Method and apparatus for controlling distributed electrical loads

• US 4,489,385 A
• Filed: 11/23/1981
• Issued: 12/18/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Eichelberger, Charles W., Miller, Edward B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Krass, Errol A.
• Application Number:
  US06/324,372
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 364/483, 364/492, 364/493, 364/494, 364/200, 364/900, 364/141, 364/156, 364/181, 324/103 R, 315/312
• US Class Current: 700/296
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00001 characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00018 using phone lines
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00036 the elements or equipment being or involving switches, relays or circuit breakers circuits for indication of single switches H01H9/167
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• 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: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/18 using switches, relays or circuit breakers, e.g. intelligent electronic devices [IED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/40 Display of information, e.g. of data or controls
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/246 the system involving the remote operation of lamps or lighting equipment

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling distributed electrical loads including a microprocessor based central controller coupled via a twisted pair bi-directional data line to a plurality of microcomputer based transceiver decoders. Each transceiver decoder is coupled to a plurality of relays, each relay associated with a particular load to be controlled. Override switches and sensors, coupled to transceiver decoders provide override requests and information related to ambient conditions at the site of a load. A user defined data base includes sub-sets of relays called sectors, patterns of relay states, remote switches, a time dependent schedule and condition responses. A communication protocall and arbitration scheme provide for interactive communication between the central controller and each transceiver decoder with interfacing with the operation of any other transceiver decoder. Enhanced data storage capacity is achieved through dynamic allocation of memory space for pattern data.

Claims

1. In a programmable system for controlling plural distributed electrical loads including plural relays, each connected to control a respectively corresponding one of said plural distributed electrical loads;

plural remotely located data receiving and decoding circuits connected to control a predetermined subset of said relays in response to received and decoded data signals; and

a programmable central controller connected to provide said data signals to each of said receiving and decoding circuits and normally controlling said relays in a pre-programmed time-dependent sequence;

the improvement comprising;

pattern data storage structure for storing pattern data representing pattern identifications and definitions of plural patterns of condition states,

sector data storage structure for storing sector identification and definition data representing user selected sector subsets of said relays assigned as desired to respectively corresponding different sectors, and

schedule data storage structure for storing schedule data including sector identifications and pattern identifications representing the time-dependent sequence in which a desired sector is to be controlled so as to establish each of its associated relays at a state corresponding to that defined in the identified pattern data,

said central controller being connected to all of said data storage structures and adapted to execute the desired schedule of relay control as defined by said schedule data, sector data and pattern data.

2. An improvement as in claim 1 wherein said central controller includes means for causing said pattern data storage structure to be dynamically allocated to accommodate variable length sets of pattern data representing patterns of desired relay states for respectively corresponding different subsets of said relays.

3. An improvement according to claim 1 wherein said central controller includes means for causing said schedule data storage structure to be dynamically allocated.

4. In a programmable system for controlling plural distributed electrical loads including plural relays, each connected to control a respectively corresponding one of said plural distributed electrical loads;

plural remotely located data receiving and decoding circuits each connected to control a predetermined subset of said relays in response to received and decoded data signals; and

a programmable central controller connected to provide said data signals to each of said receiving and decoding circuits and normally controlling said relays in a preprogrammed time-dependent sequence;

the improvement comprising;

pattern data storage structure for storing pattern data representing plural patterns of condition states for successive ones of said relays,

sector data storage structure for storing sector data representing arbitrary subsets including overlapping subsets of said relays assigned as desired to respectively corresponding different control sectors, and

schedule data storage structure for storing schedule data representing the time-dependent schedule at which a desired sector is to be controlled so as to establish each of its associated relays at a state corresponding to that defined in desired pattern data,

said central controller being connected to all of said data storage structures and adapted to execute the desired schedule of relay control as defined by said schedule data, sector data and patter data.

5. An improvement as in claim 4 wherein said central controller includes means for causing said pattern data storage structure to be dynamically allocated to accommodate variable length sets of pattern data representing patterns of desired relay states for respectively corresponding different subsets of said relays.

6. A programmable system for controlling plural distributed electrical loads comprising:

plural relays, each connected to control a respectively corresponding one of said plural distributed electrical loads;

plural remotely located data receiving and decoding circuits connected to control a predetermined subset of said relays in response to received and decoded data signals;

a programmable central controller connected to provide said dta signals to each of said receiving and decoding circuits and normally controlling said relays in a pre-defined time-dependent sequence;

a time clock;

pattern data storage structure for storing pattern data repesenting plural patterns of condition levels for successive ones of said relays;

sector data storage structure for storing sector data representing arbitrary subsets of said relays assigned as desired to respectively corresponding different control sectors;

schedule data storage structure for storing schedule data representing the time-dependent schedule at which a desired sector is to be controlled so as to estblish each of its associated relays at a condition level corresponding to that defined in desired pattern data;

said central processor being connected to all of said data storage structures and adapted to execute the desired time-dependent sequence of relay control in accordance with said time clock as defined by said schedule data, sector data and pattern data; and

means for executing the time-dependent sequence as rapidly as necessary and as required by said time clock such that, upon restarting, the system automatically cycles through all intermediate time-dependent states until reaching the final state corresponding to the present content of the time clock.

