System for remotely controlling energy distribution at local sites
First Claim
1. A power management system, comprising:
- a plurality of power switch control circuits, each of said power switch control circuits configured to selectively disengage one or more electrical loads;
a plurality of wireless receivers, each connected to one of said power switch control circuits;
at least one wireless transmitter; and
a central station, said central station causing messages to be transmitted by said at least one wireless transmitter to said power switch control circuits, said power switch control circuits responding thereto by disengaging electrical loads according to locally configurable settings;
wherein one or more of said power switch control circuits comprises a set of controllable switches interposed between a power supply line and said plurality of electrical loads;
wherein one or more of said controllable switches at one or more of the power switch control circuits comprises;
a deformable member having a first end and a second end, said deformable member anchored at said first end and residing in contact with an electrical conductor at said second end;
a heating element in proximity with the deformable member; and
a switch control signal connected to said heating element, said switch control signal emanating from the power switch control circuit; and
wherein an incoming wire drawing power from said power supply line is physically connected to the deformable member at said second end near the electrical conductor, said incoming power wire being electrically connected to said electrical conductor when the deformable member resides in contact with the electrical conductor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A power management system and associated method therefore includes a plurality of local wireless energy control units at remote sites for controlling power delivery to customer loads, and a central station with a wireless transmitter for broadcasting commands to the wireless energy control units. The wireless energy control units each comprise a bank of switches for controlling power delivery to electrical loads at each local site. The controllable switches preferably have a deformable bimetal member controlled by a heated coil for engaging and disengaging electrical contacts. Each wireless energy control unit is capable of being pre-configured so as to specify the order or priority in which electrical loads are disengaged, in response to commands to reduce power consumption received from the central station. The central station may issue power reduction commands according to different priority levels or alert stages. The local wireless energy units respond to the power reduction commands by disengaging one or more electrical loads in accordance with the priority level of the power reduction command, and through their collective operation reduce overall customer power demand.
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Citations
86 Claims
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1. A power management system, comprising:
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a plurality of power switch control circuits, each of said power switch control circuits configured to selectively disengage one or more electrical loads;
a plurality of wireless receivers, each connected to one of said power switch control circuits;
at least one wireless transmitter; and
a central station, said central station causing messages to be transmitted by said at least one wireless transmitter to said power switch control circuits, said power switch control circuits responding thereto by disengaging electrical loads according to locally configurable settings;
wherein one or more of said power switch control circuits comprises a set of controllable switches interposed between a power supply line and said plurality of electrical loads;
wherein one or more of said controllable switches at one or more of the power switch control circuits comprises;
a deformable member having a first end and a second end, said deformable member anchored at said first end and residing in contact with an electrical conductor at said second end;
a heating element in proximity with the deformable member; and
a switch control signal connected to said heating element, said switch control signal emanating from the power switch control circuit; and
wherein an incoming wire drawing power from said power supply line is physically connected to the deformable member at said second end near the electrical conductor, said incoming power wire being electrically connected to said electrical conductor when the deformable member resides in contact with the electrical conductor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for power management, comprising the steps of:
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transmitting, from a central station via a wireless transmitter, messages directed to a plurality of power switch control circuits, each of said power switch control circuits interposed between a power supply line and a plurality of local electrical loads;
receiving said messages at said power switch control circuits; and
at one or more of said power switch control circuits, in response to said messages, disengaging the local electrical loads according to locally configurable settings;
wherein each of said power switch control circuits comprises a set of controllable switches interposed between the power supply line and the local electrical loads;
wherein one or more of said controllable switches at one or more of said power switch control circuits comprises;
a deformable member having a first end and a second end, said deformable member anchored at said first end and residing in contact with an electrical conductor at said second end;
a heating element in proximity with the deformable member; and
a switch control signal connected to said heating element, said switch control signal emanating from the power switch control circuit; and
wherein said power supply line is electrically connected, through an incoming power wire, to the deformable member at said second end near the electrical conductor, said incoming power wire being electrically connected to said electrical conductor when the deformable member resides in contact with the electrical conductor. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
transmitting, from said central station via said at least one wireless transmitter, a delay period command in connection with at least one of said messages; - and
waiting, at said power switch control circuits, a delay period indicated by said delay period command prior to disengaging said electrical loads.
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48. The method of claim 28, wherein said power switch control circuits are interposed between power lines from a power utility and said electrical loads, and wherein said power switch control circuits draw operational power from said power lines through a decoupling element.
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49. The method of claim 48, wherein said decoupling element comprises a capacitor.
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50. The method claim 48, wherein said decoupling element comprises a transformer.
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51. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of conducting bi-directional communication between said central station and said one or more of said power switch control circuits, said central station comprising a wireless receiver, and one or more of said power switch control circuits comprising a local wireless transmitter.
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52. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of storing, at one or more power switch control circuits having a memory for data storage, historical data regarding the power switch control circuit'"'"'s response to said messages from said central station.
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53. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of targeting said messages to specific groups of said power switch control circuits.
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54. The method of claim 53, wherein said messages are targeted to specific groups of said power switch control circuits by use of distinct group addresses, frequencies, codes, encoding schemes, or any combination thereof.
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62. The system of claim 35, wherein one or more of said controllable switches comprises a bimetal member, said bimetal member being deformed by a control signal which causes heating of the bimetal member and thereby results in changing the on/off state of the controllable switch.
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63. The system of claim 62, wherein heating of the bimetal member is caused by heating a resistive coil.
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64. The system of claim 35, wherein said central station transmits via said at least one wireless transmitter an early warning message prior to said messages instructing said wireless energy control units to switch among said non-alert stage level and said one or more alert stage levels.
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65. The system of claim 35, wherein said alert stage levels are ordered from a lowest alert stage level to a highest alert stage level, and wherein said wireless energy control units can be configured, via said locally configurable settings, to disengage more electrical loads at higher alert stage levels than at lower alert stage levels.
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66. The system of claim 35, wherein decisions to switch between said non-alert stage level and said one or more alert stage levels are made by comparing total customer power demand to one or more power usage threshold levels.
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67. The system of claim 35, wherein said central station transmits a delay period command in connection with at least one of said messages, and wherein said wireless energy control units wait for a delay period indicated by said delay period command prior to modifying the power flow to their electrical loads.
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68. The system of claim 35, wherein one or more of said wireless energy control units comprises a local wireless transmitter, and wherein said central station comprises a wireless receiver for receiving transmissions from said one or more of said wireless energy control units, to effectuate bi-directional wireless communication between said central station and said one or more of said wireless energy control units.
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69. The system of claim 35, wherein said central station can target said messages to specific groups of said wireless energy control units.
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70. The system of claim 35, wherein said messages are targeted to specific groups of said wireless energy control units by use of distinct group addresses, frequencies, codes, encoding schemes, or any combination thereof.
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55. A system for reducing power consumption in a power distribution system, comprising;
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a plurality of wireless energy control units, each of said wireless energy control units comprising a wireless receiver and controlling power flow from incoming power wires to one or more local electrical loads;
at least one wireless transmitter; and
a central station, said central station transmitting messages via said at least one wireless transmitter to said wireless energy control units, said messages instructing said wireless energy control units to switch among a non-alert stage level and one or more alert stage levels, said wireless energy control units responding thereto by selectively modifying the power flow to their respective local electrical loads according to the alert stage level instructed by the central station;
wherein each of said energy control units comprises a plurality of controllable switches interposed between the power wires and the plurality of local electrical loads, said controllable switches capable of causing said power wires to be individually connected to or disconnected from the plurality of local electrical loads;
wherein one or more of said controllable switches at one or more of the energy control units comprises;
a deformable member having a first end and a second end, said deformable member anchored at said first end and residing in contact with an electrical conductor at said second end;
a heating element in proximity with the deformable member; and
a switch control signal connected to said heating element, said switch control signal emanating from the energy control unit; and
wherein a wire drawing power from one of said power wires is physically connected to the deformable member at said second end near the electrical conductor, said wire being electrically connected to said electrical conductor when the deformable member resides in contact with the electrical conductor. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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71. A method for reducing power demand within a power distribution system, said method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting, from a central station via a wireless transmitter, messages directed to a plurality of wireless energy control units, each of said wireless energy control units controlling power flow from incoming power supply wires to one or more local electrical loads;
receiving said messages at said wireless energy control units, said messages instructing said wireless energy control units to switch among different alert stage levels; and
at one or more of said power switch control circuits, in response to said messages, selectively modifying the power flow to the respective local electrical loads based upon the alert stage level instructed by the central station;
wherein each of said energy control units comprises a plurality of controllable switches interposed between the power wires and the plurality of local electrical loads, said controllable switches capable of causing said power wires to be individually connected to or disconnected from the plurality of local electrical loads;
wherein one or more of said controllable switches at one or more of the energy control units comprises;
a deformable member having a first end and a second end, said deformable member anchored at said first end and residing in contact with an electrical conductor at said second end;
a heating element in proximity with the deformable member; and
a switch control signal connected to said heating element, said switch control signal emanating from the energy control unit; and
wherein a wire drawing power from one of said power wires is physically connected to the deformable member at said second end near the electrical conductor, said wire being electrically connected to said electrical conductor when the deformable member resides in contact with the electrical conductor. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86)
transmitting from said central station to said wireless energy control units, via said at least one wireless transmitter, a delay period command in connection with at least one of said messages; and
at said wireless energy control units, waiting for a delay period indicated by said delay period command prior to modifying the power flow to the electrical loads.
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84. The method of claim 71, further comprising the step of conducting bi-directional communication between said central station and one or more of said wireless energy control units, said central station comprising a wireless receiver, and one or more of said wireless energy control units comprising a local wireless transmitter.
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85. The method of claim 71, further comprising the step of targeting said messages to specific groups of said wireless energy control units.
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86. The method of claim 85, wherein said messages are targeted to specific groups of said wireless energy control units by use of distinct group addresses, frequencies, codes, encoding schemes, or any combination thereof.
Specification