UTILIZING CELL PHONE LOCATION FOR OCCUPANCY DETERMINATION AND HOME ENERGY CONTROL

• US 20110125329A1
• Filed: 01/29/2011
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Centrica Hive Limited (Centrica PLC)
• Original Assignee: AlertMe.com Ltd. (Centrica PLC)
• Inventors: Oswald, James Ian
• Granted Patent: US 8,386,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house

Abstract

A cell phone location-based system is described that determines the occupancy of a home and controls home energy consumption such that energy is saved when the home is unoccupied. Occupancy is determined according to cell phone locations, occupant behavior patterns, or burglar alarm status. When an occupant is determined to be returning to their unoccupied home, the heating or cooling apparatus is activated to return the temperature in the home to a comfortable level by the time the occupant arrives.

Claims

1. A cell phone location-based system for controlling heating or cooling appliances in a building comprising:

at least one sensor which measures electrical energy use by the building or a portion thereof;

means for determining the location of an occupant who is outside of the building premises according to the location of the occupant'"'"'s mobile phone and calculating expected transit time between the occupant'"'"'s current location and the building location;

a modelling means responsive to the measured electrical energy use supplied by said sensor, the expected transit time between the occupant'"'"'s current location and the building location, and a transient thermal model of the building;

a controller responsive to said modelling means for automatically controlling the operation of said heating or cooling appliances; and

wherein the operation of said energy management system includes the steps of;

using said modelling means to compare the measured electrical energy use supplied by said sensor with previously stored reference characteristics for energy use by common occupant-operated electrical appliances;

determining that specific occupant-operated electrical appliances are not operating;

determining that the building is currently unoccupied based on the nonoperation of said specific occupant-operated electrical appliances; and

utilizing the controller to automatically control said heating or cooling appliances such that the energy consumed by said heating or cooling appliances is reduced for a period of time, followed by heating or cooling the building to reach a preferred temperature before the occupant'"'"'s arrival at the building.

2. The energy management system according to claim 1 wherein the location of the occupant determined according to the location of the occupant'"'"'s mobile phone is determined by a mobile phone service provider, and the expected transit time between the occupant'"'"'s current location and the building location is calculated by the modelling means.

3. A building energy management system according to claim 1 wherein said modelling means is located remotely to the building and is accessed via a communications network.

4. A building energy management system according to claim 1 wherein the determination that the building is currently unoccupied is further based on an indication supplied by a burglar alarm that the burglar alarm has been activated.

5. A building energy management system according to claim 1 wherein a transient thermal model of the building is estimated based on at least one of construction and age information, the actual response of the building to varying thermal conditions, weather forecast data, wind speed data, and the heating or cooling ability of the heating or cooling appliances.

6. A building energy management system according to claim 1 wherein determining the location of an occupant phone is performed using a Global Positioning System.

7. A cell phone location-based system for controlling heating or cooling appliances in a building, comprising:

means for determining the location of an occupant according to the location of the occupant'"'"'s mobile phone and calculating the expected transit time between the occupant'"'"'s current location and the building location;

a burglar alarm, that when activated, indicates that the building is unoccupied;

a modelling means responsive to the burglar alarm indication, the expected transit time between the occupant'"'"'s current location and the building location, and a transient thermal model of the building;

a controller responsive to said modelling means for automatically controlling the operation of building heating or cooling appliances; and

wherein the operation of said energy management system includes using the controller to automatically control said heating or cooling appliances such that the energy consumed by said heating and cooling appliances is reduced for a period of time, followed by heating or cooling the building to reach a preferred temperature before the occupant'"'"'s arrival at the building.

8. The energy management system according to claim 7 wherein the location of an occupant according to the location of their mobile phone is determined by a mobile phone service provider, and the expected transit time between the occupant'"'"'s current location and the building location is calculated by the modelling means.

9. A building energy management system according to claim 7 wherein said modelling means is located remotely to the building and is accessed via a communications network.

10. A building energy management system according to claim 7 wherein said modelling means further determines that the building is currently unoccupied according to an indication supplied by a sensor which measures electrical energy use by the building or a portion thereof.

11. A building energy management system according to claim 7 wherein the transient thermal model of the building is estimated based on at least one of construction and age information, the actual response of the building to varying thermal conditions, weather forecast data, wind speed data, and the heating or cooling ability of the heating or cooling appliances.

12. A building energy management system according to claim 7 wherein determining the location of an occupant according to the location of their mobile phone is performed with the aid of the Global Positioning System.

13. A cell phone location-based system for controlling heating or cooling appliances in a building, comprising:

means for determining the location of one or more occupants according to the location of mobile phones belonging to said one or more occupants, and calculating the expected transit time between an occupant'"'"'s current location and the building location;

a modelling means responsive to the location of said one or more occupants, the expected transit time between an occupant'"'"'s current location and the building location, and a transient thermal model of the building;

a controller responsive to said modelling means for automatically controlling the operation of building heating or cooling appliances;

wherein the modelling means determines that the building is unoccupied based on the location of said one or more occupants; and

wherein the operation of said energy management system includes using the controller to automatically control said heating or cooling appliances such that the energy consumed by said heating and cooling appliances is reduced for a period of time, followed by heating or cooling the building to reach a preferred temperature before an occupant'"'"'s arrival at the building.

14. The energy management system according to claim 13 wherein the location of an occupant according to the location of their mobile phone is determined by a mobile phone service provider, and the expected transit time between the occupant'"'"'s current location and the building location is calculated by the modelling means.

15. A building energy management system according to claim 13 wherein said modelling means is located remotely to the building and is accessed via a communications network.

16. A building energy management system according to claim 13 wherein said modelling means further determines that the building is currently unoccupied according to an indication supplied by a sensor which measures electrical energy use by the building or a portion thereof.

17. A building energy management system according to claim 13 wherein the determination that the building is currently unoccupied is further based on an indication supplied by a burglar alarm that the burglar alarm has been activated.

18. A building energy management system according to claim 13 wherein the transient thermal model of the building is estimated based on at least one of construction and age information, the actual response of the building to varying thermal conditions, weather forecast data, wind speed data, and the heating or cooling ability of the heating or cooling appliances.

19. A building energy management system according to claim 13 wherein determining the location of an occupant according to the location of their mobile phone is performed with the aid of the Global Positioning System.