Systems and methods for remote power management using 802.11 wireless protocols

• US 7,765,035 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SmartSynch Incorporated (Itron, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rodgers, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): DeCady; Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rapp; Chad
• Application Number:
  US12/259,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 700/291, 700295-298, 307/38, 307/39, 307/140, 702 60- 62, 703/18, 705/412
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for using 802.11 based wireless protocols in various energy management applications wherein a host controller uses various types of communication networks to distribute information to an on-premise processor that in turn uses 802.11 based wireless protocols to communicate with various types of end devices, such as utility meters. Various forms of communication are defined between the end device, the on-premise processor, and the energy management host for accomplishing power load control, including determining when to activate or deactivate a load, requesting permission to activate a load, reading usage data, activating or deactivating a meter, and determining rate schedules. A flexible scheme allows control to be shifted to be resident in various entities. The architecture is applicable not only for power load control, but other control type and metering devices.

Claims

1. A method of reducing power consumption by participants in a load reduction program, comprising the steps of:

determining in a load management host a need to reduce power consumption;

the load management host accessing a database storing power consumption related data associated with a plurality of power consumers participating in the load reduction program;

the load management host selecting a specific power consumer in the database from the plurality of power consumers, the specific power consumer identified in the database as participating in the load reduction program;

communicating from the load management host a load reduction request to an on-premise processor associated with the specific power consumer;

recording a load reduction notification indication associated with the specific power consumer in the power consumption related data in the database, including information regarding a typical load reduction amount by the specific power consumer

determining whether a load threshold of aggregate load reduction has been reached for the plurality of power consumers as reflected by a cumulation of typical load reduction amounts; and

in response to the determining at the host that the threshold of aggregate load reduction has been reached, refraining from issuing any further load reduction requests to the plurality of power consumers participating in the load reduction program.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving an indication of whether the specific power consumer will participate in the load reduction program; and

recording the indication of participation in the load reduction program by the specific power consumer in the database.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein a bill of the specific power consumer is determined in part by the load reduction value in the database.

4. The method of claim 1 where the load reduction request comprises a specified time duration.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the on premise processor is integrated with power host meter.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the on premise processor communicates with a load via a wireless communication link to reduce the load.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the wireless communication link is 802.11X.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the load management host continues to issue load reduction requests to specific power consumers until the threshold of aggregate load reduction has been reached.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the host prioritizes power consumers for receiving load reduction requests based on load size.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the power consumption related data in the database further comprises a load restriction status indicator corresponding to whether a specific power consumer is willing to receive and act upon a load reduction request.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the database further stores information indicating that a specific power consumer was sent a load reduction request and subsequently rejected the load reduction request.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of flagging power consumers that rejected a load reduction request for determining an economic penalty.

13. A system for managing power loads of participants in a load reduction program, comprising:

a management host processor operative for communicating a load reduction request message to at least one of a plurality of on-premise processors, each of said plurality of on-premise processors associated with a specific power consumer as one of the plurality of participants in the load reduction program;

a database operatively connected to the management host processor, the database storing a plurality of energy related customer records, each of the records containing an address associated with at least one of the plurality of on-premise processors and an indication of whether the at least one of the plurality of on-premise processors is able to receive a load reduction request, and information regarding a typical load reduction amount by the specific power consumer;

a communications network operatively connected to the management host processor for communicating load reduction requests by the management host processor to the plurality of on-premise processors as identified by the address;

the management host processor operative for recording a load reduction notification indication associated with the specific power consumer in the database, including information regarding a typical load reduction amount by the specific power consumer, determining whether a load threshold of aggregate load reduction has been reached for the plurality of participants as reflected by a cumulation of typical load reduction amounts, and, in response to determining that the threshold of aggregate load reduction has been reached, refraining from issuing any further load reduction requests to the plurality of power consumers participating in the load reduction program.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the management host processor is further operative for receiving an indication of whether the specific power consumer will participate in the load reduction program, and storing the indication in the database.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein a bill of the specific power consumer is determined in part by the indication of participation in the load reduction program.

16. The system of claim 13 where the load reduction request comprises a specified time duration.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the on premise processor is integrated with a power host meter.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the on premise processor communicates with a load via a wireless communication link to reduce the load.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the wireless communication link is 802.11X.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein the management host processor continues to issue load reduction requests to specific power consumers until the threshold of aggregate load reduction has been reached.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the management host processor prioritizes power consumers for receiving load reduction requests based on load size.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein the database stores a load restriction status indicator corresponding to whether a specific power consumer is willing to receive and act upon a load reduction request.

23. The system of claim 13 wherein the database stores information indicating that a specific power consumer was sent a load reduction request and subsequently rejected the load reduction request.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the management host processor is operative for flagging power consumers that rejected a load reduction request for determining an economic penalty.