Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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LOW COST HOME ENERGY MANAGER ADAPTOR
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No.
61/304,712,
filed on, February 15, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
BACKGROUND
The following disclosure relates to energy management, and more particularly
to energy
management of household consumer appliances, as well as other energy consuming
devices and/or systems found in the home. The present disclosure finds
particular
application to a device which controls operation of consumer appliances, as
well as other
energy consuming devices and/or systems, and acts as a gateway between a
Utility
company network and the consumer appliances, as well as other energy consuming
devices and/or systems. The controller/gateway device to be discussed below is
at times
called herein a Home Energy Gateway (HEG).
Currently Utility companies commonly charge a flat rate for energy, but with
the
increasing cost of fuel prices and high energy usage during certain parts of
the day,
Utility companies have to buy more energy to supply customers during peak
demand.
Consequently, Utility companies are beginning to charge higher rates during
peak
demand. If peak demand can be lowered, then a potential cost savings can be
achieved
and the peak load that the Utility company has to accommodate is lessened.
One proposed third party solution is to provide a system where a controller
"switches" the
actual energy supply to the appliance or control unit on and off. However,
there is no
active control beyond the mere on/off switching. It is believed that others in
the industry
cease some operations of certain appliances during on-peak time.
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Additionally, some electrical Utility companies are moving to an Advanced
Metering
Infrastructure (AMI) system which needs to communicate with appliances, HVAC,
water
heaters, etc., in a home or office building. All electrical Utility companies
(more than
3,000 in the US) will not be using the same communication method to signal in
the AMI
system. Similarly, known systems do not communicate directly with the
appliance using
a variety of communication methods and protocols, nor is a modular and
standard method
created for communication devices to interface and to communicate operational
modes to
the main controller of the appliance.
Home energy management (HEM) systems are becoming a key to reducing energy
consumption in homes and buildings, in a consumer friendly manner. Existing
HEMs are
commonly placed in one of two general categories:
= In the first category, the HEM is in the form of a special custom
configured computer with an integrated display, which communicates to devices
in the home and stores data, and also has simple algorithms to enable energy
reduction. This type of device may also include a keypad for data entry or the
display may be a touch screen. In either arrangement, the display, computer
and
key pad (if used) are formed as a single unit. This single unit is either
integrated
in a unitary housing, or if the display is not in the same housing, the
display and
computer are otherwise connected/associated upon delivery from the factory
and/or synchronized or tuned to work as a single unit.
= In the second category, the HEM is in the form of a low cost
router/gateway device in a home that collects information from devices within
the
home and sends it to a remote server and in return receives control commands
from the remote server and transmits it to energy consuming devices in the
home.
In this category, again, as in the first, the HEM may be a custom configured
device including a computer and integrated/associated display (and keypad, if
used) designed as a single unit. Alternately, the HEM maybe implemented as
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home computer such as lap top or desk top operating software to customize the
home computer this use.
Both of the current existing types have significant disadvantages due to
higher consumer
cost, low flexibility and increased system complexity.
The first category requires a large upfront cost to the consumer, because the
cost of
providing an integrated display on the HEM very expensive. In addition, the
electronics
required to drive the display is complex and expensive. Further, from a
consumer point of
view, they are forced to add one more display screen to their home in addition
to the
home computer, smart phones, televisions and the displays on pre-existing home
devices
such as thermostats, appliance displays etc.
The second category of HEM involves a substantial cost to provide the server
infrastructure and data transfer. In addition, this type of HEM must be
connected
continuously with a remote server otherwise energy data logging and energy
saving
commands for the devices in the home will be lost during service disruptions.
In
addition, this configuration requires connection to the Internet to access and
view data.
Therefore this second configuration is very limiting in areas where Internet
penetration is
very low
To be commercially practical a HEM should result in a payback of less than a
year for the
consumer through energy savings. Current HEM systems result in payback of
about 3-5
years at best. Therefore, since the standard life of an electronic device is
about 5 years,
the consumer is never paid back for their investment; as they will need to
procure a new
device before the investment payback period is reached.
Key functions of a HEM include:
= Creates a network of energy consuming devices within the home,
= Measures the consumption of the whole home/building or individual devices,
= Records and stores energy consumption information in a database, and
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= Enables consumer interface with all energy consuming devices in a home to:
= view consumption data of individual devices
= set preferences for operation of energy consuming devices at different times
during the day or at different energy pricing levels
= control/program energy consuming devices.
For a HEM to achieve its intended function, all energy consuming, energy
generating and
energy measuring devices must communicate with the HEM through a network. The
network of energy consuming devices usually employs a communication design
which
has very low power and low energy with a high degree of reliability. The data
bandwidth
required to support a network of energy consuming devices is much smaller than
the data
bandwidth required for the networking of consumer electronics products, which
is usually
high bandwidth and high speed. The networking standards, including the
physical layer,
networking layer and application layers are optimized for the end use.
Consumers want to view and control energy consumption information available
thru the
HEM, through a variety of consumer electronic devices available in the home.
To enable
this it is required that energy consumption and control information must be
easily
transferrable from the networks of energy consuming devices to networks of
consumer
electronics devices. In addition, consumers are more used to interacting with
consumer
electronics devices. So the consumer interaction data on a consumer
electronics device
should be able to flow into the network for energy consuming devices and to
enable
command and control of the energy consuming devices.
SUMMARY
The device disclosed herein is a home energy gateway (HEG) that enables all
the key
functions of the HEM described above, and enables the flow of data between
networks
having different physical, link, network, transport and/or application layers,
provides a
lowest cost product to the consumer with the flexibility to interface with the
HEM from
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any consumer electronics product already available in the home and/or replace
any HEM
in a home energy management network.
The HEG is a single board computer with a variety of communication interfaces
combined with sufficient memory and computing resources to enable energy
management of a home or building. This device does not have a dedicated
display either
on the device or in the system. It transmits the data stored within its memory
to other
display devices, to enable a consumer interface to the HEG.
In one embodiment, the HEG hardware comprises of a single board computer with
the
following specification:
- Samsung S3C2450 32bit RISC Microprocessor ARM926EJS, 400MHz
- DDR2 SDRAM (32MB)
- NAND Flash Memory for Embedded Linux & HEG Software (16MB)
- NAND Flash Memory for Database Storage (I6MB)
The single board computer has three communication interfaces with different
physical,
networking and application layers.
