Effectuating energization and deactivation of particular circuits through rules-based smart nodes

• US 8,849,472 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2011
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aslan Roaring LLC
• Original Assignee: Inscope Energy, LLC
• Inventors: Pugh, William Clayton, Albarran, Richard Daniel, Craig, Jason Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US13/019,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20120197453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 700/22, 700292-295, 307/29, 429/17
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/12 Determination or prediction of behaviour, e.g. likely power consumption or unusual usage patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 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 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

Systems for reducing power usage and/or wastage use sensors to gather information about a circuit and its usage. Triggers are identified based on the information from the sensors, and subsequently used to control power delivery by reversibly effectuating energization and deactivation of particular circuits through smart nodes.

Claims

1. An electrical system configured to control power delivery from a power supply to one or more alternate current circuits, the electrical system being packaged in an enclosure configured to be mounted in a circuit breaker panel, the electrical system comprising:

a sensor configured to generate a sensor output signal conveying information related to power delivered from the power supply to a first alternate current circuit;

a processor configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

an interface module configured to convey power information to a user, wherein the power information is related to power delivered from the power supply to the first alternate current circuit,

an analysis module configured to;

analyze power usage of the first alternate current circuit to determine a power usage pattern of the first alternate current circuit, and

create new rules and/or adapt existing rules based on the determined power usage pattern, the rules being configured for determining whether the first alternate current circuit should be energized or deactivated,

a trigger module configured to identify trigger events, wherein the trigger events comprise trigger events identified based on application of the rules, and

a control module configured to reversibly effectuate energization and deactivation of the first alternate current circuit based on trigger events identified by the trigger module.

2. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a voltage sensing circuit.

3. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a current sensing circuit.

4. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a power monitoring circuit.

5. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an energy usage monitoring circuit.

6. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a power quality monitoring circuit.

7. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the electrical system is configured to be retrofitted in a pre-existing circuit breaker panel.

8. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the trigger events further comprise trigger events identified based on one or more of a schedule-based event, a rule-based event, or a user command event.

9. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the trigger events further comprise trigger events identified based on a power usage threshold for the power delivered from the power supply to the first alternate current circuit.

10. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the trigger events comprise trigger events identified based on detection of an event external to the electrical system.

11. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the interface module further receives commands from the user, and wherein the trigger events comprise trigger events identified based on commands received from the user via the interface module.

12. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the electrical system is associated with an identifier.

13. The electrical system of claim 1, further comprising a second sensor configured to generate a sensor output signal conveying information related to power delivered from the power supply to a second alternate current circuit, and wherein

the analysis module further configured to:

analyze power usage of the second alternate current circuit to determine a power usage pattern of the second alternate current circuit,

create new rules and/or adapt existing rules based on the determined power usage pattern of the first and second alternate current circuits, the rules being configured for determining whether the first and/or the second alternate current circuit should be energized or deactivated, and

the control module is further configured to reversibly effectuate energization and deactivation of the first and/or the second alternate current circuit based on trigger events identified by the trigger module.

14. An electrical system configured to control power delivery from a power supply to one or more alternate current circuits, the electrical system being packaged in an enclosure configured to be mounted in a circuit breaker panel, the electrical system comprising:

a sensor configured to generate a sensor output signal conveying information related to power delivered from the power supply to a first alternate current circuit;

a first reversible node configured to effectuate energization and deactivation of the first alternate current circuit based on a control signal; and

a processor configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

an interface module configured to convey information related to the sensor output signal to a user, wherein the interface module is further configured to receive a command from the user, the user command specifying criteria under which the first alternative circuit is to be energized or deactivated,

an analysis module configured to;

analyze power usage of the first alternate current circuit to determine a power usage pattern of the first alternate current circuit, and

create new rules and/or adapt existing rules based on the determined power usage pattern, the rules being configured for determining whether the first alternate current circuit should be energized or deactivated;

a trigger module configured to identify trigger events, wherein the trigger events comprise trigger events identified based on the criteria specified by the received user command and further based on the application of the rules, and

a control module configured to generate the control signal based on the trigger events identified by the trigger module.

15. The electrical system of claim 14, wherein the sensor comprises a voltage sensing circuit.

16. The electrical system of claim 14, wherein the sensor comprises a current sensing circuit.

17. The electrical system of claim 14, wherein the sensor comprises a power monitoring circuit.

18. The electrical system of claim 14, wherein the sensor comprises an energy usage monitoring circuit.

19. The electrical system of claim 14, wherein the sensor comprises a power quality monitoring circuit.

20. The electrical system of claim 14, wherein the electrical system is configured to be retrofitted in a pre-existing circuit breaker panel.

21. The electrical system of claim 14, further comprising a circuit breaker.

22. The electrical system of claim 14, wherein the electrical system is associated with an identifier, and wherein the information that the interface module is configured to convey to the user comprises the identifier.

23. The electrical system of claim 14, further comprising

a second sensor configured to generate a sensor output signal conveying information related to power delivered from the power supply to a second alternate current circuit, and

a second a reversible node configured to effectuate energization and deactivation of the second alternate current circuit based on a second control signal;

and wherein

the interface module is further configured to receive a second command from the user, the second user command specifying criteria under which the second alternative circuit is to be energized or deactivated,

the analysis module is further configured to;

analyze power usage of the second alternate current circuit to determine a power usage pattern of the second alternate current circuit, and

create new rules and/or adapt existing rules based on the determined power usage pattern of the first and second alternate current circuits, the rules being configured for determining whether the first and/or the second alternate current circuit should be energized or deactivated, and

the control module is further configured to generate control signal for the first reversible node and/or the second reversible node to effectuate energization and deactivation of respective alternate current circuit based on the trigger events identified by the trigger module.

24. An electrical system configured to control power delivery from a power supply to one or more alternate current circuits, the electrical system being packaged in an enclosure configured to be mounted in a circuit breaker panel, the electrical system comprising:

a processor configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

an interface module configured to convey power information to a user and to receive commands from the user, wherein the power information is related to power delivered from the power supply to a first alternate current circuit, and wherein the interface module is further configured to transmit control commands to a first reversible node configured to effectuate energization and deactivation of the first alternate current circuit in response to the commands received from the user, and

an analysis module configured to;

analyze power usage of the first alternate current circuit to determine a power usage pattern of the first alternate current circuit, and

create new rules and/or adapt existing rules based on the determined power usage pattern, the rules being configured for determining whether the first alternate current circuit should be energized or deactivated; and

wherein the interface module is further configured such that the control commands comprise control commands transmitted further based on application of the rules.

25. The electrical system of claim 24, wherein the control commands comprise control commands transmitted based on the power information.

26. The electrical system of claim 24, wherein the control commands comprise control commands transmitted based on one or more of a schedule-based event, a rule-based event, or a user-command event.

27. The electrical system of claim 24, wherein the control commands comprise control commands transmitted based on a power threshold for the power delivered from the power supply to the first alternate current circuit.

28. The electrical system of claim 24, wherein

the interface module is further configured to transmit control commands to a second reversible node configured to effectuate energization and deactivation of a second alternate current circuit in response to the commands received from the user, and

the analysis module is further configured to

analyze power usage of the second alternate current circuit to determine a power usage pattern of the second alternate current circuit, and

create new rules and/or adapt existing rules based on the determined power usage pattern of the first and second alternate current circuits, the rules being configured for determining whether the first and/or the second alternate current circuit should be energized or deactivated.