CE DEVICE FOR HOME ENERGY MANAGEMENT

• US 20120117503A1
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hofrichter, Klaus, Colsey, Nick
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements

Abstract

A CE device employs user interfaces to allow a user to define energy management rules within the user'"'"'s premises, visualize energy use in the home and in neighbor'"'"'s homes for comparison and competition in saving energy, and receive tailored advertisements for appliances that are more energy efficient than what the user currently owns.

Claims

1. Consumer, electronics (CE) device, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one video display controlled by the processor; and

at least one computer readable storage medium accessible to the processor and bearing instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to present on the display a user interface (UI) including plural windows, at least some of which represent a respective room in a residence and each presenting a respective visual indication indicating a relative and/or absolute consumption of energy use in the respective room, the CE device enabling a user of the CE device to “

drill down”

into a room to discover what appliances in that room are consuming energy.

2. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the indicator is a fillable bar that is filled according to energy use, with a lower fill indicating lower energy use and a higher fill indicating higher energy use.

3. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the processor causes a message to be presented in each window indicating whether energy use is low, moderate, or high.

4. The CE device of claim 1, wherein at least one window represents energy usage of a neighbor house as reported by a neighbor processor.

5. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the UI presents an energy indication for the entire residence relative to previous energy indications.

6. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the UI presents at least one historical energy consumption indicator, so that a user of the CE device can visualize current use against historical usage.

7. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the CE device is established by a digital clock.

8. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the CE device is established by a TV.

9. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the CE device is established by a wireless telephone.

10. Consumer electronics (CE) device, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one video display controlled by the processor; and

at least one computer readable storage medium accessible to the processor and bearing instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to present on the display a user interface (UI) enabling a user of the CE, device to select energy savings rules to be automatically applied in a dwelling responsive to predetermined conditions within the dwelling.

11. The CE device of claim 10, wherein the UI presents an “

all”

selector to cause the processor to implement all the rules on the UI.

12. The CE device of claim 10, wherein the UI enables a user to select individual rules on the list.

13. The CE device of claim 12, wherein a rule on the list is to automatically turn off lights in unoccupied rooms as indicated by a motion sensor in the room.

14. The CE device of claim 12, wherein rule on the list is to automatically turn off lights during daylight hours responsive to an ambient light sensor indicating daylight.

15. The CE device of claim 12, wherein a rule on the list is to automatically turn off a TV in an unoccupied room as indicated by a motion sensor in the room.

16. The CE device of claim 12, wherein a rule on the list is to automatically turn off a pool pump based on at least one predetermined condition.

17. A consumer electronics (CE) device employing user interfaces (UI) to allow a user to define energy management rules within the user'"'"'s premises, visualize energy use in the home and in neighbor'"'"'s homes for comparison and competition in saving energy, and receive tailored advertisements for appliances that are more energy efficient than what the user currently owns.

18. The CE device of claim 17, wherein a processor of the CE device determines whether an appliance in the premises consumes more than a threshold amount of energy and responsive to a determination that the appliance consumes more than a threshold amount of energy, presents on a display an advertisement directed to a newer, more energy-efficient replacement appliance.

19. The CE device of claim 17, wherein a processor of the CE device controls a display of the CE device to present a UI including plural windows, at least some of which represent a respective room in the premises and each presenting a respective visual indication indicating a relative consumption of energy use in the respective room, the CE device enabling a user of the CE device to “

drill down”

into a room to discover what appliances in that room are consuming energy.

20. The CE device of claim 17, wherein a processor of the CE device controls a display of the CE device to present a UI enabling a user of the CE device to select energy savings rules to be automatically applied in a dwelling responsive to predetermined conditions within the dwelling.