WO2013184250A1 - Système et procédé de commande de puissance - Google Patents

Système et procédé de commande de puissance Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2013184250A1
WO2013184250A1 PCT/US2013/038722 US2013038722W WO2013184250A1 WO 2013184250 A1 WO2013184250 A1 WO 2013184250A1 US 2013038722 W US2013038722 W US 2013038722W WO 2013184250 A1 WO2013184250 A1 WO 2013184250A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
sgpc
power
computing device
wireless communication
user interface
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2013/038722
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Todd Scott KELLY
Lee CHEUNG
Jin Lu
Original Assignee
Advanergy, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from PCT/US2012/058761 external-priority patent/WO2013052671A2/fr
Application filed by Advanergy, Inc. filed Critical Advanergy, Inc.
Publication of WO2013184250A1 publication Critical patent/WO2013184250A1/fr

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
    • H04L12/28—Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
    • H04L12/2803—Home automation networks
    • H04L12/2823—Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08C—TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS
    • G08C17/00—Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J13/00—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
    • H02J13/00004—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network characterised by the power network being locally controlled
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J13/00—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
    • H02J13/00006—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment
    • H02J13/00016—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
    • H02J13/00017—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus using optical fiber
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J13/00—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
    • H02J13/00006—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment
    • H02J13/00022—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment using wireless data transmission
    • H02J13/00024—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment using wireless data transmission by means of mobile telephony
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J13/00—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
    • H02J13/00006—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment
    • H02J13/00022—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment using wireless data transmission
    • H02J13/00026—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment using wireless data transmission involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J13/00—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
    • H02J13/00006—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment
    • H02J13/00028—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment involving the use of Internet protocols
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
    • H04L12/28—Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
    • H04L12/2803—Home automation networks
    • H04L12/2816—Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities
    • H04L12/2818—Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities from a device located outside both the home and the home network
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
    • H04L12/28—Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
    • H04L12/2803—Home automation networks
    • H04L12/2816—Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities
    • H04L12/282—Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities based on user interaction within the home
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L41/00—Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
    • H04L41/08—Configuration management of networks or network elements
    • H04L41/0803—Configuration setting
    • H04L41/0823—Configuration setting characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability
    • H04L41/0833—Configuration setting characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for reduction of network energy consumption
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q9/00—Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08C—TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS
    • G08C2201/00—Transmission systems of control signals via wireless link
    • G08C2201/40—Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
    • G08C2201/42—Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08C—TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS
    • G08C2201/00—Transmission systems of control signals via wireless link
    • G08C2201/90—Additional features
    • G08C2201/93—Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J2310/00—The network for supplying or distributing electric power characterised by its spatial reach or by the load
    • H02J2310/10—The network having a local or delimited stationary reach
    • H02J2310/12—The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
    • H02J2310/14—The load or loads being home appliances
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J3/00—Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
    • H02J3/12—Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks for adjusting voltage in ac networks by changing a characteristic of the network load
    • H02J3/14—Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks for adjusting voltage in ac networks by changing a characteristic of the network load by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q2209/00—Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems
    • H04Q2209/40—Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems using a wireless architecture
    • H04Q2209/43—Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems using a wireless architecture using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q2209/00—Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems
    • H04Q2209/60—Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q2209/00—Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems
    • H04Q2209/80—Arrangements in the sub-station, i.e. sensing device
    • H04Q2209/82—Arrangements in the sub-station, i.e. sensing device where the sensing device takes the initiative of sending data
    • H04Q2209/826—Arrangements in the sub-station, i.e. sensing device where the sensing device takes the initiative of sending data where the data is sent periodically
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
    • Y02B70/00—Technologies for an efficient end-user side electric power management and consumption
    • Y02B70/30—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
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
    • Y02B90/00—Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02B90/20—Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y04—INFORMATION OR COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES HAVING AN IMPACT ON OTHER TECHNOLOGY AREAS
    • Y04S—SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS
    • Y04S20/00—Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
    • Y04S20/20—End-user application control systems
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y04—INFORMATION OR COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES HAVING AN IMPACT ON OTHER TECHNOLOGY AREAS
    • Y04S—SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS
    • Y04S40/00—Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y04—INFORMATION OR COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES HAVING AN IMPACT ON OTHER TECHNOLOGY AREAS
    • Y04S—SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS
    • Y04S40/00—Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them
    • Y04S40/12—Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment
    • Y04S40/124—Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y04—INFORMATION OR COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES HAVING AN IMPACT ON OTHER TECHNOLOGY AREAS
    • Y04S—SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS
    • Y04S40/00—Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them
    • Y04S40/12—Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment
    • Y04S40/128—Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment involving the use of Internet protocol

Definitions

  • the present invention generally relates to systems and methods that control or switch power to a variety of electrical devices. Specifically, the present invention in many preferred embodiments has application to home/commercial power control automation systems in which electrical power to appliances and other electrical loads is controlled via commands received from a local or remote computer network.
  • the present invention allows electrical loads to be controlled locally or remotely via an Internet-capable device (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet, or laptop) and provides a non- intrusive, secure, and blended load control interface that is compatible with home and commercial computer networks.
  • an Internet-capable device e.g., a smartphone, a tablet, or laptop
  • Such a home automation device can be configured to automatically turn on and off a consumer device at a chosen time and on certain conditions.
  • the device measures the energy consumption and uses that information for energy usage planning and "smart" switching of the electronic device. This improves the quality of life as well as reducing energy consumption.
  • a home automation device that can remotely switch on and off AC power switch is not new.
  • the prior art teaches power line based AC switches by which the control command is send over the power line and wireless AC switches where the control command is sent over a wireless link.
  • These home automation devices can be categorized into two groups: • Non- Internet based home automation devices.
  • a remote controller is required to send the control command to the devices over a communication protocol not compatible with Internet. Consumers cannot control them from anywhere. Examples are ZIGBEE ® and Z-wave based devices.
