Energy monitoring and control system using reverse transmission on AC line

• US 5,689,230 A
• Filed: 11/09/1995
• Issued: 11/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OSRAM Sylvania Inc. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gunderson, Philip D., Purdy, Steven J., Stephens, Dennis L., Merwin, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, Jr., Timothy
• Application Number:
  US08/555,627
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 340/310.01, 340/310.02, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/538, 340/825.06, 340/825.07, 340/310.06
• US Class Current: 340/12.33
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators

Abstract

An energy monitoring and control system (10) for use with a conventional AC source (12) having a hot wire and a neutral wire (28). The energy monitoring and control system (10) includes a control station (14) and a number of controllable loads (20). The control station (14) is coupled in series with the hot wire of the AC source and is physically located between the AC source (12) and the loads (20). The individual loads are connected in parallel with each other and are coupled to the AC surce (12) and the control station (14). The control station (14) can communicate with the loads in various ways, a preferred scheme being a power-line communication method. Each of the loads is equipped with circuitry for receiving and executing commands sent by the control station (14). The control station (14) can receive information from the loads (20) by observing the AC supply current drawn by the loads (20).

Claims

1. An energy monitoring and control system for use with a conventional AC source having at least one phase with a hot wire and a neutral wire, comprising:

a control station having an input terminal and an output terminal, the input terminal being couplable to the hot wire of the AC source and the output terminal being couplable to at least one of a plurality of controllable loads;

each of the plurality of loads having an address and a hot connection and a neutral connection, the hot connection being coupled to the output terminal of the control station, the neutral connection being coupled to the neutral wire of the AC source, the plurality of loads being operable to draw a supply current from the AC source;

the control station and each load being operably coupled such that the control station is operable to send a control command to at least one address corresponding to a desired load, and upon reception of the control command the desired load executes the control command, resulting in a threshold change in the supply current drawn by the loads from the AC source;

the control station including an interface for accepting user commands and translating user commands into control commands, and a transmitter for sending control commands to the desired load;

each load including a receiver for accepting and executing the control commands sent by the control station; and

the control station further including a monitor for monitoring a threshold change in the supply current drawn by at least one load, whereby execution of the control command is confirmed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each load comprises a controllable electronic ballast adapted to light at least one fluorescent lamp.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the control station and ballasts are operable to turn the fluorescent lamps on and off.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the control station and ballasts are operable to vary the illumination level of the fluorescent lamps.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the control station is operable to transmit a predetermined master command which operably effects a predetermined control action in a designated group of loads that includes at least two of the loads, but without effecting a control action in those loads coupled to the control station that are not part of the designated group of loads.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the control station further includes means for executing a diagnostic routine for verifying proper operation of each load.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control station further includes an earth ground terminal connected to earth ground.

8. An energy monitoring and control system for use with a conventional AC source having at least one phase with a hot wire and a neutral wire, comprising:

a control station having an input terminal and an output terminal, the input terminal being couplable to the hot wire of the AC source, and the output terminal being couplable to at least one of a plurality of controllable loads;

each of the loads having an address and a hot connection and a neutral connection, the hot connection being coupled to the output terminal of the control station, and the neutral connection being coupled to the neutral wire of the AC source, the plurality of loads being operable to draw a supply current from the AC source;

the control station and each load being operably coupled such that;

(i) the control station is operable to send control commands to a desired load or a desired group of loads without affecting the other loads that are coupled to the control station;

(ii) the control station transmits control commands to the loads by inducing at least one of a depression and a spike in the voltage supplied by the AC source to the loads in a predetermined sequential fashion; and

(iii) following reception of a control command, the desired load executes the control command, resulting in a change in the supply current drawn by the loads from the AC source;

each load including a receiver for accepting and executing control commands sent by the control station;

the control station further including a monitor for monitoring the supply current and a comparator for confirming execution of the control commands by comparing the supply current drawn by the loads prior to the sending of a control command with the supply current drawn by the loads after execution of the control commands, the monitor and comparator thus providing a reverse transmission scheme in which information about the loads is communicated back to the control station without the need for dedicated transmitter circuits in each of the loads.

