Energy management system for an appliance

• US 7,110,832 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2002
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Ghent, Bobby A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNES-BULLOCK, CRYSTAL JOY
• Application Number:
  US10/278,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20030178894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 700/11, 700/12, 700 14- 18, 700/22, 700/286, 700/297, 700/296, 340/310.01, 340/500, 340/501, 340/521, 340/540, 340/541, 713/300, 713/320, 307/38, 307/39, 702 60- 62, 705/412
• US Class Current: 700/16
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0047 Energy or water consumption, e.g. by saving energy or water
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0063 using remote monitoring or controlling of the dishwasher operation, e.g. networking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2301/08 Other manual input
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/20 Time, e.g. elapsed operating time
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/34 Other automatic detections
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/28 Machine starting, e.g. normal start, restart after electricity cut-off or start scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/14 Time settings
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 25/00 Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/72 Control of the energy or water consumption
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/28 Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/36 Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 : Home appliances

Abstract

An energy management system for an appliance comprising an interface to receive a schedule having an off-peak time segment and an on-peak time segment; a control to determine an operation to be performed by the appliance; a mode selecting device to select between an energy management mode and an immediate start mode; and a controller connected to the interface, the control, and the mode selecting device. The controller is arranged such that upon selection of the energy management mode, the controller initiates the operation only when a current time is within the off-peak time segment; and upon selection of the immediate start mode, the controller initiates the operation immediately.

Claims

1. A method for managing energy usage of an appliance comprising:

receiving a schedule having an off-peak time segment and an on-peak time segment;

storing the schedule in a memory;

determining a current time;

determining an operation that needs to be performed by the appliance;

determining a first amount of time between the current time and an end of the off-peak time segment;

determining a second amount of time required to complete the operation; and

initiating the operation only if the current time is within the off-peak time segment and only if the first amount of time is greater than the second amount of time.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a deadline by which the operation must be completed; and

initiating the operation such that it is completed prior to the deadline.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving a schedule includes inputting the schedule via a user interface on the appliance.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of storing the schedule includes storing the schedule in a memory located in the appliance.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving a schedule includes receiving the schedule from a computer via a local area network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of storing the schedule includes storing the schedule in a memory located in the computer.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving a schedule includes downloading the schedule from a server via an internet connection.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining an operation includes selecting an operation via a control panel on the appliance.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining an operation includes receiving an operation automatically requested by a control in the appliance.

10. A method for managing energy usage of an appliance from a group consisting of a refrigerator, a washing machine, a dishwasher and an oven, comprising:

receiving a schedule having an off-peak time segment and an on-peak time segment from another appliance of the group via a local area network;

storing the schedule in a memory;

determining a current time;

determining an operation that needs to be performed by the appliance; and

initiating the operation only if the current time is within the off-peak time segment.

11. An energy management system for an appliance comprising:

means for determining a schedule having an off-peak time segment and an on-peak time segment;

means for determining a current time;

means for determining an operation to be performed by the appliance;

means for determining a first amount of time between the current time and an end of the off-peak time segment;

means for determining a second amount of time required to complete the operation; and

means for initiating the operation only if the current time is within the off-peak time segment and only if the first amount of time is greater than the second amount of time.

12. The energy management system of claim 11 further comprising:

means for receiving a deadline by which the operation must be completed; and

means for initiating the operation such that it is completed prior to the deadline.

13. The energy management system of claim 11 wherein the means for receiving a schedule includes a user interface to input the schedule.

14. The energy management system of claim 13 including a means for storing the schedule which comprises a memory located in the appliance.

15. The energy management system of claim 11 wherein the means for receiving a schedule includes means for receiving the schedule from a computer via a local area network.

16. The energy management system of claim 15 including a means for storing the schedule which comprises a memory located in the computer.

17. The energy management system of claim 11 wherein the means for receiving a schedule includes means for downloading the schedule from a server via an internet connection.

18. The energy management system of claim 11 wherein the means for determining an operation includes a control panel on the appliance to select an operation.

19. The energy management system of claim 11 wherein the means for determining an operation includes means for receiving an operation automatically requested by a control in the appliance.

