WO2020252451A1

WO2020252451A1 - System and method of capturing energy usage data of a usage area from an infrared port device

Info

Publication number: WO2020252451A1
Application number: PCT/US2020/037733
Authority: WO
Inventors: Matthew P. Tilchen
Original assignee: Insight Energy Ventures, Llc
Priority date: 2019-06-14
Filing date: 2020-06-15
Publication date: 2020-12-17

Abstract

A system for capturing instantaneous energy usage data of a usage area is provided. The usage area includes an infrared (IR) port device configured to transmit an IR pulse based on an energy consumed by the usage area. The system includes an adapter assembly coupled to the IR port device. The adapter assembly includes an IR sensor configured to sense the IR pulse, a processing device configured to determine one or more coupling states of the adapter assembly and the IR port device and determine the instantaneous energy usage data based on the IR pulse sensed by the IR sensor, and a transceiver configured to transmit the instantaneous energy usage data and an indication of the one or more states.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD OF CAPTURING ENERGY USAGE DATA OF A USAGE AREA FROM AN INFRARED PORT DEVICE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The subject patent application claims priority to and all of the benefits of U.S . Provisional Patent Application No. 62/861,814, filed on June 14, 2019, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates generally to capturing energy usage data of a usage area and, more particularly, to a system and method of capturing energy usage data of a usage area from a device including an infrared (IR) port.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Many systems exist to provide a user with the ability to monitor energy usage of an entire building or home in real-time. These systems include“smart” electrical meters that are installed by utility companies, or systems that attach to a building's power distribution panel to provide detailed, minute-by-minute analytics. While this can be a useful tool to analyze energy usage data, these systems are also very costly and require specially trained technicians to install.

[0004] For example,“smart” electrical meters have been used to monitor real-time energy usage of an entire building or home in real-time. However, many buildings and homes do not have smart meters. As another example, real-time energy usage monitoring has historically required either an intermediate measuring device that is placed (electrically) between the appliance and the wall outlet, or a current clamp that encircles a single conductor. However, the drawback to an intermediate device is that the appliance must be separately plugged into an analyzer for testing. Additionally, meters that may utilize the current clamp readings are often expensive.

[0005] As such, there remains a need in the art for a system and method for capturing real-time energy usage data.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] A system for capturing instantaneous energy usage data of a usage area is provided. The usage area includes an infrared (IR) port device configured to transmit an IR pulse based on an energy consumed by the usage area. The system includes an adapter assembly coupled to the IR port device. The adapter assembly includes an IR sensor configured to sense the IR pulse, a processing device configured to determine one or more coupling states of the adapter assembly and the IR port device and determine the instantaneous energy usage data based on the IR pulse sensed by the IR sensor, and a transceiver configured to transmit the instantaneous energy usage data and an indication of the one or more coupling states.

[0007] A method of capturing instantaneous energy usage data of a usage area with an adapter system is provided. The adapter system includes an adapter assembly, which includes an IR sensor, a processing device, and a transceiver. The usage area includes an IR port device configured to transmit an IR pulse. The method includes steps of coupling the adapter assembly to the IR port device, sensing the IR pulse, determining one or more coupling states of the adapter assembly and the IR port device, where the one or more states are associated with a coupling of the adapter assembly relative to the IR port device, determining the instantaneous energy usage data based on the IR pulse sensed by the IR sensor, and transmitting the instantaneous energy usage data and an indication of the one or more coupling states.

[0008] An adapter assembly configured to capture instantaneous energy usage data of a usage area is provided. The usage area includes an IR port device comprising an IR port, the IR port device being configured to transmit an IR pulse via the IR port. The adapter assembly includes a body, which includes an IR sensor configured to sense the IR pulse in response to the IR sensor being within a proximity of the IR port, a processing device coupled to the IR sensor and configured to determine the instantaneous energy usage data based on the IR pulse sensed by the IR sensor, and a coupling portion being configured to couple the body of the adapter assembly to the IR port device such that the IR sensor is disposed within the proximity of the IR port.

[0009] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an infrared (IR) port device and an adapter assembly.

[0011] FIG. IB is an exploded view of a cover of the adapter assembly and a portion of a body of the adapter assembly.

[0012] FIG. 1C is a cutaway view of the body of the adapter assembly.

[0013] FIG. 2A is a diagrammatic view of the IR port device and the adapter assembly. [0014] FIG. 2B is a diagrammatic view of the IR port device, the adapter assembly, and a user computing device.

[0015] FIG. 2C is a diagrammatic view of the IR port device, the adapter assembly, a gateway device, and the user computing device.

[0016] FIG. 2D is a diagrammatic view of the IR port device, the adapter assembly, and a cloud computing system.

[0017] FIGS. 3A-3H are flowcharts of a method of capturing instantaneous energy usage data of a usage area.

[0018] FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are example waveforms of IR pulses received by the adapter assembly from the IR port device.

