Patent Application
20140117083
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to a method and an apparatus for measuring and updating data pertaining to electric power consumed by a load through power outlets and terminals via optical and RFID signals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
AC power outlets, AC power cable assemblies and other AC power sources that are the power connecting points in residences, businesses, industry, entertainment and public facilities including hotels and other buildings do not provide and/or generate data pertaining the electrical power being consumed or current being drained through them, be it by a random load or by appliances that are fixedly connected to the AC power such as lights, HAVC and boilers.
The demand for power saving and consumption reporting is becoming a global issue that needs to be addressed. Electrical systems and devices should be provided with the circuits for reporting power consumption, current drain and/or appliance statuses. Such circuits, including intelligent reporting AC outlets are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,639,907, 7,649,727, 7,864,500, 7,973,647, 8,041,221, 8,148,921, 8,170,722, 8,175,463, 8,269,376 and in the U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12/945,125, 13/086,610 and 13/349,939.
Dedicated controllers, video interphone monitors and shopping terminals for communications within a building pertaining current drain, power consumption and appliances statuses including the reporting of such data via the Internet and other networks are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,603,842, 6,940,957, 7,461,012, 8,117,076 and the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/599,275. All listed above patents and applications are incorporated herein by reference.
The disclosed AC outlets and other AC power sources need to be updated at times, particularly with the need to verify the power consumed values. The consumed AC power value is calculated on the basis of the current drain and the measured voltage which mandates the measuring of both the voltage level and the current value along the AC sinusoidal curve at high speed intervals.
The sinusoidal curve of the AC power line is distorted due to uneven loads, switching power supplies and other nonlinear loads affecting the shape of the sinusoidal curve, at each AC outlet, sub outlet or other AC terminals.
As the AC distortion by the loads are being changed at random and/or their current drain value changes over time the accuracy of the measured power consumption at the source need to be checked and calibrated. Each intelligent AC outlet and other AC current drain reporting device, be it via lightguide (POF), fiber optic cable, RF, IR or low voltage bus line, the AC outlet must be updated with a given load, the appliance particulars and the measured power consumption must be calibrated.
The AC outlet particulars, including sub outlets and the particulars of the connected appliance or the load consuming the power, including any other reported data must be formed into a simple code or command. Moreover, the updating and/or the calibrating hand tool, termed loader or calibrator, is made such that tenants or dwellers that are not technical savvy will be able to operate comfortably. It is the tenants or dwellers that need to process the loading, updating, upgrading, adjusting and/or calibrating without the help of an electrician or a communication IT expert.
The loader or the calibrator should be a low cost device, such that the user can afford to keep at his residence or office, for updating and calibrating AC outlets regularly when an appliance is being plugged into the AC outlet. Or keep it just for random use when updates are needed.
The use of an IR remote control for optically updating appliances and AC outlets particulars for identifying the appliances, the outlets and their locations are disclosed in the above US patents, specifically in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,041,221, 8,148,921 and 8,170,722. However all the disclosed remote controls are used for updating particulars of the AC outlets, appliances and light bulbs, but not for adjusting, calibrating and/or verifying the power consumption reporting. A single simple to use and a low cost device is needed for the updating, adjusting and calibrating the power reporting accuracy, including the updating of home automation operation particulars and controls.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a simplified method and apparatus for loading, updating, adjusting and calibrating AC devices at the source point, such as AC outlets, AC current sensors and other AC wiring devices including switches, dimmers, AC power breakers and AC controllers such as controllers for curtains or heaters or air conditioners that include current sensing circuits and/or power consumption reporting circuits.
The terms adjusting, adjustment, calibrating or correcting hereafter refer to a procedure to ensure that the adjusted, calibrated or corrected AC device will output a coded signal representing accurately the current drained and/or the AC power consumed through it.
The term coded signal hereafter refers to coded signals including optical signal comprising visual light or IR propagated via lightguide, optical fiber cable and combination thereof, optical signal comprising UV, visual light, IR and combination thereof propagated in air in line of sight, RF signal propagated in air including RFID propagated in closed proximity and low voltage electrical signal propagated via bus line and other communication lines.
The term install is a term used for fresh loading of data or for loading, updating, modifying, adjusting or calibrating data stored in a memory hereafter refers to a data comprising said coded signal for identifying said AC device itself and/or the power consumed or the current drained by a load connected to it, randomly and/or permanently and/or for data identifying the load.
The term load hereafter refers to an appliance that consumes electrical power and/or draining current through an AC device directly or via an extension power cable or power cable assembly comprising a plurality of AC socket. The plurality of AC outlets of cable assembly or of an extension power cable assembly or of an AC outlet adaptor comprising plurality of AC sockets, each such socket is termed hereafter a sub outlet or socket.
The term AC device, or AC outlet, or sub outlet, or socket, or AC terminal hereafter refers to an intelligent AC device, an intelligent AC outlet, an intelligent socket, an intelligent sub outlet and an intelligent AC terminal comprising current sensing and/or power consumption measuring, calculating and communicating circuits. The term AC outlet hereafter and in the claims covers any and all other intelligent AC devices unless the term is specifically identified as such.
The term communicating circuits include one way or two way communication drivers and input/output elements or ports for exchanging, receiving or transmitting the coded signals.
