Demand side management module

• US 8,355,826 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2009
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Watson, Eric K., Besore, John K., Beyerle, Michael Thomas, Bingham, David C., Franks, Darin, Guernsey, Byron, Ilickovic, Darko, Patel, Mallika Ravindra, Schork, Brian Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): HARTMAN JR, RONALD D
• Application Number:
  US12/559,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/83, 700/291, 713/1
• US Class Current: 700/291
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/04 Preventing the formation of frost or condensate
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• 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: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• 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 20/244 the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 : Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A household appliance system and method include an appliance control system having a common appliance interface provided on an appliance and a demand side management module connected to the common appliance interface. The module corresponds to one select utility of a plurality of utilities and is adapted to communicate with the one select utility of the plurality of utilities. The appliance control system operates the appliance based on communications with the one select utility through the module.

Claims

1. A method for configuring an appliance to communicate with one select utility of a plurality of energy utilities, comprising:

selecting a module from a plurality of modules corresponding to one select home service provider of a plurality of home service providers;

deploying the selected module in an appliance;

communicating with the one select home service provider through the module; and

operating the appliance based on the communications with the one select home service provider.

2. The method of claim 1 further including:

selecting a second module from the plurality of modules corresponding to a second select home service provider of the plurality of home service providers;

deploying the selected second module in a second appliance;

communicating with the second select home service provider through the second module; and

operating the second appliance based on communications with the second select home service provider.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein deploying the selected module in the appliance includes removably installing the module to the appliance through a common appliance interface.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating with one select home service provider through the module includes using at least one of the following communication protocols:

PLC, FM, AM SSB, WiFi, ZibBee, Radio Broadcast Data System, IEEE 802.11 standard compatible, or IEEE 802.15.4 standard compatible.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein operating the appliance based on the communications with the one select home service provider includes operating the appliance in at least one of a low energy mode and a lower energy mode.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein operating the appliance based on the communications with the one select home service provider includes reducing or cutting power to at least one power consuming function of the appliance.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a second set of modules that are configured for communication with a second home service provider;

deploying the second set of modules in a second set of appliances for communicating with the second home service provider.

8. The method of claim 7 further including:

communicating with the first home service provider through said first set of modules using a first communication protocol; and

communicating with the second home service provider through said second set of modules using a second, different communication protocol.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the first and second home service providers communicating steps include communicating with first and second utilities.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising selecting between first and second home service providers by entering a zip code in a user interface.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the deploying steps include positioning the first set of modules either internally or externally to the first set of appliances, and positioning the second set of modules either internally or externally to the second set of appliances.