Arrangement for communication about and management of a resource using a mobile device

• US 8,667,132 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2012
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Koch, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Yohannes, Tesfay
• Application Number:
  US13/548,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20120277920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 370/335, 370/338
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90332 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 Customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

An arrangement for communications about, and management of a resource, such as energy, using a mobile device. A utility provides a resource for a facility. The facility can provide a resource in another sense. The utility has an information system that sends messages and data relative to the utility and the facility, to the mobile device. The mobile device provides commands and data, based on messages from the utility to an energy management system of the facility. The energy management system sends messages and data to the mobile device. The mobile device sends commands and data to the utility information system. A facility manager uses the mobile device and makes decisions relative to communications at the device. The communications are wireless and the device is portable and operated at various locations. The communications can involve other energy management systems and facilities.

Claims

1. An energy management arrangement comprising:

a mobile device;

a utility information system; and

an energy management system; and

wherein;

the mobile device has a wireless connection with the utility information system and the energy management system for communicating messages, data and commands for managing consumption of energy;

the utility information system is incorporated by a utility;

the energy management system is incorporated by a facility; and

the facility can consume energy provided by the utility; and

wherein;

the utility information system sends a demand resource signal relative to a

demand resource event to the mobile device;

a manager reviews the demand resource signal and sends a command via the mobile device to the facility directing a change of consumption as necessary at the facility in response to the demand resource signal;

the utility information system of the utility sends out a demand resource signal specific to a demand resource event to an energy management system of a facility via the mobile device; and

upon receipt of a demand resource signal from the utility to the mobile device, the manager provides commands for adjusting a load of the facility in response to the demand resource signal.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein:

the mobile device is operated by a manager of the facility;

the mobile device receives messages and data from the utility information system and the energy management system;

the manager reviews the messages and data;

the manager provides commands and/or data to the energy management system via the mobile device; and

the manager provides commands and/or data to the utility information system via the mobile device.

3. The arrangement of claim 2, wherein if messages and data from the utility to the mobile device indicate demand resource information such as a price change for energy due to a demand resource event, then the manager can send a command to adjust consumption at the facility from the mobile device to the facility.

4. The arrangement of claim 2, wherein:

the demand resource signal, having information and data, goes to the mobile device;

a facility manager reviews the demand resource signal at the mobile device; and

the facility manager provides a command signal, as needed, to the facility in response to the demand resource signal.

5. The arrangement of claim 4, wherein the manager receiving demand resource messages and/or data from the energy management system of the facility, selectively passes the messages and/or data onto the utility.

6. A method for demand response communications, using a mobile device, comprising:

receiving demand response signals from a utility in response to a demand response event on a mobile device;

reviewing messages and/or data in the demand response signals with the mobile device; and

sending commands and/or data, as needed, to a facility which uses energy from the utility, with the mobile device; and

wherein;

the utility sends a demand resource signal relative to a demand resource event to the mobile device;

a manager reviews the demand resource signal and sends a command via the mobile device to the facility directing a change of consumption as necessary at the facility in response to the demand resource signal;

the utility sends out a demand resource signal specific to a demand resource event to an energy management system of a facility via the mobile device; and

upon receipt of a demand resource signal from the utility to the mobile device, the manager provides commands for adjusting a load of the facility in response to the demand resource signal.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving messages and/or data from the facility with the mobile device;

reviewing messages and/or data with the mobile device; and

sending resource signals containing commands and/or data to the utility with the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the utility comprises a utility information system that sends the demand response signals to and/or receives the resource signals from the mobile device; and

the facility comprises an energy management system that receives the commands and/or data from the mobile device and sends messages and/or data to the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the mobile device is a computing device which is portable and transportable as a personal effect of a person; and

the mobile device is selected from a group consisting of a cell phone, a tablet, a laptop, a pad, a smart phone, and the like.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the mobile device receives demand response signals from the utility information system and sends resource signals to the utility information system via a wireless communications channel.

11. A demand response energy management structure comprising:

a utility that provides a resource;

a facility that can consume the resource; and

a mobile device; and

wherein;

the utility comprises a utility information system;

the facility comprises an energy management system; and

the mobile device can establish a wireless communications connection with the utility information system and the energy management system; and

wherein;

the utility information system sends a demand resource signal relative to a demand resource event to the mobile device;

a manager reviews the demand resource signal and sends a command via the mobile device to the facility directing a change of consumption as necessary at the facility in response to the demand resource signal;

the utility information system of the utility sends out a demand resource signal specific to a demand resource event to an energy management system of a facility via the mobile device; and

upon receipt of a demand resource signal from the utility to the mobile device, the manager provides commands for adjusting a load of the facility in response to the demand resource signal.

12. The structure of claim 11, wherein:

the mobile device receives messages and data from the utility information system and the energy management system; and

the mobile device can convey commands and data to the utility information system and to the energy management system.

13. The structure of claim 12, wherein the mobile device can establish a wireless communications connection with one or more other energy management systems within the facility.

14. The structure of claim 12, wherein the mobile device can establish a wireless communications connection with one or more other energy management systems within one or more other facilities, respectively.

15. The structure of claim 12, wherein a user of the mobile device has a mobility to go from one geographical location to another geographical location while communicating with an energy management system and/or the utility information system.

16. The structure of claim 12, wherein:

the user can move from one facility to another facility and have a wireless communication connection with one energy management system or another energy management system of a respective facility;

messages and data from the utility information system can be different for two or more facilities; and

commands and data from the mobile device can be different for two or more facilities.

17. The structure of claim 12, wherein:

information conveyed by communications sent from the utility information system to the mobile device can be different for various locations of the mobile device relative to a location of the utility information system;

information conveyed by communications transmitted to the utility information system from the mobile device can be different for various locations of the mobile device relative to the location of the mobile device;

information conveyed by communications sent from the energy management system to the mobile device can be different for various locations of the mobile device relative to a location of the energy management system;

information conveyed by communications transmitted to the energy management system from the mobile device can be different for various locations of the mobile device relative to the location of the energy management system; and

/or

regardless of what information is sent to the mobile device from either the utility information system or the energy management system, the information and options presented to a user on the mobile device can be different for various locations of the mobile device.

18. The structure of claim 11, wherein a mobile device is selected from a group consisting of smart phones, pads, tablets, cell phones, and laptops.