Load management system and method utilizing occupancy data and learned device behavior

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11313573-B2
Application number	US-202016847920-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2020
Priority date	Apr 6, 2017
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

A load management system including a number of sensors structured to sense characteristics of a managed area, a controller including a processor structured to estimate occupancy of the managed area based on outputs of the number of sensors and to implement a load management scheme, a number of circuit breakers, at least one of the number of circuit breakers being electrically connected to a corresponding load circuit and including a metering circuit structured to meter energy provided to the load circuit and a device control unit structured to control one or more load devices electrically connected to the load circuit based on the load management scheme. The processor is structured to implement the load management scheme based on outputs of the sensors and metering information of one or more of the circuit breakers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A load management system comprising:
a number of sensors structured to sense characteristics of a managed area;
a controller including a processor structured to estimate occupancy of the managed area based on outputs of the number of sensors and to implement a load management scheme; and
a number of circuit breakers, at least one of the number of circuit breakers being electrically connected to a corresponding load circuit and including a metering circuit structured to meter energy provided to the load circuit;
wherein the processor is structured to implement the load management scheme based on outputs of the sensors and metering information of one or more of the circuit breakers,
wherein the processor is structured to adapt the load management scheme based on the metering information to optimize operation of one or more load devices powered by the load circuit to improve energy efficiency of the one or more load devices while powered by the load circuit,
wherein the at least one of the number of circuit breakers includes:
separable contacts;
an operating mechanism structured to trip open the separable contacts;
a trip unit structured to monitor for a trip condition in the load circuit protected by the at least one of the number of circuit breakers and to control the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts in response to detecting the trip condition; and
secondary separable contacts,

wherein the at least one of the number of circuit breakers includes a device control unit structured to communicate directly with the one or more load devices to control operation of the one or more load devices, and wherein the at least one of the number of circuit breakers is structured to control operation of the one or more load devices in response to communications from the controller to implement the load management scheme and optimize operation of the one or more load devices to improve energy efficiency of the one or more load devices while powered by the load circuit, and
wherein the processor is structured to learn behavior characteristics of the one or more load devices based on the metering information and to adapt the load management scheme based on the learned behavior characteristics to optimize operation of the one or more load devices to improve energy efficiency.

2. The load management system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more loads includes at least one of a water heater, a pool pump, and an heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

3. The load management system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is structured to develop the load management scheme using additional information; and wherein the additional information includes at least one of utility pricing information and weather forecast information.

4. The load management system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is structured to communicate with a mobile device and to receive user setting information from the mobile device; and wherein the controller is structured to implement the load management scheme based on the user setting information.

5. The load management system of claim 1 , wherein the number of sensors include at least one of a motion sensor, a light sensor, and a temperature sensor.

6. The load management system of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a first communication interface structured to communicate with the number of circuit breakers, a second communication interface structured to communicate with the number of sensors, and a third communication interface structured to communicate with a mobile device.

7. The load management system of claim 6 , wherein the first communication interface is structured to provide wired communication and the second communication interface is structured to provide wireless communication.

8. A method of implementing a load management scheme, the method comprising:
receiving sensor information, with a controller including a processor, from a number of sensors structured to sense characteristics of a managed area;
estimating occupancy, with the controller including the processor, of the managed area based on the sensor information;
receiving metering information, with the controller including the processor, from a number of circuit breakers electrically connected to corresponding load circuits; and
implementing the load management scheme, with the controller including the processor, based on the sensor information and the metering information;
adapting the load management scheme, with the controller including the processor, based on the metering information to optimize operation of one or more load devices powered by one of the load circuits to improve energy efficiency of the one or more load devices while powered by the one of the load circuits,
wherein at least one of the number of circuit breakers is electrically connected to the corresponding load circuit and includes a metering circuit structured to meter energy provided to the load circuit,
wherein the at least one of the number of circuit breakers includes:
separable contacts;
an operating mechanism structured to monitor for a trip condition in the load circuit protected by the at least one of the number of circuit breakers and to control the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts in response to detecting the trip condition; and
secondary separable contacts,

wherein the at least one of the number of circuit breakers includes a device control unit structured to communicate directly with the one or more load devices to control operation of the one or more load devices, and wherein the at least one of the number of circuit breakers is structured to control operation of the one or more load devices in response to communications from the controller to implement the load management scheme and optimize operation of the one or more load devices while powered by the load circuit, and
wherein the controller including the processor is structured to learn behavior characteristics of the one or more load devices based on the metering information and to adapt the load management scheme based on the learned behavior characteristics to optimize operation of the one or more load devices to improve energy efficiency.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more loads includes at least one of a water heater, a pool pump, and an heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
adapting the load management scheme based on one or more of the sensor information and metering information.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving additional information including at least one of utility pricing information and weather forecast information,
wherein implementing the load management scheme includes implementing the load management scheme based on the additional information.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
communicating with a mobile device;
receiving user setting information from the mobile device; and
implementing the load management scheme based on the user setting information.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the number of sensors include at least one of a motion sensor, a light sensor, and a temperature sensor.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the controller includes a first communication interface structured to communicate with the number of circuit breakers, a second communication interface structured to communicate with the number of sensors, and a third communication interface structured to communicate with a mobile device.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first

Assignees

• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Yigang
• Patil Chinmaya
• Thompson Ronald L
• Eldridge Austin

Classifications

• F24F2110/10

  Temperature · CPC title

• F24F11/46

  Improving electric energy efficiency or saving · CPC title

• G06Q10/0631

  Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations · CPC title

• H01H9/168

  making use of an electromagnetic wave communication · CPC title

• F24F2130/00

  Control inputs relating to environmental factors not covered by group F24F2110/00 · CPC title