Method and system for cooperative powering of unitary air conditioners
First Claim
1. A cooperative unitary air conditioner powering system for reducing an electric load comprising:
- one or more unitary air conditioners, each including a communications transceiver, and programmable logic for executing instructions stored in a computer readable medium that include;
determining a priority for a token assignment among one or more unitary air conditioner members of a token ring network; and
passing the token to a set of unitary air conditioners, each unitary air conditioner receiving the token is permitted to power its compressor among the one or more unitary air conditioner members of the token ring network while each unitary air conditioner without a token is not permitted to power its compressor, the set of unitary air conditioners comprising at least one unitary air conditioner.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system provide for the cooperative powering of unitary air conditioners. The method and system includes coordinating powering of unitary air conditioners in a multiunit building or other low level of aggregation in a power grid. Multiple unitary air conditioners can use a power line communication (PLC) communication module for communicating with other air conditioners that are within the same multiunit building. According to one aspect of the method and system, by using power line communications, multiple unitary air conditioners within a single building can form self-contained local area networks. The LAN can also support a token ring network. According to this token ring network, a predetermined number of tokens can be assigned within the token ring network.
55 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A cooperative unitary air conditioner powering system for reducing an electric load comprising:
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one or more unitary air conditioners, each including a communications transceiver, and programmable logic for executing instructions stored in a computer readable medium that include; determining a priority for a token assignment among one or more unitary air conditioner members of a token ring network; and passing the token to a set of unitary air conditioners, each unitary air conditioner receiving the token is permitted to power its compressor among the one or more unitary air conditioner members of the token ring network while each unitary air conditioner without a token is not permitted to power its compressor, the set of unitary air conditioners comprising at least one unitary air conditioner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification