United States Patent (19)
`Stein
`
`US006029092A
`Patent Number:
`11
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`6,029,092
`*Feb. 22, 2000
`
`54 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING
`MODULAR CONTROLAND FOR
`MANAGING ENERGY CONSUMPTION
`
`(75)
`73)
`*
`
`Inventor: Michael Stein, Naples, Fla.
`Assignee: Intellinet, Inc., Naples, Fla.
`Notice:
`This patent issued on a continued pros
`ecution application filed under 37 CFR
`1.53(d), and is subject to the twenty year
`patent term provisions of 35 U.S.C.
`154(a)(2).
`
`Appl. No.: 08/749,341
`Filed:
`Nov. 21, 1996
`Int. Cl. ................................................... G05B 11/01
`U.S. Cl. ............................................... 700/11; 700/291
`Field of Search ......................... 340/825.06, 825.07,
`340/825.08, 825.37, 310.01, 310.02, 310.06,
`310.07, 310.08; 320/85.8, 85.9, 85.1, 85.13;
`700/2, 9–17, 83-87, 80, 286, 291
`
`56)
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`... 364/513
`4,965,742 10/1990 Skeirik ..........
`... 364/188
`5,086,385 2/1992 Launey et al.
`5,400,246 3/1995 Wilson et al. .......................... 364/146
`5,463,735 10/1995 Pascucci et al. ..
`395/200.52
`5,510,975 4/1996 Ziegler, Jr. .............................. 364/148
`5,570,085 10/1996 Bertsch ................................... 364/146
`5,572,438 11/1996 Ehlers et al.......
`... 364/492
`5,598,566
`1/1997 Pascucci et al. ..
`... 395/750.06
`5,621,662 4/1997 Humphries et al. .................... 364/138
`5,640,153 6/1997 Hildebrand et al. ............... 340/825.06
`5,642,101
`6/1997 Stirk et al. ......................... 340/825.08
`
`5,684,710 11/1997 Ehlers et al. ............................ 364/492
`5,696,695 12/1997 Ehlers et al. ............................ 364/492
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`International Search Report dated Sep. 1, 1998.
`Primary Examiner Paul P. Gordon
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm--George T. Marcou; Kilpatrick
`Stockton LLP
`ABSTRACT
`57
`A control System is extremely flexible and modular and can
`be equipped or upgraded to have any number or combination
`of features, Such as Security, home theater/audio, HVAC,
`energy management, and lighting with each feature having
`a separate task unit. The task units can be added or removed
`from a core Set of units within minimal impact on the core
`Set of units. The core set of units includes a control database
`unit that Stores Sets of commands in a relational database
`according to an input/output event and a command execu
`tion unit that routes the commands to the appropriate task
`units for execution. The core set of units do not need to
`understand the input/output event or the commands but
`rather routes the commands to the task units addressed for
`execution. The System has a variable database that contains
`a relational database of variables shared between the various
`task units and Stores Such things as all keypad displayS. The
`individual task units query the variable database unit for
`values of all shared variables and automatically receive any
`updates in values of the shared variables from the variable
`database unit. The software for the system is stored in flash
`ROM and can be automatically upgraded through a down
`load task unit. The System may have an energy task unit that
`adjusts consumption of electricity based on any changes in
`rate and which provides a pathway of communication with
`the electrical utility company.
`55 Claims, 16 Drawing Sheets
`
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`PETITIONER GOOGLE EX. 1011
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`

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`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 22, 2000
`
`Sheet 1 of 16
`
`6,029,092
`6,029,092
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 22, 2000
`
`6,029,092
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 22, 2000
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`Sheet 3 of 16
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`6,029,092
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`
`
`fC EVENT OCCURS
`
`OS "WAKES UP"
`TASK UNIT WATING
`FOREVENT
`
`CONTROL
`DAABASE UNIT IS
`CUERIED FOR TASK
`
`CONTROL
`DATABASE UNIT
`SEND COMMAND
`PONTERTO
`COMMAND
`EXECUTION UNIT
`
`COMMAND
`EXECUTION UNIT
`ROUTES
`COMMANDS TO
`TASK UNIT(S)
`
`COMMANDS
`EXECUTED
`
`FIG 3
`
`PETITIONER GOOGLE EX. 1011
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 22, 2000
`
`Sheet 4 of 16
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`6,029,092
`
`
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`TASK UNIT CRUERIES
`CONTROL
`DATABASE UNIT AND
`COMMAND
`EXECUTION UNIT
`RECEIVES
`COMMAND POINTER
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`CONDITIONAL
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`CONDITION
`MET2
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`LOCAL
`COMMAND?
