Gateway Mirroring Zigbee Metering Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a system that can automatically operate power-consuming devices during off-peak hours to reduce consumer electric bills and alleviate the load on generating plants during peak hours, while also providing consumers with real-time energy cost and consumption feedback to enable informed energy management decisions.
Innovation Solution
An energy management system comprising a home energy gateway that communicates power/energy data from a smart meter to devices within a home network, allowing them to approximate and report their energy usage, and includes a central controller that manages power consumption by controlling devices' electrical load and providing feedback to users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a smart meter measures total power consumption for the home on the primary network, then the total energy consumption data is available, but individual device energy consumption cannot be directly measured
Solution Approach 1:
The home energy gateway creates a copy of the metering data from the primary network and makes it available on the secondary network. Devices on the secondary network receive mirrored metering data, allowing them to approximate their individual energy consumption by comparing the copied total consumption data with their own operational data, without requiring direct measurement infrastructure.
2Loss of information
If the home energy gateway mirrors power/energy data to the secondary network, then devices can access energy consumption information, but network data traffic and gateway processing load increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of creating multiple independent measurement systems, the gateway creates a data copy of the metering information and distributes it to secondary network devices. This copying approach ensures information availability to all devices while minimizing processing energy, as the gateway simply replicates existing data rather than performing complex calculations or measurements for each device.
3Measurement precision
If devices store time stamp information about when powered on and off, then energy usage can be approximated, but devices must continuously monitor and store operational data
Solution Approach 1:
Each device autonomously monitors its own operational state and stores time stamp information locally. The device independently approximates its energy usage by combining its stored operational data with the mirrored metering data from the gateway, without requiring external assistance or complex centralized data management. This self-service approach simplifies the overall system operation while maintaining measurement precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system is disclosed that includes a central controller that takes energy data available from a power/energy measuring device, such as a “smart” meter that is located on a primary network and makes that data available to devices over a secondary network. The central controller is a home energy gateway that includes two communication modules, one of which is used to bind a meter as a router or end point on the primary network, and one which is used to form a secondary network here the central controller operates as network coordinator. The central controller also operates as an energy service portal for devices on the secondary network.