  • Internet based home automation devices • Internet based home automation devices. These devices can be accessed with Internet capable equipment, such as a smartphone or a laptop.
  • Internet capable equipment such as a smartphone or a laptop.
  • Existing Internet based home automation devices suffer the following drawbacks :
  • Most homes today have the last mile communication connection (e.g., a cable link, a fiber optic or a telephone line) .
  • a gateway device that terminates the last mile network and routes the signal between the consumer devices at home and the network outside home.
  • the communication of the gateway with the home devices can be wireline or wireless. Wireline communication includes power line, cable, and Ethernet. But predominantly, the communication trend is wireless based on WiFi .
  • the communication of the home gateway with home devices forms home network. In this document, it will be assumed that the home gateway is a WiFi AP and that the home network is a WiFi home network.
  • Existing home energy management system or a home automation system is a system that has a two-way communication with a service provider (e.g., a utility company or a security company) which monitors the home power consumption and exerts control such as switching on and off a device.
  • a service provider e.g., a utility company or a security company
  • Service Provider Centric vs . Consumer Centric -
  • the service providers have the control, with consumers permission, over when and what data to collect and when and what device to control. This is a service provider centric approach.
  • Deployed automation and energy management systems of today require the consumer to remotely login to a service provider site for information and provides no method for easy and direct access to or control over the device.
  • Prior art power control systems generally do not permit integration of disparate types of home automation networks .
  • Prior art power control systems generally do not interface well with the Internet and rely on proprietary interface protocols operating within a locally defined network interface to affect power control functions.
  • Prior art power control systems generally do not permit "nesting” or “subnetting” of control networks to define hierarchical control domains that can be accessed remotely via the Internet or some other network interface .
  • the objectives of the present invention are (among others) to circumvent the deficiencies in the prior art and affect the following objectives in the context of a Smart Gateway Power Controller (SGPC) :
  • SGPC Smart Gateway Power Controller
  • a power control system and method that permits a SGPC to send (push) messages to their devices (e.g., a smartphone, tablet computer, etc.) .
  • These messages contain any information from switch status to power consumption data.
  • the present invention in various embodiments addresses one or more of the above objectives in the following manner.
  • the present invention as generally depicted in FIG. 1 (0100) implements a Smart Gateway Power Controller (SGPC) (0110) that acts as a bridge between a power source (0101) and associated power source cabling (0102) and power load cabling (0103) to supply power to one or more electrical loads (0104) .
  • the SGPC (0110) incorporates a power switch (0111) and power/energy meter (0112) that are interfaced to a microcontroller unit (MCU) (0113) or other computing device operating under control of software read from a computer readable medium (0114) .
  • the MCU (0113) interfaces with one or more WiFi wireless network interface modules (0115, 0116) which communicate to one or more computer networks that may include the Internet, local computer networks, and/or other networks such as ZIGBEE ® , etc.
  • FIG. 2 A typical application context for the present invention is generally illustrated in FIG. 2 (0200), wherein a user (0201) interfaces with a graphical user interface (GUI) (0210) that may be embodied on any number of devices including but not limited to a mobile phone (0211) , laptop/desktop computer (0212) , and/or tablet computer (0213) .
  • GUI graphical user interface
  • This GUI typically operates under control of software read from a computer readable medium (0202) that incorporates network protocols that communicate over a computer network (0203) (such as the Internet) to a local wireless router (0204) .
  • This wireless router (0204) then communicates with one or more SGPC devices (0221, 0222, 0223) to control power switching to any number of load devices (0231, 0232, 0233, 0234) using any number of SGPC associated power receptacles.
  • the present invention system may be utilized in the context of an overall power control method, wherein the power control system described previously is controlled by a method having the following steps:
  • step (7) determining if the SGPC ID and password are valid, and if not, proceeding to step (7) ;
  • the present invention system may be utilized in the context of an overall alternate power control method, wherein the power control system described previously is controlled by a method having the following steps:
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a system block overview diagram describing a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 illustrates a exemplary communications network diagram describing a presently preferred system embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 3 illustrates a system block diagram describing how a SGPC plays two roles (AP and STA) in some present invention embodiments
  • FIG. 4 illustrates a network diagram describing a typical WiFi home automation Subnet
  • FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary network diagram describing two SGPCs and their subnets that are both connected to a home gateway
  • FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary network diagram describing two SGPCs and their subnets that are both connected to each other (subnet "gatewayed" by an earlier deployed SGPC) ;
  • FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary network diagram wherein a SGPC communicates with a ZIGBEE ® network
  • FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary system block diagram of a typical SGPC embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary schematic block diagram of a preferred exemplary SGPC embodiment
  • FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary schematic of a preferred exemplary SGPC Line Power Interface embodiment
  • FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary schematic of a preferred exemplary SGPC Voltage Regulator embodiment
  • FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary schematic of a preferred exemplary SGPC MCU / Wireless Communication Interface embodiment
  • FIG. 13 illustrates a system block diagram of an exemplary SGPC ZIGBEE ® transceiver interface integrated circuit useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary schematic block diagram of an exemplary SGPC ZIGBEE ® transceiver interface integrated circuit useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary schematic of a preferred exemplary SGPC Power Switch embodiment
  • FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary schematic of a preferred exemplary SGPC Optional Power Monitor/Diagnostics embodiment
  • FIG. 17 illustrates a system block overview diagram describing a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention implementing an exemplary proxy server (pull) mode system embodiment
  • FIG. 18 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram describing a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention implementing an exemplary proxy server (pull) mode method embodiment
  • FIG. 19 illustrates a system block overview diagram describing a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention implementing an exemplary peer-to-peer (push) mode system embodiment
  • FIG. 20 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram describing a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention implementing an exemplary peer-to-peer (push) mode method embodiment
  • FIG. 21 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting a main SGPC user application loading method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 22 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting a main SGPC processing loop method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 23 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting a home gateway communication channel method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 24 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting an event notification configuration method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 25 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting a switch control configuration method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 26 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting a manual switch control configuration method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 27 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting a vampire energy control configuration method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 28 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting an event-based control configuration method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 29 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting a switch control execution method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 30 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting a manual switch control execution method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 31 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting a vampire switch control execution method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 32 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting an event-based switch control execution method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 33 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting an energy analysis configuration method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 34 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting an energy profile analysis method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 35 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting a local WiFi client communication method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 36 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting an Internet proxy server method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 37 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting an Internet device get SGPC addressing information method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 38 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting a SGPC communications with remote clients method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 39 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting a consumer device SGPC communication type decision tree method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 40 illustrates an exemplary method flowchart diagram depicting a random web request proxy server method useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 41 illustrates an exemplary status screen and configuration dialog useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 42 illustrates an exemplary switch action/event scheduling configuration dialog useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 43 illustrates an exemplary calendar based switch action/event scheduling configuration dialog useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 44 illustrates an exemplary control scheduling dialog useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention.
