DESC:Field of the Invention
[0001] The present disclosure relates to monitoring usage of electrical appliances.

Background
[0002] Spaces or environments generally include a plurality of electrical appliances therein. For instance, consider an environment, such as a household comprising electrical appliance like a TV, an AC, a washing machine, a fridge, a microwave, a music system, and the like. As is known, the environment may be accessed by a plurality of individuals on a day to day basis. For instance, the household may be accessed by residents of the house, maids, guests, delivery persons, and the like.
[0003] In certain scenarios, it is desirable that usage of the electrical appliances may be learnt. For instance, in a shared apartment where a plurality of occupants is using the electrical appliances, it is desirable that usage of the appliances may be monitored. Current mechanisms of monitoring usage of the appliances in such scenarios include deployment of separate meters, which may prove to be a cumbersome process.
[0004] Therefore, there is a need for solution to address at least one of the aforementioned deficiencies.

Summary
[0005] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts, in a simplified format, that are further described in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is neither intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the invention and nor is it intended for determining the scope of the invention.
[0006] In an embodiment, a system for monitoring usage of electrical appliances present within an environment is disclosed. The system comprises a smart lock and key arrangement for providing access to an individual to the environment, upon successful authentication of the individual. The system further comprises at least one electrical appliance and at least one electrical adapter coupled to the at least one electrical appliance and a source of electricity. Herein, the at least one electrical adapter configured to supply electricity to the at least one electrical appliance. Furthermore, the at least one electrical adapter is configured to record appliance usage data associated with the usage of the at least one electrical appliance, wherein the appliance usage data comprises a time duration for which the at least one electrical appliance is used and a measurement of at least one electrical parameter supplied to/drawn by the at least one electrical appliance. The system further comprises a gateway communicatively coupled to the smart lock and key arrangement and the at least one electrical adapter. The gateway is configured to receive the appliance usage data from the at least one electrical adapter. Furthermore, the gateway is configured to generate individual-appliance usage data based on the appliance usage data and an identity associated with the individual, wherein the individual-appliance usage data is indicative of usage of the at least one electrical appliance by the individual.
[0007] To further clarify the advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which is illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings
[0008] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates a system for controlling access to operation of electrical appliances present within an environment, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
[0010] Fig. 2(a) illustrates a schematic block diagram of a smart lock and key arrangement 102, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0011] Fig. 2(b) illustrates a schematic block diagram of a gateway and a UE, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0012] Fig. 2(c) illustrates a schematic block diagram of at least one electrical adapter, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
[0013] Fig. 2(d) illustrates a detailed block diagram illustrating interactions between the smart lock and key arrangement, the gateway, the at least one electrical adapter, and the UE, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0014] Further, skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and may not have been necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the flow charts illustrate the method in terms of the most prominent steps involved to help to improve understanding of aspects of the present invention. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having benefit of the description herein.

Detailed Description of Figures
[0015] For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.
[0016] The term “some” as used herein is defined as “none, or one, or more than one, or all.” Accordingly, the terms “none,” “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would all fall under the definition of “some.” The term “some embodiments” may refer to no embodiments or to one embodiment or to several embodiments or to all embodiments. Accordingly, the term “some embodiments” is defined as meaning “no embodiment, or one embodiment, or more than one embodiment, or all embodiments.”
[0017] The terminology and structure employed herein is for describing, teaching and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and does not limit, restrict or reduce the spirit and scope of the claims or their equivalents.
[0018] More specifically, any terms used herein such as but not limited to “includes,” “comprises,” “has,” “consists,” and grammatical variants thereof do NOT specify an exact limitation or restriction and certainly do NOT exclude the possible addition of one or more features or elements, unless otherwise stated, and furthermore must NOT be taken to exclude the possible removal of one or more of the listed features and elements, unless otherwise stated with the limiting language “MUST comprise” or “NEEDS TO include.”
[0019] Whether or not a certain feature or element was limited to being used only once, either way, it may still be referred to as “one or more features” or “one or more elements” or “at least one feature” or “at least one element.” Furthermore, the use of the terms “one or more” or “at least one” feature or element do NOT preclude there being none of that feature or element, unless otherwise specified by limiting language such as “there NEEDS to be one or more . . . ” or “one or more element is REQUIRED.”
