Gateway mirroring of metering data between zigbee networks

• US 8,718,798 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2010
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bultman, Robert Marten, Drake, Jeff Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Padmanabhan, Kavita
• Assistant Examiner(s): Everett, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US12/942,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20120116597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/45 Utility meters networked together within a single building
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/10 using digital techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• 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 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• 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 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 : Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A method and system is disclosed that includes a central controller that takes energy data available from a power/energy measuring device, such as a “smart” meter that is located on a primary network and makes that data available to devices over a secondary network. The central controller is a home energy gateway that includes two communication modules, one of which is used to bind a meter as a router or end point on the primary network, and one which is used to form a secondary network here the central controller operates as network coordinator. The central controller also operates as an energy service portal for devices on the secondary network.

Claims

1. An energy management system for a home area network (HAN) having managed energy consuming devices for a home that respectively draw different amounts of power from a source of power, the system comprising:

a primary network comprising a smart energy meter in communication with the managed energy consuming devices, the smart energy meter configured to collectively provide a total power consumption measurement for the home;

a secondary network comprising the managed energy consuming devices, wherein the secondary network is different than the first network; and

a central controller in communication with the smart energy meter via the primary network and with the managed energy consuming devices via the secondary network, the central controller comprising;

a first communication module that is in communication with the smart energy meter; and

a second communication module that is in communication with the managed energy consuming devices,

wherein the first communication module and the second communication module comprise a Zigbee device that communicates with the smart energy meter and the managed energy consuming devices using a Zigbee protocol format,

wherein the central controller is configured to mirror data from the first communication module to provide the data to the second communication module,

wherein the central controller is configured to monitor and manage energy consumption of each of the managed energy consuming devices b sending communications that incorporate the mirrored data comprising the total power consumption measurement to each of the managed energy consuming devices and to provide real time feedback with respect to energy usage occurring at the home,

wherein, in response to receiving the total power consumption measurement, each managed energy consuming device is operable to determine an individual power consumption using an average of differences between the total power consumption measurement for active modes on the managed energy consuming device and for inactive modes on the managed energy consuming device over a time interval comprising at least a first time and a second time at which the managed energy consuming device receives the total power consumption measurement, and

wherein each managed energy consuming device is operable to report the individual power consumption for display on a display accessible to an end user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communication module is operable as a router that is an end point device on a primary network, and wherein the central controller is configured to coordinate the managed energy consuming devices as a server thereto.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the central controller is configured to store data from the measuring, device.

4. A method for determining power consumption data of an energy consuming device among a plurality of energy consuming devices within a secondary home network, the secondary home network comprising the plurality Of energy consuming devices and a central controller with at least one memory storing executable instructions for said method, the central controller also communicating, with a smart energy meter within a primary home network for measuring total power consumed by the energy consuming device, said method comprising:

obtaining a total power consumption measurement for the plurality of energy consuming devices at the smart energy meter in the primary home network;

obtaining a communication signal having the total power consumption measurement from the smart energy meter via a first communication module at the central controller; and

conveying the communication signal on the secondary home network to the plurality of energy consuming devices via a second communication .module,

wherein the first communication module and the second communication module comprise a Zigbee device that communicates with the smart energy meter and the plurality of energy consuming devices using a Zigbee protocol format,

wherein the central controller is configured to mirror data comprising the total power consumption measurement from the first communication module to provide the data to the second communication module,

wherein, in response to receiving the total power consumption measurement, each managed energy consuming device is operable to determine an individual power consumption using an average of differences between the total power consumption measurement for active modes on the managed energy consuming device and for inactive modes on the managed energy consuming device over a time interval comprising at least a first time and a second time at which the managed energy consuming, device receives the total energy consumption measurement, and

wherein each managed energy consuming device is operable to report the individual power consumption for display on a display accessible to an end user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of energy consuming devices do not receive data from the primary home network.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the secondary home network includes the second communication module that communicates from the central controller to the plurality of energy consuming devices.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the central controller is a home energy gateway device that provides a metering server on the secondary home network for the plurality of energy consuming devices to obtain power consumption information therefrom.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the central controller stores data from the measuring device as a second metering device that communicates directly with the plurality of energy consuming devices.

9. A system, comprising:

a first communication module communicatively connected to a smart energy meter that obtains a total power consumption measurement 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 the plurality of managed energy consuming devices that is configured to form a secondary network; and

a central controller operatively connected to the first communication module and the second communication module,

wherein the central controller is configured to mirror data comprising the total power consumption measurement from the first communication module to provide the total power consumption measurement to the second communication module,

wherein the central controller is configured to receive the total power consumption measurement from the smart energy meter via the first communication module and provide the total power consumption measurement to the plurality of managed energy consuming devices,

wherein the first communication module and the second communication module comprise a Zigbee device that communicates with the measuring device and the plurality of managed energy consuming devices using a Zigbee protocol format, and

wherein, in response to receiving the total power consumption measurement, each managed energy consuming device is operable to determine an individual power consumption using an average of differences between the total energy consumption measurement for active modes on the managed energy consuming device and for inactive modes on the managed energy consuming device over a time interval comprising at least a first time and a second time at which the managed energy consuming device receives the total energy consumption measurement, and

wherein each managed energy consuming device is operable to report the individual power consumption for display on a display accessible to an end user.

10. The home energy gateway device of claim 9, wherein the central controller is configured to coordinate the secondary network by transmitting data for processing to a device at the plurality of energy consumption devices of the home.

11. The home energy gateway device of claim 9, further comprising a user display device operatively connected to the central controller and configured to present the total consumption data stored in a memory.

12. The home energy gateway device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of energy consuming devices comprise at least one demand response appliance configured to manage power consumption by responding to communication commands from a device controller thereat, wherein the energy consuming devices comprise a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) device, a refrigerator, a dishwasher, a dryer and any other power consuming device configured to operate at power levels detected by the measuring device.