The terms loader, calibrator, opto loader, RF loader, RFID loader and power setter refer to a hand held units of the present invention including the accessories forming together the apparatus for calibrating the intelligent AC devices and the loads powered through them, including the adjusting and/or calibrating the accuracy of the communicated data pertaining to the current drained or the power consumed via the AC devices to a current drain receiver, power consumption data receiver and a combination thereof.
The switching of a load on and off by transmitting a visual light signal, such as a red (650 nm) light signal generated by an LED of a control device to a photo receiver of an AC switching device connected to a load or to a photo receiver of the load via a lightguide is a basic feature of the referenced US patents and applications. The other features are the connection simplicity of lightguides to appliances via their power cables, plugs and sockets and the simple attachment process of lightguide to AC devices for exchanging the on-off and more elaborated commands for operating the appliances.
The use of optical signals comprising visual light, UV or IR signals, introduces a new medium for the home automation and control, including confirmation, the detailed electrical systems power consumption and statuses reporting at real time are the other features of the referenced US patents and applications.
The lightguides or the plastic optical fiber or POF offer the most efficient communication solutions and immunity to Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI), unlike the need to insulate and shield control signals in copper cables from EMI, or insulate an RF signal from interferences or cross talk noises and disturbances within the electrical boxes, wirings and system, is the another advantage for using optical signal as the main transport of signals.
The need to electrically insulate the signal cables from the power lines, elements and devices that feed AC and/or DC power to appliances, including power switches, light dimmers, AC outlets, AC socket, AC sub sockets and other AC and/or DC power devices is an absolute must and a major obstacle in mixing or mingling low voltage control wires with power wires and devices.
Mingling low voltage lines with AC wiring devices is prohibited by the building and the electrical codes and the use of lightguides, known as plastic optical fiber (POF), being a nonflammable and a perfect insulator, is yet another major advantage of the referenced US patens and the references in the pending applications to an optical grid.
Further, AC power devices may include an AC or DC current sensor or sensing circuit including optical transceivers for outputting optical signal of a given current drain and state, such as on-off state, stand-by state or provide current drain levels data, such as disclosed in the referenced US patents and applications.
Another object of the referenced US patents and applications is to operate and monitor the state of lights and appliances including the real time monitoring of the entire electrical consumption within the residence or office or other premises through a video interphones and/or “shopping terminals” and/or via a communication network.
The use of communication networks or the Internet enables the propagation of control codes and signals via the video interphones and/or the shopping terminals and/or by other dedicated controllers to operate and receive statuses and power consumption from the different appliances.
The using of an IR driver and RF drivers circuits as described in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,639,907, 7,649,727, 7,864,500 or other driver circuits enables an unattended control of appliances and loads. “Shopping terminals” are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,290,702 and 8,117,076. Video interphones systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,923,363, 6,603,842 and 6,940,957.
The term appliance refers to any and all AC or DC operated appliances, products and machines, such as A/V appliances including television, A/V recorders, music, and peripherals; PC and peripherals such as printer, a hub and a router; air condition, heater, environment equipment and sensors; water boilers, kitchen appliances, laundry appliances and garden appliances; curtains, shutters and blinds; lights including incandescent, fluorescent and LED; security devices including cameras, recorders, access control, fire, gas and intruder sensors and peripherals; any other AC or DC powered products that can be remotely operated or that respond to and can communicate their operating status, including propagating data of current drain, power consumption and statuses through their power cable, power plug, power socket and power outlet.
The terms plug, plugged, plugging, attaching, attached, mated and mating refer to the act of connecting or joining an AC plug to an AC socket. The terms mated and mating are mainly used in the claims to describe the act of introducing an RFID tag of an AC plug into an RFID antenna of an AC socket by joining the plug with the socket.
The terms file, files, page and pages refer to the memory files and pages of the CPU included in the AC outlets and terminals and in the loader or calibrator.
The terms photo, or opto, or optical relating to elements, parts, structure and techniques in the following description are one of the same.
The term lightguide coupler refers to a semiconductor circuit structure incorporating optical transmitter and/or optical receiver and/or optical transceiver and/or photovoltaic cell including an optical access aligned with the optical receiver, or the optical transmitter or the optical transceiver. The optical access is also termed hereafter as optoport.
The optoport structure may include (built-in) lightguide holder structure for introducing the lightguide or an optical fiber cable to the optical access, or such lightguide holder may be a separate structure for attachment to the photo coupler package and access.
The term live AC refers to the “hot line” of the AC power or mains, as opposed to the neutral line of the AC power or mains.
The term transmitter refers to an LED, laser or other optical emitting devices that transform electric signals into UV, IR or visual light signals, or to an electric signal transmitter for transmitting electrical signals via low voltage bus line, RF in air or RFID in close proximity.
The term transmitting or propagating an optical signal refers to a UV, IR or visual light emission from a transmitter, in air such as from hand held remote control or into lightguides or into an optical grid of lightguides or fiber optic cables.
The term receiver refers to a photo diode, pin diode, photo transistor, CMOS, CCD or other photovoltaic or photoelectric receivers that convert UV, IR or visual light into electrical signals or electrical charge, or to an electrical signal receiver for receiving low voltage coded signal via bus line, RF signal in air or RFID in close proximity.
