RU2674476C1 - Electric power consumption monitoring and control system - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: electrical equipment.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the electrical equipment. Achievable technical results are: enabling the possibility of the electricity consumption automatic control of each consuming device individually, enabling the distributed information collection and information on the individual devices condition and energy consumption, prevention of the electricity illegal use. Monitoring and control system includes at least one connected to the power transmission line electrical devices connection outlet, at that, the said at least one socket contains a microcontroller with a switching device connected thereto, the RFID reader, measuring device and connected to the remote server modem.

EFFECT: microcontroller is configured to receive signals from at least the measuring device.

15 cl

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to the field of electric power, and more specifically, to means and methods for monitoring, evaluating, managing and informing about the resources of electric networks.

State of the art

The prior art means of control over the amount of electric energy consumed by users, usually represented by electromechanical or electronic devices located in the immediate vicinity of consumers.

These devices have low functionality, since they essentially determine only the total consumption of electrical energy, without having other control and management functions (including connected devices).

As the closest analogue of the present invention, the technology of so-called “smart sockets” can be adopted (see, for example, Redmond SkyPlug RSP-100S, http://redmondshop.com/upload/iblock/177/RSP-100S-CIS-UM- 5.pdf - hereinafter [1]). The socket known from [1] allows for remote control of electrical appliances over the Internet.

As the disadvantages of the known from [1] solutions, you can specify:

- lack of means of accounting for electricity consumption, including each connected device separately and, accordingly, the lack of information on energy consumption, including each device separately;

- the complexity of the implementation of the control function (as follows from [1], for the implementation of control it is necessary to have two wireless devices, one of which should be located no further than 15 meters from the outlet);

- the inability to set priorities for energy consumption for each device;

- the lack of the ability to automatically manage electricity consumption, depending on the situation, taking into account the indicated priorities;

- the inability to suppress unauthorized access to energy consumption.

Thus, the present invention is aimed at eliminating these drawbacks of the prior art, and the further description is intended to disclose in detail the essence of the claimed invention with the achievement of the technical results indicated below.

Disclosure of invention

As follows from the above, the invention, when implemented, provides, in particular, the following technical results: providing the ability to automatically control the power consumption of each consuming device individually, providing a distributed collection of information and informing about the state and energy consumption of individual devices, suppressing misuse electricity.

To achieve these results with the implementation of the purpose, a power consumption monitoring and control system is proposed comprising at least one outlet for connecting electrical devices connected to an electric power transmission line, characterized in that said at least one outlet contains a microcontroller with connected to it a switching device, an RFID reader, a measuring device and a modem connected to a remote server.

In an additional embodiment of the invention, it is assumed that information is transmitted between the modem and the remote server using an electric power transmission line as a communication line. In this case, to implement the specified function as a modem can be used a tool designed to transmit information over a power supply network (for example, a PLC modem).

In addition, in the preferred embodiment, it is intended to collect information from the outlets included in the system, and accordingly inform the user, for example, via SMS messages or Internet resources.

These and other embodiments of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art based on the information contained in the following section of the description. It should be noted that the description is not intended to limit the scope of legal protection and contains only approximate options for implementation, while other means and methods are obvious that allow the specialist to implement the principles underlying the proposed invention.

The implementation of the invention

In the terminology used in setting forth the principles of the claimed invention within the framework of this application, the term “socket” is understood to mean a module designed to interact with the plug of any electrical device known in the art.

Such sockets can be installed both in residential buildings and apartments, and in enterprises, factories, industries, etc., thus, the proposed system is not limited to the used mains voltage and is applicable both in 220/230 V networks and in high-voltage networks. voltage.

The present invention is based on the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, preferably near identification. The application of RFID technology known from the prior art finds its application mainly for the purpose of marking goods in retail chains. However, as will be shown below, the use of this technology in the claimed invention allows to provide a number of significant technical results not previously known from their prior art.

As you know, the use of RFID implies the presence of an RFID tag (transponder) and a reader that can read and / or write information stored in the tag through electromagnetic radiation. In the framework of this application, the reader board is configured to transmit the read information to the microcontroller of the energy router.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sockets are arranged so that the reader board is located behind the front panel of the socket. Thus, the presence of a reader in the socket itself provides the ability to receive information. When using the invention, it is assumed that devices powered by sockets are equipped with tags placed in such a way that when the device is connected to a socket, the information contained in the tag is read. For example, an RFID tag can be placed in the plug of an electrical device and contain information related to this device. In general, such information may include, but is not limited to: a device identifier (including a user-defined one), a device serial number, information about the technical characteristics of a device (including those specified by the manufacturer), or a combination thereof. Further, to summarize these concepts, the sign "identifier" is used.

