SMART ELECTRICAL OUTLETS AND ASSOCIATED NETWORKS

• US 20140032003A1
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zonit Structured Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Zonit Structured Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Chapel, Steve, Pachoud, William
• Granted Patent: US 9,160,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7175 Light emitting diodes (LEDs)
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00007 using the power network as support for the transmission
• 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 13/0005 the elements or equipment being or involving power plugs or sockets
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• 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: Y02E 10/56 : Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 : Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• 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 20/00 : Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• 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 40/121 : using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/128 : involving the use of Internet protocol

Abstract

A control system (300) allows recognized standard premise electrical outlets, for example NEMA, CEE and BS, among others to be remotely monitored and/or controlled, for example, to intelligently execute blackouts or brownouts or to otherwise remotely control electrical devices. The system (300) includes a number of smart receptacles (302) that communicate with a local controller (304), e.g., via power lines using the TCP/IP protocol. The local controller (304), in turn, communicates with a remote controller (308) via the internet.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A power distribution system, comprising:

a power grid for distributing power over a geographic distribution area;

one or more grid controllers for controlling distribution of power across said power grid; and

a number of customer premises controllers, each for controlling delivery of power within a particular customer premises based on communication between said customer premises controller and at least one of said grid controllers.

30. A system as set forth in claim 29, wherein said defined polices include local policies specific to said customer premises.

31. A system as set forth in claim 29, wherein said defined policies include grid policies communicated from at least one of said grid controllers.

32. A system as set forth in claim 31, wherein said grid policies are executed in accordance with local policies.

33. A system as set forth in claim 29, wherein said customer premises controllers are associated with individual electrical receptacles of said customer premises.

34. A power distribution method, comprising:

identifying an over-capacity condition with respect to at least a portion of a power distribution grid, said over-capacity situation potentially requiring reduction of power provided to standard residential and business customers; and

addressing said over-capacity condition by controlling power distribution at a level finer than the finest distribution subdivision of said power distribution grid servicing said standard residential and commercial customers.

35. A method as set forth in claim 34, wherein said step of addressing comprises one of reducing and interrupting power delivered to a subset less than the whole of the set of receptacles of a single customer premises.

36. A method for use in controlling transmission of communication signals across a power line, comprising the steps of:

defining a communications domain including at least a first device and a second device for communicating over a power line;

providing a transmitter for inserting communication signals onto said power line; and

providing an isolation element for substantially preventing transmission of said communication signals outside of said communications domain.

37. A method as set forth in claim 36, further comprising the step of operating said isolation element to cancel said communications signals.

38. A method as set forth in claim 36, further comprising the step of operating said isolation element to attenuate said communications signals.

39-41. -41. (canceled)