HEG—single primary network to multiple secondary network energy management

• US 8,606,423 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2011
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Brian, Joseph Mark, Finch, Michael Francis, Venkatakrishnan, Natarajan
• Primary Examiner(s): Robertson, Dave
• Application Number:
  US13/008,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 700/295, 700/296, 702/60, 702/62, 340/870.02
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• 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 2310/16 The load or loads being an Information and Communication Technology [ICT] facility
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• 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 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A method and system is disclosed that includes a central controller that communicates data available from an Energy Services Interface (ESI) to devices over multiple secondary networks of a home in different communication protocols. The controller is a home energy gateway that includes multiple communication modules for binding to a meter on a primary network and to form multiple secondary networks.

Claims

1. An energy management system comprising managed energy consuming devices for a home, the energy management system comprising:

a primary communication module that is in communication with an energy services interface of an energy provider via a primary network of the home;

at least two secondary communication modules that are in communication with the managed energy consuming devices of the home via at least two separate secondary networks, the secondary networks having different communication protocols relative to each other; and

a central controller that is in communication with the primary communication module of the primary network and the at least two secondary communication modules of the at least two secondary networks;

wherein the central controller is configured to (i) receive energy consumption data from each of the managed devices over the at least two secondary networks via the at least two secondary communication modules, (ii) receive energy provider information over the primary network via the primary communication module, the energy provider information including at least one of electricity rates, price events and load control events sent from the energy provider, and (iii) interpret the energy consumption data in combination with the energy provider information and, based on the interpretation, generate and provide communications or commands to each of the managed devices over the at least two secondary networks via the at least two secondary communication modules to monitor and manage power consuming features/functions of the managed devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the primary communication module is in communication with the energy services interface via a smart meter configured to measure whole home energy consumption and wherein the primary communication module is operative to provide commands to the managed devices via the central controller and the at least two secondary communication modules over the at least two communication networks to regulate energy usage by the managed devices as a function of whole home measured energy consumption and data received from the energy services interface.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the smart meter communicatively links the primary network of the home with the energy provider, said primary network communicatively linking the smart meter and the primary communication module of the central controller.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the central controller comprises a home energy gateway device having the primary communication module, and each of the at least two secondary communication modules, together with one or more of the managed energy consuming devices, forms the respective secondary networks.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the primary communication module is operable as an end point device on the primary network, and each of the at least two secondary communication modules, together with one or more of the managed energy consuming devices, forms the respective secondary networks where the central controller is configured as a server thereto.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the different communication protocols include at least two of an Ethernet, a Wifi, a Zigbee, and a Power Line Carrier communication protocol.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the central controller is configured to receive communications from a smart meter configured to communicate within the primary network with the energy services interface, the central controller and to the at least two secondary networks.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the managed devices respectively comprises a demand response appliance configured to manage power consumption by responding to communications or commands from the central controller, and wherein the central controller is configured to receive the electricity rates and schedules from the energy provider via the primary communication module over the primary network to implement pre-determined load shedding for an electrical load of the home.

9. A method for communicating data among at least two energy consuming devices in a home comprising:

receiving energy consumption data at a central controller from each of the at least two energy consuming devices over at least two secondary networks of the home having different communication protocols relative to each other;

receiving energy provider information at the central controller from an energy services interface of an energy provider over a primary network of the home, the energy provider information including at least one of electricity rates, price events and load control events sent from the energy provider;

interpreting by the controller the energy consumption data in combination with the energy provider information; and

based on the interpretation, generating and providing communications or commands to each of the at least two energy consuming devices over the at least two secondary networks to monitor and manage power consuming features/functions of each of the at least two energy consuming devices.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising:

implementing a pre-determined load shedding for an electrical load of the home from the electricity rates and/or schedules retrieved from the data via the communications or the commands.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising:

communicating with a smart meter via the primary network and providing commands to regulate energy usage to the at least two energy consuming devices as a result of whole home measured energy consumption stored at the central controller.

12. The method of claim 9, comprising:

communicating to the at least two secondary networks in the different communication protocols that include at least two of an Ethernet, a Wifi, a Zigbee, and a Power Line Carrier communication protocol.

13. The method of claim 9, comprising:

retrieving electrical rates and/or schedules from a smart meter that communicates on the primary network with the energy services interface of the energy provider and to the central controller via a first communication module of the primary network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the central controller includes a home energy gateway device with the first communication module and at least two secondary communication modules of the at least two secondary networks that respectively comprise a transceiver device for communicating in the different communication protocols including an Ethernet, a Wifi, a Zigbee, or a Power Line Carrier communication protocol.

15. A home energy gateway device for a home energy management system, comprising:

a first communication module communicatively connected to an energy/power meter that obtains energy provider data or ESI data for a plurality of energy consuming devices of a home and is an end point device on a primary network;

a second communication module communicatively connected to at least one of a first set comprising some of the plurality of energy consuming devices comprising a first secondary network;

at least one additional communication module communicatively connected to at least one of a second set of the plurality of energy consuming devices comprising a second secondary network having a communication protocol that is different from the first secondary network; and

a controller operatively connected to the first communication module, the second communication module and the at least one additional communication module;

wherein the controller is configured to (i) receive the energy consumption data from each of the plurality of energy consuming devices over the first secondary network and the second secondary network via the second communication module and the at least one additional communication module, (ii) receive the energy provider data or the ESI data over the primary network via the first communication module, the data including at least one of electricity rates, price events and load control events sent from an energy provider, and (iii) interpret the energy consumption data in combination with the energy provider data or the ESI data and, based on the interpretation, generate and provide communications or commands to each of the plurality of energy consuming devices over the first secondary network and the second secondary network via the second communication module and the at least one additional communication module to monitor and manage power consuming features/functions of the plurality of energy consuming devices.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to coordinate the managed energy consuming devices as a server for the first and second secondary networks.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein at least one of the managed devices comprise a demand response appliance configured to manage power consumption by responding to the communications from the controller.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to receive the electricity rate and/or schedule information from the energy provider to communicate pre-determined load shedding commands for an electrical load of the energy consuming devices at the home.