Electrical energy management and monitoring system, and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9652014-B2
Application number	US-201313794936-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2013
Priority date	Mar 12, 2012
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A system and method are provided for managing electrical power consumption by individual electrical circuits in a building. The system includes a power control device in electrical communication with a multi-circuit power infeed and a multi-circuit power output, each of which includes at least two electrical conductors on separate circuits. The power control device includes respective electrical switches associated with the conductors of the power infeed and power output, an electronic communications module, and a computer processor in communication with the switches and the communications module. The processor is operable to open and close the electrical switches independently, in response to an occupancy signal and/or a trigger or scheduled event stored by the power control device. When a period of non-use is detected or anticipated, the power control device de-energizes one or more circuits, to limit unnecessary energy consumption within the system. A receptacle-level power control is also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrical power management system comprising:
a power control device in electrical communication with a multi-circuit power infeed including at least first and second electrical infeed conductors on separate circuits, said power control device comprising:
first and second electrical switches associated with said first and second electrical infeed conductors and operable between an open configuration and a closed configuration;
an electronic communications module; and
a computer processor in communication with said first and second electrical switches and with said electronic communications module, wherein said computer processor is operable to open and close each of said first and second electrical switches independently of one another in response to at least one of (i) an occupancy signal received via said electronic communications module and (ii) a trigger event detected by said computer processor;
wherein said computer processor is further operable to open and close each of said first and second electrical switches independently of one another in response to an occupancy signal received via said electronic communications module, and wherein the occupancy signal is indicative of whether an area is occupied by a person, the occupancy signal being generated by an occupancy detector having a transmitter for generating the occupancy signal, and wherein the transmitter is in communication with said electronic communications module;

a multi-circuit power output including first and second electrical output conductors associated with the separate circuits of the first and second electrical infeed conductors, whereby said first electrical output conductor is in electrical communication with said first electrical infeed conductor when a first of said switches is closed, and said second electrical output conductor is in electrical communication with said second electrical infeed conductor when a second of said switches is closed; and
a plurality of junction blocks each comprising an electrical power outlet configured to receive an electrical plug of an electrical consumer, wherein each electrical power outlet of said plurality of junction blocks is in electrical communication with said first electrical output conductor, such that a first electrical power outlet of a first junction block of said plurality of junction blocks provides electricity to a first electrical consumer when said first electrical switch is closed.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said power control device further comprises a memory module in communication with said computer processor and configured to store a trigger event detected by said computer processor, said computer processor being operable to open and close said first and second electrical switches independently of one another in response to the trigger event stored in said memory module.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the trigger event stored in said memory module comprises at least one chosen from a time of day and a day of the week.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein said power control device comprises an internal real-time clock in communication with said computer processor, and wherein said computer processor is operable to open or close at least one of said first and second electrical switches when said computer processor determines that the trigger event time coincides with a current time of day provided by said internal real-time clock.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said occupancy detector comprises a motion sensor or a heat detector.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said electronic communications module is in communication with a computer having a display, said electronic communications module configured to receive program instructions from the computer, the program instructions including one or more of the trigger events.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said power control device is operable to run the program instructions substantially autonomously without further instructions from the computer.

8. An electrical power management system comprising:
a multi-circuit power infeed having at least two electrically hot infeed conductors, at least one electrically neutral infeed conductor, and at least one electrically grounded infeed conductor;
a power control device in electrical communication with said power infeed, said power control device comprising:
an electrical switch associated with each of said electrically hot infeed conductors and operable between an open configuration and a closed configuration;
a memory module;
an electronic communications module; and
a computer processor in communication with each of said electrical switches, said memory module, and said electronic communications module, wherein said computer processor is operable to open and close each of said electrical switches independently of one another in response to at least one of (i) an occupancy signal received via said electronic communications module, and (ii) a trigger event detected by said computer processor;
wherein said computer processor receives an occupancy signal received from said electronic communications module, and wherein the occupancy signal is indicative of whether an area is occupied by a person, the occupancy signal being generated by an occupancy detector having a transmitter for generating the signal;

a multi-circuit power output having at least two electrically hot output conductors, at least one electrically neutral output conductor, and at least one electrically grounded output conductor, said electrical output conductors corresponding respectively to said electrical infeed conductors, wherein each of said at least two electrically hot output conductors is in electrical communication with a corresponding one of said at least two electrically hot infeed conductors when corresponding ones of said electrical switches are in said closed configuration; and
a plurality of junction blocks each comprising an electrical power outlet configured to receive an electrical plug of an electrical consumer, wherein each electrical power outlet of said plurality of junction blocks is in electrical communication with a first of said at least two electrically hot output conductors, such that a first electrical power outlet of a first junction block of said plurality of junction blocks provides electricity to a first electrical consumer when said electrical switch associated with said first electrically hot infeed conductor is closed.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein said memory module is configured to store the trigger event, said computer processor being operable to open and close each of said electrical switches independently of one another in response to the trigger event stored in said memory module.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the trigger event stored in said memory module comprises at least one chosen from a time of day and a day of the week.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein said power control device comprises an internal real-time clock in communication with said computer processor, and wherein said computer processor is operable to open or close at least one of said electrical switches when said computer processor determines that the trigger event time coincides with a current time of day provided by said internal real-time clock.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein said electronic communications module is in communication with a computer having a display, said electronic communications module configured to receive program instructions from the computer, the program instructions including one or more of the trigger events.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein said power control de

Assignees

• Byrne Norman R

Inventors

• Warwick Timothy J
• Vander Till Gerald N
• Simms Matthew J
• Burdi Roger D

Classifications

• H02J2105/42

  Home appliances · CPC title

• H02J13/1337

  involving the use of Internet protocols · CPC title

• H02J13/34

  the equipment being switches, relays or circuit breakers · CPC title

• H02J13/14

  the power network being locally controlled, e.g. home energy management systems [HEMS] · CPC title

• H02J13/12

  Monitoring network conditions, e.g. electrical magnitudes or operational status · CPC title