The term receiving optical signal refers to the receiving of UV, IR or visual light, in air in line of sight, such as from an hand held IR remote control or from a loader, or via lightguides or optical fibers onto an optoport or an optical receiving surface of the receiver directly or via a transparent materials including prisms, half mirrors, lenses, filters and other optical structures.
The term transceiver refers to a combined transmitter and receiver including a transceiver embedded into a semiconductor package or attached to an optical prism for propagating two way optical signals through a single optical cable such as the lightguides or the optical fibers by deflecting or directing a received optical signal to the receiver and allowing the transmitted optical signal to pass into the optical cable.
The term transceiver includes a transceiver that propagates two way optical signals via two optical cables or for a transceiver for exchanging low voltage electrical signal via bus line, RF signal in air or RFID in close proximity.
The term optical prism refers to a structure for deflecting and/or separating two way optical signals (the received and the transmitted optical signals) propagated via the prism to and from a single lightguide or optical fiber.
Said prism comprises an optical device selected from a group of polarizing optical filters, given visual wave length pass filters, visual band pass filters, given wave length UV pass filters, given wave length IR pass filters, given wave length UV cut filters, given wave length IR cut filters, half mirrors with a given reflectance values and combinations thereof, wherein said filters and/or said half mirrors form said prism or are attached to said prism and/or are coated onto said prism and/or are introduced into the prism material in the form of a tint, particles or a process.
A prism structure similar to the structure disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 8,175,463 is a molded clear plastic structure for aligning photo transmitter and photo receiver into the center of the optical access for directly linking the transmitter and the receiver in line into a single terminated end of a lightguide or fiber optic cable.
Even though an UV, IR or visual light may be recited individually in the following descriptions, the UV, IR and the visual light term may refer to all. The term light, UV, IR or visual light is used alternately to an optical signal and should not be restrictive to the one or the other, unless it is so described.
The current drain data or the on-off state data is generated and propagated in response to the received operational command, such as on-off, or in response to an inquiry command (a request for data) on the basis of the current sensor output, or in response to a change in the detected current drain above a given parameter, thereby providing error free remote controlling and status reporting of lighting and appliances.
Further, the current drain, the power consumption and other data that are propagated in response to a power-on command by confirming that the load is switched on, is a perfect solution for controlling the energy consumption in real time, and for providing error free energy management. By such return confirmation the home automation controller, the video interphone or the shopping terminal are updated at all times with illuminators and other appliance's “on state”, or “off state” when the command was to switch off the appliance.
It is preferable that the IR, RF or RFID addressing and commands are appended or annexed to the codes such as the codes shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,170,722 that are common with wired commands via bus lines and/or with the optical signals propagated via lightguides. Similar appended commands are preferably apply to an RF remote control signals used for A/V appliances.
The IR signals use low frequency clock 38 KHz˜100 KHz, with 38.5 KHz being the most popular clock frequency. The disclosed U.S. Pat. No. 7,639,907 referred to above, generate different clock frequencies, addresses, protocols and commands for controlling literally every IR remote controlled appliance.
The referenced US patents and application provide circuits and memory for reading and storing the commands from the original IR or RF remote control units, supplied with the different appliances. Another method is the downloading of the many openly published protocols and commands, including the downloaded codes and integrating the IR and RF remote control command into the coding program as updated on the basis of the appliance location within the premises.
This object of the present invention is attained by a simple loader for recording the location of the appliance's AC outlets within the premises or the location “addresses” and other particulars into the AC devices and/or into the appliances. This setting includes manual digital switches and/or the loading of the location address, such as room number through a program embedded into the original remote control unit of the appliance.
The loader provide for setting addresses and other particulars to the appliances, such a TV in a room number 1˜8 and to the lighting fixtures including the associated AC outlets, the AC switches, the AC sockets, the AC plugs, the in wall controllers, the current sensors and other wiring devices, elements and peripherals.
The loaders and the programs enable to setup an error free, simplified reliable indexing for the identifying of a load and its location within the premises. It is clearly advantageous to have simplified method to set the indexes without error including the providing of an automatic error detection, particularly at time of installation.
Yet another object of the present invention is to use the loader for processing the introduction of an RFID tag to the AC plug of a given appliance for use within the premises for identifying and indexing the appliance connection to an AC outlet or sub outlet at random for self-updating the home automation controller via the optical grid and/or the bus line of the automation system, whenever an appliance is connected or plugged into a given AC outlet or sub outlet.
The reference to home automation controller hereafter is to a panel with control keys or touch screen and/or remote control devices, or keypads and circuits similar to the video interphone and/or the shopping terminal disclosed in the US patents and the pending US applications referred to above.
Shown in
The hand held tool 100 termed a loader, adjuster or calibrator provide an important function, which is to measure and calibrate the reading of an intelligent AC outlet 50 and current sensor 51 shown in
A pure resistive load such as thermal wire heater does not shift the phase, but most of the appliances operate motors and are powered via switching power supplies which are both capacitive and inductive, such as the load 58 of
The circuits including the CPU or analog/digital processor 2, the current signal amplifier 3 and the power supply regulator 57 are the basic circuits for the current sensing and processing including the measuring of the power consumed by a load 58 as used also for the AC outlet of
The VCC power source in
The live AC line is shown connected to the ground which is also the negative line of the VCC. The VCC shown is, for example, as a positive 3.3V, but can be 5V or 1.8V or any voltage commonly applied to a CPU and other ICs.