The HEG it has an Ethernet and Wifi interface with the following
specification:
- IEEE 802.11 big Wi-Fi
- WPA, WPA2, WEP-40, WEP-104, 802. PEAP, LEAP, TLS, TTLS, FAST
- MAC Address Filtering
- 1011 00 Base-T Ethernet Connectivity
This interface is referred to as the first interface or first network
throughout this
document.
The HEG of one embodiment also has two Zigbee Interfaces of the following
specification:
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- IEEE 802.15.4 Compliant 2.4GHz Wireless Interface
- Smart Energy Profile, Home Automation Profile
- Transmit Power: 20dBm, Receive Sensitivity. 0 - -100dBm
- AES 128-bit Encryption
- Install Code using 128-bit Oseas Hash Function
- ECC Key Exchange using Certicom Certificates
- SEP 1.0 Security Requirements
- CBKE ZigBee Link Key Security
- ZigBee Pro Feature Set
Other physical implementations are possible given the intent of minimizing the
cost and
the number of devices in a consumer's home. For example there are a number of
devices
in a consumer's home that already have power supplies. At a simple level, the
HEG
database and radios could be connected internally to a PC, Set Top Box, Cable
Modem,
Tivo, Video Player, or other consumer electronics device.
The base advantage of this to the consumer would be to utilize an existing
power supply
and enclosure, thus reducing (or not adding to) the number of devices in the
home. Such
implementation would also reduce the cost of the device.
Additional economies could be taken advantage of by utilizing resources
provided by the
device. By providing communication over a standard interface, for example
PCMIA,
USB, etc., the resources of the host could be shared with the device.
For example when attached to WiFi router, neither a WiFi radio nor an Ethernet
port need
be provided in the HEG, as the HEG could share those services from the host.
By hosting
in a WiFi router, the HEG can also take advantage of the external antennas,
power
supply, etc.
When attached to a cable television, TiVo, or video player, the HEG could take
advantage of the devices wired connection to a high resolution display screen,
for
example.
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These additional embodiments of the HEG do not change its function as
described below
or its inherent advantages to the consumer of being low cost, taking advantage
of existing
displays in the home, and storing data to avoid requiring an external server
to access their
data.
Two Zigbee communication interfaces are provided so that HEG can talk to two
separate
energy networks.
Using one Zigbee interface, (referred to as the second interface or second
network) the
HEG communicates with the smart meter network. This interface reads the smart
meter,
an energy-metering device, and records the data in the database of the HEG.
The HEG communicates to the devices within the home using the other Zigbee
communication interface (referred to as the third interface or third network).
Using this
interface, the HEG reads the consumption of the individual energy consuming
devices
and records it in the database.
Utility communications such as price signals, demand response signals and text
messages
are received through the second interface, recorded in the database, and
communicated to
the devices in the home through the third interface. The command and control
information of the energy consuming devices and their response to Utility
signals is
received through the third communication interface, recorded in a database,
and
communicated to the Utility company via the second interface, the
communication being
routed through the Utility smart meter.
The HEG can also be programmed to vary the response of energy consuming
devices to
utility communication based on consumer preferences. The consumer may, if
desired,
program the schedule, mode of operation and create unique device response to
utility
messages. This programming is communicated through the first interface.
The stored events, energy data, utility messages and consumer setting
preferences are
accessed also accessed through the first communication interface, which
operates at a
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higher bandwidth and uses a consumer electronics friendly communication
protocol. For
example, in some embodiments this communication could be over Wifi or
Ethernet.
The user interface is an application that resides in one of the consumer
electronics
products in a home or the home computer. These home devices communicate to the
HEG
through a predefined communication protocol. The user interface may request
specific
data from the HEG like historical electricity consumption information and the
HEG can
push information to devices in the Local Area Network (LAN), like price
changes or
utility messages, with all communication exchanges occurring thru commands
based on
this communication protocol. In addition, the energy consuming devices can be
controlled or interfaced through the HEG, the user interface communicating
with the
HEG using this communication protocol over the first interface and the HEG
communicating with the energy consuming devices with a low bandwidth protocol
using
a different physical communication layer.
The term communication protocol refers to three aspects language, transport,
and session.
The term language is defined as what is used to communicate data or commands
such as
XML, JSON-RPC, XML-RPC, SOAP, bit stream, or line terminated string. The term
transport is defined as the protocol used to deliver the data or commands such
as UDP,
TCP, HTTP. Session is defined as terms such as, the Device pushing data via a
socket
based connection, or the Device sending data in response to being polled.
Examples of
data being pushed are TCP socket streams, and examples of polling are the
restful create,
read, update, and delete methods.
The HEG plays a key role for the Utility company in registering and
communicating with
devices within the home. Typical devices that have to work with the smart grid
thru the
smart meter need to be registered with the smart meter. This means that for
every energy
consuming device that is installed in a consumer's home, the consumer has to
contact the
Utility and provide them an install code to register the device, which
requires time and
resources for both the Utility Company and the consumer. Once the HEG is
registered to
the smart meter, the HEG then acts as a single point gateway for the Utility
Company. In
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this way all other devices in the home are registered with the HEG and
communicate with
the HEG. The HEG then summarizes device actions, responses and status and
communicates a single message to the Utility Company. This saves resources and
infrastructure for the Utility Company's meter system as there is only one
device
communicating from the home, rather than 10 to 15 devices receiving messages,
which
would otherwise require a large amount of bandwidth.
With communication protocols in a home converging to common standards, the HEG
can
also be used to network other devices within the home and store data. For
example it
could monitor the health of consumers living in a home. A bathroom weighing
scale can
be enabled with a communication interface, and the weight of a person can be
automatically read off the HEG and stored in the data base with a time stamp,
every time
a person steps on the scale. The device could similarly read other health
parameters like
blood pressure, glucose, temperature etc.
In the same way, energy and water consumption in a home is an indicator of
daily life in
a home. It can indicate activity in a home, the number of people in a home,
the health of
people in a home, safety and intrusion in a home.
