Energy management system and method

• US 8,428,782 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2010
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Allure Energy Incorporated
• Inventors: Imes, Kevin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US12/839,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20110015802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/296, 700/224, 455/567
• US Class Current: 700/286
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1923 using thermal energy, the cost of which varies in function of time

Abstract

According to an aspect of the disclosure, a system and method includes a location reporting device identified with a site and a proximity detection module configured to alter an operating condition of the site in response to a location of the location reporting device. The proximity detection module is further configured to detect the location of the location reporting device at a modifiable detection interval.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a mobile device identified with a site;

a location reporting device disposed on the mobile device to detect a location of the mobile device;

a proximity detection module in communication with the location reporting device to receive the detected location of the mobile device from the location reporting device at a first time interval;

the proximity detection module configured to compare sequential locations of the mobile device at the first time interval and implement a second time interval for receiving the detected location of the mobile device from the location reporting device in response to the sequential locations being different; and

the proximity detection module further configured to alter an operating condition of the site in response to the received locations of the mobile device at the first and second time intervals.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the proximity detection module compares the sequential locations of the mobile device to a location of the site to determine the difference between the sequential locations.

3. A system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the proximity detection module implements the second time interval in response to the sequential locations of the mobile device moving away from the site and wherein the second time interval is greater than the first time interval.

4. A system as set forth in claim 3 wherein the proximity detection module re-implements the first time interval in response to the sequential locations of the mobile device moving towards the site.

5. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the location reporting device is a GPS technology.

6. A system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the proximity detection module compares the sequential locations of the mobile device to a first zone and a second zone each being defined relative to the site and implements the second time interval in response to detecting a change in the distance of the mobile device relative to the first zone and the second zone.

7. A system as set forth in claim 6 wherein the proximity detection module implements the second time interval in response to the sequential locations of the mobile device moving from the first zone to the second zone and wherein the second time interval is less than the first time interval.

8. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the location reporting device is a triangulation technology.

9. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the mobile device includes an energy management application in communication with the proximity detection module to establish the first and second time intervals.

10. A system as set forth in claim 1 further including a server in communication with the proximity detection module to establish the first and second time intervals.

11. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first and second time intervals are stored on a memory of the mobile device.

12. A system as set forth in claim 6 wherein the proximity detection module re-implements the first time interval in response to the sequential locations of the mobile device moving from the second zone to the first zone.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the proximity detection module is disposed on the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the proximity detection module is disposed at the site.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the proximity detection module is disposed on a remote server.

16. A method comprising:

detecting a location of a mobile device identified with a site;

communicating the detected location to a proximity detection module at a first time interval;

comparing sequential locations of the mobile device, using the proximity detection module at the first time interval to determine if the sequential locations are different;

implementing a second time interval for communicating the detected location of the mobile device in response to the sequential locations being different; and

altering an operating condition of the site in response to the received locations of the mobile device at the first and second time intervals.

17. A method as set forth in claim 16 further comprising:

comparing the sequential locations of the mobile device to a location of the site to determine the difference between the sequential locations.

18. A method as set forth in claim 17 further comprising:

implementing the second time interval in response to the sequential locations of the mobile device moving away from the site.

19. A method as set forth in forth in claim 17 further comprising:

comparing the sequential locations to a first zone and a second zone each being defined relative to the site; and

implementing the second time interval in response to detecting a change in the distance of the mobile device relative to the first zone and the second zone.

20. A method as set forth in claim 19 further comprising:

implementing the second time interval in response to the sequential locations of the mobile device moving from the first zone to the second zone.

21. A method as set forth in claim 16 further comprising:

modifying at least one of the first and second time intervals in response to one or more of a forecasted weather and a forecasted energy availability and a user entering a building and the user exiting the building and a grid congestion and a strength of a location based signal used to detect the location of the mobile device.

22. A method as set forth in claim 18 further comprising:

re-implementing the first time interval in response to the sequential locations of the mobile device moving towards the site.

23. A method as set forth in claim 20 further comprising:

re-implementing the second time interval in response to the location reporting device the sequential locations of the mobile device moving from the second zone to the first zone.