  • FIG. 45 illustrates an exemplary energy consumption status dialog useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention.
  • FIG. 46 illustrates an exemplary notification configuration dialog useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 47 illustrates an exemplary energy management status dialog useful in some preferred embodiments of the present invention.
  • the present invention may make use of a wide variety of computing devices in its general theme of construction. While microcontroller unit (MCU) construction may be optimal in many circumstances, the present invention is not limited to this particular form of construction and the term "computing device” and "MCU” should be given their broadest possible definitions in this context.
  • MCU microcontroller unit
  • the present invention anticipates a wide variety of applications for the power control system/method taught herein.
  • the term "portable computing device” and its variants should be given its broadest possible interpretation, to include but not bet limited to laptop computers, cellphones, tablet computers, and other like and typical applications where computing devices are configured in a portable or semi -portable manner.
  • the present invention anticipates that the computational capability of the "computing device” described herein may vary widely, it is anticipated that some aspects of the present invention may be implemented using software embodied in computer readable program code means embodied on a tangible medium that is computer readable.
  • HAN Home Area Network
  • LAN local area network
  • Home Gateway - A home networking device, used as a gateway (router) to connect devices in the home to the Internet .
  • Subnetwork or Subnet - A logically visible subdivision of an IP network. The practice of dividing a single network into two or more networks is called subnetting and the networks created are called subnetworks or subnets .
  • WiFi - A popular technology that allows an electronic device to exchange data wirelessly (using radio waves) over a computer network, including high-speed Internet connections .
  • WiFi Access Point or AP - A device that allows WiFi stations (clients) to connect to each other, the AP and a wired network.
  • An AP usually connects to a router (via a wired network) , and can relay data between the wireless devices (such as computers or printers) and wired devices on the network.
  • WiFi Station or STA - A device that has the capability to use the 802.11 protocol.
  • a station may be a laptop, a desktop PC, PDA, Wi-Fi phone.
  • a STA may be fixed, mobile or portable.
  • the terms station, wireless client, and node are often used interchangeably, and no strict distinction exists between these terms.
  • ZIGBEE ® - A specification for a suite of high level communication protocols using small, low-power digital radios based on an IEEE 802 standard for personal area networks .
  • Home Automation - Automation of the home, housework or household activity may include centralized control of lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) , appliances, and other systems, to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency, and security.
  • HVAC heating, ventilation and air conditioning
  • Home Energy Management System An extension of EMS into home, where a smart thermostat, a smart meter and a few load control switches are installed and can be remotely accessed (read) and controlled.
  • IP Address - A numerical label (e.g., 10.10.100.254) assigned to each device (e.g., computer, printer) participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.
  • a networking application is uniquely identified by the pair of IP address and port number.
  • Public IP address An IP address that can be globally pinged or routed from Internet .
  • Private IP Address An IP address of a device associated with a private network (e.g., a home network) .
  • Firewall A technological barrier, usually residing at a home gateway, designed to prevent unauthorized or unwanted communications between computer networks or hosts .
  • NAT Network Address Translation
  • FIG. 1 generally illustrates the functional blocks of a typical SGPC, with one or more functional blocks being physically implemented as one component. It generally comprises a small form- factor device directly plugged into a power outlet. It contains one or more power sockets, into which consumers plug in power suppliers to their home appliances. One or more independent relay switches controlled by the MCU are connected to the socket (s) . The switch (s) can be turned on and off by the MCU.
  • a typical SGPC can measure the energy consumption of the plugged in appliances in terms of instant power consumption (watt) , energy consumption (watt -hour) , voltage and current.
  • a typical SGPC is a cost-effective 3- in-1 home automation device: network gateway + load control switch + energy measurement.
  • the small form factor of this device has the size of a regular power adaptor.
  • On the networking side it comprises two-way communication with the Internet and 2 -way DIRECT communication with a WiFi devices (PC, laptop, smartphone) at home.
  • a SGPC may optionally contain an alternative wireless module to communicate with an existing home automation device, to provide the latter the capability to be accessed from Internet.
  • An existing automation device can be a ZIGBEE ® or Z-wave based device.
  • FIG. 2 (0200) generally illustrates the usage of the SGPC device.
  • the web page shows switch status, energy consumption of the connected consumer device (s) at home.
  • This system can be better described in terms of the networking architecture, functionality provided by the SGPC, and interaction between users and a typical SGPC configuration. This information is provided in more detail below .
  • FIG. 3 ( 03 00 ) illustrates the two roles a SGPC plays.
  • SGPC is a sub-gateway that "separates" the home automation network from the existing home network, while having the two networks communicating with each other.
  • the home automation network has different subnet address than that of the home network.
  • FIG. 4 ( 0400 ) illustrates a typical configuration setup.
  • a SGPC can communicate with WiFi and ZIGBEE ® based sensors, and the sensor data can be used to schedule turning on and off the switch, as well as reported to consumers. It can communicate with any devices (WiFi based, ZIGBEE ® based, another SGPC) devices to coordinate the control actions.
