Method for the energy management in a domestic environment
First Claim
1. A method for managing energy consumption by electrical appliances operatively connected to an electrical network, each of which presents an electrical load to a source of power that is also connected to the network for supply power to the appliances, comprisingproviding each one of a plurality of said appliances with a programmed electronic control system, measuring the instantaneous total consumption of electrical energy from said power source with a measuring device, transmitting to each control system information from said measuring device information which is a function of the instantaneous total consumption of electrical energy from said power source, and causing each control system to adjust the load presented to said power source by its corresponding appliance in response to the information provided thereto.
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Abstract
Apparatus and a method for management of energy consumption by appliances connected to a powered network wherein a plurality of the appliances are each provided with a programmed electronic control system adapted to transmit and receive to and from other electronic control systems and a device for measuring total network power consumption, information from which the power consumption of the appliances on the network and the maximum power available from the network can be determined. Each control system adjusts the power consumption of its corresponding appliance in accordance with the information that it receives and the instructions with which it is programmed without need for a central control unit or user intervention.
106 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for managing energy consumption by electrical appliances operatively connected to an electrical network, each of which presents an electrical load to a source of power that is also connected to the network for supply power to the appliances, comprising
providing each one of a plurality of said appliances with a programmed electronic control system, measuring the instantaneous total consumption of electrical energy from said power source with a measuring device, transmitting to each control system information from said measuring device information which is a function of the instantaneous total consumption of electrical energy from said power source, and causing each control system to adjust the load presented to said power source by its corresponding appliance in response to the information provided thereto.
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25. Apparatus for managing the power consumption of appliances on a powered network, comprising,
measuring means operatively connected to said network for transmitting information indicative of the total instantaneous consumption of power on said network, and a plurality of electronic control systems in one to one correspondence with a plurality of said appliances, each of said control systems including receiver means for receiving from said measuring means said information indicative of the total instantaneous consumption of power on said network, maximum power storage means for storing information indicative of the maximum power available on the network, comparison means responsive to said receiver means and to said maximum power storage means for comparing the instantaneous consumption of power on said network with the maximum power available on the network, and control means responsive to said comparison means for adjusting the load presented by said corresponding appliance to said network in response to said comparison means.
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29. Apparatus for managing a plurality of electronic appliances comprising a plurality of electronic control systems in one to one correspondence with said plurality of electronic appliances, at least a first one of said control systems having sensor means for detecting an operating condition of its respective appliance and transmitting information indicative thereof to a second one of said control systems, said second one of said control systems having receiver means for receiving said information from said sensor means and control means responsive to said receiver means for controlling the operation of its respective appliance.
Specification