiments of the present invention may include, for example, compiling historical usage based on the use or measurements detected by a network device and generating a usage profile based on that use or measurements. The normal usage profile may be compared with the usage over a certain predetermined period of time to detect any abnormal use or measurements from the network device, and an action may be taken as a result of an abnormality.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

compiling, by a network device on a network, usage data based on the use of a utility by the network device;

setting a threshold amount of usage based on the compiled usage data;

determining a current usage amount at a current usage time;

comparing the current usage amount to the threshold amount of usage;

determining that the current usage amount has exceeded the threshold amount of usage;

identifying, by the network device, a change in a function of the network device associated with the threshold amount of usage;

analyzing, by the network device, the usage data over a first predetermined time period to identify a pre-threshold trend in the usage data, wherein the first predetermined time period occurred directly before the current usage time;

analyzing, by the network device, the usage data over a second predetermined time period to identify a post-threshold trend in the usage data, wherein the second predetermined time period occurred directly after the current usage time;

determining that, based on exceeding of the threshold amount of usage and the analysis of the usage data over the first and second predetermined time periods, the pre-threshold trend and the post-threshold trend are consistent with the change in the function of the network device associated with the threshold amount of usage; and

applying, by the network device, the change in the function of the network device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein compiling usage data includes monitoring the use of the utility by the network device over a period of time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

compiling current usage data based on the use of the utility by the network device over a current predetermined time period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current usage amount at the current usage time includes determining an average amount of usage over a period of time from a point in time before the current usage time up until the current usage time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current usage amount at the current usage time includes determining a measurement by a sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a preliminary threshold amount of usage based on the compiled data usage;

comparing the current usage amount to the preliminary threshold amount of usage; and

determining that, based on comparing the current usage amount to the preliminary threshold amount of usage, the usage data over the predetermined time period should be analyzed to determine whether the network device should be adjusted.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a waiting period of time when there is a determination that the network device should be adjusted;

monitoring the usage data over the waiting period of time; and

determining that the current usage amount has exceeded the threshold amount of usage for the duration of the waiting period of time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein use of the utility is monitored by a sensor connected to the network device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the sensor is external to the network device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the change in function of the network device includes deactivating the network device.

11. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including;

compiling, by a network device on a network, usage data based on the use of a utility by the network device;

setting a threshold amount of usage based on the compiled usage data;

determining a current usage amount at a current usage time;

comparing the current usage amount to the threshold amount of usage;

determining that the current usage amount has exceeded the threshold amount of usage;

identifying, by the network device, a change in a function of the network device associated with the threshold amount of usage;

analyzing, by the network device, the usage data over a first predetermined time period to identify a pre-threshold trend in the usage data, wherein the first predetermined time period occurred directly before the current usage time;

analyzing, by the network device, the usage data over a second predetermined time period to identify a post-threshold trend in the usage data, wherein the second predetermined time period occurred directly after the current usage time;

determining that, based on exceeding of the threshold amount of usage and the analysis of the usage data over the first and second predetermined time periods, the pre-threshold trend and the post-threshold trend are consistent with the change in the function of the network device associated with the threshold amount of usage; and

applying, by the network device, the change in the function of the network device.

12. The computing device of claim 11 wherein compiling usage data includes monitoring the use of the utility by the network device over a period of time.

13. The computing device of claim 11, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

compiling current usage data based on the use of the utility by the network device over a current predetermined time period.

14. The computing device of claim 11, wherein determining the current usage amount at the current usage time includes determining an average amount of usage over a period of time from a point in time before the current usage time up until the current usage time.

15. The computing device of claim 11, wherein determining the current usage amount at the current usage time includes determining a measurement by a sensor.

16. The computing device of claim 11, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

setting a preliminary threshold amount of usage based on the compiled data usage;

comparing the current usage amount to the preliminary threshold amount of usage; and

determining that, based on comparing the current usage amount to the preliminary threshold amount of usage, the usage data over the predetermined time period should be analyzed to determine whether the network device should be adjusted.

17. The computing device of claim 11, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

setting a waiting period of time when there is a determination that the network device should be adjusted;

monitoring the usage data over the waiting period of time; and

determining that the current usage amount has exceeded the threshold amount of usage for the duration of the waiting period of time.

18. The computing device of claim 11, wherein use of the utility is monitored by a sensor connected to the network device.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the sensor is external to the network device.

20. The computing device of claim 11, wherein applying the change in function of the network device includes deactivating the network device.

21. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

compile, by a network device on a network, usage data based on the use of a utility by the network device;

set a threshold amount of usage based on the compiled usage data;

determine a current usage amount at a current usage time;

compare the current usage amount to the threshold amount of usage;

determine that the current usage amount has exceeded the threshold amount of usage;

identify, by the network device, a change in a function of the network device associated with the threshold amount of usage;

analyze, by the network device, the usage data over a first predetermined time period to identify a pre-threshold trend in the usage data, wherein the first predetermined time period occurred directly before the current usage time;

analyze, by the network device, the usage data over a second predetermined time period to identify a post-threshold trend in the usage data, wherein the second predetermined time period occurred directly after the current usage time;

determine that, based on exceeding of the threshold amount of usage and the analysis of the usage data over the first and second predetermined time periods, the pre-threshold trend and the post-threshold trend are consistent with the change in the function of the network device associated with the threshold amount of usage; and

apply, by the network device, the change in the function of the network device.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 wherein compiling usage data includes monitoring the use of the utility by the network device over a period of time.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

compile current usage data based on the use of the utility by the network device over a current predetermined time period.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein determining the current usage amount at the current usage time includes determining an average amount of usage over a period of time from a point in time before the current usage time up until the current usage time.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein determining the current usage amount at the current usage time includes determining a measurement by a sensor.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

set a preliminary threshold amount of usage based on the compiled data usage;

compare the current usage amount to the preliminary threshold amount of usage; and

determine that, based on comparing the current usage amount to the preliminary threshold amount of usage, the usage data over the predetermined time period should be analyzed to determine whether the network device should be adjusted.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

set a waiting period of time when there is a determination that the network device should be adjusted;

monitor the usage data over the waiting period of time; and

determine that the current usage amount has exceeded the threshold amount of usage for the duration of the waiting period of time.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein use of the utility is monitored by a sensor connected to the network device.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the sensor is external to the network device.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein applying the change in function of the network device includes deactivating the network device.