INTEGRATED TERMINAL FOR ADVANCE METERING INFRASTRUCTUE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20140232549A1
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wooam, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Wooam, Inc.
• Inventors: PARK, Young-Jin, SHIN, Bok-Deok, Ryu, Chung-Hee, WOO, Sung-Je, KIM, Ki-Sung, PARK, Sang-Woo
• Application Number:
  US13/699,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20140232549A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/45 Utility meters networked together within a single building
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/80 Arrangements in the sub-station, i.e. sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• 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 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 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

An integrated terminal for an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system based on a home network for a smart grid and a method of controlling the same are disclosed. The integrated terminal is connected between an upper system 10 of an AMI system and a plurality of home appliances 36, respectively, within a home as a power consumer by a predetermined communication unit. The integrated terminal includes a communication module between upper systems serving as an interface for communication with an upper systems 10, a communication module between home appliances 36 serving as an interface for communication with the plurality of home appliances, and a display unit which displays the information received from the upper systems by the communication module between the upper systems, and displays information received from each home appliance by the communication module between the home appliances.

Claims

1. An integrated terminal that is connected between an upper system of an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system and a plurality of home appliances, respectively, within a home as a power consumer by a predetermined communication unit, the integrated terminal comprising:

a communication module between upper systems serving as an interface for communication with an upper system;

a communication module between home appliances serving as an interface for communication with the plurality of home appliances; and

a display unit which displays the information received from the upper systems by the communication module between the upper systems, and displays information received from each home appliance by the communication module between the home appliances.

2. The integrated terminal of claim 1, wherein information acquired from the upper system by communication by the communication module between the upper systems is at least one of power consumption information accumulating data per a unit time, power consumption statistical information data, past power consumption information data per a unit time, power consumption comparison data, and rate data for each progressive step.

3. The integrated terminal of claim 1, wherein at least one of a command that turns on or off the plurality of home appliances, respectively, acquisition or power consumption data for each home appliance per a unit time, acquisition of current state data indicating whether each home appliance is in a current operation state or stop state, and acquisition of carbon emission data for each home appliance is made by communication by the communication module between the home appliances.

4. The integrated terminal of claim 1, wherein the integrated terminal further comprises at least one of an open auto demand request (Open ADR) processing unit that turns on or off the plurality of home appliances, a home appliance power consumption information collection unit that collects power consumption information of a plurality of home appliances, and a smart meter power consumption information collection unit that collects power consumption information from the smart meter of a home as a power consumer, and

the Open ADR processing unit, the home appliance power consumption information collection unit, and the smart meter power consumption information collection unit are directly controlled by the upper system.

5. The integrated terminal of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the communication with the upper system is Internet communication or power line communication, and

the communication between the plurality of home appliances is ZigBee smart energy profile (SEP) or WiFi communication.

6. A method for controlling an integrated terminal that is connected between an upper system of an AMI system and a plurality of home appliances, respectively, within a home as a power consumer by a predetermined communication unit, the method comprising:

(a) configuring a communication network between a plurality of home appliances within the home as a power consumer and a smart meter;

(b) waiting after the step (a);

(c) during the waiting in step (b), determining whether a connection/disconnection of home appliances is requested due to the installation or removal of home appliances and if it is determined that the connection/disconnection is requested, returning to the step (a) to reconfigure the communication network, including the home appliances that are additionally connected or disconnected;

(d) during the waiting in step (b), determining whether a control of the home appliances is requested and if it is determined that the control of the home appliances is requested, controlling the corresponding home appliances, and

(e) in the waiting in step (b), checking data to be displayed on a display device to determine whether the checked data is valid data and if it is determined that the checked data is valid data, displaying the corresponding data on the display device.