20. An energy management system for an appliance comprising:

means for determining a schedule having an off-peak time segment and an on-peak time segment including means for receiving the schedule from another appliance via a local area network;

means for determining a current time;

means for determining an operation to be performed by the appliance; and

means for initiating the operation only if the current time is within the off-peak time segment.

21. An energy management system for an appliance comprising:

an interface to receive a schedule having an off-peak time segment and an on-peak time segment;

a control to determine an operation to be performed by the appliance;

a mode selecting device to select between an energy management mode and an immediate start mode; and

a controller connected to the interface, the control, and the mode selecting device;

wherein upon selection of the energy management mode, the controller is arranged to initiate the operation only when a current time is within the off-peak time segment and only if an amount of time between the current time and an end of the off-peak time segment is greater than an amount of time required to complete the operation; and

upon selection of the immediate start mode, the controller is arranged to initiate the operation immediately.

22. The energy management system of claim 21 wherein the controller includes a memory for storing the schedule and firmware to determine whether the current time is within the off-peak time-segment.

23. The energy management system of claim 22 wherein the interface is a user interface located on the appliance.

24. The energy management system of claim 23 wherein the control is a control panel located on the appliance and configured to allow user selection of the operation.

25. The energy management system of claim 24 further comprising a clock for providing the current time.

26. The energy management system of claim 21 wherein the appliance is a washing machine.

27. The energy management system of claim 21 wherein the appliance is a dishwasher.

28. The energy management system of claim 21 wherein the appliance is an oven.

29. The energy management system of claim 21 wherein the appliance is a refrigerator.

30. A method for managing energy usage of an appliance comprising:

receiving information including the times of an off-peak time segment;

determining a current time;

determining an operation that needs to be performed by the appliance;

determining a first amount of time between the current time and an end of the off-peak time segment;

determining a second amount of time required to complete the operation; and

initiating the operation only if the current time is within the off-peak time segment and only if the first amount of time is greater than the second amount of time.

31. A method for managing energy usage of an appliance comprising:

receiving information including the times of an off-peak time segment;

determining a current time;

determining an operation that needs to be performed by the appliance;

receiving a deadline by which the operation must be completed;

determining a first amount of time between the current time and an end of the off-peak time segment;

determining a second amount of time required to complete the operation;

determining a third amount of time between the current time and the deadline;

determining whether the current time is within the off-peak time segment; and

initiating the operation when the current time is either within the off-peak time segment and the first amount of time is greater than the second amount of time or when the third amount of time substantially equals the second amount of time.

32. A method for managing energy usage of an appliance comprising:

determining a current time;

receiving an operation automatically requested by a control in the appliance;

determining an amount of time required to complete the operation;

determining an off-peak time segment having an amount of time sufficient to complete the operation; and

initiating the operation when the off-peak time segment is sufficiently long to complete the operation.

33. An energy management system for an appliance comprising:

means for determining an off-peak time segment and, in advance, an end of the off-peak time segment;

means for determining a current time;

means for determining an operation to be performed by the appliance; and

means for determining a first amount of time between the current time and the end of the off-peak time segment;

means for determining a second amount of time required to complete the operation; and

means for initiating the operation only if the current time is within the off-peak time segment and only if the first amount of time is greater than the second amount of time.

34. An energy management system for an appliance comprising:

means for determining an off-peak time segment and, in advance, an end of the off-peak time segment;

means for determining a current time;

means for determining an operation that needs to be performed by the appliance;

means for receiving a deadline by which the operation must be completed;

means for determining a first amount of time between the current time and the end of the off-peak time segment;

means for determining a second amount of time required to complete the operation;

means for determining a third amount of time between the current time and the deadline;

means for determining whether the current time is within the off-peak time segment; and

means for initiating the operation when the current time is either within the off-peak time segment and the first amount of time is greater than the second amount of time or if the third amount of time substantially equals the second amount of time.

35. An energy management system for an appliance comprising:

means for determining a current time;

means for receiving an operation automatically requested by a control in the appliance;

means for determining an amount of time required to complete the operation;

means for determining an off-peak time segment having an amount of time sufficient to complete the operation; and

means for initiating the operation when the off-peak time segment is sufficiently long to complete the operation.