[0019] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of various instances of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in commercially feasible instances are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various instances of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one having ordinary skill in the art that the specific details need not be employed to practice the present invention. In other instances, well-known materials or methods have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present invention.

[0021] Reference throughout this specification to“one instance”,“an instance”,“one example” or“an example” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the instance or example is included in at least one instance of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases“in one instance”,“in an instance”,“one example” or“an example” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same instance or example. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable combinations and/or sub-combinations in one or more instances or examples. In addition, it is to be appreciated that the figures provided herewith are for explanation purposes to persons ordinarily skilled in the art and that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0022] Instances in accordance with the present invention may be embodied as an apparatus, method, or computer program product. Accordingly, the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware instance, an entirely software instance (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.), or an instance combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a“module” or“system.” Furthermore, the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in any tangible media of expression having computer-usable program code embodied in the media.

[0023] Any combination of one or more computer-usable or computer-readable media (or medium) may be utilized. For example, computer-readable media may include one or more of a portable computer diskette, a hard disc drive, a random-access memory (RAM) device, a non volatile random- access memory (NVRAM) device, a read-only memory (ROM) device, an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory) device, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM) device, an optical storage device, and a magnetic storage device. Computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages.

[0024] Instances may also be implemented in cloud computing environments. In this description and the following claims,“cloud computing” may be defined as a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that may be rapidly provisioned via virtualization and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction, and then scaled accordingly. A cloud model may be composed of various characteristics (e.g., on- demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, measured service, etc.), service models (e.g., Software as a Service (“SaaS”), Platform as a Service (“PaaS”), Infrastructure as a Service (“IaaS”)), and deployment models (e.g., private cloud, community cloud, public cloud, hybrid cloud, etc.).

[0025] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various instances of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which may include one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, may be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable media, which may direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable media produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block(s).

[0026] Several (or different) elements discussed below, and/or claimed, are described as being “coupled”, “in communication with”, or“configured to be in communication with”. This terminology is intended to be non-limiting and, where appropriate, interpreted to include, without limitation, wired and wireless communication using any one or a plurality of suitable protocols, as well as communication methods that are constantly maintained, are made on a periodic basis, and/or made or initiated on an as needed basis.

[0027] I. System Overview

[0028] FIG. 1A illustrates a system 10 for capturing instantaneous energy usage data 12 (shown in FIG. 2 A) of a usage area including an infrared (IR) port device 14. The IR port device 14 includes an IR port 16 and the IR port device 14 is configured to transmit an infrared (IR) pulse 18 (shown in FIG. 2A) via the IR port 16 based on an energy consumed by the usage area. As shown in FIG. 1A, the system 10 includes an adapter assembly 20 coupled to the IR port device 14.

[0029] The IR port device 14 may be any device that may transmit an IR pulse via an IR port. For example, the IR port device 14 may be an automatic meter reading (AMR) device or a smart meter of an advanced metering infrastructure. In FIGS. 1-2D, the IR port device 14 is illustrated as an AMR device. However, in other instances, the IR port device 14 may be any other device suitable for transmitting an IR pulse via an IR port.

[0030] The usage area as referred to herein may be defined as any area that utilizes energy. A building is an example of the usage area. Example usage areas include, but are not limited to, homes, factories, office buildings, restaurants, hospitals, and apartment complexes. In some embodiments of this invention, the usage area may also be defined as wings or floors of buildings, such as a wing or floor of any of the example usage areas listed above. The words“usage area” and“home” may be used interchangeably herein, and should thus not be construed as limiting.

[0031] The IR pulse 18 may be transmitted by the IR port device 14 based on an energy consumption of the usage area. As one example, the IR port device 14 transmits the IR pulse 18 each time the usage area consumes a certain amount of energy. In one such instance, the IR port device 14 transmits the IR pulse 18 each time the usage area consumes a watt-hour of energy. In other instances, the IR port device 14 may be configured to transmit the IR pulse 18 after any other suitable amount of energy is consumed by the usage area.

[0032] The instantaneous energy usage data 12 is defined as an amount of energy demanded by the usage area during an instance of time. For example, during one instance of time, the usage area may demand 100 watts of energy. In some instances, the instantaneous energy usage data 12 is calculated as an average amount of energy demanded by the usage area during a period of time. For example, during a 100 millisecond (ms) time-span, the usage area may demand an average of 250 watts of energy, such that the instantaneous energy usage data 12 is 250 watts for the 100 ms time-span. Using methods described herein, the adapter assembly 20 determines the instantaneous energy usage data 12 based on the IR pulse 18 transmitted by the IR port device 14. For example, in an instance where the IR port device 14 transmits the IR pulse 18 each time the usage area consumes a watt-hour of energy, the adapter assembly 20 senses the IR pulse 18 and determines the instantaneous energy usage data 12.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2A, the adapter assembly 20 includes an IR sensor 22, a processing device 24, and a transceiver 26. The IR sensor 22 may be configured to sense the IR pulse 18 from the IR port 16 of the IR port device 14 in response to the IR sensor 22 being within a proximity of the IR port 16. The processing device 24 may be configured to determine the instantaneous energy usage data 12 based on the IR pulse 18 sensed by the IR sensor 22. The transceiver 26 may be configured to transmit the instantaneous energy usage data 12 and other information/data pertaining to the adapter assembly 20 such as one or more coupling states, as discussed in greater detail below.

