Remotely controllable wireless energy control unit
First Claim
1. A wireless energy control unit, comprising:
- a plurality of controllable switches each having a first position wherein a power source is electronically connected to an electrical load and a second position wherein the power source is disconnected from the electrical load;
wherein one or more of said controllable switches comprises a bimetal member being undeformed when the switch is in said first position, said bimetal member responsive to activation of a local heating element that deforms the bimetal member resulting in the switch assuming the second position to temporarily disconnect its respective electrical load;
a plurality of separate passive circuit breakers, each circuit breaker being connected in series with one of said controllable switches such that the controllable switch is capable of connecting or disconnecting the entire electrical load drawing power through the circuit breaker;
a wireless receiver; and
a controller connected to said wireless receiver, said controller receiving messages via said wireless receiver and, in response thereto, selectively switching one or more of said controllable switches between said first position and said second position according to a pre-established priority, thereby connecting and disconnecting the electrical loads from the power source.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A power management system and associated method includes provision 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 issues power reduction commands according to different priority levels or alert stages, causing the local wireless energy units to disengage local loads accordingly.
126 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A wireless energy control unit, comprising:
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a plurality of controllable switches each having a first position wherein a power source is electronically connected to an electrical load and a second position wherein the power source is disconnected from the electrical load; wherein one or more of said controllable switches comprises a bimetal member being undeformed when the switch is in said first position, said bimetal member responsive to activation of a local heating element that deforms the bimetal member resulting in the switch assuming the second position to temporarily disconnect its respective electrical load; a plurality of separate passive circuit breakers, each circuit breaker being connected in series with one of said controllable switches such that the controllable switch is capable of connecting or disconnecting the entire electrical load drawing power through the circuit breaker; a wireless receiver; and a controller connected to said wireless receiver, said controller receiving messages via said wireless receiver and, in response thereto, selectively switching one or more of said controllable switches between said first position and said second position according to a pre-established priority, thereby connecting and disconnecting the electrical loads from the power source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of controlling power distribution from a power source to a plurality of electrical loads, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving messages via a wireless receiver, said messages broadcast by a power utility; and in response to said messages, selectively switching one or more of a plurality of controllable switches according to a locally configurable priority, each of said controllable switches electronically connected in series with a separate passive circuit breaker and disposed between a power source and an electrical load, and thereby selectively disengaging the power source from the electrical loads in accordance with said locally configurable priority; wherein one or more of said controllable switches comprises a bimetal member that is normally closed thereby allowing current to flow to the electrical load associated therewith, said bimetal member being deformed in response to a control signal which causes heating of the bimetal member and thereby disengages the power source from the electrical loads. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A wireless energy control unit, comprising:
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a plurality of controllable switches each interposed between a power source and one of a plurality of electrical loads, each controllable switch capable of engaging the power source with, or disengaging the power source from, the switch'"'"'s respective electrical load; wherein one or more of said controllable switches comprises a bimetal member being undeformed when the switch engages the power source with its respective electrical load, said bimetal member responsive to a control signal that causes heating of the bimetal member resulting in the switch disengaging the power source from its respective electrical load; a plurality of separate passive circuit breakers, each circuit breaker being connected in series with one of said controllable switches; user interface means for selecting a priority order according to which said controllable switches are to be disengaged from their respective electrical loads in response to messages broadcast by a remote utility station; a wireless receiver; and a controller connected to said wireless receiver, said controller receiving messages from the remote utility station via said wireless receiver and, in response thereto, causing selected ones of said controllable switches to temporarily disengage the power source from the selected switch'"'"'s respective electrical load based upon said priority order. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A wireless energy control unit, comprising:
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means for controllably disengaging a plurality of electrical loads from a power source; means for selecting a priority order according to which the electrical loads are to be disengaged from the power source in response to messages received from a remote power utility station; and means for receiving messages broadcast wirelessly from the remote power utility station and, in response thereto, selectively disengaging the electrical loads from, or re-engaging the electrical loads with, the power source according to said priority order; wherein said means for controllably disengaging the electrical loads from the power source comprises a plurality of controllable switches each interposed between the power source and one of the electrical loads and located in series with a circuit breaker, each controllable switch capable of disengaging the power source from the entire electrical load drawing power through the controllable switch and its respective circuit breaker; and wherein each of said controllable switches comprises a bimetal member, said bimetal member having a quiescent state whereby the controllable switch connects power to its respective electrical load, and is deformable by a control signal which causes heating of the bimetal member and thereby results in changing the on/off state of the controllable switch and disconnection of the electrical load so long as the control signal is asserted.
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Specification