The information contained in the label may be subjected to encryption, including to prevent unauthorized access to the use of electricity, as will be shown below. To achieve the same result, a comparison of the identifiers of connected devices with information contained in a database located on a remote server or in the memory of a microcontroller can be provided.

In the materials of this application, the term "energy router" means a combination of means, including a microcontroller, a measuring device (for example, an electricity meter), a switching device (for example, a relay) and a modem (for example, a PLC modem). The energy router is configured to receive information (for example, about the type of connected device) from the reader board and with the ability to exchange information with a remote server.

In addition, the microcontroller of the energy router is configured to receive signals from a reader, measuring device, modem, and with the possibility of transmitting control signals to a switching device, as well as transmitting information to the modem. In an additional embodiment, the microcontroller is configured to control a switching device depending on information received through the modem. In particular, such information may be a control signal for turning on / off electrical devices transmitted by a user via the Internet.

The measuring device is designed to measure and record the readings of the power consumption of a particular device connected to an appropriate outlet. An estimate of the electric power consumed by the device can be determined based on the difference in readings before and after the device is turned on and is performed, for example, in a microcontroller.

The proposed system works as follows.

When the device is connected to the power supply (for example, when the plug is inserted into the outlet), the information contained in the RFID tag located in the plug of the device is read. The switching device is in the off position, the power circuit is open.

The read information goes to the microcontroller of the energy router. Next, the correspondence of the read information (for example, the device identifier) with the information located in the memory of the microcontroller or in the database located on the remote server is checked.

If as a result of the check it is established that the read information does not meet the conditions for turning on the power (for example, the device identifier is not recognized, is either blacklisted or not in the white list), the microcontroller does not send a control signal to the switching device and it remains in the off position, the power circuit remains open and no electrical energy is supplied to the connected device. The power circuit will remain open even if the plug does not contain an RFID tag.

The "black list" contains data on identifiers (devices) that are always prohibited from receiving electricity. The “white list” contains data on identifiers (devices) that are always allowed to receive energy.

In an additional embodiment, the identifiers can be subjected to encryption for additional protection against unauthorized connections. Verification of such identifiers can be performed both by means of software located in the microcontroller, and on a remote server.

If as a result of the check it is established that the read information meets the conditions for turning on the power, the microcontroller sends a control signal to the switching device and it is switched to the “on” position, the power circuit is closed and electricity is supplied to the connected device. At the same time, the measuring device begins to function.

In the process, the energy router constantly or at predetermined intervals sends information about energy consumption to a remote server. This information allows you to determine whether a particular device (in accordance with which the identifier is set) is on or off, and also to evaluate the power consumption by it, as shown above.

Thus, it is possible to distributedly collect data on the energy consumption of a particular device (s) connected to the proposed system. Such information can be used to optimize electricity consumption, especially when there are a large number of consumers of electricity of various capacities. In addition, this information allows you to control the technical condition of the devices based on the deviation in power consumption from the nameplate values.

If during the operation of the energy router the microcontroller receives information about the excess of the power consumption of the device by the specified threshold, it can send a command to turn off the switching device.

In addition, the proposed invention provides the user with the ability to remotely control the on / off of electrical devices via the Internet.

For example, a user registers on the site, or downloads a mobile application and also passes registration. In the personal account / mobile application, the user has the opportunity to receive information about which devices are currently connected to outlets and in what condition they are. The type of specific device can be determined based on the identifier, as shown above. Interacting with the site / application interface, the user can send a command to turn on / off the selected device from the presented list of devices. In this case, the corresponding command comes from the remote server to the energy router and it performs the action corresponding to the command. Information on the amount of electricity consumed by the devices (for example, a summary table for a certain time interval, or the same indications for a particular device), as well as its cost, is also available on the site / in the application.

As a significant advantage of the proposed invention can be considered the possibility of establishing attributes associated with a specific device identifier. Such attributes include, for example, the following.

The user has the ability to edit the list of devices, for example, to rename them, add the identifier to the black list, add the identifier to the white list, add or exclude devices from the system.

In addition, the user can set the on / off timer associated with the device identifier as an attribute. This function can be used to implement automatic control of electrical appliances (for example, turning on / off lighting or heating appliances depending on the time of day). In addition, equipping the system with appropriate sensors (light, temperature, humidity, smoke, opening the door, window integrity) allows for additional automation of the necessary actions. For example, when the temperature drops below a predetermined threshold, the heater turns on, when the threshold is exceeded, the air conditioning system turns on. Switching off devices can also be carried out based on the readings of the respective sensors. When the sensors open the door, smoke and the integrity of the windows through the energy router, a signal can be sent to the relevant emergency services via the Internet. The described functions make it possible to increase the safety of using electrical equipment (at any time, you can remotely turn off the device left turned on), as well as the safety of the facility as a whole by combining the power management functions of the devices and emergency alarm systems. The system may also provide the ability to send the user notifications about situations via SMS or via the Internet.

