System for monitoring utility usage

• US 4,261,037 A
• Filed: 04/03/1979
• Issued: 04/07/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Material Control Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Dupont Energy Management Corporation
• Inventors: Hicks, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Krass, Errol A.
• Application Number:
  US06/026,804
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 364/464, 364/481, 364/483, 364/493, 364/418, 364/557, 324/103 R, 324/113, 324/116, 324/140 R, 324/142, 307/31, 307/18, 235/92 MT, 235/92 EL, 235/92 TF, 340/152 R, 340/501, 340/657, 340/660, 340/664, 340/635, 340/637
• US Class Current: 705/412
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

Electronic circuitry monitors the electrical energy consumption of a system and displays the current cost of the energy usage. The projected monthly billing cost is calculated at the current rate of consumption, and an alarm signal is generated if the projected cost is higher than a budget amount. The current flow is sensed and digital pulses are fed to a microprocessor for counting and conversion to cost parameters. Clock pulses are also directed to the microprocessor for calculating the billing period and for displaying time parameters. A keyboard enables initializing and modifying the cost and time parameters in the microprocessor.

Claims

1. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the amount of electrical energy consumed by a multiple phase system, comprising:

a plurality of pulse generators, each comprising means for sensing the current flowing along a separate input bus into the system and generating a DC signal having an amplitude representative of the magnitude of the input current;

summing means for combining each of said DC signals from each of said pulse generators, including means for generating pulsed digital signals having a frequency representative of the sum of the amplitudes of said combined DC signals;

microprocessor means in communication with said summing means for processing said pulsed digital signals including means for accumulating and counting the number of pulsed digital signals during a given period of time; and

display means responsive to said counting means for displaying the pulse count during said period of time.

2. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein said sensing means comprises electromagnetic coil means for sensing the changes in the electromagnetic field about said input bus, means for generating an induced signal having an amplitude representative of the magnitude of current in said input bus, and rectifying means for converting said induced signal to said DC signal.

3. The circuitry of claim 2 wherein said rectifying means comprises a precision rectifier having compensating diodes for accurately detecting current flow in said input bus as low as 1.0 ampere.

4. The circuitry of claim 3 wherein said precision amplifier comprises an operational amplifier having first and second diodes connected between one of the inputs and the output of the operational amplifier.

5. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein said microprocessor further comprises comparator means for comparing the number of said pulses signals counted by the counting means to a predetermined number during said period of time;

and

output means for generating an output signal in response to said pulse number being equal to or greater than said predetermined number.

6. The circuitry of claim 5 wherein said microprocessor means further comprises alarm means connected to said output means to actuate an alarm device in response to said output signal.

7. The circuitry of claim 5 wherein said microprocessor means further comprises feedback control means connected to said output means for automatically modifying the amount of electrical power to said input bus in response to said output signal.

8. The circuitry of claim 5 wherein said microprocessor means further comprises reset means to return the pulse count of said counting means to zero after said predetermined period of time.

9. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the amount of electrical energy consumed by a multiple phase system, comprising:

a plurality of pulse generators, each comprising means for sensing the current flowing along a separate input bus into the system and generating a DC signal having an amplitude representative of the magnitude of the input current;

means for combining each of said DC signals for each of said pulse generators and outputting a combined DC signal representative of the magnitude of combined curent flow into the system;

pulse means responsive to said combined DC signal for generating pulsed digital signals having a frequency representative of the amplitude of said combined DC signal; and

microprocessor means in communication with said pulse means for processing said pulsed digital signals including counting means for counting the number of said pulsed digital signals during a given period of time, comparator means for comparing the counted number of said pulsed digital signals counted by the counting means for generating an output signal in response to said counted pulse number being equal to or greater than said predetermined number.

10. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the amount of usage of a utility, comprising:

pulse means for generating a data digital pulse signal having a frequency representative of the rate of usage of said utility by said system;

clock means for generating a clock digital pulse signal representative of real time;

storage means for storing a first signal representative of a predetermined time period and a second signal representative of a predetermined amount of accumulated usage of said utility for said time period;

first counting means responsive to said data digital pulse signal for generating an accumulated signal representative of the current amount of accumulated utility usage;

second counting means responsive to said clock digital pulse signal for generating a time signal representative of the current expired time;

calculator means responsive to said first signal, said time signal and said accumulated signal for generating a projected signal representative of the projected amount of accumulated utility usage of said system for said predetermined time period; and

comparator means responsive to said projected signal and said second signal for generating a control signal in response to said projected signal being greater than said second signal.

