Framework for managing consumption of energy

• US 7,983,798 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory J., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Sand, Anne R., Doran, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta; Kidest
• Application Number:
  US12/208,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20100063642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/291, 713/300, 307/29
• US Class Current: 700/296
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

This invention discloses an intelligent framework for the overall management of energy allocated to components of a system. When conservation is desired or a shortage occurs, it is desirable to modulate energy to components, or to notify components and allow them to modulate themselves. It also discusses the establishment of a standard communications API between entities and components within the system. Among other things, this framework: manages device and entity enrollment into the system; provides an interface to heterogeneous devices; establishes standard communication methods between entities and components; dictates throttling to entities and components when conservation is required; and monitors energy throttling and compliance with modulate requests.

Claims

1. A method for managing energy consumption, comprising:

identifying a set of objects whose energy consumption will be managed;

accessing a set of meta data for the set of objects, the set of meta data corresponding to communication and energy conservation properties, wherein the energy conservation properties include throttling capabilities for the set of objects;

initiating an energy conservation request;

communicating instructions pertaining to the energy conservation request to at least one of the set of objects, wherein, based on the throttling capabilities, the instructions comprise;

a notification to the at least one of the set of objects to modulate its own energy usage in the case that the at least one of the set of objects is capable of lowering its own energy usage, and a signal to a separate energy management device to lower an amount of energy to the at least one of the set of objects in the case that the at least one of the set of objects is not configured to lower its own energy usage;

determining whether an acknowledgement is received from the at least one of the set of objects; and

monitoring the at least one of the set of objects to ensure compliance with the instructions.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising enrolling the set of objects with an energy control manager.

3. The method of claim 2, the enrolling comprising auto-discovering the set of objects within a system whose energy consumption is being managed by the energy control manager.

4. The method of claim 2, the enrolling comprising manually enrolling the set of devices.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising an interface for enabling communications between the energy control manager and the set of objects.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating a quiesce command requiring the set of objects to stop energy consumption traffic; and

communicating signaling to the objects to modulate energy consumption.

7. The method of claim 1, the instructions indicating how much energy throttling is required and a time duration for the energy throttling.

8. The method of claim 1, the set of objects being selected from a group consisting of a device and an entity having at least one device.

23. The method of claim 1, the computer infrastructure comprising an energy control manager.

9. A system for managing energy consumption, comprising:

a module for identifying a set of objects whose energy consumption will be managed;

a module for accessing a set of meta data for the set of objects, the set of meta data corresponding to communication and energy conservation properties, wherein the energy conservation properties include throttling capabilities for the set of objects;

a module for initiating an energy conservation request;

a module for communicating instructions pertaining to the energy conservation request to at least one of the set of objects, wherein, based on the throttling capabilities, the instructions comprise;

a notification to the at least one of the set of objects to modulate its own energy usage in the case that the at least one of the set of objects is capable of lowering its own energy usage, and a signal to a separate energy management device to lower an amount of energy to the at least one of the set of objects in the case that the at least one of the set of objects is not configured to lower its own energy usage;

a module for determining whether an acknowledgement is received from the at least one of the set of objects; and

a module for monitoring the at least one of the set of objects to ensure compliance with the instructions.

10. The system of claim 9, the system comprising an energy control manager that further comprises a module for enrolling the set of objects.

11. The system of claim 10, the module for enrolling being configured to auto-discover the set of objects within a system whose energy consumption is being managed by the energy control manager.

12. The system of claim 10, the module for enrolling being configured to accept manual enrollment of the set of devices.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising an interface for enabling communications between the energy control manager and the set of objects.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a module for communicating a quiesce command requiring the set of objects to stop energy consumption traffic; and

a module for communicating signaling to the objects to modulate energy consumption.

15. A computer readable medium containing a program product for managing energy consumption, the computer readable medium comprising a set of program instructions for causing a computer system to:

identify a set of objects whose energy consumption will be managed;

access a set of meta data for the set of objects, the set of meta data corresponding to communication and energy conservation properties, wherein the energy conservation properties include throttling capabilities for the set of objects;

initiate an energy conservation request;

communicate instructions pertaining to the energy conservation request to at least one of the set of objects, wherein, based on the throttling capabilities, the instructions comprise;

a notification to the at least one of the set of objects to modulate its own energy usage in the case that the at least one of the set of objects is capable of lowering its own energy usage, and a signal to a separate energy management device to lower an amount of energy to the at least one of the set of objects in the case that the at least one of the set of objects is not configured to lower its own energy usage;

determine whether an acknowledgement is received from the at least one of the set of objects; and

monitor the at least one of the set of objects to ensure compliance with the instructions.

16. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 15, the computer readable medium further comprising a set of program instructions for causing the computer system to enroll the set of objects with an energy control manager.

17. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 16, the computer readable medium further comprising a set of program instructions for causing the computer system to auto-discover the set of objects within a system whose energy consumption is being managed by the energy control manager.

18. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 16, the computer readable medium further comprising a set of program instructions for causing the computer system to manually enroll the set of devices.

19. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 16, further comprising an interface for enabling communications between the energy control manager and the set of objects.

20. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 15, the computer readable medium further comprising a set of program instructions for causing the computer system to:

communicate a quiesce command requiring the set of objects to stop energy consumption traffic; and

communicate signaling to the objects to modulate energy consumption.

21. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 15, the instructions indicating how much energy throttling is required and a time duration for the energy throttling.

22. A method for deploying a system for managing energy consumption, comprising:

deploying a computer infrastructure being operable to;

identify a set of objects whose energy consumption will be managed;

access a set of meta data for the set of objects, the set of meta data corresponding to communication and energy conservation properties, wherein the energy conservation properties include throttling capabilities for the set of objects;

initiate an energy conservation request;

communicate instructions pertaining to the energy conservation request to at least one of the set of objects, wherein, based on the throttling capabilities, the instructions comprise;

a notification to the at least one of the set of objects to modulate its own energy usage in the case that the at least one of the set of objects is capable of lowering its own energy usage, and a signal to a separate energy management device to lower an amount of energy to the at least one of the set of objects in the case that the at least one of the set of objects is not configured to lower its own energy usage;

determine whether an acknowledgement is received from the at least one of the set of objects; and

monitor the at least one of the set of objects to ensure compliance with the instructions.