SENSING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING AND GRAPHICALLY DISPLAYING ELECTRICITY USAGE INFORMATION

• US 20140350874A1
• Filed: 07/25/2013
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: D-Link Corporation
• Original Assignee: D-Link Corporation
• Inventors: LIN, Chih-Yu, LIAO, Jia-Liang, LIANG, Jia-Ming, TSENG, Yu-Chee, YAN, Cheng-Yi
• Application Number:
  US13/950,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20140350874A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/62
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/125 Utility meter reading systems specially adapted for determining the environmental impact of user behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/18 Remote displaying of utility meter readings
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/006 Remote reading of utility meters to a non-fixed location, i.e. mobile location
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• 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 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a sensing method applicable to a sensing system including at least one detecting device and a mobile communication device, wherein the detecting device is electrically connected between an electrical appliance and a power supply unit for detecting usage information (e.g., voltage value, current value, power value, etc.) of the electricity transmitted from the power supply unit to the electrical appliance, and the mobile communication device is wirelessly connected to the detecting device and is able to transmit setting data inputted by a user to the detecting device so that, after receiving the setting data, the detecting device is able to periodically transmit the electricity usage information to the mobile communication device, allowing the mobile communication device to convert the electricity usage information into a detecting chart and graphically display the detecting chart on a screen of the mobile communication device.

Claims

1. A sensing method for detecting and graphically displaying electricity usage information, the sensing method being applicable to a sensing system comprising at least a detecting device and a mobile communication device, the detecting device being mounted to an electrical appliance and electrically connected to a power supply unit so that the electrical appliance can receive an electric signal transmitted from the power supply unit through the detecting device, the detecting device being configured to detect the electric signal transmitted from the power supply unit and generate electricity usage information according to the electric signal detected, the electricity usage information comprising a detected time and detected data, the mobile communication device being configured to connect with the detecting device through wireless transmission, the sensing method comprising the steps, to be performed by the mobile communication device, of:

scanning for the detecting device within a wireless transmission range and wirelessly connecting with the detecting device thus found;

obtaining a type and a usage state of the electrical appliance through the detecting device;

displaying the type and the usage state obtained of the electrical appliance and receiving setting data inputted by a user for the electrical appliance, wherein the setting data comprise an electricity value sampling rate and an electricity upload period;

transmitting the setting data to the detecting device so that, after receiving the setting data, the detecting device is able to periodically detect the electricity usage information according to the electricity value sampling rate and transmit the electricity usage information to the mobile communication device according to the electricity upload period, in order for the electricity usage information to be uploaded to and stored into a cloud server through the mobile communication device; and

converting, upon receiving the electricity usage information, the detected data into an detecting chart according to the detected time in the electricity usage information and displaying the detecting chart.

2. The sensing method of claim 1, wherein the detecting device stores a set of user data, and the mobile communication device is required, upon finding the detecting device within the wireless transmission range by scanning, to transmit verification data to the detecting device and cannot connect with the detecting device unless the detecting device determines that the verification data match the user data.

3. The sensing method of claim 2, wherein the setting data for the electrical appliance further comprise a scheduled time, and the detecting device, upon receiving the setting data for the electrical appliance and determining that a current time does not match the scheduled time in the setting data, cuts off the electric signal transmitted from the power supply unit.

4. A sensing system for detecting and graphically displaying electricity usage information, comprising:

at least a detecting device, wherein the detecting device is mounted to an electrical appliance and electrically connected to a power supply unit so that the electrical appliance can receive an electric signal transmitted from the power supply unit through the detecting device, the detecting device comprises a detecting module, a storage module, and a transmission module, the detecting module is configured to detect the electric signal transmitted from the power supply unit and generate electricity usage information according to the electric signal detected, the electricity usage information comprises a detected time and detected data, and the storage module is configured to store the electricity usage information generated by the detecting module; and

