Method and apparatus for calibrating intelligent AC outlets

• US 8,594,965 B1
• Filed: 04/16/2013
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elbex Video Limited (Elbex Japan Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Elbex Video Limited (Elbex Japan Ltd.)
• Inventors: Elberbaum, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Tung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUN, XIUQIN
• Application Number:
  US13/863,820
• Time in Patent Office: 224 Days
• Field of Search: 702/107
• US Class Current: 702/107
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/00 Arrangements for measuring electric power or power factor G01R7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/01 in circuits having distributed constants G01R21/04, G01R21/07, G01R21/09, G01R21/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/005 Calibrating; Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden" references G01R33/0035, G01R35/002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method and apparatus for measuring and calibrating the power consumption reporting by intelligent AC outlets, sub outlets and sockets including optoport and RFID antenna using a hand held loader and propagating optical signals via a lightguide or fiber optic cable and via RFID signals and tags, including the setting up of location, AC outlet identification and appliance particulars. Simpler loaders or calibrators communicate standard power consumption values to the AC outlet for self-calibration using the received values. The appliance particulars are introduced via the loader keys or a touch screen and via the reading of a RFID tag attached to the plug of an appliance and processed via the loader for propagation through an optical grid of a residence automation system via current drain or power consumption receivers.

Claims

1. An intelligent Ac outlet comprising a CPU, a memory, at least one rear optoport, one of read and read/write radio frequency identification (RFID), antenna and a current sensor, forming together a measuring and communication circuits for at least one of communicating coded RFID signal with one of an RFID antenna and a tag affixed to an AC plug of a given load for identifying said load;

said rear optoport is communicating via an optical cable selected from a group comprising lightguide, fiber optic cable and a combination thereof with a second optoport of one of a current drain and a power consumption receiver propagating at least one way of bidirectional coded optical signal pertaining to a power consumed by said load as measured by said measuring circuit and at least one of particulars of said AC outlet and the identification of said load;

said particulars of said AC outlet are set by one of loading location codes to said memory and manual setting via setting selector included in one of said AC outlet and said one of current drain and power consumption receiver;

said RFID tag is affixed onto the front surface of said AC plug about the plug power pins and said one of read and read/write RFID is functioning and communicating said coded RFID signal only when an AC plug affixed with said one of RFID antenna and tag is mated with said AC outlet and a current drain is detected by said measuring circuit.

2. The intelligent AC outlet according to claim 1, wherein one of said read and read/write RFID is communicating said coded signals for at least one of calibrating said measuring circuit and installing said particulars of at least one of said AC outlet and said load.

3. The intelligent AC outlet according to claim 1, wherein said AC outlet is multi sockets outlet and each socket of said sockets including an individual current sensor and said one of read and read/write RFID antenna for individually processing and measuring the power consumed through each said socket by a given load including said identifying and communicating the particulars of each given load.

4. The intelligent AC outlet according to claim 3, wherein a location address and particulars of said AC outlet are set via at least one of setting switch and installed into said memory.

5. The intelligent AC outlet according to claim 4, wherein a location address and particulars of each socket is predefined on the basis of the physical structure of said multi sockets and each socket connection to said CPU.

6. The intelligent AC outlet according to claim 1, wherein said functioning is selected from a group comprising read once only, write once only, read n times, write n times, read at a given schedule, write at a given schedule, read repeatedly and stop upon identifying, read repeatedly and stop upon confirmation, read repeatedly and stop as programmed, write repeatedly and stop upon confirmation, write repeatedly and stop as programmed and combinations thereof.

7. The intelligent AC outlet according to claim 1, wherein said communicating coded optical signal with said second optoport is selected from a group comprising reporting the consumed power, reporting particulars of said load, reporting said load status, reporting particulars of said AC outlet, request for a consumed power data, request for particulars of a load, request for a status of a load, request for data contained in said memory, response to said request and combinations thereof.

8. The intelligent AC outlet according to claim 1, wherein said AC outlet further comprising a third optoport with its optical access positioned onto the front surface of said AC outlet for communicating said coded optical signal by mating with one of an AC plug with said RFID tag and an AC plug assembly with at least one of measuring and communication circuits and a fourth optoport accessed through the front surface of said AC plug assembly, opposite said third optoport.

9. The intelligent AC outlet according to claim 8, wherein said AC plug is an AC plug assembly of an extension power cable with said measuring and communication circuits and with multi sockets, each socket of said sockets including an individual current sensor and said one of read and read/write RFID and antenna for individually identifying and measuring the power consumed through each said socket of said sockets by a given load, wherein said AC plug assembly comprising at least one of an RFID antenna and an optoport for propagating one of optical signal and RFID signal comprising said given load identification along with the power consumed via said each socket by each given load individually and wherein said intelligent outlet further communicating each said load identification and individual consumed power including at least one of summed up total current drained and total power consumed by said extension power cable with said power consumption receiver.

10. The intelligent AC outlet according to claim 1, wherein said AC outlet further comprising a rear fifth optoport for linking said AC outlet to another outlet in a cascaded chain.

11. The intelligent AC outlet according to claim 1, wherein a location address and particulars of said AC outlet are set via at least one of setting switch and installed into said memory.