Short message service (SMS)-enabled open automated demand response (OpenADR) server and related communications systems and methods

• US 9,667,578 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2016
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parsons Corporation (New Port Group Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IPKeys Technologies
• Inventors: Boch, Jim, Walker, William, Nawy, Robert, Havens, Daniel W., Womack, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Survillo, Oleg
• Assistant Examiner(s): CADORNA, CHRISTOPHER PALACA
• Application Number:
  US15/180,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20170054666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1923 using thermal energy, the cost of which varies in function of time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• 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: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/244 the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A system and method for short message service (SMS)-enabled Open Automated Demand Response (OADR) server and related communications is presented. The method includes receiving, by a processing device integrated with a first endpoint device, a first SMS message that represents a first OADR-conformant message, processing the first SMS message, and causing an energy consuming device to execute an action based on the first SMS message.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing device integrated with a first endpoint device, a first message that contains information in an Open Automatic Demand Response (OADR)-conformant format;

processing, by the processing device, the first message to identify an OADR tag within the first message and extract an OADR element associated with the OADR tag from the first message, the OADR element comprising a value associated with energy consumption pricing, energy consumption curtailment, or grid reliability;

reformatting, by the processing device, the first message into a first OADR-conformant message having the OADR element inserted into the first OADR-conformant message in a format that is compliant with a secure connection format protocol utilized by an energy consuming device; and

causing the energy consuming device to execute an action based on the information contained in the first message by transmitting the first OADR-conformant message to the energy consuming device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving, from the energy consuming device, a response indicative of an execution of the action;

generating a second message based on the response; and

transmitting the second message to a proxy server indicating the execution of the action.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second message comprises information about a meter reading, a date of the meter reading, and a time of the meter reading, and wherein the first message comprises one of a do command, do not command, a price of a unit of energy, or a request for telemetry information.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a dictionary update message;

updating a dictionary based on the dictionary update message;

receiving one of a start message, a static variable and a tag message, indicating an OADR format;

reformatting the first message into the first OADR-conformant message based on the updated dictionary; and

transmitting the first OADR-conformant message to a receiver integrated with a second endpoint device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first OADR-conformant message is transmitted to the receiver integrated with the second endpoint device via Internet Protocol (IP).

6. A system comprising:

a memory;

a processing device communicably coupled to the memory, the processing device configured to;

receive a first message that contains information in an OADR-conformant format;

process the first message to identify an OADR tag within the first message and extract an OADR element associated with the OADR tag from the first message, the OADR element comprising a value associated with energy consumption pricing, energy consumption curtailment, or grid reliability;

reformat the first message into a first OADR-conformant message having the OADR element inserted into the first OADR-conformant message in a format that is compliant with a secure connection format protocol utilized by an energy consuming device; and

cause the energy consuming device to execute an action based on the information contained in the first message by transmitting the first OADR-conformant message to the energy consuming device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processing device is further to:

receive, from the energy consuming device, a response indicative of an execution of the action;

generate a second message based on the response; and

transmit the second message to a proxy server indicating the execution of the action.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second message comprises information about a meter reading, a date of the meter reading, and a time of the meter reading, and wherein the first message comprises one of a do command, do not command, a price of a unit of energy, or a request for telemetry information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing device is further to:

receive a dictionary update message;

update a dictionary based on the dictionary update message;

receive one of a start message, a static variable, and a tag message, indicating an OADR format;

reformatting the first message into the first OADR-conformant message based on the updated dictionary; and

transmit the first OADR-conformant message to a receiver integrated with a second endpoint device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first OADR-conformant message is transmitted to the receiver integrated with the second endpoint device via Internet Protocol (IP).

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processing device, causes the processing device to:

receive a first OADR-conformant message that contains information in an OADR-conformant format;

identify an OADR tag within the first OADR-conformant message;

extract an OADR element associated with the OADR tag from the first OADR-conformant message, the OADR element comprising a value associated with energy consumption pricing, energy consumption curtailment, or grid reliability;

generate a first message that contains information in an OADR-conformant format, wherein the information in the OADR-conformant format is generated by having the OADR element inserted into a body of the first message; and

transmit the first message to a receiving device integrated with an endpoint device that is communicably coupled to an energy consuming device so as to cause the energy consuming device to execute an action based on the information contained in the first message.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing device, further cause the processing device to:

transmit, to the receiving device integrated with the endpoint device, one of a start message, a static variable and a tag message, indicating an OADR format; and

receive, from a transmitting, by a transmitting device integrated with the endpoint device, a second message indicating an execution of the action by the energy consuming device based on the first message.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the second message comprises information about a meter reading, a date of the meter reading, and a time of the meter reading, and wherein the first message comprises one of a do command, do not command, a price of a unit of energy, or a request for telemetry information.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing device, further cause the processing device to:

receive, from a transmitting device integrated with the endpoint device, a polling message indicating a read only memory (ROM) version;

generate a dictionary update message based on the ROM version; and

transmit the dictionary update message to the endpoint device, wherein receiving, by the processing device, the first OADR-conformant message is from an OADR-conformant node.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing device, further cause the processing device to:

reformat the second message into a second OADR-conformant message; and

transmit the second OADR-conformant message to the OADR-conformant node.