Peer-to-peer home automation management

• US 8,190,275 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Alan Chang
• Original Assignee: Michael Alan Chang
• Inventors: Chang, Michael Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): Booker, Kelvin
• Application Number:
  US12/489,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20100082176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 700/295, 700/291, 700/90, 700/19, 700/20, 700/22, 709/225, 709/219, 709/229, 348/E5.101, 348/E7.061
• US Class Current: 700/20
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004
• 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: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances

Abstract

A first home automation control device is configured to control a first electrical appliance and to communicate via a peer-to-peer network with a second home automation control device which is configured to control a second electrical appliance. When the first home automation control device discovers the presence of the second home automation control device, the first home automation control device negotiates with the second home automation control device to determine a goal. The first home automation control device and the second home automation control device then jointly execute a task to achieve the goal. The goal may be an energy savings goal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a first home automation control device configured to control a first electrical appliance, discovering the presence of the second home automation control device configured to control a second electrical appliance, each of the first home automation control device and the second home automation control device configured as a peer device in a peer-to-peer network and comprising a data store for storing status information regarding all peer devices in the peer-to-peer network;

negotiating, via a sequence of message exchanges over the peer-to-peer network, with the second home automation control device to deliver an optimized performance based at least in part on a first energy savings goal of the first home automation control device and a second energy savings goal of the second home automation control device; and

executing a task to achieve the optimized performance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the negotiating and the executing until the optimized performance is achieved.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after the discovering, contacting the second home automation control device to initialize a peer home automation control device data store of the first home automation control device, with a status of the second home automation control device; and

after the executing, reporting a status of the first home automation control device to the second home automation control device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first energy savings goal comprises an energy savings goal compared to a previous period; and

the second energy savings goal comprises an energy savings goal compared to a previous period.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first energy savings goal comprises an indication of a maximum power consumption of the first electrical appliance over a time period; and

the second energy savings goal comprises an indication of a maximum power consumption of the second electrical appliance over a time period.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining is based at least in part on an energy saving priority of the first electrical appliance.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein

the first home automation control device is configured to removably couple with the first electrical appliance;

and

the second home automation control device is configured to removably couple with the second electrical appliance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the task comprises an idle task.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented according to one or more of:

a ZigBee standard;

an Insteon;

an Echelon LONWORKS standard; and

a Z-Wave standard.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a home automation data store for a first home automation control device configured to control a first electrical appliance, each of the first home automation control device and a second home automation control device configured as a peer device in a peer-to-peer network and comprising a data store for storing status information regarding all peer devices in the peer-to-peer network; and

a processor configured to;

discover the presence of the second home automation control device;

negotiate, via a sequence of message exchanges over the peer-to-peer network, with the second home automation control device to deliver an optimized performance based at least in part on a first energy savings goal of the first home automation control device and a second energy savings goal of the second home automation control device; and

execute a task to achieve the optimized performance.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to repeat the negotiating and the executing until the optimized performance is achieved.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

after the discovering, contact the second home automation control device to initialize the peer home automation control device data store, with a status of the second home automation control device; and

after the executing, report a status of the first home automation control device to the second home automation control device.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein:

the first energy savings goal comprises an energy savings goal compared to a previous period; and

the second energy savings goal comprises an energy savings goal compared to a previous period.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein:

the first energy savings goal comprises an indication of a maximum power consumption of the first electrical appliance over a time period; and

the second energy savings goal comprises an indication of a maximum power consumption of the second electrical appliance over a time period.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the determining is based at least in part on an energy saving priority of the first electrical appliance.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein

the first home automation control device is configured to removably couple with the first electrical appliance;

and

the second home automation control device is configured to removably couple with the second electrical appliance.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the task comprises an idle task.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is implemented according to one or more of:

a ZigBee standard;

an Insteon standard;

an Echelon LONWORKS standard; and

a Z-Wave standard.

19. An electrical appliance comprising:

a home automation data store for a first home automation control device configured to control the electrical appliance, each of the first home automation control device and a second home automation control device configured as a peer device in a peer-to-peer network and comprising a data store for storing status information regarding all peer devices in the peer-to-peer network; and

a processor configured to;

discover the presence of the second home automation control device;

negotiate, via a sequence of message exchanges over the peer-to-peer network, with the second home automation control device to deliver an optimized performance based at least in part on a first energy savings goal of the first home automation control device and a second energy savings goal of the second home automation control device; and

execute a task to achieve the optimized performance.

20. The electrical appliance of claim 19 wherein

the first home automation control device is configured to removably couple with the electrical appliance;

and

the second home automation control device is configured to removably couple with the second electrical appliance.