[0034] Referring now to FIG. IB, the adapter assembly 20 includes a cover 38 and a body 40. As shown in FIG. 1C, the body 40 includes a first void 42, a second void 43, and a third void 44, where the processing device 24, the IR sensor 22, and the transceiver 26 are disposed. For example, in the instance of FIGS. IB and 1C, the processing device 24 and the transceiver 26 are placed on a circuit board (not shown) and disposed within the first void 42. Additionally, the IR sensor 22 is disposed within the second void 43 such that the IR sensor 22 is directly above the IR port 16 when the adapter assembly 20 is coupled to the IR port device 14. Furthermore, the adapter assembly 20 may include a power supply (not shown) configured to power the IR sensor 22, the processing device 24, and the transceiver 26. The power supply may be embodied as a battery disposed within the third void 44. The cover 38 is disposed above the body 40 to protect components disposed within the body 40.

[0035] In some instances, a construction of the cover 38 and the body 40 may vary. For example, the cover 38 may be integral to the body 40 or omitted from the adapter assembly 20. In some instances, a construction of the body 40 may vary such that the processing device 24, the IR sensor 22, and the transceiver 26 may be disposed within the body 40 in a different manner.

[0036] The body 40 may also define a cavity 46. The cavity 46 is configured to receive a portion of the IR port device 14 such that the IR sensor 22 is disposed within a proximity of the IR port 16. As shown, the cavity 46 is sized to receive a portion of the IR port device 14. In some instances, the cavity 46 may receive a larger or smaller portion of the IR port device 14. Furthermore, in the instance of FIGS. 1A-1C, the IR port device 14 is illustrated as an AMR device including a rounded shape. In some instances, the body 40 of the adapter assembly 20 is shaped to substantially or fully cover the IR port to prevent degradation of the IR pulse due to external environmental factors when coupled to the IR port device 14. For example, this may help to prevent rain, ice, etc. from degrading the signal between the IR port 16 and the IR sensor 22.

[0037] In instances where the IR port device 14 includes a different shape, such as a rectangular shape or a triangular shape, the cavity 46 may be shaped accordingly to receive a portion of the IR port device 14 or omitted. Additionally, in some instances, the cavity 46 may be configured such that the IR sensor 22 is placed directly above the IR port 16. In other instances, the IR sensor 22 may be displaced from the IR port 16, while still being disposed within the proximity of the IR port 16.

[0038] Furthermore, the adapter assembly 20 may include a fastening element 48 coupled to the body 40, as shown in FIG. 1A. The fastening element 48 may be configured to secure the body 40 to the IR port device 14. In FIG. 1A, the fastening element 48 is a strap. In other instances, the fastening element 48 may be any device suitable for securing the body 40 of the adapter assembly 20 to the IR port device 14. For example, the fastening element 48 may include one or more of Velcro, an adjustable strap, adhesive, a belt configuration, an elastic strap, or any other suitable means of securing the body 40 to the IR port device 14.

[0039] The IR sensor 22 may be any sensor suitable for sensing the IR pulse 18. For example, the IR sensor 22 may be an active IR sensor, such as a break beam sensor or a reflectance sensor. The IR sensor 22 may also be a passive IR sensor, such as a thermal passive IR sensor or a quantum passive IR sensor. Some examples of passive IR sensors include thermocouples, bolometers, and pyroelectric sensors. Some examples of quantum passive IR sensors include intrinsic type quantum passive IR sensors, such as photoconductive IR sensors and photovoltaic IR sensors, or extrinsic type quantum passive IR sensors. In other instances, the IR sensor 22 may be an optical sensor, such as a photoconductive device, a photovoltaic device, a photodiode, or a phototransistor.

[0040] The processing device 24 may be any processing device suitable for determining the instantaneous energy usage data 12 based on the IR pulse 18. For example, the processing device 24 may be configured to execute processor-executable instructions. The processor-executable instructions may be stored in a memory of the processing device 24, which may include a random- access memory (RAM) device, a non-volatile random-access memory (NVRAM) device, a read only memory (ROM) device, an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory) device, a hard disc drive, a portable computer diskette, an optical disc drive, and/or a magnetic storage device. Similarly, data related to the IR port device 14, such as the energy constant 39 (to be described herein) may be stored in a memory of the processing device 24. The processing device 24 may also include one or more processors for executing the processor- executable instructions. In embodiments where the processing device 24 includes two or more processors, the processors may operate in a parallel or distributed manner.

