Method and system for cooperative powering of unitary air conditioners
First Claim
1. A method for reducing a load on an electric grid, comprising:
- coupling one or more unitary air conditioners to a distribution transformer;
controlling downloading of energy from the one or more unitary air conditioners with electronic intelligence which is distributed across the one or more unitary air conditioners so that a load on the distribution transformer is substantially reduced, the electronic intelligence comprising a token ring network for the one or more unitary air conditioners in which each unitary air conditioner receiving a token is permitted to power its compressor among the one or more unitary air conditioner members of the token ring network while each unitary air conditioner without a token is not permitted to power its compressor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system provide for the cooperative powering of unitary air conditioners. The method and system includes coordinating powering of unitary air conditioners in a multiunit building or other low level of aggregation in a power grid. Multiple unitary air conditioners can use a power line communication (PLC) communication module for communicating with other air conditioners that are within the same multiunit building. According to one aspect of the method and system, by using power line communications, multiple unitary air conditioners within a single building can form self-contained local area networks. The LAN can also support a token ring network. According to this token ring network, a predetermined number of tokens can be assigned within the token ring network.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for reducing a load on an electric grid, comprising:
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coupling one or more unitary air conditioners to a distribution transformer; controlling downloading of energy from the one or more unitary air conditioners with electronic intelligence which is distributed across the one or more unitary air conditioners so that a load on the distribution transformer is substantially reduced, the electronic intelligence comprising a token ring network for the one or more unitary air conditioners in which each unitary air conditioner receiving a token is permitted to power its compressor among the one or more unitary air conditioner members of the token ring network while each unitary air conditioner without a token is not permitted to power its compressor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for reducing a load on an electric grid, said comprising:
controlling downloading of energy from one or more unitary air conditioners with electronic intelligence which is distributed across the one or more unitary air conditioners, the electronic intelligence comprising a token ring network for the one or more unitary air conditioners in which each unitary air conditioner receiving a token is permitted to power its compressor among the one or more unitary air conditioner members of the token ring network while each unitary air conditioner without a token is not permitted to power its compressor. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Specification