As the live AC is connected to the negative pole of the DC supply, the power feed into the input terminal of the voltage regulator 57 is connected to and fed from the neutral AC line to the rectifying diode D2 via the series capacitor C3, an AC grade capacitor, and depending on the power line voltages, may range from, 0.22 micro farad for the 230/240 VAC (EU, UK) and up to 0.22˜0.33 micro farad for 100/120 VA (Japan/US) also considering the power frequency 50 Hz or 60 Hz respectively.
The VCC of the loader however is powered by alkaline or other known batteries 1B or by rechargeable batteries via a charging circuit or charging connector (not shown). The random use of the loader will not drain or discharge the batteries fast, and the batteries used to calibrate, upgrade and download outlet addresses will last long for the purpose of supporting the smooth accurate operation of the automation program.
The current sensing resistor RS or R10 shown in
The signal amplifier 3 is the well known linear amplifier or dual amplifiers IC, connected in series for amplifying the signal developed over the sensing resistor R10. The amplifier 3, combining two amplifiers also known as operational amp. or op. amp., with each amp is set to amplify by, for example, up to a factor of 100 and the two in the series can therefore provide up to 10,000 amplification factor. The linear amplifying of the signals generated by the 10 mA˜16 A current drain will be well within the linear range of the amplifier 3.
The CPU (Central Processing Unit) or analog/digital processor 2 hereafter referred to as CPU includes analog to digital and digital to analog converter ports, digital ports and analog ports. The CPU 2 is a commonly available CPU, such as 8 bit or 16 bit low cost, low power consuming processor including a memory. The CPU operates on 1.8V or 3.3V, with an operating current such as less than 1 mA and a sleeping current of few micro Amperes.
The amplified current signal is fed from the amplifier 3 to the port I/OC and based on the amplification control status and the data pertaining to the converted analog current signal to digital, the CPU is programmed to adjust via the I/O A port the amplification factor of the amplifier 3 to obtain the optimum amplification as programmed, commensurate with the received signal to be in mid or most linear range of the resistor RS or R10 selected range.
As shown in
The voltage curve 90˜96 is curve of a reference voltage fed to the I/OV of the CPU from the neutral AC terminal N via a large ohmic divider R1 and R3, with R1 value is in a range such as 0.5˜1.0 Mohm and R3 value is few Kohm, to provide an optimum reference signal level representing the power line voltage, the 120V/60 Hz of the US or the 230V/50 Hz of the European power line. The current curve 90˜96 is the amplified current signal and an accurate reference of the current drain value.
A zero crossing 80 of the reference voltage curve is the start position or point in time for the processing of power consumption reading. The current phase shift is evident from the deviation of the zero crossing of the current curve.
The zero crossing 80 shown is the cross from negative to positive, at that same time, the start position time 90, the current curve is shown to be close to the peak of the negative curve, or at a phase shift of more than 90°.
The processing shown in
The time interval or the number of measure points during one cycle (Hz) directly relates to the accuracy of the measurement, same applies to the number of measured AC cycles in one measuring round. Both are a decision to be made, in which higher accuracy require more measured AC cycles (Hz) in one measuring round and a decrease in time intervals or an increase in the number of measuring point.
The power consumption is the product of a calculated sinusoidal VxA graphs created on the basis of the measured values at each point of time simultaneously and summed up per each cycle on the basis of the voltage referenced timing. The shown five cycles 81˜85 in
By the above it should be obvious that the power consumption calculation by the current sensors of the present invention can be simplified and performed by a low cost Central Processing Unit (CPU) or an analog/digital processor both are available from many IC manufacturers. It should be also obvious that the current sensor of the present invention can be made small in size, fit into AC outlets and into the hand loader or adjuster of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
The calculated power consumed values are stored and updated in the memory included in the CPU for reporting as programmed to a controller. The calculated power consumption value is converted into a predefined programmed protocol that includes particulars of the load or appliance and the location of load and/or of the AC outlet. The stored and updated data in the memory are the coded protocols.
The referenced U.S. Pat. No. 8,170,722 teaches the coding of power consumption command protocols and the signal structure of the protocol reporting. The command structure is designed to be short command comprising five bytes only that include all the necessary data for reporting power consumption, the load particulars and its location.
The power consumption reporting AC outlet disclosed in the U.S. application Ser. No. 13/349,939 feeds the VCC supply to the sensor circuits only when a current is drained through a load. The short command is necessary particularly when the load is switched off or the plug is removed from the AC outlet. A short command is therefore needed to minimize the size of the storage capacitor C2 by reducing the time it takes to complete the status reporting when the VCC is cut, such as transmitting “the load is switched-off” protocol.
Short protocol is critical as the LED draws up to 5˜6 mA from the storage capacitor C2 to transmit responses for responding to inquiry commands from a controller when no VCC is present. Longer protocol will require bigger capacitor with large physical size.
The DC current to the RF transmitter for generating output of several micro watt is small, however, here too it is preferable to minimize the length of the reporting protocols because of the RFID exchanges which are discussed later. The block diagram of
The two way buffer 4 is a well known amplifier-buffer, available in small surface mounted IC packages from many semiconductor manufacturers. Its purpose is to interface the signals and their levels and feed the two way signals between the transceivers 6 and 5-1˜5-n to the CPU 2 I/O T (transmit) and I/O R (receive) ports.
