Mobile energy management system

• US 8,174,381 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Allure Energy Incorporated
• Inventors: Hollister, James, Imes, Kevin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUNN, DARRIN D
• Application Number:
  US13/075,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20110173542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 700/13, 700/90, 236/47, 236/51, 709/219, 709223-224, 455/41.2, 455/420, 455/435.1, 455/517, 340/10.4, 340/540, 340/545.1, 340/573, 340/539.23, 340/539.11, 340/573.1
• US Class Current: 340/539.23
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/61 using timers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/67 Switching between heating and cooling modes
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/75 for maintaining constant air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/79 for controlling the direction of the supplied air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/00 Control inputs relating to environmental factors not covered by group F24F2110/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/10 Weather information or forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/00 Control of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 : variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 : using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 : Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 : Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 : Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 : Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 : Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 : Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 : from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 : Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 : Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 : Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 : Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 : Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 : Photovoltaic [PV]
• 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: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 : Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 : Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 : Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 : End-user application control systems

Abstract

According to an aspect of the disclosure, an energy management apparatus for a mobile energy management system and method includes detecting an availability of at least one network device at a site, displaying a proximity control selector within a graphical user interface of a mobile device associated with the site that can be toggled to enable and disable proximity detection using the mobile device, detecting a distance of the mobile device relative to the site in response to enabling proximity detection on the mobile device, and initiating a change to the operating condition of the network device in response to detecting a change in the distance of the mobile device relative to the site and the setting of the proximity control selector. According to an aspect of the disclosure, the network device may be a thermostat associated with the HVAC system of the site or other energy consuming appliances.

Claims

1. A method of managing a site in a mobile environment, comprising:

detecting an availability of at least one network device at a site wherein the at least one network device has an operating condition;

detecting a distance of a mobile device relative to the site;

providing a proximity control selector within a user interface of the mobile device to manage a proximity detection module for controlling a proximity control of the site wherein the proximity control selector having an enabled setting of the proximity detection module and a disabled setting of the proximity detection module;

enabling the proximity detection module of the site in response to the enabled setting of the proximity control selector to modify the operating condition of the network device based on the detected distance of the mobile device relative to the site; and

disabling the proximity detection module in response to the disabled setting of the proximity control selector.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting an availability of a second network device; and

not altering an operating condition of the second network device in response to detecting the change in the distance of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a network location configured to store distance information of a plurality of mobile devices including a first mobile device and a second mobile device;

detecting a distance information of the first mobile device relative to the site;

detecting a distance information of the second mobile device relative to the site;

communicating the distance information of the first mobile device and the distance information of the second mobile device to the network location to be compared; and

initiating the change to the operating condition of the network device if a change in the first distance of the first mobile device is different than a change in the second distance of the second mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

detecting a setting change of the proximity control selector of the first mobile device; and

communicating the setting change to the network location.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

initiating a reporting interval from the mobile device to a network location in response to the distance; and

initiating communication of a control of the operating mode using the reporting interval and the distance.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving site information of the site at the mobile device;

presenting the site information within the user interface of the mobile device; and

presenting a current settings section within the user interface; and

enabling selection of the current settings section to control the operating condition of the network device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting an availability of a first thermostat;

detecting an availability of a second thermostat; and

enabling the proximity detection module disposed on the mobile device to modify an operating condition of the first and second thermostats.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising;

detecting the availability of a first network location and a second network location, wherein the second network location is different than the first network location;

initiating access of the first network location to detect the operating condition of the network device;

initiating access to a second network location to store the distance of the mobile device relative to the site; and

initiating a communication of a control action to the first network location to alter the operating condition of the network device.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

initiating access to the second network location to detect a distance of the first mobile device relative to a distance of a second mobile device associated with the site;

initiating access to the first network location to alter the operating condition of the network device if the first mobile device is closer to the site than the second mobile device;

storing an updated operating condition within the first mobile device;

initiating an update of the operating condition at the first network location.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting an availability of a WIFI network including a device connected to the WIFI network;

accessing the device using the WIFI network to detect an operating condition of the device; and

initiating an altering of the operating condition of the network device using the WIFI network.

11. A method of managing energy use in a mobile environment comprising:

providing a graphical user interface (GUI) within a mobile device including a proximity control selector capable of managing a proximity detection module for controlling a proximity control of a site;

enabling a proximity detection module in response to the enabled proximity control selector to modify an operating condition of a network device based on a detected distance of the mobile device; and

disabling the proximity detection module in response to the disabled proximity control selector.