Automatic Device Identification via Power Pattern Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing home automation solutions require direct human intervention for setting up sensor nodes to monitor and control devices, which can be a barrier for non-technical domestic users.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses sensors and analyzers in a home area network to automatically identify and monitor electric devices by calculating cross-correlations between monitored electrical quantities and reference patterns, eliminating the need for human interaction during setup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual configuration is used to specify devices to be monitored, then system setup accuracy is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to requiring technical knowledge from users
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically identifies devices by analyzing power consumption patterns without requiring user configuration. The analyzer independently performs device discovery and identification by comparing monitored electrical quantities against reference patterns, enabling the system to serve itself rather than requiring user intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
Reference patterns for various devices are pre-calculated and stored in the system. These patterns represent typical power consumption behaviors of different device types, allowing the system to perform rapid automatic identification without requiring users to manually specify device information during setup.
2Ease of operation
If automatic identification is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to added analysis functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The analyzer is designed to handle multiple device types using a single universal identification approach. Instead of requiring different configuration methods for different devices, the system uses a unified automatic identification process that works across various appliance types by comparing their power consumption patterns against stored reference patterns.
3Reliability
If manual device specification is required, then reliability of device monitoring is improved, but loss of time increases due to setup requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual mechanical configuration processes with automated electronic analysis. Instead of requiring users to physically configure device parameters, the analyzer automatically identifies devices through electronic analysis of power consumption patterns, significantly reducing setup time while maintaining monitoring reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for automatic identification of a device or appliance includes: at least one sensor associatable with the device or appliance to be identified, and able to monitor an evolution in time of an electrical quantity indicative of device or appliance energy consumption; an analyzer communicating with the at least one sensor including receiving reports of the monitored electrical quantity, and automatically identifying the device or appliance by analyzing the evolution in time of the monitored electric quantity. The analyzing calculates a cross-correlation between the evolution in time of the monitored electric quantity and at least one reference pattern representative of at least one sample device or appliance; and when more than one sample device or appliance is included in a candidate list, identifies the device or appliance by performing a selection among the candidates based on characteristic parameters related to the respective calculated cross-correlations.