Approach for managing power consumption in buildings

• US 6,748,299 B1
• Filed: 09/17/2002
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): CABRERA, ZOILA E
• Application Number:
  US10/245,935
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/291, 700/295, 700/296, 700/297, 340/509, 340/3.1, 340/524, 340/526, 340/825.49, 713/300, 713/320, 713/324, 713/340
• US Class Current: 700/286
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

An approach for managing power consumption in a building includes receiving a signal that indicates that a user has entered or left the building. In response to receiving the signal, one or more resources in the building are transitioned between a first state and a second state. When operating in the first state, the one or more resources consume relatively less power relative to when the one or more resources are operating in the second state. The approach is applicable to all types of resources, including private resources that are used primarily by the user and shared resources that are also used by other users. Example resources include, without limitation, computers, laboratory equipment and instruments, copy machines, facsimile machines, printers and postage machines. A determination may also be made, based upon the signal and status data, whether the user has entered the building or left the building. If the user has entered the building, then the one or more resources are transitioned from the first state to the second state. If the user has left the building, then the one or more resources are transitioned from the second state to the first state. Furthermore, if the user was the first user to enter the building, then one or more shared resources are transitioned from the first state to the second state. If the user was the last user to leave the building, then the one or more shared resources are transitioned from the second state to the first state.

Claims

1. A method for managing power consumption in a building, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving a signal that indicates that a user has entered or left the building;

determining, based upon the signal and status data, whether the user has entered the building or left the building;

if the user has entered the building, then causing one or more resources in the building to transition from the first state to the second state, wherein the one or more resources include a computer, and wherein when operating in the first state, the one or more resources consume relatively less power relative to when the one or more resources are operating in the second state;

if the user has left the building, then causing the one or more resources in the building to transition from the second state to the first state; and

if the user was the last user to leave the building, then causing one or more processes executing on the computer to be terminated and causing the computer to transition to a low power consumption state.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

determining, based upon the signal and status data, whether the user was the first user to enter the building or the last user to leave the building;

if the user was the first user to enter the building, then causing one or more shared resources in the building to transition from the first state to the second state; and

if the user was the last user to leave the building, then causing one or more shared resources in the building to transition from the second state to the first state.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the one or more resources are one or more private resources used by user, and

the method further comprises the computer-implemented step of determining the one or more private resources from a plurality of resources.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the one or more resources are one or more shared resources used by both the user and one or more other users, and

the method further comprises the computer-implemented step of determining the one or more shared resources from a plurality of resources.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more resources include a light.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more resources include a heating/air conditioning unit.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the signal is generated in response to detecting an identifier that identifies the particular user.

8. A computer-readable medium for managing power consumption in a building, the computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving a signal that indicates that a user has entered or left the building;

determining, based upon the signal and status data, whether the user has entered the building or left the building;

if the user has entered the building, then causing one or more resources in the building to transition from the first state to the second state, wherein the one or more resources include a computer, and wherein when operating in the first state, the one or more resources consume relatively less power relative to when the one or more resources are operating in the second state;

if the user has left the building, then causing the one or more resources in the building to transition from the second state to the first state; and

if the user was the last user to leave the building, then causing one or more processes executing on the computer to be terminated and causing the computer to transition to a low power consumption state.

wherein when operating in the first state, the one or more resources consume relatively less power relative to when the one or more resources are operating in the second state.

9. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, further comprising one or more additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

determining, based upon the signal and status data, whether the user was the first user to enter the building or the last user to leave the building;

if the user was the first user to enter the building, then causing one or more shared resources in the building to transition from the first state to the second state; and

if the user was the last user to leave the building, then causing one or more shared resources in the building to transition from the second state to the first state.

10. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein:

the one or more resources are one or more private resources used by user, and

the computer-readable medium further comprises one or more additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of determining the one or more private resources from a plurality of resources.

11. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein:

the one or more resources are one or more shared resources used by both the user and one or more other users, and

the computer-readable medium further comprises one or more additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of determining the one or more shared resources from a plurality of resources.

12. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more resources include a light.

13. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more resources include a heating/air conditioning unit.

14. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the signal is generated in response to detecting an identifier that identifies the particular user.

15. A computer system comprising a memory that includes one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving a signal that indicates that a user has entered or left the building;

determining, based upon the signal and status data, whether the user has entered the building or left the building;

if the user has entered the building, then causing one or more resources in the building to transition from the first state to the second state, wherein the one or more resources include a computer, and wherein when operating in the first state, the one or more resources consume relatively less power relative to when the one or more resources are operating in the second state;

if the user has left the building, then causing the one or more resources in the building to transition from the second state to the first state;

if the user was the last user to leave the building, then causing one or more processes executing on the computer to be terminated and causing the computer to transition to a low power consumption state.

16. The computer system as recited in claim 15, wherein the memory further includes one or more additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

determining, based upon the signal and status data, whether the user was the first user to enter the building or the last user to leave the building;

if the user was the first user to enter the building, then causing one or more shared resources in the building to transition from the first state to the second state; and

if the user was the last user to leave the building, then causing one or more shared resources in the building to transition from the second state to the first state.

17. The computer system as recited in claim 15, wherein:

the one or more resources are one or more private resources used by user, and

the memory further comprises one or more additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of determining the one or more private resources from a plurality of resources.

18. The computer system as recited in claim 15, wherein:

the one or more resources are one or more shared resources used by both the user and one or more other users, and

the memory further comprises one or more additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of determining the one or more shared resources from a plurality of resources.

19. The computer system as recited in claim 15, wherein the one or more resources include a light.

20. The computer system as recited in claim 15, wherein the one or more resources include a heating/air conditioning unit.

21. The computer system as recited in claim 15, wherein the signal is generated in response to detecting an identifier that identifies the particular user.