APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING ENERGY-RELATED INFORMATION

• US 20090125825A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Rieger, Josef, Gabel, Steven D., Marik, Karel, Rye, Jeffrey M., Foslien, Wendy K., Ho, Geoffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,966,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0216 Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration

Abstract

A method includes receiving energy-related information associated with multiple elements in a hierarchically-arranged domain. The method also includes determining a value of an energy-related metric for each of the elements using the energy-related information. The method further includes generating a graphical user interface using the metric values and presenting the graphical user interface to a user. The graphical user interface includes a treemap having multiple sections, each associated with one of the elements. The graphical user interface also includes a graph displaying energy-related information associated with a selected element. A size of each section in the treemap could be based on a size, importance, energy usage, and/or carbon emission of the associated element. A color and a color intensity of each section in the treemap could be based on the metric value of the associated element and/or a comparison of the absolute energy usage to a baseline.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store energy-related information associated with multiple elements in a hierarchically-arranged domain; and

a processing system configured to determine a value of an energy-related metric for each of the elements using the energy-related information, generate a graphical user interface using the metric values, and present the graphical user interface to a user;

wherein the graphical user interface comprises;

a treemap comprising multiple sections, each section associated with one of the elements; and

a graph displaying energy-related information associated with a selected one of the elements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

each section in the treemap has a size and a color; and

at least one of the size and the color of each section is based on the metric value for that section'"'"'s associated element.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the size of each section in the treemap is based on at least one of;

a size of the associated element, an importance of the associated element, an average energy usage of the associated element, an annual energy usage of the associated element, and a carbon emission associated with the associated element; and

a color and a color intensity of each section in the treemap are based on the metric value of the associated element.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

each section in the treemap has a size and a color;

the size of each section in the treemap is based on an absolute energy usage by that section'"'"'s associated element; and

a color and a color intensity of each section in the treemap are based on a comparison of the absolute energy usage by that section'"'"'s associated element to a baseline.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graph displaying the energy-related information associated with the selected element comprises:

a daily usage plot displaying energy usage by the selected element versus time for each of a specified number of days.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graph displaying the energy-related information associated with the selected element comprises:

a variance plot displaying (i) energy usage by the selected element versus temperature for each of a specified number of days and (ii) bins defining temperature ranges and identifying variations of the energy usage within the temperature ranges.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graph displaying the energy-related information associated with the selected element comprises:

a daily trend summary having multiple shaded areas graphically identifying energy usage by the selected element for each of a specified number of days.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elements in the hierarchically-arranged domain comprise at least one of:

physical areas, equipment components, and sensors.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graph displaying the energy-related information presents information associated with at least one of:

a potential cost avoidance and a carbon emission.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to generate one or more of:

a mosaic plot, a time-series plot, and an XY scatter plot.

11. A method comprising:

receiving energy-related information associated with multiple elements in a hierarchically-arranged domain;

determining a value of an energy-related metric for each of the elements using the energy-related information;

generating a graphical user interface using the metric values, wherein the graphical user interface comprises;

a treemap comprising multiple sections, each section associated with one of the elements; and

a graph displaying energy-related information associated with a selected one of the elements; and

presenting the graphical user interface to a user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

each section in the treemap has a size and a color; and

at least one of the size and the color of each section is based on the metric value for that section'"'"'s associated element.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the size of each section in the treemap is based on at least one of;

a size of the associated element, an importance of the associated element, an average energy usage of the associated element, an annual energy usage of the associated element, and a carbon emission associated with the associated element; and

a color and a color intensity of each section in the treemap are based on the metric value of the associated element.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein:

each section in the treemap has a size and a color;

the size of each section in the treemap is based on an absolute energy usage by that section'"'"'s associated element; and

a color and a color intensity of each section in the treemap are based on a comparison of the absolute energy usage by that section'"'"'s associated element to a baseline.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the graph displaying the energy-related information associated with the selected element comprises at least one of:

a daily usage plot displaying energy usage by the selected element versus time for each of a specified number of days;

a variance plot displaying (i) energy usage by the selected element versus temperature for each of a specified number of days and (ii) bins defining temperature ranges and identifying variations of the energy usage within the temperature ranges; and

a daily trend summary having multiple shaded areas graphically identifying energy usage by the selected element for each of a specified number of days.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the elements in the hierarchically-arranged domain comprise at least one of:

physical areas, equipment components, and sensors.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the elements in the hierarchically-arranged domain comprise physical areas; and

the graph displaying the energy-related information associated with the selected element comprises highlighted and non-highlighted areas defining occupied and unoccupied times for the physical areas.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the graph displaying the energy-related information presents information associated with at least one of:

a potential cost avoidance and a carbon emission.

19. A computer readable medium embodying a computer program, the computer program comprising:

computer readable program code for receiving energy-related information associated with multiple elements in a hierarchically-arranged domain;

computer readable program code for determining a value of an energy-related metric for each of the elements using the energy-related information;

computer readable program code for generating a graphical user interface using the metric values, wherein the graphical user interface comprises;

a treemap comprising multiple sections, each section associated with one of the elements; and

a graph displaying energy-related information associated with a selected one of the elements; and

computer readable program code for presenting the graphical user interface to a user.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein:

each section in the treemap has a size and a color;

the size of each section in the treemap is based on at least one of;

a size of the associated element, an importance of the associated element, an average energy usage of the associated element, an annual energy usage of the associated element, an absolute energy usage of the associated element, and a carbon emission associated with the associated element; and

a color and a color intensity of each section in the treemap are based on at least one of;

the metric value of the associated element and a comparison of the absolute energy usage of the associated element to a baseline.