ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR POWER CONSUMPTION MANAGEMENT OF APPLIANCES

• US 20110231788A1
• Filed: 09/21/2010
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: BRAGHINI, GIORGIO, ARIONE, ETTORE, SANTINATO, MATTEO
• Granted Patent: US 9,837,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/008 involving trading of energy or energy transmission rights
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• 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: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

An electronic system for power consumption management of one or more domestic appliances is routinely informed on actual energy tariff through a network control unit or through a predetermined time-table stored in the system. A user interface of the electronic system is provided where the user can set his preference concerning the switch-on time of each appliance and/or function thereof and read the related estimated energy consumption and/or energy cost of the appliance working program.

Claims

1. An electronic system for power consumption management of a domestic appliance, the system comprising:

a user interface displaying;

a plurality of switch-on times for the appliance comprising at least a current switch-on time and at least one future switch-on time; and

an energy cost of operating the appliance for each of the plurality of switch-on times based on actual energy information; and

a selector key coupled with the user interface and configured to select one of the plurality of switch-on times;

wherein a user is able to select a desired switch-on time for the appliance from the plurality of switch-on times based on a user'"'"'s cost preference.

2. The electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises inputting means for setting a predetermined energy cost saving target.

3. The electronic system according to claim 2 wherein the energy cost saving target is displayed as money saved referred to a predetermined time.

4. The electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the system is able to control a total power consumption of a plurality of appliances by setting priorities or time planning among appliances according either to user preferences or to actual energy information.

5. The electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the system is hosted in a specific device connected to a home network.

6. The electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the system is hosted in an appliance connected to a home network.

7. The electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a display which can show, when the selector key is activated by the user, the cost of running a working program of the appliance for a certain delay time, the selector key being configured to enable a scroll among different costs at different delay times.

8. The electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the system is configured to be connected to a device able to interrupt electrical supply to the appliance according to at least one priority selected by the user through the user interface.

9. The electronic system according to claim 1 wherein the actual energy information is obtained through a network control unit or a predetermined time table.

10. A process for managing a power consumption of a domestic appliance, comprising:

routinely providing the appliance with actual energy cost data through a network control unit or through a predetermined time-table;

displaying on a user interface of the appliance a plurality of switch-on times, with the switch-on times comprising at least a current switch-on time and at least one future switch-on time;

displaying on the user interface for each of the switch-on times an associated energy cost based on the actual energy cost data; and

providing for a selecting of one of the switch-on times so that the appliance may be operated for the associated energy cost.

11. The process according to claim 10, further comprising the step of defining a predetermined energy consumption threshold and switching off the appliance when an actual energy consumption is higher than the predetermined threshold.

12. The process according to claim 10, further comprising the step of switching off the appliance or a function thereof when the actual energy consumption remains within two energy consumption thresholds for more than a predetermined time.

13. The process according to claim 10, further comprising the step of stopping, pausing or starting power saving functionality of the appliance based on at least one priority and at least one target selected through the user interface.

14. The process according to claim 10, further comprising the step of checking if a power level in a power network is sufficient for allowing the appliance to be switched on.

15. The process according of claim 10, further comprising the step of carrying out a negotiation with a utility company for maximizing an appliance'"'"'s performance relative to available energy.

16. The process according to claim 10, further comprising setting preferences concerning the switch-on time of the appliance.