Environmental condition control and energy management system and method

• US 6,216,956 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1998
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tocom, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ehlers, Gregory A., Silva, Richard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): WAYNER, WILLIAM E
• Application Number:
  US09/220,129
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 236/94, 236/78.R, 236/46.R, 236/47, 165/241, 165/242, 165/255, 364/528.11, 364/528.35, 307/39
• US Class Current: 236/47
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/00 Control inputs relating to environmental factors not covered by group F24F2110/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/10 Weather information or forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1923 using thermal energy, the cost of which varies in function of time

Abstract

An indoor environmental condition control and energy management system includes a plurality of inputs. A user input receives user input parameters including a desired indoor environmental condition range for at least one energy unit price point. An indoor environmental condition input receives a sensed indoor environmental condition. An energy price input receives a schedule of projected energy unit prices per time periods. A processor, coupled to the inputs, computes an environmental condition deadband range for multiple energy unit price points based on the user input parameters and controls at least one energy-consuming load device to maintain the indoor environmental condition within the computed deadband range for a then-current energy unit price point. In an embodiment, the environmental condition includes at least temperature and the at least one load device includes a heating and cooling system. The processor, in one embodiment, communicates through a communications link with at least one energy supply company and selects one energy supply company for a premise to minimize energy consumption cost.

Claims

1. An energy management system comprising:

a user input that receives user input information including at least one desired level of operation of at least one energy consuming load based on energy cost;

an energy cost input that receives energy cost information; and

a processor, coupled to the inputs, that computes an operational deadband range and generates a signal to control the at least one load to operate within the deadband range.

2. An environmental condition control and energy management system comprising:

a user input that receives user input information including at least one desired environmental condition based on energy cost;

an environmental condition input that receives environmental condition information;

an energy cost input that receives energy cost information; and

a processor, coupled to the inputs, that computes an environmental condition deadband range and controls an energy-consuming and environmental condition-effecting load to maintain the environmental condition within the deadband range.

3. The system claimed in claim 2 wherein user input includes means for receiving the user input information remotely from the processor.

4. The system claimed in claim 2 wherein the processor may be triggered to compute a minimum requirements deadband range.

5. The system claimed in claim 4 wherein minimum requirements deadband range is utilized for maximum energy cost savings and is different than the environmental condition deadband range.

6. The system claimed in claim 2 further includes means for electronically purchasing from an energy supplier, energy units with which to power the load.

7. The system claimed in claim 6 wherein means for purchasing includes means for purchasing from the energy supplier within prepaid energy supply accounts.