Patent Application
20100100252
The present invention relates to energy management in general, and, more particularly, to the centralized management of distributed and interconnected appliances.
Energy is expensive, and, therefore, the need exists for more energy-efficient products.
The present invention affects energy-efficiency in a distributed system of appliances without some of the costs and disadvantages for doing so in the prior art. For example, the illustrative embodiment comprises a centralized energy-use controller to coordinate the use of energy among a plurality of distributed and interconnected appliances. The coordination of the use of energy among the appliances enables efficiencies that are not possible otherwise.
For example, the centralized controller directs:
The illustrative embodiment comprises: (1) a first appliance associated with a first energy-storage device; (2) a second appliance associated with a second energy-storage device; (3) a power supply for providing energy to the first appliance and the second appliance; and (4) an energy-use controller for directing: (i) when the first appliance consumes energy from the power supply, (ii) when the first appliance consumes energy from the first energy-storage device, and (iii) when the first appliance recharges the first energy-storage device, (iv) when the second appliance consumes energy from the power supply, (v) when the second appliance consumes energy from the second energy-storage device, and (vi) when the second appliance recharges the second energy-storage device.
Although the illustrative embodiment has a star topology, it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention that have any topology (e.g., ring, mesh, etc.).
Although the illustrative embodiment comprises three appliances, it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present that comprise any number of appliances.
Although the illustrative embodiment comprises one “hub,” it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention that comprise any number of hubs.
Hub 101 comprises hardware and software for providing energy to appliances 102-1 through 102-3, for controlling the use of energy by appliances 102-1 through 102-3, and for coordinating communications among appliances 102-1 through 102-3. The details of hub 101 are described in detail below and in the accompanying figures.
Appliance 102-i, wherein i ∈ {1, 2, 3}, is hardware and software for providing telecommunications service to its user. Although appliance 102-i functions as a telecommunications terminal, it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which appliance 102-i performs another function.
The details of appliance 102-i are described in detail below and in the accompanying figures.
In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, hub 101 is the switch for distributed system 100, but it will be clear to those skilled in the art, however, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which hub 101 performs another function.
In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, hub physically houses switch 201, power supply 202, energy-use controller 203, and energy-storage device 204 but it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in some or all of these components are separately housed.
Switch 201 is hardware and software for coordinating telecommunications for appliances 102-1, 102-2, and 102-3. It is clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use switch 201.
Power supply 202 is hardware for providing energy to hub 101 and appliances 102-1 through 102-3 from an external source that is not shown in the figures. It is clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use power supply 202.
Energy-use controller 203 is hardware and software for directing how and when appliance 102-i consumes and uses energy. The details of energy-use controller 203 are described below and in the accompanying figures.
Energy-storage device 204 is hardware for storing energy for use by hub 101 and appliance 102-i. It is clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use energy-storage device 204.
Energy-storage device 301-i is hardware for storing energy in well-known fashion.
Energy-use regulator 302-i is hardware and software for:
Telecom equipment 303-i is hardware and software for enabling a user of appliance 102-i to telecommunicate. It is well known to those skilled in the art how to make and use telecom equipment 303-i.
At task 401-1, energy-use controller 303 directs how and when appliance 101-1 consumes and manages energy. The details of task 401-1 are described below and in the accompanying figures.
At task 401-2, energy-use controller 303 directs how and when appliance 101-2 consumes and manages energy. The details of task 401-2 are described below and in the accompanying figures.
At task 401-3, energy-use controller 303 directs how and when appliance 101-3 consumes and manages energy. The details of task 401-3 are described below and in the accompanying figures.
At task 501, energy-use controller 501-i directs how and when energy consuming appliance 101-i consumes energy from energy supply 202.
At task 502, energy-use controller 501-i directs how and when energy consuming appliance 101-i consumes energy from energy-storage device 301-i.
At task 503, energy-use controller 501-i directs how and when appliance 101-i recharges energy-storage device 301-i with energy from power supply 302.
At task 504, energy-use controller 501-i directs how and when appliance 101-i transmits energy from energy-storage device 301-i to power supply 302.
At task 505, energy-use controller 501-i directs how and when appliance 101-i consumes energy from energy-storage device 301-i when both power supply 302 and energy-storage device 301-i are capable of providing energy to appliance 101-i.
At task 506, energy-use controller 501-i directs how and when appliance 101-i refrains from consuming energy from energy-storage device 301-i when energy-storage device 301-i is capable of providing energy to appliance 101-i and power supply 302 is not capable of providing energy to appliance 101-i.
At task 507, energy-use controller 501-i directs that appliance 101-i is to consume energy for a first use and not consume energy for a second use.
It is to be understood that the disclosure teaches just one example of the illustrative embodiment and that many variations of the invention can easily be devised by those skilled in the art after reading this disclosure and that the scope of the present invention is to be determined by the following claims.
