IP Library Granted Patent US 8,626,344
Granted Patent B2
US 8,626,344 · App. 12/840,169 · Granted Jan 7, 2014

Energy management system and method

Inventors: Kevin R. Imes (Austin, TX); James Hollister (Round Rock, TX)
Assignee: Allure Energy, Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,626,344
App. No.
12/840,169
Granted
Jan 7, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to an aspect of the disclosure, an energy management apparatus for a home energy management system and method includes a processor operable to manage energy use at a site. The processor is configured to convert an incoming message received from a wireless energy network into XML enabled output data and format an outgoing message to be output to the wireless energy network using XML enabled input data. A communication interface is configured to enable access to a communication device having access to the wireless energy network, wherein the communication interface is further configured to detect the outgoing message formatted by the processor to be output using the wireless energy network; configure the outgoing message to a message bus format, detect the incoming message received from the wireless energy network, and convert the incoming message from the message bus format to access the incoming network device data.

Claims (97)

1. A system comprising:

a network device disposed at a site;

a mobile application stored within each of a first mobile device and a second mobile device and each configured to individually alter the network device at the site;

a processor configured to generate control action data in response to a comparison of a location of the first mobile device relative to the site as well as a location of the second mobile device relative to the site;

the processor further configured to alter an operating condition of the network device in response to the control action data reflecting the comparison;

wherein the network device includes a wireless thermostat responsive to the control action data being communicated to the network device;

a first user profile associated with the first mobile device, wherein the first user profile includes information to alter an operating condition of the network device according to a preference of a first user; and

a second user profile associated with the second mobile device, wherein the second user profile includes information to alter an operating condition of the network device according to a preference of a second user.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a remote server configured to:

receive a location based input from the first mobile device;

detect the first user profile of the first mobile device and the second user profile of the second mobile device;

determine whether to alter the network device in response to the location based input and the first user profile of the first mobile device and the second user profile of the second mobile device.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:

wherein the first user profile of the first mobile device includes an enabled proximity setting;

wherein the second user profile of the second mobile device includes a disabled proximity setting; and

wherein the location based input is a distance away from the site.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:

wherein the first user profile of the first mobile device includes an enabled proximity setting;

wherein the second user profile of the second mobile device includes an enabled proximity setting;

wherein the location based input is a first distance away from the site;

wherein a location of the second mobile device is greater than the location of the first mobile device;

wherein a user preference of the second mobile device is used to initiate altering an operating condition at the site; and

wherein a user preference of the first mobile device is not used to initiate an altering of the operating condition at the site.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first user schedule including a first identifier to identify a first user and a network device identifier to identify the network device to control; and

a second user schedule including a second identifier to identify a second user and a network device identifier to identify the network device to control.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a remote server configured to:

detect zone based data of the first mobile device associated with the site;

detect zone based data of the second mobile device associated with the site; and

initiate an altering of the operating condition using the zone based data of the first mobile device and the zone based data of the second mobile device.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first range of thermostat set points associated with the first mobile device;

a second range of thermostat set points associated with the second mobile device; and

wherein the wireless thermostat is responsive to an operating condition of the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a thermostat set point generated using the first range of thermostat set points, wherein the first range of thermostat set points is used in response to the first mobile device being disposed closer to the site than the second mobile device.

9. A method comprising:

detecting an availability of a network device disposed at a site;

detecting a location of a first mobile device associated with the site;

detecting a location of a second mobile device associated with the site;

initiating communication of a location based input of the first mobile device to a network location configured to compare the location based input of the first mobile device to a location based input of the second mobile device;

comparing the location of the first mobile device and the location of the second mobile device relative to the site;

initiating a communication of a control action data in response to detecting the location of the first mobile device and the second mobile device being disposed away from the site;

altering the network device using the control action data;

receiving a communication from a network location indicating that an operating condition of the network device has been altered; and

updating the operating condition at the first mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

initiating a communication of the control data in response to detecting the location of the first mobile device being disposed near the site.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

detecting the location of the first mobile device being disposed closer to the site than the second mobile device; and

initiating a communication using a setting of the first mobile device.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

detecting a first travel distance setting of the first mobile device;

detecting a second travel distance setting of the second mobile device, wherein the second travel distance setting is different than the first travel distance setting;

using the first travel distance setting of the first mobile device and a current location of the first mobile device to initiate the communication; and

using the second travel distance setting of the second mobile device and a current location of the second mobile device to initiate the communication.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving a communication at the first mobile device that the operating condition of the network device has been altered; and

displaying the communication within a display of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

initiating communication of zone based data of the first mobile device to a network location configured to compare the zone based data of the first mobile device to zone based data of a second mobile device.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

initiating communication of a location based input of the first mobile device to a network location configured to compare the location based input of the first mobile device to zone based data of the first mobile device and zone based data of a second mobile device.

