Household Energy Management Using Contextual Usage Comparisons
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current energy usage measurement systems are cryptic and not user-friendly for average consumers, as they provide measurements in kilowatts per hour without context, making it difficult for consumers to understand their energy usage in relation to other devices and the household as a whole.
Innovation Solution
An energy management system that monitors and compares energy usage data from various devices within a household, generating instructions to modify energy profiles based on preprogrammed rules or demand-response calls from energy utilities, ensuring efficient energy management by correlating device usage with overall household energy policies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If energy usage measurements are provided in standard units (kilowatts per hour), then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates because average consumers cannot understand or contextualize these measurements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that translates raw energy measurements into relatable comparisons. The system acts as a mediator between the technical measurement domain and the consumer understanding domain, converting kilowatt-hour data into meaningful analogies like 'equivalent to running an air conditioner for X hours' or 'comparing your usage to neighborhood averages'. This intermediary translation layer preserves measurement precision while dramatically improving consumer comprehension.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms the parameter representation of energy usage from abstract numerical values (kilowatts per hour) to contextualized parameters that include time equivalents, device comparisons, and social benchmarks. By changing how the data is presented - from raw numbers to multi-dimensional contextual information - the system maintains measurement accuracy while making the data intuitively understandable to average consumers.
2Measurement precision
If detailed energy usage data is collected from individual devices, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for multiple monitoring points and data aggregation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual device monitoring functions into a single centralized energy management system. Rather than requiring separate monitoring devices for each appliance, the system consolidates data collection, processing, and presentation into one unified platform. This merging approach maintains precise device-level measurements while significantly reducing overall system complexity and making the technology more accessible to average consumers.
Data Source
AI summary
Accessing an energy management policy for a plurality of devices is described, wherein the devices are coupled with a first structure. The energy usage of the devices is monitored. An energy usage rule and energy usage is then compared. The energy management policy and energy usage is also compared. Based on the comparing, an instruction is generated to modify an energy usage profile of said device to correlate with the energy usage rule associated with the devices and the energy management policy, thereby enabling efficient energy management.