Demand side management module

• US 8,626,347 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Watson, Eric K., Besore, John K., Beyerle, Michael Thomas, Bingham, David C., Franks, Darin, Guernsey, Byron K., Ilickovic, Darko, Patel, Mallika Ravindra, Schork, Brian Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr., Ronald
• Application Number:
  US13/715,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20130103222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 700/282, 700/295
• US Class Current: 700/282
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/04 Preventing the formation of frost or condensate
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• 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 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/66 one of the loads acting as master and the other or others acting as slaves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• 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: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/244 the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 : Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A household appliance system comprising an appliance control system having a common appliance interface provided on an appliance and a demand side management module connected to the common appliance interface. The module corresponds to one select utility of a plurality of utilities and is configured to communicate with the one select utility of the plurality of utilities. The appliance control system operates the appliance based on communications with the one select utility through the module.

Claims

1. A household appliance system, comprising:

an appliance control system having a common appliance interface provided on an appliance;

a demand side management module connected to the common appliance interface, the module corresponding to one select utility of an associated plurality of utilities and configured to communicate with the one select utility, wherein the appliance control system operates the appliance based on communications with the one select utility through the module;

the appliance control system configured to operate the appliance in one of several states of operation including a normal state and at least one of a low energy and a lower energy mode; and

the appliance control system being configured to operate the appliance in the low energy mode or the lower energy mode when the communications with the one select utility indicate the one select utility is providing power at a higher rate of a power rate cost schedule.

2. The household appliance system of claim 1 wherein the module is removably connected to the common appliance interface.

3. The household appliance system of claim 1 wherein the communications between the module and one select utility are carried on via at least one of the following communication protocols:

PLC, FM, AM SSB, WiFi, ZigBee, Radio Broadcast Data System, IEEE 802.11 standard compatible, or IEEE 802.15.4 standard compatible.

4. The household appliance control system of claim 1 wherein the low energy mode and the lower energy mode include reducing or cutting power to at least one power consuming function of the appliance.

5. The household appliance control system of claim 1 wherein the one select utility includes an AMI device that communicates directly with the module.

6. The household appliance control system of claim 5 wherein the AMI device is an electric meter.

7. The household appliance control system of claim 1 wherein the module is powered from at least one of the appliance or a separate power supply.

8. The household appliance control system of claim 7 wherein the separate power supply includes rechargeable batteries that power the module.

10. The household appliance control system of claim 7 where the module is powered from a separate power supply and the appliance control system operates the appliance in a low energy state or sleep mode while the module communicates with the one select utility.

9. A household appliance system, comprising:

an appliance control system having a common appliance interface provided on an appliance;

a demand side management module connected to the common appliance interface, the module corresponding to one select utility of an associated plurality of utilities and configured to communicate with the one select utility, wherein the appliance control system operates the appliance based on communications with the one select utility through the module;

the module being powered from the appliance and controlled to be turned off by the appliance to a standby mode until the appliance needs to make a decision about power usage related to the appliance.