Messaging architecture and system for electronic management of resources

• US 9,665,838 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2008
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: McCoy, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Liangche A
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, SHERMAN L
• Application Number:
  US12/326,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,100 Days
• Field of Search: 709217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system for managing resources used by an appliance includes a messaging architecture that uses resource profiles and function identifiers that represent a meaningful context related to the resource profiles so that the production or consumption of a resource can be managed by electronic messages using the message architecture.

Claims

1. A messaging architecture stored in a non-transitory storage medium for conveying information by electronic messages between a producer of a resource and a consumer of the resource, wherein the messaging architecture comprises messages, singly or in combination, having:

a first portion representing at least one resource profile, each resource profile having an ordered collection of points wherein each point represents a coordinate pair of variables related to at least one of time, cost, and amount regarding use of the resource;

first and second identifiers representing parameters of the resource and associated with values of each coordinate pair; and

a second portion representing a function identifier that designates a context of the resource profile;

whereby the first and second portions provide enough information in the messages to effectively manage the resource.

2. The messaging architecture of claim 1 further comprising identifiers of one of a producer, a consumer, a source of information about a producer, a source of information about a consumer, and a source of information about a resource.

3. The messaging architecture of claim 1 wherein the function identifier comprises one of a produce request, a consume request, a do not consume request, a do not produce request, a consumption history, a predicted consumption, a production history, and a predicted production.

4. The messaging architecture of claim 1 wherein the messages comprise a third portion containing information about a network.

5. The messaging architecture of claim 1 wherein the first portion further comprises a direction.

6. The messaging architecture of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second identifiers comprise a units identifier.

7. A system to manage a resource among a producer and consumer, wherein the producer and the consumer are in two-way communication with each other through electronic messages and wherein the consumer uses the resource in a cycle of operation, the system comprising:

a processor;

a message architecture stored in a non-transitory storage medium of the producer and the consumer, coupled to the processor, wherein the messaging architecture comprises messages, singly or in combination, having a first portion representing at least one resource profile, each resource profile having at least one point of an ordered collection of points wherein each point represents a coordinate pair of variables related to at least one of time, cost, and amount regarding use of the resource; and

first and second identifiers representing parameters of the resource and associated with values of each coordinate pair;

a second portion representing a function identifier that designates a context of the resource profile; and

a source of information about the resource,

whereby the source of information can affect production by the producer or consumption by the consumer of a resource by electronic messages using the message architecture.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein the source of information about a resource aggregates the information from at least one of a producer or consumer.

9. The system according to claim 8 wherein the information includes information from one of a source of information about a producer or a source of information about a consumer.

10. The system according to claim 9 wherein the producer is the source of information about a producer.

11. The system according to claim 9 wherein the consumer is the source of information about a consumer.

12. The system according to claim 9 wherein the source of information about a resource is one of the source of information about a producer and the source of information about a consumer.

13. The system according to claim 7 further comprising a second source of information about the resource and the two sources of information about the resource communicate with each other.

14. The system according to claim 7 further comprising one of a source of information about a producer and a source of information about a consumer, wherein the consumer is an appliance, the source of information about a producer is a meter, and the resource is one of gas, water and electricity.

15. The system according to claim 7 wherein the consumer is an appliance, the producer is a water heater, and the resource is hot water.

16. The system according to claim 7 wherein the producer is an appliance and the resource is one of grey water and waste heat.

17. The system according to claim 7 wherein the consumer is an appliance, the producer is a utility, and the resource is one of gas, water and electricity.

18. The system according to claim 7 wherein the consumer is an appliance.

19. The system according to claim 7 wherein the producer is an appliance by forfeiting future consumption of a resource.

20. The system according to claim 7 wherein the producer and the consumer iteratively negotiate using the electronic messages to agree on one of production and consumption of the resource.

21. An appliance configured to perform a cycle of operation on a physical article, wherein the appliance uses at least some of a resource in performing the operation, the appliance comprising:

a memory;

a controller, coupled to the memory, configured to send and receive messages related to a resource, wherein the messages comprise, singly or in combination, a resource profile having at least one point of an ordered collection of points wherein each point represents a coordinate pair of variables related to at least one of time, cost, and amount regarding use of the resource;

first and second identifiers representing parameters of the resource and associated with values of each coordinate pair; and

a second portion representing at least one function identifier wherein the function identifier designates a context of the resource profile,

whereby the appliance can participate in effective management of the resource based on the messages.

22. The appliance according to claim 21 further comprising a user interface whereby a user can input information related to effective management of the resource based on the messages or the user interface can display information about a resource profile and a function identifier.

23. The appliance according to claim 21 further comprising a component that provides a resource and process control apparatus that uses a resource, wherein the messages can be communicated between the component and the process control apparatus to effectively manage the use of the resource within the appliance.

24. The appliance according to claim 23 wherein the appliance is a washer, the component is a dispenser, and the resource is a detergent.

25. The appliance according to claim 21 wherein the messages include a production profile generated by the appliance in response to a cycle of operation.

26. The appliance according to claim 25 wherein the production profile is associated with a resource by product of the cycle of operation.

27. The appliance according to claim 26 wherein the by product is one of waste heat, grey water, hot water, warm water, water, potable water, steam, humidity, and conditioned air.

28. The appliance according to claim 21 wherein the messages include a consumption profile generated by the appliance in response to a cycle of operation.

29. The appliance according to claim 28 wherein the resource is one of water, electricity, air, gas, chemical additives, ingredients, ice, cooling air, chilled water, flavoring, steam, heat, and hot water.

30. The appliance according to claim 21 wherein the controller is configured to affect a cycle of operation in response to a received message.