The shown display 3D is an LCD with touch screen icons TS1˜TSn. The touch screen icons are drawn as a contact of a switch to be touched and activated by a finger. The number of the touch screen icons is n and size, shape, color and content can be programmed into the display to identify the function of the icon. Several display pages can be formed, for different application, such as reading, measuring, comparing, loading, appliances pages, AC outlet pages and any other needed pages for entry, reading and processing data.
Shown in
For multi AC outlet sockets that are mounted inside electrical wall boxes, it is preferable to use one CPU for calculating and reporting the individual consumption via each single outlet socket. The circuit is not shown as the difference for such multi socket AC outlet will be additional optical transceivers or as explained later RFID transceiver. This including plurality of current sensors 27 each combining the current sensor RS and the signal amp. 3 will be substantially cheaper versus the cost of an individual circuit 50 as used for each AC outlet.
Same applies to the AC sub outlets of the well known extension cable assemblies such as using 3 or 6 sub outlets, as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/599,275.
Depending on the selected CPU and the analog/digital processor 2 there are many such known devices that include I/O ports that require no additional buffer as they can be programmed to output and receive varying signals commensurate with the signal exchanged between the CPU and the transceivers. For such devices the two way buffer 4 is not needed and is not used.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,170,722 teaches the use of hand held loading devices for loading addresses, locations and appliances particulars. It also teaches the setting of the particulars via digital switches of a variety of AC devices, including plugged in-line current sensors adaptors 155 shown in
The AC outlet of
The loader including the light bulbs loading accessories shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,170,722 are mechanical optical accessories for directing the optical signal while they feed power to the light bulbs during the loading of the addresses or the locations including the light bulb particulars.
The U.S. Pat. No. 8,170,722 teaches also another loading of addresses and particulars of the devices or the appliances, processed by the original remote control units, such as the original RF remote control supplied with an appliances such as a television. Such RF remote control can be used for introducing an address into the RF remote control signals, commensurate with the programmed premises automation.
In all the referenced US patents and applications however no adjustment or calibrations of power consumption reporting such as provided by the loader of the present invention are disclosed.
AC outlets and other AC devices disclosed in the referenced US patents and applications are connected in a cascaded chain via the optical cable for up to n AC devices, to an AC current drain receiver or to a command converter for converting the optical signals into electrical signals for propagating the power consumption reporting via the low voltage bus lines to the automation distributor and/or directly to the system controller.
The simplified cascaded connections enables to optically link the entire AC outlets, sub outlets and other AC devices and terminals into a power consumption reporting grid in which every load needs to be itemized and detailed.
The U.S. Pat. No. 8,170,722 details the reporting via five Bytes command protocol referred to above, on the basis of an identified appliances by setting each appliance particulars and its location via digital switches or via loading the particulars into a memory of the AC outlets and other AC devices via an optical link.
The loader 100 shown in
Shown in
The shown loader 100 is attached via its cable and plug 9 to the intended to be used AC outlet 28 with the heater 70. The loader 140 is to be connected via its cable and socket 8 to the plug 79 of the appliance (heater) 70. The optoport 15-2 of the AC plug 9 shown in
Shown in
As will be explained later, the loaders 110, 130 and 150 can load the room number, the AC socket number and the appliance code including the calibration of the power consumption reporting via RFID communication when the system is connected as shown in
The shown photo transceiver 5-4 of
To adjust or calibrate the power consumption values outputted by the AC outlets and other AC devices the load must drain the current through the AC outlet 28 or 38 or 48, or a socket or other AC terminals and through the loader. This enables the comparison of the measured power consumption in real time simultaneously by comparing the readings. The loaders types 100˜150 are pre-calibrated by the manufacturer for providing reliably verified values, on the basis of which the loader is calibrating the measurement and the reading of the AC outlets, sub outlets and other AC devices.
As disclosed in the referenced US patents and applications the room or zone addresses and the numbering of the AC outlets are set via setting switches or via loading the addresses (rooms, socket and other AC devices numbers) into the memory of the CPU of the AC device, including optical loading directly via lightguide (POF).
The first step for optical loading via the loader of the preferred embodiment is to plug the cable 12 and plug 9 assembly into an AC outlet 28 shown in
The display 101 of
The non-recorded items shown in
Next to install is the AC outlet number. As referred to above an AC outlet may comprise a single AC socket or a plurality of sub sockets for which two type of addresses are provided via two icons or select keys, the single AC outlet key K13 for outlets comprising a single socket or K14 for AC outlet with multi sockets shown in
The AC outlet number will be identified by a single or dual digits, selected for example from 1 to 16. The sub outlets are identified by a code such as a1 to a6, with the entire address code for the sub outlet is for example 7a3 and display the sub socket to read 7-3, wherein the 7 is the number of the main socket of the AC outlet 7 and the -3 represents the sub socket 3 of the AC outlet 7.
To keep the address short it is preferable to use only single digit for an AC outlet comprising plurality of sockets. Pressing the multi outlet key K14 *5 or icon, followed by pressing a number 8 key *6 selected from, as an example 1˜8, followed by pressing the enter key K6 *7 completes the address or code setting for an AC outlet.