11. The circuitry of claim 10 wherein said pulse means comprises means for sensing the flow of said utility, means for generating a DC signal having an amplitude representative of said flow, and means for generating said data digital pulse signal in response to said DC signal.

12. The circuitry of claim 10 wherein said pulse means comprises a pulse initiating meter.

13. The circuitry of claim 10 wherein said storage means, first and second counting means, calculator means and comparator means comprise microprocessor means having a program storage unit, a data storage unit and an accumulator unit.

14. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the amount of cost for usage of a utility, comprising:

pulse means for generating a data digital pulse signal having a frequency representative of the rate of usage of said utility by said system;

clock means for generating a clock digital pulse signal representative of real time;

storage means for storing a first signal representative of a predetermined time period and a second signal representative of a predetermined amount of accumulated cost of said utility for said time period;

first counting means responsive to said data digital pulse signal for generating an accumulated signal representative of the current accumulated utility usage;

second counting means responsive to said clock digital pulse signal for generating a time signal representative of the current expired time;

calculator means responsive to said first signal, said time signal and said accumulated signal for generating a projected signal representative of the projected amount of accumulated utility cost of said system for said predetermined time period; and

comparator means responsive to said projected signal and said second signal for generating a control signal in response to said projected signal being greater than said second signal.

15. The circuitry of claim 14 and further comprising display means for displaying said accumulated signal in numerical form to indicate said current cost.

16. The circuitry of claim 15 wherein said display means alternately displays the time signal and the accumulated signal in numerical form.

17. The circuitry of claim 15 wherein said display means optionally displays said projected signal in numerical form to indicate projected cost.

18. The circuitry of claim 14 and further comprising second storage means for storing a signal representative of accumulated utility usage for a previous said time period.

19. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the amount of usage of a utility comprising:

means for generating a first pulse train representative of the rate of utility usage;

means for generating a second pulse train representative of the real time rate;

microprocessor means, including means for storing a first signal representative of a predetermined time period and a second signal representative of a predetermined amount of utility usage, means for counting the first and second pulse trains, means for calculating the projected utility usage for said predetermined time period and means for generating a control signal in response to said projected utility usage exceeding said predetermined amount of utility usage; and

keyboard means for inputting said first and second signals.

20. The circuitry of claim 19 and further comprising control means responsive to said control signal for modifying the amount of usage of said utility.

21. The circuitry of claim 19 and further comprising alarm means for generating an alerting signal to the user in response to said control signal.

22. The circuitry of claim 19 and further comprising display means for numerically displaying the accumulated utility usage of said system.

23. The circuitry of claim 19 wherein said calculating means comprises means for determining the cost of said projected utility usage.

24. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the amount of electrical energy consumed by an electrical system, comprising:

means for sensing the flow of electrical power in the input of said system and generating digital pulses having a frequency representative of the amplitude of said power flow;

first means for counting said digital pulses and for generating a sum signal representative of the cumulative amount of energy used over a predetermined time period;

clock means for generating real time clock signal pulses;

second means for counting said clock signal pulses and for generating day signals and time signals representative of the calendar day and the time of day;

storage means for storing a signal representative of the billing period and a signal representative of the maximum desired energy usage during said billing period;

calculator means in communication with said storage means and said first and second counting means for generating signals representative of the present rate of the energy usage and the projected amount of energy usage for said billing period;

comparator means for comparing the signal representative of the projected amount of energy usage for said billing period to the signal representative of said maximum desired energy usage; and

means for generating an alarm signal in response to said signal representative of the projected amount of energy usage being greater than said signal representative of said maximum desired energy usage.

25. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the cost of electrical energy consumed by an electrical system, comprising:

means for sensing the flow of electrical power in the input of said system and generating digital pulses having a frequency representative of the amplitude of said power flow;

first means for counting said digital pulses and for generating a sum signal representative of the cumulative cost of energy used over a predetermined time period;

clock means for generating real time clock signal pulses;

second means for counting said clock signal pulses and for generating day signals and time signals representative of the calendar day and the time of day;

storage means for storing a signal representative of the billing period and a signal representative of the maximum desired energy cost during said billing period;

calculator means in communication with said storage means and said first and second counting means for generating signals representative of the present rate of the energy cost and the projected amount of energy cost for said billing period;

comparator means for comparing the signal representative of the projected amount of energy cost for said billing period to the signal representative of said maximum desired energy cost; and

means for generating an alarm signal in response to said signal representative of the projected amount of energy cost being greater than said signal representative of said maximum desired energy cost.

26. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the amount of usage of a utility on a utility line, said line having a pulse generator for providing a data digital pulse signal with a frequency representative of the rate of usage of said utility by said system, comprising:

clock means for generating a clock digital pulse signal representative of real time;

first counting means responsive to said data digital pulse signal for generating a usage signal representative of the current amount of accumulated utility usage;

second counting means responsive to said clock digital pulse signal for generating a time signal representative of the current expired time;

storage means for storing a time period signal representative of a predetermined time period, and for storing said usage signal and said time signal;

calculator means responsive to said time period signal, said time signal and said usage signal for generating a projected signal representative of the projected amount of accumulated utility usage of said system for said predetermined time period; and

display means in communication with said calculator means for displaying said projected signal.

27. The circuitry of claim 26 wherein said storage means, first and second counting means and calculator means comprise a microprocessor having a program storage unit, a data storage unit and an accumulator unit.

28. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the cost of usage of a utility on a utility line, said line having a pulse generator for providing a data digital pulse signal with a frequency representative of the rate of usage of said utility by said system, comprising:

clock means for generating a clock digital pulse signal representative of real time;

first counting means responsive to said data digital pulse signal for generating a cost representative of the current cost of accumulating utility usage;

second counting means responsive to said clock digital pulse signal for generating a time signal representative of the current expired time;

storage means for storing a time period signal representative of a predetermined time period, and for storing said cost signal and said time signal;

calculator means responsive to said time period signal, said time signal and said cost signal for generating a projected signal representative of the projected amount of accumulated utility cost of said system for said predetermined time period; and

display means in communication with said calculator means for displaying said projected signal.

29. The circuitry of claim 28 wherein said storage means, first and second counting means and calculator means comprise a microprocessor having a program storage unit and data storage unit and an accumulator unit.

30. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the amount of usage of a utility comprising:

first generating means for generating a first pulse train representative of the rate of utility usage;

second generating means for generating a second pulse train representative of the real time rate;

storage means for storing a first signal representative of a predetermined time period;

counting means responsive to the first and second pulse trains for counting the first and second pulse trains;

calculating means responsive to the storage means and the counting means for generating a projection signal representative of the projected utility usage for said predetermined time period; and

means for displaying said projection signal to indicate the projected amount of utility usage during said predetermined time period.

31. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the amount of electrical energy consumed by a multiple phase system, comprising:

a plurality of pulse generators, each comprising means for sensing the current flowing along a separate input bus into the system and generating a DC signal having an amplitude representative of the magnitude of the input current;

means for combining each of said DC signals from each of said pulse generators and for generating pulsed digital signals having a frequency representative of the sum of the amplitude of said combined DC signals;

microprocessor means in communication with said summing means for processing said pulsed digital signals including means for accumulating and counting the number of pulsed digital signals during a given period of time;

said microprocessor further comprising comparator means for comparing the number of said pulse signals counted by the counting means to a predetermined number during said period of time, output means for generating an output signal in response to said pulse number being equal to or greater than said predetermined number, and feedback control means connected to said output means for automatically modifying the amount of electrical power to said input bus in response to said output signal; and

display means responsive to said counting means for displaying the pulse count during said period of time.

32. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the amount of usage of a utility comprising:

means for generating a first pulse train representative of the rate of utility usage;

means for generating a second pulse train representative of the real time rate;

microprocessor means, including means for storing a first signal representative of a predetermined time period and a second signal representative of a predetermined amount of utility usage, means for counting the first and second pulse trains, means for calculating the projected utility usage for said predetermined time period and means for generating a control signal in response to said projected utility usage exceeding said predetermined amount of utility usage;

keyboard means for inputting said first and second signals; and

control means responsive to said control signal for modifying the amount of usage of said utility.