[0020] Unless otherwise defined, all terms, and especially any technical and/or scientific terms, used herein may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skills in the art.
[0021] Reference is made herein to some “embodiments.” It should be understood that an embodiment is an example of a possible implementation of any features and/or elements presented in the attached claims. Some embodiments have been described for the purpose of illuminating one or more of the potential ways in which the specific features and/or elements of the attached claims fulfil the requirements of uniqueness, utility and non-obviousness.
[0022] Use of the phrases and/or terms such as but not limited to “a first embodiment,” “a further embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “multiple embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “other embodiments,” “further embodiment”, “furthermore embodiment”, “additional embodiment” or variants thereof do NOT necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, one or more particular features and/or elements described in connection with one or more embodiments may be found in one embodiment, or may be found in more than one embodiment, or may be found in all embodiments, or may be found in no embodiments. Although one or more features and/or elements may be described herein in the context of only a single embodiment, or alternatively in the context of more than one embodiment, or further alternatively in the context of all embodiments, the features and/or elements may instead be provided separately or in any appropriate combination or not at all. Conversely, any features and/or elements described in the context of separate embodiments may alternatively be realized as existing together in the context of a single embodiment.
[0023] Any particular and all details set forth herein are used in the context of some embodiments and therefore should NOT be necessarily taken as limiting factors to the attached claims. The attached claims and their legal equivalents can be realized in the context of embodiments other than the ones used as illustrative examples in the description below.
[0024] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 for monitoring usage of electrical appliances present within an environment, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the system 100 comprises a smart lock and key arrangement 102, a gateway 104, a plurality of electrical adapters 106, a plurality of electrical appliances 108 coupled to the plurality of electrical adapters 106, and a User Equipment (UE) 110. According to an example embodiment of the present disclosure, the system 100 may be implemented within an environment, such as a household, for monitoring the usage of electrical appliances present within the environment.
[0026] The smart lock and key arrangement 102, in an example, comprises a smart key unit and a smart lock apparatus. The smart key unit comprises a unique identity (ID) associated with an individual. In an example, the smart lock apparatus is configured to authenticate the individual based on the unique ID. In case of a successful authentication, the smart lock apparatus may be configured to transmit the unique ID of the individual to the gateway 104.
[0027] In an example, the gateway 104 may be interconnected with the smart lock and key arrangement 102, the electrical adapters 106, and the UE 110. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, subsequent to the entry of the individual within the environment, the gateway 104 may be configured to monitor the usage of the electrical appliances 108. To that end, the gateway 104 may trigger each of the electrical adapters 106 to record appliance usage data associated with corresponding electrical appliance 108. The appliance usage data, without limitation, may include a time duration for which the electrical appliance 108 is in use. For instance, a time at which the electrical appliance 108 is switched ON and a time at which the electrical appliance 108 is switched OFF may be recorded by the electrical adapter 106. Furthermore, the appliance usage data may include a measurement associated with at least one electrical parameter supplied/drawn by the electrical appliance 108. Herein, examples of the electrical parameter may include, but are not limited to, electrical current, electrical voltage, and electrical power.
[0028] In an example, the electrical adapter 106 may be configured to supply electrical power to the corresponding electrical appliance 108. In an example embodiment, the electrical adapter 106 may be configured to record the appliance usage data associated with the usage of the electrical appliance 108. In an example, the electrical adapter 106 may be configured to provide the recorded appliance usage data to the gateway 104 either periodically and/or upon receiving a request for the appliance usage data from the gateway 104. Examples of the electrical appliance 108 may include, but are not limited to, a Television (TV), a fridge, a microwave, a music system, an Air Conditioner (AC), a heater, and an air purifier.
[0029] In an example, the gateway 104 may be configured to associate the appliance usage data to the unique ID of the individual and may store the same as individual-appliance usage data. In an example embodiment, the gateway 104 may transmit the individual-appliance usage data to the UE 110 for displaying thereon. Examples of the UE 110 may include, but are not limited to, a tablet, a smartphone, a PDA, a laptop, and a desktop computer. The UE 110 may display the received appliance usage data on a display thereof, for example, using a Graphical User Interface (GUI).
