LOW COST AND FLEXIBLE ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING MESSAGES AMONG A PLURALITY OF COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

• US 20110202196A1
• Filed: 01/03/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Drake, Jeff Donald, Worthington, Timothy Dale, Venkatakrishnan, Natarajan, Nolan, Kevin Farrelly, Emery, Cathy Diane, Bingham, David C., Watts, William Anthony, Finch, Michael Francis, Bultman, Robert Marten, Kobraei, Henry
• Granted Patent: US 8,565,928 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building

Abstract

A system and method of operating an energy data management and control system has a first communication network to transmit and receive data to and from a user interface, a second communication network to transmit and receive data to and from a Utility company, and a third communication network to access data from and provide data to accessories within a home. The system reformats the data from any of the first, second and third communication networks for communication with another of the first, second and third communication networks, wherein at least one of the communication networks operate on a protocol different from another one of the communications networks. The data defines various operations of the system.

Claims

1. A method of operating an energy data management and control system having a first communication network to transmit and receive data to and from a user interface, a second communication network to transmit and receive data to and from a Utility company, and a third communication network to access data from and provide data to accessories within a home, the method comprising:

generating data by any one of the user interface, Utility company or accessories;

receiving into a home energy gateway the generated data from any one of (i) the first communication network via a first interface channel, (ii) the second communication network via a second interface channel, and (iii) the third communication network via a third interface channel;

and

operating the energy data management control system using the data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving of the data includes receiving power consumption data from a smart meter for storage in the database of the home energy gateway.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the receiving of the power consumption data includes:

setting up a timer in the home energy gateway;

periodically pinging the smart meter for consumption via the second communication network; and

storing the consumption data in the database of the home energy gateway.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving of the data includes providing a price signal from the Utility company to an appliance.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the providing of the price signal to the appliance includes:

receiving in the home energy gateway the price signal which includes a price schedule or price change from a Utility company via the second communication network;

storing in the home energy gateway the price signal;

reviewing scheduling priorities in the home energy gateway received from a user over the first data interface channel; and

sending a load shed command to the appliance based on the scheduling priorities and the price signal via the third data interface channel.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving of the data includes generating a Utility company direct load control command to a load control box on an accessory.

7. The method of claim 6 further including:

receiving, at the home energy gateway, a price signal which includes a price schedule or price change for an appliance from the Utility company over the second communication network via the second data interface channel;

reviewing scheduling priorities in the home energy gateway received from a user over the first data interface channel; and

sending a load shed command to a disconnect box of an accessory over the third communication network via the third data interface channel.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving of the data includes obtaining data representing power consumption from an accessory and storing the power consumption data of the accessory in the database of the home energy gateway.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the obtaining of the data representing power consumption of an accessory includes:

setting up a timer by the home energy gateway;

periodically pinging a meter on the second network via the second data interface channel, to obtain the consumption data from the meter; and

storing the consumption data in the data base of the home energy gateway.

10. The method of claim 1 further including configuring the system to generate and deliver a daily power consumption cost chart to a remote device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the remote device is a hand-held device having a display.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the generating of the data representing the daily power consumption cost chart and delivering the daily power consumption cost chart to the remote device includes:

contacting the home energy gateway by the remote device over the first data interface channel, the remote device sending a scripted request for data;

reviewing the database of the home energy gateway for data for the daily power consumption cost chart;

assembling the data requested into the daily power consumption cost chart;

formatting the daily power consumption cost chart;

sending the requested daily power consumption cost chart to the remote device over the first data interface channel to the remote device.

13. The method of claim 1 further including generating power consumption data from the home energy gateway and sending the generated power consumption data to an external server.

14. The method of claim 13 further including:

setting up by the user conditions for transmitting data to the external server over the first interface including;

selecting by the user a server from list or entered URL;

selecting by the user frequency at which data is to be ported;

selecting by the user which data is to be ported;

setting up a timer in the home energy gateway to meet the users request

assembling a subset of data requested by the user;

formatting the subset of data for transmission; and

posting the selected subset of data to the external server.

15. The method according to claim 1 further including generating a message from the Utility company to a computer display, that is not part of the home energy gateway, but which is accessed via the first interface channel of the home energy gateway.

16. The method of claim 15 further including:

receiving by the home energy gateway a message from the Utility company, via the second data interface channel;

reviewing instructions from the user as to which display device of a plurality of display devices the Utility company message should be sent;

formatting, by the home energy gateway, a message for the selected display device; and

pushing the formed message to the display device.

17. The method of claim 1 further including:

reformatting the data from any of the first, second and third communication networks for communication with another of the first, second and third communication networks, wherein at least one of the communication networks operate on a protocol different from another one of the communications networks;

18. An energy data management and control system configured to allow a user to configure operation of the data management and control system to generate and send a plurality of different messages, the system comprising:

a plurality of communication networks configured to transmit and receive data, at least some of the communication networks operating using communication protocols distinct from other ones of the communication networks; and

a home energy gateway configured as a single point of control and including a plurality of interface channels to enable communication by the communication networks to the home energy gateway, wherein one of the communication networks includes a user interface that allows a user to enter instructions that control operation of the system by the entered instructions.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the system is configured to receive power consumption data from a smart meter for storage in a database of the home energy gateway.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the system is configured to provide a price signal to an appliance.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the system is configured to generation of a Utility company direct load control command to a load control box on an accessory.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the system is configured to obtain data representing power consumption from an accessory and storing the power consumption data of the accessory in the database of the home energy gateway.

23. The system of claim 18 wherein the system is configured to generate and deliver daily power consumption cost chart to a remote device.

24. The system of claim 18 wherein the system is configured to generate power consumption data by the home energy gateway and to send the power consumption data to an external server.

25. The method according to claim 18 further including generating a message from the Utility company to a computer display, that is not part of the home energy gateway, but which is accessed via the first interface channel of the home energy gateway.