The HEG could also operate with home automation and home security systems over
open
standards. This would coordinate the devices trying to control lighting, pool
pumps, and
other devices. They could also share information in new ways. The appliances
could act
as additional occupancy or intruder detection systems. For example, if the
home security
is in the away mode, and the refrigerator door opens, this could be passed to
the security
system, just like a motion sensor.
The HEG can also be provided as part of a HEG adaptor module configured to
utilize
services/components of existing household electronics. Accordingly, a home
energy
management device for controlling a plurality of energy consuming devices in a
home
energy management network comprises a host device having hardware for
performing at
least one service, and a home energy gateway adaptor module connectable to the
host
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device, the home energy gateway adaptor module including at least a home
energy usage
database for storing data related to usage of energy consuming devices in the
home
energy management network. The home energy gateway adaptor module is
configured to
utilize at least one service of the host to carry out at least one function
related to
controlling the plurality of energy consuming devices.
The home energy gateway adaptor module can further comprise a controller for
controlling the plurality of energy consuming devices. The home energy gateway
adaptor
module can also include a communication interface for communicating with the
plurality
of energy consuming devices. The communication interface can include a
wireless
communication interface. The home energy gateway adaptor module can be
configured
via the host device. The host device can be a wireless network device, wherein
the home
energy gateway adaptor module is accessible through the host device via a
personal
computing device. The home energy management device can further comprise a
display
associated with the host device for displaying information from the home
energy gateway
adaptor module. The host device can be at least one of a personal computer, a
wireless
router, a cable television box, a satellite television box, and a television.
The home
energy gateway adaptor module includes a standard connector for connecting to
the host
device, which can be at least one connector of the type NIC, PCMIA, PC-Card,
USB,
Ethernet, RS-232 serial port, 12C, RS-485, and Firewire. The services of the
host
include at least one of a power supply, a processor, a radio, a display, a
user interface and
a wired network connection, Zigbee radio, 802.15.4 radio, Wi-Fi radio, program
storage
memory and combined or separate data storage memory, user interface LEDs,
reset
button.
A home energy management device for use in a home energy management system
including a plurality of energy consuming devices comprises a home energy
gateway
adaptor module connectable to a host device, the home energy gateway adaptor
module
including at least a home energy usage database for storing data related to
usage of the
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energy consuming devices, and being configured to utilize at least one service
of the host
device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 illustrates a system in which the concepts of the present application
are
implemented.
Figure 2 is a block diagram of a Home Energy Gateway (HEG) of the present
application.
Figure 3 is a hardware block diagram of the HEG.
Figures 4A-4P illustrates views of the physical HEG device.
Figure 5 is a flow diagram for connecting the HEG.
Figure 6 is a graphical illustration of a step in setting up the HEG.
Figure 7 is a graphical illustration of a step of connecting the HEG to a WiFi
access
point.
Figure 8 is a graphical illustration of a step of connecting the HEG to the
Internet.
Figure 9 is a graphical illustration of a step of connecting the HEG and a
smart meter.
Figure 10 is a graphical illustration of a step of making connections to
appliances.
Figure 11 illustrates remote agent data access.
Figure 12 is an example message payload to update a schedule.
Figure 13 is a block diagram of an exemplary home energy gateway adaptor
module
attached to a host device.
Figure 14 is an exemplary physical embodiment of the system of Figure 13.
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Figure 15 is an exemplary home energy gateway adaptor module.
Figure 16 is another exemplary home energy gateway adaptor module in the form
of a
PCMIA card installed in an electric meter.
Figure 17 is an exemplary home energy gateway adaptor module in the form of a
PCMIA
card installed in a set-top box.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFFERED EMBODIMENTS
Figure 1 is an exemplary implementation of the energy management system 100
according to the present application.
The main source of information flow for the home is shown as smart electric
meter 102
acting as trust center, coordinator, and/or and energy service portal (ESP),
and which is
configured to communicate with a home energy gateway (HEG) 104.
It is well known that these functions of smart meter 102 may be separated into
different
devices. For example, if the home does not have a smart meter 102 ---so the
electric
meter functions only as a meter to provide consumption information--- other
components
can be used to provide the additional capabilities. For example, homes without
smart
meter 102, can have the metering functionality of smart meter 102 replaced
with a simple
radio and CT configuration. Also, there are devices that can be placed on the
outside of
the meter to communicate its consumption by reading pulse counts or the
rotating disk of
the meter. In this embodiment, smart meter 102 is shown with an IEEE 802.15.4
(ZigBee) radio, but the meter could also communicate by a number of other
standards
such as IEEE 1901 (Home Plug Green Phy or Home Plug A V), among others.
Figure 1 is a computer 106 (such as a desk top, lap top of other computing
device)
attached to a modem/router 108, a common manner of attaching computers to the
internet
110. In Figure 1, a computer connected to the router by a wired IEEE 802.3
(Ethernet)
connection 111. However, it is to be appreciated the connection could be made
by other
known connections such as an IEEE 802.11 (Wifi) connection, power line
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communication or power line carrier (PLC) connection, among others. In one
embodiment, the PLC connection is made using an adaptor such as sold by
Netgear or
other manufacturer for that purpose. Although a modem/router arrangement is
shown in
system 100, it is not essential, and the system would function for its primary
purpose of
monitoring and displaying energy consumption information without them. In that
case
computer 106 would connect directly to HEG 104 via a wired or wireless
connection.
A web enabled smart phone 112 is configured to connect to HEG 104 for
displaying data
and configuring accessories (such as home appliances 114a-114k), except that
only a
wireless connection is available.
Accessories 114a-114k fall into two categories sensors and devices (where,
depending on
how they are used, some accessories fall into both categories). Examples of
sensors
include solar meters 11 4a, gas meters 114b, temperature sensors 114c, motion
sensors
114d, and appliances reporting their power consumption (such as dishwashers
114e,
refrigerators 114f, stoves 114g, washers/dryers 114h, etc.). Devices include
thermostats
114i, alarms 114j and simple switches 114k, along with the appliances (e.g.,
dishwashers
114e, etc.), when performing their normal functions. The foregoing are just
some
examples of accessories to which the concepts of the present application will
apply.