`
`PROCESS LOCAL
`COMMAND
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`FORWARD
`COMMAND TO
`ADDRESSED TASK
`UNIT
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`NEXT COMMAND
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`FIG 4
`
`PETITIONER GOOGLE EX. 1011
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 22, 2000
`
`Sheet 5 of 16
`
`6,029,092
`
`
`
`CONTROL
`DATABASE UNIT
`PASSES COMMAND
`POINTERTO
`COMMAND
`EXECUTION UNT
`
`COMMAND
`EXECUTION UNIT
`SENDS COMMAND
`TO ADDRESSED
`TASK UNIT
`
`TASK UNIT
`EXECUTES
`COMMAND
`
`FIG. 5
`
`PETITIONER GOOGLE EX. 1011
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 22, 2000
`
`Sheet 6 of 16
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`6,029,092
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`
`
`TASK UNIT OUERES
`VARABLE
`DATABASE UNIT
`
`VARABLE
`DATABASE UNIT
`QUERIES TASK FOR
`VALUE
`
`VARABLE
`DATABASE UNIT
`SUPPLIES VALUE IN
`REO UESTED
`FORMAT
`
`FIG. 6
`
`PETITIONER GOOGLE EX. 1011
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 22, 2000
`
`Sheet 7 of 16
`
`6,029,092
`
`
`
`VALUE OF SHARED
`VARIABLE CHANGES
`
`OWNER'S TASK UNIT
`NOTFES VARABLE
`DATABASE UNIT OF
`CHANGE
`
`VARIABLE
`DATABASE UNIT
`NOTIFIES OTHER
`TASK UNTS OF NEW
`VALUE FOR
`VARABLE
`
`FIG. 7
`
`PETITIONER GOOGLE EX. 1011
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 22, 2000
`
`Sheet 8 of 16
`
`6,029,092
`
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 22, 2000
`
`Sheet 9 of 16
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`6,029,092
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 22, 2000
`
`Sheet 10 of 16
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`6,029,092
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 22, 2000
`
`Sheet 11 of 16
`
`6,029,092
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`PETITIONER GOOGLE EX. 1011
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 22, 2000
`
`Sheet 12 of 16
`
`6,029,092
`
`
`
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`
`
`
`
`
`
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`160
`
`161
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`162
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`KEYPAD EVENT
`
`OS WAKES UP
`KEYPAD CONTROL
`TASK UNT
`
`KEYPAD TASK UNIT
`OUERIES CONTROL
`DATABASE UNIT
`
`CONTROL
`DATABASE UNIT
`TRANSFERS
`COMMANDS TO
`COMMAND
`EXECUTION UNIT
`
`COMMAND
`EXECUTION UNIT
`SENDS COMMANDS
`TO KEYPAD TASK
`UNT
`
`163
`
`164
`
`165
`
`KEYFPAD TASK UNIT
`OUERIES VARABLE
`DATABASE UNIT AND
`RECEIVES REPLY
`
`KEYPAD TASK UNIT 166
`USES OS AND
`SYSTEM
`RESOURCESTO
`SERVICE
`COMMANDS
`
`
`
`
`
`FIG. 12
`
`PETITIONER GOOGLE EX. 1011
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 22, 2000
`
`Sheet 13 of 16
`
`6,029,092
`
`
`
`NTERCONNECT
`EVENT
`
`OS WAKES UP
`DOWNLOAD TASK
`UNT
`
`DOWNLOAD TASK
`UNIT CRUERIES
`CONTROL
`DATABASE UNT
`
`CONTROL
`DATABASE UNIT
`TRANSFERS
`COMMANDS TO
`COMMAND
`EXECUTION UNIT
`
`COMMAND
`EXECUTION UNIT
`SENDS COMMANDS
`TO DOWNLOAD
`TASK UNIT
`
`DOWNLOAD TASK
`UNT OUERIES
`VARABLE
`DATABASE UNIT AND
`RECEIVES REPLY
`
`DOWNLOAD TASK
`UNIT USES OS AND
`SYSTEM
`RESOURCESTO
`SERVICE
`COMMANDS
`
`FIG. 13
`
`PETITIONER GOOGLE EX. 1011
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 22, 2000
`
`Sheet 14 of 16
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`6,029,092
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`
`
`TASK UNIT
`WAKES UP
`
`TASK UNIT
`PROCESSES
`COMMAND
`
`TASK UNIT UPDATES
`LOCAL STATUS
`
`TASK UNIT UPDATES
`VARABLE
`DATABASE UNIT
`
`TASK UNT GOES
`TO SLEEP
`
`FIG. 14
`
`PETITIONER GOOGLE EX. 1011
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 22, 2000
`
`Sheet 15 of 16
`
`6,029,092
`
`
`
`DETECT SECURITY
`EVENT
`
`OS WAKESUP
`SECURITY TASK
`UNIT
`
`SECURITY TASK
`UNT OUERES
`CONTORL
`DATABASE UNIT
`FOR COMMAND
`SECUENCE
`
`CONTROL
`DATABASE UNIT
`PROVIDES
`COMMAND
`EXECUTION UNIT
`WITH POINTER
`
`COMMAND
`EXECUTION UNIT
`PROVIDES
`COMMANDS TO
`SECURITY AND
`HVAC UNTS
`
`SECURITY AND
`HVAC UNITS
`EXECUTE
`RESPECTIVE
`COMMANDS
`
`FIG 15
`
`PETITIONER GOOGLE EX. 1011
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 22, 2000
`
`Sheet 16 of 16
`
`6,029,092
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`
`
`RECEIVE RATE
`NFORMATION FROM
`PROVIDER
`
`OS WAKES UP
`ENERGY TASK UNIT
`
`ENERGY UNIT
`OUERIES CONTORL
`DATABASE FOR
`COMMAND
`SECRUENCE
`
`CONTROL
`DATABASE UNIT
`PROVIDES
`COMMAND
`EXECUTION UNIT
`WITH POINTER
`
`COMMAND
`EXECUTION UNIT
`PROVIDES
`COMMANDS TO
`ENERGY UNIT
`
`ENERGY UNIT
`ADJUSTS SET
`PONTS OF
`TEMPERATURE
`
`FG 16
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`6,029,092
`
`1
`SYSTEMAND METHOD FOR PROVIDING
`MODULAR CONTROLAND FOR
`MANAGING ENERGY CONSUMPTION
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`Reference is made to co-pending Patent Cooperation
`Treaty application entitled “USER INTERFACE FOR
`HOME AUTOMATION SYSTEM,” having International
`Application No. PCT/US96/14520 and International Filing
`date of Sep. 18, 1996.
`NOTICE OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN
`DISCLOSURE
`A portion of the disclosure of this patent document
`contains material that is Subject to copyright protection. The
`copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduc
`tion by anyone of the patent document or of the patent
`disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office
`patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright
`rights whatsoever.
`
`15
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`In one aspect, the invention generally relates to a System
`and method that provides modular control over various
`tasks, Such as Security, home theatre, audio, HVAC, and
`lighting. In another aspect, the invention generally relates to
`a System and method for managing energy consumption and,
`more particularly, for permitting adjustments to energy
`consumption based on changing conditions.
`
`25
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`A residential Security System, typically, is a Stand-alone
`System that monitors various alarm conditions, Such as the
`opening of a door or window or motion in a room. In
`response to these conditions, the Security System may ini
`tiate an alarm and may auto-dial the police or a monitoring
`company. In many residences, the Security System is
`equipped with Several keypads with one often located near
`a main entrance and another located in the master bedroom.
`Although the exact design of keypads vary greatly, many
`keypads have numeric keys for the entry of Special codes to
`disarm the System, indicators for displaying Zone violations,
`and dedicated keys for auto-dialing the police or fire depart
`ment. With this type of Security System, a processing unit,
`which may be placed in a closet or other hidden area, is
`interconnected to the various motion Sensors, closure
`contacts, the keypads, a Siren, and includes the auto-dialer.
`The typical residential Security Systems is a Stand-alone
`device and has no interaction with other devices or Systems
`in a residence. For instance, the typical Security System is not
`interconnected and in no way controls a Stereo System or a
`home theatre System. The Security System also has no
`control over a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning
`(HVAC) unit and normally does have control over the
`lighting within the residence. These other devices or Systems
`in the residence, instead, are Stand-alone Systems that pro
`vide dedicated control over the devices within their domain.
`For instance, an audio System may selectively control the
`routing of Sound from a centralized audio Source to numer
`ous areas within or near the residence and may have Separate
`keypads for each area of the residence. The home theatre
`System may similarly have keypads throughout the house for
`Selectively Supplying video from a central Source to the
`various areas in the residence.
`
`35
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`2
`AS a result of these independent Systems, a residence may
`have a multitude of keypads distributed throughout the
`house. A Single room, or even a Single wall, may have
`Several keypads which can be quite unsightly and detract
`from the overall appearance and decor of the residence. The
`keypads can also be quite troubleSome to a resident Since the
`keypads for the different Systems in the residence are often
`asSociated with a particular operating methodology unique
`for each System. As a result, the resident would need to learn
`one procedure for operating the Security System, another
`procedure for controlling the audio System, and yet another
`for the video system.
`In light of a desire to have more automated control over
`the various devices in a residence, home automation Systems
`have been developed which integrate the Security System
`with one or more of the other Systems, Such as the lighting
`System. The home automation Systems can provide more
`integrated control over all features of a house. With the
`home automation Systems, it could be possible to perform
`Such functions as turning on the lights in a room upon
`detection of motion or activating a coffee maker according
`to a Set Schedule.
`A common approach to designing the home automation
`Systems is to have a central processor communicate with
`each of the Sub-Systems and to coordinate each of the
`Sub-Systems activities. Each of the Sub-Systems, Such as
`Security and audio, would essentially retain their own inter
`nal design and would still have a processor which can be
`programmed according to the desires of the resident. To
`communicate with each of the Sub-Systems and to coordinate
`activities between the Sub-Systems, the central processor
`must know the commands for all of the sub-systems. With
`this knowledge of the commands, the central processor can
`command the lighting System to turn on the lights if the
`Security System Senses motion in a room or perform other
`coordinated functions between the Sub-Systems.
`To address the problems with multiple keypads, home
`automation Systems have merged two or more keypads for
`more than one Sub-System into a single "Smart' keypad. By
`reducing the number of keypads, the resident can more
`easily learn the methodology for operating the keypads and
`the residence would have less wall Space consumed by the
`keypads. These Smart keypads are programmed to be able to
`Send various commands to the central processor which can
`then route theses commands to the individual Sub-Systems.
`To Store and transmit these commands, a Smart keypad has
`a processor and memory with the memory preferably being
`fairly large So that the keypad is able to Store and convey a
`greater number of commands to the central processor.
`The typical home automation System, therefore, is char
`acterized as being a fairly powerful System with processors
`and associated memory in the central processor, in each of
`the Sub-Systems, and in the keypads. Because of the amount
`of electronics throughout the System, home automation
`Systems have consequently been typically rather expensive.
`A need therefore exists for a home automation System that
`is not only leSS expensive but which does not sacrifice
`performance.
`The typical home automation System is also rather diffi
`cult to design and develop. AS discussed above, the Sub
`Systems, the central processor, and the keypads all have
`processors and each of the processors are associated with
`Some type of Software program. The programs in each of the
`processors must be written, complied, and debugged. The
`initial writing of the programs is fairly difficult just consid
`ering the lines of code that must be generated for all of the
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`25
`
`3
`processors. The task of generating the code, however, does
`not end with Simply writing the code Since the code must
`next be compiled, with is often laced with various Syntax
`errors if the code does not include the proper spacing,
`positioning of commas, Semi-colons, brackets, or other Such
`punctuation or grammar. Once the programmer Successfully
`compiles the code, the programmer is next faced with the
`onerous job of debugging the code. The programmer is
`inevitably challenged with having to detect problem area in
`the code, rewriting the code, and then repeating the Steps of
`compiling and debugging. A significant portion of the design
`and development of the home automation System is there
`fore devoted to the process of writing, compiling, and
`debugging the code.
`The difficulties with the code do not stop once the home
`automation System has been installed but continue if the
`resident desires another modification or upgrade. For
`instance, if the resident would like an additional keypad, the
`home automation System must be reprogrammed to know
`the address of the keypad. Furthermore, if the system only
`included Security and audio and the resident wants an
`upgrade to include lighting, the home automation System
`must undergo Some additional programming to accommo
`date the additional Sub-System. This additional program
`ming involves the writing, compiling, and debugging the
`code, and therefore Serves as an obstacle to any modification
`or upgrade to the home automation System. AS Such, a need
`exists for a home automation System that can more easily
`and readily accommodate changes.
`While an ideal home automation system includes all
`possible features, home automation Systems practically are
`not all-inclusive. First of all, a home automation System
`which included all possible features would undoubtedly
`have an exorbitant cost. Consumers of home automation
`Systems are not unanimous in the features that they desire
`and, as a result, home automation Systems are designed to
`have various combinations of features. In addition to the
`economics, rapid changes in technology preclude Such an
`all-inclusive System. AS technology advances and becomes
`available, home automation Systems will be encouraged to
`incorporate the new technology.
`Other forces at work in technology and in the marketplace
`create new opportunities not only for home automation
`Systems but for any residential control System. These forces
`include the increased competition between companies pro
`Viding local phone Service, long distance phone Service,
`cellular phone, pager Service, cable television, and Internet
`access. The lines between companies that traditionally pro
`Vided only one or two of these Services are fading as the laws
`and regulations are being rewritten to encourage the com
`50
`petition between companies. A residential control System,
`Such as a home automation System, should therefore be
`flexible to accommodate and incorporate the changes that
`are imminent with the provision of telephone, cable, and
`Internet Services.
`In addition to the deregulation of the communications
`field, deregulation and increased competition with electrical
`utility companies will also likely have an impact on the
`provision of services in the field of electrical power. A utility
`company as well as all other generators of electricity gen
`erally implement a tiered approach for meeting the demand
`from all of its customers. At the first Step, demand from all
`of its customers for electricity is relatively low and can be
`Satisfied by the utility company's most energy efficient
`generators. AS the demand becomes high and increases past
`the capacity of these higher efficiency generators, the utility
`company relies on less efficient and more expensive gen
`
`35
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`erators. These more expensive generators are less desirable
`due to their relatively low efficiency, their use of more
`expensive fuels, their higher levels of pollution, or the fines
`which are associated with their operation. At the third Step,
`after the demand exceeds the internal capacity of a utility
`company, the utility company then purchases electricity
`from other utilities, often at a premium.
`The utility companies, however, have very little control
`over the demand for electricity and thus limited control over
`their costs. Presently, an individual consumer of electricity,
`Such as a household, has no knowledge of the demand level
`of the utility company unless the demand becomes an
`emergency issue for an entire geographical region. Thus,
`unless Some type of warning has issued, consumers use as
`much electricity as they desire and at the times that they
`desire. A need therefore exists for a System or method by
`which utility companies can inform consumers of the
`present demand So the consumers can act to reduce the
`overall demand and thus act to reduce the Overall cost of
`electricity.
`Even if consumerS had knowledge of the particular
`demand level for a utility company, however, the consumers
`would have no immediate incentive to alter their use of
`electricity to help keep the Overall demand at a low level.
