SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MODIFYING UTILITY USAGE

• US 20120271475A1
• Filed: 06/27/2012
• Published: 10/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e-Radio USA, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Calvin Daniel Koskowich, Jackson Kit Wang, John Paul Harvey
• Inventors: Wang, Jackson Kit, Koskowich, Calvin Daniel, Harvey, John Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,704,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A receiver assembly for managing an appliance comprises a receiver that receives a first datacast comprising utility information, a processor that controls the appliance based on the utility information, a display that notifies a user of the utility information, and an input interface that receives instructions from the user on whether to alter appliance usage based on the utility information. When an instruction is received by the input interface to alter usage of the appliance based on the utility information, the appliance is regulated by the utility information in the first datacast and subsequent datacasts until an override instruction occurs. When an override instruction is received, the appliance is not regulated by the utility information in the first datacast and subsequent datacasts until an instruction is received by the input interface from the user to alter usage of the appliance as a function of the utility information.

Claims

1. A receiver assembly for managing an appliance, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a first datacast comprising utility information from a wide-area wireless communication system, wherein the wide-area wireless communication system comprises a plurality of transmitters configured to broadcast the first datacast;

a processor in electrical communication with said receiver and the appliance, said processor configured to control the appliance as a function of the utility information;

a display in electrical communication with said processor for notifying a user of said utility information; and

an input interface in electrical communication with said processor for receiving instructions from said user on whether to alter usage of said appliance as a function of the utility information, wherein,

when an instruction is received by the input interface to alter usage of said appliance as a function of the utility information, the appliance is regulated by the utility information in the first datacast and subsequent datacasts until such a time that an override instruction is received by the input interface from said user, and

when an override instruction is received by the input interface, the appliance is not regulated by the utility information in the first datacast and subsequent datacasts until such a time that an instruction is received by the input interface from said user to alter usage of said appliance as a function of the utility information.

2. The receiver assembly of claim 1, wherein the appliance is an air conditioner or heater regulated by a thermostat, a clothes dryer, a clothes washer, a refrigerator, a freezer, a central vacuum, a power bar, a hot water heater, a dishwasher, an electrical vehicle, a water pump, a sump pump, a swimming pool pump, a sprinkler system, or a water irrigation pump.

3. The receiver assembly of claim 1, wherein the appliance is an air conditioner or heater regulated by a thermostat, and said receiver and said processor are embedded within the thermostat.

4. The receiver assembly of claim 1, wherein the first datacast is carried by an analog cellular signal, a digital cellular signal, a general packet radio service signal, an enhanced data rate for GSM evolution (EDGE) service signal, a Mobitex signal, two-way paging signal, a signal in the Ardis network, a satellite signal, a WiMAX signal, an AM carrier wave, a high definition radio carrier wave, a TV signal, or a satellite radio signal.

5. The receiver assembly of claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises an RDS/RBDS radio receiver.

6. The receiver assembly of claim 1, further comprising a memory in electrical communication with said processor, said memory storing data for controlling the appliance in accordance with said instructions from said user.

7. The receiver assembly of claim 1, wherein the first datacast is carried on a sideband or subcarrier frequency of a carrier wave.

8. The receiver assembly of claim 1, wherein the processor, the display and the input interface regulate a circuit that the apparatus is on.

9. The receiver assembly of claim 8, wherein a plurality of apparatus are on the circuit and the first datacast is used to regulate power usage of the plurality of apparatus when an instruction is received by the input interface to alter usage of said appliance as a function of the utility information.

10. The receiver assembly of claim 1, wherein the utility information is electric grid load information or electric tariff information.

11. The receiver assembly of claim 1 wherein the utility information is water rate information or gas rate information.

12. The receiver assembly of claim 1, wherein the processor, the display and the input interface are part of a home area network that is in electrical communication with the apparatus and regulate the apparatus through the home area network.

13. The receiver assembly of claim 12, wherein the home area network is a WiFi IEEE 802.11 network, a Zigbee network, or a Bluetooth network.

14. The receiver assembly of claim 1, wherein the first datacast further comprises a clock reference time and the receiver assembly is configured to use the clock reference time for a security function.

15. The receiver assembly of claim 14, wherein the appliance is a light or a security camera and the security function is turning on or off the light as a function of the clock reference time.

16. The receiver assembly of claim 1, wherein the first datacast is carried by an FM carrier wave or a signal in a frequency range between 160 MHz and 167 MHz.

17. The receiver assembly of claim 1, wherein the first datacast is responsive to a frequency adjustment made by a utility provider in order to match actual demand to that of available power generating resources.

18. The receiver assembly of claim 17, wherein the appliance is in a plurality of appliances that have been aggregated by the utility provider and wherein the utility provider directs the first datacast to each apparatus in the plurality of appliances concurrently.

19. A method comprising:

in a receiver assembly for managing an appliance, the receiver assembling having a receiver, a processor in electrical communication with the receiver and the appliance, a display in electrical communication with said processor, and memory storing instructions to be executed by the processor, the instructions for;

receiving, at the receiver, a first datacast comprising utility information from a wide-area wireless communication system, wherein the wide-area wireless communication system comprises a plurality of transmitters configured to broadcast the first datacast;

notifying a user of said utility information using the display; and

receiving instructions from said user on whether to alter usage of said appliance as a function of the utility information, wherein,

when an instruction is received from the user to alter usage of said appliance as a function of the utility information, the appliance is regulated by the utility information in the first datacast and subsequent datacasts until such a time that an override instruction is received said user, and

when an override instruction is received from the user, the appliance is not regulated by the utility information in the first datacast and subsequent datacasts until such a time that an instruction is received from said user to alter usage of said appliance as a function of the utility information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the subsequent datacasts are received by the receiver on a recurring basis.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the subsequent datacasts are received by the receiver on a periodic basis.

22. A method comprising:

in a receiver assembly for managing an appliance, the receiver assembling having a receiver, a processor in electrical communication with the receiver and the appliance, a display in electrical communication with said processor, and memory storing instructions to be executed by the processor, the instructions for;

receiving, at the receiver, a first datacast comprising weather forecast information from a wide-area wireless communication system, wherein the wide-area wireless communication system comprises a plurality of transmitters configured to broadcast the first datacast;

notifying a user of said weather forecast information using the display; and

receiving instructions from said user on whether to alter usage of said appliance as a function of the weather forecast information, wherein,

when an instruction is received from the user to alter usage of said appliance as a function of the weather forecast information, the appliance is regulated by the weather forecast information in the first datacast and subsequent datacasts until such a time that an override instruction is received said user, and

when an override instruction is received from the user, the appliance is not regulated by the weather forecast information in the first datacast and subsequent datacasts until such a time that an instruction is received from said user to alter usage of said appliance as a function of the weather forecast information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the appliance is a sprinkler system or water irrigation pump.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the subsequent datacasts are received by the receiver on a recurring basis.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the subsequent datacasts are received by the receiver on a periodic basis.