  • FIG. 5 ( 0500 ) and FIG. 6 ( 0600 ) illustrate examples of multiple SGPC devices with different network topologies. These SGPC have their own subnet and can talk to each other as in an IP mesh network.
  • FIG. 7 shows a case where SGPC can communicate with ZIGBEE ® network.
  • SGPC can communicate with ZIGBEE ® network.
  • the light controlled by another SGPC may be turned off.
  • Another example is that when a ZIGBEE ® based temperature sensor reads a data above a threshold (set by consumer on the SGPC) , the SGPC connected to an air conditioner turns on.
  • a threshold set by consumer on the SGPC
  • WiFi ad-hoc is a point-to-point communication while the present invention architecture is point-to-multiple points;
  • WiFi -direct cannot have its own subnet, and does not have the relay/routing capability mentioned above.
  • WiFi -direct is good for point to point communication, but not for a server-client situation.
  • any WiFi devices can directly communicate with a SGPC within a coverage distance (e.g., 100-300 ft.). If a WiFi (client) device, while communicating with a SGPC (checking the switch status, etc.), needs to communicates with Internet, the SGPC will "relay" the messages to the home gateway which in turn sends the messages to Internet.
  • a WiFi (client) device while communicating with a SGPC (checking the switch status, etc.), needs to communicates with Internet, the SGPC will "relay" the messages to the home gateway which in turn sends the messages to Internet.
  • a consumer is outside home communicating with a device at home, she/he may have the problem of not knowing the private IP address assigned to a SGPC and being blocked by the home gateway's firewall.
  • the present invention in some preferred embodiments allows consumers to communicate with a SGPC at home in one of the two ways described below:
  • a server on the Internet that keeps track of the IP address and port number of a SGPC at home.
  • the IP address is usually the IP address of the home gateway assigned by the ISP, and the port number tells the home gateway the target device at home to which the message is forwarded. This is called NAT (network address translation) .
  • NAT network address translation
  • the server keeps a database where each record is a map between a device and its latest IP address and port number among other things .
  • FIG. 17 (1700) An exemplary system embodiment depicting the proxy server mode is generally illustrated in FIG. 17 (1700) .
  • the user (1701) interacts with a GUI (1710) running software read from a computer readable medium (1702) and communicates over a computer network (1703) to a proxy server (1731) .
  • the proxy server (1731) maintains an ID/IP translation database (1732) that translates a SGPC ID to an IP address / port value / subnet vector (1733) .
  • This database (1732) is populated by the SGPC (1721) operating a background IP/Port updating process (1722) that continuously checks for changes in the SGPC IP address and reports these changes via the computer network (1703) to the server (1731) for placement in the ID/IP database (1732) . In this fashion any changes in the IP address or subnet routing that occur in the SGPC (1721) are reflected in the ID/IP database (1732) for use by the user GUI (1710) in communicating with the SGPC (1721) .
  • FIG. 18 An exemplary method embodiment depicting the proxy server mode is generally illustrated in FIG. 18 (1800) and comprises the following steps:
  • step ( 5 ) Determining if the SGPC ID and password are valid, and if not, proceeding to step ( 7 ) (1805) ;
  • SGPC will notify its current IP address and port number when they are changed, or periodically by sending messages to consumer devices, using email or text message (for phone number) .
  • FIG. 19 (1900) An exemplary system embodiment depicting the proxy server mode is generally illustrated in FIG. 19 (1900) .
  • the user (1901) interacts with a GUI (1910) running software read from a computer readable medium (1902) and communicates over a computer network (1903) to a SGPC (1921) to register the communications device (1911, 1912, 1913) .
  • This registration function typically involves providing a unique communications device (1911, 1912, 1913) identifier such as an e-mail address or telephone number (for text messaging) .
  • the SGPC (1921) notifies the communications device (1911, 1912, 1913) in the event of any change of its gateway IP address, port number, subnet vector, or other access information using the messaging techniques described above.
  • Software resident on the communications device (1911, 1912, 1913) uses this message information to determine the current IP address / port / subnet vector path for the next communication with the SGPC (1921) .
  • an ID/IP translation database (1932) that translates a SGPC ID to an IP address / port value / subnet vector (1933) may be maintained.
  • This database (1932) is populated by the SGPC (1921) operating a background IP/Port updating process (1922) that continuously checks for changes in the SGPC IP address and reports these changes via the computer network (1903) to the server (1931) for placement in the ID/IP database (1932) .
  • FIG. 20 An exemplary method embodiment depicting the peer-to- peer mode is generally illustrated in FIG. 20 (2000) and comprises the following steps:
  • a SGPC's networking has the following advantages: ⁇ Stability - A SGPC buffers/isolates its subnet from the change of the home gateway by monitoring and adapting to the latter.
  • Home gateway tends to change its IP address or its communication channel from time to time. For example, the IP address assigned by the ISP (Internet service provider) may change, and the communication channel may change to a new one due to the existing channel having too much interference.
  • the SGPC constantly monitors the change and switches to the new communication channel if necessary to keep the communication with the network always enabled.
  • a static IP address can be used for a SGPC to simplify the implementation of the communication of the subnet.
  • a consumer with a laptop or smartphone can easily access a SGPC or any device in the subnet.
  • a SGPC introduces additional security at the sub-gateway level, to firewall or filter the traffic.
  • a SGPC provides a home automation system or energy management system that is cost effective and configurable to be both service provider and consumer friendly. Consumers can access or control it at home or away with a smartphone over Internet DIRECTLY. They do this without the "sniffing" of a utility company and they have a full control of what they do. This direct path also increases the speed of the communication. If they choose, they can also have the utility company or a service provider manage the SGPC for them.
  • a SGPC supports these functions:
  • a web server hosted in a SGPC allows consumers to access in a secure way from anywhere. Consumers can read the status of the switch (s) and configure the switching strategy on the web server in a number of modes : Instant switch on/off;
  • One-time switch based on crossing a preset threshold of: current level, voltage level, energy level, and time of day;
  • Periodic switch based on the same conditions as above with any period (e.g., hours, days);
  • Vampire energy can be detected by the current dropping below certain threshold, which is configurable by consumers. For example, when the current drops 80% for an extended period as detected by the energy measurement unit, vampire energy is detected.
