Granted Patent B2

US 7,275,000 · App. 10/814,341 · Granted Sep 25, 2007

Abstract

Claims (65)

1. An energy information system which allows an energy information service provider to measure energy usage by a customer at a location, said system comprising:

a sub-measurement board which receives voltage and current signals representative of energy usage at the location, said sub-measurement board outputs a load profile of said energy usage, wherein the sub-measurement board is connected to an energy distribution panel located at the location and receives at least three voltage signals and at least nine current signals from said energy distribution panel, wherein said energy distribution panel includes a display for outputting said energy usage at the location;

a wide area communication network connected directly to the sub-measurement board which transfers the load profile to the energy information service provider;

a processor located at the energy information service provider which processes the load profile; and

wherein said load profile is accessible for remote viewing by the customer.

2. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the wide area communications network is one of a radio frequency transmitter/receiver, a communication line or a satellite network.

3. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the sub-measurement board includes a microprocessor which calculates the energy usage of individual circuits of said energy distribution panel at the location.

4. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the sub-measurement board is connected to an utility meter and receives an utility usage signal therefrom, said sub-measurement board outputting cumulative utility usage information.

5. The system defined in claim 4 wherein the utility meter is one of an electric meter, water meter or gas meter.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sub-measurement board is adapted to separately measuring a plurality of loads.

7. The system as defined in claim 6 wherein the sub-measurement board has a voltage amplifying circuit connected to a plurality of voltage terminals of the energy distribution panel for receiving a plurality of input voltage signals, and said voltage amplifying circuit amplifies the plurality of input voltage signals and outputs a plurality of amplified voltage signals.

8. An energy information system which allows an energy information service provider to measure energy usage by a customer at a location, said system comprising:

a sub-measurement board which receives voltage and current signals representative of energy usage at the location, said sub-measurement board outputs a load profile of said energy usage, wherein the sub-measurement board is connected to an energy distribution panel located at the location and receives at least three voltage signals and at least nine current signals from said energy distribution panel;

a wide area communication network connected directly to the sub-measurement board which transfers the load profile to the energy information service provider;

a platform located at the energy information service provider which hosts software and databases that enable translation of the load profile from at least one communication protocol into a format that is adapted for processing by the energy information service provider; and

wherein said load profile is accessible for remote viewing by the customer.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one communication protocol comprises at least one of a radio frequency signal, a telephone signal, and a satellite signal.

10. An utility information system which allows an energy information service provider to measure utility usage by a customer at a location, said system comprising:

at least two utility meters, the at least two utility meters comprising two of an electric meter, a water meter, and a gas meter;

a sub-measurement board which receives voltage and current signals from the at least two utility meters representative of utility usage at the location, said sub-measurement board outputs a load profile of said utility usage, wherein the sub-measurement board is connected to an energy distribution panel located at the location and receives at least three voltage signals and at least nine current signals from said energy distribution panel;

a wide area communication network connected directly to the sub-measurement board which transfers the load profile to the energy information service provider;

a processor located at the energy information service provider which processes the load profile; and

wherein said load profile indicates a cumulative, periodic consumption of a customer's metered utilites.

11. An energy information system enabling an energy information service provider to measure energy usage of at least one load by at least one customer at a remote location, said system comprising:

at least two utility meters, the at least two utility meters comprising two of an electric meter, a water meter, and a gas meter measuring the energy usage by the at least one customer;

at least one sub-measurement board which receives input signals from at least one of the at least two utility meters representative of energy usage by the at least one customer, said at least one sub-measurement board outputs a load profile of said energy usage, wherein the sub-measurement board is connected to an energy distribution panel located at the location and receives at least three voltage signals and at least nine current signals from said energy distribution panel;

at least one energy distribution connected to the at least one load distributing energy to the at least one load for the energy usage;

a wide area communication network connected directly to the sub-measurement board which transfers the load profile to the energy information service provider;

a gateway platform system including software and databases that enable translation of the load profile from a plurality of signal protocols received via said wide area communications network from said sub-measurement board into a format that is adapted for processing by the energy information service provider; and

a processor located at the energy information service provider which processes the load profile.

