INTEGRATED METROLOGY SYSTEMS AND INFORMATION AND CONTROL APPARATUS FOR INTERACTION WITH INTEGRATED METROLOGY SYSTEMS

• US 20090109056A1
• Filed: 05/26/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EnergyCite, Inc.
• Original Assignee: USCL Corporation
• Inventors: Tamarkin, Tomer D., Fine, Phillip M., Block, Robert S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,306,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.20
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• 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 system is disposed at a location of a utility commodity subscriber for informing the subscriber of and controlling utility commodity usage. The system includes utility meters, an information and control apparatus, and a first and second data communication link. The meters measure usage and generate usage signals. The information and control apparatus includes a microprocessor, a memory, a clock, and a user interface. The first data communication link is between the utility meters and the information and control apparatus, and the second data communication link is between the information and control apparatus and one or more central locations. The second communication link also provides rate information to the information and control apparatus and utility commodity usage data to the one or more central locations. The microprocessor computes an accumulated cost of utility commodity for a predetermined period of time. Information related to the accumulated cost is output to the subscriber.

Claims

1. A system at a location of a utility commodity subscriber for informing the subscriber of utility commodity cost and usage and for controlling utility commodity usage, the system comprising:

at least one utility meter for measuring usage of at least one utility commodity and for generating at least one usage signal comprising a measurement of said subscriber'"'"'s usage of said at least one utility commodity;

an information and control apparatus comprising a microprocessor, a memory, a clock, and a user interface, for inputting and outputting information;

a first data communication link between said at least one utility meter and said information and control apparatus to provide said at least one usage signal to said information and control apparatus for storage in said memory; and

a second data communication link between said information and control apparatus and at least one central location associated with said at least one utility commodity, said second communication link providing rate information related to usage of said at least one utility commodity from said at least one central location to said information and control apparatus and providing utility commodity usage data from said information and control apparatus to said at least one central location;

wherein said microprocessor computes an accumulated cost of said at least one utility commodity for a predetermined period of time according to said clock, said at least one usage signal, and said rate information, and wherein information related to said accumulated cost is provided to said user interface for output to said subscriber.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said microprocessor computes said accumulated cost of said at least one utility commodity for a predetermined billing period.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said first data communication link between said at least one utility meter and said information and control panel is a wireless link.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said information and control apparatus regulates operation of at least one device which uses said at least one utility commodity in response to a differential between said rate and a rate value input by the subscriber.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said information and control apparatus regulates at least one device which uses said at least one utility commodity in response a differential between to said accumulated cost and an accumulated cost value input by the subscriber.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising an audible alarm for notifying the subscriber in real time if said accumulated cost is at or within a predetermined value approaching said accumulated cost value input by the subscriber.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said user interface comprises a visual display and wherein said rate and said accumulated cost value are displayed visually in response to a request from the subscriber.

8. A system for display at a subscriber'"'"'s location of utility commodity cost and usage data and for local or remote control of utility commodity usage;

the system comprising;

at least one meter for measuring usage of at least one utility commodity and for generating at least one usage signal comprising a measurement of said subscriber'"'"'s usage of said at least one utility commodity;

at least one central location for receiving said subscriber'"'"'s utility commodity usage data and a utility commodity cost for said subscriber and transmitting at least one utility commodity rate and utility commodity usage control signals to an information and control apparatus at the subscriber'"'"'s location; and

said information and control apparatus comprising a microprocessor;

a memory;

a display;

a user interface;

a clock; and

display communication means for receiving said at least one utility commodity rate and said utility commodity usage control signals from said at least one central location, for receiving at least one usage signal from said at least one meter, and for transmitting said subscriber'"'"'s utility commodity usage and cost data to said at least one central location;

wherein each of said at least one meter further comprises meter communication means for transmitting said at least one usage signal to said information and control apparatus and wherein each of said at least one central location further comprises center communication means for transmitting utility commodity rates and utility commodity usage control signals to said information and control apparatus and for receiving said subscriber'"'"'s utility commodity usage data from said information and control apparatus.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said display communication means are connected operably to said memory, such that said memory receives and stores said at least one utility commodity rate delivered from said display communication means;

said memory is connected operably to said microprocessor, such that said utility commodity usage and cost data generated by said microprocessor is received and stored by said memory;

said display is connected operably to said microprocessor and said memory, such that said display selectively displays said utility commodity usage and cost data generated by said microprocessor or stored in said memory; and

said user interface is connected operably to said microprocessor, such that said microprocessor receives user control signals.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said display is selected from the group consisting of a visual display, an audio display, and a combined audio-visual display.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said at least one meter is selected from the group consisting of an electric meter, a water meter, a gas meter, an oil tank level sensor;

a propane tank level sensor;

a temperature sensor, a relative humidity sensor;

an appliance power sensor, and combinations thereof.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said display communication means receives said at least one utility commodity rate and utility commodity usage control signals and transmits said subscriber'"'"'s utility commodity usage data via a wide area network.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said display communication means receives said at least one usage signal from said at least one meter via a local area network.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein said information and control apparatus is adapted to calculate and display utility commodity usage data accumulated over at least one first predetermined period and utility commodity cost data accumulated over at least one second predetermined period;

wherein said at least one first predetermined period is equal to or less than said at least one second predetermined period.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said memory of said information and control apparatus is adapted to store said display utility commodity usage data accumulated over at least one first predetermined period and said utility commodity usage data accumulated over at least one second predetermined period in said memory.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said at least one utility commodity rate is variable with time.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said information and control panel is adapted to calculate and display utility commodity cost data accumulated over at least one first predetermined period and utility commodity cost data accumulated over at least one second predetermined;

wherein said at least one first predetermined period is equal to or less than said at least one second predetermined period.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said information and control apparatus is adapted to display said at least one utility commodity rate which is applicable at a predetermined time.

