System and method for identifying electrical devices in a power management system

• US 8,942,854 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2011
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kohler Company
• Original Assignee: Kohler Company
• Inventors: Mauk, Richard A., Brey, Edward Douglas, Gross, William Herman, Kroll, Gary Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US13/305,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20130138258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 700/295, 700/286, 700/297, 700/22, 375/310, 340/870.02
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

Some embodiments relate to a method of identifying electrical devices in a power management system. The method includes accessing a controller using a server that includes identifiers of the electrical devices. The controller is electrically connected (directly or indirectly) to the electrical devices. The method further includes exchanging data between the server and the controller to correlate the identifiers with the electrical devices. The potential identifiers that may be used to correlate the identifiers with the electrical devices may be stored in an identifier database on the server. In some embodiments, the identifiers of the electrical devices may also be stored in an identifier database on the controller.

Claims

1. A method of identifying electrical devices in a power management system comprising:

accessing a generator controller that includes identifiers of the electrical devices directly, or using a server that also includes the identifiers of the electrical devices, wherein the generator controller is connected to the electrical devices;

using the generator controller or the server to manually assign identifiers to the electrical devices and enter the assigned identifiers into a database on the generator controller or the server; and

exchanging newly assigned data between the databases on the server and the generator controller to correlate the identifiers with the electrical devices in both the server and the generator controller.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing data related to the identifiers in a database on the server.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing data related to the identifiers in a database on the generator controller.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein exchanging data between the server and the generator controller to correlate identifiers with the electrical devices includes exchanging data when the server recognizes a change in the database on the generator controller.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein exchanging data between the server and the generator controller to correlate identifiers with the electrical devices includes exchanging data when the generator controller recognizes a change in the database on the server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising using an interface to correlate the identifiers with the electrical devices.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein using an interface to correlate the identifiers with the electrical devices includes displaying a list of identifiers for selection by a user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein displaying a list of identifiers for selection by a user includes retrieving the list of identifiers from a database on the server.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein using an interface to correlate the identifiers with the electrical devices includes using a personal computer to correlate the identifiers with the electrical devices.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein using an interface to correlate the identifiers with the electrical devices includes using a portable electronic device to correlate the identifiers with the electrical devices.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein using a portable electronic device to correlate the identifiers with the electrical devices includes using a mobile phone to correlate the identifiers with the electrical devices.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical devices include electrical loads.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the server includes identifiers of the electrical loads.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical devices include sensors such that the generator controller receives data from sensors.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the server includes identifiers of the sensors that are connected to the generator controller.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the electrical devices include at least one load switching and sensor module such that at least one of the sensors delivers signals to the load switching and sensor module, wherein the load switching and sensor module relays the signals to the generator controller, wherein the server includes identifiers of the load switching and sensor module.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifiers include a written description of the electrical devices.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifiers include an illustration of the electrical devices.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifiers include an audio description of the electrical devices.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the generator controller is a load control module that is configured to selectively operate electrical loads.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing a generator controller using a server that includes identifiers of the electrical devices includes creating a connection between the server and generator controller.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the generator controller stores a predetermined address of the server such that creating a connection between the server and generator controller includes using the generator controller to initiate the connection with the server at the predetermined address.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising using an interface to correlate the identifiers with the electrical devices, wherein the interface stores a predetermined address of the server such that using the interface to correlate the identifiers with the electrical devices includes using the interface to initiate a connection with the server at the predetermined address.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein creating a connection between the server and generator controller includes using the interface to provide a serial number of the generator controller to the server.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the server includes a mapping database that correlates the serial number of the generator controller with a network address of the generator controller.

26. A method of identifying electrical devices in a power management system comprising:

accessing an automatic transfer switch using a server that includes identifiers of the electrical devices directly, or using a server that also includes the identifiers of the electrical devices, wherein the automatic transfer switch is connected to the electrical devices, wherein the automatic transfer switch is configured to switch between power sources;

using the automatic transfer switch or the server to manually assign identifiers to the electrical devices and enter the assigned identifiers into a database on the generator controller or the server; and

exchanging newly assigned data between the databases on the server and the automatic transfer switch to correlate the identifiers with the electrical devices in both the server and the automatic transfer switch.