COMPUTER BASED ENERGY MANAGEMENT

• US 20090083167A1
• Filed: 09/23/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Budderfly, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Budderfly Ventures LLC
• Inventors: Subbloie, Albert
• Granted Patent: US 8,140,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

Computer based energy management including an adaptor having a server network interface and a control device interface. The server network interface receives commands from the energy management host software, the commands specify a control device and include control instructions and requests for energy usage data. The control device interface transmits the commands to the control device and receives energy usage data from the control device. The server network interface transmits the energy usage data to the energy management software in response to receiving the energy usage data from the control device. In this manner, the adaptor provides a bridge between the server network and the copper wire network to provide control and measurement of energy usage at a control device level in response to commands from a remote computer system.

Claims

1. An adaptor for providing computer based energy management, the adaptor comprising:

a server network interface in communication with energy management host software via a server network, the server network interface receiving commands from the energy management host software, the commands specifying a control device and including control instructions and requests for energy usage data; and

a control device interface in communication with the specified control device, the control device interface transmitting the commands to the control device and receiving energy usage data from the control device in response to a command including a request for energy usage data, the energy usage data including energy usage for one or more energy devices in communication with the control device via a copper wire network,

the server network interface transmitting the energy usage data to the energy management software in response to receiving the energy usage data from the control device,

the adaptor thereby providing a bridge between the server network and the copper wire network to provide control and measurement of energy usage at a control device level in response to commands from a remote computer system.

2. The adaptor of claim 1 wherein the control device interface is in communication with the control device via the copper wire network.

3. The adaptor of claim 1 wherein the one or more energy devices, the control device, and the adaptor are located at a commercial enterprise.

4. The adaptor of claim 1 wherein the adaptor is integrated into the control device.

5. The adaptor of claim 1 wherein the energy usage data includes one or more of on/off status of the one or more energy devices, and energy units utilized by the one or more energy devices.

6. The adaptor of claim 5 wherein the energy units utilized by the one or more energy devices are estimated by the adaptor or the energy management host software based on an amount of time that the one or more energy devices have been in an on status.

7. The adaptor of claim 1 wherein the energy usage data is measured over a time interval.

8. The adaptor of claim 1 wherein the control instruction includes one or more of turning on the one or more energy devices and turning off the one or more energy devices.

9. The adaptor of claim 1 wherein the control instruction includes adjusting a setting or setting a state on the one or more energy devices.

10. An adaptor for providing computer based energy management, the adaptor comprising:

a server network interface in communication with energy management host software via a server network, the server network interface receiving commands from the energy management host software, the commands specifying an energy device and including control instructions and requests for energy usage data; and

a energy device interface in communication with the specified energy device via a copper wire network, the energy device interface transmitting the commands to the energy device and receiving energy usage data from the energy device in response to a command including a request for energy usage data,

the server network interface transmitting the energy usage data to the energy management software in response to receiving the energy usage data from the control device, and

the adaptor thereby providing a bridge between the server network and the copper wire network to provide control and measurement of energy usage at a energy device level in response to commands from a remote system.

11. The adaptor of claim 10 wherein the server network interface is in communication with the energy management software via the copper wire network.

12. The adaptor of claim 10 wherein the energy device, the control device, and the adaptor are located at a commercial enterprise.

13. The adaptor of claim 10 where the energy device, the control device, and the adaptor are located at a town facility, a municipal facility, or an outdoor energy infrastructure.

14. The adaptor of claim 10 wherein the adaptor is integrated into the energy device.

15. The adaptor of claim 10 wherein the energy usage data includes one or more of on/off status of the energy device, and energy units utilized by the energy device.

16. The adaptor of claim 15 wherein the energy units utilized by the energy device are estimated by the adaptor or the energy management host software based on an amount of time that the energy device has been in an on status.

17. The adaptor of claim 10 wherein the energy usage data is measured over a time interval.

18. The adaptor of claim 10 wherein the control instruction includes one or more of turning on the energy device and turning off the energy device.

