System and method for identifying appliances by electrical characteristics

• US 20100070225A1
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Deep Science LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Wood, Lowell L. JR., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T.
• Application Number:
  US12/290,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070225A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/76
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2825 in household appliances or professional audio/video equipment testing LAN's H04L43/50; testing TV systems H04N17/00; testing loudspeakers H04R29/00

Abstract

Illustrative embodiments provide systems, applications, apparatuses, computer software program products, and methods related to identification of electrical appliances by electrical characteristics.

Claims

1-59. -59. (canceled)

60. A method comprising:

measuring, at first and second times, first and second electrical power signals of at least one electrical circuit;

frequency analyzing the measured first and second electrical power signals;

computing components of first and second electrical load characteristics from the frequency analyzed measured first and second electrical power signals, respectively; and

identifying at least one change in operational state of at least one electrical appliance of the at least one electrical circuit based upon a difference in the components of the first and second electrical load characteristics.

61. The method of claim 60, further comprising communicating data indicative of the at least one change in operational state of at least one electrical appliance of the at least one electrical circuit.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein communicating is performed via power line carrier communication.

63. The method of claim 61, wherein communicating is performed via wireless communication.

64. The method of claim 61, wherein communicating is performed via network communication.

65. The method of claim 60, further comprising storing in data storage data indicative of the at least one change in operational state of at least one electrical appliance of the at least one electrical circuit.

66. The method of claim 65, further comprising accessing from data storage the data indicative of the at least one change in operational state of at least one electrical appliance of the at least one electrical circuit.

67. The method of claim 60, wherein measuring, at first and second times, first and second electrical power signals of at least one electrical circuit includes measuring, at the first and second times, electrical current of the at least one electrical circuit.

68. The method of claim 60, wherein measuring, at first and second times, first and second electrical power signals of at least one electrical circuit includes measuring, at the first and second times, voltage of the at least one electrical circuit.

69. The method of claim 60, wherein the electrical load characteristics include at least one power component chosen from real power and reactive power.

70. The method of claim 60, wherein the electrical load characteristics include at least one admittance component chosen from conductance and susceptance.

71. The method of claim 60, wherein frequency analyzing the measured first and second electrical power signals includes analyzing the fundamental frequency component of the measured first and second electrical power signals.

72. The method of claim 60, wherein frequency analyzing the measured first and second electrical power signals includes analyzing at least one non-fundamental harmonic frequency component of the measured first and second electrical power signals.

73. The method of claim 72, wherein the at least one non-fundamental harmonic frequency component includes at least one odd non-fundamental harmonic frequency component.

74. The method of claim 73, wherein the at least one odd non-fundamental harmonic frequency component includes a third harmonic frequency component.

75. The method of claim 60, wherein frequency analyzing the measured first and second electrical power signals includes performing a Fourier transformation of the measured first and second electrical power signals.

76. The method of claim 60, further comprising monitoring status of the at least one change in operational state of at least one electrical appliance of the at least one electrical circuit.

77. The method of claim 60, further comprising identifying electrical appliances of the at least one electrical circuit based upon the difference in the components of the first and second electrical load characteristics.

78. The method of claim 77, further comprising communicating data indicative of identity of the identified electrical appliances of the at least one electrical circuit.

79. The method of claim 77, wherein identifying electrical appliances of the at least one electrical circuit based upon the difference in the components of the first and second electrical load characteristics includes comparing the difference in the components of the first and second electrical load characteristics to a plurality of predetermined components of electrical load characteristics for a plurality of predetermined electrical appliances.

80. A method comprising:

measuring, at first and second times, first and second electrical power signals of at least one electrical circuit;

computing first and second electrical load characteristics from the measured first and second electrical power signals, respectively frequency analyzing the first and second electrical load characteristics; and

identifying at least one change in operational state of at least one electrical appliance of the at least one electrical circuit based upon a difference in the frequency analyzed first and second electrical load characteristics.

81. The method of claim 80, further comprising communicating data indicative of the at least one change in operational state of at least one electrical appliance of the at least one electrical circuit.

82. The method of claim 81, wherein communicating is performed via power line carrier communication.

83. The method of claim 81, wherein communicating is performed via wireless communication.

84. The method of claim 81, wherein communicating is performed via network communication.

85. The method of claim 80, further comprising storing in data storage data indicative of the at least one change in operational state of at least one electrical appliance of the at least one electrical circuit.

86. The method of claim 85, further comprising accessing from data storage the data indicative of the at least one change in operational state of at least one electrical appliance of the at least one electrical circuit.

87. The method of claim 80, wherein measuring, at first and second times, first and second electrical power signals of at least one electrical circuit includes measuring, at the first and second times, electrical current of the at least one electrical circuit.

88. The method of claim 80, wherein measuring, at first and second times, first and second electrical power signals of at least one electrical circuit includes measuring, at the first and second times, voltage of the at least one electrical circuit.

89. The method of claim 80, wherein the electrical load characteristics include at least one power component chosen from real power and reactive power.

90. The method of claim 80, wherein the electrical load characteristics include at least one admittance component chosen from conductance and susceptance.

91. The method of claim 80, wherein frequency analyzing the first and second electrical load characteristics includes analyzing the fundamental frequency component of the first and second electrical load characteristics.

92. The method of claim 80, wherein frequency analyzing the first and second electrical load characteristics includes analyzing at least one non-fundamental harmonic frequency component of the first and second electrical load characteristics.

93. The method of claim 92, wherein the at least one non-fundamental harmonic frequency component includes at least one odd non-fundamental harmonic frequency component.

94. The method of claim 93, wherein the at least one odd non-fundamental harmonic frequency component includes a third harmonic frequency component.

95. The method of claim 80, wherein frequency analyzing the first and second electrical load characteristics includes performing a Fourier transformation of the first and second electrical load characteristics.

96. The method of claim 80, further comprising monitoring status of the at least one change in operational state of at least one electrical appliance of the at least one electrical circuit.

97. The method of claim 80, further comprising identifying electrical appliances of the at least one electrical circuit based upon the difference in the frequency analyzed first and second electrical load characteristics.

98. The method of claim 97, further comprising communicating data indicative of identity of the identified electrical appliances of the at least one electrical circuit.

99. The method of claim 97, wherein identifying electrical appliances of the at least one electrical circuit based upon the difference in the frequency analyzed first and second electrical load characteristics includes comparing the difference in the frequency analyzed first and second electrical load characteristics to a plurality of predetermined frequency analyzed electrical load characteristics for a plurality of predetermined electrical appliances.

100-308. -308. (canceled)