Low cost and flexible energy management system providing user control arrangement in a plurality of modes

• US 8,977,731 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2011
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Venkatakrishnan, Natarajan, Finch, Michael Francis, Bultman, Robert Marten, Worthington, Timothy Dale, Bingham, David C., Drake, Jeff Donald, Watts, William Anthony, Nolan, Kevin Farrelly, Emery, Cathy Diane, Kobraei, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): YI, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/983,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 700/11, 700/286, 700/295
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building

Abstract

An energy data management control system is configured to allow a user to control operation of the data management among a plurality of modes.

Claims

1. An energy data management and control system configured to allow a user to control operation of the energy data management and control system to operate among a plurality of selectable modes, the system comprising:

a plurality of communication networks configured to transmit and receive data, at least some of the plurality of communication networks operating using communication protocols distinct from other ones of the plurality of communication networks;

a home energy gateway configured as a single point of control and including a plurality of interface channels to enable communication of the home energy gateway over the plurality of communication networks and using communication protocols distinct from other ones of the plurality of communication networks, the home energy gateway being configured to reformat the data from any one of the plurality of communication networks for communication with another one of the plurality of communication networks and alter a mode of operation of the energy data management and control system by the data being communicated within the energy data management and control system;

a plurality of household appliances that are configured to communicate with the home energy gateway using a first communication network of the plurality of communication networks,

a user interface configured to communicate with the home energy gateway using a second communication network of the plurality of communication networks, the user interface being configured to detect an input of instructions to control operation of the energy data management and control system among the plurality of selectable modes, and

wherein the home energy gateway is configured to receive price data from a utility over a third communication network of the plurality of communication networks, convert the price data to a format compatible with the second communication network and forward the price data to the user interface over the second communication network, wherein the home energy gateway is configured to receive instructions from the user interface over the second communication network responsive to the price data, convert the received instructions into a format compatible with one or more appliances from the at least one of the plurality of appliances specified in the received instructions, and send the converted instructions to the specified one or more appliances over the first communication network, where the converted instructions are configured to select a mode of operation of the one or more specified appliances from the plurality of selectable modes that changes operation of the one or more specified appliances to reduce energy consumption responsive to the price data from the utility.

2. The system of claim 1 further including a premises meter in operative connection with the one of the plurality of communication networks and a plurality of sub-meters in operative connection with another one of the plurality of communication networks.

3. The system of claim 1 further including a premises meter and a plurality of sub-meters in operative connection with a same communication network from among the plurality of communication networks.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the premises meter is a meter from the utility configured to meter energy consumption of the energy data management and control system and the plurality of sub-meters are sub-meters associated with individual accessories of the energy data management and control system and are configured to meter energy of an associated individual accessory.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the premises meter is a meter from the utility configured to meter energy consumption of the energy data management and control system and the plurality of sub-meters are sub-meters associated with individual accessories of the energy data management and control system and are configured to meter energy of an associated individual accessory.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication networks communicate using different protocols from each other.

7. The system of claim 1 further including, a plurality of sensors configured to measure energy entering the energy data management and control system.

8. The system of claim 1 further including a plurality of meters in the energy data management and control system that are configured as at least one of loads or supplies.

9. An energy data management and control system configured to allow a user to configure operation of the energy data management and control system to operate among a plurality of selectable modes, the energy data management and control system comprising:

a plurality of communication networks comprising;

a first communication network configured to transmit and receive data to and from a user interface;

a second communication network configured to access data from and provide data to network of a utility;

a third communication network configured to access data from and provide data to accessories within the energy data management and control system, the accessories comprising a plurality of household appliances; and

a home energy gateway configured as a single point of control and including a first interface channel to enable communication with the first communication network, a second interface channel to enable communication with the second communication network, and a third interface channel to enable communication with the third communication network, the home energy gateway being configured to reformat data from any one of the first, second and third communication networks for communication with another one of the first, second and third communication networks and alter a mode of operation of the energy data management and control system by the data being communicated within the energy data management and control system;

a user interface that allows an entry of instructions that control operation of the energy data management and control system in the plurality of selectable modes

wherein the home energy gateway is configured to receive price data from the utility over the second communication network, convert the received price data into a format compatible with the user interface, and transmit the converted price data to the user interface over the first communication network;

wherein the user interface is configured to receive instructions responsive to the converted price data that select a first mode from the plurality of selectable modes that changes operation of one or more of the plurality of household appliances to reduce energy consumption; and

send the instructions to the home energy gateway over the first communication network; and

wherein the home energy gateway is configured to convert the received instructions into a format compatible with one or more household appliances designated in the received instructions and send the converted instructions to the one or more household appliances over the third communication network to change an operation of the one or more household appliances to reduce energy consumption.

10. The system of claim 9 further including a premises meter in operative connection with the second communication network and a plurality of sub-meters in operative connection with the third communication network.

11. The system of claim 9 further including a premises meter and a plurality of sub-meters all in operative connection with the same communication network from among the first communication network, the second communication network and the third communication network.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the home energy gateway is configured to reformat data from one of the plurality of communication networks for communication to other ones of the plurality of communication networks, wherein the plurality of communication networks communicate using different protocols from each other.

13. The system of claim 9 further including, a plurality of sensors configured to measure energy entering a premises controlled by the energy data management and control system.

14. The system of claim 9 further including a plurality of meters in a home or on the premises controlled by the energy data management and control system configured as loads or supplies.

15. A method of operating an energy data management and control system in a plurality of selectable modes comprising:

configuring a plurality of communication networks including;

a first communication network to transmit and receive data to and from a user interface using a first communication protocol;

a second communication network to transmit and receive data to and from a utility company using a second communication protocol;

a third communication network using a third communication protocol to access data from and provide data to accessories within a home, the accessories comprising a plurality of household appliances;

receiving via a home energy gateway the data from the first communication network, via a first interface channel, the data from the second communication network via a second interface channel, and the data from the third communication network via a third interface channel;

reformatting data from any one of the first, second and third communication networks for communication with another one of the first, second and third communication networks; and

altering a mode of operation of the energy data management and control system by data being communicated within the energy data management and control system,

wherein the home energy gateway is configured to receive price data from the utility over the second communication network, convert the received price data into a format compatible with the user interface; and

transmit the converted price data to the user interface over the first communication network;

the user interface being configured to receive instructions responsive to the converted price data that selects a mode from the plurality of selectable modes that changes operation of a designated one or more of the plurality of household appliances to reduce energy consumption in a household and send the received instructions to the home energy gateway over the first communication network; and

wherein the home energy gateway is configured to convert the instructions into a format compatible with the designated one or more of the plurality of household appliances and to transmit the converted instructions to the designated one or more of the plurality of household appliances over the third communication network to change an operation of the designated one or more of the plurality of household appliances.

16. The method of claim 15 further including providing a premises meter in operative connection with the second communication network and a plurality of sub-meters in operative connection with the third communication network.

17. The method of claim 15 further including providing a premises meter and a plurality of sub-meters all in operative connection with the same communication network from among the first communication network, the second communication network and the third communication network.

18. The method of claim 15, comprising the home energy gateway reformatting data from one of the plurality of communication networks for communication to other ones of the plurality of communication networks, wherein the plurality of communication networks communicate using different protocols from each other.

19. The method of claim 15 further including measuring energy entering the one or more of a home or premises controlled by the energy data management and control system using a plurality of sensors.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising configuring a plurality of meters in on or more of the home or premises as loads or supplies.