The keys of the loader shown in
For an AC outlet with a single socket or an AC terminal that is connected fixedly via the current sensor 51 of
Touching the appliance key K18 *8 will recall an appliance or appliance page onto the LCD screen 1D, 2D or 3D shown in
Unlike the fixed numbering, addresses or codes assigned to the AC switches, AC outlets and their sub outlets or sockets, assigned on the basis of their physical location within the premises, same cannot be applied to the loads or the appliances being powered through the AC outlets or sub outlets. The nature of the relations established between an AC plug being attached or plugged into an AC socket is anticipated to be a random relation or random connection, particularly into an AC outlet with multi sockets.
The optical signal solutions for identifying loads disclosed in the US patents and applications provide an optical signal identification via the AC plug of an appliance. For existing appliances with no optical signal identification, or for newly manufactured electrical appliances without optical signal identification, a current sensing adaptor with optoport, such as shown in FIG. 5A of U.S. Pat. No. 8,170,722, including the optical AC current receiver are used.
As optical grid or network is needed for propagating optical signals pertaining to the current drain and the power consumed by electrical appliances from the AC outlets or the current sensing adaptors, it is cheaper and simpler to introduce the optically linked AC outlets and link them via an optical cable to a current drain or power consumption data receiver regardless of the means for identifying the appliance or the appliance particulars.
The receiver 400 shown in
As explained briefly above, the installing of optical data pertaining to an appliance type or appliance particulars by a loader, similar to the loader disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 8,170,722 is simple and effective for introduction of fixedly connected appliances, such as refrigerator, washing machine, dryer and television that are continuously connected to the same AC outlet.
Randomly connected appliances, however, such as hair dryer or steam iron or a food processor that is plugged into different AC outlet is troublesome. If the user desires to maintain a reliable power consumption reporting he has to repeatedly load the given appliance code when it is plugged at random to an AC outlet.
Users tend to avoid repeated routine loading or introductions in the course of their daily doings, particularly when such loading do not affect the anticipated appliance operation and performance. For this reason it is preferable to provide an “automatic” update, such as using RFID tag in a form of a small sticker or label 29R attached to the plug 79 outer surface between the plug's pins, shown in
The well known RFID tag or label requires no direct power connection as it is powered via its antenna, which in practice is a printed antenna. The RFID circuit is an IC package having sizes measured less than 1 mm2 and is paper thin, such that it is assembled onto a self-stick label, in sizes that can fit the AC plug surface in the vicinity of the plug's pins.
The use of RFID for identifying AC appliances and other objects via their plugs are well known and disclosed for example in the US patents by Pourchot U.S. Pat. No. 7,167,078 and by Black U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,776 that teach how to switch on the power when the RFID codes of the tag and the reader match, or how to identify the location of the appliance by the identified plug including RFID tag.
The identification of the room or zone and the AC outlet disclosed in the referenced US patents and above, whereby the identification of the appliance location is based upon the recorded room and AC outlet numbers or codes, or via setting switches 53 and 54 of
Low cost RFID tag is simpler to use when it is provided with a fixed coded data, made shortest possible (in time) to minimize the drain of the stored power fed via the antenna. The length of the RFID code is directly related to the transmission frequency. Lower frequency band such as the 125 KHz of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, limits the length of the code substantially, as compared with the HF band of 13.56 MHz, or the UHF band of 800˜900 MHz and/or the Bluetooth band of 2.45 GHz.
Another important aspect of the RFID is the applicable distance between the RFID tag and the RFID reader. The attempts to use RFID for communicating the location and other particulars of an operating appliance mandated propagation into an extended distances of 5 m or longer using the HF 13.56 MHz band or the UHF bands of 800˜900 MHz and 2.5 GHz. Such higher frequencies enable the transmission of an extended data and protocols within the short times, measured in nano/micro second units, to the RFID readers, which propagate the read particulars through a wired or wireless network to a controller.
The use of 13.56 MHz or the UHF bands for communicating data between AC outlets, AC sockets or AC terminals in close proximity require substantial programming and shielding to prevent duplications, collisions and other difficulties with stray signals received by a plurality of RFID antennas such as in multi AC sockets of an AC outlet and others. Since RFID tags provide very limited programming or handling, the preferable use of RFID tags in home automation communication environment of the present invention is identifying of a load, which is achieved by a simple, short coded protocol.
The RFID circuit of the loaders 110, 130 or 150 however can communicate with the RFID reader of the AC outlet. The RF and RFID circuit of the loaders 100 and 110 is a reader circuit similar to the RF and/or RFID circuit 6 of the AC outlets of
For verifying the power consumption by a load as measured by an AC outlet referred to above, the load or the appliance must be powered via the loader 100, 120 or 140 and the AC outlet, as shown in
The load 70 shown in
The AC plug 79 of the space heater 70, shown also in
The LCD screens 1D, 2D or 3D can all display the electrical parameters involved, the AC voltage, the AC frequency, the AC current drained and the consumed power, if so desired. For simplicity, particularly for non-technical savvy users, it may be better to display only the consumed power, as measured by the AC outlet 28, such as the 760 W shown in the display 200 of
Touching the measure icon TS17 of
Touching the compare icon TS9 or key K20 as shown in the display 202 of
Technical savvy users may want to know the reading and compare the voltages and the current drain by both the AC outlet and the loader. Touching the V, A, Hz or W icon TS21˜TS24 and the measure icon TS17 will display the voltage, the current and the frequency as measured and touching the compare icon TS1 will recall and display the measurements by the AC outlet and the loader for comparison (not shown).
