Combination wireless electrical apparatus controller and energy monitoring device and method of use

• US 8,421,588 B1
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wireless Telematics LLC
• Original Assignee: Wireless Telematics LLC
• Inventors: Ross, Allan L., McWhirter, William D., Weaver, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US12/915,953
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 340/3.1, 340/517, 340/5.1, 340/539.1, 340/12.22, 340/12.31, 702/61
• US Class Current: 340/5.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity

Abstract

A device for controlling and monitoring the operation and energy consumption of one or more electrical apparatuses comprising a processor/transceiver control unit connected to each electrical apparatus and having at least one microprocessor wired to a transceiver, the microprocessor storing an operating protocol, the processor/transceiver control unit further having one or more relays defining channels wired to the microprocessor and on which respective ones of the electrical apparatuses are connected to the processor/transceiver control unit, each relay having an associated current transformer for monitoring the circuit amperage, and a means for measuring and totalizing energy consumption on each channel, whereby the processor/transceiver control unit monitors the energy consumption of each electrical apparatus and controls power thereto according to at least one of the energy consumption and the operating protocol associated with the respective electrical apparatus.

Claims

1. A device for controlling one or more electrical apparatuses and monitoring the energy consumption thereof comprising:

a processor/transceiver control unit connected to each electrical apparatus and having at least one microprocessor wired to a transceiver, the microprocessor storing an operating protocol, the processor/transceiver control unit further having one or more relays defining channels wired to the microprocessor and on which respective ones of the electrical apparatuses are connected to the processor/transceiver control unit, each relay having an associated current transformer for monitoring the circuit amperage, the processor-transceiver control unit configured for remotely controlling the one or more electrical apparatuses connected thereto according to the operating protocol in conjunction with commands communicated to the device through the transceiver; and

a means for measuring and totalizing energy consumption on each channel, whereby the processor/transceiver control unit monitors the energy consumption of each electrical apparatus and controls power thereto according to at least one of the energy consumption and the operating protocol associated with the respective electrical apparatus, and further whereby the processor/transceiver control unit reports early problem detection and predictive failure of a particular electrical apparatus based on a detected proportional increase in energy consumption by the particular electrical apparatus.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the measuring means comprises energy measurement circuitry on each channel electrically connected to both the associated current transformer and a voltage sense input parallel to the respective current transformer and configured for monitoring the circuit voltage, the current transformer and the voltage sense input being electrically connected to the respective controlled electrical apparatus, wherein the current transformer, the voltage sense input, and the energy measurement circuitry are electrically connected downstream of the respective relay, the energy measurement circuitry being configured to calculate energy from control circuit current data supplied by the respective current transformer and control circuit voltage data supplied by the respective voltage sense input.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the energy measurement circuitry is configured as a bidirectional integrated circuit.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the energy measurement circuitry of each channel is electrically connected to a SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) of the microprocessor configured to enable connectivity and communication between the respective energy measurement circuitry of the microprocessor wherein is stored the operating protocol, whereby the output energy values from the energy measurement circuitry of each channel are then read into the microprocessor and processed accordingly.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a means for establishing an initial energy baseline for each channel; and

a means for establishing a threshold increase in energy consumption for each channel over the initial energy baseline, whereby detected energy consumption in excess of the threshold increase results in alarm reporting by the device.

6. The device of claim 5 further comprising a means for deactivating the relay associated with the channel on which the excess energy consumption by the respective electrical apparatus is detected and reported, whereby the device functions like a circuit breaker.

8. The device of claim 1 further comprising a means for selecting energy totalization during relay-controlled events only.

9. The device of claim 8 further comprising a means for setting an energy totalization threshold for each channel for a set period of time.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the operating protocol in conjunction with the cumulative energy totalization and the selected energy totalization threshold for each channel for the set period of time is configured for one or more functions selected from the group consisting of:

shutting off power to the associated electrical apparatus through the respective relay once the energy totalization threshold has been reached;

calculating and rationing an amount of energy as a fraction of the energy totalization threshold and shutting off power to the associated electrical apparatus through the respective relay when the rationed amount of energy has been reached for a corresponding fraction of the set period of time;

providing status updates on the cumulative energy totalization and how much of the selected energy totalization threshold for each channel is remaining for the set period of time; and

categorizing and prioritizing respective ones of the electrical apparatuses being monitored and controlled and shutting off power to an associated lower priority electrical apparatus through the respective relay once the energy totalization threshold or some fraction thereof has been reached so as to conserve energy for relatively higher priority electrical apparatuses being monitored and controlled.

11. The device of claim 1 further comprising a means for qualifying control circuit energy health wherein power factor, phase angle error, missing phase, and over/under voltage conditions may be monitored and reported for both a downstream electrical apparatus and an upstream power source.

12. The device of claim 1 further comprising two additional relays per channel, whereby three-phase control circuits may be monitored and controlled.

13. The device of claim 12 further comprising an on-board latching relay per channel, whereby the type of energy load to be monitored is configurable per channel by switching the respective latching relay to modify power and energy properties of a measurable V_RATED and I_RATED input to the measuring means.

14. The device of claim 1 further comprising a UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter) electrically connected between the transceiver and the microprocessor wherein is stored the operating protocol.

7. The device of 6 further comprising a means for setting a delay for alarm reporting, whereby the excess energy consumption must be detected for a minimal time prior to alarm reporting, which delay setting means is enabled only when the respective deactivating means is disabled.

15. A device for controlling one or more electrical apparatuses and monitoring the energy consumption thereof comprising:

a processor/transceiver control unit connected to each electrical apparatus and having at least one microprocessor wired to a transceiver, the microprocessor storing an operating protocol, the processor/transceiver control unit further having one or more relays defining channels wired to the microprocessor and on which respective ones of the electrical apparatuses are connected to the processor/transceiver control unit, each relay having an associated current transformer for monitoring the circuit amperage and a parallel voltage sense input for monitoring the circuit voltage, the processor-transceiver control unit configured for remotely controlling the one or more electrical apparatuses connected thereto according to the operating protocol in conjunction with commands communicated to the device through the transceiver;

energy measurement circuitry on each channel electrically connected to both the associated current transformer and the voltage sense input and configured to calculate energy from control circuit current data supplied by the respective current transformer and control circuit voltage data supplied by the respective voltage sense input and thereby measure energy consumption on each channel, the energy measurement circuitry being further connected to the microprocessor;

a means for establishing an initial energy baseline for each channel; and

a means for setting a threshold increase in energy consumption for each channel over the initial energy baseline, whereby the processor/transceiver control unit monitors the energy consumption of each electrical apparatus and controls power thereto according to at least one of the operating protocol and the energy consumption associated with the respective electrical apparatus, and further whereby the processor/transceiver control unit reports early problem detection and predictive failure of a particular electrical apparatus based on detected energy consumption by the particular electrical apparatus in excess of the threshold increase in energy consumption for the particular electrical apparatus.