Apparatus and method for controlling an electrical load and monitoring control operations and the electrical load
DCFirst Claim
1. In an electrical load management system, said system including a plurality of an improved load control switching and monitoring apparatus, each of said improved apparatus located proximate to an electrical load to be controlled, and a data processing center remotely located and separated from said electrical load, for causing electrical load reductions in an electrical distribution network and monitoring each of said electrical load reductions and energy supplied to said electrical load, said apparatus comprising:
- control means for controlling said electrical load in said electrical distribution network in response to command signals transmitted by a command center, said command center remotely located from said electrical load;
first monitoring means for generating electrical load data in response to detecting the distribution and interruption of said energy to said electrical load;
second monitoring means for generating electrical load control data in response to detecting the control operation of said control means; and
data collection means for collecting said electrical load data and said electrical load control data and communicating said electrical load data and said electrical load control data to said data processing center, said data processing center operative to process said electrical load data and said electrical load control data to determine the effectiveness of said electrical load management system.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for controlling an electrical load in an electrical load management system and monitoring the load control operations and the energy supplied to the electrical load. The apparatus includes a controller for controlling an electrical load in an electrical distribution network in response to command signals transmitted by a command center remotely located from the electrical load. A first monitor generates electrical load data in response to detecting the distribution or interruption of energy to the electrical load. Furthermore, a second monitor generates electrical load reduction data in response to detecting the control operation of the controller. The apparatus also includes a communicator means for transmitting the electrical load data and the electrical load control data to a data processing center remotely located from the electrical load. The data processing center processes the electrical load data and the electrical load control data to determine the effectiveness of the electrical load management system.
198 Citations
65 Claims
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1. In an electrical load management system, said system including a plurality of an improved load control switching and monitoring apparatus, each of said improved apparatus located proximate to an electrical load to be controlled, and a data processing center remotely located and separated from said electrical load, for causing electrical load reductions in an electrical distribution network and monitoring each of said electrical load reductions and energy supplied to said electrical load, said apparatus comprising:
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control means for controlling said electrical load in said electrical distribution network in response to command signals transmitted by a command center, said command center remotely located from said electrical load; first monitoring means for generating electrical load data in response to detecting the distribution and interruption of said energy to said electrical load; second monitoring means for generating electrical load control data in response to detecting the control operation of said control means; and data collection means for collecting said electrical load data and said electrical load control data and communicating said electrical load data and said electrical load control data to said data processing center, said data processing center operative to process said electrical load data and said electrical load control data to determine the effectiveness of said electrical load management system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. In an electrical load management system, said system including means for transmitting coded command signals for causing electrical load reductions from an electrical distribution network and an improved load control switching and monitoring apparatus located proximate to each of a plurality of electrical loads to be controlled, said improved apparatus comprising:
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control means responsive to said coded command signals to remove and insert a selected one of said plurality of said electrical loads in said electrical distribution network; first monitoring means for producing electrical load data in response to detecting the distribution or interruption of energy to said selected electrical load; second monitoring means for producing electrical load control data in response to detecting the operation of said control means to remove said selected electrical load from said electrical distribution network and to insert said selected electrical load from said electrical distribution network; recording means for recording said electrical load control data and said electrical load data during a plurality of predetermined time intervals to produce a plurality of stored electrical load control data packets and a plurality of stored electrical load data packets; and communicating means for communicating said plurality of said stored electrical load control data packets and said plurality of said stored electrical load data packets to a data processing center, said data processing center, responsive to receiving said electrical load control data packets and said electrical load data packets, for processing said electrical load data and said electrical load control data to determine the effectiveness of said electrical load management system, said data processing center remotely located and separated from said electrical loads. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. In an electrical load management system, said system including means for transmitting coded command signals for causing electrical load reductions from an electrical distribution network and an improved load control switching and monitoring apparatus located proximate to a selected one of a plurality of electrical loads to be controlled, said improved apparatus comprising:
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a load management receiver for decoding said coded command signals to produce decoded command signals; switching means for removing said selected electrical load from said electrical distribution network in response to a selected one of said decoded command signals and inserting said selected electrical load within said electrical distribution network in response to another one of said decoded command signals; current detection means for generating a current supply signal in response to sensing the distribution of current to said selected electrical load and a current interruption signal in response to sensing the interruption of current to said selected electrical load; control operation means for generating a load removal signal in response to said switching means operating to remove said selected electrical load from said electrical distribution network and a load insertion signal in response to said switching means operating to insert said selected electrical load in said electrical distribution network; first signal generating means for generating a first signal having a first period in response to said current supply signal and a second signal having a second period in response to said current interruption signal; second signal generating means for generating a third signal having a third period in response to said load removal signal and a fourth signal having a fourth period in response to said load insertion signal; first storage means for storing said first signal and said second signal during each of a plurality of predetermined time intervals to produce a plurality of stored electrical load data packets; second storage means for storing said third signal and said fourth signal during each of said plurality of said predetermined time intervals to produce a plurality of stored electrical load control packets; and communicating means for communicating said plurality of said stored electrical load control data packets and said plurality of said stored electrical load data packets to a data processing center remotely located from said selected electrical load in response to a coded instruction signal transmitted by said data processing center. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. In an electrical load management system, a method for controlling load reductions in an electrical distribution network, monitoring said load reductions and a selected one of said plurality of electrical loads to be controlled, comprising the steps:
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generating electrical load data in response to the distribution and interruption of energy supplied by said electrical distribution network to said selected electrical load; receiving a plurality of command signals from a command center remotely located from said selected electrical load; controlling said selected electrical load in response to a selected one of said plurality of said command signals; generating electrical load control data in response to controlling said selected electrical load; recording said electrical load data and said electrical load control data during a plurality of predetermined time intervals to produce a plurality of stored electrical load data packets and a plurality of stored electrical load control data packets; and communicating said plurality of said stored electrical load data packets and said plurality of said stored electrical load control data packets to a data processing center, said data processing center operative to process said electrical load data and said electrical load control data to determine the effectiveness of said electrical load management system, said data processing center remotely located and separated from said electrical loads. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57)
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58. In an electrical load management system, a method for controlling load reductions in an electrical distribution network, monitoring said load reductions, and monitoring a selected one of a plurality of electrical loads to be controlled, comprising the steps:
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sensing the distribution or interruption of energy to said selected electrical load; generating a first signal having a first period in response to said sensing the distribution of energy to said selected electrical load; generating a second signal having a second period in response to sensing the interruption of energy to said selected electrical load; receiving a plurality of coded command signals from a command center remotely located from said selected electrical load; removing said selected electrical load in response to one of said plurality of said coded command signals or inserting said selected electrical load in response to another one of said plurality of said coded command signals; detecting the removal of said selected electrical load from said network or the insertion of said electrical load into said network; generating a third signal having a third period in response to detecting the removal of said selected electrical load from said network; generating a fourth signal having a fourth period in response to detecting the insertion of said selected electrical load from said network; recording said first signal and said second signal during each of a plurality of predetermined time intervals to produce a plurality of stored electrical load data packets and recording said third signal and said fourth signal during each of said plurality of predetermined time intervals to produce a plurality of stored electrical load control data packets; and communicating said plurality of said stored electrical load data packets and said plurality of said stored electrical load control data packets to a data processing center remotely located from said selected electrical load. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. In an electrical load management system, said system including means for transmitting coded command signals for causing electrical load reductions from an electrical distribution network and an improved load control switching and monitoring apparatus located proximate to each of a plurality of electrical loads to be controlled, said improved apparatus comprising:
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a load management receiver for decoding said coded command signals to produce decoded command signals; and switching means for removing a selected one of said electrical loads from said electrical distribution network in response to a selected one of said decoded command signals and inserting said selected electrical load within said electrical distribution network in response to another one of said decoded command signals; first monitoring means for producing electrical load data in response to detecting the distribution or interruption of energy to said selected electrical load, said first monitoring means comprising; current detection means for generating a current distribution signal in response to sensing the distribution of current to said selected electrical load and a current interruption signal in response to sensing the interruption of current to said selected electrical load, and first signal generating means for generating a first signal having a first period in response to said current distribution signal and a second signal having a second period in response to said current interruption signal; second monitoring means for producing electrical load control data in response to detecting the operation of said control means to remove said selected electrical load from said electrical distribution network and to insert said selected electrical load from said electrical distribution network, said second monitoring means comprising; control operation detection means for generating a load removal signal in response to said switching means operating to remove said selected electrical load from said electrical distribution network and a load insertion signal in response to said switching means operating to insert said selected electrical load in said electrical distribution network; and second signal generating means for generating a third signal having a third period in response to said load removal signal and a fourth signal having a fourth period in response to said load insertion signal, recording means for recording said electrical load control data and said electrical load data during a plurality of predetermined time intervals to produce a plurality of stored electrical load control data packets and a plurality of stored electrical load data packets; and communicating means for communicating said plurality of said stored electrical load control data packets and said plurality of said stored electrical load data packets to a data processing center remotely located from said selected electrical load. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65)
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Specification