SYSTEMS, DEVICES AND METHODS OF ENERGY MANAGEMENT, PROPERTY SECURITY AND FIRE HAZARD PREVENTION

• US 20110238234A1
• Filed: 03/23/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David H.C. Chen
• Original Assignee: David H.C. Chen
• Inventors: Chen, David H. C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,056,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/00 Fire prevention, containment or extinguishing specially adapted for particular objects or places in oil wells E21B29/08, A62C35/00; in mines or tunnels E21F5/00 ; for nuclear reactors G21C9/04
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/181 due to failing power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols

Abstract

Systems and devices for and methods of energy management, property security and fire hazard prevention are provided. The systems, devices and methods are able to be centralized, computerized, and expandable. The devices and systems are capable of automatically reducing energy consumptions and minimizing losses of property caused by fire, theft, and vandalism using monitoring sensors (e.g., occupancy sensors) and computer software and equipments.

Claims

1. A method of fire hazard prevention comprising:

a) providing one or more occupancy sensors in a property electrically or communicatively coupled with a gateway processor;

b) sensing an occupancy status of the property using the one or more occupancy sensors; and

c) adjusting one or more appliances according to the occupancy status of the property.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises disabling the one or more appliances when the occupancy status is negative.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises enabling the one or more appliances when the occupancy status is positive.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a) sensing one or more characteristics of a flame; and

b) actuating alarm when the one or more characteristics of the flame are sensed.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising notifying an authority or a user when the one or more characteristics of the flame are sensed.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the notification comprises location related information.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising setting up a timer to disable a fire hazard prevention function for a predetermined period.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a) sensing battery voltage level of one or more battery-powered devices using a voltage sensor, wherein each of the one or more battery-powered devices contains a unique identifier;

b) sending recurring low battery warnings with the unique identifier from the one or more battery-powered devices when detect a low battery condition;

c) translating the identifier into user-understandable device information; and

d) presenting the device information to the user.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising generating the unique identifier based on a device address on a network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting all of the appliances together when the occupancy status in the property changes.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting each appliance individually when the occupancy status in the respective area of the appliance changes.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising recording a detection result of the one or more occupancy sensors.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising backing up the detection result at a location away from the property.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting a thermostat setting, an illumination level, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising sensing an environmental condition.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the environmental condition comprises an illumination level.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising preventing frozenness of a water pipe by adjusting a thermostat setting to a predetermined temperature.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising profiling an environmental condition to generate a preference.

19. A method of energy management and property security comprising:

a) sensing absence of a person in a property using one or more occupancy sensors;

b) reducing energy supply to an appliance when sensing the absence of a person; and

c) notifying a user, an authority, or both when sensing and judging presence of a nonuser.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein judging presence of the nonuser comprises sensing a person at the property at a time defined as absence of a person and the person fails to enter correct password within a predetermined time period.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising profiling the user'"'"'s activities using machine learning to determine the time defined as absence of a person.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprising requesting to enter a password.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the notifying comprises informing a physical address or a location.

24. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

a) sensing one or more characteristics of a flame; and

b) actuating alarm when the one or more characteristics of the flame are sensed.

25. A system for energy management, property security, fire hazard prevention or fire hazard detection comprising:

a) a gateway processor;

b) one or more occupancy sensors coupling with the gateway processor; and

c) one or more load control devices to control one or more appliances coupled with the system.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the gateway processor consults with a computer-readable user schedule.

27. The system of claim 25, further comprising a portal website coupled with the gateway process to perform a scheduling task, a backup task, or a combination thereof.

28. The system of claim 25 further comprising a firewall coupled with the gateway processor.

29. The system of claim 25 further comprising one or more sensors capable of sensing a characteristic of a flame.

30. The system of claim 25 further comprising one or more sensors capable of sensing one or more environmental conditions.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the environmental conditions comprise an illumination level.

32. A gateway processor comprising:

a. one or more central processor units (CPU);

b. one or more transceivers electrically coupled with the CPU; and

c. one or more computer-readable medium storing;

a user'"'"'s schedule, a first set of computer instructions or programs profiling a user'"'"'s activity and creating the schedule, a second set of computer instructions or programs associating a device with one or more occupancy sensors in accordance with physical locations of the one or more occupancy sensors, a third set of computer instructions or programs translating unique device identifier or designation into device name or location, a fourth set of computer instructions or programs profiling an environmental condition and generating a preference, or a combination thereof.

33. The gateway processor of claim 32 further comprising at least one occupancy sensor suitable to detect presence or absence of one or more persons.

34. The gateway processor of claim 32 further comprising a firewall.

35. The gateway processor of claim 32 further comprising a user input/output interface.

36. The gateway processor of claim 32, wherein the computer-readable medium stores a fifth set of computer instructions or programs to perform authority or user notifications.

37. The gateway processor of claim 32, wherein the computer-readable medium further stores data received from the one or more occupancy sensors, data related to system activities, data of acceptable lowest temperature, information of deployed location, or a combination thereof.

38. The gateway processor of claim 32 further comprising a buzzer or beeper.

39. A managed electric or electronic appliance comprising:

a) a load control element to control an amount of power delivered, wherein the load control element communicatively couples with a gateway processor and electrically couples with an AC power source; and

b) an electric or electronic load coupled with the load control element.

40. The appliance of claim 39, wherein the electric or electronic load comprises a cooking or heating element.

41. The appliance of claim 39 further comprising:

a. a meter to measure the electricity consumed by the electrical or electronic load;

b. a processor coupled with the meter to accumulate the electricity consumption data; and

c. a computer-readable storage medium coupled with the processor to store the accumulated electricity consumption data.