Power monitoring system

• US 9,106,099 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Embertec Pty Ltd
• Original Assignee: Embertec Pty Ltd
• Inventors: Gelonese, Guiseppe Antonio
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kessie, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/376,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20120080949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 307/31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00019 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/28 Arrangements for balancing of the load in a network by storage of energy
• 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: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/12 Energy storage units, uninterruptible power supply [UPS] systems or standby or emergency generators, e.g. in the last power distribution stages
• 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 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A power monitoring system to monitor electrical power supply to electrical equipments. The monitor includes an energy saving device to reduce unnecessary power consumption. A control means for enabling control of power consumption of electrical devices in response to the data output of the monitored power consumption.

Claims

1. An energy saving device for reducing power consumption of an external electrical device, comprising:

an input connectable to an external power supply;

an output connectable to the external electrical device for selectively providing operating power thereto;

a processor for controlling when power is supplied to the external electrical device via the output; and

a sensor for monitoring wireless output signals of a remote control device that control functions of the external electrical device or another electrical device associated with the external electrical device, said sensor being coupled to the processor, and wherein the processor operates to terminate the power supplied to the external electrical device based upon the absence of the detection of the wireless output signals of the remote control device by the sensor.

2. The energy saving device of claim 1, wherein the wireless output signals of the remote control device comprise radio frequency (RF) control signals and wherein the sensor is configured for monitoring RF signals.

3. The energy saving device of claim 2, wherein wireless output signals of the remote control device comprise infrared (IR) control signals and wherein the sensor is configured for monitoring IR signals.

4. The energy saving device of claim 1, wherein the processor terminates the supply of power to the external electrical device when the absence of the detection of the wireless output signals of the remote control device by the sensor exceeds a predetermined time-out period.

5. The energy saving device of claim 1, further including an alert device, which provides an alert signal to a user prior to the termination of the power supply to the external electrical device.

6. The energy saving device of claim 5, wherein said alert device provides at least one of an audible signal or a visual signal.

7. The energy saving device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of outputs, each of the plurality of outputs configured for selectively electrically connecting to the input for providing operating power to external electrical devices connected thereto.

8. The energy saving device of claim 1, further comprising a power sensor configured to sense power consumption of the external electrical device, the processor being further configured to determine an operational state of the external electrical device from the sensed power consumption and to terminate the power supplied to the external electrical device when the external electrical device is determined to be in a selected state.

9. An energy saving device including:

an electrical input configured for connecting to a power supply;

an electrical output configured for connecting to an electrical device of the type which, when connected to a power supply has an ‘

ON’

state and a ‘

STANDBY’

state;

a switch configured to selectively connect said electrical output to said electrical input; and

a sensor able to wirelessly sense activity of a user-operated remote control device for controlling the electrical device;

wherein said switch is configured to disconnect said electrical output from said electrical input in response to at least one of;

(i) said electrical device is in said ‘

ON’

state and an absence of said activity is detected by said sensor for a predetermined timeout period, or,

(ii) said electrical device entering said ‘

STANDBY’

state.

10. An energy saving device including an electrical plug configured for connecting to a mains power supply;

an electrical socket configured for connecting to an electrical device;

a switch configured to control electrical connection between said electrical plug and said electrical socket;

a sensor configured to wirelessly sense activity of a user-operated remote control device,

the activity configured to control said electrical device;

a control module configured to monitor the sensor to determine a first length of time during which said activity has not been detected and to operate said switch to disconnect electrical connection between the electrical plug and the electrical socket when said first length of time exceeds a threshold value to prevent the electrical device from drawing power during at least some times when no user is present and using the electrical device.

11. The energy saving device of claim 10 further comprising a warning device operated by the control module, the warning device configured to warn that the threshold value is shortly to be reached, and wherein the sensor is further configured to detect a signal from the remote control device and said signal to be monitored by the control module, wherein responsive to said signal, the switch is not operated to disconnect the electrical connection between the electrical plug and the electrical socket.

12. A system for monitoring power consumption of and controlling power supply to a plurality of electrical devices, the system including:

communication apparatus for communicating with an energy saving device, the energy saving device having;

a single electrical inlet configured to connect to a mains supply electrical outlet; and

a plurality of controlled electrical outlets for selectively supplying electrical power to the electrical devices; and

a power sensor for monitoring power consumption of at least one of the electrical devices connected to the controlled electrical outlets;

a processor configured to control the connection of electrical supply from the mains supply electrical outlet to each of the controlled electrical outlets in response to a sensed power consumption state of at least one of the electrical devices

a device sensor for monitoring output of a remote control device, said device sensor being coupled to the device processor, and wherein the device processor operates to terminate the power supplied to the external electrical device based upon the absence of the detection of output of the remote control device by the sensor.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein each of the energy saving devices comprises:

an input connectable to an external power supply;

an output connectable to the external electrical device for selectively providing operating power thereto;

a device processor for controlling when power is supplied to the external electrical device via the output; and

a device sensor for monitoring output of a remote control device, said device sensor being coupled to the device processor, and wherein the device processor operates to terminate the power supplied to the external electrical device based upon the absence of the detection of output of the remote control device by the sensor.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising an output for outputting data relating to the monitored power consumption.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to control power supply to the electrical devices in response to the data output relating to monitored power consumption.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor is configured to provide adjustment settings of the energy saving device in response to the data output relating to monitored power consumption.