Systems and methods for plug load control and management

• US 9,117,251 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2012
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThinkEco Inc.
• Original Assignee: ThinkEco Inc.
• Inventors: Schmidt, Jameslevi, Shimada, Jun, Shibata, Mei, Hertz-Shargel, Ben
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US13/718,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20140172184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 700/276, 700/291, 700/295, 700/415
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

The present invention is directed to methods and systems for control of loads that are connected to plugs. Through the use of various embodiments of the present invention one may allow a plurality of users to control the use of power by individual loads and dynamically configurable sets of loads with ease, on both small and large scales. Users may select from energy savings plans to generate compiled device power state schedules that automatically cause devices to enter power savings modes as pre-determined times. Consequently, one can efficiently manage plug load electricity usage in a plurality of buildings.

Claims

1. A method for generating a compiled device power state schedule, said method comprising:

a. accessing a computer database that stores a set of energy savings plans, wherein each energy savings plan comprises information corresponding to a plurality of planned on/off events over a major scheduling period of duration T1, wherein the major scheduling period is divided into a plurality of minor scheduling periods, wherein the number of minor scheduling periods is n and each minor scheduling period is of duration T2 and wherein T1=n×

T2, wherein each planned on/off event is a single on or off event that corresponds to the beginning of a period when energy is to be used by a device or when energy is not to be used by a device;

b. associating one or more devices with a plurality of energy savings plans from said set of energy savings plans, wherein each energy savings plan has

i. a start date and an end date, and

ii. a priority value, wherein the priority value is a relative ranking of each energy savings plan; and

c. applying a computer algorithm to the plurality of energy saving plans of (b) to generate an output, wherein the output comprises a compiled device power state schedule for a time period XY of duration T1 and the time period is divided into n minor scheduling periods, each of which has a duration T2, wherein the time period XY begins at X and ends at Y and for each minor scheduling period within XY the algorithm analyzes the plurality of energy savings plans to determine which energy savings plan that has a start date that is before or the same as the minor scheduling period within XY and an end date that is after or the same as the minor scheduling period within XY has the greatest priority for incorporation into the compiled device power state schedule.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the major scheduling period is one week, and the minor scheduling period is one day.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein in step (b) for at least two energy savings plans the start dates or the end dates or both the start dates and the end dates differ.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein within each of the energy savings plans in the database, each minor scheduling period is defined by reference to a day of the week and X and Y are each defined by a calendar date and time and in step (c) the algorithm analyzes at least three energy savings plans over the same minor scheduling period.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein if the start date of an energy savings plan and the end date of an energy savings plan define a period greater than T1, then the algorithm deems the energy savings plan to repeat over the time period between the start date and the end date.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the output further comprises a designation of an outlet control and monitoring device for the compiled device power state schedule.

7. A method for controlling the energy usage of one or more plug load devices comprising:

a. receiving electronic data comprising a first set of instructions, wherein the first set of instructions comprises

i. an identification of a plurality of energy savings plans, wherein each energy savings plan comprises information for a plurality of planned on/off events over a major scheduling period of duration T1, wherein the major scheduling period is divided into a plurality of minor scheduling periods, wherein the number of minor scheduling periods is n and each minor scheduling period is of duration T2 and wherein T1=n×

T2, wherein each planned on/off event is a single on or off event that corresponds to the beginning of a period when energy is to be used by a device or when energy is not to be used by a device and each planned on/off event occurs at the beginning of a minor scheduling period;

ii. a start date and an end date for each energy savings plan;

iii. a set of priority rules, wherein the priority rules define a relative order of priority among the plurality of energy savings plans that may be used to determine which planned on/off events from which energy savings plans to apply for each minor scheduling period; and

iv. a designation of one or more plug load devices for each energy savings plan;

b. generating a compiled device power state schedule, wherein the compiled device power state schedule comprises a second set of instructions, wherein the second set of instructions correspond to planned on/off events for a time period T1 to begin on date X and end on date Y, and said instructions are derived from the plurality of energy savings plans according to the start date and the end date for each energy savings plan and the priority rules, wherein at least two energy savings plans are associated with different start dates, different end dates or both different start states and different end dates;

c. transmitting the compiled device power state schedule to a system controller;