[0030] Fig. 2(a) illustrates a schematic block diagram of the smart lock and key arrangement 102, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2(b) illustrates a schematic block diagram of the gateway 104 and the UE 110, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2(c) illustrates a schematic block diagram of the at least one electrical adapter 106, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2(d) illustrates a detailed block diagram illustrating interactions between the smart lock and key arrangement 102, the gateway 104, at least one electrical adapter 106, and the UE 110, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0031] In an example embodiment, as shown, the smart lock and key arrangement 102 may include a smart key unit 200 and a smart lock apparatus 202. The smart key unit 200 may include a key 204 and an identity storage element 206. The identity storage element 206 in an example, stores a unique ID associated with an individual. In an example, when the individual attempts to access an environment secured by the smart lock and key arrangement 102, the individual may be authenticated based on the associated unique ID.
[0032] The smart lock apparatus 202, in an example, includes a controller 208-1, a wireless communication unit 210-1, and an identity reader 212. The identity reader 212, in an example, may be configured to obtain the unique ID from the identity storage element 206. Furthermore, the controller 208-1, in an example, may be configured to authenticate the individual based on the unique ID. To that end, the controller 208-1 may access an internal database stored in a storage (not shown) of the smart lock apparatus 202. The internal database, in an example, comprises a plurality of unique IDs corresponding to a plurality of authorized individuals. Thus, to authenticate, the controller 208-1 may compare the obtained unique ID with the plurality of unique IDs stored in the internal database. In a case where the unique ID is found in the internal database, the controller 208-1 may determine the authentication as successful. In another example, where the unique ID is not found in the internal database, the controller 208-1 may determine the authentication as unsuccessful.
[0033] In a case where the individual is successfully authenticated, the controller 208-1 may be configured to generate a control message comprising the unique ID. Said control message is transmitted to the gateway 104 by the wireless communication unit 210-1.
[0034] In an example, the gateway 104 comprises a controller 208-2, a wireless communication unit 210-2, and data 214. In an example, the data 214 may include a mapping between a plurality of unique IDs and a plurality of IDs of individuals. IDs of the individual may include name of the individuals. In an example, the wireless communication unit 210-2 may receive the control message from the smart lock apparatus 202. In an example embodiment, the controller 208-2 may be configured to begin monitoring usage of the electronic appliance 108 once the control message is received. To that end, the controller 208-2 may trigger the electrical adapter 106 to record appliance usage data associated with the electrical appliance 108. As explained earlier, the appliance usage data may include a time duration of usage of the electrical appliance 108 and measurement of at least one electrical parameter supplied to/drawn by the electrical appliance 108. For triggering the electrical adapter 106, the controller 208-2 may transmit a trigger message to the electrical adapter 106 through the wireless communication unit 210-2. In an example, the trigger message may include instructions for the electrical adapter 106 to start recording the appliance usage data when the electrical appliance 108 is switched ON and record it till the electrical appliance 108 is in use.
[0035] In an example, the trigger message is received by a wireless communication unit 210-3 of the electrical adapter 106. Based on the instructions provided in the trigger message, a controller 208-3 may be configured to start monitoring usage of the electrical appliance 108 using the monitoring unit 216, when the electrical appliance 108 is switched ON. The monitoring unit 216, in an example, may record the time duration of usage of the electrical appliance 108 and may also measure the at least one electrical parameter supplied to/drawn by the electrical appliance 108. The time duration and the measured electrical parameter are stored as appliance usage data, for example, in an internal storage of the electrical adapter 106. In an example embodiment, the electrical adapter 106 may include appropriate parameter measuring element for measuring the electrical parameter. For instance, a voltage measuring circuit may be included in the electrical adapter 106, in an example where the electrical adapter 106 is configured to record the voltage drawn by the electrical appliance 108. Similarly, as would be understood, other measurement circuits may be included for measuring parameters, such as current or power.
[0036] In an example embodiment, the appliance usage data may be transmitted to the gateway 104 using the wireless communication unit 210-3. In an example, the transmission may be done periodically, for instance, after every session of usage of the electrical appliance, or after every predetermined time period. In another example, the transmission may be done in response to receiving a request from the gateway 104.
[0037] At the gateway 104, the received appliance usage data is stored in the data 214. In an example, the controller 208-2 may be configured to associate the appliance usage data with an ID of the individual and may store the ID of the individual and the associated appliance usage data as individual-appliance usage data. In an example, the controller 208-2 may be configured to transmit the individual-appliance usage data to the UE 110 using the wireless communication unit 210-2.
