Programmable electronic real-time load controller

• US 4,293,915 A
• Filed: 04/16/1979
• Issued: 10/06/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Butler Manufacturing Company (Bluescope Steel Limited)
• Original Assignee: Pacific Technology Corp.
• Inventors: Korff, William W., Hall, Donald R., Barello, Lawrence J., Zoerb, deceased, Alan E., Becker, Orlien N., Carpenter, Edward J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Krass, Errol A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US06/030,348
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 364/492, 364/493, 364/103, 364/107, 364/121, 364/120, 364/900, 364/104, 325/396, 358/192, 219/506, 307/35, 307/39, 307/41, 455/171, 455/181
• US Class Current: 700/296
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 15/006 for operating at a number of different times cigar or cigarette receptacles or boxes with means for limiting the frequency of smoking A24F15/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25403 Compare real clock time with programmed time, if equal execute next command
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• 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 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• 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 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

A programmable electronic real-time load controller includes: a plurality of load control circuits, each being adapted to be interconnected with a load; a hardware clock; and, a programmed data processor for responding to real-time information from the hardware clock to effect control of the status of each load control circuit in accordance with a predetermined time schedule that has been entered into the data processor. The data processor includes: a CPU; a program memory; an event memory; and a plurality of ports which permit a plurality of devices, including a keyboard, a plurality of displays, and the hardware clock, to interchange information with the data processor. The event memory includes a plurality of event memory locations for storing one or more control events and corresponding event times for each load. The CPU is operative: to enter control events and corresponding event times, upon actuation of the keyboard, into the event memory; to obtain real-time information from the hardware clock; to address and search the event memory locations to effect comparison, for each load, of the event times therein with the real-time information; and, to control the status of each load control circuit in accordance with that one of the control events whose corresponding event time occurs at or immediately preceding the time represented by the real-time information.

Claims

1. An electronic controller for controlling the energization states of each of a plurality of electrical loads in real-time, said controller comprising:

a plurality of load control circuits, each said load control circuit being adapted to be interconnected with a load, and having a load-on state when its load is to be on, and a load-off state when its load is to be off;

clock means for accumulating real-time information; and

,

a data processor, including;

an event memory for storing a plurality of load groups of information, each said load group being uniquely associated with one of the plurality of electrical loads and comprising one or more control events and an event time corresponding to each said control event, said control events in each said load group representing;

an on control function in which the associated load is to be on for the entirety of each predetermined control interval successive to the corresponding event time;

an off control function in which the associated load is to be off for the entirety of each predetermined control interval successive to the corresponding event time; and

, a duty-cycle control function in which the associated load is to be on for a predetermined portion of each predetermined control interval successive to the corresponding event time;

a program memory storing a set of program instructions; and

,

a processing means operative in response to said set of program instructions stored in said program memory, said processing means including;

means operative to enter said control events and corresponding event times for each load into the associated load group in said event memory;

means for obtaining said real-time information from said clock means;

means for addressing and searching the associated load group for each load in said event memory to effect comparison of said event times therein with said real-time information obtained from said clock means; and

, means for placing said load control circuit for each load in said load-on state or said load-off state in accordance with that one of said control events in said associated load group whose corresponding event time is at or immediately procedes the time represented by said real-time information obtained from said clock means.

2. A controller as recited in claim 1, wherein each said load control circuit includes a load control switch having first, second and third positions;

said load control switch when in said first and second positions forcing its associated load control circuit to its load-on and load-off states, respectively;

said load control switch when in said third position permitting its associated load control circuit to be placed in its load-on or load-off states by said processing means within said data processor.

3. A controller as recited in claims 1 or 2, wherein said data processor includes means for visually displaying whether each said load control circuit is in its load-on state or its load-off state.

4. A controller as recited in claim 1, wherein said real-time information in said clock means represents elapsed time from the beginning of a week;

wherein each said load group is said event memory includes a plurality of day groups, one for each day of the week; and

, wherein said processing means is operative to address and search that one of said day groups in each said load group that corresponds to the day represented by said real-time information.

5. A controller as recited in claim 4, wherein said processing means is operative to address and search those day groups in any one of said plurality of load groups that correspond to days preceding the day represented by said real-time information, upon absence of any control events in the day group in said any one of said plurality of load groups corresponding to the day represented by said real-time information.

6. A controller as recited in claim 4, wherein each said load group in said event memory further includes a holiday group;

wherein said data processor further includes means for flagging any day of a week as a holiday; and

, wherein said processing means is operative to address and search said holiday group in each said load group, rather than a day group therein, when the day represented by said real-time information corresponds to the day flagged as a holiday.

7. A controller as recited in claim 6, wherein said data processor further includes means for deflagging a day as a holiday when the day represented by said real-time information is the day in the week subsequent to the day flagged as a holiday.