12. An utility information system enabling an energy information service provider to measure utility usage by at least one load of at least one customer at a remote location, said system comprising:

at least two utility meters, the at least two utility meters comprising two of an electric meter, a water meter, and a gas meter measuring the utility usage by the at least one customer;

at least one sub-measurement board which receives input signals from at least one of the at least two utility meters representative of utility usage by the at least one customer, said at least one sub-measurement board outputs a load profile of said utility usage, wherein the at least one sub-measurement board is connected to an energy distribution panel located at the remote location and receives at least three voltage signals and at least nine current signals from said energy distribution panel;

at least one distribution panel connected to the at least one load distributing energy to the at least one load for the utility usage;

a wide area communication network responsively connected directly to the at least one sub-measurement board which transfers the load profile to the energy information service provider; and

a processor system located at the energy information service provider which processes the load profile.

13. An energy information system which allows an energy information service provider to measure energy usage by a customer at a location, said system comprising:

a sub-measurement board which receives voltage and current signals representative of energy usage at the location, said sub-measurement board outputs a load profile of said energy usage, wherein the sub-measurement board further includes means for receiving at least three voltage signals and at least nine current signals from an energy distribution panel;

a wide area communication network connected directly to the sub-measurement board which transfers the load profile to the energy information service provider;

a processor located at the energy information service provider which processes the load profile; and

wherein said load profile is accessible for remote viewing by the customer.

14. An energy information system which allows an energy information service provider to measure energy usage by a customer at a location, said system comprising:

a sub-measurement board which receives voltage and current signals representative of energy usage at the location, said sub-measurement board outputs a load profile of said energy usage, wherein the sub-measurement board further includes means for receiving at least three voltage signals and at least nine current signals from an energy distribution panel;

a wide area communication network connected directly to the sub-measurement board which transfers the load profile to the energy information service provider;

a platform located at the energy information service provider which hosts software and databases that enable translation of the load profile from at least one communication protocol into a format that is adapted for processing by the energy information service provider; and

wherein said load profile is accessible for remote viewing by the customer.

15. An utility information system which allows an energy information service provider to measure utility usage by a customer at a location, said system comprising:

at least two utility meters, the at least two utility meters comprising two of an electric meter, a water meter, and a gas meter;

a sub-measurement board which receives voltage and current signals from the at least two utility meters representative of utility usage at the location, said sub-measurement board outputs a load profile of said utility usage, wherein the sub-measurement board further includes means for receiving at least three voltage signals and at least nine current signals from an energy distribution panel;

a wide area communication network connected directly to the sub-measurement board which transfers the load profile to the energy information service provider;

a processor located at the energy information service provider which processes the load profile; and

wherein said load profile indicates a cumulative, periodic consumption of a customer's metered utilities.

16. An utility information system enabling an energy information service provider to measure utility usage by at least one load of at least one customer at a remote location, said system comprising:

at least two utility meters, the at least two utility meters comprising two of an electric meter, a water meter, and a gas meter measuring the utility usage by the at least one customer;

at least one sub-measurement board which receives input signals from at least one of the at least two utility meters representative of utility usage by the at least one customer, said at least one sub-measurement board outputs a load profile of said utility usage, wherein the at least one sub-measurement board further includes means for receiving at least three voltage signals and at least nine current signals from an energy distribution panel;

at least one distribution panel connected to the at least one load distributing energy to the at least one load for the utility usage;

a wide area communication network responsively connected to the at least one sub-measurement board which transfers the load profile to the energy information service provider;

a gateway platform system including software and databases that enable translation of the load profile from a plurality of signal protocols received via said wide area communications network from said at least one sub-measurement board into a format that is adapted for processing by the energy information service provider; and

a processor located at the energy information service provider which processes the load profile.

17. An utility information system enabling an energy information service provider to measure utility usage by at least one load of at least one customer at a remote location, said system comprising:

at least two utility meters, the at least two utility meters comprising two of an electric meter, a water meter, and a gas meter measuring the utility usage by the at least one customer;

at least one sub-measurement board which receives input signals from at least one of the at least two utility meters representative of utility usage by the at least one customer, said at least one sub-measurement board outputs a load profile of said utility usage, wherein the at least one sub-measurement board further includes means for receiving at least three voltage signals and at least nine current signals from an energy distribution panel;

at least one distribution panel connected to the at least one load distributing energy to the at least one load for the utility usage;

a wide area communication network responsively connected to the at least one sub-measurement board which transfers the load profile to the energy information service provider; and

a processor located at the energy information service provider which processes the load profile.

Assignments (18)