d. causing the system controller to store the compiled device power state schedule and to transmit it to one or more outlet control and monitoring devices, wherein each of said one or more outlet control and monitoring devices is associated with one or more plug load devices; and

e. causing the one or more outlet control and monitoring devices to implement the compiled device power state schedule.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the compiled device power state schedule is obtained by applying an algorithm to the plurality of energy saving plans to generate an output, wherein the output is the compiled device power state schedule for a time period XY of duration T1 and the time period XY is divided into n minor scheduling periods of duration T2, and for each minor scheduling period within XY the algorithm analyzes the plurality of energy savings plans to determine which energy savings plan that has a start date that is before or the same as the minor scheduling period within XY and an end date that is after or the same as the minor scheduling period within XY has the greatest priority for incorporation into the compiled device power state schedule.

9. A method for controlling a plurality of plug load devices comprising the method of claim 8, wherein the system management node generates a plurality of compiled device power state schedules comprising a first compiled device power state schedule and a second compiled device power state schedule, wherein the first compiled device power state schedule provides instructions to be transmitted to a first outlet control and monitoring device and the second compiled device power state schedule provides instructions to be transmitted to a second outlet control and monitoring device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first outlet control and monitoring device and the second outlet control and monitoring device are operably coupled to the same system controller.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first compiled device power state schedule is transmitted to a first system controller and the second compiled device power state schedule is transmitted to a second system controller.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the instructions are received from a first user and a second user and the instructions from said first user and said second user identify a common plug load device and further wherein when generating the compiled device power state schedule, each priority rule of the first user takes precedent over each priority rule of the second user.

13. A system for controlling energy usage of a plug load device comprising:

a) a plug load device;

b) an outlet control and monitoring device, wherein the outlet control and monitoring device stores a compiled device power state schedule for a major scheduling period and is operably coupled to the plug load device;

c) a system controller, wherein the system controller is configured to communicate wirelessly with the outlet control and monitoring device;

d) a system management node, wherein the system management node is configured to communicate with the system controller and comprises or is operably coupled to

i. a first database that stores a plurality of energy savings plans, wherein each energy savings plan comprises information for a plurality of planned on/off events over a major scheduling period of duration T1, wherein the major scheduling period is divided into a plurality of minor scheduling periods, wherein the number of minor scheduling periods is n and each minor scheduling period is of duration T2 and wherein T1=n×

T2, wherein each planned on/off event is a single on or off event period that corresponds to the beginning of a period when energy is to be used by a device or when energy is not to be used by a device and each planned on/off event occurs at the beginning of a minor scheduling period;

ii. a communication module, wherein the communication module is configured to receive digital information comprising

1. a selection of a plurality of energy savings plans, wherein each energy savings plan is associated with a start date and an end date and a prioritization wherein at least two energy savings plans are associated with different start dates, different end dates or both different start states and different end dates, and

2. a designation of at least one plug load device to which to apply the set of energy savings plans within the plurality of energy savings plans, and

iii. a computer program product for generating a compiled device power state schedule, wherein the compiled device power state schedule is dependent on the selection of the energy savings plans, the start date and the end date for each energy savings plan within the plurality of energy savings plans and the prioritization of each energy savings plans within the plurality of energy savings plans; and

iv. a transmission module, wherein the transmission module is configured to transmit the compiled device power state schedule to the system controller and the system controller is configured to store the complied device power state schedule and to transmit the compiled device power state schedule to the outlet control and management device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the outlet control and monitoring device comprises an onboard memory device, wherein the onboard memory device stores the compiled device power state schedule.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the onboard memory device is further configured to store historical energy usage data.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the onboard memory device is configured to store a compiled device power state schedule for future control signal events and the outlet control and monitoring device comprises a device operating system that is configured to cause a change in energy usage according to the compiled device power state schedule for future control signal events.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the system management node is configured to receive a first instruction from a first control device for processing and a second instruction from a second control device for processing.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the system controller is configured to store a plurality of compiled device power state schedules for a plurality of outlet control and monitoring devices.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the system controller is configured to store a first compiled device power state schedule and a second compiled device power state schedule for the outlet control and monitoring device and to transmit the second compiled device power state schedule to the outlet control and monitoring device only if the second compiled device power state schedule is different from the first compiled device power state schedule.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the plug load device is a first plug load device, and the system further comprises a second plug load device, wherein the second plug load device is operably coupled to the system controller.