To implement the “parental control” function, the user can establish that for a specific identifier (for example, related to a game console), the device’s operating time from the network can be no more than two hours a day (continuously, or by the totality of inclusions), or its inclusion is allowed only at a specified time interval on a schedule (for example, from 18:00 to 20:00).

Additionally, as attributes, the user has the ability to set the priority of electricity use.

As an example, electrical devices can be divided by the user by priority of use - low, medium and high. In the event of a power shortage (for example, when weather conditions change and the use of a wind generator or a solar source), the proposed system allows you to automatically turn off devices with a lower priority to reduce power consumption overall, while devices with a higher priority continue to function.

As an optional function, the user may be asked to select the optimal power profiles, determined on the basis of information received by the system from energy routers. Based on the totality of data on the types of connected devices, their characteristics and values of power consumption, the optimal power consumption profile can be determined and offered to the user, for example, as a profile of "energy saving", "dynamic", "full" and so on.

A remote server can be either a server located directly in the building in which the proposed system is deployed, or a server located at any distance in the coverage area of the Internet. The term “server” can be understood as a separate computer with the appropriate software, or a cluster of computer devices, combined in accordance with the functions performed. At the same time, in order to create a distributed energy management network, the specified server (or cluster) can be connected to energy routers located in buildings or enterprises that are remote from each other. The proposed solution allows for a simple and effective extension of the control network depending on the number of users and their needs.

As shown above, the proposed system allows the user to obtain information about the cost of electricity consumed, therefore, in an additional embodiment, the user may be offered the opportunity to pay for the services provided by the system, as well as the cost of electricity consumed. The corresponding functionality can be provided to the user in the interface of the site / mobile application, while the remote server can be additionally connected to the billing center for the payment procedure. The system may also provide for the user's balance, while the user is given the opportunity to replenish it by known methods, and if the balance is reduced to a predetermined value, the user may be sent a notification via SMS or the Internet (including to a mobile application).

The foregoing description is set forth for the purpose of illustratively indicating embodiments of the proposed invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed legal protection.

One skilled in the art will recognize that the proposed embodiments may be implemented using any suitable means known in the art.

The proposed invention can also be implemented by using a control program code located on a computer-readable storage medium. Such a medium can be understood as either a hard disk or flash memory, read-only or random access memory devices, which may contain program code, during which the processor (for example, a server or microcontroller) performs the functioning of the technical facilities included in the proposed system.

Thus, the proposed invention is novel in relation to the prior art, and the features included in the claims are in causal connection with the above technical results, which are not obvious, which allows us to conclude that the proposed invention meets the inventive step. Since the above shows how the proposed invention can be carried out by a person skilled in the art, the proposed invention meets the condition of industrial applicability.

Claims (15)

1. The system of monitoring and control of energy consumption, containing at least one outlet for connecting electrical devices connected to a transmission line of electricity, characterized in that the at least one outlet contains a microcontroller with a switching device connected to it, RFID a reader, a measuring device, and a modem connected to the remote server, the microcontroller being configured to receive signals from at least the measuring device. 2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the modem is a PLC modem. 3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the RFID reader is designed to read tags located in the plug. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the modem is configured to transmit information about the connected devices to a remote server, the information including at least one of: an identifier of at least one device; device specifications; power consumption. 5. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the modem is configured to receive information from a remote server, and the information includes control information, including that initiated by the user. 6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that the microcontroller is configured to control the switching device based on information received from an RFID reader, a measuring device, and / or from a remote server. 7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that the microcontroller allows or prohibits the supply of energy, depending on the information received from the RFID reader. 8. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the remote server is configured to collect, store and process information from at least one modem, while the remote server is further configured to transmit information processing and reception results to the user user management information. 9. The system according to p. 8, characterized in that the processing results include at least one of: information about the status of the device; power consumption information; cost information. 10. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises sensors connected to the controller, selected at least from: light sensors, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, smoke sensors, door open sensors, window integrity sensors. 11. The system according to p. 10, characterized in that the microcontroller is configured to control the switching device depending on the information received from the sensors. 12. The system according to any one of paragraphs. 5 or 8, characterized in that the control information includes at least one of: turning the device on or off, renaming the device, adding the device, deleting the device, setting the priority of energy use, prohibiting or allowing energy consumption by the device, setting the on timer - shutdowns, scheduled activation. 13. The system according to any one of paragraphs. 1-11, characterized in that the remote server is additionally configured to transmit information to the user via SMS or the Internet. 14. The system according to any one of paragraphs. 1-11, characterized in that the remote server is additionally connected to the billing center. 15. Machine-readable storage medium containing program code, which, when executed by a processor, allows the user to control the system according to any one of paragraphs. 1-11.