19. The system of claim 8, wherein said display communication means is a transceiver and said meter communication means is a transceiver and said information and control apparatus and said at least one utility commodity meter communicate wirelessly.

20. The system of claim 8, wherein said display communication means is a transceiver and said center communication means is a transceiver and said information and control apparatus and said at least one central location communicate wirelessly.

21. The system of claim 8, wherein each of said display communication means and said meter communication means comprises a modem and is connected to a local area network and said information and control apparatus and said at least one utility commodity meter communicate via said local area network.

22. The system of claim 8, wherein each of said display communication means and said center communication means comprises a modem and is connected to a wide area network and said information and control apparatus and said at least one central location communicate via said wide area network.

23. The system of claim 8, wherein each of said display communication means and said center communication means comprises a modem and is connected to a telephone network and said information and control apparatus and said at least one central location communicate via said telephone network.

24. The system of claim 8, wherein each of said display communication means and said center communication means comprises a power line carrier modulation transceiver connected to an electrical power line and said information and control apparatus and said at least one central location communicate via said electrical power line.

25. The system of claim 8 wherein each of said display communication means and said center communication means comprises a cable modem connected to a cable television network and said information and control apparatus and said at least one central location communicate via said cable television network.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein said at least one meter is a thermostat for a heating unit and said microprocessor is adapted to compare said calculated utility commodity cost over said second predetermined period to a budgeted utility commodity cost for said second predetermined period and to generate a thermostat control signal, such that when a difference between said budgeted utility commodity cost and said calculated utility commodity cost is less than a predetermined cost differential, said display communication means is adapted to transmit said thermostat control signal to said meter communications means of said thermostat.

27. The system of claim 14, wherein said at least one meter is a thermostat for an air conditioning unit and said microprocessor is adapted to compare said calculated utility commodity cost over said second predetermined period to a budgeted utility commodity cost for said second predetermined period and to generate a thermostat control signal, such that when a difference between said budgeted utility commodity cost and said calculated utility commodity cost is less than a predetermined cost differential, said display communication means is adapted to transmit said thermostat control signal to said meter communication means of said thermostat

28. A meter-control system interface apparatus comprising:

an interface memory for storing utility data received from at least one meter, said meter generating at least one usage signal comprising a measurement a subscriber'"'"'s usage of at least one utility commodity;

interface communications means for receiving at least one usage signal from at least one meter; and

a microprocessor comprising a clock, which is connected operably to said interface memory and which determines time interval usage data for said at least one utility commodity based on said measurement received in said at least one usage signal for said at least one utility commodity received from said at least one meter and transmits said time interval usage data for storage in said interface memory.

29. The meter-control system interface of claim 28, wherein said at least one meter comprises measures usage of at least three utility commodities.

30. The meter-control system interface apparatus of claim 29, wherein said time interval for said time interval usage data is at least about fifteen minutes.

31. The meter-control system apparatus interface of claim 30, wherein said interface memory has sufficient capacity to store said time interval usage data for at least about forty days.

32. The meter-control system interface apparatus of claim 28, wherein said meter-control system interface is housed in one of said at least one meter.

33. The meter-control system interface apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a local area network operably connecting said interface communication means to said at least one meter.

34. The meter-control system interface apparatus of claim 33, further comprising at least one switching device operably connected to said interface communication means, and control signals generated by said interface microprocessor are transmitted to said at least one switching device by said interface communications means via said local area network.

35. The meter-control system interface apparatus of claim 34, wherein said at least meter comprises an electrical meter and said at least one switching device modulates a flow of electricity to at least one electrical load.

36. The meter-control system interface apparatus of claim 34, further comprising at least one subscriber utility supply controller operably connected to said interface communication means via said local area web, whereby said at least one subscriber utility supply controller modulates the supply of at least one utility commodity to said subscriber.

37. An information and control apparatus comprising a microprocessor;

a memory;

a display;

a user interface;

a clock; and

display communication means for receiving utility commodity rates and utility control signals from at least one central location, for receiving at least one usage signal from at least one meter, and for transmitting a subscriber'"'"'s utility data to said at least one central location over a wide area network;

said information and control apparatus further comprising a data input port by which utility commodity usage payment information is uploaded to or downloaded from said at least one central location.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said display communication means are connected to said memory, such that said memory receives and stores said utility commodity rates delivered from said display communication means;

said memory is connected to said microprocessor, such that said utility commodity usage and cost data generated by said microprocessor is received and stored by said memory;

said display is connected to said microprocessor and said memory, such that said display selectively displays said utility commodity usage and cost data generated by said microprocessor or stored in said memory; and

said user interface is connected operably to said microprocessor, such that said microprocessor receives user control signals.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said display is selected from the group consisting of a visual display, and audio display, and a combined audio-visual display.

40. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein said at least one meter is selected from the group consisting of an electric meter, a water meter, a gas meter, an oil tank level sensor, a propane tank level sensor, a temperature sensor, a relative humidity sensor;

an appliance power sensor, and combinations thereof.

41. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said data input port is adapted to receive a smart card.

42. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising a speaker and means for decoding and amplifying digital audio data received by the display communication means via said wide area network.