  • Utility companies have the energy cost profiles for enterprises and residential homes based on their smart meter feedbacks. These profiles are available to consumers in some format, for example, in a form of "time of day vs. energy cost” or "the amount of energy consumed vs. energy cost” . This information can be found in utility bills for example. Consumers can input the energy cost profile into a SGPC, and set the switch to automatic mode. The SGPC will make decision to turn on and off the switch (s) based on
  • a SGPC may turn on and off based on the sensory data read from external devices - WiFi sensors or ZIGBEE ® sensor if ZIGBEE ® module is integrated in SGPC. For example, when temperature sensor shows a temperature above certain level, turn on the SGPC connected to an air conditioner.
  • Consumers can read on the web server the energy consumption in terms of instant energy data (i.e., watts, current, voltage, and accumulated energy consumption) over a specified period.
  • a SGPC can present the energy consumption in a histogram.
  • SGPC companion devices We call those external automation devices that communicate with a SGPC companion devices. They include WiFi based and ZIGBEE ® based sensors. SGPC web servers may also display the data of companion devices. Notification of Events
  • Consumers can schedule the notification of any events from the switch status change to the energy consumption crossing a threshold. Consumers typically put in their email address for notification using emails, or telephone number for text messages. A SGPC sends messages containing these events to their email or phones.
  • Consumers can download software (platform independent, such as Java) and dada from a SGPC to their devices, so that additional functionality can be achieved.
  • the software may be fetched from an Internet server through the SGPC, or from its local storage.
  • a SGPC provides helpful tips and guidelines for the usage of the devices and offers suggestions on saving energy based on the energy usage profile of the user.
  • WiFi module • WiFi module (and ZIGBEE ® module) .
  • This hardware implementation may typically use off-the shelf hardware components for the energy measurement unit, relay, power rectifier, MCU, and WiFi module.
  • One of ordinary skill in the electrical arts should be able to design a circuit board, assemble, and package these components into a functional SGPC system as described herein .
  • the software on the MCU can be LINUX based or simply embedded software without OS.
  • the software does the following multi-task job:
  • a softAP implementation may be used as an off-the-shelf software solution.
  • softAP makes a WiFi station also act as an AP and it is sometimes called APClient. In this case, the following enhancement is typically required.
  • a SGPC's own communication channel (for both of its AP and client roles) must be the same as the home gateway communication channel.
  • Software is added to scan in the background the home gateway communication channel to make sure whenever the home gateway communication channel changes, the SGPC's own communication channel is changed accordingly.
  • a server on the Internet keeps track of the IP addresses and port number by which to communicate with a SGPC.
  • the SGPC periodically sends a message to the above mentioned server, whereby the IP address and the port number of the message is retrieved and stored by the server in its database.
  • SGPC sends the same message for the same purpose as in Feature [2] based on events. These events include IP address cange, or port number change, among other things .
  • the server periodically sends a "keep alive" message to a SGPC, and updates its data base with the information (i.e., IP address and port number) retrieved from the return acknowledgement messages.
  • an Internet device can be registered with a SGPC in terms of an address (e.g., an email address for a tablet, a phone number for a smartphone) .
  • an address e.g., an email address for a tablet, a phone number for a smartphone.
  • the SGPC is then configured to send email or text messages to the devices mentioned in Feature [6] .
  • the messages contains necessary information, including IP address and port number, but is not limited to this information .
  • a user's Internet device can communicate DIRECTLY with SGPC using the WiFi protocol. This is in contrast to the communication mentioned in Feature [5] , where the user is away from home, and has to use Internet to communicate.
  • a software program may be downloaded (see Feature [23] ) to the user's device for detecting whether a direct WiFi communication with SGPC is possible or it has to use Internet .
  • a SGPC plays two roles inside a home network. It joins the existing home network as a station, so it can communicate with the Internet. At the same time, it is an AP to any WiFi stations that want to communicate with it. For information purpose, this solves a problem many WiFi based home automation devices suffer: they can either be a station or an AP, but not both.
  • a SGPC has its own subnet with static IP address. This is in contrast to the main home network, where a device's IP address is assigned dynamically by the gateway, and consumers usually have no control over the IP address (which can be changed without any notice) and have difficulty to directly communicate with it.
  • a SGPC can join a subnet "gatewayed" by an earlier deployed SGPC, and has its own subnet, as generally illustrated in FIG. 6 (0600) .
  • a SGPC constantly scans the existing home network communication channel. If it sees a change in the home network communication channel, it will adapt / switch its own communication channel accordingly. If a station communicates with the SGPC and through it to communicate with Internet, the data during the channel transition will be saved, and sent after the transition is completed. This ensures no data loss during channel transition .
  • the present invention adds a firewall and access list at each SGPC, so accessing the subnet associated with a SGPC will be subject to further security. This means only select parties are allows to get connected with the SGPC at the IP or MAC level.
  • Consumers can schedule the switch both at home and away (1) Instantly; (2) One-time based on the following conditions: electric current level, voltage level, energy level, and time of day; (3) Periodically based on the same condition as in (2) with any period (e.g., hours, days) ; (4) triggered by vampire energy; (5) automatic mode based on energy consumption analysis;
  • the energy cost profile (energy cost vs. time of day, or energy cost vs. amount of energy consumed);
  • the energy measurement unit can measure any electricity related variables (e.g., current (A), voltage (V) , power (W) , energy (W-h) ) .
  • electricity related variables e.g., current (A), voltage (V) , power (W) , energy (W-h) .
  • a SGPC can be configured to communicate with other SGPCs to coordinate activities.
  • a SGPC can be configured to communicate with other sensors capable of WiFi communication, and use the sensor data as a base for scheduling a switch (see Feature [17] ) .
