Resource consumption measurement system and method
First Claim
1. An HVAC controller configured to obtain energy consumption data pertinent to an energy-monitored property, the HVAC controller comprising:
- at least one of;
a gas valve interface configured to place the HVAC controller in electronic communication with a gas valve associated with heating the energy-monitored property;
an AC unit switch interface configured to place the HVAC controller in electronic communication with an AC unit switch associated with cooling the energy-monitored property;
a valve and/or switch controller configured to transmit electrical signals to at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch to open and close the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch in accordance with thermostat schedule data;
an identification module configured to identify, based on first actual energy usage data for the energy-monitored property and using at least one of a set of one or more processors, one or more future time periods when energy consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the energy-monitored property;
a calibration module configured to, using at least one of the set of one or more processors, open and close the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch in accordance with calibration schedule data during a first period of time within the one or more future time periods when energy consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the energy-monitored property;
a timestamp module configured to, using at least one of the set of one or more processors, identify a calibration open time and a calibration close time for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch in accordance with the calibration schedule data during the first period of time;
a data module configured to receive, from an energy utility entity, second actual energy usage data for usage that occurred between the calibration open time and the calibration close time for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch during the first period of time;
a computational module configured to, using at least one of the set of one or more processors, calculate a first computed flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch based on the calibration open time, the calibration close time, and the second actual energy usage data received from the energy utility entity for usage that occurred between the calibration open time and the calibration close time during the first period of time;
a flow estimation module configured to, using at least one of the set of one or more processors, estimate energy consumption and provide estimated energy usage data for the energy-monitored property based on the first computed flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch and a total operational time for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch over a selected time period of interest; and
a detection module configured to, using at least one of the set of one or more processors, detect at least one energy consumption anomaly based on a comparison between the estimated energy usage data and third actual energy usage data over the selected time period of interest, the detection module further configured to generate a notification based on a specified threshold discrepancy between the estimated energy usage data and the third actual energy usage data over the selected time period of interest, the at least one energy consumption anomaly indicating a flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch during the selected time period of interest that is different from the first computed flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An HVAC controller, in one embodiment, may include a gas valve interface and an AC unit switch interface, and a controller that may communicate with at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch. An identification module may identify one or more time periods when energy consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal, and a calibration module may open and close the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch according to calibration schedule data. A computational module may calculate a computed flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch based on a calibration open time, a calibration close time, and the actual energy usage data for usage that occurred between the calibration open time and the calibration close time. The computed flow rate may be utilized to identify anomalies and provide notifications thereof.
37 Citations
12 Claims
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1. An HVAC controller configured to obtain energy consumption data pertinent to an energy-monitored property, the HVAC controller comprising:
at least one of; a gas valve interface configured to place the HVAC controller in electronic communication with a gas valve associated with heating the energy-monitored property; an AC unit switch interface configured to place the HVAC controller in electronic communication with an AC unit switch associated with cooling the energy-monitored property; a valve and/or switch controller configured to transmit electrical signals to at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch to open and close the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch in accordance with thermostat schedule data; an identification module configured to identify, based on first actual energy usage data for the energy-monitored property and using at least one of a set of one or more processors, one or more future time periods when energy consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the energy-monitored property; a calibration module configured to, using at least one of the set of one or more processors, open and close the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch in accordance with calibration schedule data during a first period of time within the one or more future time periods when energy consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the energy-monitored property; a timestamp module configured to, using at least one of the set of one or more processors, identify a calibration open time and a calibration close time for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch in accordance with the calibration schedule data during the first period of time; a data module configured to receive, from an energy utility entity, second actual energy usage data for usage that occurred between the calibration open time and the calibration close time for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch during the first period of time; a computational module configured to, using at least one of the set of one or more processors, calculate a first computed flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch based on the calibration open time, the calibration close time, and the second actual energy usage data received from the energy utility entity for usage that occurred between the calibration open time and the calibration close time during the first period of time; a flow estimation module configured to, using at least one of the set of one or more processors, estimate energy consumption and provide estimated energy usage data for the energy-monitored property based on the first computed flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch and a total operational time for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch over a selected time period of interest; and a detection module configured to, using at least one of the set of one or more processors, detect at least one energy consumption anomaly based on a comparison between the estimated energy usage data and third actual energy usage data over the selected time period of interest, the detection module further configured to generate a notification based on a specified threshold discrepancy between the estimated energy usage data and the third actual energy usage data over the selected time period of interest, the at least one energy consumption anomaly indicating a flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch during the selected time period of interest that is different from the first computed flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for obtaining energy consumption data pertinent to an energy-monitored property, the method comprising:
