Musical Energy Use Display

• US 20160005276A1
• Filed: 07/01/2015
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Krinkel
• Original Assignee: David Krinkel
• Inventors: Krinkel, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,817,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A system and method for encouraging an energy user to conserve energy by providing the user with musical feedback describing their energy use as a musical piece. Various musical parameters of the musical piece may be manipulated to describe higher- or lower-than-expected energy use, in order to encourage the user to conserve energy. A visual animation may also be added to the musical piece to illustrate it further.

Claims

1. A method for encouraging energy conservation, comprising:

collecting energy use data for a user over a first time period, said first time period subdivided into a plurality of second time periods;

analyzing the energy use data for the user for each second time period to generate a result;

generating a musical audio file for each second time period, wherein at least one musical parameter depends on the result of the analysis of energy use data;

combining the musical audio files for each second time period to generate a piece of music;

presenting the piece of music to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following steps after the combining step:

adding a pre-recorded introduction to the piece of music;

adding voice narration to the piece of music.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing the energy use data comprises:

determining an expected use range for each second time period;

determining whether the user'"'"'s energy use is within the expected use range,

above the expected use range, or below the expected use range.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy use data comprises at least one of the following:

energy consumption;

average electric power;

energy cost;

apparent power;

apparent energy;

reactive power;

reactive energy;

CO₂ emissions.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of determining an expected use range for each second time period comprises at least one of the following steps:

collecting and analyzing weather data at the user'"'"'s location;

collecting and identifying any day-of-week patterns in energy use at the user'"'"'s location;

determining any energy use from equipment that is always on at the user'"'"'s location;

collecting and identifying any long-term trends in energy use at the user'"'"'s location;

collecting and analyzing historical energy use data at the user'"'"'s location;

identifying any potential savings in energy use at the user'"'"'s location.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of analyzing the energy use data further comprises at least one of the following:

identifying possible causes of energy consumption above or below the expected use range;

identifying energy shut downs;

identifying any new potential savings opportunities;

calculating progress towards or away from a current savings target.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating a musical audio file comprises:

storing a plurality of musical passages in a database;

storing a plurality of individual notes in a database, said notes being modifiable in pitch, volume, and duration;

indexing the at least one musical passage by at least one of the following variables;

mood, style, mode, key, relative amount of consonance, relative amount of dissonance;

creating a sound template, said sound template comprising;

at least one rule for selecting at least one musical passage and/or musical note depending on the analysis of the user'"'"'s energy use;

using the sound template to generate a musical audio file.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the sound template further comprises;

at least one rule for modifying at least one musical variable of the at least one musical passage and/or musical note depending on the analysis of the user'"'"'s energy use.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one musical variable is at least one of the following group:

timbre, pitch, instrumentation, speed.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

modifying the musical audio passages for each second time period with respect to at least one musical variable so that they form a coherent whole when joined into a piece of music.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining at least one musical style the user likes;

determining at least one musical style the user dislikes;

wherein the at least one rule for selecting a musical passage and/or musical note

when a user'"'"'s energy usage exceeds the expected use range comprises selecting a musical audio passage in a musical style the user dislikes;

wherein the at least one rule for selecting a musical passage and/or musical note

when a user'"'"'s energy usage meets or is below the expected use range comprises selecting a musical audio passage in a musical style the user likes.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

using a first sound effect if the user'"'"'s energy usage exceeded the expected use range for the second time period;

using a second sound effect if the user'"'"'s energy usage was within the expected use range for the second time period;

using a third sound effect if the user'"'"'s energy usage was below the expected use range for the second time period.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a visual animation that is synchronized to the musical audio files;

combining the visual animation with the piece of music;

presenting the visual animation and the piece of music to the user.