The HEG 102 is constructed with computational capabilities and multiple
communication
technologies. In contrast to existing controllers (such as an HEM) used in
home energy
systems, the special purpose HEG 102 is significantly smaller, cheaper, and
consumes
less power. The HEG 102 also has the capability of operating over multiple
communication networks, which allows HEG 102 to acquire and manipulate data of
one
communication network (e.g., that which monitors/controls the home appliances)
and to
supply that manipulated data to another communication network (e.g., to the
consumer
electronics network, such as to a home computer, smart phone, web-enabled TV,
etc.),
even though these networks are not generally compatible. As another example,
the HEG
102 is connected to system loads (e.g., the home appliances, etc.) over one
type of
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communication network, to the Utility company over a different communication
network,
and to a display over a third different communication network.
In one particular embodiment connection to the display is via a WiFi
communication
network, connection to the Utility Company (over the meter) is via a ZigBee
communication network, and connection to the home device/appliance network is
over
the third. Alternatively, in a home where the devices and Utility Company's
rules are
different, the data could be structured differently. For example, the whole
home
consumption could be available over the Internet (as it is in Allentown, PA
pilot project),
or via a ZigBee meter on the second network. Further, in addition to the
display, several
home automation devices including pool controllers, emergency generators, and
storage
batteries are designed to be accessed over Ethernet using Internet Protocol
(IP).
Turning to Figure 2 depicted is a block diagram 200 illustrating one
embodiment of the
HEG 102. On the left hand side of the figure outside of block diagram 200 is
remote
configuration and data acquisition block 202 (which is not part of HEG block
diagram
200). The external data and remote configuration requests are received into
block 200
via WiFi radio block 204, which in turn accesses energy and event database
206. The
external data and remote configuration requests of block 202 could also enter
block
diagram 200 via Ethernet port 208 in order to access the energy and event
database 206.
In still a further embodiment a power line communication (PLC) adapter 210
(dotted
lines) may be used with or as an alternative to the Ethernet port 208, in
order to input the
external data and remote configuration requests 202 into the energy and event
database
206.
On the right hand side of Figure 2 is a first data interface block 212 (such
as a 802.15.4
Zigbee radio) and a second data interface block 214 (such as a 802.15.4 Zigbee
radio).
The first data interface block 214 is configured to send and receive data and
configuration
messages to/from utility meter Zigbee network 216, and second data interface
block 214
is configured to send and receive data and configuration messages to/from the
internal
HAN (e.g., data from appliances in the system) 218. The data and messages from
these
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sources also connect to the energy and event database 206, via internal HAN
smart
energy block 220. The database functions will be covered in more detail later.
In still a
further embodiment power line interfaces 222, 224 (dotted lines) may be
included with or
as an alternative to the interfaces 212, 218.
Figure 3 shows a more detailed hardware block diagram 300 of HEG 102. Of
specific
interest is input/output (I/O) block 302 at the bottom of the figure. The I/O
block 302
consists of chip LEDs 304,306, and 308 which are used to convey network status
for the
three individual networks of the HEG 102. The LEDs convey status from off (no
network), flashing (network available), to solid lit (joined network) for each
network.
Optionally an additional LED (not shown) may be provided to identify power
availability. Also if additional networks are incorporated into the HEG 102 an
additional
LED may be add for the additional communication network. These simple status
lights
allow a user to confirm the HEG is working. By this design if there is an
issue, a user
may connect with an display device for more detailed investigation of the
problem and to
correct the Issue. Also depicted is a reset push button 312 which (as will be
shown below)
may be assessed by a user externally on the HEG unit itself.
Figures 4A-4P illustrates various views of HEG 102. Not requiring a display or
input
keys on HEG 102 allows the HEG 102 to be configured in a very compact design.
In one
embodiment, this results in the HEG having dimensions of 53(W) x 72(H) x 55(D)
mm
(2.09(W) x 2.83(H) x 2.16(D) inches). With a depth (D) of 37mm (1.45 inches)
minus the
prongs of the plug. The volume of the HEG being 160 cm^3 and the weight of the
HEG
being 100g. It is therefore small enough to be plugged into a standard wall
outlet, and
does not need space on a counter, tabletop and does not need to be attached to
a wall or
other surface with screws or adhesive. Because it does not have a separate
display or
keyboard, there are no wires to add to clutter or get caught on items. Having
the power
supply embedded and/or integrated in the HEG helps keep it small. It also
allows access
to the power lines for PLC communication. A small power supply can also be
tuned to
exactly the needs of the HEG, instead of selecting from a standard plug
transformer, and
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avoid the risk of a consumer plugging in the wrong wall adaptor. The design
also
includes additional flame retardant materials in the housing, and securely
attaches the
outlet prongs to the housing.
Figure 4C shows reset button 400 (corresponding to block 312 of Figure 3) and
Ethernet
input 402 (e.g., 208 of Figure 3).
Turning now to the setup of the HEG, the consumer will need to configure HEG
102 to
monitor energy consumption. Prior to starting to commission the HEG, the
consumer
will need to load specific Client Application Software (CAS) onto his computer
or
smartphone. Typically this software would be downloaded over the Internet or
purchased
from the phone provider. The software may be a general purpose Java
application that
will run on any PC, or it may be tailored specifically to the physical
limitations and
operating system of the device, which is common in the cellular phone
business.
Alternatively a Web CAS could also be used.
Figure 5 is a flow diagram 500 which illustrates, for one embodiment, the
steps
undertaken to achieve such configuration. An expanded discussion of Figure 5
is set
forth in later sections of this disclosure. After starting 502, a user
connects to the HEG
504 by providing the HEG with power (e.g., plugging it into a home outlet) and
accessing
the HEG via the CAS. The CAS allows the user to provide the HEG with a name so
it
may be identified in the network (see Figure 6). Once connected, if there is a
home
wireless network (such as WiFi) 506, the user may optionally connect the HEG
to that
network 508 (see Figure 7). Next, if the user has a home Internet connection
510, the
HEG can be connected to this network 512 (see Figure 8). Once these steps are
accomplished, the user connects the HEG to the energy supplier (e.g., Utility
company)
network 514 (see Figure 9). Finally, the user connects the appliances (and
other systems)
to the HEG 516 (see Figure 10).
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1. Connecting to the device. (Figure 6)
Turning now to Figure 6, as mentioned above, a particular beneficial aspect of
the HEG
102 is the value and flexibility obtained by not having a dedicated,
integrated user
interface display. Not having such a display does require initial steps in the
configuration
of the HEG into the home energy network (or HAN) in order to connect the HEG
to the
network. These steps include:
a. Connect the HEG to its power source (e.g., a common home power outlet).
