TITLE OF INVENTION: COMMUNICATION DEVICE, COMMUNICATION METHOD , AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments pertain to systems and devices for, and methods of, delayed electrical energy and/ or power consumption reporting.

BACKGROUND ART FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a prior art system

100 where an instrumented meter 1 10, or smart meter, as part of an advanced metering structure (AMI) , is depicted as sending energy usage measurements 1 1 1 , whether comprised of site energy consumption information in general or comprised of individual energy-consuming device information in particular, or both, and doing so on demand 1 12 to an energy utility 120 in order to provide accounting information 12 1 , e. g. , every fifteen minutes to a utility data store 122 , for both demand response incentives and time of use incentives. Drawing from the data sore 1 12 , the utility can generate 123 a bill or invoice based on the transmitting site's energy usage 124, and optionally based on the applicable incentive policies. Along with this continual flow of energy usage information of private^ subscribers being provided to a utility comes a concern for maintained privacy and a concern for possible misuse of the information. Specifically, directly providing energy usage measurements 1 1 1 from the instrumented meter 1 10 to the energy utility 120 increases the possibility of leakage and misuse of information relating to energy usage.

For example, a person intent on burglary of the reporting site may monitor this flow of information to determine whether anyone is occupying the site. Accordingly, the prior art system fails to provide local site control of the content and frequency of the transmission of the energy consumption-related information.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Systems and devices for, and methods of, delayed meter reporting to a remote site via a meter responsive to remotely generated prompts and a local data-gathering device. For example, a communication device comprising: request obtaining means for obtaining, from an energy utility on a first sampling rate, a request to obtain energy consumption related data from an instrumented meter; data obtaining means for obtaining the energy consumption related data from the instrumented meter based on the request obtained by the request obtaining means; filtering means for carrying out a predetermined filtering process on the energy consumption related data obtained by the data obtaining means; and transmission means for transmitting, to the energy utility on a second sampling rate, data extracted by the filtering process carried out by the filtering means.

A method embodiment may comprise: (a) storing, at a local data store of a local processing device, energy consumption related data of a local site based on a first sampling rate; (b) filtering, by the local processing device, the stored data based on a defined rule; and (c) transmitting, by the local processing device, the filtered data based on a second sampling rate, wherein the first sampling rate is equal to or higher than the second sampling rate. The energy consumption related data of the local site may comprise at least one of: (i) an instantaneous local site power consumption value; (ii) a total local site energy consumption value; (iii) a local site voltage level; and/ or (iv) a local site power factor. The energy consumption related data of the local site may comprise at least one of: (i) the energy consumption value of one or more monitored local devices; (ii) the energy store level of one or more monitored local energy store devices; (iii) the temperature measurements of the local site; (iv) the operational state information of one or more local actuated vents; and (v) the operational state information of one or more local actuated ducts. The defined rule may comprise at least one of: instructions to allow monthly time-of-day power consumption totals for transmission; and instructions to allow daily time-of- day power consumption totals for transmission.

An exemplary system embodiment may include circuitry, a central processing, or a combination of both and a data store comprising a defined rule. For example, the processor may be configured to: (a) sample, at a first sample rate, energy consumption related data of the local site; (b) store, at the data store, energy consumption related data of the local site; (c) filter the stored data based on the defined rule; and (d) transmit, at a second sample rate, the filtered data, wherein the first sampling rate is equal to or higher than the second sampling rate.

A system comprising: a processor and data store comprising a defined rule, wherein the processor is configured to: sample, at a first sample rate, energy consumption related data of a local site; store, at the data store, energy consumption related data of the local site; filter the stored data based on the defined rule; and transmit, at a second sample rate, the filtered data, wherein the first sampling rate is equal to or higher than the second sampling rate.

The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a prior art system; FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary computing device embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary system embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a portion of an exemplary system embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting an exemplary method of operation embodiment; and

FIG. 6 is a flowchart depicting an exemplary method of use embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a main part of an instrumented meter including a computing device which includes a processor. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Disclosed are systems and devices for, and methods of, delayed meter reporting to a remote site via a local data- gathering device where the data gathering and data filtering functionality may be configured as a computing device in collaboration with, or integrated, with the meter instrumentation. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary computing device 220 having a processor 224 and memory 227 addressable via a data bus 228. FIG. 2 also depicts the computing device 220 as comprising a user interface 229 , a power source interface 22 1 , and a device interface 226 by which one or more local devices may communicate with the processor 224 via the data bus 228. FIG. 2 also depicts the computing device 220 as comprising an optional wireless transceiver (XCVR) and antenna 223. The processor 224 may be configured to execute programmed steps via a real-time operating system 225 where the steps that comprise the application 222 may include energy consumption measurement data gathering and data filtering prior to transmission to a remote site.

