Method and system for providing a central controller that can communicate across heterogenous networks for reaching various energy load control devices
First Claim
1. A computer method for communicating with energy load control devices across a heterogeneous network, comprising:
- displaying a relative position of energy load control devices within a topology for the heterogeneous network;
displaying a list of energy load control strategies available for one or more energy load control devices of the heterogeneous network, the heterogeneous network comprising a first energy load control device in a first network and a second energy load control device in a second network, the first energy load control device has a first communications protocol and the second energy load control device has a second communications protocol, the second communications protocol being different relative to the first communications protocol;
each energy load control strategy comprising a graph of rate reduction against time;
receiving a selection of an energy load control strategy;
receiving spatial changes to one or more points of a graph of rate reduction against time that is part of the selected energy load control strategy;
each point being selectable and repositionable with a screen pointer within the graph and defining a portion of an energy control line, the rate reduction defining a y-axis that has units in percentage or energy, while an x-axis of the graph has units of time;
generating one or more messages that correspond with the selected energy load control strategy and which are based on characteristics of the energy load control device, wherein at least one or more messages define a variable duty cycle having a predetermined duration, configured for simultaneous transmission and correspond to at least one spatial point of the graph; and
sending the one or more messages to the energy load control devices across the heterogeneous network in order to implement the selected energy load control strategy at each load control device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system provides a central controller that can communicate across different types of networks to reach various energy load control devices. Energy load control devices can include, but are not limited to, thermostats, load control switches such as Digital Control Units (DCUs), and gateways or network interfaces coupled to the Internet, etc. This ability to communicate across different types of networks allows the central controller to monitor as well as issue command signals to the various energy load control devices. The central controller can provide geographic maps on displays, such as a computer display, which list the relative locations of energy load control devices with respect to their geography or physical locations. The central controller can also provide a topology that can be customized so that a user can visualize and select groups of energy load control devices according to the user'"'"'s customized topology.
85 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A computer method for communicating with energy load control devices across a heterogeneous network, comprising:
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displaying a relative position of energy load control devices within a topology for the heterogeneous network; displaying a list of energy load control strategies available for one or more energy load control devices of the heterogeneous network, the heterogeneous network comprising a first energy load control device in a first network and a second energy load control device in a second network, the first energy load control device has a first communications protocol and the second energy load control device has a second communications protocol, the second communications protocol being different relative to the first communications protocol;
each energy load control strategy comprising a graph of rate reduction against time;receiving a selection of an energy load control strategy; receiving spatial changes to one or more points of a graph of rate reduction against time that is part of the selected energy load control strategy;
each point being selectable and repositionable with a screen pointer within the graph and defining a portion of an energy control line, the rate reduction defining a y-axis that has units in percentage or energy, while an x-axis of the graph has units of time;generating one or more messages that correspond with the selected energy load control strategy and which are based on characteristics of the energy load control device, wherein at least one or more messages define a variable duty cycle having a predetermined duration, configured for simultaneous transmission and correspond to at least one spatial point of the graph; and sending the one or more messages to the energy load control devices across the heterogeneous network in order to implement the selected energy load control strategy at each load control device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A computer method for communicating with energy load control devices residing in one or more networks of a heterogeneous network, comprising:
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storing a relative position of each energy load control device of a plurality of energy load control devices within a topology of the heterogeneous network and based upon a corresponding network in which each energy load control device resides; displaying nodes within the topology of the heterogeneous network that comprise the energy load control devices which reside in the one or more networks; receiving a selection of nodes within the topology; displaying a list of energy load control strategies available for the selected nodes across the heterogeneous network, the heterogeneous network comprising a first energy load control device in a first network and a second energy load control device in a second network, the first energy load control device has a first communications protocol and the second energy load control device has a second communications protocol, the second communications protocol being different relative to the first communications protocol;
each energy load control strategy comprising a graph of rate reduction against time;receiving spatial changes to one or more points of a graph of rate reduction against time that is part of an energy load control strategy, each point being selectable and repositionable with a screen pointer within the graph and defining a portion of an energy control line, the rate reduction defining a y-axis that has units in percentage or energy, while an x-axis of the graph of rate reduction has units of time; generating one or more messages that correspond with the selected energy load control strategy and which are based on characteristics of the energy load control device, wherein at least one or more messages define a variable duty cycle having a predetermined duration, configured for simultaneous transmission and correspond to at least one spatial point of the graph; and sending the one or more messages to the energy load control devices across the heterogeneous network in order to execute a load control strategy at each load control device. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 21)
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12. A computer system for communicating with energy load control devices residing in one or more networks of a heterogeneous network, comprising:
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a processing unit; a memory storage device; a display device coupled to the processing unit for displaying data; and a program module for providing instructions to the processing unit, the processing unit responsive to the instructions of the program module, operable for; displaying nodes within a topology for the heterogeneous network that comprise the energy load control devices; displaying relative locations of the selected nodes on a geographic map; receiving a selection of nodes within the topology; displaying a list of energy load control strategies available for the selected nodes that comprise energy load control devices of the heterogeneous network, the heterogeneous network comprising a first energy load control device in a first network and a second energy load control device in a second network, the first energy load control device has a first communications protocol and the second energy load control device has a second communications protocol, the second communications protocol being different relative to the first communications protocol;
each energy load control strategy comprising a graph of rate reduction against time;receiving a selection of an energy load control strategy for the selected nodes; receiving spatial changes to one or more points of a graph of rate reduction against time that is part of the selected energy load control strategy, each point being selectable and repositionable with a screen pointer within the graph and defining a portion of an energy control line, the rate reduction defining a y-axis that has units in percentage or energy, while an x-axis of the graph of rate reduction has units of time; and generating one or more messages that correspond with the selected energy load control strategy and which are based on characteristics of the energy load control devices that are part of the heterogeneous network, wherein at least one or more messages define a variable duty cycle having a predetermined duration, configured for simultaneous transmission and correspond to at least one spatial point of the graph. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 17, 18, 22)
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15. A computer system for communicating with energy load control devices residing in one or more networks across a heterogeneous network, comprising:
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a processing unit; a memory storage device; a display device coupled to the processing unit for displaying data; and a program module for providing instructions to the processing unit, the processing unit responsive to the instructions of the program module, operable for; storing a relative position of each energy load control device of a plurality of energy load control devices within a topology and based upon a corresponding network in which each energy load control device resides; displaying nodes within the topology of the heterogeneous network that comprise the energy load control devices which reside in the one or more networks; receiving a selection of nodes within the topology; displaying a list of energy load control strategies available for the selected nodes that comprise the energy load control devices of the heterogeneous network, the heterogeneous network comprising a first energy load control device in a first network and a second energy load control device in a second network, the first energy load control device has a first communications protocol and the second energy load control device has a second communications protocol, the second communications protocol being different relative to the first communications protocol;
each energy load control strategy comprising a graph of rate reduction against time;receiving a selection of an energy load control strategy; receiving spatial changes to one or more points of a graph of rate reduction against time that is part of the selected energy load control strategy, each point being selectable and repositionable with a screen pointer within the graph and defining a portion of an energy control line, the rate reduction defining a y-axis that has units in percentage or energy, while an x-axis of the graph of rate reduction has units of time; generating one or more messages that correspond with the selected energy load control strategy and which are based on characteristics of the energy load control device, wherein at least one or more messages define a variable duty cycle having a predetermined duration, configured for simultaneous transmission and correspond to at least one spatial point of the graph; and sending the one or more messages to the energy load control devices across the heterogeneous network in order to implement the selected energy load control strategy at each load control device. - View Dependent Claims (16, 19, 20, 23)
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Specification