Apparatus and method for controlling consumer electric power consumption
First Claim
1. An electric power distribution system for scheduling electric power distribution, said electric power distribution system including a plurality of computers, each of said computers within said electric power distribution system including a processor and associated memory from which computer instructions are executed by an associated processor, said electric power distribution system comprising:
- an electric power customer having at least one computer-controlled device that consumes said electric power, said computer-controlled device being scheduled to start according to a policy set by said customer and issuing a computer-based start request message according to said policy;
an electric power provider for supplying said electric power to said computer-controlled device; and
a load control system coupled to said customer and said provider, said load control system receiving said computer-based start request message, said load control system having an active pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start request messages have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have been started by said load control system for said customer, said load control system having a reservation pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start requests have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have not been started by said load control system for said customer, said load control system establishing an active pool parameter according to which said active pool data structure and said reservation pool data structure are managed in connection with said customer policy data, said load control system detecting a change in one of said start request messages associated with said devices within said reservation pool data structure, said start request messages associated with said devices within said active pool, or said active pool parameter, and moving at least one device from said reservation pool data structure to said active pool data structure based on said change and sending a computer-based start message associated with said at least one device to said customer so as to start said at least one device based on said chance.
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Abstract
A computer-based electrical power management and allocation system is provided that collects demand for electric power usage and allocates electric power supply in satisfaction thereof. A load control server is used to collect and schedule electrical power start requests according to policies established by either or both of the electric power consumers and electric power suppliers. The energy system collects electrical power start requests and holds them in a reservation pool for later satisfaction according to prescribed customer and supplier policies and according to an overall optimization criterion of the energy system. Start messages are then subsequently issued to begin device operation once the energy system'"'"'s operational criterion is relaxed and the devices are then removed from the reservation pool. Similar queuing for later satisfaction may also be applied to the distribution of other utilities, such as water, natural gas, or guaranteed interne bandwidth.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An electric power distribution system for scheduling electric power distribution, said electric power distribution system including a plurality of computers, each of said computers within said electric power distribution system including a processor and associated memory from which computer instructions are executed by an associated processor, said electric power distribution system comprising:
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an electric power customer having at least one computer-controlled device that consumes said electric power, said computer-controlled device being scheduled to start according to a policy set by said customer and issuing a computer-based start request message according to said policy; an electric power provider for supplying said electric power to said computer-controlled device; and a load control system coupled to said customer and said provider, said load control system receiving said computer-based start request message, said load control system having an active pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start request messages have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have been started by said load control system for said customer, said load control system having a reservation pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start requests have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have not been started by said load control system for said customer, said load control system establishing an active pool parameter according to which said active pool data structure and said reservation pool data structure are managed in connection with said customer policy data, said load control system detecting a change in one of said start request messages associated with said devices within said reservation pool data structure, said start request messages associated with said devices within said active pool, or said active pool parameter, and moving at least one device from said reservation pool data structure to said active pool data structure based on said change and sending a computer-based start message associated with said at least one device to said customer so as to start said at least one device based on said chance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An electric power, load control system, said system including a plurality of computers, each of said computers within said system including a processor and associated memory from which computer instructions may be executed by said processor, said system comprising:
a load control system coupled to an electric power customer having at least one computer-controlled device that consumes electric power, said computer-controlled device being scheduled to start according to a policy set by said customer and issuing a computer-based start request message according to said policy;
said load control system also coupled to an electric power provider that supplies said electric power to said computer-controlled electric device, said load control system receiving said computer-based start request message, said load control system having an active pool data structure containing a group of devices for which computer-based start request messages, have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have been started by said load control system for said customer and a reservation pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start requests have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have not been started by said load control system for said customer, said load control system establishing an active pool parameter according to which said active pool data structure and said reservation pool data structure are managed, said load control system detecting a change in one of said start request messages associated with said devices within said reservation pool data structure, said start request messages associated with said device within said active pool data structure or said active pool parameter, and moving at least one device from said reservation pool data structure to said active pool data structure based on said change and sending a computer-based start message associated with said at least one device to said customer so as to start said at least one device based on said change.- View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of scheduling electrical power distribution within an electric power distribution system, said system including a plurality of computers that implement an electric power, load control system, each of said computers within said load control system including a processor and associated memory from which computer instructions may be executed by said processor, said load control system coupled to an electric power customer having at least one computer-controlled device that consumes electric power, said computer-controlled device being scheduled to start according to a policy set by said customer and issuing a computer-based start request message according to said policy set by said customer;
- said load control system also coupled to a electric power provider from which said computer-controlled device receives said electric power, said load control system having an active pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start request messages have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have been started by said load control system for said customer and a reservation pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start requests have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have not been started by said load control system for said customer, said load control system establishing an active pool parameter according to which said active pool data structure and said reservation pool data structure are managed, said method comprising;
receiving at said load control system a computer-based start request message from said at least one computer-controlled device according to said policy; placing said at least one computer-controlled device in said reservation pool data structure for starting said device according to said policy and said active pool parameter; detecting a change in one of;
said start request messages associated with said devices within said reservation pool data structure, said devices associated with said active pool data structure or said active pool parameter;moving said at least one device from said reservation pool data structure to said active pool data structure upon detecting said change; and sending a computer-based start message associated with said at least one device to said customer so as to start said at least one device. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
- said load control system also coupled to a electric power provider from which said computer-controlled device receives said electric power, said load control system having an active pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start request messages have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have been started by said load control system for said customer and a reservation pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start requests have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have not been started by said load control system for said customer, said load control system establishing an active pool parameter according to which said active pool data structure and said reservation pool data structure are managed, said method comprising;
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22. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage media having executable instructions for causing a plurality of processors within a plurality of computers to perform a method of scheduling electrical power distribution within an electric power distribution system, said system including a plurality of computers that implement an electric power, load control system, each of said computers within said load control system including a processor and associated memory from which computer instructions may be executed by said processor, said load control system coupled to an electric power customer having at least one computer-controlled device that consumes electric power, said computer-controlled device being scheduled to start according to a policy set by said customer and issuing a computer-based start request message according to said policy set by said customer;
- said load control system also coupled to a electric power provider from which said computer-controlled device receives said electric power, said load control system having an active pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which start computer-based start request messages have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have been started by said load control system for said customer and a reservation pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start requests have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have not been started for said customer by said load control system, said load control system establishing an active pool parameter according to which said active pool data structure and said reservation pool data structure are managed, said machine-readable storage media having steps for performing the method of;
receiving at said load control system a computer-based start request message from said at least one computer-controlled device after being scheduled to start according to said policy; placing said at least one computer-controlled device in said reservation pool data structure for starting said device according to said policy and said active pool parameter; detecting a change in one of;
said start request messages associated with said devices within said reservation pool data structure, said devices associated with said active pool or said active pool parameter;moving said at least one device from said reservation pool data structure to said active pool data structure upon detecting said change; and sending a computer-based start message associated with said at least one device to said customer to start said device.
- said load control system also coupled to a electric power provider from which said computer-controlled device receives said electric power, said load control system having an active pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which start computer-based start request messages have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have been started by said load control system for said customer and a reservation pool data structure containing a group of computer-controlled devices for which computer-based start requests have been received and for which said associated computer-controlled devices have not been started for said customer by said load control system, said load control system establishing an active pool parameter according to which said active pool data structure and said reservation pool data structure are managed, said machine-readable storage media having steps for performing the method of;
Specification