Systems, devices, and methods for mapping devices to realize building automation and energy management

• US 9,100,207 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2013
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Green Edge Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Green Edge Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Alberth, William P. Jr., Chau, Seang Yong, Hartsfield, David K, Steele, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Akhavannik, Hadi
• Application Number:
  US13/766,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20140226851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

The present disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for mapping components of an automation system. More particularly, the present disclosure includes systems, devices, and methods for intelligently controlling one or more energy-consuming devices in a structure such as a residential, commercial, or industrial building. One embodiment includes a method of identifying a location of at least one component of an automation system, comprising obtaining an image of the at least one component, the image being captured by a wireless device; determining a location of the wireless device at the time of capturing the image; determining an identity of the at least one component; and associating the identity of the at least one component with the location.

Claims

1. A method of mapping the physical location of components of an automation system, comprising:

identifying at least one component of a plurality of components of the automation system, including;

obtaining an image of the at least one component, the image being captured by a wireless device, the device having a location;

identifying the at least one component in the image; and

associating the at least one component with the location;

recording the location of the at least one component, wherein recording the location of the at least one component includes drawing a line to represent a wall where the component was imaged and extending the line to a predetermined length; and

generating a map based on the location of the at least one component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one component further includes activating the component.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one component includes an outlet and identifying the outlet includes activating a load connected to the outlet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one component includes determining an energy use characteristic of the component.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying each component of the plurality of components.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a location association amongst at least two components of the plurality of components.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least two components are in communication with a sensor and the location association is determined from the sensor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one sensor detects one of light, sound, motion, energy-use, moisture, or any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein recording the location of the at least one component further includes extending the line to intersect an adjacent line.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the line is deleted based on location information provided by the wireless device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of components includes a first component and a second component, the method comprising identifying each of the first component and the second component, recording the location of the first component and the second component, and generating a map based on the locations of the first component and the second component, wherein the map includes at least one wall segment determined based on the locations of the first component and the second component.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying the first component and the second component includes obtaining an image of each component from a wireless device, the wireless device having a location for each image, identifying the first component and the second component in the respective images;

and associating the first component and the second component with the location of the wireless device when obtaining each image.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one wall segment includes two wall segments determined based on the locations of the first component and the second component, respectively.