Automatic power outage notification via CEBus interface
First Claim
1. A power monitor system supporting a plurality of customer sites, the power monitory system comprising:
- a central management entity responsible for supporting the plurality of customer sites, said central management entity remotely located from each of the plurality of customer sites, said central management entity comprising a plurality of ports;
an energy management terminal remotely located from each of the plurality of customer sites, said energy management terminal comprising the capability to communicate with said central management entity; and
a network terminal located at each of the plurality of customer sites, each network terminal comprising power monitoring circuitry to monitor the power output of a power supply of the respective customer site, the capability to communicate with one or more CEBus compliant devices at the respective customer site via CEBus protocol messages, and the capability to communicate with said energy management terminal via a non-CEBus network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for providing remote access and control of electronic devices connected to a CEBus network includes a remotely located master node, e.g., a utility server controller, which is linked to the CEBus network via an ATM-based broadband access network ("BAN"). A proxy node is provided on the CEBus network, wherein the proxy node is also linked to the master node via the BAN. The proxy node includes a power monitoring module, which constantly monitors the power supply to the proxy node, e.g., of a residential home at which the proxy node is located. In the case of a power failure, the monitoring module detects the failure and notifies a power outage module. The power outage module generates a power failure alarm message, which is forwarded to the master node in the form of a CEBus link protocol data unit ("LPDU"). In particular, the proxy node packetizes the LPDU alarm message into ATM transmission format for transport to the master node over the BAN. Upon receipt of the LPDU alarm message, the master node notifies the appropriate utility company about the power failure, based on specific identifying information contained in the LPDU alarm message.
112 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A power monitor system supporting a plurality of customer sites, the power monitory system comprising:
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a central management entity responsible for supporting the plurality of customer sites, said central management entity remotely located from each of the plurality of customer sites, said central management entity comprising a plurality of ports; an energy management terminal remotely located from each of the plurality of customer sites, said energy management terminal comprising the capability to communicate with said central management entity; and a network terminal located at each of the plurality of customer sites, each network terminal comprising power monitoring circuitry to monitor the power output of a power supply of the respective customer site, the capability to communicate with one or more CEBus compliant devices at the respective customer site via CEBus protocol messages, and the capability to communicate with said energy management terminal via a non-CEBus network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A power network supporting a plurality of customer sites, the power network comprising:
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a network terminal located at each of the plurality of customer sites, each network terminal comprising power monitoring circuitry to detect a power outage at a main power supply of the respective customer site, battery power, and the capability to share a main power supply of the respective customer site with one or more CEBus compliant devices located at the customer site; a residential network comprising a communication interface for one or more CEBus complaint devices and the network terminal of two or more customer sites; and a utility host node remotely located from the plurality of customer sites, said utility host node capable of communicating with the network terminal located at a respective customer site via a non-CEBus access network. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for monitoring power usage at a plurality of customer sites, comprising:
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assigning a unique house code to each of a plurality of ports on a utility host master node; assigning the unique house code of a respective port of the utility host master node to each utility managed settable node located on a CEBus network remotely connected to the respective port via an access network; assigning a unique unit address to the utility host master node, and to each utility managed settable node located on a CEBus network remotely connected to a port of the utility host master node; receiving at a port of the utility host master node a CEBus protocol message from a utility managed settable node upon a power outage at a customer site; and determining the customer site experiencing the power outage by a unit address included in said CEBus protocol message. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification