Energy Management System for Outlet Device Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current energy management systems in facilities lack efficient methods to identify and manage energy usage of individual electrical devices, leading to suboptimal energy conservation and high energy costs.
Innovation Solution
An energy management system that monitors and tracks energy consumption on a per-outlet basis, autonomically identifies appliances by comparing energy usage patterns with historical data, and adjusts power supply based on established thresholds to conserve energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If energy management systems monitor energy usage at electrical junction boxes, then energy-related information can be gathered and displayed, but the system cannot efficiently identify specific electrical devices or appliances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses energy usage patterns as a unique identifier signature for each device, similar to how color changes can indicate different states. By analyzing the characteristic energy consumption patterns (timing, magnitude, variability) of each device, the system can identify and differentiate devices without requiring complex hardware identifiers or manual device registration.
2Measurement precision
If the system monitors energy usage on a per-outlet basis, then detailed energy data can be collected, but the system lacks the capability to autonomically identify appliances connected to outlets
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-identification of devices by analyzing the energy usage patterns themselves. Each device effectively identifies itself through its unique energy consumption signature, eliminating the need for manual device registration or complex automated identification systems. The system autonomically matches observed patterns against a database of known device patterns to identify appliances.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from energy usage measurements to continuously refine device identification. By monitoring energy consumption patterns over time and comparing them against known patterns, the system can identify devices and update its understanding of device behavior, improving identification accuracy without additional hardware.
3Productivity
If the system collects and analyzes energy usage data for all outlets, then comprehensive energy management is achieved, but energy costs and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential identifying features from energy usage data, such as peak consumption times, average power levels, and usage duration patterns. By focusing on these key characteristics rather than analyzing every detail of energy consumption, the system achieves effective device identification with reduced computational overhead and energy expenditure.
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanism for managing energy consumption of electrical devices within a home or building. Energy usage data is collected for a first electrical outlet connected to an unidentified electrical device in a facility. A pattern of energy usage is determined from the energy usage data collected at the first electrical outlet. The pattern of energy usage of the first electrical outlet is then compared against known patterns of energy usage for one or more other electrical outlets. Responsive to identifying a match between the pattern of energy usage of the energy usage data collected at the first electrical outlet and a known pattern of energy usage of a second electrical outlet in the one or more other electrical outlets, the electrical device connected to the first electrical outlet is identified as the same electrical device that is associated with the known pattern of energy usage of the second electrical outlet.