Method for providing comprehensive electrical usage and demand data

• US 20060267574A1
• Filed: 04/26/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: John E. Howard
• Original Assignee: John E. Howard
• Inventors: Howard, John E.
• Application Number:
  US11/412,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20060267574A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/103.R
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• 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

A method for providing comprehensive electrical usage and demand data is disclosed. An electric meter (20), central data server (28), and customer'"'"'s computer (38) comprise an Internet-based energy information system according to certain of the prior art. It is assumed that either or both of the networks (24, 36) of this system are intermittently connected, as in a dial-up connection, or are expensive to connect continuously, thereby precluding the presentation of real-time data. The present invention provides continuous, real-time data to a utility customer'"'"'s computer through a direct, low-latency network (102) to the meter. All data are presented in the form of web pages, and the posted pages (30) and the locally generated pages ( ) are hyperlinked to one another, so that the customer has seamless access to comprehensive usage and demand data thereby, enabling proactive management of energy utilization. Further disclosed is a pulse transponder/logger that implements the system at a site with a pulse-output electric meter. Finally disclosed are algorithms to determine electrical demand trends from pulse streams.

Claims

1. A method for providing comprehensive electrical usage and demand data comprising:

an electronic energy information system according to certain of the prior art, comprising;

an electric meter operative to;

measure electrical usage and demand at the premises in which it is installed; and

communicate resulting measurements as data through an attached network;

a data server operative to;

retrieve energy usage and demand data from the electric meter through a first network; and

process the data into one or a plurality of web pages of a first group; and

store said web page or pages; and

an end-user terminal operative to;

communicate with the server and retrieve the web page or pages of the first group through a second network; and

display the Web page or pages in meaningful and usable form;

wherein;

the meter is one of a plurality of similar meters installed in geographically dispersed locations;

the end-user terminal is one of a plurality of similar end-user terminals similarly dispersed; and

technical or economic considerations prevent the first network, the second network, or both from transporting web pages to end-user terminal timely for proactive management of energy utilization at said premises; and

wherein, the improvement that is claim 1 of the present invention comprises;

a third network through which the end-user terminal is operative to retrieve energy usage and demand data directly from the electric meter;

a software module within the end-user terminal operative to process the data retrieved through third network into one or a plurality of web pages of the second group; and

hyperlinks within web pages of the each of the first and second group operative to navigate to web pages of the other group;

whereby, the web pages of the first and second groups comprise comprehensive energy usage and demand data, including data presented timely for proactive management of energy utilization at said premises.

3. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein the software module is located within the electric meter.

7. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein the end-user terminal transmits electrical usage and demand data in real time through the second network.

2. A method for providing comprehensive electrical usage and demand data comprising:

an electronic energy information system according to certain of the prior art, comprising;

an electric meter operative to;

measure electrical usage and demand at the premises in which it is installed; and

generate a stream of electrical pulses, generally known as kyz pulses, wherein each pulse represents a predetermined quantity of electrical usage;

a data server operative to;

retrieve energy usage and demand data from the electric meter through a first network;

process the data into one or a plurality of web pages of a first group; and

store said web page or pages; and

an end-user terminal operative to;

communicate with the server and retrieve the web page or pages of the first group through a second network; and

display the Web page or pages in meaningful and usable form; and

wherein;

the meter is one of a plurality of similar meters installed in geographically dispersed locations;

the end-user terminal is one of a plurality of similar end-user terminals similarly dispersed; and

technical or economic considerations prevent the first network, the second network, or both from transporting web pages to end-user terminal timely for proactive management of energy utilization at said premises; and

wherein, the improvement that is claim 2 of the present invention comprises;

a pulse transponder/logger operative to;

receive kyz pulses from the electric meter

log into data memory the numbers of kyz pulses occurring in each of a sequence of time intervals of known correlation to local clock time and date;

interpret the width of individual kyz pulses as instantaneous electric demand;

perform certain algorithms to determine trend demand within each time interval;

transmit logged interval demand, instantaneous demand, and trend demand into an attached network; and

a third network through which the end-user terminal is operative to retrieve energy usage and demand data directly from the pulse transponder/logger;

a software module within the end-user terminal operative to process the data retrieved through third network into one or a plurality of web pages of the second group; and

hyperlinks within web pages of the each of the first and second group operative to navigate to web pages of the other group;

whereby, the web pages of the first and second groups comprise comprehensive energy usage and demand data, including data presented timely for proactive management of energy utilization at said premises.

4. The method claimed in claim 2 wherein the software module is located within the electric meter.

5. The method claimed in claim 2 wherein the pulse transponder/logger is operative to control electrical loads or dispatch one or more on-site electrical generators.

6. The method claimed in claim 2 wherein the software module resides in the pulse transponder/logger rather than the end-user terminal.

8. The method claimed in claim 2 wherein the end-user terminal transmits electrical usage and demand data in real time through the second network.