7. A programmable system for controlling plural distributed electrical loads comprising:

plural relays, each connected to control a respectively corresponding one of said plural distributed electrical loads;

plural remotely located data receiving and decoding circuits connected to control a predetermined subset of said relays in response to received and decoded data signals;

a programmable central controller connected to provide said data signals to each of said receiving and decoding circuits and normally controlling said relays in a pre-defined, time-dependent, seven day, 24 hour sequence;

pattern data storage structure for storing pattern data representing plural patterns of condition levels for successive ones of said relays,

sector data storage structure for storing sector data representing arbitrary subsets of said relays assigned as desired to respectively coresponding different control sectors, and

schedule data storage structure for storing schedule data repesenting said time-dependent 7 day, 24 hour sequence at which a desired sector is to be controlled so as to establish each of its associated relays at a state corresponding to that defined in desired pattern data,

said schedule data storage area including at least one alternate 24 hour time dependent sequence at which a desired sector is to be controlled so as to establish each of its associated relays at a state corresponding to that defined in desired pattern data,

said central controller being connected to all of said data storage sructures and adapted to execute the desired schedule of relay conrol as defined by said schedule data, sector data and pattern data.

8. A system according to claim 7 wherein said alternate 24 hour time dependent sequence calls for no relay state changes.

9. A programmable system for controlling plural distributed electrical loads comprising:

plural relays, each connected to control a respectively corresponding one of said plural distributed electrical loads;

plural remotely located data receiving and decoding circuits connected to control a predetermined sub-set of said relays in response to received and decoded data signals;

a programmable central controller connected to provide said data signals to each of said receiving and decoding circuits for controlling said relays;

pattern data storage structure for storing pattern data representing pattern identifications and definitions of plural patterns of condition levels;

means for causing said pattern data storage structure to by dymanically allocated to accommodate variable length sets of pattern data representing patterns of condition levels for respectively corresponding different sub-sets of said relays,

sector data storage structure for storing sector identificaiton and definition data representing user selected sector sub-sets of said relays assigned as desired to respectively corresponding different sectors, and

said central controller being connected to all of said data storage structures and adapted to provide data signals for controlling said relays as defined by said sector data and pattern data.

10. In a programmable system for controlling plural distributed electrical loads including plural relays, each connected to control a respectively corresponding one of said plural distributed electrical loads;

plural remotely located data receiving and decoding circuits each connected to control at least one sub-set of said relays in response to received and decoded data signals; and

a programmable central controller connected to provide said data signals to each of said receiving and decoding circuits and normally controlling said relays in a preprogrammed time-dependent sequence;

a method for controlling plural distributed loads comprising the steps of;

storing, in pattern data storage structure, pattern data representing pattern identifications and definitions of plural patterns of condition states for successive ones of said relays,

storing, in sector data storage structure, sector identification and definition data representing user selected sector sub-sets of said relays assigned as desired to respectively corresponding different sectors,

storing, in schedule data storage structure, schedule data including sector identifications and pattern identifications representing the time-dependent sequence in which the relays of each identified sector are to be controlled so as to establish each of its associated relays at a state corresponding to that defined in the identified pattern data, and

executing by said central controller, being connected to all of said data storage structures, the desired schedule of relay control as defined by said schedule data, sector data and pattern data.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein said step of storing pattern data includes dynamically allocating the pattern data within the pattern data storage structure to accommodate variable length sets of pattern data representing patterns of desired relay states for respectively corresponding different sub-sets of said relays.

12. A method according to claim 10 wherein said step of storing schedule data includes dynamically allocating the schedule data within the schedule data storage structure.

13. In a programmable system for controlling plural distributed electrical loads including plural relays, each connected to control a respectively corresponding one of said plural distributed electrical loads;

plural remotely located data receiving and decoding circuits connected to control a predetermined sub-set of said relays in response to received and decoded data signals; and

a programmable central controller connected to provide said data signals to each of said receiving and decoding circuits and normally controlling said relays in a preprogrammed time-dependent sequence;

a method comprising the steps of;

storing in pattern data storage structure pattern data representing pattern identifications and definitions of plural patterns of condition states,

storing in sector data storage structure sector identification and definition data representing user selected sector sub-sets of relays, possibily including overlapping sub-sets of said relays assigned as desired to respectively corresponding different sectors,

storing in schedule data storage structure schedule data including sector identification and pattern identification representing the time-dependent sequence in which the relays of each identified sector are to be controlled so as to establish each of its associated relays at a state corresponding to that defined in the identified pattern data, and

executing by said central controller, being connected to all of said data storage structures, the desired schedule of relay control as defined by said schedule data, sector data and pattern data.

14. A method as in claim 13 wherein said step of storing pattern data includes causing said pattern data storage structure to be dynamically allocated to accommodate variable length sets of pattern data representing patterns of desired relay states for respectively corresponding different sub-sets of said relays.

15. A method according to claim 13 wherein said step of storing schedule data includes dynamically allocating the schedule data within the schedule data storing structure.

16. In a programmable system for controlling plural distributed electrical loads including plural relays, each connected to control a respectively corresponding one of said plural distributed electrical loads;

plural remotely located data receiving and decoding circuits connected to control a predetermined sub-set of said relays in response to received and decoded data signals;

a programmable central controller connected to provide said data signals to each of said receiving and decoding circuits and normally controlling said relays in a preprogrammed time-dependent sequence; and

a time clock;

a method of controlling said plural distributed loads comprising the steps of;

storing in pattern data storage structure pattern identification and definition data representing plural patterns of condition states,

storing in sector data storage structure sector identification and definition data representing user selected sector sub-sets of said relays assigned as desired to respectively corresponding different sectors,

storing in schedule data storage structure schedule data including sector identification and pattern identification data representing the time-dependent sequence in which the relays of each identified sector are to be controlled so as to establish each of its associated relays at a state corresponding to that defined in the identified pattern data,

executing by said central processor the desired time-dependent sequence of relay control in accordance with said time clock as defined by said schedule data, sector data and pattern data; and

executing the time-dependent sequence as rapidly as necessary and as required by said time clock such that, upon restarting, the system automatically cycles through all intermediate time-dependent states until reaching the final state corresponding to the present content of the time clock.