ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20090240380A1
• Filed: 03/20/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Shah, Ashok Deepak, Roberts, David Diehl III
• Granted Patent: US 8,543,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/23 Retrofit light sources for lighting devices with a single fitting for each light source, e.g. for substitution of incandescent lamps with bayonet or threaded fittings
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/005 of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/035 by means of plugging into a wall outlet, e.g. night light
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/096 Magnetic devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2101/00 Point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25387 Control sequences so as to optimize energy use by controlled machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/24 using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/60 Circuit arrangements for operating LEDs comprising organic material, e.g. for operating organic light-emitting diodes [OLED] or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 : Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Feedback is received from a plurality of devices. External data is also received. Statistical patterns of the plurality of devices are determined based on the feedback. A policy is determined based on the statistical patterns, the feedback, and the external data. The policy may include a set of rules dictating the operation of each of the plurality of devices and reducing energy consumption at the plurality of devices. Control data based on the policy is transmitted to the plurality of devices. The control data may be operative to transform the operation of the plurality of devices according to the set of rules.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method for controlling energy consumption across multiple devices, the processor-implemented method comprising processor-implemented operations for:

receiving feedback from a plurality of devices;

receiving external data;

determining statistical patterns of the plurality of devices based on the feedback;

determining a policy based on the statistical patterns, the feedback, and the external data, the policy comprising a set of rules dictating the operation of each of the plurality of devices and reducing energy consumption at the plurality of devices; and

transmitting control data based on the policy to the plurality of devices, the control data operative to transform the operation of the plurality of devices according to the set of rules.

2. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of devices comprise light emitting diodes.

3. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of rules dictating the operation of each of the plurality of devices and reducing energy consumption at the plurality of devices comprises a set of rules dictating whether each of the plurality emitting diodes is switched on, switched off, or dimmed.

4. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality devices are implemented over a power line carrier (PLC) network.

5. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the feedback comprises feedback from a device-embedded sensor;

and wherein the feedback from the device-embedded sensor comprises at least one of energy consumption or thermal output.

6. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the external data comprises device-independent data from an external sensor;

and wherein the device-independent data from the external sensor comprises at least one of temperature, light level, humidity, gas, pressure, motion, smoke, sound, or occupancy.

7. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the external data comprises at least one of historical usage data, power cost schedule, non-controllable factors, device information, and carbon credit data.

8. The processor-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the non-controllable factors comprise time of day, date, season, and geography.

9. The processor-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the carbon credit data comprises a carbon credit policy specifying a carbon emissions limit above which a penalty is enforced and a carbon footprint.

10. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein transmitting control data based on the policy to the plurality of devices comprises:

providing a suggestion and an option whether to accept or reject the suggestion through a user interface, the suggestion associated with the control data;

upon providing the suggestion and the option through the user interface, receiving a response to accept the suggestion;

upon receiving the response to accept the suggestion, transmitting control data based on the policy to the plurality of devices.

11. A processor-implemented method for controlling energy consumption across multiple devices, the computer-implemented method comprising computer-implemented operations for:

receiving control data from a central controller;

setting values on a device driver according to the control data, the values operative to transform the operation of a device controlled by the device driver;

collecting feedback from a device-embedded sensor; and

transmitting the feedback to the central controller.

12. The processor-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the device comprises light emitting diode implemented over a power line carrier (PLC) network.

13. The processor-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the values are operative to switch the device or dim the device.

14. The processor-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the feedback comprises at least one of energy consumption or thermal output.

15. The processor-implemented method of claim 11, the processor-implemented method further comprising processor-implemented operations for:

authenticating the device by reading data from an identification chip on the device and verifying the data on the identification chip.

16. An energy management system, comprising:

a plurality of devices, each of the devices comprising a communications device and a device-embedded sensor;

a central controller coupled to the plurality of devices over a network, the central controller operative to (i) receive feedback from a plurality of devices, through the communications device, (ii) receive external data, (iii) determine statistical patterns of the plurality of devices based on the feedback, (iv) determine a policy based on the statistical patterns, the feedback, and the external data, the policy comprising a set of rules dictating the operation of each of the plurality of devices reducing energy consumption, and (v) transmit control data based on the policy to the plurality of devices through the communications device, the control data operative to transform the operation of the plurality of devices according to the set of rules.

17. The energy management system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of devices comprises light emitting diodes implemented over a power line carrier (PLC) network.

18. The energy management system of claim 16, wherein each of the devices is operative to (i) receive the control data from the central controller, (ii) set values on a device driver according to the control data, the values operative to transform the operation of the device controlled by the device driver, (iii) collect the feedback from the device-embedded sensor, and (iv) transmit the feedback to the central controller.

19. The energy management system of claim 16, wherein the feedback comprises energy consumption and thermal output.

20. The energy management system of claim 16, further comprising a database coupled to the central controller, the database operative to store the policy, the feedback, the external data, and energy accounting data.