APPLIANCE DEMAND RESPONSE ANTENNA DESIGN FOR IMPROVED GAIN WITHIN THE HOME APPLIANCE NETWORK

• US 20110140972A1
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Wang, Jackson, Worthington, Timothy, Besore, John K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,526,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2233 used in consumption-meter devices, e.g. electricity, gas or water meters

Abstract

A home appliance antenna assembly is integrated into the home appliance and extends from a demand response module or the appliance microprocessor where the module is integrated into the appliance. At least a portion of the antenna is preferably located adjacent an external surface of the home appliance and adapted for radio frequency (RF) communication. If an external demand supply module is wired to the home appliance, a conventional connection cable typically includes a spare wire that is not used and can thereby serve as a long wire antenna. In other appliances where the module is integrated into the appliance, an antenna is incorporated into the appliance in a utilitarian, but aesthetically unobtrusive manner.

Claims

1. A home appliance antenna assembly for communicating between an associated home energy manager and an associated appliance controller to control operation of an associated home appliance comprising:

a home appliance including one of a refrigerator, range, microwave oven, clothes washer, dishwasher, hot water heater, and window air conditioner;

a microprocessor integral to the appliance for controlling the appliance;

a demand response module operatively connected to the home appliance microprocessor;

a radio integrated into one of the appliance microprocessor and the demand response module; and

an antenna integrated into the home appliance and extending from one of the demand response module and the appliance microprocessor, at least a portion of the antenna located along an external surface of the home appliance adapted for RF communication with the associated home energy manager; and

a tuning circuit and matching network operatively associated with the radio to couple the antenna to the radio.

2. The home antenna assembly of claim 1 wherein the demand response module further includes an indicator that exhibits relative strength of an incoming radio signal.

3. The home antenna assembly of claim 1 wherein the indicator further indicates receipt of valid authenticated packets.

4. The home appliance antenna assembly of claim 1 wherein the radio includes one of a transceiver, transmitter, and receiver.

5. The home appliance antenna assembly of claim 1 wherein the demand response module is external to the associated home appliance, and further comprising a multi-wire cable that interconnects the associated home appliance with the external demand response module and wherein the antenna includes a spare wire in the multi-wire cable.

6. The home appliance antenna assembly of claim 1 further comprising an antenna operatively associated with the home appliance that is tuned to a wavelength of the radio.

7. The home appliance antenna assembly of claim 1 wherein the antenna is operatively associated with one of:

a wall panel of the home appliance,

one of a hinge and hinge cover of the home appliance,

an inside of a housing of the home appliance and the antenna passes through the housing to the external surface of the associated home appliance,

grill of the home appliance,

a gasket of the home appliance;

a backsplash of the home appliance,

a handle of the home appliance,

a decorative overlay of the home appliance,

an insulation blanket of the home appliance,

at least partially incorporated within or onto a window of the appliance, and

a free-form shape routed below, behind, or adjacent to the appliance in a random method.

8. The home appliance antenna assembly of claim 1 wherein the antenna is a conductive material that is applied to an outer surface of the appliance.

9. The home appliance antenna assembly of claim 1 wherein the antenna is an array of driven and parasitic elements to provide directionality.

10. The home appliance antenna assembly of claim 9 wherein the driven and parasitic elements are director and reflector elements, respectively.

11. The home appliance antenna assembly of claim 9 wherein the array is operatively associated with an appliqué

that is bonded or otherwise attached to the appliance outer surface in an oriented fashion to optimize the directionality.

12. The home appliance antenna assembly of claim 9 wherein the array is directly applied to the appliance outer surface using a conductive layer.

13. The home appliance antenna assembly of claim 12 wherein the conductive layer is one of a film and paint.

14. The home appliance antenna assembly of claim 9 wherein the array is tunable through an active control network within a microchip of the radio to optimize performance.

15. A method of communicating between a home appliance and a home energy manager comprising:

providing a demand response module with a home appliance;

providing a controller for the home appliance that communicates with the demand response module;

mounting an antenna along an external surface or component of the home appliance; and

connecting the antenna to a radio (a) residing within the demand response module or (b) incorporated directly in a controller of the home appliance.

16. The method of claim 15 further indicating a relative strength of an incoming radio signal.

17. The method of claim 15 further indicating receipt of valid authenticated packets.

18. The method of claim 15 further providing an array of driven and parasitic elements to provide directionality to the antenna.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the mounting step includes incorporating the antenna in a conductive layer of the home appliance.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the connecting step includes using a spare wire of a connector cable as a long-wire antenna between an externally mounted demand response module and the controller mounted in the home appliance.

21. An antenna assembly for communicating between a head end system and a home energy manager or gateway comprising:

a radio integrated into the home energy manager or gateway; and

an antenna extending therefrom, at least a portion of the antenna located along an external surface thereof for RF communication with the associated head end system; and

a tuning circuit and matching network operatively associated with the radio to couple the antenna to the radio.