Wireless home energy monitoring system

• US 9,479,847 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2011
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Pollard, Gary B., Washington, Rodney B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kundu, Sujoy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ngon, Ricky
• Application Number:
  US13/288,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20130116953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,818 Days
• Field of Search: 702/62, 702/57, 702/61, 702/188, 340/870.02, 340/870.05, 340/870.03, 340/870.06
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/16 Displaying of utility pricing or cost
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; 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 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/826 where the data is sent periodically
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/883 where the sensing device enters an active or inactive mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 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
• 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 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

A low cost, energy monitoring system comprises a plurality of remote sensors for monitoring energy consumption in specific circuits, or by specific appliances, a adapter that communicates with the remote sensors over a wireless network, and a host device with a display. The remote sensors monitor energy consumption in specific circuits, or by specific appliances, and report the energy consumption by the monitored circuits or appliances to the remote adapter. The adapter stores the energy consumption data in memory and generates output images for display by the host device. The output images are based on display templates stored in the memory of the adapter and define how the energy consumption data is formatted and displayed for the user.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising:

one or more wireless sensing devices for collecting energy consumption data,

a host device including a display;

an adapter to removably connect to said host device, said adapter comprising;

a housing;

a wireless transceiver disposed within the housing to receive energy consumption data from the sensing devices;

memory within the housing to store the energy consumption data and one or more display templates, said memory comprising shared memory accessible by said host device;

a processor within the housing and configured to;

create one or more output images based on the energy consumption data and the display templates; and

share the output images with the host device using a file-based communication scheme by storing the output images in the shared memory for retrieval by the host device; and

an interface including a physical connector to removably connect the adapter to the host device and an interface circuit to provide the host device with access to the output images stored in the shared memory.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the memory further comprises hidden memory for storing the energy consumption data, said hidden memory being inaccessible to said host device.

3. The home energy monitoring system of claim 2 wherein one of the sensing devices comprises a plurality of sensors for monitoring energy consumption in a plurality of circuits.

4. The home energy monitoring system of claim 2 wherein one of the sensing devices is adapted to connect to a wall outlet and to monitor current used by a connected appliance.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to generate an output image including the power or energy consumed.

6. The monitoring system of claim 5 wherein the processor is further configured to compute the cost of the power or energy used by one or more circuits of which the energy consumption data are collected and to generate an output image including the cost of the power or energy consumed.

7. The home energy monitoring system of claim 5 wherein the processor is configured to group two or more circuits of which the energy consumption data are collected into a circuit group, to compute an aggregate power or energy used by the circuit group, and to create an output image including the aggregate power or energy used by the circuit group.

8. The home energy monitoring system of claim 7 wherein the processor is configured to compute an aggregate cost of the power or energy used by the circuit group, and to create an output image including the aggregate cost of the power or energy used by the circuit group.

9. The home energy monitoring system of claim 1 further comprising a configuration tool for configuration of the display templates by a user.

10. An adapter for a monitoring system including a host device with a display, the adapter comprising:

a housing;

a wireless transceiver disposed within the housing to receive energy consumption data from one or more sensing devices;

memory within the housing to store the energy consumption data and one or more display templates, said memory comprising shared memory accessible by said host device;

a processor within the housing and configured to;

create one or more output images based on the energy consumption data and the display template; and

share the output images with the host device using a file-based communication scheme by storing the output images in the shared memory for retrieval by the host device; and

an interface including a physical connector to the host device and an interface circuit to provide the host device with access to the output images stored in the shared memory.

11. The adapter of claim 10 wherein the memory further comprises hidden memory for storing the energy consumption data, said hidden memory being inaccessible to said host device.

12. The adapter of claim 10 wherein the processor is configured to generate an image including the amount of power or energy consumed.

13. The adapter of claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured to compute the cost of the power or energy used by one or more circuits of which the energy consumption data are collected and to generate an image including the cost of the power or energy consumed.

14. The adapter of claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured to group two or more circuits of which the energy consumption data are collected into a circuit group, to compute an aggregate power or energy used by the circuit group, and to create an image including the aggregate power or energy used by the circuit group.

15. The adapter of claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to compute an aggregate cost of the power or energy used by the circuit group, and to create an image including the aggregate cost of the power used by the circuit group.

16. The adapter of claim 10 further comprising a configuration tool for configuring the display templates by a user.