16. A method comprising:

identifying a first mobile device with a site having a network device;

identifying a second mobile device with the site;

detecting an enabled proximity setting of the first mobile device;

detecting location information of the first mobile device in response to the enabled proximity setting of the first mobile device;

detecting an enabled proximity setting of the second mobile device;

detecting location information of the second mobile device in response to the enabled proximity setting of the second mobile device;

comparing location information of the first mobile device to location information of the second mobile device; and

initiating altering an operating condition of the network device in response to the comparison of the location information of the first mobile device to the location information of the second mobile device.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

detecting a disabled proximity setting of the first mobile device; and

initiating altering the operating condition using a setting of the second mobile device in response to the disabled proximity setting of the first mobile device.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

detecting the first mobile device being disposed at the site;

detecting the first mobile device moving away from the site;

enabling the proximity setting of the first mobile device in response to detecting the first mobile device moving away from the site; and

altering the operating condition of the network device in response to the first mobile device being disposed at a distance from the site.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is disposed on each of the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is disposed at the site.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is disposed on a remote server.

22. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a geofence that can be used with the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the processor is configured to:

detect a presence of one of the first mobile device and the second mobile device relative to the geofence; and

alter the operating condition of the network device in response to one of the first mobile device and the second mobile device being detected either inside or outside the geofence.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the processor is configured to alter the operating condition in response to detecting one of the first mobile device and the second mobile device entering the geofence.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the processor is configured to alter the operating condition in response to detecting one of the first mobile device and the second mobile device leaving the geofence.

26. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

establishing a geofence about the site; and

entering a first mobile device number for the first mobile device and a second mobile device number for the second mobile device.

27. The method of claim 26 , further comprising:

initiating the communication of the control action data in response to detecting the location of one of the first mobile device and the second mobile device leaving the geofence.

28. The method of claim 27 , further comprising:

initiating a communication of control action data in response to detecting the location of one of the first mobile device and the second mobile device entering the geofence.

29. The method of claim 9 wherein the network device is one of or a part of one or more of the following: a tablet, a smart phone, an energy management system, an energy management device, a personal computer, a consumer electronic device, a media device, a smart utility meter, an advanced metering infrastructure, a smart energy device, an energy display device, a home automation controller, an energy hub, a smart energy gateway, a set-top box, a digital media subscriber system, a cable modem, a broadband communication device, a fiber optic enabled communications device, a media gateway, a home media management system, a media server, a network server, a network storage device, a wireless speaker, a retail energy provider's server, a wholesale energy provider's server, a COOP energy provider's server, a retail business server, a commercial site server, an industrial site server, a multi-residential site server, a temporary lodging server, a hotel server, a motel server, a condominium server, a utility provider's server, which can include waste, water, power or combinations thereof, an energy substation, a news media server, a weather server, an advertisement server or service provider, a network radio server or service provider, a network media server or service provider, a music server or server provider, a search engine server or service provider, an information server or service provider, a wireless information network device, a vehicle charging station, a renewable energy production device, a renewable energy control device, an energy storage management system, a smart appliance, an HVAC system, a water pump, a heat pump, a hot water heater, a thermostat (TSTAT), an energy controller, an irrigation system, a lighting system, an alarm system, a smart power outlet, an energy detection device, a garage door opening system or device, a power management device, a power measurement unit (PMU), an air handler, a wireless air damper, a humidity control system, a heat and motion sensing device, a smart power outlet, a switch router, a wireless router, an automobile or transportation device, or a network communication device.

30. The system of claim 1 wherein the network device further comprises is one or more of the following: a tablet, a smart phone, an energy management system, an energy management device, a personal computer, a consumer electronic device, a media device, a smart utility meter, an advanced metering infrastructure, a smart energy device, an energy display device, a home automation controller, an energy hub, a smart energy gateway, a set-top box, a digital media subscriber system, a cable modem, a broadband communication device, a fiber optic enabled communications device, a media gateway, a home media management system, a media server, a network server, a network storage device, a wireless speaker, a retail energy provider's server, a wholesale energy provider's server, a COOP energy provider's server, a retail business server, a commercial site server, an industrial site server, a multi-residential site server, a temporary lodging server, a hotel server, a motel server, a condominium server, a utility provider's server, which can include waste, water, power or combinations thereof, an energy substation, a news media server, a weather server, an advertisement server or service provider, a network radio server or service provider, a network media server or service provider, a music server or server provider, a search engine server or service provider, an information server or service provider, a wireless information network device, a vehicle charging station, a renewable energy production device, a renewable energy control device, an energy storage management system, a smart appliance, an HVAC system, a water pump, a heat pump, a hot water heater, a thermostat (TSTAT), an energy controller, an irrigation system, a lighting system, an alarm system, a smart power outlet, an energy detection device, a garage door opening system or device, a power management device, a power measurement unit (PMU), an air handler, a wireless air damper, a humidity control system, a heat and motion sensing device, a smart power outlet, a switch router, a wireless router, an automobile or transportation device, or a network communication device.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 27, 2022
From: ALLURE ENERGY, INC.
To: KINGSTON CONSULTING, INC.
Reel/Frame 060035/0268 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 21, 2010
From: IMES, KEVIN R.; HOLLISTER, JAMES
To: ALLURE ENERGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 024719/0876 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 61255678 · Oct 28, 2009
Provisional Application 61235798 · Aug 21, 2009
Related Publication 20110046799A1 · Feb 24, 2011