Wireless internet power control system

• US 7,346,433 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Powerweb Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Powerweb Incorporated
• Inventors: Budike, Lothar E. S. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard; Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAO, SHEELA S
• Application Number:
  US11/165,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20060025891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 700/277, 700/284, 700/297, 700/295, 709/201, 219/462.02, 219/462.46, 219/713, 246/38, 246/44, 340/5.63, 370/913, 463/39, 315/307
• US Class Current: 700/277
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

An energy control system for managing utility operation parameters, including a plurality of utility devices, at least one control module connected to at least one of the utility devices; a data processing module connected to the at least one control module via a wireless communications link; and a wireless internet control center connected to the at least one control module via the data processing module and arranged to operate a plurality of utility operation applications. The control system may further include a plurality of repeaters connected to the data processing module.

Claims

1. An energy control system for managing utility operation parameters comprising:

a plurality of power consuming devices;

at least one control module in communication with at least one power consuming device;

a data processing module in communication with the at least one control module, wherein the data processing module includes a microcontroller arranged to convert wireless WAN transmissions from a wireless internet control center to LAN transmissions for forwarding to the control module; and

the wireless internet control center in communication with the at least one control module via the data processing module and arranged to operate a plurality of utility operation applications.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of repeaters in communication with the data processing module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of power consuming devices is a compressor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of power consuming devices is a lighting ballast.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control module is in communication with the at least one power consuming device via a low voltage interface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control module is in communication with the at least one power consuming device via an external switch.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the external switch is relay.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the external switch is a contactor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one the plurality of power consuming devices is a variable speed motor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control module includes a variable output control.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control module includes a maintenance feedback portion to monitor and provide alerts when there is a ballast or lamp failure.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control module comprises:

a potentiometer arranged to generate signals, voltages and resistances to operate at least one of the plurality of power consuming devices;

a microcontroller; and

an RF radio cartridge decoder.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing module further comprises:

a communications cartridge encoder adapted to provide secure transmission of data from the wireless internet control center via the communications link.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless internet control center comprises:

a network operation center adapted to wirelessly connect the wireless internet control center and the wireless data processing module;

a database server arranged to manage system information; and

an applications server containing at least one utility operation application configured to operate the lighting system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one application includes at least one of scheduling, zone grouping of power consuming devices, energy monitoring, load management, and maintenance.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the scheduling application includes one of a lighting ramp-start process and a light sweeping process.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the energy monitoring application monitors and controls the power consumption of the plurality of power consuming devices.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the system information includes building information, zone control information, user names, and passwords.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wireless WAN TCP/IP gateway arranged to facilitate communication between the data processing module and the internet control center.