System for monitoring utility usage

• US 4,399,510 A
• Filed: 04/06/1981
• Issued: 08/16/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1979
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Material Control Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nuclear Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Hicks, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Krass, Errol A.
• Application Number:
  US06/251,048
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 364/464, 364/483, 235/92 EL, 340/870.02, 340/870.29, 324/113, 324/116, 324/142, 324/103 R, 377/19
• 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 and control output are generated if the projected cost is higher than a budget amount. Energy consumption is sensed optically at the electric meter and a proportional number of high frequency pulses are added to the household electrical network. These pulses are remotely sensed at any point within the household electrical network and 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 usage of electrical energy comprising:

pulse means for optically sensing each revolution of a rotating disk within an electric meter and for generating a data digital pulse signal at a frequency representative of the rate of usage of electrical energy;

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 electrical energy 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 electrical energy 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 electrical energy 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.

2. Electrical circuitry according to claim 1 wherein said pulse means includes a light emitting diode and a light detecting device in proximity to said rotating disk.

3. Electrical circuitry according to claim 1 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.

4. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the amount of cost for usage of electrical energy comprising:

pulse means for optically sensing each revolution of a rotating disk within an electric meter and for generating a data digital pulse signal at a frequency representative of the rate of usage of electrical energy;

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 electrical energy for said time period;

first counting means responsive to said data digital pulse signal for generating an accumulated signal representative of the current accumulated electrical energy 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 cost of electrical energy 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.

5. The electrical circuitry according to claim 4 and further comprising display means for displaying said accumulated signal in numerical form to indicate said current cost.

6. The electrical circuitry according to claim 5 wherein said display means alternately displays the time signal and the accumulated signal in numerical form.

7. The electrical circuitry according to claim 5 wherein said display means optionally displays said projected signal in numerical form to indicate projected cost.

8. The electrical circuitry according to claim 4 and further comprising second storage means for storing a signal representative of accumulated electrical energy usage for a previous said time period.

9. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the amount of usage of electrical energy comprising:

means for optically sensing each revolution of a rotating disk within an electric meter and for generating a first pulse train representative of the rate of electrical energy 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 electrical energy usage, means for counting the first and second pulse trains, means for calculating the projected electrical energy 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 electrical energy usage; and

keyboard means for inputting said first and second signals.

10. The electrical circuitry of claim 9 and further comprising control means responsive to said control signal for modifying the amount of usage of said utility.

11. The electrical circuitry of claim 9 and further comprising alarm means for generating an alerting signal to the user in response to said control signal.

12. The electrical circuitry of claim 9 and further comprising display means for numerically displaying the accumulated electrical energy usage of said system.

13. The electrical circuitry of claim 9 wherein said calculating means comprises means for determining the cost of said projected electrical energy usage.

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

means for optically sensing each revolution of a rotating disk within an electric meter and for generating digital pulses at a frequency representative of the rate of electrical energy usage;

first means for counting said digital pulses and for generating a sum signal representative of the cumulative amount of electrical 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 time of day;

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

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

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

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

means for optically sensing each revolution of a rotating disk within an electric meter and for generating digital pulses at a frequency representative of the rate of electrical energy usage;

first means for counting said digital pulses and for generating a sum signal representative of the cumulative cost of electrical 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 electrical 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 electrical energy cost and the projected amount of electrical energy cost for said billing period;

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

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

16. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the amount of usage of electrical energy, comprising:

pulse generator for optically sensing each revolution of a rotating disk within an electric meter and for providing a data digital pulse signal at a frequency representative of the rate of usage of electrical energy;

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 electrical energy 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 electrical energy usage of said system for said predetermined time period, and

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

17. The electrical circuitry of claim 16 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.

18. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the cost of usage of electrical energy, comprising:

pulse generator for optically sensing each revolution of a rotating disk within an electric meter and for providing a data digital pulse signal at a frequency representative of the rate of usage of electrical energy;

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 accumulated electrical energy 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 electrical energy cost of said system for said predetermined time period; and

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

19. The electrical circuitry of claim 18 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.

20. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the amount of usage of electrical energy comprising:

first means for optically sensing each revolution of a disk within an electric meter and for generating a first pulse train representative of the rate of electrical energy 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 electrical energy usage for said predetermined time period; and

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

21. Electrical circuitry for monitoring the amount of usage of electrical energy comprising:

means for optically sensing each revolution of a rotating disk within an electric meter and for generating a first pulse train representative of the rate of electrical energy 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 electrical energy usage, means for counting the first and second pulse trains, means for calculating the projected electrical energy usage for said predetermined time period and means for generating a control signal in response to said projected electrical energy usage exceeding said predetermined amount of electrical energy;

keyboard means for inputting said first and second signals; and

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