  • a SGPC is an AP, most WiFi sensors configured as WiFi STA can communicate with it.
  • SGPC contains a ZIGBEE ® module, ZIGBEE ® based sensors can communicate with it.
  • a message type defines an event to report (e.g., a switch status change or a variable above or below a threshold) . See Feature [27] for more message types.
  • a SGPC can upload software and data to consumer devices.
  • the software is usually platform independent such as Java, and provides added functionality to the user experience.
  • the data include energy consumption histogram that user can archive on their computers .
  • a SGPC keeps track of the energy usage profile of the connected devices in terms of the duration and time of switch-on, and the energy consumed over a preset interval of time (e.g., a month), and provides the historical data in some format (table or histogram)
  • a SGPC can provide suggestions/guidelines/warnings based the historical data mentioned in Feature [25] and some rules. For example, a rule can be "avoid use this device between 6:00PM and 8:00PM for n days when the energy consumed so far is above m" . A warning can be "You are charged at $xxx/KW-h due to xxx" . [27] These suggestions/guidelines/warnings can be subscribed by consumers as described in Feature [22] .
  • a web server is hosted in a SGPC . It allows users to login to it and
  • the present invention provides a control system that automates the energy measurement and control of consumer devices in a way non- intrusive to existing home and commercial networks. Consumers may review the power consumption of their electronic appliances and are able to enable/disable these appliances from anywhere using standard Internet-connected devices.
  • FIG. 8 A preferred exemplary system electrical block diagram of a typical SGPC system is generally illustrated in FIG. 8 (0800) - FIG. 9 (0900) , with exemplary detail of these system blocks depicted in FIG. 10 (1000) - FIG. 16 (1600) .
  • This preferred embodiment comprises the following circuits:
  • Line Power Interface (0901) - As detailed in FIG. 10 (1000) , the input outlet brings 110V AC in through the fuse and split into two paths.
  • the first path converts the AC voltage to a DC voltage by 4 -diode bridge rectifier.
  • a transformer steps down the voltage to the level for further regulation.
  • DC regulator (U3) provides +5VDC supply for the remaining circuits of the unit.
  • the second path brings 110V AC voltage forward to the output socket via a power relay in the power switch (0904) by the output voltage is controlled as detailed in FIG. 13 (1300) .
  • ⁇ Voltage Regulator (0902) - As detailed in FIG. 11
  • the DC Regulator brings +5VDC from the line power interface (0901) further down to +3.3VDC for supplying a wireless transceiver in the wireless communications interface (0903) .
  • ⁇ Wireless Communications Interface (0903) .
  • a wireless transceiver receives the commands from the computer or/and other WiFi or wireless device. The received command via the wireless receiver interface (not shown) will provide a logic signal (SWITCH) to turn on/off the transistor switch
  • Ql controls the on/off position of the power relay in the power switch circuitry (0904) based on commands from the PMCU and may optimally be implemented using bipolar or MOS fabrication technologies.
  • ⁇ ZIGBEE ® Wireless Interface (0905) As generalized in
  • the SGPC may incorporate a ZIGBEE ® interface (0814) the overall SGPC design to permit heterogeneous wireless networks using SGPCs to communicate with a wide variety of existing home automation wireless networks. While a wide variety of embodiments of this wireless interface are anticipated, a preferred embodiment incorporates the use of a Texas Instruments model CC2531 ZIGBEE ® communications controller as generally illustrated by the block diagram of FIG. 13 (1300) and exemplary implementation schematic of FIG. 14 (1400) .
  • a power relay is a gate between the line power interface power input and the output power outlet and is controlled by the transistor switch in the wireless communications interface (0903) .
  • the power relay is protected from the over current surge by a Zener diode.
  • Optional Power Monitor / Diagnostics (0906) - As detailed in FIG. 16 (1600) , an optional integrated circuit (1601) may be incorporated for measuring energy and the self -diagnostic purposes.
  • the present invention anticipates that the SGPC either alone or in conjunction with other systems may present a website interface permitting application software to be loaded onto remote user devices, thus permitting the device access to SGPC switch control and monitoring functionality over the Internet .
  • the present invention anticipates that the SGPC may operate in some preferred embodiments either synchronously or asynchronously to perform the following system functions:
  • the present invention anticipates that the SGPC will in many preferred embodiments continuously scan for changes in the home gateway configuration and when such configuration changes are encountered the SGPC will reconnect to the home gateway to permit home gateway connectivity to be continuously maintained.
  • the present invention anticipates that the SGPC will in many preferred embodiments permit event notifications to be configured by a user via popup events that are pushed to the user via email and/or text messages.
  • the present invention anticipates that the SGPC will in many preferred embodiments permit power control switching to be configured by a user using a graphical user interface.
  • These switch configuration interfaces may include manual switch scheduling (FIG. 26 (2600) ) , vampire energy switching (FIG. 27 (2700) ) , and/or event-based switching (FIG. 28 (2800) ) .
  • Actual switch control implementation after this configuration process is complete is generally illustrated in FIG. 29 (2900) - FIG. 32 (3200) .
  • the present invention anticipates that the SGPC will in many preferred embodiments execute power control switching to support manual switch scheduling (FIG. 30 (3000) ) , vampire energy control (FIG. 31 (3100) ) , and/or event-based switching control (FIG. 32 (3200)) .
  • Associated configuration methodologies associated with these switch control execution flows are generally illustrated by the flowcharts in FIG. 25 (2500) - FIG. 28 (2800) .
  • the present invention anticipates that the SGPC will in many preferred embodiments present a user interface to permit selection of a wide variety of energy analysis functions to be performed on a given switched load.
  • the exemplary flowchart in FIG. 33 (3300) presents an exemplary configuration methodology for these energy analysis functions.
  • the present invention anticipates that the SGPC will in many preferred embodiments permit execution of a wide variety of energy analysis functions to be performed on a given switched load.
  • the exemplary flowchart in FIG. 34 (3400) presents an exemplary energy measurement and reporting methodology for these energy analysis functions.