9. An energy monitoring and control system for use with a conventional AC source having at least one phase with a hot wire and a neutral wire, comprising:

a control station having an input terminal and an output terminal, the input terminal being coupled to the hot wire of the AC source and the output terminal being coupled to at least one of a plurality of controllable electronic ballasts, each ballast being adapted to light at least one fluorescent lamp;

the plurality of ballasts adapted to be connected in parallel with each other and to the AC source, each ballast having an address, a hot connection, a neutral connection, and an earth ground connection, the hot connection being coupled to the output terminal of the control station, the neutral connection being coupled to the neutral wire of the AC source, and the earth ground connection being connected to earth ground, the plurality of ballasts being operable to draw a supply current from the AC source;

the control station and each ballast being coupled such that the control station is operable to send a control command to at least one address corresponding to a desired ballast, upon reception of which the desired ballast executes the control command, resulting in a perceptible change in the supply current drawn by the ballasts from the AC source;

the control station including an interface for accepting and translating user commands into control commands, and a transmitter for sending control commands to the desired ballasts;

each ballast including a receiver for accepting control commands sent by the control station and an execution means for executing control commands sent by the control station, each ballast being free of a dedicated transmitter circuit for sending to the control station a signal confirming execution of a control command; and

the control station further including a monitor for monitoring the supply current drawn by the ballasts and a comparator for confirming execution of the control command by comparing the supply current drawn by the ballasts prior to the sending of a control command with the supply current drawn by the ballasts after execution of the control command.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the control station transmits control commands to the ballasts by inducing at least one of a depression and a spike in the voltage supplied by the AC source to the ballasts in a predetermined sequential fashion.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the control station is operable to transmit a predetermined master command that effects a predetermined control action in a designated group of ballasts that includes at least two of the ballasts, but without effecting a control action in those ballasts coupled to the control station that are not part of the designated group of ballasts.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the control station further includes means for executing a diagnostic routine for verifying proper operation of each ballast.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the control station further includes an earth ground terminal connected to earth ground.

14. An energy monitoring and control system for use with a conventional AC source having a hot wire and a neutral wire, comprising:

a control station having an input terminal, an earth ground terminal, and an output terminal, the input terminal being coupled to the hot wire of the AC source, the earth ground terminal being connected to earth ground, and the output terminal being coupled to a plurality of controllable electronic ballasts, each ballast being adapted to light at least one fluorescent lamp;

the plurality of ballasts adapted to being connected in parallel with each other and to the AC source, each ballast having an address, a hot connection, a neutral connection, and an earth ground connection, the hot connection being coupled to the output terminal of the control station, the neutral connection being coupled to the neutral wire of the AC source, and the earth ground connection being connected to earth ground, the plurality of ballasts being operable to draw a supply current from the AC source;

the control station and each ballast being coupled such that the control station is operable to send a control command to at least one address corresponding to a desired ballast, upon reception of which the desired ballast executes the control command, resulting in a perceptible change in the supply current drawn by the plurality of ballasts from the AC source;

the control station including;

an interface for accepting and translating user commands into control commands; and

a transmitter for sending control commands to the desired ballasts by means of a power-line communication scheme wherein the existing AC power wires serve as a transmission medium and the control station transmits control commands to the ballasts by inducing a depression in the voltage supplied by the AC source to the ballasts in a predetermined sequential fashion;

each ballast including a receiver for accepting control commands sent by the control station and an execution means for executing control commands sent by the control station;

the control station further including a monitor for monitoring the current drawn by the plurality of ballasts and a comparator for confirming execution of the control command by comparing the supply current drawn by the ballasts prior to the sending of a control command with the supply current drawn by the ballasts after execution of the control command; and

the control station being further operable to transmit at least one predetermined master command that effects a predetermined control action in a designated group of ballasts that includes at least two of the ballasts, but that does not effect a control action in those ballasts coupled to the control station that are not part of the designated group of ballasts.