SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING, CONTROLLING AND LIMITING USAGE OF UTILITIES

• US 20100163634A1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jerry E. Armstrong, Michael J. Klein
• Original Assignee: Jerry E. Armstrong, Michael J. Klein
• Inventors: Klein, Michael J., Armstrong, Jerry E.
• Application Number:
  US12/493,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20100163634A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/94
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/84 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/14 Displaying of utility usage with respect to time, e.g. for monitoring evolution of usage or with respect to weather conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/45 Utility meters networked together within a single building
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/08 with provision for safeguarding the apparatus, e.g. against abnormal operation, against breakdown
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 17/06 Measuring quantity of heat conveyed by flowing media, e.g. in heating systems G01K17/02, G01K17/04 take precedencee.g. the quantity of heat in a transporting medium, delivered to or consumed in an expenditure device
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/192 using a modification of the thermal impedance between a source and the load
• 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 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 20/244 the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring, controlling and limiting utility usage for a plurality of units in a building. An example system includes a controller and one or more sensing devices in signal communication with the controller using a buildings existing thermostat wiring. The system senses the state of a thermostat, the air temperature near each thermostat and the pipe/ducting temperature in each of a plurality of units. The pipe/ducting sensor monitors the temperature of piping or ducting leading from a thermostatically controlled supply valve to the unit requesting heating or cooling. Being able to use existing building thermostat wiring allows for installation into older buildings. The controller records utility usage information for each of the plurality of units based on information received from the one or more sensing devices and communicates with a website.

Claims

1. A system for controlling one or more utilities for a plurality of units, the system comprising:

a first component located at each of the units, the first component comprising;

a thermostat configured to generate a utility request signal;

a temperature sensor configured to generate an analog temperature signal; and

a circuit coupled to the thermostat and the temperature sensor, the circuit configured to digitize the analog temperature signal;

a plurality of pipe temperature sensors configured to sense temperature of pipes that supply one of the one or more utilities to the units;

a second component configured to;

receive the sensed pipe temperature from the plurality of pipe temperature sensors;

receive the digitized temperature signal from the first component via a first electrical connection;

receive the utility request signal from the first component; and

output a utility valve control signal based on the received relative sensed pipe temperature, digitized temperature signal, and utility request signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second component is further configured to determine if the utility event satisfies a predefined alert condition and output a message if the utility event is determined to satisfy the predefined alert condition.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the predefined alert condition includes a tampering condition.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the predefined alert condition includes a valve stuck closed condition.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the predefined alert condition includes a valve stuck open condition.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the predefined alert condition includes a open window condition.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second component is further configured to generate a user interface accessible by other devices over a network, wherein the user interface comprises a graph configured to present utility requested information based on the utility request signal, a graph configured to present actual unit temperature information based on the received temperature signal, and a graph configured to present pipe temperature information based on the received pipe temperatures.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the utility requested information graph comprises accumulated time the utility was requested.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the actual unit temperature information graph comprises high and low temperature values for each hour of each day.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the pipe temperature information graph comprises high and low temperature values for each hour of each day.