a mobile communication device comprising a wireless module, a display module, and a processing module, wherein the wireless module is configured to scan for the detecting device within a wireless transmission range of the wireless module and connect with the detecting device thus found in order to obtain a type and a usage state of the electrical appliance, the display module is configured to display the type and the usage state obtained of the electrical appliance, the processing module is respectively connected to the wireless module and the display module, the processing module is configured to receive setting data for the electrical appliance inputted by a user after the wireless module connects with the transmission module of the detecting device, the setting data for the electrical appliance comprise an electricity value sampling rate and an electricity upload period, the processing module is also configured to transmit the setting data to the transmission module of the detecting device through the wireless module, so as for the detecting device to, after receiving the setting data, periodically detect the electricity usage information of the electrical appliance according to the electricity value sampling rate and transmit the electricity usage information to the wireless module of the mobile communication device through the transmission module of the detecting device according to the electricity upload period, the electricity usage information is further uploaded to a cloud server and stored therein by the processing module of the mobile communication device through the wireless module, and the processing module is also configured to, upon receiving the electricity usage information of the electrical appliance, convert the detected data in the electricity usage information into a detecting chart according to the detected time in the electricity usage information and display the detecting chart through the display module.

5. The sensing system of claim 4, wherein the wireless module of the mobile communication device is configured to connect with the transmission module of the detecting device via Bluetooth.

6. The sensing system of claim 4, wherein the wireless module of the mobile communication device is configured to connect with the transmission module of the detecting device via Wi-Fi.

7. The sensing system of claim 4, wherein the detecting device is configured to, after receiving the setting data for the electrical appliance, upload the electricity usage information of the electrical appliance to the cloud server and store the electricity usage information into the cloud server through the transmission module of the detecting device according to the electricity upload period.

8. The sensing system of claim 4, wherein the storage module of the detecting device further stores a set of user data, and whenever the mobile communication device attempts to connect with the detecting device, it is required that the detecting device receive verification data from the mobile communication device, the mobile communication device being unable to connect with the detecting device unless the detecting device determines that the verification data match the user data.

9. The sensing system of claim 5, wherein the storage module of the detecting device further stores a set of user data, and whenever the mobile communication device attempts to connect with the detecting device, it is required that the detecting device receive verification data from the mobile communication device, the mobile communication device being unable to connect with the detecting device unless the detecting device determines that the verification data match the user data.

10. The sensing system of claim 6, wherein the storage module of the detecting device further stores a set of user data, and whenever the mobile communication device attempts to connect with the detecting device, it is required that the detecting device receive verification data from the mobile communication device, the mobile communication device being unable to connect with the detecting device unless the detecting device determines that the verification data match the user data.

11. The sensing system of claim 7, wherein the storage module of the detecting device further stores a set of user data, and whenever the mobile communication device attempts to connect with the detecting device, it is required that the detecting device receive verification data from the mobile communication device, the mobile communication device being unable to connect with the detecting device unless the detecting device determines that the verification data match the user data.

12. The sensing system of claim 8, wherein the setting data for the electrical appliance further comprise a scheduled time and, when the detecting device receives the setting data for the electrical appliance and determines that a current time does not match the scheduled time in the setting data, the detecting device cuts off the electric signal transmitted from the power supply unit.

13. The sensing system of claim 9, wherein the setting data for the electrical appliance further comprise a scheduled time and, when the detecting device receives the setting data for the electrical appliance and determines that a current time does not match the scheduled time in the setting data, the detecting device cuts off the electric signal transmitted from the power supply unit.

14. The sensing system of claim 10, wherein the setting data for the electrical appliance further comprise a scheduled time and, when the detecting device receives the setting data for the electrical appliance and determines that a current time does not match the scheduled time in the setting data, the detecting device cuts off the electric signal transmitted from the power supply unit.

15. The sensing system of claim 11, wherein the setting data for the electrical appliance further comprise a scheduled time and, when the detecting device receives the setting data for the electrical appliance and determines that a current time does not match the scheduled time in the setting data, the detecting device cuts off the electric signal transmitted from the power supply unit.