It is also possible to adjust the voltage, the current and the power as measured by the AC outlet by touching an icon Vadj. Aadj. or Wadj. (not shown) followed by touching the up-down icons for generating commands in steps, as shown in the display 203, to modify the program parameters including the amplification control and the voltage reference, shown via the I/O A and the I/O V in
The references above to touch icons TS1˜TSn and keys K1˜Kn refers to any of the loader models shown in
The models 120 and 130 use display screen 2D that is also a touch screen with touch icons TS1˜TSn and push keys K1˜Kn that can be partially assigned to same functions of the touch icons TS1˜TSn, or both the keys and the icons area assigned with individual functions divided between the touch screen icons TS1˜TSn and the keys K1˜Kn.
The models 140 and 150 of
Each of the keys K1˜Kn of
Some of the key functions shown in
The numeric entry select keys 1˜10 are shown but given no identifying numerals or characters such as K-1 to K-0 to avoid confusion, instead the keys are shown in
Same applies to the touch screen icons TS1˜TSn. The touch screen can be programmed for variety of functions and displays for loading appliance codes by scrolling lists and shifting pages, for evaluating errors in entries of socket numbers or codes. Review entry duplications by recalling data from the system controller or the system distributor, disclosed in the referenced US patent and application, via the optical grid and through the optoport 5 of any AC outlet or through an optoport of other AC devices, or as will be explained below via the RFID antenna 7R of
Shown in
The models 110, 130 and 150 are shown to replace the optoports 15-1 and 15-2 with RFID antennas. But as shown in
The shown POF cable 15-3 is attached via a self-lock/release knob 115 to an optical access 5-3 of the loader 100R and to an optical access 45-5 of the receiver 400. The back of the receiver 402 shows eight optical accesses or optoports for eight POF cables, but n optical accesses or optoports 45-n can be provided and shown in 402. The front of the receiver 402 shows only four optoports 45-1˜45-4, but here too 45-n optical two way accesses or optoports can be introduced.
As disclosed in the referenced patent and applications the receiver 400 is connected via a non-polar 2 wire bus-line 420 that also feeds the receiver with a low DC voltage needed to power the receiver operation and communication. The receiver 400 communicates two way with the system controller directly, or via a system distributor. By this the loader is programmed to communicate with the system controller, all addresses and appliances particular, including current consumption records and past data via any of the optoports of the system.
The optoports in the front 401 of the receiver are intended for connecting POF cables for receiving data from current sensing adaptors 155 referred to above, but can communicate with AC outlets as well and are easily accessible to the loader for communications with the controller. The shown setting rotary switches 53 and 54 are provided for setting room number and particulars of the outlets and/or current drain adaptors 155 connected to the receiver 400.
The shown loaders 100˜150 can install the room addresses and of the current sensing adaptors and/or of the AC outlet via their front mounted RFID antenna 7R or optoport 5-4 or via the POF cable connected to the optoport 5-3 of the loader, by loading the addresses to the corresponding optoport 45 of the receiver 400, in which case the setting switches 53 and 54 are not needed and are not used.
The socket 18 or 48 of the loader 100R comprising an RFID antenna 18R for communicating RFID signal and codes with the plug 79R. The socket 48 further comprising an optoport 15-1, corresponding to the plug 49 shown in
The loader 100R shown in
As referred to above, the screens 1D, 2D or 3D display different icons and are reorganized to display simplified content for operating a given function or tasks.
The loaders can be supplied with accessories such as the accessories 300˜330 shown in
A smaller standard load 310 for 10 W calibration, a socket 320 and a plug 330 with crocodile clips for measuring AC voltages, AC current, frequency (50 Hz or 60 Hz) and power consumption. The clips are needed when the plug 9, 19 or 49 and/or the socket 8, 18 or 48 cannot be plugged to the AC electrical circuit and need such crocodile clips for measurements by attachment to terminals.
The standard loads 300 and 310 for calibrating the power consumption reading, by the loader itself and by the AC socket via the loader, are further provided with a self-calibrating version. The self-calibrating loads use simplified circuit versus the circuit shown in
Such small circuit can be powered via a small series resistor connected in line with the standard load. The voltage drop developed over the series resistor provides the very small mW power needed to operate the circuit. This also provides the auto switch on, resetting the CPU and communicating the calibration commands to the AC outlet by the plugging action, or by engaging or mating the plug 309 with the AC socket.
The simplified circuit is made small enough to fit into the plug 309 shown in
Similar variations or combination circuits and programs are introduced into the socket 320 and plug 330, shown in
Such optically and/or RFID communicating socket and plug are very helpful to electricians setting up and calibrating an electrical system via the loaders of the present invention, particularly when the system is controlled by optical network including the monitoring of the premises automation and for calibrating the values of the power consumed by fixedly installed appliances, some of which are identified via RFID tag attached to their plug.
