Device and a method of metering and displaying energy consumption and a method of calibrating the device

• US 6,476,592 B1
• Filed: 04/27/2000
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Humlum Energy Consult A/S
• Original Assignee: Humlum Energy Consult A/S
• Inventors: Humlum, Claus
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherry, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLLINGTON, JERMELE M
• Application Number:
  US09/530,311
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 324/142, 324/116, 324/141, 324/103.R, 324/113, 324/74, 324/130, 702/60, 702/85
• US Class Current: 324/74
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/04 using a separate indicating element for each variable
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/0755 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 17/06 Measuring quantity of heat conveyed by flowing media, e.g. in heating systems G01K17/02, G01K17/04 take precedencee.g. the quantity of heat in a transporting medium, delivered to or consumed in an expenditure device
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/00 Arrangements for measuring time integral of electric power or current, e.g. electricity meters

Abstract

A device and a method of metering and displaying immediate and/or accumulated energy consumption at a place of consumption, such as electricity, water or heating consumption in a household, said device comprising a recording unit which records and sums an immediate energy consumption on the basis of regular measurements and stores there measurements for the calculation of an average consumption, a display comprising at least one display unit capable of displaying the relationship between an accumulated energy consumption and the calculated average consumption for a selected period of time on a percentage scale. The display preferably exhibits a first display unit which displays the accumulated energy consumption on an energy scale preferable from 0-200%, where 100% corresponds to the calculated average consumption, and a second display unit which may show the immediate power consumption relative to a selected reference consumption, preferably on a percentage power scale of 0-100%, where the selected reference consumption, which corresponds to 80% on the power scale. A consumption meter according to the invention hereby ensures that the user is more easily motivated to cut down on the energy consumption because of e.g. an energy saving measure, such as the use of low-energy bulbs in one or more lamps or the like.

Claims

1. A device for metering and displaying metered consumption at a place of consumption, said device comprising

a recording and calculating unit that receives regular measurements of consumption, records said measurements, calculates an immediate consumption, stores said measurements, calculates an accumulated consumption from said measurements, and calculates an average consumption from said measurements, said recording and calculating unit being adapted to calibrate automatically based on said measurements, and

a display comprising a first display unit capable of displaying, on a percentage scale, a relationship between said calculated accumulated consumption and said calculated average consumption for a selected period of time.

2. A device for metering and displaying metered consumption according to claim 1, wherein a period of time for calculating said average consumption and a period of time for calculating said accumulated consumption are the same, and wherein said periods are one of the group consisting of 24 hours, one week and one month.

3. A device for metering and displaying metered consumption according to claim 1, wherein the first display is a column comprising a plurality of linearly arranged light-emitting diodes.

4. A device for metering and displaying metered consumption according to claim 1, wherein said recording unit further comprises a pulse generator, and wherein said recording units records said immediate consumption when said pulse generator initiates a measurement, and wherein said pulse generator initiates a measurement every second.

5. A device for metering and displaying metered consumption according to claim 1, further comprising an interface for connection to a computer for exchange of data between said device and the computer.

6. A device for metering and displaying metered consumption according to claim 1, further comprising an operating panel for controlling said display.

7. A device for metering and displaying metered consumption according to claim 1, wherein said operating panel comprises two keys formed as oppositely directed arrows.

8. A device for metering and displaying metered consumption according to claim 1, wherein the display comprises a second display unit capable of displaying a relationship between said immediate consumption and a selected reference consumption on a percentage scale from 0-100%, wherein the selected reference consumption is a maximum recorded power, and corresponds to 80% on the scale.

9. A device for metering and displaying metered consumption according to claim 8, wherein the second display is a column display comprising a plurality of linearly arranged light-emitting diodes.

10. A device for metering and displaying metered consumption according to claim 1, wherein said accumulated consumption is displayed on said first display unit on an scale from 0-200%, where 100% corresponds to said calculated average consumption.

11. A device for metering and displaying metered consumption according to claim 10, wherein the scale comprises LEDs that emit light in a first colour on a lower half of said scale, and LEDs above 100% on said scale that emit light in a second colour.

12. A method of metering and displaying metered consumption at a place of consumption, comprising the steps of

recording regular measurements of consumption, automatically performing a calibration based on said measurements, calculating an immediate consumption from said measurements, storing said measurements, calculating an average consumption, calculating an accumulated consumption, displaying on a first display on at least one percentage scale a relationship between said accumulated consumption and said calculated average consumption for a selected period of time.

13. A method of metering and displaying metered consumption according to claim 12, wherein said calculated accumulated consumption is displayed on said first display unit on an scale from 0-200%, where 100% corresponds to said calculated average consumption.

14. A method of metering and displaying metered consumption according to claim 12, wherein a period of time for calculating said average consumption and a period of time for calculating said accumulated consumption are the same, and wherein said periods are 24 hours.

15. A method of metering and displaying metered consumption according to claim 12, wherein a period of time for calculating said accumulated consumption is one of the group consisting of one week and one month, and wherein the method further comprises the step of storing the accumulated consumption a lapse of the interval of time such that a selected accumulated consumption may be read and displayed as a history on said first display.

16. A method of metering and displaying metered consumption according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of displaying, on a second display unit an age of said selected accumulated consumption that is displayed as a history on said first display unit.

17. A method of calibrating a device for metering and displaying metered consumption at a place of consumption, said device comprising:

a recording and calculating unit that receives regular measurements of consumption, records said measurements, calculates an immediate consumption, stores said measurements, calculates an accumulated consumption from said measurements, and calculates an average consumption from said measurements, and

a display comprising a first display unit capable of displaying, on a percentage scale, a relationship between said calculated accumulated consumption and said calculated average consumption for a selected period of time,

the method comprising the steps of, after installation of said device, accumulating periodic measurements, and automatically calibrating said device through said accumulation of periodic measurements.

18. A device for metering and displaying metered production at a place of production, said device comprising

a recording and calculating unit that receives regular measurements of production, records said measurements, calculates an immediate production, stores said measurements, calculates an accumulated production from said measurements, and calculates an average production from said measurements, said recording and calculating unit being adapted to calibrate automatically based on said measurements, and

a display comprising a first display unit capable of displaying, on a percentage scale, a relationship between said calculated accumulated production and said calculated average production for a selected period of time.