Subscriber electric power load control system
First Claim
1. An electric power control system for controlling AC line electric power usage in an electric Power Company subscriber'"'"'s premises wherein electric power is distributed to one or more loads in said premises comprising at said premises,(a) means for limiting electric power use of at least one of said loads,(b) means for detecting electric power use of one or more power loads in said premises and producing power load signals representative thereof,(c) a computer device at said premises including:
- (d) means for storing data representative of limits for one or more of said loads for one or more predetermined real time intervals,(e) a computer clock producing signals representative of said predetermined real time intervals,(f) means responsive to said stored load limit and real time interval data and said power load signals for producing control signals for said load limiting means and(g) means for applying said control signals to said load limiting means; and
(h) means controlled by said Power Company for varying said stored load limit and real time interval data,(i) whereby one or more of said loads is limited during one or more of said predetermined time intervals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Electric power uses or loads in a premises are controlled or managed depending upon whether the use is for heating, hot water, heat pump, air conditioning, lights, appliances, pumps, etc., according to programs that are controlled by the electric Power Company, for the purposes of spreading power uses at the premises over a day or other time interval, to avoid peak load periods encountered by the Power Company, while still providing the normal comfort levels required by the subscriber from the various power uses. Power levels of several uses at the subscriber'"'"'s premises are sensed and the power for each use is controlled according to a program that includes a schedule of power level and/or the time of day that is inserted in the program or controlled in the program by the Power Company to accomplish the spreading. In a particular embodiment, a programmed computer unit is provided at the premises that is monitored by the Power Company via the subscribers telephone line. Changes in the computer program are inserted in the unit by the Power Company, via the telephone line; and signals within and throughout the premises for detecting and controlling power uses are transmitted to and from the unit over the premises power line.
132 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An electric power control system for controlling AC line electric power usage in an electric Power Company subscriber'"'"'s premises wherein electric power is distributed to one or more loads in said premises comprising at said premises,
(a) means for limiting electric power use of at least one of said loads, (b) means for detecting electric power use of one or more power loads in said premises and producing power load signals representative thereof, (c) a computer device at said premises including: -
(d) means for storing data representative of limits for one or more of said loads for one or more predetermined real time intervals, (e) a computer clock producing signals representative of said predetermined real time intervals, (f) means responsive to said stored load limit and real time interval data and said power load signals for producing control signals for said load limiting means and (g) means for applying said control signals to said load limiting means; and (h) means controlled by said Power Company for varying said stored load limit and real time interval data, (i) whereby one or more of said loads is limited during one or more of said predetermined time intervals. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An electric power control system for controlling AC line electric power usage in an electric Power Company subscriber'"'"'s premises wherein electric power is distributed to one or more power loads in said premises comprising at said premises,
(a) means for detecting electric power use of at least one of said loads and producing power load signals, (b) means for limiting electric power use of at least one of said loads, (c) a power line carrier (PLC) signal transmission system including a PLC transmit modem and a PLC receive modem on said premises power distribution system, (d) a computer device at said premises and, (e) means for transmitting said power load signals by said PLC signal transmission system to said computer device, (f) said computer device including: -
(g) means for storing data representative of limits for one or more of said loads for one or more predetermined real time intervals, (h) a computer clock producing signals representative of said predetermined real time intervals, (i) means responsive to said stored load limit and real time interval data and said power load signals for producing control signals for said load limiting means and (j) means for applying said control signals to said load limiting means; and (k) means controlled by said Power Company for varying said stored load limit and real time interval data, (l) whereby one or more of said loads is limited during one or more of said predetermined time intervals.
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4. An electric power control system for controlling AC line electric power usage in an electric Power Company subscriber'"'"'s premises wherein electric power is distributed to one or more loads in said premises comprising at said premises,
(a) means for limiting electric power usage of at least one of said loads, (b) a computer device at said premises including: -
(c) means for storing data representative of limits for one or more of said loads for one or more predetermined real time intervals, (d) a computer clock producing signals representative of said predetermined real time intervals, producing control signals for said load limiting means and (f) means for applying said control signals to said load limiting means, (g) whereby one or more of said loads is limited during one or more of said predetermined time intervals; and (h) means controlled by said Power Company for varying said stored load limit and real time interval data. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of controlling AC line electric power usage in an electric Power Company subscriber'"'"'s premises wherein electric power is distributed to one or more loads in the premises comprising the steps,
(a) storing data representative of limits for one or more of said loads for one or more predetermined real time intervals, (b) varying said stored load limit and real time interval data by said electric Power Company, (c) producing signals representative of said predetermined real time intervals and (d) producing control signals for limiting said loads in response to said stored load limit and real time interval data and (e) applying said control signals to to limit said loads, (f) whereby one or more of said loads is limited during one or more of said predetermined time intervals according to said data varied by said Power Company.
Specification