This
will power the LEDs (304-308) causing them to light.
b. Connect an Ethernet cable from computer to device to Ethernet input (208),
or
attempt peer-to-peer wireless connection (e.g., wireless input 204).
c. Install software on a smart phone, computer or other device capable of
operating software.
d. Use the software which employs zero-configuration networking (such as the
Apple Corps Bonjour from Apple Corp) to detect the HEG. Once the HEG is
detected, the user provides the HEG with a name and password to prevent
others from modifying their personal settings.
2. Connecting to home network (Figure 7)
As mentioned above, step 508 of Figure 5 is optional. However, for homes with
WiFi
network and where the HEG is attached via an Ethernet connection, step 508 is
available.
In this case, the Ethernet cable would be disconnected and the HEG moved to an
out of
the way home electrical outlet. By this action the consumer will still have
access to the
HEG over their home network but the HEG would not need a prime electrical
outlet. If
the HEG is replacing an HEM or other type of controller which has a built in
or otherwise
connected display and is therefore mounted on a wall for viewing of the
display, the HEG
in the wireless environment would of course not be mounted on a wall and
could, again
be, located in an out of the way electrical outlet. If the consumer does not
have a home
wireless network, they may continue to have the HEG connected to a router to
share their
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Internet connection or remain directly connected to their computer if they do
not have an
Internet connection. If connected over WiFi the WiFi LED on the HEG will
illuminate.
3. Connecting to home Internet (Figure 8)
This step is also optional, and is not required for the device to work. No
special
configuration is required on the HEG. Depending on the security implemented on
the
consumer's Internet connection, some modification to their router and/or
firewall may be
required. In some instances the use of the HEG may be advantageous over a
"Cloud
Computing" model for home energy control, as that the data storage for the HEG
is local.
4. Connecting to energy supplier network (Figure 9)
Connection steps for connecting in a typical smart meter environment and for
connecting
in an Internet environment are now described.
a. The following describes the steps to take for a typical smart meter
application.
i. For a smart meter, either wired or wireless, the HEG will connect to the
smart meter over a second network. The customer locates their install code
that is displayed in their CAS. Alternatively the install code can be written
on the HEG or supplied with its documentation. The customer then takes
that install code and depending on their Utility either enters the install
code into a browser window or they call their Utility's Customer Service
Center.
ii. Also they will add identifying information on the home that the HEG is in.
Depending on the sophistication of the utility network, they may need to
enter their address, account number off their bill, or they may need to call
and get a special code to identify them.
iii. Once this is complete, a command is sent from the CAS (e.g., of the
software added to the homeowner's computing device) to the HEG over
the IP Network to have the HEG start the joining process on the Utility
network.
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iv. Once the appropriate security has been negotiated, the HEG will send a
confirmation back to the CAS over the first IP network to indicate that the
connection has been made.
v. The HEG will also turn the Utility Network LED ON to notify the
customer that it is connected. This allows for the customer to determine
the state of the network just by glancing at the HEG, without connecting
an I/O device.
vi. The HEM will determine which of the devices on the Utility network is
the homes billing meter. Multiple devices could say that they are a meter.
1. This is simplest if there is only one meter on the Utility network, but
there may be more (i.e., there may be sub-meters).
2. Typically if there is a single device that is a meter and a Utility
Services Interface (USI), the source of energy information (price load
control commands etc.). That is the billing meter, although in some
areas there is a separate device that acts as the Utility Services
Interface (USI).
3. If there are two devices that both are meters and neither is the USI,
the HEG has to dig deeper. For example a plug-in hybrid electric
vehicle (PHEV) charger could be on the Utility network as a meter
and as a load control device, so it could be turned off during a grid
emergency. Then the HEG would assign the one that is not a load
control device as the Utility meter. It is noted some meters have
disconnect switches installed inside of them, even in this case, the
utility typically does not provide control of that switch to the HAN,
but only on its backhaul network.
vii. Any devices that are found by the HEG that are not the Utilities
(revenue)
meter are saved for configuring as part of the home network.
b. For Internet based energy supplier information.
i. In this case the install code will typically not be required, since the
Utility
network is not being used. The customer will start by entering identifying
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information on the home that the HEG is in into a CAS window.
Depending on the sophistication of the utility network, they may need to
enter their address, account number off their bill, or they may need to call
and get a special code to identify them. The may also have to enter a
specific URI that indicates where to get the pricing information.
ii. Once this is complete, an XML message command will be sent from the
CAS to the HEG over the IP Network to have the HEG contact the utility
information page over the internet.
iii. Once the appropriate security has been negotiated, the HEG will send a
confirmation back to the CAS over the first IP network to indicate that the
connection has been made.
5. Connecting appliances to network. (Figure 10)
Typically appliances will be installed on a second network that is entirely
maintained by
the homeowner. The ZigBee network is used for this purpose in the exemplar,
but that is
not critical to the invention. Some devices, such as a Thermostat, or PHEV
charger may
be tied directly to the Utility network in the same manner as the HEG, if for
instance, the
PHEV qualifies for a different rate or the customer is getting a credit for
allowing the
Utility to control their HVAC. In this case the consumer can skip directly to
step vi.
i. The customer will enter the install code of the device into a CAS window;
the
CAS will then transfer this message to the HEG over the first IP network.
ii. The HEG will create the third network and look for a device that is
attempting
to join. The third (3rd) network LED will flash.
iii. The customer will then be asked to press a button or take similar action
on the
device to tell it to join the network. The precise action to take is dependent
on
the devices instructions.
iv. The HEG will exchange security information over the third network with the
device and compare it with the information received over the first network. If
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the information indicated the device is to be trusted, it is let onto the
network.
In this case the third (3`d) network LED will be lit.
v. The HEM will detect that there is a device on the network and will gain
basic
information about the device. The device will provide some configuration data,
for example that it is a washer, a water heater, or that it is a load control
device
or a meter.
vi. The HEM will bring up a list of devices that it has found. For ease of
identifying the devices, it is easiest if the consumer adds all the devices
individually and fills in the identifying information on each as it is found.
