POWER BROKER MODULE

• US 20160036227A1
• Filed: 08/04/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Schultz, David, Diedrich, Devin, Lunacek, Michael, Frint, Jiri
• Granted Patent: US 9,887,542 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2639 Energy management, use maximum of cheap power, keep peak load low
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/00 Circuit arrangements for dc mains or dc distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/007 Arrangements for selectively connecting the load or loads to one or several among a plurality of power lines or power sources for providing uninterruptable power supply H02J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A processor and power broker for controlling the obtaining, distribution and usage of electrical power for electronic devices such as peripherals of thermostats. Sources of power may incorporate batteries, energy harvesting modules, energy storage capacitors, and power lines. The power broker may maintain charge on the capacitors, operate the energy harvesting modules, control usage of the batteries, and utilize power line sources when available. Loads such as the peripherals may need to request approval for energy usage. Energy usage and conservation may be managed by the power broker according to a power scheme. A power scheme may consist of a set of rules as to how energy usage by the peripherals is to be managed. The rules may also indicate as to how the energy sources are managed.

Claims

1. An energy managing system for a thermostat, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a power broker incorporated by one or more processors; and

wherein;

the power broker is connectable to one or more energy sources;

the power broker is connectable to one or more loads;

the power broker manages, according to a power scheme, power received from the one or more energy sources and power used by the one or more loads related to a thermostat; and

the one or more energy sources are selected from a group consisting of batteries, energy harvesting modules, energy storage capacitors, and power line sources.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein power usage by one or more loads is approved by the power broker prior to the power usage.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein approval for power usage from the power broker is based on a power scheme that incorporates an operating mode according to an amount of energy available and a priority of a task performed by a load, and a magnitude of the load.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the priority of the task is determined according to factors of safety contribution, user need, an amount of energy available from the one or more sources, and convenience added by the task, in that order.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the factor of safety comprises at least gas valve control.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the power broker can approve or disapprove power usage by a load;

if the power broker disapproves approval of power usage by the load, the load can again request approval and later receive approval for power usage by a peripheral; and

once the load has approval for power usage and the load is using power, the power broker can reduce or terminate power usage by the load.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein a power scheme may be selected from a group of schemes consisting of full power, stealthy saving, reduced user interface consumption, evident saving, substantial saving, maximum saving, and sleep only consumption.

8. A method, for managing energy for peripherals of a thermostat, comprising:

providing one or more energy sources;

receiving a request for energy usage submitted by one or more peripherals of or associated with a thermostat; and

approving or disapproving the request based on an availability of energy relative to the request and a priority of the energy usage by the one or more peripherals; and

wherein;

if the request is disapproved, then the one or more peripherals that has a disapproved request can resubmit the request; and

if the request is approved, then the one or more peripherals can use an amount of energy in accordance with terms of the request as approved.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a power broker module is used to perform one or more items selected from a group consisting of receiving the request for energy usage, approving or disapproving the request based on the availability of energy and priority of the energy usage, and selecting the one or more sources of energy for usage according to a power scheme.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the amount of energy in accordance with terms of the request as approved is a specific allotment or a usage rate of energy per unit time subject to being terminated.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more sources of energy are selected from a group consisting of batteries, energy harvesting modules, capacitive storages, and line power sources.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising topping off a capacitive storage with energy whenever possible by an energy harvesting module, a line power source or a battery.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more peripherals are one or more items of a group consisting of a display, a backlight, a radio receiver, a radio transmitter, a processor, a sensor, and a memory.

14. A device, having energy management, comprising:

a processor having a power broker module connectable to one or more energy sources; and

one or more peripherals that use energy connected to the power broker; and

wherein;

the power scheme comprises a set of rules as to how energy usage by the one or more peripherals is to be managed and how the energy sources are to be managed;

the one or more peripherals have to make a request to the power broker module for energy; and

the power broker module needs to approve the request before the one or more peripherals can use the energy specified in the request.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the device incorporates a thermostat.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein an approval or disapproval of the request from the one or more peripherals is at least partially based on an amount of energy available from the one or more energy sources.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the approval or disapproval of the request is further based on a priority of a function of the one or more peripherals.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the one or more energy sources are selected from a group consisting of batteries, energy storage capacitors, power line sources, and energy harvesting modules.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the one or more peripherals are selected from a group consisting of processors, memories, displays, backlights, optical transmitters and receivers, and radio transmitters and receivers.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the approval or disapproval of the request is further based on a power scheme developed from determined battery life, battery level, a number of discharges of an energy storage capacitor, energy storage capacitor charge level and voltage, and AC power line status.