Peer-To-Peer Home Automation Management

• US 20100082176A1
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Alan Chang
• Original Assignee: Michael Alan Chang
• Inventors: Chang, Michael Alan
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004
• 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: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances

Abstract

A first home automation control device is configured to control a first electrical appliance and to communicate via a peer-to-peer network with a second home automation control device which is configured to control a second electrical appliance. When the first home automation control device discovers the presence of the second home automation control device, the first home automation control device negotiates with the second home automation control device to determine a goal. The first home automation control device and the second home automation control device then jointly execute a task to achieve the goal. The goal may be an energy savings goal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a first home automation control device configured to control a first electrical appliance and to communicate via a peer-to-peer network with a second home automation control device configured to control a second electrical appliance, discovering the presence of the second home automation control device;

negotiating with the second home automation control device to determine a goal; and

executing a task to achieve the goal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the negotiating and the executing until the goal is achieved.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after the discovering, contacting the second home automation control device to initialize a peer home automation control device data store of the first home automation control device, with a status of the second home automation control device; and

after the executing, reporting a status of the first home automation control device to the second home automation control device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the goal comprises an energy savings goal compared to a previous period.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the goal comprises an indication of a maximum power consumption of the first electrical appliance over a time period.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining is based at least in part on an energy saving priority of the first electrical appliance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the negotiating further comprises:

if a first energy savings goal of the first home automation control device conflicts with a second energy savings goal of the second home automation control device, negotiating with the second home automation control device to deliver an optimized performance based at least in part on the first energy savings goal and the second energy savings goal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the task comprises an idle task.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented using one or more of:

ZigBee®

technology;

Insteon®

technology;

Echelon LONWORKS®

technology; and

Z-Wave®

technology.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a home automation data store for a first home automation control device configured to control a first electrical appliance and to communicate via a peer-to-peer network with a second home automation control device configured to control a second electrical appliance; and

a processor configured to;

discover the presence of the second home automation control device;

negotiate with the second home automation control device to determine a goal; and

execute a task to achieve the goal.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to repeat the negotiating and the executing until the goal is achieved.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

after the discovering, contact the second home automation control device to initialize the peer home automation control device data store, with a status of the second home automation control device; and

after the executing, report a status of the first home automation control device to the second home automation control device.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the goal comprises an energy savings goal compared to a previous period.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the goal comprises an indication of a maximum power consumption of the first electrical appliance over a time period.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the determining is based at least in part on an energy saving priority of the first electrical appliance.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if a first energy savings goal of the first home automation control device conflicts with a second energy savings goal of the second home automation control device, negotiate with the second home automation control device to deliver an optimized performance based at least in part on the first energy savings goal and the second energy savings goal.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the task comprises an idle task.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is implemented using one or more of:

ZigBee®

technology;

Insteon®

technology;

Echelon LONWORKS®

technology; and

Z-Wave®

technology.

19. An apparatus comprising:

means for, at first home automation control device configured to control a first electrical appliance and to communicate via a peer-to-peer network with a second home automation control device configured to control a second electrical appliance, discovering the presence of the second home automation control device;

means for negotiating with the second home automation control device to determine a goal; and

means for executing a task to achieve the goal.

20. A program storage device readable by a machine, embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method, the method comprising:

at first home automation control device configured to control a first electrical appliance and to communicate via a peer-to-peer network with a second home automation control device configured to control a second electrical appliance, discovering the presence of the second home automation control device;

negotiating with the second home automation control device to determine a goal; and

executing a task to achieve the goal.

21. An electrical appliance comprising:

a home automation data store for a first home automation control device configured to control the electrical appliance and to communicate via a peer-to-peer network with a second home automation control device configured to control a second electrical appliance; and

a processor configured to;

discover the presence of the second home automation control device;

negotiate with the second home automation control device to determine a goal; and

execute a task to achieve the goal.