Electronic smart meter enabling demand response and method for demand response

• US 8,234,017 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2009
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LS Industrial Systems Company Limited
• Original Assignee: LS Industrial Systems Company Limited
• Inventors: Ahn, Sang-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Cottingham, John R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, DOUGLAS S
• Application Number:
  US12/365,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20090198384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700 19- 20, 700/65, 700/83, 700/295, 340/870.02, 340/870.19, 709201-203, 709217-219, 709/224, 709249-250
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/16 Displaying of utility pricing or cost
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/10 The network having a local or delimited stationary reach
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/66 one of the loads acting as master and the other or others acting as slaves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/60 Planning or developing urban green infrastructure
• 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: 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 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

The electric smart meter enabling demand response and method for the demand response are disclosed capable of acquiring an option and response information from a subscriber for enabling an active demand control, and to this end, the electric smart meter is embedded therewithin at least one or more integrated monitoring modules and includes microprocessors for transmitting a power control command to a relevant integrated monitoring module in response to a power control program based on the rate system, and controllably transmitting the measured and monitored data stored in the memory to the master server side via the communication module as well.

Claims

1. An electric smart meter enabling demand response, the meter comprising:

a memory for storing a power rate system, metered data, monitored data and a power control program of a subscriber;

one or more integrated monitoring modules for performing detection of various electric failures, automatic reading of the metered data, detection of facilities status, and control of loads and electric home appliances;

a high-level communication module for either transmitting the metered data and the monitored data obtained from an automatic meter reader (AMR) and the one or more integrated monitoring modules to a master server or receiving a control command from the one or more integrated monitoring modules as transmitted by the master server; and

a first microprocessor for transmitting a power control command to the one or more integrated monitoring modules in response to the power control program, the power control program being based on the power rate system, and transmitting the metered data and the monitored data stored in the memory via the high-level communication module,

wherein the high-level communication module performs two-way communication with the master server for remote metering, remote control and demand response with the one or more integrated monitoring modules.

2. The meter of claim 1, further comprising:

a power detector for detecting a current and a voltage of an electric line; and

a second microprocessor for;

receiving an analog current signal and a voltage signal from the power detector;

converting the analog current signal and the voltage signal to a digital signal and numerical data for metering of measured signals; and

transmitting the digital signal and numerical data to the first microprocessor.

3. The meter of claim 1, wherein the one or more integrated monitoring modules comprise:

a demand controller for reporting loads, power detection, and control of the loads and home electrical appliances, load set-up, and power demand of each load to the high-level communication module.

4. The meter of claim 3, wherein the one or more integrated monitoring modules further comprise:

the AMR for receiving the metered data from facility meters;

a facilities controller for receiving status signals from facilities of a building structure; and

an electric safety monitor for receiving a signal of an electric fault and a temperature measurement value.

5. The meter of claim 1, wherein the master server estimates and controls the power rate system as selected by the subscriber.

6. The meter of claim 1, further comprising power stabilization means for supplying a stabilized direct current (DC) power source to each power rate system and the one or more integrated monitoring modules.

7. An electric smart meter enabling demand response, the meter comprising:

a memory for storing a power rate system, metered data, monitored data and a power control program of a subscriber;

an extension interface connected by one or more integrated monitoring modules, the extension interface receiving the metered data and the monitored data from the one or more integrated monitoring modules or transmitting an operation control command to the one or more integrated monitoring modules;

a high-level communication module for either transmitting the metered data and the monitored data obtained from the one or more integrated monitoring modules to a master server, or receiving a control command of the one or more integrated monitoring modules transmitted from the master server;

an optical communication module for either receiving a particular power rate system selected by a wireless terminal using a short-distance wireless communication with an external wireless terminal or transmitting data stored in the memory to the external wireless terminal; and

a first microprocessor for transmitting a power control command to the one or more integrated monitoring modules in response to the power control program, the power control program being based on the particular power rate system, and transmitting the metered data and the monitored data stored in the memory to the master server side via the high-level communication module,

wherein the high-level communication module performs two-way communication with the master server for remote metering, remote control and demand response with the one or more integrated monitoring modules.

8. The meter of claim 7, wherein the one or more integrated monitoring modules comprise a demand controller for reporting loads, power detection, load control of home electrical appliances, load set-up, and power demand of each load.

9. The meter of claim 7, wherein the extension interface is an RS-485 interface connected to the one or more integrated monitoring modules, the modules comprising an automatic meter reader for receiving measured data from facilities meters, a facilities monitor for receiving a status signal of various facilities and a power safety monitor for receiving an electric failure signal and measured temperature values.

10. A method for demand response using an electric smart meter, the method comprising:

establishing a power rate system selected by a subscriber;

controlling an operation of a relevant load via a demand controller in response to a power control program of an established power rate system;

determining whether a time for stopping the operation of the load has arrived in response to the established power rate system;

transmitting a power stoppage command of the relevant load to the demand controller; and

performing two-way communication with a master server for remote metering, remote control and demand response with one or more integrated monitoring modules.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the electric smart meter receives either the power rate system selected by the subscriber from the master server via a high-level communication module or receives the power rate system from an external wireless terminal via an optical communication module.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

collecting power monitoring data relative to home electrical appliances and power demand and

transmitting the data to the master server.