Utilizing cell phone location for occupancy determination and home energy control
A cell phone location-based system is described that determines the occupancy of a home and controls home energy consumption such that energy is saved when the home is unoccupied. Occupancy is determined according to cell phone locations, occupant behavior patterns, or burglar alarm status. When an occupant is determined to be returning to their unoccupied home, the heating or cooling apparatus is activated to return the temperature in the home to a comfortable level by the time the occupant arrives.
1. A cell phone location-based system for controlling heating or cooling appliances in a building, comprising:
means for determining the location of one or more occupants according to the location of mobile phones belonging to said one or more occupants, and calculating the expected transit time of at least one occupant, said expected transit time being a time of transit between the occupant's current location and the building location;
a modelling means responsive to the determined location of said one or more occupants, to the calculated expected transit time of the occupant between the occupant's current location and the building location, and to a transient thermal model of the building, said transient thermal model to predict based on a term describing a construction material of the building a response of the building to a varying thermal condition;
a controller responsive to said modelling means for automatically controlling the operation of building heating or cooling appliances, said automatic control based on said transient thermal model of the building;
wherein the modelling means determines that the building is unoccupied based on the location of said one or more occupants; and
wherein the operation of said energy management system includes using the controller to automatically control said heating or cooling appliances, said appliance use setting based on response of the controller to said modeling means response to the determined location and the transit time and the transient thermal model of the building such that the energy consumed by said heating and cooling appliances is reduced for a period of time, followed by heating or cooling the building to reach a preferred temperature before the occupant's arrival at the building.
2. The energy management system according to claim 1 wherein the location of an occupant according to the location of their mobile phone is determined by a mobile phone service provider, and the expected transit time between the occupant's current location and the building location is calculated by the modeling means.
3. A building energy management system according to claim 1 wherein said modelling means is located remotely to the building and is accessed via a communications network.
4. A building energy management system according to claim 1 wherein said modelling means further determines that the building is currently unoccupied according to an indication supplied by a sensor which measures electrical energy use by the building or a portion thereof.
5. A building energy management system according to claim 1 wherein the determination that the building is currently unoccupied is further based on an indication supplied by a burglar alarm that the burglar alarm has been activated.
6. A building energy management system according to claim 1 wherein the modelling means further generates a transient thermal model said transient thermal model of the building is estimated based on at least one of construction and age information, the actual response of the building to varying thermal conditions, weather forecast data, wind speed data, and the heating or cooling ability of the heating or cooling appliances.
7. A building energy management system according to claim 1 wherein determining the location of an occupant according to the location of their mobile phone is performed with the aid of the Global Positioning System.
8. A building energy management system according to claim 1 wherein the controller shuts down the heating system on the basis of the transient thermal model.
9. A building energy management system according to claim 8 wherein the operation of said energy management system further comprises shutting down the heating system if the transient model indicates that a house can be heated to the required temperature prior to the estimated time of arrival of the occupants of the premises.
10. A building management system according to claim 1 wherein the transient thermal model is used to compare the building to national standards.