Electric supply control

• US 5,786,683 A
• Filed: 02/28/1997
• Issued: 07/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Remote Monitoring Sys LLC
• Original Assignee: Remote Monitoring Sys LLC
• Inventors: Williams, Paul Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hecker, Stuart N.
• Application Number:
  US08/564,150
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 307/35, 307/38, 307/39, 324/142, 364/483, 323/220
• US Class Current: 323/220
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/1335 Tariff switching circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00001 characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00006 characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• 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 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/12 characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A power supply system for premises (12'"'"') has a meter (20) which stores tariff information (rates and times) received via mains signalling from a controller (13). An outlet (33) has control means (40) responsive to the tariff information stored in the meter. The control means may be programmable simply to allow the outlet to supply power only during low tariff rated periods, or to utilize more elaborate criteria, such as maintaining the supply of power either for a predetermined time regardless of tariff changes once the outlet has been turned on or until the device fed by the outlet has completed its operating cycle (as determined by the current drawn falling to zero), or effecting an inverse control between the tariff rate at which the outlet may be turned on and the time elapsed since it was last turned on.

Claims

1. A power supply system comprising a meter for storing tariff information including plural tariff rates and associated times, the meter having at least one outlet having a programmable controller responsive to the tariff information stored in the meter, the controller being programmed to cause the outlet to perform an inverse control between the tariff rate at which the outlet may be turned on and the time elapsed since the outlet was last turned on.

2. A power supply system according to claim 1 wherein the control means is programmed to allow the outlet to supply power only during low tariff rated periods.

3. A power supply system according to claim 1 wherein the control means is programmed to allow the outlet to maintain a supply of power for a predetermined time regardless of tariff changes once the outlet has been turned on.

4. A power supply system according to claim 1 wherein the meter is arranged to receive the tariff information from the supply utility.

5. A power supply system according to claim 4 wherein the meter receives the tariff information from the supply utility via the mains wiring.

6. The power supply system of claim 1 wherein the outlet controller controls a heating system and is arranged to reduce a set point temperature for the heating system when the tariff is high.

7. A power supply system according to claim 6 wherein the heating control system uses proportional control by cycling power to the heating system on and off, and parameters of the heating system are changed by the outlet controller to reduce the effective target temperature.

8. A power supply system according to claim 6 wherein the heating control system generates an analog temperature signal and the outlet controller effectively shifts the temperature signal used by the heating control system.

9. A power supply system according to claim 6 wherein the heating control system generates plural on/off temperature signals at different temperatures and the outlet controller effectively shifts the temperature signal used by the heating control system.

10. A power supply system comprising a meter for storing tariff information including plural tariff rates and associated times, the meter having at least one outlet having a programmable controller responsive to the tariff information stored in the meter, the outlet controller controlling and being arranged to reduce a set point temperature for the heating system when the tariff is high, the outlet controller controlling the coupling power to the heating system to achieve the reduced set point temperature when the tariff is high.

11. A power supply system according to claim 10 wherein the heating control system uses proportional control by cycling power to the heating system on and off, and parameters of the heating system being changed by the outlet controller to reduce the effective target temperature.

12. A power supply system according to claim 10 wherein the heating control system generates an analog temperature signal and the outlet controller effectively shifts the temperature signal used by the heating control system.

13. A power supply system according to claim 10 wherein the heating control system generates plural on/off temperature signals at different temperatures and the outlet controller effectively shifts the temperature signal used by the heating control system.