Apparatus and method for sub-metering of household devices

• US 8,949,051 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2011
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Burke, William Jerome, Bultman, Robert Marten
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/198,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20130035884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 734/321, 738/658, 738/663, 236/1.R, 236/1.C, 237/2.R, 237/2.A, 237/12, 237/81, 324/76.11, 324/103.R, 324/115, 340/500, 340/540, 340/635, 340/653, 340/657, 700/1, 700/9, 700/11, 700/12, 700/83, 700/90, 700/275, 700/276, 700/286, 700/291, 700/295, 702/1, 702/57, 702/60, 702/61, 702/127, 702/182, 702/187, 702/188, 702/189, 705/1.1, 705/7.11, 705/400, 705/412
• US Class Current: 702/61
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 1/00 Measuring arrangements giving results other than momentary value of variable, of general application G01D3/00 takes precedence; in tariff metering apparatus G01D4/00; transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable G01D5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/24 Identification of individual loads, e.g. by analysing current/voltage waveforms
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3065 Monitoring arrangements determined by the means or processing involved in reporting the monitored data error or fault reporting or logging G06F11/0766
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/40 Data acquisition and logging for input to computer G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• 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 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/70 Load identification
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 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 40/124 : using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 : using wireless data transmission

Abstract

An apparatus and method for estimating resource consumption of a household device, e.g., an appliance. The method comprises determining a resource demand profile for a household device for a given time period, the resource demand profile associating, for the given time period, a device state of the household device with a total resource demand for the household. In one embodiment, the apparatus can be incorporated into an energy management system, where the apparatus collects data from each of the appliances in a household as well as from a resource meter.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to monitor resource consumption of an appliance in a household, said apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

one or more executable instructions stored on the memory and configured to be executed by the processor, the one or more executable instructions comprising instructions for;

determining a resource demand profile for a household device for a given time period, the resource demand profile associating, for the given time period, an operating state profile of the household device with a total resource demand profile for the household.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising instructions for displaying the resource demand profile via a graphical user interface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device state comprises a voltage level for a relay switch.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising instructions for communicating with a thermostat.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising instructions for monitoring a temperature sensor, wherein the temperature sensor provides an input indicative of an indoor temperature and an outdoor temperature, and wherein the input identifies values for the operating state profile.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising instructions for communicating an input to the household device, wherein the input activates and/or deactivates the household device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the given time period identifies at least one hour of operation of the household device.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

one or more executable instructions stored on the memory and configured to be executed by the processor, the one or more executable instructions comprising instructions for;

receiving data from a household device and a resource meter that measures a total resource demand for the household; and

applying a least squares method to the data to determine a resource demand profile for the household device,

wherein the resource demand profile associates, for a given time period, an operating state profile for the household device and a total resource demand profile.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the least squares method determines the values for the resource demand profile in accordance with:

P_T=θ

′

*X,

wherein P_T defines the total resource demand for the household, θ

defines the values for the resource demand for the household device, and X defines the device state during given time period.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising instructions for displaying the resource demand profile via a graphical user interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising instructions for automatically updating the data at a predetermined interval.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising instructions for sampling the data for the household and the household device at a sampling rate that is less than the given time period.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the least squares method determines an estimation error e(k) in accordance with:

e(k)=P_T(k)−

θ

′

(k−

1)*X(k),

wherein k is a time step, P_T(k) defines the total resource demand for the household at the time step, θ

(k−

1) defines the values for the resource demand for the household device at the previous time step, and X(k) defines the device state at the time step.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the least squares method determines values for the resource demand profile in accordance with:

θ

(k)=θ

(k−

1)+L(k)X(k)e(k),

wherein k is a time step, θ

(k−

1) defines the values for the resource demand for the household device at the previous time step, L(k) defines the least square gain at the time step, and X(k) defines the device state at the time step.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising receiving an input indicative of the given time period.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the household device comprise a thermostat.

17. A method, comprising:

at a remote device comprising a processor and memory;

determining a resource demand profile for a household device for a given time period, the resource demand profile associating, for the given time period, an operating state of the household device with a total resource demand profile for the household.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising applying a least squares method to the data to determine a resource demand profile for the household device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the operating state is indicative of operation of an HVAC system.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the household device comprises a thermostat.