[0041] The transceiver 26 may be any transceiver suitable for transmitting the instantaneous energy usage data 12. For example, the transceiver 26 may transmit the instantaneous energy usage data 12 using any suitable wireless network specified by IEEE 802.5. Such wireless networks include, but are not limited to, WiFi, Bluetooth, Thread, Z-Wave, and ZigBee. The transceiver 26 may also transmit the instantaneous energy usage data 12 using any suitable cellular network, such as a 3G, 4G, or LTE cellular network. The transceiver 26 may transmit the instantaneous energy usage data 12 using one or more of the above-stated networks. Accordingly, the transceiver 26 may include hardware corresponding to the networks used for communication. For example, the transceiver 26 may include a Bluetooth USB dongle for transmitting the instantaneous energy usage data 12 using Bluetooth or a cellular communication chip for communicating via a cellular network. Furthermore, as the above- stated networks support bi directional communication, the transceiver 26 may also be configured to receive data via the above-stated networks.

[0042] The system 10 may include a user computing device 30, as shown in FIG. 2B. In such instances, the transceiver 26 is configured to transmit the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to the user computing device 30. For example, as shown in FIG. 2B, the transceiver 26 may transmit the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to the user computing device 30 using Bluetooth or a cellular network. The user computing device 30 may then display the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to a user of the user computing device 30.

[0043] The user of the user computing device 30 may be any individual or individuals who occupy and/or use the usage area or any individual or individuals who manage and/or control energy usage within the usage area. Some suitable, non-limiting examples of the user are residents and employees who utilize usage areas such as homes and workplaces. As a residential example, the user may be a homeowner or family member of the homeowner who resides in a home. As another example, the user may be a family of five residents who reside in a home. As workplace examples, the user may be a maintenance manager in a factory, an office manager in an office building, or a department manager in a hospital (i.e., a usage area). As yet another example, the user may be a business owner/restaurateur who owns a restaurant. Other suitable, non-limiting examples of the user are individuals who manage the usage area and the activities and/or energy usage therein, but who are not regularly in the usage area. For example, the user may be a maintenance technician of an apartment complex.

[0044] The user computing device 30 may include one or more of a desktop computer, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wearable device, a laptop, or any other suitable computing device. Additionally, the user computing device 30 may include a user application for displaying the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to the user, such as the user application disclosed in PCT International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2018/081606 A1 entitled,“METHOD OF INTELLIGENT DEMAND RESPONSE”, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference. [0045] The system 10 may include a gateway device 28, as shown in FIG. 2C. The gateway device 28 may be the gateway device disclosed in PCT International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2018/081606 Al. In such instances, the transceiver 26 is configured to transmit the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to the gateway device 28. For example, as shown in FIG. 2C, the transceiver 26 may transmit the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to the gateway device 28 using ZigBee. The gateway device 28 may then transmit the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to the user computing device 30 using a cellular network. The user computing device 30 may then display the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to the user of the user computing device 30.

[0046] This disclosure contemplates transmitting the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to the gateway device 28 using a ZigBee communication protocol, as discussed above, other communication protocols may be implemented. ZigBee is contemplated throughout the disclosure because it offers many advantages. For example, it offers the ability to create a substantial mesh network that is both self-forming and self-healing. ZigBee also offers lower power consumption than other forms of wireless short-range communication and allows data transfer across medium distances. ZigBee also supports many nodes per network.

[0047] In some instances, the gateway device 28 may be configured to be paired with the adapter assembly 20 prior to the adapter assembly 20 being coupled to the IR port device 14. For example, prior to the adapter assembly 20 being coupled to the IR port device 14, the gateway device 28 and the adapter assembly 20 may be paired using ZigBee. In one such instance, the adapter assembly 20 and the gateway device 28 may be paired using ZigBee during a manufacturing phase and packaged with one another. As such, the gateway device 28 does not require a user to pair the gateway device 28 to the adapter assembly 20 upon receiving the gateway device 28 and the adapter assembly 20 and thus the system provides for ease of usage for the user.

[0048] While the example is provided that the gateway device 28 and the adapter assembly 20 communicate, the adapter assembly 20 may communicate with any other device in the network using Zigbee (i.e., any other device in the mesh network). For example, other systems in the network may include HVAC systems, light systems, security systems, appliance systems, electric vehicle charging systems or any other systems that are connected to the network and configured to communicate using the ZigBee protocol. Based on the instantaneous energy usage data 12, and via the mesh network, the adapter assembly 20 and or the user computing device 30 may instruct other systems in the network to modify consumption amounts to reduce the instantaneous energy usage data 12 consumption.

