Apparatus and method for controlling the energy usage of an appliance

• US 9,359,712 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2012
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Tuller, Barry E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Azad, MD
• Application Number:
  US13/439,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20130268134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 700/291
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0047 Energy or water consumption, e.g. by saving energy or water
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0063 using remote monitoring or controlling of the dishwasher operation, e.g. networking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2301/04 Operation mode, e.g. delicate washing, economy washing, reduced time, sterilizing, water softener regenerating, odor eliminating or service
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/03 Operation mode, e.g. delicate washing, economy washing, reduced time, sterilizing, water softener regenerating, odor eliminating or service
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/20 Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/62 Stopping or disabling machine operation
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/46 Control of the energy or water consumption
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/05 for wireless communication between components, e.g. for remote monitoring or control
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/48 Control of the energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 3/124 Control panels
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/08 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 : Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 : Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 : Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• 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: Y04S 20/20 : End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 : Home appliances

Abstract

A system and method for controlling an appliance with respect to the appliance'"'"'s energy usage, in which a signal relating to the energy used by the appliance is received, and a determination of whether to continue or interrupt a cycle of operation being conducted by the appliance is made based at least on part upon the receipt of the signal.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an appliance during a cycle of operation being performed by the appliance, comprising:

receiving a signal including at least one of an energy usage reduction request and energy cost data;

in response to the signal, determining a recovery cost as the energy cost of interrupting the cycle of operation and completing the cycle of operation at a later time;

determining a continued operation cost as the energy cost needed to continue the cycle of operation without interruption, including determining a normal operation cost, which is the cost of continuing the cycle of operation without interruption in a normal mode, and determining a reduced power operation cost, which is the cost of continuing the cycle of operation without interruption in a reduced power mode;

comparing the recovery cost to the continued operation cost, including comparing the recovery cost to the normal operation cost and comparing the recovery cost to the reduced power operation cost; and

if the recovery cost is less than the reduced power operation cost and the normal operation cost, interrupting the cycle of operation and if the recovery cost is equal to or greater than the reduced power operation cost and less than the normal operation cost, continuing the cycle of operation without interruption in the reduced power mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the signal comprises receiving the signal from a utility that supplies power to the appliance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal further includes a time parameter associated with the at least one of the energy usage reduction request or energy cost data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy usage reduction request comprises a request to power off the appliance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy cost is based on energy cost data that includes a change in the energy cost.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the energy cost data includes at least one of a first energy cost, a second and/or a third energy cost.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second cost per unit of energy is higher than the first energy cost.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein continuing the cycle of operation without interruption comprises continuing the cycle of operation in a reduced power mode.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein interrupting the cycle of operation comprises pausing the cycle of operation for a period of time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the period of time is included in the signal.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising scheduling an interrupted cycle of operation for a later time when the recovery cost is less than the continued operation cost.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the cycle of operation is critical, and, when the cycle of operation is determined to be critical, continuing the cycle of operation without interruption regardless of the comparison of the recovery cost to the continued operation cost.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if a power saving setting is active in the appliance, and when the power saving setting is active, interrupting the cycle of operation upon receiving the signal, regardless of the comparison of the recovery cost to the continued operation cost.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if an ignore setting is active in the appliance, and when the ignore setting is active, continuing the cycle of operation upon receiving the signal, regardless of the comparison of the recovery cost to the continued operation cost.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing access to energy cost data from a utility that supplies power to the appliance.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the energy cost data is stored in a memory of the appliance.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying a user of the appliance that the cycle of operation has been interrupted when the recovery cost is less than the continued operation cost.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein notifying comprises at least one of emailing or texting the user.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein notifying comprises displaying a notification on at least one of a smartphone, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, or a notebook computer.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the notification comprises displaying a cost savings, which is the difference between the recovery cost and the continued operation cost, to the user.

21. An appliance configured to perform a cycle of operation comprising:

a treating chamber for receiving an article for treatment according to the cycle of operation; and

a controller configured to implement the cycle of operation on the article in the treating chamber, the controller comprising;

a processor; and

a non-transitory storage medium storing machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor causes the controller to at least;

determine a recovery cost for the appliance as the energy cost of interrupting the cycle of operation and completing the cycle of operation at a later time,

determine a continued operation cost as the energy cost needed to continue the cycle of operation without interruption, including determining a normal operation cost, which is the cost of continuing the cycle of operation without interruption in a normal mode, and determining a reduced power operation cost, which is the cost of continuing the cycle of operation without interruption in a reduced power mode;

compare the recovery cost to the continued operation cost, including comparing the recovery cost to the normal operation cost and comparing the recovery cost to the reduced power operation cost; and

if the recovery cost is less than the reduced power operation cost and the normal operation cost, interrupt the cycle of operation on the article in the treating chamber and if the recovery cost is equal to or greater than the reduced power operation cost and less than the normal operation cost, continuing the cycle of operation without interruption in the reduced power mode.

22. The appliance of claim 21, further comprising a user interface operably coupled with the controller.

23. The appliance of claim 22, wherein the user interface comprises a display for notifying a user of the appliance that the cycle of operation has been interrupted.

24. The appliance of claim 22, wherein the user interface comprises a button for activating at least one of a power saving setting, a money saving setting, and/or an ignore setting.

25. The appliance of claim 21, wherein the appliance is at least one of a dishwasher, a refrigerator, a freezer, a range, a stove, an oven, a cooktop, a clothes washing machine, or a clothes dryer.