System, Method and Apparatus for Advanced Utility Control, Monitoring and Conservation

• US 20100156665A1
• Filed: 10/19/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: OpenPeak Inc.
• Inventors: BARCLAY, David, KRZYZANOWSKI, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,390,473 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.20
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/12 Determination or prediction of behaviour, e.g. likely power consumption or unusual usage patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/16 Displaying of utility pricing or cost
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/18 Remote displaying of utility meter readings
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1919 characterised by the type of controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• 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 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 20/244 the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

The present application is directed to a system and method of providing flexible real-time two-way energy control and monitoring between utility providers and consumers. Consumer friendly nodes permit communication of targeted information and control, while permitting the utility provider to remotely communicate and control in a real-time environment. Data collection of and accessibility by a community of utility consumers provides social feedback through comparative usage statistics.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a utility meter including a communications interface for communicating usage data;

an IP multi-media device having a first communications interface configured to receive the usage data from the utility meter, and a second communications interface configured to communicate in real-time with a central monitoring station, wherein the second communications interface transmits the received usage data to the central monitoring station and receives at least one of control signals, data and information from the central monitoring station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the utility meter is an AMR meter.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the utility meter is an AMI meter.

4. An apparatus, comprising:

a first communications interface configured to receive usage data from a utility meter; and

a second communications interface configured to communicate in real-time with a central monitoring station, wherein the second communications interface transmits the received usage data to the central monitoring station and receives at least one of control signals, data and information from the central monitoring station.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the utility meter is at least one of an electricity usage meter, a gas usage meter and a water usage meter.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second communications interface communicates with the central monitoring station using at least in part the Internet.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a visual interface configured to display at least one of the data and information received from the central monitoring station.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a third communications interface configured to communicate real-time with an appliance, wherein the third communications interface transmits instructions to the appliance.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a visual interface configured to receive the instructions for transmission to the appliance.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a processing device configured to algorithmically respond to at least one of the control signals, data and information and generate the instructions for transmission to the appliance by the third communications interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a fourth communications interface configured to communicate in real-time with a database aggregator, wherein the fourth communications interface transmits the received usage data to the database aggregator and receives at least one of aggregated information and statistical information from the database aggregator.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second communications interface and the fourth communications interface are the same interface, and communicate using at least in part the Internet.

13. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a third communications interface for connections to an external device, wherein the third communications interface includes the use of at least one of Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Z-Wave, 900 MHz transceiver and a USB port.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving, with a communications device, usage data from a utility meter;

transmitting, with the communications device, the usage data to a central monitoring station via a first real-time communications link; and

receiving, with the communications device, at least one of control signals, data and information from the central monitoring station via the first real-time communications link.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving usage data from a utility meter includes receiving usage data from at least one of an electricity usage meter, a gas usage meter and a water usage meter.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the transmitting and receiving with the central monitoring station including using at least in part the Internet.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying, using a visual interface, at least one of the data and information received from the central monitoring station.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

adjusting at least one appliance, wherein the at least one appliance is communicatively coupled to the communications device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the adjusting is responsive to instructions received via a visual interface.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

generating, by a processing device, an instruction based on algorithmic processing of at least one of the received control signals, data and information; and

wherein the adjusting at least one appliance includes using the generated instruction.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting, with the communications device, the usage data to a database aggregator via a second real-time communications link; and

receiving, with the communications device, from the database aggregator at least one of aggregated information and statistical information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the transmitting and receiving with the database aggregator using the second real-time communications link includes using, at least a portion of the first real-time communications link.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, using an external port of the communications device, at least one of test, maintenance, update and remote instructions, wherein the external port includes the use of at least one of Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Z-Wave, 900 MHz transceiver and a USB port.