The ability to calibrate the AC outlets and sockets by a simple plug in action, does not require two way communications and a simple loader can be made cheaper if the coded commands are transmitted one way by an LED transmitter or RFID tag, generating just a command to calibrate the AC outlet to the same value as measured by the loader. If the AC outlet is correctly calibrated the CPU of the AC outlet will ignore the identical command received. Such calibrators will be of a lower cost and enlarge the range of calibrator-loaders of the present invention.
The display 801 of
The function of the loader 100R of
The imperfect calibration in steps of the power consumption value shown in the display 203 of
The displays 802˜808 of
The adjust power display 802 shows the appliance to be a space heater and the shown power measured values 779 W versus 780 W are the values shown in the display 203 of
Step *3, the touching of the Volt icon TS21 recalls the adjust voltage display 803, showing an error reading of 118V by the AC outlet 48 versus the 120V reading by the loader. Step *4 is a repeated touching of the up icon TS4 until the voltage reading is adjusted to the 120V shown in the display 804.
Next step *5 is the touching of the Ampere icon TS22, that recalls the adjust current display 805, displaying a low current reading of 6.3 A versus the current reading of 6.5 A by the loader. Step *6 is repeated touching of the up key TS4 until the current reading is adjusted to 6.5 A shown in the display 806. Step *7 is the touching of the Watt icon TS24 to recall the adjust power display 807 showing over reading of the power consumption, 786 W versus the 780 W by the loader. Step *8 is a repeated touching of the down icon TS3 until the power reads 780 W to complete the adjustment processes.
RFID tags such as the RFID label 29R referred to above are low cost tags that are supplied, similar to a well known thin self-stuck labels, lined up, onto a ribbon roll or onto sheets 190˜195. RFID tags or labels are available in different forms. The preferred label is printed with given identification onto each label and each is pre-installed with a pre-programmed code, such as listed in tables 700 and 701 of
The non-usable RFID tag is a blank label installed with identical code for all the labels of the ribbon or the page or group, such labels are not shown, because identical labels cannot be used with the present loader or the AC plugs.
Other blank and non-programmed RFID tags or labels 129 of pages 192 and ribbon 193 can be individually installed with a given appliance code of
Numbered RFID tags or labels 139 are pre-installed with sequencing codes or numbers that cannot be changed or re-installed are shown on sheets 194 and ribbon 195 of
The size and shape of all the different RFID tags or label forms can be the same, or can be printed/manufactured to fit the different AC plugs, be it US, Europe, China or other standard power plug of a given country. Same apply to the loader models 100˜150 and the combination models 100R, 120R and 140R, they are provided with corresponding plugs 9, 19 or 49 and sockets 8, 18 and 38, to commensurate with the country were they are distributed.
All the loader models with RFID reader can communicate with any of the usable type of RFID tags. The RFID loaders can download an appliance code, shown in the tables 700 and 701 of
The program of the CPU 2 of the AC outlet 28 includes a conversion program for converting an identified RFID code that are affixed to or appended to be a code for identifying a given appliance such as a television or a food processor or a shaver, having a sequentially coded RFID tag, attached to its AC or DC plug. The RFID tag can be attached to a DC plug that is connecting or mating the appliance to a power adaptor including an RFID reader or optoport.
Simplifying the identification of the appliance, the AC outlet to which the appliance is connected and the room or the location of the appliance is achieved by providing three small memory files. The first file is the room file used for recording and storing a maximum of two digits for each stored room number.
The second file is the AC outlet, sockets and sub outlets address, this file too is a small file for recording up to a maximum of two hexadecimal digits for covering 255 outlets, that fit practically any residence size, or a maximum of four hexadecimal digits for covering AC outlets of very large offices or other businesses, including hotels with thousands of rooms.
The appliance code tables of
The smallest standard RFID tags and labels are coded with 32 bits, but can be supplied with 16 bit codes. Such prefabricated and imprinted RFID labels with each tag is imprinted with the type of appliance and coded with the codes of the tables 700 and 701 are very low cost RFID tags. The fixed serially or uniquely numbered codes are annexed to the appliance code stored in the appliance file of the memory of the CPU 2 of the AC outlet 28, 38 or 48.
The decoded codes of the serially or uniquely numbered RFID codes can be further propagated via the optical network of POF cables linking all the AC outlets of the system to the system controller and/or the system distributor, disclosed in the US patent and application referred to above.
The optical network provide for uploading or updating the entire system with the unique or the sequential codes for enabling any and all of the AC outlets and sub outlets or sockets to identify the randomly plugged appliances regardless of the AC outlet they use. Providing the automation with the needed identity of random appliances plugged into any of the AC outlets.
It becomes obviously clear that the loaders with RFID reader combined with the optical signal communications provide the means to introduce a simplified RFID tags for self-identification of appliances that are randomly plugged or mated with the AC outlets, sub outlets and sockets, by simply plugging the plug to an AC socket 28, 38 or 48 or to a socket of an extended power cable with multi AC sockets, disclosed in the referenced US patents and application.
It also become obviously clear that the use of the loader or calibrator of the present invention to install particular of appliances, AC outlets and locations, measure and calibrate for reporting the precise power consumed by a given premises, with the detailed precision that is needed for such undertaking, is achieved with simplicity and at a low cost.
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates to only a preferred embodiment of the invention and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure, which modifications do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13863820 | Apr 2013 | US |
| Child | 14024698 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13661492 | Oct 2012 | US |
| Child | 13863820 | US |
