Computer based energy management

• US 9,921,554 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Budderfly, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Budderfly, Inc.
• Inventors: Subbloie, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Zare, Scott A
• Application Number:
  US13/751,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20130144453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,877 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

Aspects include an adaptor and a method for providing computer based energy management. Commands specifying a control device from energy management host software located on a host system are received at an adaptor via a server network. The commands include control instructions and requests for energy usage data. Energy usage data are received from the control device in response to a command including a request for energy usage data. The energy usage data includes energy usage for one or more energy devices. The energy usage data are transmitted to the energy management host software. Sensor data are received from one or more sensors and transmitted to the energy management host software. Control commands are received from the energy management host software. The control commands are transmitted to the control device to alter a function of at least one of the one or more energy devices.

Claims

1. A method for providing computer based energy management by an adaptor, the method comprising:

initializing a command timer and a calculation timer to one or more preconfigured time intervals at the adaptor, the command timer used to process commands and the calculation timer used to process calculations of usage information;

monitoring the command timer and the calculation timer to determine if a time out has occurred;

receiving commands specifying a control device from energy management host software located on a host system, the commands received at the adaptor via a server network, the adaptor comprising a control device interface, one or more sensors, and a microcontroller unit, and the commands including control instructions and requests for energy usage data wherein the commands are selected from the group consisting of;

instructions to change to a second state or a manual override command;

wherein a time out of the command timer occurs;

based on determining that the command timer has timed out and detecting that the commands have been received, returning an acknowledgement to the host system and processing the commands wherein the control device is in a first state and upon the time out of the command timer the control device remains in the first state until the commands are received;

transmitting the commands to the control device via the control device interface on the adaptor wherein if the commands include instructions for the control device, the control device performs the commands;

receiving energy usage data from the control device at the adaptor in response to at least one of the commands including a request for energy usage data, the energy usage data including energy usage for one or more energy devices in communication with the control device;

based on determining that the calculation timer has timed out, reading the energy usage data and storing the energy usage data in the adaptor with a timestamp based on an internal clock of the adaptor that is periodically synchronized with the host system;

transmitting the energy usage data and the timestamp from the adaptor to the energy management host software;

receiving sensor data from the one or more sensors at the adaptor, the sensor data indicative of environmental conditions at the adaptor;

transmitting the sensor data from the adaptor to the energy management host software;

receiving control commands at the adaptor as additional commands from the energy management host software, the receiving responsive to the transmission of;

the sensor data, the energy usage data, and the timestamp; and

transmitting the control commands from the adaptor to the control device, the control commands altering a function of at least one of the one or more energy devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the energy usage data to the energy management host software is performed in response to receiving the energy usage data from the control device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the energy usage data to the energy management host software is performed in response to receiving the request from the energy management host software.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the sensor data to the energy management host software is performed in response to receiving the sensor data from the one or more sensors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the sensor data to the energy management host software is performed in response to receiving the request from the energy management host software.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the adaptor further comprises a power usage sensor and the one or more sensors comprise at least one of:

a motion sensor;

a temperature sensor; and

a light sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the adaptor further comprises a local storage.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing the energy usage data on the local storage.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing the sensor data on the local storage.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein communication is performed using one or more of:

a wireless network and a copper wire network.

11. An adaptor for providing computer based energy management, the adaptor comprising:

a control device interface;

one or more sensors; and

a microcontroller unit configured to execute adaptor logic, the adaptor logic comprising;

initializing a command timer and a calculation timer to one or more preconfigured time intervals, the command timer used to process commands and the calculation timer used to process calculations of usage information;

monitoring the command timer and the calculation timer to determine if a time out of the command timer has occurred;

receiving commands specifying a control device from energy management host software located on a host system, the commands received at the adaptor via a server network, and the commands including control instructions and requests for energy usage data;

based on determining that the command timer has timed out and detecting that the commands have been received, returning an acknowledgement to the host system and processing the commands wherein the control device is in a first state and upon the time out of the command timer the control device remains in the first state until the commands are received;

transmitting the commands to the control device via the control device interface on the adaptor wherein if the commands include instructions for the control device, the control device performs the commands;

receiving energy usage data from the control device in response to at least one of the commands including a request for energy usage data, the energy usage data including energy usage for one or more energy devices in communication with the control device;

based on determining that the calculation timer has timed out, reading the energy usage data and storing the energy usage data in the adaptor with a timestamp based on an internal clock of the adaptor that is periodically synchronized with the host system;

transmitting the energy usage data and the timestamp from the adaptor to the energy management host software;

receiving sensor data from the one or more sensors, the sensor data indicative of environmental conditions at the adaptor;

transmitting the sensor data from the adaptor to the energy management host software;

receiving control commands at the adaptor as additional commands from the energy management host software, the receiving responsive to the transmission of;

the sensor data, the energy usage data, and the timestamp; and

transmitting the control commands from the adaptor to the control device, the control commands altering a function of at least one of the one or more energy devices.

12. The adaptor of claim 11, wherein transmitting the energy usage data to the energy management host software is performed in response to receiving the energy usage data from the control device.

13. The adaptor of claim 11, wherein transmitting the energy usage data to the energy management host software is performed in response to receiving the request from the energy management host software.

14. The adaptor of claim 11, wherein transmitting the sensor data to the energy management host software is performed in response to receiving the sensor data from the one or more sensors.

15. The adaptor of claim 11, wherein transmitting the sensor data to the energy management host software is performed in response to receiving the request from the energy management host software.

16. The adaptor of claim 11, wherein the adaptor further comprises a power usage sensor and the one or more sensors comprise at least one of:

a motion sensor;

a temperature sensor; and

a light sensor.

17. The adaptor of claim 11, further comprising a local storage.

18. The adaptor of claim 17, wherein the adaptor logic is further configured to store the energy usage data on the local storage.

19. The adaptor of claim 17, wherein the adaptor logic is further configured to store the sensor data on the local storage.

20. The adaptor of claim 11, wherein communication is performed using one or more of:

a wireless network and a copper wire network.