HEG - SINGLE PRIMARY NETWORK TO MULTIPLE SECONDARY NETWORK ENERGY MANAGEMENT

• US 20120029714A1
• Filed: 01/18/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Brian, Joseph Mark, Finch, Michael Francis, Venkatakrishnan, Natarajan
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/291
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/16 The load or loads being an Information and Communication Technology [ICT] facility
• 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: 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 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A method and system is disclosed that includes a central controller that communicates data available from an Energy Services Interface (ESI) to devices over multiple secondary networks of a home in different communication protocols. The controller is a home energy gateway that includes multiple communication modules for binding to a meter on a primary network and to form multiple secondary networks.

Claims

1. An energy management system having managed energy consuming devices for a home comprising:

a central controller that is in communication with a power/energy measuring device and the managed energy consuming devices, comprising;

a primary communication module that is in communication with an energy services interface of an energy provider; and

at least two secondary communication modules that are in communication with the managed energy consuming devices of the home using different communication network protocols;

wherein the central controller is configured to monitor and manage energy consumption of each of the managed devices by sending communications to each of the managed devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the primary communication module is in communication with the energy services interface via a smart meter configured to measure whole home energy consumption and wherein the primary communication module is operative to provide commands to the managed devices to regulate energy usage by the managed devices as a function of whole home measured energy and data received from the energy services interface.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the smart meter communicatively links a primary network of the home with the energy provider said primary network communicatively linking the smart meter and the primary communication module of the central controller.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the central controller comprises a home energy gateway device having the first communication module and the at least two secondary communication modules that each together with one or more energy consuming devices form a respective secondary network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communication module is operable as an end point device on a primary network, and the at least two secondary communication modules together with one or more energy consuming devices each form a secondary network where the central controller is configured as a server thereto.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the central controller provides data to the managed energy consuming devices in at least two separate secondary networks each secondary network having a different communication protocol via the at least two secondary communication modules, and the smart meter provides data via the first communication module from the energy services interface of the energy provider.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the different communication protocols include at least two of an Ethernet, a Wifi, a Zigbee, and a Power Line Carrier communication protocol.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to receive communication from a smart meter configured to communicate within a primary network with the energy services interface, the controller and to the secondary networks.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the managed devices respectively comprise a demand response appliance configured to manage power consumption by responding to communications from the controller, and wherein the controller is configured to receive electricity rate and schedules from the energy provider to implement pre-determined load shedding for an electrical load of the home.

10. A method for communicating data among a plurality of energy consuming devices within different secondary home networks respectively, including an energy management system comprising a central controller with at least one memory storing executable instructions for the method, and a smart meter within a primary home network, comprising:

receiving data at the central controller through the primary home network from an energy services interface of an energy provider; and

sending communication commands in response to the data received from the controller to the energy consuming devices in at least two of the secondary networks with a different communication protocol for each secondary network.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising:

implementing a pre-determined load shedding for an electrical load of the home from electricity rates and/or schedules retrieved from the data via the communication commands.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

communicating with the smart meter and providing commands to regulate energy usage to the managed devices as a result of whole home measured energy stored at the central controller.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising:

communicating to the at least two secondary networks in the different communication protocols that include at least two of an Ethernet, a Wifi, a Zigbee, and a Power Line Carrier communication protocol.

14. The method of claim 10, comprising:

retrieving electrical rates and/or schedules from the smart meter that communicates on the primary network with the energy services interface of the energy provider and to the central controller via a first communications module.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the central controller includes a home energy gateway device with the first communication module and at least two secondary communication modules that respectively comprise a transceiver device for communicating in different communication protocols including an Ethernet, a Wifi, a Zigbee, or a Power Line Carrier communication protocol.

16. A home energy gateway device for a home energy management system, comprising:

a first communication module communicatively connected to an energy/power meter that obtains consumption data and ESI data for a plurality of energy consuming devices of a home and is an end point device on a primary network;

a second communication module communicatively connected to at least one of a first set comprising some of the plurality of energy consuming devices comprising a first secondary network;

at least one additional communication module communicatively connected to at least one of a second set of the plurality of energy consuming devices comprising a second secondary network having a communication protocol that is different from the first secondary network;

a controller operatively connected to the first communication module, the second communication module and the at least one e additional communication module that is configured to monitor and manage energy consumption of each of the managed devices by sending communications to each of the managed devices in the first and second secondary networks.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to coordinate the managed energy consuming devices as a server for the first and second secondary networks.

18. The device of claim 16, at least one of the managed devices comprise a demand response appliance configured to manage power consumption by responding to communications from the controller.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to receive electricity rate and/or schedule information from an energy provider to communicate pre-determined load shedding commands for an electrical load of the energy consuming devices at the home.