Energy consumption artificial intelligence

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11333378-B1
Application number	US-201715708002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 18, 2017
Priority date	Sep 18, 2017
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

Described are systems, methods, and apparatus that enable power management and reduction at both the individual and group level to help reduce the overall power demand on a power system. One or more sensors may be positioned at different locations that collect and provide various sensor data to a remote computing system, referred to herein as a management system. The management system maintains location profiles for each location, user profiles for users at the various locations, and may also receive third party data, such as weather patterns, power system load, etc. The management system utilizes the received data to determine one or more energy saving actions that may be performed at the location(s) to reduce energy consumption and lower the demand on the power system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An energy management system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to at least:
determine a group that includes a plurality of locations;
determine a threshold for the group to achieve an energy savings from the group;
determine a value associated with the group, the value indicative of a likelihood that the group will comply with an energy savings request;
determine that the value satisfies the threshold; and
in response to a determination that the value satisfies the threshold, send, to a first location of the plurality of locations, at least one of:
message data indicating a first appliance at the first location whose operation is to be altered by a user to reduce energy consumption at the first location; or
command data to cause programmatic altering of operation of a second appliance to reduce energy consumption at the first location.

2. The energy management system of claim 1 , the message data including:
at least one of an audio output data or a video output data.

3. The energy management system of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions further cause the one or more processors to at least:
determine an incentive to present to the first location of the plurality of locations to incent a user at the first location.

4. The energy management system of claim 3 , wherein the incentive is a reduced energy cost for at least the first location of the plurality of locations if a total energy consumed by the plurality of locations is reduced by at least the energy savings.

5. The energy management system of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least:
receive, from at least one of an energy distribution station, a transmission station, or a power station, third party data indicative of a load value on at least one of the energy distribution station, the transmission station, or the power station.

6. The energy management system of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least:
receive, from a weather service, third party data indicative of an anticipated weather pattern for the first location.

7. The energy management system of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least:
determine, for the first location of the plurality of locations, at least one of:
a future point in time when programmatic altering of operation of the second appliance is to occur, or
a condition that is to be satisfied before programmatic altering of operation of the second appliance is to occur; and

include, in the command data, at least one of an indication of the future point in time or the condition.

8. The energy management system of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions further cause the one or more processors to at least:
receive, from a sensor at the first location of the plurality of locations, sensor data corresponding to a condition at the first location; and
process the sensor data to determine at least one of the message data or the command data.

9. The energy management system of claim 1 , wherein the message data further includes a recommendation to alter an operation of the second appliance.

10. A computer implemented method, comprising:
determining a group that includes a plurality of locations;
determining a threshold for the group to achieve an energy savings from the group;
determining a value associated with the group, the value indicative of a likelihood that the group will comply with an energy savings request;
determining that the value satisfies the threshold; and
in response to determining that the value satisfies the threshold, sending, to a first location of the plurality of locations, at least one of:
message data indicating a first appliance at the first location whose operation is to be altered by a user to reduce energy consumption at the first location; or
command data to cause programmatic altering of operation of a second appliance to reduce energy consumption at the first location.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining an incentive to present to at least the first location of the plurality of locations to incent a user at the first location.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining at least one of:
a future point in time when programmatic altering of operation of the second appliance is to occur, or
a condition that is to be satisfied before programmatic altering of operation of the second appliance is to occur; and

including, in the command data, at least one of an indication of the future point in time or the condition.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, from a sensor at the first location of the plurality of locations, sensor data corresponding to a condition at the first location; and
processing the sensor data to determine at least one of the message data or the command data.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining an expected increase in a power demand at a power station;
determining that the expected increase in the power demand will exceed a capacity of the power station; and
in response to determining that the expected increase in the power demand will exceed the capacity of the power station, determining the energy savings from the group.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining an amount of energy savings needed to reduce a cost of power; and
wherein the energy savings from the group is based at least in part on the amount of energy savings needed to reduce the cost of power.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining a second group that includes a second plurality of locations;
determining a second energy savings from the second group; and
wherein the amount of energy savings needed to reduce the cost of power is realized based at least in part on the energy savings from the group and the second energy savings from the second group.

17. A method, comprising:
determining a group that includes a plurality of locations;
determining a threshold for the group to achieve an energy savings from the group;
determining a value associated with the group, the value indicative of a likelihood that the group will comply with an energy savings request;
determining that the value satisfies the threshold; and
in response to determining that the value satisfies the threshold, sending to a communication component associated with a first location of the plurality of locations, command data to cause programmatic altering of operation of a first appliance to reduce energy consumption at the first location.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the communication component is further configured to communicate with the first appliance and cause the programmatic altering of operation of the first appliance.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
determining an incentive for the first location to incent a user at the first location.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
receiving data from at least one of

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Limp David A
• Cha Melissa J
• Chaboud Matthew Liang
• Mutagi Rohan
• Deramat Frederic Johan Georges
• St Angel Lindo

Classifications

• H02J2105/42

  Home appliances · CPC title

• H02J2103/35

  Grid-level management of power transmission or distribution systems, e.g. load flow analysis or active network management · CPC title

• H02J13/10

  characterised by displaying of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition [SCADA] systems · CPC title

• H02J3/14

  by switching loads on to, or off from, the networks, e.g. progressively balanced loading · CPC title

• F24F11/30 Primary

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title