`While the aggregate effect of each individual consumer's
`activity could help keep costs down and thus lower the
`overall cost of electricity, a single consumer would have
`little incentive to alter his or her usage merely to increase the
`profits of the utility company. Further, although costs to the
`consumerS may likely be reduced if the Overall demand on
`a utility company is lower, many consumerS may be unwill
`ing to alter their Schedules to less convenient times when
`other consumers, who do not alter their Schedule, Still
`receive the benefits of the reduced costs. A need thus exists
`for a system or method which provides incentives for
`consumers to reduce the overall demand on the utility
`company and which provides consumers with direct and
`prompt benefits.
`In addition to the high cost associated with purchasing
`electricity from another utility company, the purchase of
`electricity from another utility company has other draw
`backs. For instance, the chance and impact of a power failure
`increases with the number of utility companies in a power
`grid. As evident by events in the Pacific Northwest, an
`isolated and relatively minor failure can cause power out
`ages in an area Spanning Several States. Thus, a need exists
`for a System or method for controlling overall demand on
`electricity, not only because a lower demand would reduce
`costs, but also because a lower demand would reduce the
`reliance on integrated power grids and should therefore
`increase the overall reliability of the utility companies.
`Another problem facing a utility company is that it has a
`fairly Small capacity to communicate with its consumers.
`Under typical circumstances, this contact is limited to a
`monthly bill detailing the total amount of electricity con
`Sumed and the associated cost. The utility company there
`fore staffs a relatively small number of personnel to handle
`consumer problems. During a power failure, on the other
`hand, a massive number of consumers call in to inquire as
`to the problem. At these times, the utility company is
`ill-equipped to handle all of the calls and consumerS may be
`placed on hold for an extremely long period of time, Such as
`an hour or more. This inattentiveness to the consumers calls
`can significantly magnify the consumers aggravation
`toward the situation and to the utility company. A need
`therefore exists for a system or method which improves
`communications between consumers and a utility company.
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`A need also exists for a System or method by which
`consumers can have an increased amount of control over
`their energy usage. Typically, each appliance within a house
`has its own dedicated control. For instance, a heating,
`ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit within a house
`has a thermostat for Setting the desired temperature and a hot
`water heater has a control unit for controlling the tempera
`ture of the water. Additionally, the Stereo, television,
`computer, and lamps would each have Separate on/off
`Switches. To reduce energy consumption, the consumer
`would therefore have to individually control each Separate
`appliance, which can be quite burdensome. It is therefore a
`desire to have greater and easier control over energy con
`Sumption.
`To partially fulfill the desire for greater control over
`energy consumption, certain appliances have been equipped
`with programmable units. For instance, many HVAC units
`have programmable control units which allows the con
`Sumer to indicate different desired temperatures for different
`times of the day and for different days of the week. These
`controls provide the consumer with the ability to match
`consumption more closely with the actual need. Once these
`control units have been programmed, however, the con
`Sumer must reprogram the unit So that the programmed
`Schedule of usage becomes equal to the actual desired
`Schedule of energy usage. For example, if a perSon comes
`home earlier than normal, the perSon must manually adjust
`the setting on the HVAC to the desired setting. Since a
`perSon's Schedule can change often, a need exists for a
`System or method of controlling energy consumption which
`can adjust more easily and quickly to a desired or actual
`Schedule of usage.
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`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`It is an object of the present invention to provide a control
`System which can be easily programmed with a desired
`combination of features.
`It is another object of the present invention to provide a
`control System which can easily be changed to accommodate
`an additional feature or function.
`It is still another object of the present invention to provide
`a control System which has a more Streamlined design in
`terms of processors and programming.
`It is yet another object of the present invention to provide
`a control System which is less expensive yet has no Sacrifice
`in performance.
`It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
`control System which provides keypads or other input/output
`units which provide a high number of keys with a minimal
`amount of hardware.
`It is another object of the present invention to provide a
`System which permits a greater amount of control over the
`consumption of electricity.
`It is yet another object of the present invention to provide
`a System which permits a greater amount of control over the
`overall cost of electricity to a customer.