  • FIG. 35 illustrates an exemplary flowchart depicting a local WiFi communication method to permit message routing in a SGPC network.
  • FIG. 36 illustrates an exemplary flowchart depicting an Internet proxy server method to permit message integration and routing external to a SGPC network.
  • FIG. 37 illustrates an exemplary flowchart depicting an addressing update method to address updating of devices external to a SGPC network.
  • FIG. 38 illustrates an exemplary flowchart depicting SGPC message routing method.
  • FIG. 39 ( 3900 ) illustrates an exemplary flowchart depicting a communication decision tree method to select the appropriate message transport methodology within the SGPC network .
  • the present invention anticipates the use of a methodology to permit a proxy server to remain connected with a SGPC within a home automation network that is located within a home gateway.
  • This configuration permits random web requests to pierce the home gateway firewall using information provided by the SGPC and maintained on the web proxy server.
  • this preferred exemplary proxy server method embodiment can be generalized comprising the following steps :
  • step (3) If a proxy response has been received, proceeding to step (2) ( 4006 ) ; (7) Otherwise, reducing the interval timer value to permit the home gateway to maintain contact with the proxy server, and proceeding to step (3) (4007) ;
  • GUI Graphical User Interface
  • FIG. 41 illustrates a typical SGPC web page user interface that permits users to monitor status and configure the SGPC.
  • the devices controlled by the SGPC may be represented by graphical icons, given identifying names, be provided a real-time status indicator, be available for on/off switch activation or scheduling, and be associated with real-time power consumption curves.
  • graphical icons given identifying names, be provided a real-time status indicator, be available for on/off switch activation or scheduling, and be associated with real-time power consumption curves.
  • the "download software" icon allows consumers to download software to their devices.
  • the "Guidelines and Tips” icon opens a window that makes suggestions on energy usage.
  • the "Edit Account Setting” icon allows password changes, etc.
  • the "Add A New Device” icon allows adding devices from a list of all the available SGPC controlled devices to the list on the left of the GUI. A user may or may not want to put all SGPC controlled devices on the GUI. When adding a new device, the user may assign a name and an icon to the device, as shown in the FIG. 41 (4100) .
  • the "Share” and “Energy Manager” icons are discussed below.
  • buttons On the left hand side of the dialog screen associated with each device are buttons which allow control, setup, and monitoring of the device. Some of the buttons are self- explanatory. "Action” brings the device down or up depending on the direction of the arrow. "Help” pops up a window providing information on the device.
  • the "Data” and "Schedule It! icons are discussed below.
  • FIG. 42 generally illustrates an exemplary switch action/event scheduling configuration dialog used to trigger power control switching events. This dialog is a general entrypoint to the more detailed calendar event scheduling dialog of FIG. 43 (4300) .
  • FIG. 43 generally illustrates an exemplary calendar based switch action/event scheduling configuration dialog used to trigger power control switching events. Selecting the clock icon under Schedule It! Invokes this dialog screen. This permits the user to set a one-time schedule or periodic schedule switching event. Once the schedule has been set, the action associated with the schedule can be selected from a menu.
  • FIG. 43 (4300) generally illustrates an exemplary device configuration dialog used to configure switched devices and monitor switch triggering events/sensors. Selecting the event icon button (the notebook symbol) associated with a SGPC controlled device (for example, a printer) activates this dialog screen. In this window the user may associate the dependencies between the devices (i.e., a printer) (and their measurements/status) and the SGPC controller. For example, the user may choose "Thermostat", and its "temperature” measurement, define a condition from a list of predefined conditions, for example, “greater or equal”, define a threshold, for example, "98 degrees”, and finally, define an action, say, "down off” .
  • FIG. 45 illustrates an exemplary energy consumption status dialog that is used to monitor the current energy consumption of a switched device. Selecting the "Data" icon displays this dialog and generally displays energy consumption at some scale, permitting the user to select zoom- in and zoom-out buttons to see data at finer scale, for example, hours and minutes, and allowing the user to move right and left to see data in different time frames.
  • FIG. 46 illustrates an exemplary notification configuration dialog useful used to push notification messages to users regarding switch functions and energy consumption. This dialog permits access to data sharing features. The user may specify e-mail addresses and phone numbers as well as defining what information they would like to be notified of and at what frequency of notification.
  • FIG. 47 illustrates an exemplary energy management status dialog depicting trends in actual daily energy consumption.
  • This dialog box illustrates the pop-up windows for the "Energy Management" button. The total energy consumption of the house is displayed and the user may be able to configure the time-of-day energy cost for the auto mode of control action described elsewhere herein.
  • dialog interfaces are merely exemplary of a wide variety of GUI interfaces possible in implementing particular embodiments of the present invention.
  • the present invention preferred exemplary system embodiment anticipates a wide variety of variations in the basic theme of construction, but can be generalized as a power control system comprising:
  • the power switch comprises a primary and secondary contactor, the primary and secondary contactor electrically connected in response to a control input ;
  • the power source plug is electrically connected to the primary contactor of the power switch
  • the power load receptacle is electrically connected to the secondary contactor of the power switch;
  • the power monitor produces a power value output in response to the electrical power flowing through the power load receptacle
  • the computing device is electrically connected to the power switch control input
  • the computing device is electrically connected to the power monitor power value output
  • the computing device communicates to a computer network via the wireless communication interface and modulates the state of the power switch control input in response to commands received from a user interface communicating with the computer network;
  • the computing device communicates with a computer network via the wireless communication interface and transmits the power value output through the computer network in response to commands received from a user interface communicating with the computer network.
