Power Monitoring and Analysis System for Identifying and Tracking Individual Electrical Devices

• US 20110144932A1
• Filed: 12/10/2009
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verlitics LLC
• Original Assignee: Verlitics LLC
• Inventors: Alles, Harold Gene
• Granted Patent: US 8,311,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/61
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/24 Identification of individual loads, e.g. by analysing current/voltage waveforms
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00001 characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/70 Load identification
• 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: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/40 Display of information, e.g. of data or controls
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

The invention is a method for measuring and processing a plurality of electrical parameters of a common alternating current (AC) service that supplies multiple different electrical devices such that the power use rate and total power used by each of multiple devices is determined. Sensors provide high resolution signals corresponding to the current and voltage of the AC power supplied to the service panel typical of those used in residential construction. Analog-to-digital conversion and processing circuits determine multiple electrical parameters with high resolution at a sampling rate sufficient to determine the electrical parameters for approximately each AC cycle. The electrical parameters are stored as a large data set in a memory with sufficient capacity to store several months of electrical parameters representing each AC cycle. The data set is processed to extract complete on-off cycles of the devices. The on-off cycles are represented by instance structures. The characteristics of the instance structures are used to determine device structures. Each device structure characterizes one of the multiple devices. The contributions associated with the extracted instance structures are subtracted from the data set, making is possible to extract additional instance structures from the residual information in the data set. Information from the device structures are used to help extract instances structures that are partially obscured by overlapping instance structures. The newly extracted instances structures are subtracted from the data set and processing continues until no more instance structures can be extracted. Information from the extracted instance structures and device structures are further grouped and processed to provide useful information reports to a consumer. As the electrical parameters are determined and added to the data set, they can be incrementally processed so that near real time information can be provided to the consumer. The cost of operating each device and other information enables the consumer to make informed decision regarding energy use and conservation.

Claims

1. A process for separately determining and monitoring the power use and status of a plurality of different electrical devices supplied by a common alternating current service, said process for monitoring comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a data set representing electrical parameters of the electrical service, said electrical parameters measured with sufficient resolution in value and time and for a sufficient duration of time to determine said power use and status,

(b) providing a process for extracting instance structures representing complete on-off cycles of said devices from said data set, and for using said instance structures to create and characterize device structures representing said devices, and for associating said instance structures with corresponding said device structures,

(c) providing a process for using said instance structures and said device structures to determine and monitor said power use and status.

2. The process of claim 1 where said process for extracting includes a process for subtracting the contributions of said instance structures from said data set.

3. The process of claim 2 where a portion of said contributions of one of said instance structures are determined by one of said device structures associated with said one of said instance structures.

4. The process of claim 1 where said process for extracting includes a process for decomposing unassociated said instance structures into two separate associated said instanced structures.

5. The process of claim 1 where said process for extracting includes a process for computing a match error between one of said instance structures and one of said device structures, said match error determining the association one of said instance structures with one of said device structures.

6. The process of claim 1 where said process for extracting includes a process for using one of said instance structures with high measurement confidence to determine one of said device structures.

7. The process of claim 1 where said process for extracting includes a process for using one of said instance structures associated with one of said device structures to modify said one of said device structures.

8. The process of claim 1 where said process for extracting includes a process for determining a composite structure, said composite structure representing the behavior of a plurality of said device structures that are components of one of said electrical devices.

9. The process of claim 1 where said process for extracting includes a process for preliminarily associating incomplete said instance structures with one of said device structures, and using the preliminary association to determine in near real time said power use and status.

10. The process of claim 1 where the process for using said instance structures includes a process for determining a plurality report structures, said report structures representing said power use and status.

11. A process for separately determining the power use of a plurality of different electrical devices supplied by a common alternating current service, the determining process comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a data set representing electrical parameters of the electrical service, said electrical parameters measured with sufficient resolution in value and time and for a sufficient duration of time to determine said power use,

(b) providing a process for extracting instance structures representing complete on-off cycles of said devices from said data set, and for using said instance structures to create and characterize device structures representing said devices, and for associating said instance structures with corresponding said device structures,

(c) providing a process for using said instance structures and said device structures to determine said power use.

12. The process of claim 11 where said process for extracting includes a process for subtracting the contributions of said instance structures from said data set.

13. The process of claim 12 where a portion of said contributions of one of said instance structures are determined by one of said device structures associated with said one of said instance structures.

14. The process of claim 11 where said process for extracting includes a process for decomposing unassociated said instance structures into two separate associated said instanced structures.

15. The process of claim 11 where said process for extracting includes a process for computing a match error between one of said instance structures and one of said device structures, said match error determining the association one of said instance structures with one of said device structures.

16. The process of claim 11 where said process for extracting includes a process for using one of said instance structures with high measurement confidence to determine one of said device structures.

17. The process of claim 11 where said process for extracting includes a process for using one of said instance structures associated with one of said device structures to modify said one of said device structures.

18. The process of claim 11 where said process for extracting includes a process for determining a composite structure, said composite structure representing the behavior of a plurality of said device structures that are components of one of said electrical devices.

19. The process of claim 11 where the process for using said instance structures includes a process for determining a plurality report structures, said report structures representing said power use.