SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS FOR MAPPING DEVICES TO REALIZE BUILDING AUTOMATION AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT

• US 20140226851A1
• Filed: 02/13/2013
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Green Edge Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Green Edge Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Alberth, William P. Jr., Steele, Scott A., Chau, Seang Yong, Hartsfield, David K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,100,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

The present disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for mapping components of an automation system. More particularly, the present disclosure includes systems, devices, and methods for intelligently controlling one or more energy-consuming devices in a structure such as a residential, commercial, or industrial building. One embodiment includes a method of identifying a location of at least one component of an automation system, comprising obtaining an image of the at least one component, the image being captured by a wireless device; determining a location of the wireless device at the time of capturing the image; determining an identity of the at least one component; and associating the identity of the at least one component with the location.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a location of at least one component of an automation system, comprising:

obtaining an image of the at least one component, the image being obtained by a wireless device;

determining a location of the wireless device at the time of capturing the image;

determining an identity of the at least one component; and

associating the identity of the at least one component with the location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is captured by a camera in the wireless device, and determining the location of the wireless device includes determining an orientation of the camera at the time of capturing the image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is in communication with the automation system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the at least one component includes analyzing a power consumption characteristic of an appliance connected to the at least one component.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the at least one component is determined by activating the at least one of the component or an appliance connected to the at least one component.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one component is activated more than once.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining an identity of the at least one component includes monitoring a change in state of the at least one component.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the identity of the at least one component includes an electronic identity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the at least one component includes analyzing an electrical noise measured by the at least one component.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the automation system includes a power monitor in communication with the at least one component, and the power consumption characteristic is determined from the power monitor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the at least one component includes identifying the component by physical appearance.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the at least one component includes transmitting a signal from the wireless device to the at least one component.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one component includes a switch, an outlet, an appliance, or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one component includes an outlet and determining the identity of the outlet includes activating a load connected to the outlet.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the load includes an appliance.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the automation system includes a plurality of components in communication with one another.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising generating a map of a structure including the automation system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the map provides the identity and location of each component of the plurality of components.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein generating the map includes drawing a virtual wall to represent the location of each component of the plurality of components.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining a location association amongst at least two components of the plurality of components.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least two components are in communication with a sensor and the location association is determined from the sensor.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the sensor detects one of light, sound, motion, energy-use, moisture, or any combination thereof.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein each of the at least two components is in communication with a different sensor, and the location association is determined from the sensors.

24. A method of mapping the physical location of components of an automation system, comprising:

identifying at least one component of a plurality of components of the automation system, including;

obtaining an image of the at least one component, the image being captured by a wireless device, the device having a location;

identifying the at least one component in the picture; and

associating the at least one component with the location;

recording the location of the at least one component; and

generating a map based on the location of the at least one component.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein identifying the at least one component further includes activating the component.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one component includes an outlet and identifying the outlet includes activating a load connected to the outlet.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein identifying the at least one component includes determining an energy use characteristic of the component.

28. The method of claim 24, comprising identifying each component of the plurality of components.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising determining a location association amongst at least two components of the plurality of components.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the at least two components are in communication with a sensor and the location association is determined from the sensor.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the at least one sensor detects one of light, sound, motion, energy-use, moisture, or any combination thereof.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein recording the location of the at least one component includes drawing a line to represent a wall where the component was pictured.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein recording the location of the at least one component further includes extending the line to intersect an adjacent line.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the line is extended to a predetermined length.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein at least a portion of the line is deleted based on location information provided by the wireless device.

36. The method of claim 24, wherein the plurality of components includes a first component and a second component, the method comprising identifying each of the first component and the second component, recording the location of the first component and the second component, and generating a map based on the locations of the first component and the second component, wherein the map includes at least one wall segment determined based on the locations of the first component and the second component.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein identifying the first component and the second component includes obtaining an image of each component from a wireless device, the wireless device having a location for each image, identifying the first component and the second component in the respective images;

and associating the first component and the second component with the location of the wireless device when obtaining each image.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the at least one wall segment includes two wall segments determined based on the locations of the first component and the second component, respectively.