19. The adaptor of claim 10 wherein the control instruction includes adjusting a setting or setting a state on the energy device.

20. A method for providing computer based energy management, the method comprising:

receiving commands specifying a control device from energy management host software located on a host system, the receiving at an adaptor via a server network, and the commands including control instructions and requests for energy usage data;

transmitting the commands to the control device via a control device interface on the adaptor;

receiving energy usage data from the control device in response to a command including a request for energy usage, the energy usage data including energy usage for one or more energy devices in communication with the control device via a copper wire network;

transmitting the energy usage data to the energy management software in response to receiving the energy usage data from the control device, thereby providing a bridge between the server network and the copper wire network to provide control and measurement of energy usage at a control device level in response to commands received from the energy management host software.

21. A method for providing computer based energy management, the method comprising:

receiving commands specifying an energy device from energy management host software located on a host system, the receiving at an adaptor via a server network, and the commands including control instructions and requests for energy usage data;

transmitting the commands to the energy device via an energy device interface on the adaptor, the energy device interface in communication with the energy device via a copper wire network;

receiving energy usage data from the energy device in response to a command including a request for energy usage, the energy usage data including energy usage for the energy device;

transmitting the energy usage data to the energy management software in response to receiving the energy usage data from the control device, thereby providing a bridge between the server network and the copper wire network to provide control and measurement of energy usage at a energy device in response to commands received from the energy management host software.

22. An adaptor for providing computer based energy management, the adaptor comprising:

a server network interface in communication with energy management host software via a server network, the server network interface receiving commands from the energy management host software, the commands specifying a control device or an energy device and including requests for energy usage data; and

a device interface in communication with the specified device, the device interface transmitting the commands to the specified device and receiving energy usage data from the specified device in response to the commands, the energy usage data including energy usage for the device if the device is an energy device, the energy device in communication with the device interface via a copper wire network, and the energy usage data including energy usage for one or more energy devices in communication with the specified device via a copper wire network if the specified device is a control device,

the server network interface transmitting the energy usage data to the energy management software in response to receiving the energy usage data from the specified device,

the adaptor thereby providing a bridge between the server network and the copper wire network to provide control and measurement of energy usage at a device level in response to commands from a remote computer system.

23. A method for providing computer based energy management, the method comprising:

receiving a request for billing data for a group of one or more devices, the request including a date range;

requesting energy usage data in the data range for the one or more devices, the energy usage data sourced from one or more adaptors in communication with the one or more devices, and the requesting to the adaptors via a server network;

receiving the energy usage data from the one or more adaptors via the server network;

determining if the energy usage data includes actual usage for each device in the group;

estimating actual usage data for a device in the group in response to determining that the energy usage data does not include actual usage for the device;

assigning a cost to each of the devices in the group, the cost responsive to the actual energy usage data for each device; and

transmitting the billing data to the requester, the billing data including a device identifier, the actual usage data, the assigned cost for each of the devices in the group, an actual usage total for the group, an assigned cost total for the group, and the date range, thereby providing billing visibility to the device level.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein one or more of the devices are energy devices in communication with an adaptor via a copper wire network to provide the energy usage data.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the billing data is formatted into a billing report that is transmitted to the requester, the billing report including summaries of specified subsets of the group.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the energy usage data is utilized in place of usage data from a meter.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the group includes devices having a specified device type.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the group includes devices located with a specified office.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein the group includes devices associated with a particular employee.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein the group the request further includes one or more of a time of day range and a day of the week, and the energy usage data is requested for the date range and one or more of the time of day range and the day of the week.

31. The method of claim 23 wherein the cost assigned to each of the devices varies in response to one or more of a type of the device, a day of the week of the energy usage, and a geographic location of the device.

32. The method of claim 23 wherein the billing data is utilized by the requester to perform cost accounting.

33. The method of claim 23 wherein the requester is an accounting system that includes an automated interface to the billing data.