System and method of compiling and organizing power consumption data and converting such data into one or more user actionable formats

• US 10,061,289 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2016
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Generac Power Systems Incorporated (Generac Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: C/O Neurio Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Haghighat-Kashani, Ali, Cheam, Janice Tze-Nee, Hallam, Jonathan Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Adam
• Application Number:
  US15/348,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20170082995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2639 Energy management, use maximum of cheap power, keep peak load low
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles

Abstract

A method and system for use in creating a profile of, managing and understanding power consumption in a premise of a user, wherein said premise comprises two or more power consuming devices comprises measuring, via at least one sensor, aggregate energy consumption at the premise, receiving at a mobile computing device comprising a data processor, said aggregated signal from the sensor, collecting and recording the aggregate signal over a plurality of time resolutions and frequencies, therein to create a predicted aggregate signal for each time x and frequency y, detecting changes in the predicted aggregate signal at time x an frequency y (detected consumption pattern changes) and conveying to at least one of the user, a utility company, and other third party a notification of detected consumption pattern changes.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring and analyzing electricity consumption in a home of a user, the home comprising multiple electricity consuming appliances, the system comprising:

one or more electricity sensors configured to measure individual electricity consumption of each of the appliances and a total electricity consumption of the home, wherein the one or more sensors are not located on any of the appliances;

a mobile computing device of the user;

a processor in the mobile computing device configured to;

receive signals from the one or more sensors, wherein the signals indicate the electricity consumption of the appliances and the home;

identify a first overconsumption of individual electricity by one of the appliances greater than a first budgeted tolerance for the one appliance during a first time period based on the received signals; and

determine that the first overconsumption is forecasted to cause a second overconsumption of the total electricity by the home greater than a second budgeted tolerance for the home during a second time period, wherein the second time period includes the first time period; and

a user interface on the mobile computing device configured to display a notification in response to receiving the determination from the processor, wherein the user reduces the individual electricity consumption of the one appliance in response to the notification being displayed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second overconsumption is a change from a usual consumption pattern.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the usual consumption pattern is trending.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculate the usual consumption pattern using signals from the one or more sensors that are not older than a predetermined amount of time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify a consumption pattern change of the home;

determine that the consumption pattern change represents an intrusion of the home; and

send a notification of said consumption pattern change to a security system.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that the consumption pattern change represents a hazard, wherein the notification is informative of the hazard.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that the consumption pattern change corresponds to one of the appliances being left switched on.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify a consumption pattern change of the home; and

send a notification of the consumption pattern change to the user interface.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the consumption pattern has a duration of a day or a week.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

when the consumption pattern has a duration of a day, the consumption pattern has a resolution of an hour; and

when the consumption pattern has a duration of a week, the consumption pattern has a resolution of a day.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

present on the user interface appliances that are offered by third party retailers and a savings value of each appliance offered.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the notification indicates either that one appliance of said multiple appliances may be broken or that said one appliance may be old.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a behavioral pattern of the user based on the electricity consumption of the appliances; and

trigger one of the appliances based on the behavioral pattern.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein an appliance is an air conditioner, a clothes washer, a clothes dryer, a hot tub, an oven, a heater, a coffee maker, a tool, an electrical socket, or lighting.

15. A method for monitoring and analyzing electricity consumption in a home of a user, the home comprising multiple electricity consuming appliances, the method comprising:

configuring one or more electricity sensors to measure individual electricity consumption of each of the appliances and a total electricity consumption of the home, wherein the one or more sensors are not located on any of the appliances;

receiving, by a processor in a mobile computing device of the user, signals from the one or more sensors, wherein the signals indicate the electricity consumption of the appliances and the home;

identifying, by the processor, a first overconsumption of individual electricity by one of the appliances greater than a first budgeted tolerance for the one appliance during a first time period based on the received signals;

determining, by the processor, that the first overconsumption is forecasted to cause a second overconsumption of the total electricity by the home greater than a second budgeted tolerance for the home during a second time period, wherein the second time period includes the first time period; and

displaying, by a user interface of the mobile computing device, a notification in response to receiving the determination from the processor, wherein the user reduces the individual electricity consumption of the one appliance responsive to the notification being displayed.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the processor:

identifying a consumption pattern change of the home;

determining that the consumption pattern change represents an intrusion of the home; and

sending a notification of said consumption pattern change to a security system.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the processor determining that the consumption change represents a hazard, wherein the notification is informative of the hazard.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the processor:

presenting, on the user interface, a list of appliances that are offered by third party retailers; and

presenting, on the user interface, a savings value of each appliance offered.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the processor:

determining a behavioral pattern of the user based on the electricity consumption of the appliances; and

triggering one of the appliances based on the behavioral pattern.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein an appliance is an air conditioner, a clothes washer, a clothes dryer, a hot tub, an oven, a heater, a coffee maker, a tool, an electrical socket, or lighting.