End-user based backup management

• US 10,284,003 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2012
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Digital Holdings LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Losee, Marc Karl, Meadows, Vernon, Massey, Jerry Steven, Arvind, Kamal Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Gami, Tejal
• Application Number:
  US13/647,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20140100671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,401 Days
• Field of Search: 700 22
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/06 with automatic change-over , e.g. UPS systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• 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: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/12 Energy storage units, uninterruptible power supply [UPS] systems or standby or emergency generators, e.g. in the last power distribution stages
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/248 UPS systems or standby or emergency generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A device includes a network interface and a processor. The network interface is configured to receive one or more preferences of a customer related to the charging of at least one backup device of the consumer. The network interface is also configured to receive at least one notification of at least one predicted power disturbance. The processor is configured to utilize the one or more consumer preferences and the at least one notification to generate a charging schedule of the at least one backup device and to generate one or more charging notifications for charging the at least one backup device. The one or more charging notifications are based on the charging schedule.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a smart meter connected to a utility service, a plurality of backup devices, and a consumer facility, wherein the smart meter is connected;

between the utility service and the consumer facility; and

between the plurality of backup devices and the consumer facility;

wherein the utility service provides a main source of power to the consumer facility and the plurality of backup devices provide a backup source of power to the consumer facility independent of the utility service;

wherein the smart meter includes a backup management system configured for communicating with the consumer facility;

wherein the backup management system is configured to;

receive a plurality of consumer preferences related to charging the plurality of backup devices;

receive a notification of a predicted power disturbance indicating that the utility service is predicted to be unable to provide the main source of power to the consumer facility, the notification including a time before the predicted power disturbance and a disturbance time period;

determine a desired charge based on the plurality of consumer preferences and the disturbance time period;

determine an available charge based on a charge status of each of the plurality of backup devices; and

determine, if the desired charge is greater than the available charge, a time to charge the plurality of backup devices such that the available charge reaches the desired charge; and

create, if the time before the predicted power disturbance is greater than the time to charge the plurality of backup devices, a charging schedule for charging the plurality of backup devices, wherein the charging schedule is based on energy costs over the time before the predicted power disturbance, the time before the predicted power disturbance, and the charge status of each backup device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each backup device includes a battery or uninterruptable power supply.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the consumer preferences include load capability and minimum charge for each backup device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the backup management system is further configured to receive a charge level of each backup device, and ping each backup device to determine the charge status thereof.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the desired charge is determined based on selected loads of the consumer facility as selected by a user.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the desired charge is determined based on a charge to support the selected loads of the consumer facility for the disturbance time period, wherein the charge to support the selected loads of the consumer facility is based on rates of power consumption of the selected loads of the consumer facility and the disturbance time period.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a charge difference between the desired charge and the available charge is determined by subtracting the desired charge from the available charge.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the backup management system is further configured to, if the time before the predicted power disturbance is less than the time to charge the plurality of backup devices, immediately charge selected backup devices as selected based on consumer preferences and current energy cost.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein when the predicted power disturbance occurs, the backup management system is further configured to implement a switching plan for switching among the plurality of backup devices.