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at one or more of a set of one or more processors within or in electronic communication with an HVAC controller that controls heating and/or cooling of the energy-monitored property, receiving first actual energy usage data for the energy-monitored property, the HVAC controller comprising; at least one of; a gas valve interface configured to place the HVAC controller in electronic communication with a gas valve associated with heating the energy-monitored property; an AC unit switch interface configured to place the HVAC controller in electronic communication with an AC unit switch associated with cooling the energy-monitored property; and a valve and/or switch controller configured to transmit electrical signals to at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch to open and close the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch in accordance with thermostat schedule data; at one or more of the set of one or more processors, identifying, based on the first actual energy usage data, one or more future time periods when energy consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the energy-monitored property; opening and closing the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch in accordance with calibration schedule data during a first period of time within the one or more future time periods when energy consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the energy-monitored property; at one or more of the set of one or more processors, identifying a calibration open time and a calibration close time for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch in accordance with the calibration schedule data during the first period of time; at one or more of the set of one or more processors, receiving second actual energy usage data from an energy utility entity for usage that occurred between the calibration open time and the calibration close time for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch during the first period of time; and at one or more of the set of one or more processors, calculating a first computed flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch based on the calibration open time, the calibration close time, and the second actual energy usage data from the energy utility entity for usage that occurred between the calibration open time and the calibration close time during the first period of time; at one or more of the set of one or more processors, estimating energy consumption by providing estimated energy usage data for the energy-monitored property based on the first computed flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch and a total operational time for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch over a selected time period of interest; at one or more of the set of one or more processors, detecting at least one energy consumption anomaly based on a comparison between the estimated energy usage data and third actual energy usage data over the selected time period of interest, the at least one energy consumption anomaly indicating a flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch during the selected time period of interest that is different from the first computed flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch; and at one or more of the set of one or more processors, initiating generation of a notification based on a specified threshold discrepancy between the estimated energy usage data and the third actual energy usage data over the selected time period of interest. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer program product for obtaining energy consumption data pertinent to an energy-monitored property, the computer program product comprising:
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a non-transitory computer readable medium; and computer program code, encoded on the non-transitory computer readable medium, configured to cause one or more processors to perform the steps of; causing an HVAC controller that controls heating and/or cooling of the energy-monitored property to receive first actual energy usage data for the energy-monitored property, the HVAC controller comprising; at least one of; a gas valve interface configured to place the HVAC controller in electronic communication with a gas valve associated with heating the energy-monitored property; an AC unit switch interface configured to place the HVAC controller in electronic communication with an AC unit switch associated with cooling the energy-monitored property; and a valve and/or switch controller configured to transmit electrical signals to at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch to open and close the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch in accordance with thermostat schedule data; identifying, based on the first actual energy usage data, one or more future time periods when energy consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the energy-monitored property; opening and closing the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch in accordance with calibration schedule data during a first period of time within the one or more future time periods when energy consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the energy-monitored property; identifying a calibration open time and a calibration close time for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch in accordance with the calibration schedule data during the first period of time; receiving second actual energy usage data from an energy utility entity for usage that occurred between the calibration open time and the calibration close time for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch during the first period of time; and calculating a first computed flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch based on the calibration open time, the calibration close time, and the second actual energy usage data from the energy utility entity for usage that occurred between the calibration open time and the calibration close time during the first period of time; estimating energy consumption by providing estimated energy usage data for the energy-monitored property based on the first computed flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch and a total operational time for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch over a selected time period of interest; detecting at least one energy consumption anomaly based on a comparison between the estimated energy usage data and a third actual energy usage data over the selected time period of interest, the at least one energy consumption anomaly indicating a flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch during the selected time period of interest that is different from the first computed flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch; and generating a notification based on a specified threshold discrepancy between the estimated energy usage data and the third actual energy usage data over the selected time period of interest. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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Specification