APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD HAVING A WI-FI COMPATIBLE ALTERNATING CURRENT (AC) POWER CIRCUIT MODULE

• US 20110298301A1
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Equal Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Equal Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Stewart, J. Marcus, Wong, Simon, Mincher, Richard, Metzger, John, Loia, Dale, Wai, Eric, Chang, Jacob
• Application Number:
  US13/090,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20110298301A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/116
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/125 Utility meter reading systems specially adapted for determining the environmental impact of user behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/18 Remote displaying of utility meter readings
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/34 Smart metering supporting the carbon neutral operation of end-user applications in buildings
• 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: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method includes a housing having at least one inlet plug suitable for connection to an alternating current (AC) power outlet and at least one outlet receptacle suitable receiving an AC plug connected to a load device. An AC measurement module is contained within the housing and is coupled to the inlet plug and the outlet receptacle to measure AC voltage and AC current usage of the load device connected to the outlet receptacle. A communication module is operative to transmit AC power values calculated based on the measured AC voltage and AC current in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 wireless networking standard (Wi-Fi) to a wireless network access point.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing comprising at least one inlet plug suitable for connection to an alternating current (AC) power outlet and at least one outlet receptacle suitable receiving an AC plug connected to a load device;

an AC measurement module coupled to the inlet plug and the outlet receptacle to measure AC voltage and AC current usage of the load device connected to the outlet receptacle; and

a communication module operative to transmit AC power values calculated based on the measured AC voltage and AC current in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 wireless networking standard (Wi-Fi) to a wireless network access point.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a control module coupled to the communication module, wherein the control module is operative to control a state of the at least one outlet receptacle based on digital commands received by the communication module from the wireless network access point.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control module is operative to turn the at least one outlet receptacle either in an ON state or an OFF state based on the digital commands received by the communication module.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, comprising a single an inlet plug suitable for connection to an AC power outlet and a plurality of outlet receptacles suitable receiving a plurality of AC plugs connected to a plurality of load devices.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the control module comprises a multi-socket manager system to control the plurality of load devices plugged into the plurality of outlet receptacles.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

a processor coupled to the AC measurement module; and

a memory coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is operative to receive digitized AC voltage and AC current measurement samples from the AC measurement module, calculate AC power values based on the received AC voltage and AC current measurement samples, and store the digitized AC power values in the memory; and

wherein the processor is operative to initiate communication with the communication module to transmit the digitized AC power values stored in the memory to the wireless network access point.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the AC measurement module comprises:

an AC voltage sense system coupled to the inlet plug;

an AC current sense system coupled to the inlet plug; and

an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter coupled to the AC voltage sense system and the AC current sense system and coupled to the processor, wherein the A/D converter is operative to digitize the AC voltage and AC current measurements provided by the corresponding AC voltage sense system AC current sense system at a predetermined sampling rate and to provide the digitized AC voltage and AC current samples to the processor, wherein the processor is operative to calculate power based on the AC voltage and AC current samples.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the AC current sense system comprises:

a first current sensor coil element to produce a first set of differential signals that are proportional to the AC current in a first leg of the inlet plug and are suitable for input to the A/D converter; and

a second current sensor coil element to produce a second set of differential signals that are proportional to the AC current in a second leg of the inlet plug and are suitable for input to the A/D converter.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the AC voltage sense system comprises:

a first set of resistors to divide the voltage between the first leg of the inlet plug and neutral to produce a first differential voltage signal suitable for input to the A/D converter; and

a second set of resistors to divide the voltage between the second leg of the inlet plug and neutral to produce a second differential voltage suitable for input to the A/D converter.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication module is operative to transmit wireless signals to and receive wireless signals from the wireless network access point in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 wireless networking standard (Wi-Fi).

11. A wireless network for monitoring alternating current (AC) power usage of a device connected to an AC power meter wireless module, the wireless network comprising:

at least one AC power meter wireless module configured to receive at least one device operative on AC power and further configured to plug into an AC outlet, the at least one AC power meter wireless module comprising;

a housing comprising at least one inlet plug suitable for connection to an alternating current (AC) power outlet and at least one outlet receptacle suitable receiving an AC plug connected to a load device;

an AC measurement module coupled to the inlet plug and the outlet receptacle to measure AC voltage and AC current usage of the load device connected to the outlet receptacle; and

a communication module operative to transmit AC power values calculated based on the measured AC voltage and AC current in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 wireless networking standard (Wi-Fi) to a wireless network access point.

