Systems and Methods for Modifying Power Usage

• US 20080272934A1
• Filed: 03/08/2006
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e-Radio USA, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Calvin Daniel Koskowich, Jackson Kit Wang, John Paul Harvey
• Inventors: Wang, Jackson Kit, Harvey, John Paul, Koskowich, Calvin Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,183,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00001 characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• 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 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing energy management utilize wireless wide-area network broadcast signals and a decentralized receiver architecture to allow customers to make informed choices with regard to energy consumption and load shedding for particular appliances. A receiver assembly embedded within an appliance receives a broadcast signal, e.g., an FM subcarrier signal, including tariff data and other electrical grid data. A processor coupled with the receiver controls the appliance in accordance with the received data and in accordance with user-defined preferences. In some embodiments, a transceiver assembly is embedded in one or more appliances in a household. Each transceiver is configured to receive broadcast signals regarding grid data, and to communicate with other appliances and/or a usage meter over a wireless personal area network. Meter data from one or more households may be aggregated and uplinked back to the energy provider or other entities.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of lights, each light representing a different status of an electrical grid;

an FM radio receiver, wherein said FM radio receiver is configured to obtain electrical grid data provided by an FM subcarrier channel; and

a processor in electrical communication with said FM radio receiver and said plurality of lights, wherein said processor is configured to light a selected one of said plurality of lights in response to said electrical grid data received by said FM radio receiver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of lights consists of three lights, and wherein

a first light in said plurality of lights is lit by said processor when the electrical grid is in a first state;

a second light in said plurality of lights is lit by said processor when the electrical grid is in a second state; and

a third light in said plurality of lights is lit by said processor when the electrical grid is in a third state.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said subcarrier channel is defined by an RDS or RBDS standard.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said subcarrier channel is a subsidiary communications authorization channel.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said subsidiary communications authorization channel is encoded at 67 kHz or 92 kHz.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a display in electrical communication with said processor, wherein said display is adapted to receive a utility message present in said electrical grid data provided by said FM subcarrier channel and to display said utility message.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said utility message is stored by a memory that is electrical communication with said processor and said display for a period of time prior to display of said utility message.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said utility message is presented on said display at a time when the electrical grid data containing said utility message is received by said FM radio receiver.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is battery operated.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a message outputting device;

an FM radio receiver, wherein said FM radio receiver is configured to obtain electrical grid data provided by an FM subcarrier channel; and

a processor in electrical communication with said FM radio receiver and said message outputting device, wherein said processor is configured to process said electrical grid data and communicate a message in said electrical grid data via said message outputting device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said message includes text, an alarm, a sound, an audible message, an audible instruction, or a song.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said message outputting device comprises a plurality of lights.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said message outputting device comprises a display capable of displaying alphanumeric characters.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said message outputting device comprises a speaker.

15. A system for managing energy usage of an appliance, comprising:

a wide-area wireless communication system comprising a plurality of transmitters configured to redundantly broadcast one or more wireless signals, wherein said each wireless signal in said one or more wireless signals comprises energy tariff information.

16. The system of claim 15, the system further comprising:

a receiver assembly in electrical communication with said appliance, said receiver assembly comprising a microcontroller for controlling the appliance as a function of the energy tariff information.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said receiver assembly is imbedded within the appliance.

18. The system of claim 16, the system further comprising a plurality of receiver assemblies for controlling a plurality of appliances, each receiver assembly in said plurality of receiver assemblies communicating with a respective appliance in said plurality of appliances in order to receive the energy tariff information and control the respective appliance.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said plurality of transmitters comprises a plurality of RDS/RBDS transmitters and said receiver assembly further comprises:

an RDS/RBDS radio receiver for receiving the wireless signal broadcast by at least one of said plurality of transmitters;

an application processor in electrical communication with said RDS/RDBS radio receiver;

an interface in electrical communication with said application processor and adapted to provide user inputs, wherein said user inputs include instructions for controlling the appliance in response to the energy tariff information; and

a memory in electrical communication with said application processor, said memory storing data for controlling the appliance in accordance with the user inputs.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said receiver assembly is imbedded within the appliance.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein said one or more wireless signals are encrypted and said receiver assembly further comprises:

an application filter for identifying the encrypted signal and passing said signal to said application processor; and

a decryption engine for decrypting the encrypted signal.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the wireless signal is any of an analog cellular signal, a digital cellular signal, a general packet radio service signal, an enhanced data rate for GSM evolution (EDGE) service signal, a Mobitex signal, two-way paging signal, a signal in the Ardis network, a satellite signal, a WiMAX signal, a WiFi signal, an AM carrier wave, an FM carrier wave, a high definition radio carrier wave, a TV signal or a satellite radio signal.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the appliance is an air conditioner or heater regulated by a thermostat, a clothes dryer, a refrigerator, a freezer, or a dishwasher.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein said one or more wireless signals comprises data concerning a power outage, wherein said data is coded for a particular group of customers and includes an estimated time to restore power.