[0049] The system 10 may include a cloud computing system 32, as shown in FIG. 2D. In such instances, the transceiver 26 is configured to transmit the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to the cloud computing system 32. For example, in FIG. 2D, the transceiver 26 transmits the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to the cloud computing system 32 using an LTE cellular network. The cloud computing system 32 may then store the instantaneous energy usage data 12 and transmit the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to a variety of devices, such as the user computing device 30, a laptop 34, a desktop computer 36, or any other suitable device.

[0050] II. Method Overview

[0051] Referring now to FIG. 3A, a method 100 of capturing, with the system 10, the instantaneous energy usage data 12 of the usage area including the IR port device 14 is shown. The method 100 includes a step 102 of coupling the adapter assembly 20 to the IR port device 14; a step 104 of sensing, by the IR sensor 22, the IR pulse 18; a step 106 of determining, by the processing device 24, the instantaneous energy usage data 12 based on the IR pulse 18 sensed by the IR sensor 22; and a step 108 of transmitting, by the transceiver 26, the instantaneous energy usage data 12. It should be noted that steps of the method 100 described herein may be ordered in any suitable order. Additionally, steps of the method 100 may be repeated or executed in parallel. For example, the method 100 may execute iterations of step 106 and step 108 in parallel.

[0052] To further illustrate the step 106 of determining the instantaneous energy usage data 12, we refer to an instance where the IR port device 14 is configured to transmit the IR pulse 18 each time the usage area consumes a watt-hour of energy. Referring to FIG. 3B, in such an instance, the step 104 of sensing further includes a step 110 of sensing, by the IR sensor 22, the IR pulse 18 each time the usage area consumes 1 watt-hour of energy. Furthermore, the step 106 of determining further includes a step 112 of determining, by the processing device 24, the instantaneous energy usage data 12 based on an amount of time between IR pulses 18 sensed by the IR sensor 22.

[0053] The step 112 of determining the instantaneous energy usage data 12 based on an amount of time between IR pulses 18 is further shown in FIG. 4. As shown, the IR sensor 22 senses three IR pulses 18’, 18”, 18”’ and the amount of time between each of the three IR pulses 18’, 18”, 18”’ are Ti, T2, and T3. In FIG. 4, the processing device 24 determines the instantaneous energy usage data 12’, 12”, 12’” during each amount of time Ti, T₂, and T₃. In other words, the processing device 24 determines the average amount of energy demanded by the usage area during each amount of time Ti, T₂, and T₃.

[0054] In FIG. 4, the instantaneous energy usage data 12’, 12”, 12’” are calculated by the processing device 24 based on the amount of time Ti, T2, and T3 and an energy constant 39. The energy constant 39 may be defined as an amount of energy consumed by the usage area each time the IR port device 14 transmits the IR pulse 18. In the instance of FIG. 4, the IR port device 14 is configured to transmit a 50 ms IR pulse 18 each time the usage area consumes 1 watt-hour of energy or, equivalently, 3600 watt-seconds of energy or 3600 Joules (J) of energy. As such, the energy constant 39 in the instance of FIG. 4 is 3600 J. As shown in FIG. 4, the processing device 24 calculates the instantaneous energy usage data 12’, 12”, 12”’ as 2.25 kW, 60.0 kW, and 45 kW, respectively. In other words, the average amount of energy demanded by the usage area during each amount of time Ti, T2, and T3 is equivalent to 2.25 kilowatts (kW), 60.0 kW, and 45 kW, respectively.

[0055] The processing device 24 may determine the instantaneous energy usage data 12 in instances where the IR port device 14 transmits the IR pulse 18 after the usage area consumes a different amount of energy. For example, the processing device 24 may determine the instantaneous energy usage data 12 in instances where the IR port device 14 transmits the IR pulse 18 after the usage area consumes 10 watt-hours of energy or 100 watt-hours of energy. In such instances, the processing device 24 would determine the instantaneous energy usage data 12 using an energy constant 39 of 36 kW- seconds and 360 kW- seconds.