`It is another object of the present invention to provide a
`System which provides a greater amount of communication
`between a provider of electricity and its customers.
`Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the
`invention will be set forth in the description which follows,
`and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon
`reading this description or practicing the invention. The
`objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and
`attained by the appended claims.
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`To achieve the foregoing and other objects, in accordance
`with the present invention, as embodied and broadly
`described herein, a control System and method according to
`the invention have one or more task units and a set of core
`units. Each of the task units is for overseeing at least one
`device and may include a multi-room/home theatre task unit,
`Security task unit, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning
`task unit, general purpose interface task unit, lighting task
`unit, or energy management task unit. A central processor is
`coupled to the devices managed by the task units and
`includes a control database unit for Storing Sets of com
`mands in a relational database according to event and a
`command execution unit for routing the commands to their
`respective task units. A monitoring unit, which preferably
`comprises a multi-tasking preemptive operating System for
`the processor, receives input/output events from the device
`or task units and wakes up the individual task units associ
`ated with the events. The task units, in response, query the
`control database unit for the Set of commands associated
`with the event and the control database unit identifies the set
`of commands to the command execution unit. The command
`execution unit routes the commands to the task units
`addressed within the commands and the task units, after
`receiving the commands, process the commands.
`The control system and method are extremely flexible and
`modular whereby task units can be added or replaced with
`only a minimal impact on the Overall System. By Storing the
`Sets of a commands in a relational database, the control
`database and the command execution unit need not under
`Stand the commands or the events but rather simply route the
`commands to their respective task units. The command
`execution unit need not automatically route the commands
`but can instead route the commands only upon the meeting
`of certain conditions.
`With the preferred system and method, a keypad control
`unit monitorS all keypad events. The keypads need not
`contain a large amount processing power Since they only
`need to Specify an address for the keypad and a key which
`was pressed. The control database unit, based on this iden
`tifying data, passes an appropriate Set of commands to the
`keypad control unit and to any other affected task unit. The
`control System and method reduce the amount of processing
`that must occur at the keypads and between task units and
`consequently reduce the complexity and cost of the System.
`The System and method may advantageously be used to
`monitor and control energy consumption of at electrical
`load. The System may have an energy management task unit
`that receives rate information, Such as from the provider of
`electricity, and can adjust consumption accordingly. For
`instance, the load may comprise an HVAC unit and the
`energy management task unit may alter temperature Set
`points of the HVAC based on the rate information. Thus,
`when the demand for electricity and the rate both increase,
`the System and method can act to reduce consumption and
`to lower the cost of electricity. Conversely, when the rate
`decreases, the System and method can take advantage of the
`lower rates by adjusting the Set points to a more comfortable
`level.
`The system and method preferably include a variable
`database unit and a download task unit. The variable data
`base unit maintains a relational database of the values of
`variables which are shared between task units. The task units
`can query the variable database unit for values of any shared
`variable and also can receive automatic updates on the
`values of shared variables. The download task unit can
`respond to a download request by Storing Software program
`or data received from an external Source into non-volatile
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`memory. The download task can conveniently be used to
`upgrade existing Software or data in memory or to modify
`the System or method to include new Software or data.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control System according
`to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
`FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the control system of FIG. 1
`illustrating the processor and Software in further detail;
`FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating an overall process by
`which the control System of FIG. 1 processes an input/output
`event,
`FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating operations of a command
`execution unit shown in FIG. 2;
`FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a processing of core
`commands in the control system of FIG. 1;
`FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a process of querying a
`variable database unit shown in FIG. 2;
`FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a process of updating
`task units with new values of shared variables;
`FIG. 8 is a partial block diagram of the system of FIG. 1
`interconnected with an exemplary Set of Sensors,
`FIG. 9 is a partial block diagram of the system of FIG. 1
`interconnected to an exemplary Set of relays and devices,
`FIG. 10 is a partial block diagram of the system of FIG.
`1 interconnected to an exemplary Set of Sensors,
`FIG. 11 is a partial block diagram of the system of FIG.
`1 interconnected to an exemplary of Security devices,
`FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating a processing of a
`keypad ev