Identifying device state changes using power data and network data

• US 9,699,529 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2017
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sense Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sense Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: Petri, Jonah Wyman, Micali, Christopher M., Phillips, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nwugo, Ojiako
• Application Number:
  US15/439,788
• Time in Patent Office: 132 Days
• Field of Search: 340 561, 3408702, 3408707, 702 61, 702182, 706 11, 706 44, 706 46
• 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 2209/75 by polling or interrogating the sub-stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• 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

Abstract

Devices state changes in a building may be determined using a combination of power monitoring and network monitoring. Power monitoring may be performed by obtaining a power monitoring signal and processing the power monitoring signal with models to determine information about state changes of one or more devices in the building. Network monitoring may be performed by receiving information about network packets transmitted by devices in the building and processing the information about the network packets to determine information about state changes of one or more devices in the building. For some devices and some implementations, information about state changes of a device may be determined by using both power monitoring and network monitoring.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining states of devices in a building, the method comprising:

accessing stored information about devices in the building, wherein the devices in the building comprise a first device and a second device, and wherein the information about the devices comprises a state of the first device and a state of the second device;

obtaining a power monitoring signal by measuring an electrical property of a power line in the building, wherein the power line provides power to the devices in the building;

determining the state of the first device by (1) processing a first power event in the power monitoring signal with a plurality of power models to generate a score for each power model of the plurality of power models, and (2) selecting a state of the first device from a plurality of possible states using the scores;

causing the state of the first device to be updated in the stored information using the selected state;

receiving a first broadcast network packet, wherein the first broadcast network packet was transmitted by the second device;

determining, using information in the first broadcast network packet, that the first broadcast network packet was sent by the second device;

selecting, using the information in the first broadcast network packet, the state of the second device from a plurality of possible states for the second device; and

causing the state of the second device to be updated in the stored information using the selected state.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first broadcast network packet comprises a broadcast using simple service discovery protocol, zero-configuration networking, or NetBIOS.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method comprising:

transmitting a request for information to the second device; and

wherein receiving the first broadcast network packet comprises receiving a response to the request for information.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein transmitting the request for information comprises polling the second device, requesting information using an API of the second device, or requesting information about services provided by the second device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein selecting the state of the second device comprises (1) processing the information in the first broadcast network packet with a plurality of network models, and (2) selecting a highest scoring network model, wherein the highest scoring network model corresponds to the selected state.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein selecting the state of the second device comprises processing the information in the first broadcast network packet with a plurality of rules, wherein each rule of the plurality of rules comprises comparing information in the network packet to at least one condition.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein selecting the state of the second device comprises:

processing a second power event in the power monitoring signal with the plurality of power models to generate a second score for each power model of the plurality of power models;

processing the information about the first broadcast network packet with a plurality of network models to generate a third score for each network model of the plurality of network models; and

selecting the state using the second scores and the third scores.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein selecting the state of the second device comprises:

generating a second score for each state change model of a plurality of state change models, wherein each state change model processes a second power event in the power monitoring signal and the information in the first broadcast network packet; and

selecting the state using the second scores.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving a plurality of broadcast network packets, wherein each broadcast network packet of the plurality of broadcast network packets was transmitted by the second device; and

selecting the state of the second device using information in the plurality of broadcast network packets.

10. A system for determining states of devices in a building, the system comprising:

at least one computer comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one computer configured to;

store information about devices in the building, wherein the devices in the building comprise a first device and a second device, and wherein the information about the devices comprises a state of the first device and a state of the second device;

obtain a power monitoring signal by measuring an electrical property of a power line in the building, wherein the power line provides power to the devices in the building;

determine a state of the first device by (1) processing a first power event the power monitoring signal with a plurality of power models to generate a score for each power model of the plurality of power models, and (2) selecting a state of the first device from a plurality of possible states using the scores;

cause the state of the first device to be updated in the stored information using the selected state;

receive first network data from a server computer, wherein the server computer transmitted the network data based on information received from the second device;

determine, using the first network data, that the first network data corresponds to the second device;

select, using the first network data, a state of the second device from a plurality of possible states for the second device; and

cause the state of the second device to be updated in the stored information using the selected state.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one computer is configured to cause the state of the first device to be updated in the stored information by transmitting the state of the first device to a server computer.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the power monitoring signal indicates a current or voltage of the power line.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one computer comprises a power monitor installed in the building and a server computer with a network connection to the power monitor.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the server computer is configured to determine that a user device has a network connection with the server computer;

the server computer is configured to send an indication to the power monitor that the user device has a network connection with the server computer; and

the power monitor is configured to modify its processing in response to receiving the indication.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the power monitor is configured to modify its processing by changing a frequency of polling devices.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one computer is configured to select the state of the second device by:

processing a second power event in the power monitoring signal with the plurality of power models to generate a second score for each power model of the plurality of power models; and

selecting the state using the second scores and the information in the first network data.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one computer is configured to:

obtain information about power consumption of the second device from a data store of device information using the state of the second device; and

transmit the information about power consumption of the second device to a user device.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one computer is configured to:

transmit the state of the first device and the state of the second device to a user device.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform actions comprising:

obtaining a power monitoring signal by measuring an electrical property of a power line in the building, wherein the power line provides power to the devices in the building;

determining a state of a first device by (1) processing a first power event in the power monitoring signal with a plurality of power models to generate a score for each power model of the plurality of power models, and (2) selecting a state of the first device from a plurality of possible states using the scores;

causing the state of the first device to be updated in a list of devices using the selected state;

receiving a first broadcast network packet, wherein the first broadcast network packet was transmitted by a second device;

determining, using information in the first broadcast network packet, that the first broadcast network packet was transmitted by the second device;

selecting, using the information in the first network event, a state of the second device from a plurality of possible states for the second device; and

causing the state of the second device to be updated in the list of devices using the selected state.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein causing the state of the first device to be updated in the stored information comprises changing the state from an off state to an on state.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the plurality of power models comprises one or more of a device model, a transition model, or a wattage model.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein determining that the first broadcast network packet was transmitted by the second device comprises using a network address or identifier in the first broadcast network packet.

23. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein processing a first power event in the power monitoring signal with a plurality of power models comprises:

computing a plurality of features using a portion of the power monitoring signal comprising the first power event; and

processing the plurality of features with the plurality of power models.