[0056] Additionally, in other instances, the energy constant 39 may vary based on a state of the adapter assembly 20 or the IR port device 14. In some instances, the IR port device 14 and/or the adapter assembly 20 may include a temperature sensor that senses a temperature of the ambient environment. For example, in some instances, the IR port device 14 may transmit the IR pulse 18 after the usage area consumes a first amount of energy or a second amount of energy, based on a temperature of the IR port device 14. For example, usage areas typically consume greater amounts of energy during warmer conditions. As such, during warmer conditions, the IR port device 14 may be configured to transmit the IR pulse 18 after the usage area consumes a greater amount of energy. In such instances, a plurality of temperature values and a plurality of the energy constants, including the energy constant 39, may be stored in the memory of the processing device 24, with each temperature value of the plurality of temperature values being associated with a respective energy constant of the plurality of energy constants. The processing device 24 may store this in the form of a lookup table and use the lookup table when computing the instantaneous energy usage data 12’ , 12” or 12”’ . For example, when the temperature is sensed by a temperature sensor, the processing device 24 may then look up the respective energy constant in the lookup table.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 2B, the system 10 may include the user computing device 30. In such instances, the step 108 of transmitting includes a step 114 of transmitting, by the transceiver 26, the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to the user computing device 30, as shown in FIG. 3C. Additionally, the method 100 further includes a step 116 of displaying, by the user computing device 30, the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to the user of the user computing device 30. Steps 114 and 116 are further illustrated in FIG. 2B.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 2C, the system 10 may include the gateway device 28. In such instances, the step 108 of transmitting includes a step 118 of transmitting, by the transceiver 26, the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to the gateway device 28, as shown in FIG. 3D. Furthermore, the method 100 includes a step 120 of transmitting, by the gateway device 28, the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to the user computing device 30. In such an instance, the method 100 also includes the previously described step 116 of displaying, by the user computing device 30, the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to the user of the user computing device 30. Steps 118, 120, and 116 are further illustrated in FIG. 2C.

[0059] As previously described, the gateway device 28 may be paired to the adapter assembly 20 prior to the adapter assembly 20 being coupled to the IR port device 14. In such instances, the method 100 further comprising a step 122 of pairing the gateway device 28 to the adapter assembly 20 prior to the step 102 of coupling the adapter assembly 20 to the IR port device 14, as shown in FIG. 3E.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 2D, the system 10 may include the cloud computing system 32. In such instances, the step 108 of transmitting includes a step 124 of transmitting, by the transceiver 26, the instantaneous energy usage data 12 to the cloud computing system 32, as shown in FIG. 3F. Additionally, the method 100 further includes a step 126 of storing, by the cloud computing system 32, the instantaneous energy usage data 12. Steps 124 and 126 are further illustrated in FIG. 2D. [0061] As previously described, the adapter assembly 20 may include a power supply (not shown). In such instances, the method 100 includes a step 128 of providing, by the power supply, power to the IR sensor 22, the processing device 24, and the transceiver 26, as shown in FIG. 3G.

[0062] In some instances, the adapter assembly 20 may include a contact sensor configured to output a contact signal representative of the one or more states. The processing device 24 may be further configured to determine whether the adapter assembly 20 is coupled to the IR port device 14 based on an amount of time between IR pulses 18 sensed by the IR sensor 22. In such an instance, the method 100 includes a step 130 of determining, by the processing device 24, whether the adapter assembly 20 is coupled to the IR port device 14 based on an amount of time after the IR pulse 18 is sensed by the IR sensor 22 and prior to the IR sensor 22 sensing a subsequent IR pulse 18, as shown in FIG. 3H.

[0063] Step 130 is further illustrated in FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, the IR sensor 22 senses two IR pulses 18””, 18’”” and the amount of time after IR pulse 18”” is sensed by the IR sensor 22 and prior to the IR sensor 22 sensing subsequent IR pulse 18’”” is T₄. The processing device 24 in FIG. 5 may be configured to determine whether the adapter assembly 20 is coupled to the IR port device 14. The coupling/decoupling of the adapter assembly 20 and the IR port device 14 may be described by one or more coupling states. In a first coupling state, the adapter assembly 20 is coupled to the IR port device 14. In a second coupling state, the adapter assembly 20 is decoupled from the IR port device 14. The processing device 24 may determine whether the adapter assembly is in the first state or the second state by comparing the amount of time after the IR pulse 18”” and prior to subsequent IR pulse 18””’ to a threshold amount of time TTHRESH. AS previously stated, the IR port device 14 is configured to transmit the IR pulse 18 each time the usage area consumes a certain amount of energy. Therefore, if the amount of time after the IR pulse 18”” and prior to the subsequent IR pulse 18’”” is greater than the threshold amount of time TTHRESH, the processing device 24 determines that the adapter assembly 20 is no longer coupled to the IR port device 14. In the instance of FIG. 5, the threshold amount of time TTHRESH is 5 min. Therefore, because the amount of time between the IR pulses 18”” and 18””’ T₄ is 10 minutes, the processing device 24 determines that the adapter assembly 20 is no longer coupled to (i.e., decoupled from) the IR port device 14. The processing device 24 may determine that the amount of time after the IR pulse 18 and prior to a subsequent IR pulse 18 is greater than a threshold amount of time without or prior to the IR sensor 22 sensing the subsequent IR pulse 18. [0064] The threshold amount of time TTHRESH may be any suitable amount of time for making such a determination. For example, the threshold amount of time TTHRESH may be based on a low energy state of the usage area. For instance, if the IR port device is configured to transmit the IR pulse 18 each time the usage area consumes 1 watt-hour of energy and if, during a low energy state of the usage area, the usage area consumes 1 watt-hour of energy every 5 minutes, the threshold amount of time may be set to 6 minutes. In another instance, the threshold amount of time TTHRESH may vary based on a state of the IR port device 14 or the adapter assembly 20. For example, the threshold amount of time TTHRESH may be based on a low energy state of the usage area during a time of day. As such, the threshold amount of time TTHRESH may be stored in a memory of the processing device 24 as a constant or as a lookup table.