12. The wireless network of claim 11, wherein the at least one AC power meter wireless module comprises a control module coupled to the communication module, wherein the control module is operative to control a state of the at least one outlet receptacle based on digital commands received by the communication module.

13. The wireless network of claim 12, wherein the control module is operative to turn the at least one outlet receptacle either in an ON state or an OFF state based on the digital commands received by the communication module.

14. The wireless network of claim 13, wherein the at least one AC power meter wireless module comprises a single an inlet plug suitable for connection to an AC power outlet and a plurality of outlet receptacles suitable receiving a plurality of AC plugs connected to a plurality of load devices.

15. The wireless network of claim 14, wherein the control module comprises a multi-socket manager system to control the plurality of load devices plugged into the plurality of outlet receptacles.

16. The wireless network of claim 11, wherein the AC measurement module comprises:

a processor coupled to the AC measurement module; and

a memory coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is operative to receive digitized AC voltage and AC current measurement samples from the AC measurement module, calculate AC power values based on the received AC voltage and AC current measurement samples, and store the digitized AC power values in the memory; and

wherein the processor is operative to initiate communication with the communication module to transmit the digitized AC power values stored in the memory to the wireless network access point.

17. The wireless network of claim 16, wherein the AC measurement module comprises:

an AC voltage sense system coupled to the inlet plug;

an AC current sense system coupled to the inlet plug; and

an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter coupled to the AC voltage sense system and the AC current sense system and coupled to the processor, wherein the A/D converter is operative to digitize the AC voltage and AC current measurements provided by the corresponding AC voltage sense system AC current sense system at a predetermined sampling rate and to provide the digitized AC voltage and AC current samples to the processor, wherein the processor is operative to calculate power based on the AC voltage and AC current samples.

18. The wireless network of claim 17, wherein the AC current sense system comprises:

a first current sensor coil element to produce a first set of differential signals that are proportional to the AC current in a first leg of the inlet plug and are suitable for input to the A/D converter; and

a second current sensor coil element to produce a second set of differential signals that are proportional to the AC current in a second leg of the inlet plug and are suitable for input to the A/D converter.

19. The wireless network of claim 18, wherein the AC voltage sense system comprises:

a first set of resistors to divide the voltage between the first leg of the inlet plug and neutral to produce a first differential voltage signal suitable for input to the A/D converter; and

a second set of resistors to divide the voltage between the second leg of the inlet plug and neutral to produce a second differential voltage suitable for input to the A/D converter.

20. The wireless network of claim 11, wherein the communication module is operative to transmit wireless signals to and receive wireless signal from the wireless network access point in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 wireless networking standard (Wi-Fi).

21. A method, comprising:

receiving from at least one inlet plug suitable for connection to an alternating current (AC) power outlet and at least one outlet receptacle suitable receiving an AC plug connected to a load device an AC current signal and an AC voltage signal;

measuring by an AC measurement module coupled to the inlet plug and the outlet receptacle to the AC voltage and the AC current usage of the load device connected to the outlet receptacle; and

transmitting AC power usage based on the AC current and AC voltage measured by the by AC measurement module in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 wireless networking standard (Wi-Fi) to a wireless network access point.

22. The method of claim 21, comprising controlling, by a control module coupled to the communication module, a state of the at least one outlet receptacle based on digital commands received by the communication module.

23. The method of claim 22, turning, by the control module, the at least one outlet receptacle either in an ON state or an OFF state based on the digital commands received by the communication module.

24. The method of claim 23, controlling, by a multi-socket manager system, a plurality of load devices plugged into a plurality of outlet receptacles.

25. The method of claim 21, comprising:

receiving, by a processor coupled to the AC measurement module, digitized AC measurement samples from the AC measurement module;

calculating AC power values based on the digitized AC measurement samples;

storing, by the processor, the AC power values in a memory coupled to the processor;

initiating, by the processor, communication with the communication module; and

transmitting, by the communication module, the AC power values stored in the memory to the wireless network access point.