The
consumer can also add a user-friendly name to his device at this time to make
it
easier to identify in the future.
1. For a device with a device type of appliance, the consumer may need to
add a name like refrigerator, or dryer.
2. If there are multiple thermostats, the consumer may label one as upstairs
and one as downstairs so that they can control them independently.
3. Some devices will be added just as a meter. For example one such device
may be a meter on a solar or wind generation panel. The customer will
have the opportunity to select the identity of the device from a list. Based
on this selection the HEG will identify the device as a load or source. This
is important later when creating reports, because loads are a subset of the
revenue meter, but the sources are additions to the revenue meter.
4. Storage batteries will need to be identified as such so that the HEM can
read a field to indicate direction of power flow. While current standards
have this field as optional, it is assumed that a storage device would
support it.
vii. The above steps can be completed as many times as the consumer desires,
to
add all of the devices they desire to the network. In addition to devices
mentioned above, a whole host of home automation devices can be added,
including but not being limited to motion sensors, door sensors, lighting
controls, switches, smart plugs, bathroom scales. Anything which can function
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by turning on/off, adjusting up or down, or provides information on the amount
of something can be easily integrated into the data structures of the HEG.
6. Connecting to an external server.
Just because the consumer does not have to use a cloud-computing device, does
not mean
that it cannot be done. For example, Google Inc. has a Google Power Meter
(GPM)
service. On the consumers CAS, they could select connect to GPM, and the data
could be
ported to the cloud server. Either the consumer or the cloud server may select
only to
accept a portion of the data. For example, the consumer may select to pass the
utility
power meter to the cloud server, so he can access it from work, or the cloud
server may
limit the consumer to two devices with 15 minute increments between points.
7. Connecting Zigbee Device
Numerous commercial devices are available for measuring and controlling plug
loads and
larger loads, as well as ZigBee home automation for controlling lights,
security and
comfort. One such example is the ZBLC30-Dual (30/15A) Relay with energy meter.
This ZigBee 110/220V Dual-relay (30/15A) describes itself as a controller with
energy
meter which remotely controls high current heavy loads such as water heaters,
pool
pumps, pool heaters, electric vehicle charges, air conditioners, etc. Using
the wireless
ZigBee protocol allows the switch to constantly measure the power delivered to
the load
and report various parameters such as real and apparent power based on high
accuracy
industry standards. This makes possible the intelligent management of large
appliances.
Provided with both normally open (NO) and normally closed (NC) contacts for
maximum
flexibility including fail-safe configurations.
8. Connecting an External device.
There are numerous devices available to consumers which have Ethernet or WiFi
capabilities. For example a Pentair pool controller from Pentair Water Pool
and Spa, or
an alarm system controller from Smart Home, are just two examples.
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By use of a special purpose application program "APP" these and other such
devices can
communicate with the consumer's energy management system so that they can make
adjustments to all of the systems in one place and set their own priorities.
These apps are
loaded by the same update program which manages the HEG software.
Turning now to the operation of the HEG, set out below are examples of various
data
flows which can be obtained by use of the HEG.
1. Power consumption data from meter to database.
a. HEG sets up a timer.
b. Periodically pings meter for consumption on 2nd network.
c. Stores consumption data in data base.
2. Price signal to an appliance using.
a. HEG receives a price schedule or price change from Utility over 2nd
network.
b. HEG stores price data in table in memory for future use in calculating cost
reports.
c. HEG reviews scheduling priorities received from consumer over 1st
interface.
d. HEG sends load shed command to appliance or system (e.g, pool pump
disconnect box) over 3rd network.
3. Utility direct load control command to load control box on a pool pump.
a. HEG receives a price schedule or price change from Utility over 2nd
network.
b. HEG reviews scheduling priorities received from consumer over 1st
interface.
c. HEG sends load shed command to pool pump disconnect box over 3rd
network.
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4. Power consumption from a smart appliance to database
a. HEG sets up a timer.
b. Periodically pings meter for consumption on 2nd network.
c. Stores consumption data in data base.
5. Daily power consumption cost chart to hand held device. (Figure 11)
a. Handheld contacts HEG over 1st Interface (WiFi), sending scripted request
for data.
b. HEG reviews database and assembles data requested. Either the HEG could
retain cost data in a single table, or it could pull consumption and price
data
from separate tables and combine into cost data.
c. HEG formats data for report using open scripting commands such as XML.
d. HEG sends requested information to Handheld over 1st interface.
6. Power consumption data from HEG to external server.
a. Consumer sets up conditions for transmitting data to external server over
1st
interface.
i. Consumer selects server from list or types in URL
ii. Consumer selects how frequently data is to be ported
iii. Consumer selects which data is to be ported
b. HEG sets up timer to meet consumer's request.
c. HEG assembles the subset of data requested by the consumer and formats for
transmission on Internet.
d. HEG posts data to webserver that consumer has selected.
7. Message from Utility to Computer Display.
a. HEG receives text message from Utility over 2nd interface.
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b. HEG reviews instructions from consumer on where Utility messages should
go (Computer screen, Thermostat Screen, TV Set, Hand Held, Dedicated
energy display) received over 1st interface.
c. HEG formats message appropriately for Interface and pushes message to
appropriate display device.
Once the consumer has the HEG connected to meters and devices and collecting
data
they can start to take advantage of its capabilities. A particular benefit of
this system,
which uses the HEG without a dedicated or integrated display, is the ability
to use a high
quality display to view data and interact with appliances without having to
pay for it
separately. Many consumers already have large displays of 17", 35", even 52"
diagonals
that they use for entertainment systems. Many of these devices already are
provided with
Web CASs. Accessing the electricity consumption of a home on a TV screen will
provide
a more readable display of their consumption habits to the consumer than the
small
monochrome in-home displays that Utilities have been using in pilots. In
addition being
able to look at the change in energy consumption when you turn on a range or
dryer, the
present design provides consumers with an increased awareness of where there
energy
dollar is going. Because the consumer displays (e.g., TVs, computers, smart
phones) are
adapted to graphical display, they are well suited to display this type of
information.
This improved interface also allows the consumer to fine tune their response
for different
appliances with more detail than was possible over a typical appliance control
screen.
This customization can be done either in conjunction with energy prices,
weather
information, time of day, occupancy or other external parameter, or just as a
user defined
rule without any outside parameters.
