Methods and systems for generating virtual smart-meter data

• US 10,222,277 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Yoky, McGaraghan, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Carpenter, Robert
• Application Number:
  US14/563,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20150161020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/00 Tariff metering apparatus in taximeters G07B13/00; apparatus actuated by coins, cards or the like with meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas, or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/00 Apparatus requiring external operation adapted at each repeated and identical operation to measure and separate a predetermined volume of fluid or fluent solid material from a supply or container, without regard to weight, and to deliver it
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 17/00 Measuring quantity of heat measuring temperature by calorimetry G01K3/00 - G01K11/00; specially adapted for measuring thermal properties of materials, e.g. specific heat, heat of combustion G01N
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/084 Backpropagation, e.g. using gradient descent
• 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: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

Computational methods and systems for generating virtual smart-meter data from operational data collected by intelligent controllers in buildings that do not have smart meters are disclosed. Methods and systems include collecting operational data from a number of intelligent controllers and collecting smart-meter data from a number of smart meters associated with the intelligent controllers. The collected operational data and associated smart-meter data are used to generate a mathematical model relating operational data to smart-meter data. The mathematical model can be used to calculate virtual smart-meter data from operational data collected by an intelligent controller located in a building that does not have a smart meter.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more data-storage devices; and

machine-readable instructions stored in one or more of the one or more data-storage devices that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

accessing smart-meter data from a plurality of smart meters, wherein the plurality of smart meters measure energy usage for a plurality of homes;

accessing operational data from a plurality of intelligent controllers, wherein the plurality of intelligent controllers control energy-consuming subsystems in the plurality of homes;

receiving operational data of an intelligent controller in an enclosure;

generating smart-meter data for the enclosure as a function of the operational data of the intelligent controller, wherein the function is based at least in part on the operational data from the plurality of intelligent controllers and the smart-meter data from the plurality of intelligent controllers; and

causing the intelligent controller to operate an energy-consuming system in the enclosure based at least in part on the generated smart-meter data.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

retrieving extrinsic data associated with the enclosure in which the intelligent controller is located; and

appending the extrinsic data to the operational data.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

searching real estate databases to determine extrinsic data associated with the enclosure in which the intelligent controller is located; and

appending the extrinsic data to the operational data.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the function further comprises a set of weights that relate the operational data from the plurality of intelligent controllers and the smart-meter data from the plurality of smart meters.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the function is generated from a feed-forward neural network with backward propagation with the operational data from the plurality of intelligent controllers as an input layer and the smart-meter data from the plurality of smart meters as an output layer.

6. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the function comprises a series of polynomials that relate each element of the smart-meter data from the plurality of smart meters to the operational data from the plurality of intelligent controllers.

7. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the function comprises a series of rational polynomials that relate each element of the smart-meter data from the plurality of smart meters to the operational data from the plurality of intelligent controllers.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the operational data of the intelligent controller further comprises data collected from intelligent controller sensors, control schedules, and data generated by the intelligent controller.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the intelligent controller further comprises an intelligent thermostat.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of smart meters further comprises one or more of a natural gas smart meter, an electricity smart meter, or a water smart meter.

11. A method to be carried out by a computer system that includes one or more processors and one or more data-storage devices, the method comprising:

accessing smart-meter data from a plurality of smart meters, wherein the plurality of smart meters measure energy usage for a plurality of homes;

accessing operational data from a plurality of intelligent controllers, wherein the plurality of intelligent controllers control energy-consuming subsystems in the plurality of homes;

receiving operational data of an intelligent controller in an enclosure;

generating smart-meter data for the enclosure as a function of the operational data of the intelligent controller, wherein the function is based at least in part on the operational data from the plurality of intelligent controllers and the smart-meter data from the plurality of intelligent controllers; and

causing the intelligent controller to operate an energy-consuming system in the enclosure based at least in part on the generated smart-meter data.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

retrieving extrinsic data associated with the enclosure in which the intelligent controller is located; and

appending the extrinsic data to the operational data.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

searching real estate databases to determine extrinsic data associated with the enclosure in which the intelligent controller is located; and

appending the extrinsic data to the operational data.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the function further comprises a set of weights that relate the operational data from the plurality of intelligent controllers and the smart-meter data collected from the plurality of smart meters.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the function is generated from a feed-forward neural network with backward propagation with the operational data from the plurality of intelligent controllers as an input layer and the smart-meter data from the plurality of smart meters as an output layer.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the function comprises a series of polynomials that relate each element of the smart-meter data from the plurality of smart meters to the operational data from the plurality of intelligent controllers.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the function comprises a series of rational polynomials that relate each element of the smart-meter data from the plurality of smart meters to the operational data from the plurality of intelligent controllers.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the operational data of the intelligent controller further comprises data collected from intelligent controller sensors, control schedules, and data generated by the intelligent controller.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the intelligent controller further comprises an intelligent thermostat.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of smart meters further comprises one or more of a natural gas smart meter, an electricity smart meter, or a water smart meter.