DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT OF HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES BEYOND ELECTRICAL

• US 20100094470A1
• Filed: 09/15/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Beyerle, Michael Thomas, Finch, Michael F., Besore, John K., Watson, Eric K., Venkatakrishnan, Natarajan
• Application Number:
  US12/559,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20100094470A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/282
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/04 Preventing the formation of frost or condensate
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/66 one of the loads acting as master and the other or others acting as slaves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• 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 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/244 the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 : Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A system and method for communicating between a master and slave devices for managing home utility costs is provided. The system includes a measuring device for determining gas or water flow in the home, a memory that stores data relating to past usage, and that also receive data from the measuring device. A controller operatively communicates with the measuring device, memory, and at least one home appliance to provide a message to a homeowner, or transmit information to a utility, or display a proposed operational mode. The controller may include a lock-out feature to prevent a homeowner from overriding a proposed mode or operation, or the controller can shut-off gas or water flow based on a measured flow rate.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between a master and slave device for managing home utility costs comprising:

monitoring use of gas or water in a home;

forwarding usage data to a controller operatively communicating with an associated home appliance; and

controlling operation of the associated home appliance based on the usage rate data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the controlling step includes providing a home energy manager having a user interface for displaying data relating to the associated home appliance and receiving input commands from a consumer.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising transmitting data from the associated home appliance to the home energy manager.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising transmitting data from the associated home energy manager to the associated utility.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising sending a message from the home energy manager to a remote device.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising displaying a message on the home energy manager in response to the transmitted data.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting data from the associated home appliance to the controller.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising prompting a user whether to accept or override a suggested mode of operation.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring step includes measuring the flow rate of one of gas or water entering the home.

10. A home service provider system comprising:

a measuring device for determining gas or water flow in the home;

a memory that stores data relating to past usage of gas or water in the home, and data received from the measuring device; and

a controller in operative communication with the measuring device, memory, and at least one associated home appliance.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the controller includes a user interface that provides a message to a homeowner prompting an operational mode for the associated home appliance in response to data received from the monitor.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the controller receives data from the associated home appliance.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the controller includes a port for transmitting the data from the associated home appliance to a utility.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising a monitor for displaying a proposed operation based on the data received from the associated home appliance.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the controller includes a port for transmitting a message to a remote location based on data received from the associated home appliance.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the port includes forwarding data on one of WIFI, WIMAX, Broadband, or mobile phone.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the controller includes a “

lockout feature”

that prevents a homeowner from overriding a proposed mode of operation for the associated home appliance based on a prior agreement with the homeowner.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein the controller includes an input that permits the homeowner to select a mode of operation for an associated home appliance.

19. The system of claim 10 wherein the controller can shut off gas or water flow based on the measured flow rate and data received from the associated home appliance.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the controller acts in response to flow rate over a preselected period of time.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein at least one home appliance includes a flow meter.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the flow meter throttles flow to the home appliance.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the controller through the flow meter throttles, delays, curtails, duty cycles, or shuts off flow to the home appliance.