The exemplary computing device 220 may function to accumulate the relevant data on the meter or as part of a home energy management system that monitors energy-consuming devices within a network, e.g. , a network of energy consuming devices within a site. The data stored locally at the store 227 of the computing device 220 can be much more comprehensive than that than that which is sent to the utility for billing. For example, the computing device 220 may be configured to store in one- second intervals, power measurements, voltage levels, and power factors, e.g. , the real power divided by the total, or complex, power. The computing devices may be configured to store external data such as ambient temperature at the local site, e.g. , inside a house and/ or outside the house, and the one or more thermostat temperature settings. For example, the computing device may be configured, via for example the transceiver and antenna 223, to track devices that are signed onto, i.e. , participating in, a residential Wi-Fi system, thereby allowing the computing device to execute estimating instruction to determine which residents were home within a particular timeframe. This additional data and these additional computations may be applied locally to aid in tracking energy usage. The exemplary computing device may be configured to transmit the information to the utility site only during a billing time that may be part of a billing cycle. Via the user interface 229 , the administrator of the site, e.g. , the energy consumer, may configure a filter to limit the optional energy- consuming information that may be transmitted. The device may record at a regular interval such as every 15 minutes. The transmission of data from the device to the utility may be effected on a regular cycle, e.g. , the same interval as the recording interval or an interval larger than the recording interval. The transmission of data from the device to the utility may be responsive to a received data query from the utility. The computing device may be configured decimate the stored information for transmission so that the consumer need not send to the utilities anything that the consumer is not comfortable with releasing. The decimation processing need not be user configurable. The receiving utility provider can offer different incentives for different amounts of information transmitted by the consumer via the filter processing. For example, the utility entity may offer a discount for time of day totals for the month, and yet offer a larger discount for daily totals of time of day statistics.

FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary system 300 embodiment comprising the utility site 3 10 and the local instrumented meter 320 where the requests 31 1 , e.g. , requests or demands of a sampler 312 , are depicted as received by the instrumented meter 320. Responsive to the demands 3 1 1 , the instrumented meter 320 is depicted as providing energy consumption related data 32 1 to a local data store 322. Energy consumption related data 32 1 may be provided to the local date 322 based on local periodic sampling irrespective of a prompt generated by the energy utility. FIG. 3 also depicts local processing, such as that by computing device integrated with the instrumented meter 320 filtering 323 data 324 extracted from the local data store 322, and depicts the instrumented meter as providing the filtered extracted data 324 to a bill or invoice generator 313 of the energy utility 310 on a periodic basis, e.g. , on a monthly basis. The user, e.g. , the local site administrator, may enroll with the utility for a specific accounting filter executable by the computing device, or by processing of the instrumented monitor, that provides the energy utility 310 with a limited set of data 324.

The instrumented meter 320 shown in FIG. 3 includes the computing device 220 shown in FIG. 2. The instrumented meter 320 causes the processor 224 included in the computing device 220 to operate so that the application 222 obtains a request 31 1 and energy consumption related data 32 1 from the energy utility 310 and the instrumented meter 320, respectively. Subsequently, the instrumented meter 320 carries out a filtering process on the energy consumption related data thus obtained. Then, the instrumented meter 320 can transmit, to the energy utility 3 10 via the transmitter and the antenna 223 , data extracted by the filtering process. The instrumented meter 320 may store the obtained energy consumption related data in the memory 227.

With reference to FIG. 7, the following will describe a more concrete configuration of the instrumented meter 320 including the computing device 710 (computing device 220) . FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a main part of an instrumented meter 320 including a computing device 710 which includes a processor 720. The computing device 710 includes a processor (communication device) 720 (application 222, processor 224) , a transmitter (XCVR) 223 including an antenna, and a local data store 322 (memory 227) . The processor 720 includes a request obtaining section (request obtaining means) 730, a data obtaining section (data obtaining means) 740, a filtering section (filtering means) 750 (filtering 323) , and a transmission section (transmission means) 760.

The request obtaining section 730 obtains, from the energy utility 310 on a first sampling rate, a request 31 1 to obtain energy consumption related data 321 from the instrumented meter. The first sampling rate may be, e.g. , once every 15 minutes. The data obtaining section 740 obtains, based on the request 31 1 obtained by the request obtaining section 730, the energy consumption related data 321 from the instrumented meter 320. The filtering section 750 carries out a predetermined filtering process on the energy consumption related data 32 1 obtained by the data obtaining section 740. Note that concrete descriptions of the filtering process will be made later. The transmission section 760 transmits data 324, extracted by the filtering process carried out by the filtering section 750, to the energy utility 310 via the transmitter 223 on a second sampling rate. The second sampling rate may be, e.g. , once a month. The first sampling rate is preferably equal to or higher than the second sampling rate. This allows the computing device 710 to obtain energy consumption related data 32 1 with high frequency, while reducing the number of times of data transmission to the energy utility 310, which data transmission causes communication cost. It is therefore possible to reduce the possibility of leakage and misuse of information related to energy usages.

