Controlling the setback and setback recovery of a power-consuming device

• US 9,436,199 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2012
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gridpoint (Twenty First Century Utilities LLC)
• Original Assignee: Gridpoint (Twenty First Century Utilities LLC)
• Inventors: Dyess, Daniel K., Preston, E. Channing Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Laughlin, Nathan L
• Application Number:
  US13/495,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20130013122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/00 Control inputs relating to system states
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/244 the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for controlling a setback mode of a power-consuming device, and for controlling setback recovery of power-consuming devices, in order to make setback and setback recovery more dynamic based on current environmental parameters and previous observed operating parameters, in order to enable more efficient operation of power-consuming devices resulting in reduced energy costs and increased power efficiency.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer-readable code stored thereon for causing a computer to perform a method of controlling a setback mode of a power-consuming device, the method comprising:

determining a previous drift value,

wherein the previous drift value is a rate of change of at least one previous environmental parameter observed while the power-consuming device was in a previous setback mode;

receiving, at a processor component, at least one setback setting input,

wherein the setback setting input corresponds to at least one of a setback entry time, a setback environmental parameter, a setback parameter differential, and combinations thereof,

wherein the setback entry time is a programmed time at which the power-consuming device will enter the setback mode,

wherein the setback environmental parameter is a threshold value for an environmental parameter of the power-consuming device at which the power-consuming device will enter the setback mode,

wherein the setback parameter differential is a target change in an environmental parameter of the power-consuming device when the power-consuming device enters the setback mode;

receiving data indicative of a current environmental parameter;

calculating a replacement setback setting based at least on the previous drift value, the setback setting input, and the data indicative of the current environmental parameter;

monitoring the current environmental parameter;

comparing the current environmental parameters to a predetermined operating environmental parameter;

entering a shut-off mode when the current environmental parameter is within a predefined threshold of the predetermine operating environmental parameter;

exiting the shut-off mode when the current environmental parameter is not within the predefined threshold of the predetermined operating environmental parameter;

monitoring a shut-off time corresponding to the power-consuming device entering the shut-off mode;

monitoring a turn-on time corresponding to the power-consuming device exiting the shut-off mode;

computing a current drift value based at least on the predetermined operating environmental parameter and the current environmental parameter when the current environmental parameter is not within predefined threshold of the predetermine operating environmental parameter, and a difference between the shut-off time and the turn-on time; and

replacing the previous drift value with the current drift value.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising sending instructions to the power-consuming device to enter the setback mode based at least on the replacement setback setting.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein calculating the replacement setback setting comprises:

determining a modification value based at least on the previous drift value;

adjusting the setback entry time by the modification value.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the current drift value is a ratio of a difference between the predetermined operating environmental parameter and the current environmental parameter, when the current environmental parameter is not within the predefined threshold of the predetermined operating environmental parameter, to the difference between the shut-off time and the turn-on time.

5. A system for controlling a setback mode of a power-consuming device, the system comprising:

a processor configured to;

determine a previous drift value, wherein the previous drift value is a rate of change of at least one previous environmental parameter observed while the power-consuming device was in a previous setback mode;

receive at least one setback setting input, the setback setting input corresponding to at least one of a setback entry time, a setback environmental parameter, and a setback parameter differential,

wherein the setback entry time is a programmed time at which the power-consuming device will enter the setback mode,

wherein the setback environmental parameter is a threshold value for an environmental parameter of the power-consuming device at which the power-consuming device will enter the setback mode,

wherein the setback parameter differential is a target change in an environmental parameter of the power-consuming device when the power-consuming device enters the setback mode;

receive data indicative of a current environmental parameter;

calculate a replacement setback setting based at least on the previous drift value, the at least one setback setting input, and the data indicative of the current environmental parameter;

monitor the current environmental parameter;

compare the current environmental parameter to a predetermined operating environmental parameter; and

a controller configured to instruct the power-consuming device to;

enter the setback mode based at least on the replacement setback setting;

enter a shut-off mode when the current environmental parameter is within a predefined threshold of the predetermined operating environmental parameter; and

exit the shut-off mode when the current environmental parameter is not within the predefined threshold of the predetermined operating environmental parameter,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

monitor a shut-off time corresponding to the power-consuming device entering the shut-off mode;

monitor a turn-on time corresponding to the power-consuming device exiting the shut-off mode;

compute a current drift value based at least on the predetermined operating environmental parameter and the current environmental parameter when the current environmental parameter is not within the predefined threshold of the predetermined operating environmental parameter, and a difference between the shut-off time and the turn-on time; and

replace the previous drift value with the current drift value.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein modifying the setback setting input comprises:

determining a modification value based at least on the previous drift value;

adjusting the setback entry time by the modification value.