Home Energy Manager Cycle Alert Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing home energy management systems do not provide users with alerts before the end of an appliance's operating cycle, leaving users unaware of the remaining time and unable to take necessary actions until the cycle is complete.
Innovation Solution
A home energy manager apparatus and method that determines the remaining cycle time of an appliance, compares it to a user-set alert trigger time, and generates and transmits an alert to a remote device when the cycle time equals the trigger time, allowing users to plan accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the home energy manager only provides end-of-cycle alerts when the operating cycle is complete, then the system complexity is minimized, but the user loses the ability to plan ahead and take necessary actions before the cycle ends
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by sending an alert before the operating cycle actually ends. The home energy manager determines a remaining cycle time, compares it to a predetermined alert trigger time, and transmits an alert when the remaining time equals the trigger time. This allows users to take necessary actions in advance, such as preparing to collect laundry or dishes, rather than reacting after the cycle completes.
2Ease of operation
If the system transmits alerts to remote devices, then user scheduling capability is improved, but energy consumption and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The alert is transmitted preliminarily, at the optimal moment when remaining cycle time equals the predetermined trigger time, rather than continuously monitoring and transmitting. This timing-based approach ensures energy is consumed only when necessary to provide useful information to the user, avoiding wasteful continuous communication while still enabling effective scheduling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the remaining cycle time and comparing it to the alert trigger time. This feedback mechanism ensures the alert is transmitted at the precise moment when it provides maximum value to the user, balancing information provision with energy conservation by avoiding premature or redundant transmissions.
3Loss of time
If no remaining cycle time information is provided to users, then the measurement and communication systems are simplified, but users cannot anticipate end-of-cycle events and plan accordingly
Solution Approach 1:
The system determines the remaining cycle time in advance and uses this information to trigger an alert at the optimal moment. By calculating remaining time and comparing it to a predetermined threshold, the system provides users with advance notice, enabling them to prepare and respond efficiently when the cycle is about to end, rather than reacting after it completes.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a memory device configured to store computer-readable instructions and data representative of at least an alert trigger time that represents a time before an end of an operating cycle of an appliance communicatively coupled to a home energy manager. The apparatus further includes a processor coupled to the memory device and configured to execute the computer-readable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine a remaining cycle time for the operating cycle of the appliance, compare the remaining cycle time to the alert trigger time stored in the memory device, generate an alert when the remaining cycle time is equal to the alert trigger time, and transmit the generated alert to at least one remote device.