25. A receiver assembly for managing energy usage of an appliance, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a signal from a wide-area wireless communication system comprising a plurality of transmitters configured to redundantly broadcast one or more wireless signals, wherein said each wireless signal in said one or more wireless signals comprises energy tariff information; and

a processor in electrical communication with said receiver and an appliance, said processor configured to control the appliance as a function of the energy tariff information.

26. The receiver assembly of claim 25, wherein said receiver and said processor are embedded within the appliance.

27. The receiver assembly of claim 25, wherein the appliance is an air conditioner or heater regulated by a thermostat, a clothes dryer, a refrigerator, a freezer, or a dishwasher.

28. The receiver assembly of claim 25, wherein the appliance is an air conditioned or heater regulated by a thermostat, and said receiver and said processor are embedded within the thermostat.

29. The receiver assembly of claim 25, wherein the one or more wireless signals is any of an analog cellular signal, a digital cellular signal, a general packet radio service signal, an enhanced data rate for GSM evolution (EDGE) service signal, a Mobitex signal, two-way paging signal, a signal in the Ardis network, a satellite signal, a WiMAX signal, a WiFi signal, an AM carrier wave, an FM carrier wave, a high definition radio carrier wave, a TV signal or a satellite radio signal.

30. The receiver assembly of claim 25, wherein the receiver comprises an RDS/RBDS radio receiver.

31. The receiver assembly of claim 25, further comprising:

an interface in electrical communication with said processor and adapted to provide user inputs, wherein said user inputs include instructions for controlling the appliance in response to the energy tariff information; and

a memory in electrical communication with said processor, said memory storing data for controlling the appliance in accordance with the user inputs.

32. A household electrical apparatus comprising:

(a) a transceiver wherein the transceiver comprises

(i) a receiver; and

(ii) a transmitter; and

(b) a microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor comprises

instructions for receiving, via the receiver, broadcasted radio signals that include electrical grid data; and

instructions for communication, via the transmitter, information about an electrical load of the household electrical apparatus.

33. The household electrical apparatus of claim 32, wherein the receiver is a RDS/RBDS or IBOC receiver.

34. The household electrical apparatus of claim 32, wherein the transmitter is a RDS/RBDS or IBOC transmitter.

35. The household electrical apparatus of claim 32, wherein the transceiver and the microprocessor are in a single package to facilitate sharing of common hardware components.

36. The household electrical apparatus of claim 32, wherein the transceiver facilitates Time Division Duplex (TDD) of an air medium to effect half duplex communication on a common sub-carrier frequency.

37. The household electrical apparatus of claim 32, wherein the transceiver facilitates time division multiplexing of an air medium to effect half duplex intercommunication between three or more transceivers on a common sub-carrier frequency.

38. The household electrical apparatus of claim 32, wherein the transceiver employs Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) to effect time division multiplexing of the air medium.

39. The household electrical apparatus of claim 32, wherein the transceiver facilitates Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) of the air medium to effect half duplex intercommunication between three or more transceivers on different sub-carrier frequencies.

40. The household electrical apparatus of claim 32, wherein the transceiver facilitates a Zigbee, WiFi, Bluetooth LAN and/or PAN Protocol Stacks.

41. The household electrical apparatus of claim 32, wherein the electrical grid data is a grid status, an energy tariff, or customer relationship management data.

42. An uplink backhaul apparatus comprising:

a wireless local area network connection for receiving household electrical load data from a plurality of nodes over a wireless connection; and

a wide area network uplink connection for transmitting pooled household electrical load data from said plurality of nodes.

43. The uplink backhaul apparatus of claim 42 wherein the wireless local area network connection comprises an RDS/RBDS connection, an IBOC connection, a WiFi connection, or a bluetooth connection.

44. The uplink backhaul apparatus of claim 42 wherein the wide area network uplink connection transmits the household electrical load data over the Internet, a PSTN network, a paging network, a satellite communication network, a cellular phone network, an RDS radio signal, or an IBOC radio signal.