Automated appliance and energy distribution control system

• US 4,899,129 A
• Filed: 11/08/1988
• Issued: 02/06/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Building Technology Associates, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Smart House Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Wacks, Kenneth P., Foley, Daniel J., MacFadyen, David J., Edwards, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US07/268,868
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 340/310 R, 340/310 CP, 340/310 A
• US Class Current: 340/12.32
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1418 Removal detected by failure in electrical connection between the appliance and a control centre, home control panel or a power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/00 Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/03 Application domotique, e.g. for house automation, bus connected switches, sensors, loads or intelligent wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/00 Installations of electric cables or lines or protective tubing therefor in or on buildings, equivalent structures or vehicles installations of bus-bars H02G5/00; overhead installations H02G7/00; installations in or on the ground H02G9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• 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: H02J 13/0005 the elements or equipment being or involving power plugs or sockets
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/205 with control bus for exchanging commands between units
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• 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 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 20/14 Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

Abstract

An automated system for providing different services within a house includes an appliance coordination data network for communicating relatively low speed appliance digital data within a house, a high capacity data network for transferring high speed digital data within the house, an energy distribution system for distributing energy throughout the house, an analog services distribution system for distributing conventional analog signals throughout the house and a video services distribution network for distributing video services throughout the house. The appliance coordination network interfaces with the energy distribution system to control the flow of energy to appliances throughout the house responsive to a digital request or interrogation signal that is emitted from the appliance itself.

Claims

1. An automated system apparatus for providing AC energy from an energy source and communications services within a house to appliances capable of receiving said AC energy and appliance digital data and generating appliance digital data, comprising:

energy distribution means for supplying said AC energy from said energy source to appliances throughout the house;

appliance coordination data network means for communicating appliance digital data throughout the house, said appliance coordination data network means including a plurality of outlet control power block means responsive to a power desired appliance digital data signal for applying said AC energy from said energy distribution means to said appliances throughout the house; and

a plurality of common outlet means for connectable attachment of one of said appliances, each common outlet means connected to one of said outlet control power block means and capable of receiving said AC energy only after attachment of one of said appliances and after said outlet control power block means receives said power desired appliance digital data signal generated by said appliance.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein appliance coordination data network means further comprises a common communication bus means separate from said energy distribution means for transmitting data between said plurality of outlet control power block means, and appliance control unit means for coordinating said appliance digital data between said plurality of outlet control power block means.