Subscriber electric power load control system
First Claim
1. A system for controlling electric power usage by a plurality of loads at an electric power company subscriber'"'"'s premises, comprising:
- circuitry operable to store data representative of a plurality of distinct real time intervals during which the electric power usage is to be controlled;
said storing circuitry further operable to store data representative of distinct load limits for each real time interval, for each load;
circuitry coupled to each load and operable to detect the power usage of the load;
circuitry coupled to each load, the storing circuitry, and the detecting circuitry and operable to generate control signals; and
circuitry coupled to each individual load and responsive to said generating circuitry and operable to individually limit power usage of each load such that the power usage of each load does not exceed the limit stored in the storing circuitry during an associated predetermined real time interval.
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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.
215 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A system for controlling electric power usage by a plurality of loads at an electric power company subscriber'"'"'s premises, comprising:
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circuitry operable to store data representative of a plurality of distinct real time intervals during which the electric power usage is to be controlled; said storing circuitry further operable to store data representative of distinct load limits for each real time interval, for each load; circuitry coupled to each load and operable to detect the power usage of the load; circuitry coupled to each load, the storing circuitry, and the detecting circuitry and operable to generate control signals; and circuitry coupled to each individual load and responsive to said generating circuitry and operable to individually limit power usage of each load such that the power usage of each load does not exceed the limit stored in the storing circuitry during an associated predetermined real time interval. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for controlling electric power usage by a plurality of loads at an electric power company subscriber'"'"'s premises, comprising the steps of:
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storing data representative of a plurality of distinct real time intervals during which the electric power usage is to be controlled in a storing circuit; storing data representative of distinct load limits for each time interval, for each load in the storing circuit; detecting the power usage of each load; generating control signals for each load based on the power usage of the load; and limiting power usage of each load based on the control signals and the stored load limit and real time interval data such that the power usage of each load does not exceed the stored load limit during an associated predetermined time interval. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for controlling electric power usage by a plurality of loads at an electric power company subscriber'"'"'s premises, comprising:
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circuitry operable to store data representative of a plurality of distinct real time intervals during which the electric power usage is to be controlled; said storing circuitry further operable to store data representative of distinct load limits for each real time interval, for each load; circuitry coupled to each load and operable to detect the power usage of the load; and circuitry coupled to said load, responsive to said storing circuitry and said detecting circuitry and operable to limit the power usage of each load such that the power usage of each load does not exceed the limit stored in the storing circuitry during an associated predetermined real time interval.
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Specification