  • the present invention preferred exemplary method embodiment anticipates a wide variety of variations in the basic theme of implementation, but can be generalized as a power control method, the method operating in conjunction with a SGPC power control system comprising:
  • the power switch comprises a primary and secondary contactor, the primary and secondary contactor electrically connected in response to a control input ;
  • the power source plug is electrically connected to the primary contactor of the power switch
  • the power load receptacle is electrically connected to the secondary contactor of the power switch;
  • the power monitor produces a power value output in response to the electrical power flowing through the power load receptacle
  • the computing device is electrically connected to the power switch control input
  • the computing device is electrically connected to the power monitor power value output
  • the computing device communicates to a computer network via the wireless communication interface and modulates the state of the power switch control input in response to commands received from a user interface communicating with the computer network;
  • the computing device communicates with a computer network via the wireless communication interface and transmits the power value output through the computer network in response to commands received from a user interface communicating with the computer network;
  • step (7) determining if the SGPC ID and password are valid, and if not, proceeding to step (7) ;
  • a present invention alternate preferred exemplary method embodiment anticipates a wide variety of variations in the basic theme of implementation, but can be generalized as a power control method, the method operating in conjunction with a SGPC power control system comprising:
  • the power switch comprises a primary and secondary contactor, the primary and secondary contactor electrically connected in response to a control input ;
  • the power source plug is electrically connected to the primary contactor of the power switch
  • the power load receptacle is electrically connected to the secondary contactor of the power switch;
  • the power monitor produces a power value output in response to the electrical power flowing through the power load receptacle
  • the computing device is electrically connected to the power switch control input
  • the computing device is electrically connected to the power monitor power value output
  • the computing device communicates to a computer network via the wireless communication interface and modulates the state of the power switch control input in response to commands received from a user interface communicating with the computer network;
  • the computing device communicates with a computer network via the wireless communication interface and transmits the power value output through the computer network in response to commands received from a user interface communicating with the computer network;
  • the present invention anticipates a wide variety of variations in the basic theme of construction.
  • the examples presented previously do not represent the entire scope of possible usages. They are meant to cite a few of the almost limitless possibilities.
  • This basic system and method may be augmented with a variety of ancillary embodiments, including but not limited to: An embodiment wherein the computer network comprises the Internet .
  • GUI graphical user interface
  • wireless communication interface comprises multiple disparate wireless communication interfaces on separate subnets with each of the disparate wireless communication interfaces supporting different communication subnet protocols.
  • wireless communication interface comprises multiple disparate wireless communication interfaces with each of the disparate wireless communication interfaces supporting different communication protocols with the system operating as a subnet sub-gateway between the disparate wireless communication interfaces.
  • wireless communication interface comprises a ZIGBEE ® wireless communication interface .
  • An embodiment wherein the computing device activates the power switch control input in response to a schedule defined by the user interface and received by the computing device via the wireless communication interface .
  • An embodiment wherein the computing device activates the power switch control input in response to a time- based schedule defined by the user interface and received by the computing device via the wireless communication interface.
  • the system embodiments of the present invention can incorporate a variety of computer readable media that comprise computer usable medium having computer readable code means embodied therein.
  • One skilled in the art will recognize that the software associated with the various processes described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of computer accessible media from which the software is loaded and activated.
  • the software associated with the various processes described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of computer accessible media from which the software is loaded and activated.
  • the present invention anticipates and includes this type of computer readable media within the scope of the invention.
  • Pursuant to In re Nuijten, 500 F.3d 1346 (Fed. Cir. 2007) (U.S. Patent Application S/N 09/211,928)
  • the present invention scope is limited to computer readable media wherein the media is both tangible and non-transitory. CONCLUSION
  • a power control system/method implementing Internet based access to hybrid home automation networks has been disclosed.
  • the system utilizes a smart gateway power controller (SGPC) to selectively switch an AC power source to a load device under control of local or remote network commands that may be routed through a variety of network interfaces and protocols present within a home or other structure- local communications network.
  • SGPC configurations may be nested within a home automation network to permit separation of control for load devices within a common home automation environment.
  • Present invention methods may include routing protocols between disparate home automation networks as well as remote access protocols that permit control of disparate home automation networks via the Internet using a wide variety of remote access interfaces including mobile devices, tablet computers, laptops, desktop computers, and the like.

Abstract

L'invention porte sur un système/procédé de commande de puissance mettant en œuvre un accès par Internet à des réseaux domotiques hybrides. Le système utilise un dispositif de commande de puissance à passerelle intelligente (SGPC) pour commuter sélectivement une source d'alimentation à courant alternatif (AC) vers un dispositif de charge sous la commande d'instructions de réseau local ou distant qui peuvent être routées par l'intermédiaire de diverses interfaces et protocoles réseau présents dans un réseau de communications domestique ou autre structure de réseau de communications local. Des configurations SGPC peuvent être imbriquées dans un réseau domotique pour permettre une séparation de commande pour des dispositifs de charge dans un environnement domotique commun. Des procédés de la présente invention peuvent comprendre des protocoles de routage entre des réseaux domotiques disparates ainsi que des protocoles d'accès à distance qui permettent une commande de réseaux domotiques disparates par l'intermédiaire d'Internet à l'aide d'une grande diversité d'interfaces d'accès à distance comprenant des dispositifs mobiles, des ordinateurs tablettes, des ordinateurs portables, des ordinateurs de bureau et analogues.
PCT/US2013/038722 2012-06-04 2013-04-30 Système et procédé de commande de puissance WO2013184250A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (14)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201261655099P 2012-06-04 2012-06-04
US61/655,099 2012-06-04
US201261661100P 2012-06-18 2012-06-18
US61/661,100 2012-06-18
US201261667477P 2012-07-03 2012-07-03
US61/667,477 2012-07-03
US201261698288P 2012-09-07 2012-09-07
US61/698,288 2012-09-07
PCT/US2012/058761 WO2013052671A2 (fr) 2011-10-04 2012-10-04 Système et procédé de régulation de puissance
US13/644,795 2012-10-04
USPCT/US2012/058761 2012-10-04
US13/644,795 US8478450B2 (en) 2011-10-04 2012-10-04 Power control system and method
US13/872,956 2013-04-29
US13/872,956 US8666560B2 (en) 2011-10-04 2013-04-29 Power control system and method

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