An exemplary filtering process may include analog and/ or digital signal processing as filtering and/ or data consolidation and/ or original data decimation so that data set for allowable transmission contains less information than the original data set. Paring the collected data to comprise the transmittable data allows customers at the site to block some data that may otherwise be transmittable, e.g. , which appliances were being used and the exact time of day of the usage and/ or time slots of the usage of all or of particular appliances. Filter embodiments may allow for the transmission of customer-sensitive information, such as time slots associated with appliance usages, and done so based on a remuneration schedule. In addition, the filtering via signal processing may average the power and/ or determine, in a sample time period, a minimum and maximum of the power consumption of one or more appliances, or the entire site.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a portion of an exemplary system embodiment where a electricity meter 41 1 may be sampled for instantaneous power being consumed and or total energy consumed via a first periodic sampler 421 and the sample power consumption data stored in a data store 430. A voltage meter 412 may be sampled for instantaneous voltage levels via a second periodic sampler 422 and the samples stored in the data store 430. The power factor 423, e.g. , the resistive power (KW) divided by complex power (VKA) , may be derived and sampled periodically via a third periodic sampler 423 and the samples stored in the data store 430. Individual appliances or devices 4 14, e.g. , devices at a local network of a site, may be monitored for total or individual power consumption, and the power consumption, or other operational parameters, may be periodically sampled via a forth sampler 424 where the samples are stored in the data store 430. A data filter 440 or data filtering process may periodically extract data from the data store 430 via a fifth sampler 425. Optionally, the data filter 440 or data filtering process may periodically extract, via a sixth data sampler 426, data from a data store of an auxiliary unit 430 where the data may comprise total or individual power and/ or energy consumption, and the power and/ or energy consumption, or other operational parameters of individual appliances or devices, e.g. , devices at a local network of a site, being monitored by the auxiliary unit 430. Depending on its configuration, the data filter 440 or data filter process may block, or allow for transmission, monthly time-of-day totals, daily time-of-day totals, and/ or other data stored on the data store 430 and/ or the data store of the auxiliary device 430. The first through fourth samplers 42 1 - 424 may be embodied as multiple samplers or multiple sampling operations, or as a combined single sampler or single sampling operation. The fifth and sixth samplers 425, 426 may be embodied as a combined single sampler or single sampling operation. Embodiments include the fifth and sixth samplers 425, 426 having a sampling rate or sampling rates lower than the sampling rate or sampling rates of the first through fourth samplers 42 1 - 424.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart 500 depicting an exemplary method of operation embodiment that an exemplary system may periodically sample and store in a data store (step 510) at least one of: (a) instantaneous local site power consumption; (b) total local site energy consumption; (c) local site voltage level; and/ or (d) local site power factor. Optionally, an exemplary device or an auxiliary device may periodically sample and store in a second data store (step 520) at least one of: (a) energy consumption of one or more monitored local devices; (b) energy store level of one or more monitored energy store devices; (c) temperature measurement at a local site; and/ or (d) an operational state of one or more local actuated vents or actuated ducts. The system periodically, and/ or responsive to a prompt from a remote site, extracts for transmission date from the one or more data stores based on filtering conditions, e. g. , based on decimating filter conditions.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart 600 depicting an exemplary method of use embodiment for the system where a user may input a sample rate or measurement interval for sampling and storing (step 610) for at least one of: (a) the instantaneous local site power consumption; (b) the total local site energy consumption; (c) the local site voltage level; and/ or (d) the local site power factor. Optionally, the user may input a as sample rate or measurement interval for sampling and storing (step 620) for at least one of: (a) energy consumption of one or more local devices designated for monitoring or participating in a local network; (b) energy store level of one or more local energy store devices designated for monitoring or participating in the local network; (c) a designated temperature measuring element at the local site; and/ or (d) the operational state of one or more local designated actuated vents or actuated ducts. The user may also designate (step 630) a set of data to be allowed to be transmitted from the local data store or stores to an offsite node. It is contemplated that various combinations and/ or subcombinations of the specific features and aspects of the above embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments may be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed invention. Further it is intended that the scope of the present invention herein disclosed by way of examples should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same way may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.