8. A controller as recited in claim 1, wherein said processing means is operative to place each load control circuit into its load-off state only if the relationship

9. A controller as recited in claim 8, wherein the control interval is thirty minutes, where NUM=5, and where EV_max =6.

10. A controller as recited in claim 1, wherein said data processor further includes means for detecting a duty-cycle override signal from an external device;

and wherein said processing means is responsive to said detected duty-cycle override signal to place the load control circuit, for each load that is being controlled in accordance with a duty-cycle control function, into its load-on state for the duration of said detected duty-cycle override signal.

11. A controller as recited in claim 1, wherein said data processor further includes means for detecting a load enable signal;

and, wherein said processing means is enabled to place the load control circuit for a particular one of the loads into its load-on or load-off states in accordance with the control events in the associated load group only in response to and for the duration of said detected load enable signal.

12. A controller as recited in claim 1, wherein said processing means is further operative to place a plurality of said load control circuits that have previously been in said load-off states into said load-on states in a predetermined sequence and at predetermined intervals.

13. A controller as recited in claim 1, wherein said data processor further includes means for adjusting said real-time information in said clock means.

14. A controller as recited in claim 1, wherein said data processor includes means for selecting a load, a control event, and an event time.

15. A controller as recited in claim 14, wherein said means for selecting comprises a keyboard.

16. A controller as recited in claim 15, wherein said keyboard includes a load key, a plurality of keys for selecting a time, and a plurality of event keys for selecting a control event, each said event key corresponding to a predetermined control event;

wherein said data processor further includes load display means and time display means; and

, wherein said processing means is operative to;

advance the load displayed by said load display means upon actuation of said load key;

advance the time displayed by said time display means upon actuation of said keys for selecting a time; and

,

upon actuation of one of said event keys, store, in the load group in said event memory corresponding to the load displayed by said load display means, information representing;

a control event corresponding to that one of said event keys that has been actuated; and

, an event time corresponding to the time displayed by said time display means.

17. A controller as recited in claim 16, wherein said real-time information in said clock means represents elapsed time since the beginning of a week;

wherein each said load group in said event memory includes a plurality of day groups, one for each day of the week;

wherein said keyboard includes a day key for selecting a day of the week;

wherein said data processor includes day display means; and

, wherein said processing means is operative to;

advance the day displayed by said day display means upon actuation of said day key; and

,

upon actuation of one of said event keys, store, in the day group in said event memory corresponding to the day displayed by said day display means, said day group being within the load group corresponding to the load displayed by said load display means, information representing;

a control event corresponding to that one of said event keys that has been actuated; and

, an event time corresponding to the time displayed by said time display means.

18. A controller as recited in claim 17, wherein said keyboard includes a repeat key;

and, wherein said processing means is operative, upon actuation of said repeat key, to copy the information in the day group within the load group corresponding to the day and load displayed by said day display means and said load display means, into a day group within said load group that corresponds to a day next subsequent to the day displayed by said day display means.

19. A controller as recited in claim 17, wherein said keyboard includes a clear key;

and, wherein said processing means is operative, upon actuation of said clear key, to clear the information in the day group within the load group corresponding to the day and load displayed by said day display means and said load display means.

20. A controller as recited in claims 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 or 19, wherein said data processor further includes event display means for displaying information relating to said control events.

21. A controller as recited in claim 17, wherein said data processor further comprises event display means for displaying information relating to said control events;

wherein said keyboard includes a scan key; and

, wherein said processing means is operative, upon actuation of said scan key, to transfer information from said event memory to said event display means and to said time display means, said information comprising that in the day group within the load group in said event memory corresponding to the day and load displayed by said day display means and said load display means.

22. A controller as recited in claim 17, wherein said keyboard includes a time key;

and wherein said processing means is operative, upon actuation of said time key, to transfer the time represented by said real-time information obtained from said clock means to said time display means to said day display means.

23. A controller as recited in claim 1, wherein said data processor further includes a program switch and a program enable switch;

and, wherein said processing means is operative, upon actuation of said program switch, to enable the entry of information into said event memory, but only if said program switch has been actuated within a predetermined time following actuation of said program enable switch.

24. A controller as recited in claim 1, wherein said data processor further includes a standard/daylight switch;

and, wherein said processing means is operative, upon actuation of said standard/daylight switch, to advance the real-time information used thereby by sixty minutes from the real-time information obtained from said clock means.

25. A controller as recited in claim 1, further comprising a power supply adapted to be powered from a source of alternating current voltage, said power supply including:

means for providing supply voltages to said plurality of load control circuits, and to said program memory and said processing means in said data processor;

a rechargeable battery for providing supply voltages to said clock means and to said event memory in said data processor;

means for charging said battery from the source of alternating current voltage; and

, means for providing an output signal upon detection of a low voltage condition in the source of alternating current voltage; and

,

wherein said processing means is responsive to said output signal to place said plurality of load control circuits in their load-off states.