A first example: A dishwasher cycle is delayed because of high energy costs.
However
the water heater is not heating either. The HEG provides the consumer with the
option of
waiting until the water heater has caught up before starting the dishwasher.
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Another dishwasher option: The consumer can determine to not allow (or always
require) heated dry, extra pre-washes, or extra heat on a dishwasher at any
time, despite
what is selected at the controls of the dishwasher. This feature may be
valuable for
people whose children are assisting with meal clean up.
A second example: The consumer starts their dryer in a delay start mode, but
before the
delay time is completed energy price goes up. The consumer will be asked if
they still
want the dryer to start when scheduled.
An additional dryer example is to limit the maximum heat regardless of the
energy level
selected. This balance of saving energy at the expense of drying time could be
made at
any time, or could be done to prevent children or spouse from damaging
garments by
drying at too high a temperature.
An example of using weather is to prohibit dryer operation when the external
temperature
was above 80 degrees to avoid competing with the air conditioning, or to
prohibit dryer
use if the sun was shining and line-dry clothes instead.
A third example: The consumer can automate the decision for which of various
modes he
would like his water heater to operate in. Depending on the water heater, the
modes that
can be selected from include: Electric Resistive Heaters Cal Rod, Electric
Heat Pump,
Gas, Solar, and Off. He can use electric price, weather, gas price and home
occupancy to
select from.
A washing machine example. The consumer could use this feature to control
which
temperatures can be selected, or prohibit using the washer at certain electric
costs.
The improved user interface is also an advantage when programming devices.
Programmable thermostats are often hard to program via their limited user
interfaces.
For example, you have to push the menu button twice, then the left button,
then the down
button to set the hour, then the left button, until a full schedule of 7 days
with 4-6 events
per day have been loaded. The user interface on the HEG with a computer or
smartphone
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can display it graphically. Because the consumer is familiar with the
interface, the
commands are more intuitive. They can drag and drop changes of times, and copy
and
paste of one days schedule to a different day. Once they are happy with the
schedule, they
can save the whole schedule and then send it to the HEG over a high data rate
Ethernet/WiFi connection. The HEG will save the schedule internally. A
customer can
build a number of schedules. Winter (Heating), Summer (Cooling), Summer
Vacation
(Home empty, cool just slightly, circulate outside air at night); Summer Kids
Home(Cool
During the day) etc. After the customer selects one to load, the HEG loads the
schedule to
the thermostat. Thereafter the customer can change schedules and return to the
original
schedule without needing to reenter information.
Turning now to Figure 12 shown is an example of the data portion of a message
payload
that could be used to send a schedule to a thermostat. Appropriate headers and
checksum
fields can be added based on the exact communication protocol established.
The row Bytes is the size of the field. The Data Type and Field Name describe
the type
of data in each field. The schedule consists of a series of Transition times,
high set
points, and low set points. Each set point is scheduled to be in effect until
the next
transition. The variable field can contain multiple transitions until a final
(nth) transition
for a given day. At midnight the schedule will continue the prior days last
transition until
the first transition of the new day. The Day of Week field identifies the day
that is being
scheduled. Where Day 0 is Sunday, Day 1 is Monday, Day 2 is Tuesday etc.
Alternatively a bitmap field could be used to set the same schedule into
multiple days
simultaneously. The variable field can contain repeated Transitions.
The example of a thermostat programming is not limited to a thermostat, but
could be
included with anything that normally runs on a schedule. A different example
could be a
pool pump and spa controller, where high set point is spa temp and low set
point is the
pool temp.
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Another application is setting pool pump run times, where the high and low set
points can
be set at 0 and 100 to control off and on. A variable speed controller could
use 1-99 to
indicate a percentage of full run.
This on off scheduling could also be used with a water heater controller so it
would not
maintain water temperature when the homeowner is scheduled to be at work.
The HEG relies on a number of different software sets. There is software on
the HEG
itself. There is a second piece of software on the desktop or laptop computer
used to
configure the HEG and gather data from it. There is a third piece of software
on the smart
phone. The phone and computer may be further defined by the operating system,
or may
take advantage of a platform like Java that allows the programs to operate on
multiple
operating systems. Each of these can be upgraded independently of each other.
The
desktop (or laptop) and smart phone Apps also have a service for the HEG. They
can ping
a server (e.g., if from General Electric, a GE server) every day checking for
the latest
software release. As new software becomes available, either to correct issues
or add
features, they can down load the newest HEG software and the push it down to
the HEG.
This way the software sets can be upgraded independently of each other.
Once the HEG knows which appliances are on the network, it can also check the
server
for updates for those devices, and download that software if needed.
In addition, the present system allows for provisioning (i.e., preparing the
system to
accept new services) whereby special purpose software can be downloaded. When
the
customer buys a new washer, and enters its model. The software can contact the
GE
server, and be given an app to download. This app allows the consumer to set
more
detailed control of the appliance. It would know for instance this particular
washer has
five wash temperatures. It would then provide the customer with the
opportunity to
customize their wash experience. For example the customer could set the washer
to not
ever allow sanitation cycles and only allow hot wash when electric prices are
at or below
a threshold price (e.g., < $.15 a kWhr). Alternatively the customer may decide
that since
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they are on a gas water heater, the HEG should not control water temp when
electric price
changes. Another function that the washer could have is a delayed start
feature. If the
washer is in the delayed start, the customer could (through the HEG) either
tell the
washer to start now, or to delay its start even longer.
An example of passive operation of the HEG is the monitoring of a dryer. The
HEG can
notice that the dryer says it is in high heat, but never goes over 3kW. If
this occurs on a
single occasion this may be a loading or airflow condition, but if it happens
repeatedly, it
may be a failed open heater. In a more active role, the HEG could ping a
dishwasher,
and ask it for all of its error codes. The HEG can then send that information
to the
dishwasher manufacturer, either automatically or upon the customer's request,
or make it
available to the customer on a display when they call for service, thereby
assisting the
manufacturer in troubleshooting the unit. Alternatively, the customer could
download
more detailed analytical software if they were having issues with a specific
appliance that
could run diagnostics on the appliance and sends the results back to the
manufacturer so
the technician could arrive with the correct part.
