System and method for monitoring and controlling energy usage
First Claim
1. A welding control system to monitor the energy consumption of a plurality of welders comprising a plurality of energy monitoring devices and a controller designed to receive data from said plurality of energy monitoring devices, each of said energy monitoring devices monitoring energy consumption from at least one of said welders, said controller generating information concerning energy consumption of a plurality of said welders, said controller preventing or delaying a startup of at least one welder if such startup of such welder will cause said monitored energy consumption of said monitored welders to exceed a predefined value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A welding control system to monitor the energy consumption of a plurality of welders. The welding control system controls the operation of one or more welders based upon the energy information received from one or more energy monitoring devices.
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Citations
94 Claims
- 1. A welding control system to monitor the energy consumption of a plurality of welders comprising a plurality of energy monitoring devices and a controller designed to receive data from said plurality of energy monitoring devices, each of said energy monitoring devices monitoring energy consumption from at least one of said welders, said controller generating information concerning energy consumption of a plurality of said welders, said controller preventing or delaying a startup of at least one welder if such startup of such welder will cause said monitored energy consumption of said monitored welders to exceed a predefined value.
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41. A method of monitoring the energy consumption of a plurality of welders comprising:
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a) providing at least one energy monitoring device; b) at least partially monitoring energy consumption of said plurality of welders by said at least one energy monitoring device; c) providing a controller; d) sending data from said at least one energy monitoring device to said controller; and
,e) at least partially controlling at least one of said welders at least partially on information received by said controller, said step of at least partially controlling including the step of preventing or delaying a startup of at least one welder of such startup of such welder will cause energy consumption of said monitored welders to exceed a predefined value. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A method of controlling the energy consumption of a plurality of energy consuming devices comprising:
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a) obtaining energy consumption information from a plurality of said energy consuming devices; b) totaling the energy consumption information of said plurality of said energy consuming devices; c) comparing said totalized energy consumption to a reference value; and
,d) preventing or delaying the startup of operation of at least one one or said energy consuming devices when said totalized energy consumption equals or exceeds said reference value. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93)
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94. An apparatus to control the energy consumption of a plurality of welders comprising at least one energy monitor to monitor the energy consumption information of said plurality of welders, a controller that totalizes the energy consumption information of a plurality of said welders and compares the totalized energy consumption to a reference value, said controller creating an operating signal to prevent or delay startup of at least one of said welders when said totalized energy consumption equals or exceeds said reference value.
Specification