Managing energy usage

• US 8,160,752 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zome Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Weaver, Jason C., Kayton, Bradley A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sivanesan, Sivalingam
• Application Number:
  US12/241,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20100082174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 700/291, 700/295, 700/276, 315/307
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/12 of the outside air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/00 Control inputs relating to environmental factors not covered by group F24F2110/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/10 Weather information or forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/20 Sunlight
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34306 Power down, energy saving
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1927 using a plurality of sensors G05D23/1902, G05D23/1917, and G05D23/1919 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 : User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 : Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 : Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 : with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 : The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 : Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 : by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 : Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 : Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 : Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 : involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 : comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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: H04Q 2209/30 : using a wired architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 : using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 : for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 : Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 : Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/82 : Energy audits or management systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 : End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/14 : Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards

Abstract

Accessing an energy usage rule for a device is described, wherein the device is coupled with a first structure. The energy usage of the device is monitored. The energy usage rule and the energy usage is then compared. Based on the comparing, an instruction is generated to modify an energy usage profile of said device to correlate with said energy usage, thereby enabling efficient energy management.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of managing energy usage, said method comprising:

accessing an energy usage rule for a device, wherein said device is coupled with a first structure, wherein said first structure is a household;

monitoring an energy usage of said device;

comparing said energy usage rule and said energy usage;

sending a query to a user regarding an energy user profile;

receiving feedback from said user in response to said query; and

based on said comparing and said feedback from said user, generating an instruction to modify said energy usage profile of said device to correlate with said energy usage rule and said feedback from said user, thereby enabling efficient energy management.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said instruction is formatted for interpretation by a human user of said device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said instruction is receivable by said device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said instruction is receivable by a unit coupled with said device, wherein said unit is configured to modify said energy usage profile.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing energy usage information at an energy measuring module coupled with said first structure, wherein said energy usage information describes a total amount of energy utilized within said first structure with which said device is coupled.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing energy usage information at an energy measuring module coupled with said device, wherein said energy usage information describes a total amount of energy utilized by said device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing an energy management instruction for said device at a server, wherein said server is positioned apart from said first structure.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

accessing an upgrade.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing an instruction from a user of said device, wherein said instruction provides guidance as to a user'"'"'s desired energy use for said device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an instruction for modifying said energy usage profile of said device coupled with said first structure according to an energy usage profile of a device coupled with a second structure, such that said energy usage associated with said first structure and said energy usage associated with said second structure does not occur at the same time.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking a difference between a sum of energy usage of all devices, wherein said all devices are in an active state and coupled with said first structure, and a total energy used within said first structure to generate a passive power consumption analysis.

12. A system for managing energy usage, said system comprising:

an energy usage rule accessor configured to access an energy usage rule of a device, wherein said device is coupled with a first structure, wherein said first structure is a household;

an energy usage rule comparator configured to receive an energy usage measurement of said device and compare said energy usage rule with said energy usage measurement and configured to receive feedback from a user in response to a query sent to said user regarding an energy usage profile; and

an energy usage profile generator configured to generate an instruction to modify said energy usage profile of said device to correlate with said energy usage rule and said feedback from said user, thereby enabling efficient energy management.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

an interface compatibility module configured for enabling coupling of said energy manager with a compatible communication module, wherein said energy manager utilizes said compatible communication module to access said energy usage measurement.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a graphical display module configured for enabling communication with a user.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a server accessor configured for accessing an energy management instruction at a server, wherein said server is positioned apart from said first structure.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a user instruction accessor configured for accessing an instruction from a user, wherein said instruction provides guidance as to a user'"'"'s desired energy usage for said device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said user instruction is a result of a dialogue generated by said energy manager with said user.

18. The energy management platform of claim 12, further comprising:

a passive power consumption tracker for tracking a difference between a sum of energy usage of all devices, wherein said all device are in an active state and coupled with said first structure, and a total energy used within said first structure to generate a passive power consumption analysis.

19. A computer usable medium comprising instructions that when executed cause a computer system to perform a method of managing energy usage, said method comprising:

monitoring a signal of a device, wherein said signal is an energy usage signature specific to said device and said device is coupled with a first structure, wherein said first structure is a household;

sending a query to a user regarding an energy user profile;

receiving feedback from said user in response to said query; and

generating an analysis of energy usage of said device based on said monitoring and said feedback from said user, said analysis describing an energy usage profile of said device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

estimating savings with regards to replacing said device with a new device, said estimating based on said analysis.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

comparing said energy usage of said first structure with an energy usage of a second structure based on said analysis.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

alerting a user that specific maintenance tasks for said device are recommended based on said analysis.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

alerting a user of a possible failure of said device based on an analysis of historical data.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

alerting a user of a possible failure of said device based on an analysis of data on a remote server.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

aggregating a plurality of energy usage signatures by a remote server, wherein said plurality of energy usage signatures are compiled for comparison with subsequently received energy usage signatures.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein received said plurality of energy usage signatures of said first structure are provided for use and comparison of one or more energy usage signatures detected in a second structure.

27. A computer implemented method of managing energy usage, said method comprising:

accessing an energy usage rule for a device, wherein said device is coupled with a first structure;

monitoring an energy usage of said device;

comparing said energy usage rule and said energy usage;

sending a query to a user regarding an energy user profile;

receiving feedback from said user in response to said query; and

based on said comparing and said feedback from said user, generating instructions to modify said energy usage profile of said device to correlate with said energy usage rule and said feedback from said user, wherein said instructions are formatted for interpretation by a human user, thereby enabling efficient energy management.