Appliance having a user grace period for reinitiating operating when in demand response energy mode

• US 8,463,448 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Burt, Ashley Wayne, Finch, Michael F., Gawron, Gregory F., Johnson, Mark Davis, Weber, Jeffrey S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAUGHLIN, NATHAN L
• Application Number:
  US12/644,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20110148390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/291, 700/295, 700/296, 700/297, 700/298, 700/306
• US Class Current: 700/286
• 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: H05B 1/0266 Cooktops
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

An energy consuming device comprises a power consuming feature/function and a controller operatively connected to the power consuming feature/function. The controller is configured to operate the device including the power consuming feature/function in one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least a normal operating mode during an associated off-peak demand period of an associated energy supplying utility and an energy savings mode during an associated peak demand period of the associated energy supplying utility. The controller is configured to provide a user a grace period during the associated peak demand period to allow the user to change the operating mode of the power consuming feature/function from the energy savings mode to another operating mode including the normal operating mode thereby allowing additional use of the power consuming feature/function during the associated peak demand period.

Claims

1. An energy consuming device comprising:

a power consuming feature/function;

a controller operatively connected to the power consuming feature/function, the controller being configured to operate said energy consuming device in one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least a normal operating mode during an associated off peak demand period of an associated energy supplying, utility and an energy sayings mode during an associated peak demand period of the associated energy supplying utility,

wherein the controller is configured to provide a user a grace period to allow the user to change the operation of the power consuming feature/function, and

wherein the grace period defines a period of time that the controller begins in response to a change from the normal operating mode to the energy savings mode, and

wherein, in response to the expiration of the grace period, the controller prohibits the user to change the operation of the power consuming feature/function during the energy savings mode, thereby preventing additional use of the power consuming feature/function during the associated peak demand period.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein to controller is configured to allow the power consuming feature/function to maintain its current consumption but not increase its current consumption in the energy savings mode, wherein if the user takes an initial action to decrease the current consumption during the energy savings mode the grace period allows the user to take a second action to increase the current consumption back to the amount of current consumption prior to the initial action.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a second power consuming feature/function operatively connected to the controller, the controller being configured to operate the second power consuming feature/function in a normal operating mode during the associated off-peak demand period and an energy savings mode during the associated peak demand period, wherein the controller is configured to prevent the user from changing the operating mode of the second power consuming feature/function during the associated peak demand period.

4. The device of claim 1, further including a user interface operatively associated with the controller, the user interface including a user control associated with the power consuming feature/function, the user control having a first mode for controlling the operation of the power consuming feature/function and a second mode for selectively changing the operating mode of the power consuming feature/function.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the length of the grace period is adjustable by the user.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the length of the grace period, is variable, the length being at least partially based on operation of the power consuming feature/function prior to the device switching to the energy savings mode.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to limit the available operating modes of the power consuming feature/function that the power consuming feature/function can switch to in the energy savings mode.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the operating mode that the power consuming feature/function can switch to during the associated peak demand period is limited to the inverse of the operation of the power consuming feature/function in the energy savings mode.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the device the power consuming feature/function is a cooking surface having individual surface beating elements, the controller being configured to at least partially disable one of the surface heating elements in the energy savings mode, wherein if that surface heating element to be disabled is activated as the device switches to the enemy savings mode and the user then deactivates that surface heating element, the controller is configured to allow the user to reactivate that surface heating element during the grace period and then continue full use of that surface heating element in the energy saving mode.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein each individual surface heating element has a maximum setpoint temperature in the normal operating mode, the controller being configured to reduce the setpoint temperature of an activated surface heating element in the energy savings mode, wherein the controller is configured to allow the user to increase the setpoint temperature of that activated surface heating element during the grace period and then continue full use of that surface heating element in the energy saving mode.

11. The device of claim 9, Wherein the controller is configured to reduce power of an activated surface heating element by selectively adjusting a duty cycle of the activated heating element in the energy savings mode, wherein the controller is configured to allow the user to increase the power of that activated surface heating element during the grace period and then continue full use of that surface heating element in the energy saving mode.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the power consuming feature/function is a cooking cavity having a cavity heating element, the controller being configured to at least partially disable the cavity heating elements in the energy savings mode, wherein if the cavity heating element is activated as the device switches to the energy savings mode and the user then deactivates the cavity heating element, the controller is configured to allow the user to reactivate the cavity heating element during the grace period and then continue full use of the cavity heating element in the energy saving mode.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein if the cavity beating element is activated as the device switches to the energy savings mode the controller is configured to reduce power of the cavity heating element in the energy savings mode, wherein the controller is configured to allow the user to increase the power of the cavity heating element during the grace period and then continue full use of the cavity heating element in the energy saving mode.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the power consuming feature/function includes a light source and an exhaust an, the controller being configured to disable or reduce the intensity of the light source and disable or reduce the speed of the exhaust fan in the energy savings mode, wherein the controller is configured to allow the user to reactivate or increase the intensity of the light source and reactivate or increase the speed of the fan during the grace period and then continue full use of the light source and exhaust fan in the energy saving mode.

15. An appliance, comprising:

a power consuming feature/function; and

a controller operatively connected to the power consuming feature/function, the controller being configured to receive and process a signal indicative of current state of an associated utility, the controller operating the appliance in at least one of a normal operating mode and an energy savings mode, in response to the received signal, the controller being configured to at least one of selectively adjust and disable the power consuming feature/function to reduce power consumption of the appliance in the energy savings mode,

wherein the controller is configured to provide a grace period that defines a period of time that the controller begins in response to a change from the normal operating mode to the energy savings mode,

wherein, in response to the expiration of the grace period, the controller prohibits a user to change the operation of the power consuming feature/function during the energy savings mode, thereby preventing additional use of the power consuming feature/function during the associated peak demand period,

wherein if the power consuming feature/function is activated and the appliance switches from the normal operating mode to the energy savings mode and a user then disables the power consuming feature/function, the grace period defines a first period of time for the user to reactivate the power consuming feature/function and continue normal operation of the power consuming feature/function in the energy savings mode, and

wherein if the power consuming feature/function is activated and the appliance switches from the normal operating mode to the energy savings mode and the power consuming feature/function is adjusted to reduce power consumption, the grace period defines a second period of time for the user to modify the adjustment and continue normal operation of the power consuming feature/function in the energy savings mode.

16. The appliance of claim 15, further comprising a user interface operatively associated with the controller, the user interface including a user control having a first mode for controlling the operation of the power consuming feature/function and a second mode for selecting the operating mode of the first power consuming feature/function.

17. The appliance of claim 15, wherein the grace period adjustable by the user.

18. The appliance of claim 15, wherein the grace period is variable and is at least partially based on operation of the power consuming feature/function prior to the appliance switching to the energy savings mode.

19. A control method for an appliance, said method comprising:

determining a state for an associated energy supplying utility, the utility state being indicative of at least a peak demand period or an off-peak demand period;

operating the appliance in a normal mode during the off-peak demand period;

operating the appliance in an energy savings mode during the peak demand period;

operating any number of one or more power consuming features/functions of the appliance to reduce power consumption of the appliance in the energy savings mode;

providing, a grace period that defines a period of time that begins in response to a change from the normal operating mode to the energy savings mode, wherein, in response to the expiration of the grace period, the appliance prohibits the user to change the operation of the power consuming feature/function during the energy saving mode, thereby preventing additional use of the power consuming feature/function during the associated peak demand period; and

returning to the normal mode after the peak demand period is over.

20. The appliance control method of claim 19, further including alerting a user of a peak demand period.