Zone based energy management system

• US 8,412,382 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2011
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Allure Energy Incorporated
• Inventors: Imes, Kevin R., Hollister, James, Cottrell, John Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): Shechtman, Sean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lin, Jason
• Application Number:
  US13/096,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 700275-278, 700/282, 700/284, 700/296, 701/204, 701/207, 701/213, 340/602, 340/545.1
• US Class Current: 700/277
• 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 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/61 using timers
• 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 2110/10 Temperature
• 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 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00001 characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• 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: H04L 41/0813 : characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 : Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• 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 20/20 : 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
• 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

Abstract

According to an aspect of the disclosure, a zone based energy management system includes controlling at least one network device at a site using the proximity detection of a mobile device which may be based upon the detection of a plurality of zones. The network device may be a thermostat associated with the HVAC system of the site or other energy consuming appliances. Each of the zones may be associated with a corresponding temperature set-point of the thermostat or other energy consuming device where the temperature set point corresponding to a zone may be different from the temperature set points corresponding with each of the other zones.

Claims

1. A method of managing a site in a mobile environment, comprising:

detecting an availability of at least one network device at a site wherein the at least one network device has an operating condition;

detecting a first boundary of the site having a first boundary distance;

detecting a second boundary of the site having a second boundary distance that is different than the first boundary distance;

detecting a plurality of zones including an on-site zone including an area within the first boundary, a first zone including an area beyond the first boundary and within the second boundary, and a second zone including an area beyond the second boundary;

detecting a distance of a mobile device relative to the site;

initiating a change to a temperature set-point of a thermostat at the site in response to detecting a change in the distance of the mobile device relative to the on-site zone and the first zone and the second zone;

initiating an on-site temperature set-point corresponding to the on-site zone;

altering the on-site temperature set-point to a first zone temperature set-point corresponding to the first zone that is different from the on-site temperature set-point; and

altering the on-site temperature set-point to a second zone temperature set-point corresponding to the second zone that is different from the on-site temperature set-point and the first zone temperature set-point.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting the mobile device within the on-site zone in response to the distance of the mobile device relative to the site being less than or equal to the first boundary distance; and

initiating the on-site temperature set-point of the thermostat in response to detecting the mobile device within the on-site zone.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the on-site temperature set-point is manually set using the thermostat.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting the mobile device within the first zone in response to the distance of the mobile device relative to the site being greater than the first boundary distance and less than or equal to the second boundary distance; and

initiating the first zone temperature set-point of the thermostat in response to detecting the mobile device within the first zone.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting the mobile device within the second zone in response to the distance of the mobile device relative to the site being greater than the second boundary distance; and

initiating the second zone temperature set-point of the thermostat in response to detecting the mobile device within the second zone.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting the thermostat operating in a cooling mode;

detecting the mobile device within the on-site zone in response to the distance of the mobile device relative to the site being less than or equal to the first boundary distance; and

initiating the on-site temperature set-point in response to detecting the mobile device within the on-site zone.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

detecting the mobile device within the first zone in response to the distance of the mobile device relative to the site being greater than the first boundary distance and less than or equal to the second boundary distance; and

initiating the first zone temperature set-point in response to detecting the mobile device within the first zone wherein the first zone temperature set-point is higher than the on-site temperature set-point.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

detecting the mobile device within the second zone in response to the distance of the mobile device relative to the site being greater than the second boundary distance; and

initiating the second zone temperature set-point in response to detecting the mobile device within the second zone wherein the second zone temperature set-point is higher than the first zone temperature set-point.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the on-site temperature set-point is manually set using the thermostat.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting the thermostat operating in a heating mode;

detecting the mobile device within the on-site zone in response to the distance of the mobile device relative to the site being less than or equal to the first boundary distance; and

initiating the on-site temperature set-point in response to detecting the mobile device within the on-site zone.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

detecting the mobile device within the first zone in response to the distance of the mobile device relative to the site being greater than the first boundary distance and less than or equal to the second boundary distance; and

initiating the first zone temperature set-point in response to detecting the mobile device within the first zone wherein the first zone temperature set-point is lower than the on-site temperature set-point.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

detecting the mobile device within the second zone in response to the distance of the mobile device relative to the site being greater than the second boundary distance; and

initiating the second zone temperature set-point in response to detecting the mobile device within the second zone wherein the second zone temperature set-point is lower than the first zone temperature set-point.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the on-site temperature set-point is manually set using the thermostat.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a new distance of the mobile device;

comparing the new distance to at least one of the plurality of zones;

detecting if a zone change has occurred;

initiating communication of a control message if the zone change has occurred; and

not initiating a communication of a control message if the zone change has not changed.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising;

detecting the availability of a first network location and a second network location, wherein the second network location is different than the first network location;

initiating access of the first network location to detect the operating condition of the network device;

initiating access to a second network location to store the distance of the mobile device relative to the site; and

initiating a communication of a control action to the first network location to alter the operating condition of the network device.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting an availability of a WIFI network including a device connected to the WIFI network;

accessing the device using the WIFI network to detect an operating condition of the device; and

initiating an altering of the operating condition of the network device using the WIFI network.