[0065] The adapter assembly 20 may include a contact sensor configured to output a contact signal indicative of a coupling of the adapter assembly 20 relative to the IR port device 14. The contact sensor may be any suitable sensor configured to detect contact between the adapter assembly 20 and the IR port device 14. For example, the contact sensory may be a spring-loaded contact sensor. The contact sensor may be attached or located on an inside surface of the body 40 such that a portion of the contact sensor comes into contact with the IR port device 14 when the adapter assembly 20 is coupled to the IR port device 14. The processing device 24 may be configured to determine whether the adapter assembly 20 is in the first or second state based on an output of the one contact sensor. The contact sensor may output a logical high as the contact signal when the adapter assembly 20 is coupled with the IR port device 14 or a logical low as the contact signal when the adapter assembly 20 is decoupled from the IR port device 14.

[0066] In some instances, the processing device 24 may use the IR pulse 18 in conjunction with the output from the contact signal to determine two sub-states of the first coupling state. A first coupling sub-state may correspond to the adapter assembly 20 being coupled to the IR port device 14 in a proper manner and a second coupling sub-state may correspond to the adapter assembly 20 being coupled to the IR port device 14 in an improper manner. For example, when the adapter assembly 20 is coupled to the IR port device 14 and the contact sensor is outputting a logical high but the IR pulse 18 is not being received or appears distorted, the processing device 24 may determine that the adapter assembly 20 is installed in an improper manner.

[0067] In some instances, as discussed above, the processing device 24 may be configured to determine whether the adapter assembly 20 is in the first coupling state or the second coupling state. In other instances, such as described above, the processing device 24 may be configured to further distinguish whether the adapter assembly 20 is in a first sub- state or a second sub- state from the first coupling state. As may be described throughout this disclosure, the first sub-state may be referred to as the first coupling state and the second sub- state may be referred to as a third coupling state.

[0068] The processing device 24 may incorporate other data from the adapter assembly 20 when determining whether the adapter assembly 20 is no longer coupled to the IR port device 14. For example, the processing device 24 may determine whether the IR port 16 is still within a proximity of the IR sensor 22. The processing device 24 may also determine whether the adapter assembly 20 is coupled to the IR port device 14.

[0069] The above disclosure describes a system 10 for and a method 100 of capturing the instantaneous energy usage data 12 of a usage area. The above disclosure may be combined with a method of disaggregating the instantaneous energy usage data 12, described as the method of disaggregating an energy usage signal in PCT International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2018/081606 Al. The method of disaggregating may be used to determine energy usage of individual electrically powered devices in the usage area.

[0070] Several instances have been discussed in the foregoing description. However, the instances discussed herein are not intended to be exhaustive or limit the invention to any particular form. The terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings and the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

CLAIMS WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A system for capturing instantaneous energy usage data of a usage area, wherein the usage area comprises an infrared (IR) port device configured to transmit an infrared (IR) pulse based on an energy consumed by the usage area, the system comprising:

an adapter assembly coupled to the IR port device and comprising:

an IR sensor configured to sense the IR pulse;

a processing device configured to:

determine one or more coupling states of the adapter assembly and the IR port device; and

determine the instantaneous energy usage data based on the IR pulse sensed by the IR sensor; and

a transceiver configured to transmit the instantaneous energy usage data and an indication of the one or more coupling states.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing device determines the one or more coupling states based on an amount of time after the IR pulse is sensed by the IR sensor and prior to the IR sensor sensing a subsequent IR pulse.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the adapter assembly further comprises a contact sensor configured to output a contact signal representative of the one or more coupling states.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the one or more coupling states include a first coupling state corresponding to the adapter assembly being coupled to the IR port device in a proper manner, a second coupling state corresponding to the adapter assembly being decoupled from the IR port device, and a third coupling state corresponding to the adapter assembly being coupled to the IR port device in an improper manner.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the indication includes information to convey that the adapter assembly is coupled to the IR device in an improper manner.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein the processing device determines the one or more coupling states from the contact signal and an amount of time after the IR pulse is sensed by the IR sensor and prior to the IR sensor sensing a subsequent IR pulse.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the adapter assembly further includes a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature associated with the adapter assembly;

the processing device is further configured to:

store a plurality of temperature values and a plurality of energy constants, each temperature value of the plurality of temperature values being associated with a respective energy constant;

determine an energy constant based on the temperature; and

determine the instantaneous energy usage data based on the energy constant.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the IR port device is configured to transmit an IR pulse each time the usage area consumes 1 watt-hour of energy such that:

the IR sensor is further configured to sense the IR pulse each time the usage area consumes 1 watt-hour of energy; and

the processing device is further configured to determine the instantaneous energy usage data based on an amount of time between consecutive IR pulses sensed by the IR sensor.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a user computing device, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the instantaneous energy usage data to the user computing device, and wherein the user computing device is configured to display the instantaneous energy usage data to a user of the user computing device.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a gateway device, wherein the transceiver is configured to communicate with the gateway device.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the communication includes the instantaneous energy usage data, and wherein the gateway device is configured to transmit the instantaneous energy usage data to the user computing device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the usage area includes a plurality of other devices configured to consume energy; and the transceiver is configured to communicate with the plurality of other devices.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the gateway device is further configured to be paired with the adapter assembly prior to the adapter assembly being coupled to the IR port device; and

the transceiver is configured to transmit the instantaneous energy usage data to the gateway device using a ZigBee communication protocol.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cloud computing system, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the instantaneous energy usage data to the cloud computing system, and wherein the cloud computing system is further configured to store the instantaneous energy usage data.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the adapter assembly further comprises a power supply configured to provide power to the IR sensor, the processing device, and the transceiver.

16. A method of capturing instantaneous energy usage data of a usage area with an adapter system, wherein the adapter system comprises an adapter assembly, which comprises an infrared (IR) sensor, a processing device, and a transceiver, and wherein the usage area comprises an infrared (IR) port device configured to transmit an IR pulse based on an energy consumed by the usage area, the method comprising the steps of:

coupling the adapter assembly to the IR port device;

sensing, by the IR sensor, the IR pulse;

determining, by the processing device, one or more coupling states of the adapter assembly and the IR port device;

determining, by the processing device, instantaneous energy usage data based on the IR pulse sensed by the IR sensor; and

transmitting, by the transceiver, the instantaneous energy usage data and an indication of the one or more coupling states.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein:

determining the one or more coupling states is based on an amount of time after the IR pulse is sensed by the IR sensor and prior to the IR sensor sensing a subsequent IR pulse; and the one or more coupling states include a first coupling state corresponding to the adapter assembly being coupled to the IR port device in a proper manner, a second coupling state corresponding to the adapter assembly being coupled to the IR port device in an improper manner, and a third coupling state corresponding to the adapter assembly being decoupled from the IR port device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the IR port device is configured to transmit an IR pulse each time the usage area consumes 1 watt-hour of energy such that:

the step of sensing comprises a step of sensing, by the IR sensor, the IR pulse time each time the usage area consumes 1 watt-hour of energy; and

the step of determining comprises a step of determining, by the processing device, the instantaneous energy usage data based on an amount of time between IR pulses sensed by the IR sensor.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the adapter system further comprises a user computing device, wherein the step of transmitting comprises a step of transmitting, by the transceiver, the instantaneous energy usage data to the user computing device, and wherein the method further comprises a step of displaying, by the user computing device, the instantaneous energy usage data to a user of the user computing device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the adapter system further comprises a gateway device, wherein the step of transmitting comprises a step of transmitting, by the transceiver, the instantaneous energy usage data to the gateway device, and wherein the method further comprises a step of transmitting, by the gateway device, the instantaneous energy usage data to the user computing device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising: a step of pairing the gateway device to the adapter assembly prior to the step of coupling the adapter assembly to the IR port device.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the adapter system further comprises a cloud computing system, wherein the step of transmitting further comprises a step of transmitting, by the transceiver, the instantaneous energy usage data to the cloud computing system, and wherein the method further comprises a step of storing, by the cloud computing system, the instantaneous energy usage data.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the adapter assembly further comprises a power supply and wherein the method further comprises a step of providing, by the power supply, power to the IR sensor, the processing device, and the transceiver.

24. An adapter assembly configured to capture instantaneous energy usage data of a usage area, wherein the usage area comprises an infrared (IR) port device comprising an IR port, the IR port device being configured to transmit an IR pulse via the IR port, the adapter assembly comprising:

a body comprising:

an IR sensor configured to sense the IR pulse in response to the IR sensor being within a proximity of the IR port;

a processing device coupled to the IR sensor and configured to determine the instantaneous energy usage data based on the IR pulse sensed by the IR sensor; and

a coupling portion configured to couple the body of the adapter assembly to the IR port device such that the IR sensor is disposed within the proximity of the IR port.

25. The adapter assembly of claim 24, wherein the adapter assembly further comprises a fastening element coupled to the body, said fastening element configured to secure the body of the adapter assembly to the IR port device.

26. The adapter assembly of claim 24, wherein the body defines a cavity configured to receive a portion of the IR port device such that the IR sensor is disposed within the proximity of the IR port.

27. The adapter assembly of claim 24, wherein the body is shaped to cover the IR port to prevent degradation of the IR pulse due to external environmental factors when coupled to the IR port device.