Devices and methods for determining the amount of individual usage of a shared commodity

• US 20060289623A1
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Square D Company (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Square D Company (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Colby, Roy Stephen, Oldham, Robert Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 7,766,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/006 Remote reading of utility meters to a non-fixed location, i.e. mobile location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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

Devices and methods of commodity usage monitoring determine the amount of commodity used by individual elements of multi-element systems having a common source. An amount of commodity drawn from the source by all the users is determined. A user-state that indicates use of the commodity by each user is determined. Individual user consumption of the commodity for each of the users is determined using repeated determinations of the amount of the commodity and the user-state, for a number of repetitions greater than or equal to the number of users. Determining individual consumption can be performed using minimum least square estimation, singular value decomposition, discriminant function analysis, or other computational or analytical solution method. Duration and consumption information can be used to calculate the total amount of the commodity consumed by the particular user. Useful commodities include, but are not limited to, gas, electricity, mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and water.

Claims

1. A method for tracking individual user consumption of a commodity delivered from a common source to two or more users, comprising:

determining an amount of a commodity drawn from a source;

determining a user-state that indicates use of the commodity by each of at least two users; and

reporting an individual user consumption of the commodity for said each of the at least two users, as a function of repeated determinations of the amount of the commodity drawn from the source and the user-state, for a number of repetitions greater than or equal to the number of users.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising performing a minimum least square estimate on the repeated determinations of the amount of the commodity drawn from the source and the user-state information to produce an estimate of each user'"'"'s rate of consumption.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising performing a singular value decomposition on the repeated determinations of the amount of the commodity drawn from the source and the user-state information to produce an estimate of each user'"'"'s rate of consumption.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising performing a discriminant function analysis of the determined amount of delivery and user-state information to produce an estimate of each user'"'"'s rate of consumption.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising performing a canonical correlation analysis of the determined amount of delivery and user-state information to produce an estimate of each user'"'"'s rate of consumption.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising performing a linear regression canonical analysis of the determined amount of delivery and user-state information to produce an estimate of each user'"'"'s rate of consumption.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

measuring a time-period during which a particular user draws from the source, using the user-state information; and

calculating the total amount of the commodity consumed by the particular user using the time-period and determined amount of consumption of the particular user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the commodity comprises gas.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the commodity comprises electricity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the commodity comprises mechanical energy.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the commodity comprises pneumatic energy.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the commodity comprises hydraulic energy.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the commodity comprises water.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to solve a set of equations developed using meter and user state information to determine the rate of consumption of the commodity for each of the plurality of users.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the commodity comprises gas.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the commodity comprises electricity.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein the commodity comprises mechanical energy.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein the commodity comprises pneumatic energy.

21. The device of claim 13, wherein the commodity comprises hydraulic energy.

22. The device of claim 13, wherein the commodity comprises water.

14. A device for determining the individual user consumption of a commodity delivered from a common source to two or more users, comprising:

a user-state that indicates use of the commodity by each of at least two users;

a meter configured to measure an amount of the commodity drawn from the common source; and

a processor coupled to the meter, the processor configured to determine an individual user consumption of the commodity for said each of at least two users, as a function of repeated determinations of the amount of the commodity drawn from the source and the user-state, for a number of repetitions greater than or equal to the number of users.

16. The device of claim 14, comprising a memory configured to store the meter and user state information, wherein the processor is configured to develop the set of equations using the stored meter and user-state information.

23. A device for determining the individual user consumption of a commodity delivered from a common source to two or more users, comprising:

means for determining the amount of the commodity drawn from the common source;

means for determining a user-state that indicates use of the commodity by each of at least two users; and

means for reporting an individual user consumption of the commodity for said each of the at least two users, as a function of repeated determinations of the amount of the commodity drawn from the source and the user-state, for a number of repetitions greater than or equal to the number of users.