Home power management system

• US 20060259332A1
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1992
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch Healthcare Systems, Inc. (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Health Hero Network Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Brown, Stephen J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,027,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/00 Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48792 Data management, e.g. communication with processing unit for in vivo diagnostics A61B5/0002; transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing power usage are provided. The system includes a programmable microprocessor, at least one input mechanism, a memory having instructions and/or other information, a display, at least one power consuming power device and a remote server. The systems allows the user of a power consuming device to receive instructions or other information from the server. The method includes using stored program instructions to generate power device related information on a display, collecting power device data representative of the electrical current or power consumed, connecting to a remote computing facility having a server, and providing the data to a computer remotely located from the central server.

Claims

1. A system for gathering data from remotely located devices, the system comprising:

a programmable microprocessor;

at least one input mechanism;

a memory having instructions and/or other information;

a display;

at least one power consuming device having at least one sensor associated therewith adapted to monitor and collect data associated with operation of the power device and for producing signals representative of the monitored power consuming device;

a communications device connectable in signal communication with both the programmable microprocessor and the at least one sensor; and

program instructions for the programmable microprocessor that,

(i) cause instructions and/or other information stored in the memory to be presented to the power consumer on the display,

(ii) collect data from a user interaction with the at least one input mechanism in response to the display and store data in memory,

(iii) collect data from the at least one sensor and store the data in memory,

(iv) transmit data to a remotely located server,

(v) receive instructions from the server and/or other information stored on the server for transmission to the programmable microprocessor, wherein the instructions and/or other information facilitate changes in behavior through education and/or feedback based on the collected data, and

(vi) store instructions and/or other information in the memory.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the power consuming device comprises a smart appliance.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the server instructions comprise feedback and information t on environmental factors.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the programmable microprocessor is located in a programmable microprocessor device and the microprocessor device comprises a compact housing.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications device is provided within a communications unit and a central processing device of the communications device causes the signals representative of the monitored power consuming device to be stored in a memory circuit of the communications unit;

and wherein the communications unit further includes the communications device for transmitting the stored signals.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a clearinghouse facility for receiving the signals supplied via the communications device, the clearinghouse facility being remotely located from the communications device and including a server having a digital signal processor for converting the signal supplied via the communications device into a report that provides information relating to the at least one power consuming device monitored by the at least one sensor.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the program instructions included in the memory of the programmable microprocessor cause the programmable microprocessor to display one or more menus on the display and further operation of one or more switches allows control of the operation of the programmable microprocessor and the communications unit, the operation controlled with the one or more switches including the processing of the signals representative of the monitored power consuming device, the transmission of the signals from the communications device to the programmable microprocessor and the display of information on the display.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more menus displayed on the display and further operation of one or more switches allows the user of the system to generate graphic and alphanumeric displays on the display alphanumeric and graphic displays being representative of the signals that are representative of the monitored power consuming device and stored in the memory circuit of the communications device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the programmable microprocessor further comprises a receptacle for receiving a cartridge that includes a memory circuit having stored therein program instructions for controlling the operation of the programmable microprocessor device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the cartridge adapts the programmable microprocessor for operation with the at least one power device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the adaptation occurs by downloading program instructions from a network server located at a clearinghouse facility.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the downloaded program instructions reconfigure the operation of the at least one power device.

13. A method of using a modular microprocessor system for gathering data from remotely located devices comprising:

(a) at a site employing at least one power device,

(i) using stored program instructions to generate power device related information on at least one display;

(ii) collecting power device data using a programmable microprocessor;

(b) connecting at least one remotely located computing facility including at least one central server for communication with a communications device at the power device site; and

(c) providing the data to at least one computer remotely located from and in signal communication with the central server, wherein hardware and software of the central server are configured to receive and store power device-related data from the power device site that can be viewed or retrieved by a user from the remotely located computer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the central server receives messages from the remotely located computer and transmits the messages to the power device site.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the power device data is generated from at least one sensor associated with the power device.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying one or more menus on a display of a programmable microprocessor device in signal connection with the communications device, the microprocessor device having one or more switches allowing control of the operation of the programmable microprocessor device and the communications device.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising downloading program instructions from the central server to a data management unit located at the site employing at least one power device.

18. A system for gathering data from remotely located power devices, the system comprising:

a) a server;

b) a remote interface for entering in the server a set of queries; and

c) a remotely programmable apparatus for interacting with the remotely located power devices, the remotely programmable apparatus being in communication with the server;

wherein the server comprises;

i) a script generator for generating a script program from the set of queries and a profile, the script program being executable by the remotely programmable apparatus to communicate the set of queries to a system user, to receive responses to the set of queries, and to transmit the responses from the remotely programmable apparatus to the server; and

ii) a database connected to the script generator, the database for storing the script program, the responses to the set of queries;

and wherein the remotely programmable apparatus comprises;

i) a communication device for receiving the script program from the server and for transmitting the responses to the server;

ii) an interface for communicating the set of queries to the system user and for receiving the responses to the set of queries;

iii) a memory for storing the script program and the responses to the set of queries; and

iv) a processor connected to the communication device, the interface, and the memory for executing the script program to communicate the set of queries to the system user, to receive the responses to the set of queries, and to transmit the responses to the server.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the user interface comprises a display for displaying the queries, and input buttons for entering the responses.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising at least one sensor to monitor at least one power device and to produce signals representative of the monitored power device, wherein the remotely programmable apparatus further includes a device interface connected to the processor for receiving the signals from the sensor, the memory capable of storing the signals, and wherein the communication device includes a transmitter to transmit the signals to the server.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the device interface includes an interface unit to interface with a plurality of power devices, and the script program specifies a selected one or more of the plurality of power devices from which to collect the signals.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the server further comprises a report generator adapted to display the responses and the signals on the remote interface.

23. The system of claim 18, further comprising a plurality of remotely programmable apparatuses in communication with the server, the plurality of remotely programmable apparatuses for remotely monitoring a plurality of power devices, wherein the database includes storage for a plurality of script programs, the remote interface includes a device to enter script assignment information, the server includes script an assignment mechanism connected to the database to assign to each of the plurality of apparatuses at least one of the plurality of script programs in accordance with the script assignment information, and the database further includes storage for a list of the plurality of apparatuses, and for each of the plurality of apparatuses, a respective pointer to the at least one of the plurality of script programs assigned to each of the plurality of apparatuses.

24. A system for gathering data from remotely located devices, the system comprising:

a plurality of networked remote sites, each site comprising,

a programmable microprocessor;

at least one input mechanism;

a memory having instructions and/or other information;

a display;

at least one power device comprising at least one sensor adapted to monitor the at least one power device and for producing signals representative of the power device;

a communications device connectable in signal communication with both the programmable microprocessor and the at least one sensor; and

program instructions for the programmable microprocessor that,

(i) cause instructions and/or other information stored in the memory to be presented to a user on the display,

(ii) collect data from a user interaction with the at least one input mechanism in response to the display and stores data in memory,

(iii) collect data from the at least one sensor and stores the data in memory,

(iv) transmit data to a remotely located server,

(v) receive instructions from the server and/or other information stored on the server for transmission to the programmable microprocessor, and

(vi) store instructions and/or other information in the memory.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the remotely located devices comprise smart appliances.