Load management system and method of implementing a load management scheme

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018292099-A1
Application number	US-201715480626-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 6, 2017
Priority date	Apr 6, 2017
Publication date	Oct 11, 2018
Grant date	—

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; 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; and 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.

2 . The load management system of claim 1 , wherein the system control unit is included in the controller.

3 . The load management system of claim 1 , wherein each of the number of circuit breakers includes one of the number of system control units; and wherein the system control units are structured to control one or more loads electrically connected to the load circuit corresponding to the circuit breaker.

4 . 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.

5 . 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.

6 . 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.

7 . 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.

8 . The load management system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the number of circuit breakers includes:
separable contacts; an operating mechanism structured to trip open the separable contacts; and a trip unit structured to monitor for trip conditions in the load circuit protected by the circuit breaker and to control the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts in response to detecting the trip condition.

9 . The load management system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one of the number of circuit breakers includes:
secondary separable contacts, wherein the at least one of the number of circuit breakers is structured to open and close the secondary separable contacts in response to communications from the controller.

10 . The load management system of claim 1 , wherein the device control unit includes a first communication interface structured to communicate with the controller and a second communication interface structured to communicate with at least one or the one or more load devices.

11 . 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.

12 . The load management system of claim 11 , wherein the first communication interface is structured to provide wired communication and the second communication interface is structured to provide wireless communication.

13 . A method of implementing a load management scheme, the method comprising:
receiving sensor information from a number of sensors structured to sense characteristics of a managed area; estimating occupancy of the managed area based on the sensor information; receiving metering information from a number of circuit breakers electrically connected to corresponding load circuits; and implementing the load management scheme based on the sensor information and the metering information.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
adapting the load management scheme based on one or more of the sensor information and metering information.

15 . The method of claim 13 , 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.

16 . A circuit breaker for protecting a load circuit, the circuit breaker comprising:
a circuit protection unit including:
separable contacts;
an operating mechanism structured to trip open the separable contacts; and
a trip unit structured to monitor for trip conditions in the load circuit protected by the circuit breaker and to control the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts in response to detecting the trip condition; and
a device control unit including:
a processor structured to receive temperature data from one or more temperature sensors and temperature setting data from a mobile device and to control a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system based on the temperature data and temperature setting data.

17 . The circuit breaker of claim 16 , further comprising:
a metering unit structured to meter energy provided to the load circuit.

18 . The circuit breaker of claim 16 , wherein the device control unit further includes:
a communication interface structured to communicate with the temperature sensors, the mobile device, and the HVAC system.

19 . The circuit breaker of claim 18 , wherein the communication interface is structured to provide wireless communication with the temperature sensors and mobile device and to provide wired communication with the HVAC system.

20 . The circuit breaker of claim 16 , wherein the temperature setting data includes a set of target temperatures and associated times.

Assignees

• Eaton Corp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H01H71/12

  Automatic release mechanisms with or without manual release · CPC title

• F24F11/0086 Primary

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F24F2011/0091

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F24F11/0012

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• H01H9/54

  Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the switching device and for which no provision exists elsewhere · CPC title