Control system for power transmission within a structure

• US 9,261,870 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vikrant Sharma
• Original Assignee: Vikrant Sharma
• Inventors: Sharma, Vikrant
• Primary Examiner(s): MCNALLY, KERRI L
• Application Number:
  US13/664,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20140118105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 340/4.34, 340/5.25, 340/12.32, 340/12.33, 340/13.21, 340/13.22, 340/13.33, 340/13.34, 340/13.25, 340/53, 340/9.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 47/22 for supplying energising current for relay coil
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• 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 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• 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 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/14 Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers
• 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 system of electrical distribution within a building, which selectively energizes power sockets only when an appliance is connected to the socket and in need of power.

Claims

1. A method of controlling electrical power distribution to a socket associated with a wirelessly transmitted ID signal that uniquely identifies the socket, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving the ID signal, at a controller and from an appliance to be powered using said socket, only while a plug electrically connected to the appliance is inserted in the socket, and where receipt of the ID signal indicates that the appliance has been turned on; and

delivering electrical power to the socket at a level sufficient to fully operate the appliance only if the signal is received, wherein said controller causes power to be delivered to said socket at a level sufficient to operate said appliance while the signal is received, and causes power not to be delivered to said socket at a level sufficient to operate said appliance while the signal is not received.

2. The method of claim 1 where the socket receives power from a second socket associated with a wirelessly transmitted second signal that uniquely identifies said second socket, and where said electrical power sufficient to operate the appliance is delivered to the socket only while both the first signal and the second signal are received from the appliance.

3. The method of claim 2 where the socket is one of a plurality of sockets in a power cord.

4. The method of claim 2 where the socket is one of a plurality of sockets in a power strip and the second socket is a wall outlet.

5. The method of claim 4 where each socket in the power strip has a unique ID transmitted by a unique transmitter associated with a respective one of the plurality of sockets.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the socket is one of a plurality of sockets in a power strip.

7. The method of claim 1 where the socket wirelessly transmits the signal over a sufficiently small range so as to only be received by a receiver proximate the socket.

8. The method of claim 1 where an external hub communicates the signal broadcast from the appliance to a controller that controls power to the socket.

9. A method of controlling electrical power distribution from a socket capable of delivering a full power signal, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a first power signal from the socket, said first power signal substantially less than said full power signal;

transmitting an ID of the socket to a plug inserted in the socket, the ID propagated from said plug by an ID signal and along a first transmission medium using the first power signal;

preventing generation of said full power signal from said socket unless the ID signal has been received from the plug.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said plug is connected to an appliance that transmits said ID signal over a second medium different than the first medium.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said first transmission medium is a cord connected to said plug.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said second transmission medium is a wireless transmission medium.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said ID signal is received by a controller over said second transmission medium, said controller controlling power to said socket.

14. The method of claim 10 where receipt of the ID signal over the second transmission medium indicates that the appliance has been turned on.

15. The method of claim 10 where said full power signal is sufficient to power said appliance.

16. A method of controlling electrical power consumption by an appliance having a plug connected to a socket capable of applying a full power signal, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first power signal from the socket, said first power signal substantially less than said full power signal, and receiving an ID of the socket from said first power signal and propagated along a first transmission medium connected to the plug;

transmitting said ID over a second transmission medium different than said first transmission medium; and

receiving said full power signal from said socket only after the ID has been transmitted over the second transmission medium.

17. A method according to claim 16, said plug having a receiver capable of receiving a wireless signal from the socket when the plug is inserted into the socket.

18. A method according to claim 16 where the appliance includes a power switch and the appliance retransmits the signal regardless of whether the power switch is on or off.

19. A method according to claim 16 including a power switch that causes the signal to be retransmitted only when the power switch is on.

20. A method according to claim 16 wherein an antenna outside a housing of said appliance transmits said ID over said second transmission medium.

21. A method according to claim 16 wherein an antenna inside a housing of said appliance transmits said ID over said second transmission medium.