In addition to monitoring for service, the monitoring software can also keep
the consumer
up to date on the status of their home. For example the time remaining on an
oven self-
clean, the end of cycle on a dishwasher, or the current hot water tank
temperatures could
be communicated to the HEG by appliances over a the low bandwidth third
network.
This info can then be sent to the consumer via the first interface to a WiFi
enabled smart
phone or Web enabled television, or possibly a Bluetooth device. It could also
be sent to
him outside of the hoe by email, SMS text message or similar method.
Another option during provisioning is to download a software set that
customizes the
display so that it essentially duplicates the features of the appliance, but
uses large font
and improved colors for people with poor visual acuity. People with vision
impairment
could use a 17" screen with black numbers on a yellow background to set the
temperatures on the refrigerator or schedule the self clean on an oven.
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Other special purpose software may be offered in conjunction with a Utility
company.
The customer may have a special code from their Utility company which
downloads a
software set that tracks air conditioner thermostat setpoints and passes that
information
back to a Utility company server. The customer then gets a bonus for
maintaining certain
target temps, and by not overriding setpoint changes during grid emergencies.
Another set of specialty software is for commercially available devices. If
the customer
buys a device from a third party, they can log on and download the software
that blends
that device into their network. It may be lighting controls, the pool
controller mentioned
earlier, or a third party thermostat.
Turning now to Fig. 13, a home energy management device 700 is illustrated
wherein an
HEG module 704 shares one or more services with a host device 708. The host
device
708 includes hardware for performing at least one service, such as a display
712, an input
device 714, a power supply 716, a Wifi or other wireless communication radio
718, an
Ethernet connection 720, and/or one or more communication ports 722, such as a
USB
port, serial port, etc. As will be appreciated, the host device 708 can
provide virtually
any service depending on the type of device. Examples of residential host
devices
include a wireless router, a personal computer, a cable television box, a
satellite
television box, a television set, a smart phone, purpose-built devices, an
internet tablet, a
book reader, or a combination thereof. Virtually any device that is capable of
communicating with the HEG module 704 via a wired or wireless connection can
be a
host device for the purposes of this application.
The HEG module 704 in the illustrated example is connected to the port 722 of
the host
device 708. This port could be, for example, a USB port of a home computer or
cable
box, or an Ethernet port of a wireless router. In this regard, the HEG adaptor
module 708
can be essentially a USB storage device such as a "jump drive," or the like.
Such HEG
adaptor module 704 includes a home energy usage database 730 for storing
information
related to the home energy network and/or algorithms for controlling one or
more device
within the network. A communication interface 734 can also be provided for
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communicating with one or more energy consuming devices in the network. As
will be
appreciated, a wide variety of hardware and/or services can be provided on the
HEG
adaptor module as well.
With reference to Figure 14, an exemplary physical embodiment includes a
wireless
router 802 as a host device, and a HEG adaptor module 806 connected to an
Ethernet port
812 of the wireless router 802. The wireless router can be any typical
wireless router and
generally will include an 802.1 lx wireless radio (or the like) and circuitry
for
creating/maintaining a wireless network of devices. The wireless router 802
typically
will include its own power supply, and will often be used in conjunction with
a modem or
other device that provides internet connectivity to the wireless router.
The HEG adaptor module 806 generally includes memory for storing a home energy
usage database, and a communication interface for communicating with one or
more
energy consuming devices. The HEG adaptor module 806 is configured to utilize
one or
more services of the wireless router 802 including, for example, a power
supply, an
internet connection, the wireless network, etc.
As will be appreciated, once the HEG adaptor module 806 is connected to the
wireless
router 802, various features of the HEG can be accessed from another device on
the
wireless network, such as a personal computer 816 as shown, or a mobile phone
having
Wifi, a cable box, etc. The personal computer 816 in the illustrated
embodiment includes
a CPU 818 connected to the wireless router, a display 820 and a keyboard 824.
The
personal computer 816 can be configured to access the HEG adaptor module 806
through
the wireless router 802 and display a user interface on its display 820. In
this manner, a
user can view information stored on the HEG adaptor module 806 and/or
configure
various aspects of the HEG adaptor module relating to the control of energy
consuming
devices in the HEM network, in accordance with the manner described above. In
this
regard, the router 802 and personal computer 816 together can be considered
the host
device, since services of each are utilized by the HEG adaptor module 806.
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Turning now to Figure 15, another HEG adaptor module is illustrated in the
form of a
universal serial bus (USB) adaptor module 902. The USB HEG adaptor module 904
includes a male USB connector 908 for connection with a USB port of a host
device, and
a housing portion 912 including at least a memory device for storing a home
energy
usage database. The USB HEG module can further include a communication
interface,
such as a wireless networking device, for communicating with one or more
energy
consuming devices in the HEM network as described previously. The USB HEG
adaptor
module can be configured to be plugged into a USB port of a home computer,
cable box,
wireless router, etc., in order to provide the functionality set forth above.
Turning to Fig. 16, another HEG module is illustrated installed under glass in
a smart
meter 1000. In this embodiment, the HEG module is in the form of a PCMIA card
1004
configured to be installed in a corresponding PCMIA slot 1008 provided in the
smart
meter 1000. AS will be appreciated, the smart meter 1000 acts as the host
device and the
PCMIA card 1004 (HEG module) utilizes at least one service of the smart meter
1000 to
carry out one or more functions as previously described.
In Fig. 17, another exemplary embodiment is illustrated wherein a PCMIA card
2004 is
installed in a set-top box 2008, such as a cable box, satellite receiver,
entertainment PC,
etc. , on top of a display 2012. As will be appreciated, the PCMIA card 2004
is installed
in a corresponding PCMIA slot (not shown) in the set-top box 2008. The PCMIA
card
2004 (HEG module) utilizes one or more service of the set-top box (2008 (host)
to carry
out one or more functions as previously described. This can include using the
set-top
box's power supply, internet connection, WIFI, connection to the display 2012,
etc.
As will be appreciated, the HEG adaptor modules as described above utilize
services/components of existing home electronics and, thus, such
components/services
need not be provided with the HEG adaptor module. For example, the HEG adaptor
module obviates the need for a dedicated a display, input device, power
supply, etc. This
results in a device that is much less expensive to produce and therefore
reduces the cost
to a consumer of adding a HEM network to the home.
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