Home Electrical Usage Monitoring for Faulty Device Intervention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack effective methods to manage and monitor the electrical usage of connected devices within a property, leading to difficulties in assessing and addressing unusual usage patterns, which can result in device failures and increased energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and hardware controller that retrieve, analyze, and respond to electrical usage data from connected devices, generating commands to modify their operation and notify users or insurance providers, facilitating proactive management and potential replacements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrical usage data is monitored and analyzed in real-time, then device failures can be prevented and energy efficiency improved, but system complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of electrical usage data to identify patterns indicating potential device failures before they occur. By detecting anomalies in real-time and triggering preventive actions, the system prevents failures rather than responding after they happen, thus improving reliability without requiring overly complex intervention mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors electrical usage data and provides feedback loops that compare actual usage patterns against expected patterns. When deviations are detected, the system generates alerts and can automatically adjust device operations, creating a closed-loop control system that improves reliability through continuous optimization rather than complex static configurations.
2Measurement precision
If detailed electrical usage data is collected and analyzed, then more accurate insights for insurance policy adjustments can be provided, but data processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial analysis by focusing computational resources on detecting specific anomaly patterns and deviations from expected usage rather than performing exhaustive analysis of all possible data points. This selective approach maintains measurement precision for critical failure indicators while reducing overall processing time and computational burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-processes electrical usage data continuously in the background, maintaining ready-to-analyze processed data structures. When analysis is needed for insurance policy adjustments, the pre-processed data is already available, eliminating the need for time-consuming on-demand processing and enabling rapid generation of accurate insights.
3Loss of energy
If automated commands are generated to modify device operation, then energy consumption can be reduced, but control system complexity and potential interference with device functionality increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system applies partial automation by generating commands only for specific devices exhibiting anomalous usage patterns rather than universally controlling all devices. This selective intervention reduces energy consumption where needed while minimizing control system complexity and avoiding unnecessary interference with normally functioning devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary layer that acts as a intelligent broker between monitoring systems and device control. This intermediary analyzes usage patterns, determines when intervention is appropriate, and generates optimized commands that balance energy reduction with device functionality, preventing direct complex coupling between monitoring and control subsystems.
Data Source
AI summary
Managing the operation of devices within a home or other property based upon electrical usage data. With customer knowledge or consent, a home controller may retrieve and analyze electrical usage data corresponding to a device, such as by comparing it to certain threshold data. If the analysis results in a trigger condition, the controller may generate a command, and transmit the command to the device for implementation, allowing modification of device operation to address any issues indicated in the electrical usage data. The controller may notify a home owner/occupant. As a result, faulty devices may be managed prior to their faults causing damage to the device and/or the property, and/or property owners may be timely prompted to investigate, repair, and/or replace a failing device. Insurance discounts may be provided based upon the risk mitigation/prevention functionality.