Occupancy-Based Energy Control Using Security Sensor Rules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing home and business security systems lack integrated energy management capabilities, failing to efficiently monitor and control energy-consuming devices based on occupancy and environmental conditions, leading to suboptimal energy usage.
Innovation Solution
A method that utilizes sensors to monitor occupancy and device status, analyzing data against predefined rules to automatically control energy-consuming devices such as thermostats and lighting, and provides alerts for energy conservation, leveraging geographic location and weather data to optimize energy usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If existing security systems are used without integrated energy management, then security monitoring is provided, but energy consumption of devices remains suboptimal and wasteful
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines security system sensors with energy management control capabilities into an integrated system. The security system's existing sensors (motion detectors, door sensors, image sensors) are merged with thermostats, lighting controls, and appliance management to create a unified platform that simultaneously provides security monitoring and optimal energy management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system makes existing security sensors serve multiple functions: they continue to provide security monitoring while simultaneously enabling energy management decisions. For example, motion sensors detect both security threats and occupancy patterns for lighting/thermostat control, making the system universal and adaptable to both security and energy conservation goals.
2Productivity
If sensors continuously monitor occupancy and device status, then energy conservation opportunities are identified, but system complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically analyzes sensor data and executes energy management actions without requiring external intervention. The integrated platform self-manages the complexity of coordinating multiple sensors and devices, applying pre-configured rules and algorithms to autonomously optimize energy consumption based on real-time occupancy and environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures energy management rules and algorithms before operation, establishing decision-making frameworks in advance. This preliminary setup allows the system to quickly process sensor data and execute energy conservation actions without complex real-time calculations, reducing processing requirements while maintaining high conservation efficiency.
3Loss of energy
If automatic control of energy-consuming devices is implemented, then energy waste is reduced, but user convenience and manual control options may be limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors user behavior patterns and provides feedback through learned preferences. By analyzing when and how users manually adjust devices, the system adapts its automatic control strategies to match user preferences, ensuring that automation enhances rather than restricts user convenience. The feedback loop allows users to implicitly guide the automation behavior through their natural interactions.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described for providing remote device (e.g., thermostat, lighting, appliance, etc.) control and/or energy monitoring. A system monitors sensor data captured by one or more sensors that sense attributes relevant to user presence at one or more monitored properties and status of one or more energy consuming devices associated with the one or more monitored properties. The system analyzes the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to a set of one or more rules and performs an operation related to controlling the one or more energy consuming devices based on the analysis of the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to the set of one or more rules.