[0038] In an example, the UE 110, a controller 208-4 of the UE 110 may be configured to receive the individual-appliance usage data, using a wireless communication unit 210-4. Furthermore, the controller 208-4 may display the individual-appliance usage data on a display 218 of the UE 110, for example, using a Graphical User Interface (GUI).
[0039] Thus, according to aspects of the present disclosure, an individual, such as an owner of the environment, may learn about the usage of the electrical appliances 108. Accordingly, in an example, the owner may affect control on the usage of the electrical appliances 108. For instance, consider a case where a child has ongoing exams but is excessively watching TV. In such a case, his parent can then choose to limit the TV viewing time.
[0040] In an example embodiment, to control the usage of the electrical appliance 108, in an example, the owner may define the appliance access permissions for an individual A, using the UE 110. In said appliance access permissions, the owner may define accessibility to use one or more of the electrical appliances 108 for the individual A. Also, in an example, the owner may define a threshold time duration for which an electrical appliance 108 may be used by the individual A, in the appliance access permission itself. Said appliance access permissions in an example, may be transmitted by the UE 110 to the gateway 104, and the gateway 104 may store them in the internal storage.
[0041] In an example embodiment, a user of the UE 110 may provide a user input for applying at least one access control permission corresponding to an individual. As an example, the user may access an application and may click a user profile of the individual on the application. Thereafter, the user may provide the user input to apply the at least one appliance access permission. Accordingly, the UE may transmit an appliance control message to the gateway 104. The appliance control message in an example includes the identity of the individual and an identifier of the at least one access permission.
[0042] On receiving the appliance control message, the gateway 104 may implement the appliance access permissions and accordingly may control the usage of the electrical appliance 108. To that end, the controller 208-2 of the gateway 104 may identify the one or more appliance access permissions corresponding to the individual based on the received identity. Furthermore, the at least one appliance access permission may be identified based on the identifier of the at least one appliance access permission. Accordingly, for affecting the appliance access permissions, the gateway 104 may transmit control messages to the electrical adapter 106 and accordingly, a relay (not shown) of the electrical adapter 106 may be switched ON or OFF, by the controller 208-3 of the at least one electrical adapter 106. Thus, usage of the electrical appliance 108 may be controlled.
[0043] In an example, the smart lock apparatus 202, the gateway 104, the at least one electrical adapter 106, and the UE 110 are wirelessly connected with each other.
[0044] In an example, the controller(s) 208 included in the smart lock apparatus 202, the gateway 104, and the at least one electrical adapter 106, may be a single processing unit or a number of units, all of which could include multiple computing units. Furthermore, the controller(s) 208 may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the controller(s) 208 is configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions and data stored in a corresponding memory of the smart lock apparatus 202, the gateway 104, and the at least one electrical adapter 106.
[0045] Furthermore, in an example embodiment, each of the smart lock apparatus 202, the gateway 104, and the at least one electrical adapter 106 may include an internal storage that may include data. The data serves, amongst other things, as a repository for storing data processed, received, and generated by one or more of the respective controller(s) 208. For instance, the data of the smart lock apparatus 202 may include the data of unique IDs which are authorized to access the environment. Furthermore, the data of the gateway 104 may include the database that includes the mapping between the unique IDs and the identities of the individuals, and may further include corresponding one or more appliance access permissions.
[0046] In an example, the wireless communication unit(s) 210 may include one or more hardware units that support wired and/or wireless communication between one or more of the In an example, the smart lock apparatus 202, the gateway 104, the at least one electrical adapter 106, and the UE 110.
[0047] Thus, as may be gathered from above, aspects of the present disclosure provide for monitoring the usage of electrical appliances within environments. Accordingly, it is advantageous in scenarios where an owner of an environment may want to learn about the usage of the electrical appliances present within the environment. Furthermore, control of operation of the electrical appliances may also be performed.
[0048] While specific language has been used to describe the present subject matter, any limitations arising on account thereto, are not intended. As would be apparent to a person in the art, various working modifications may be made to the method in order to implement the inventive concept as taught herein. The drawings and the foregoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment.
,CLAIMS:1. A system for monitoring usage of electrical appliances present within an environment, the system comprising:
a smart lock and key arrangement (102) for providing access to an individual to the environment, upon successful authentication of the individual;
at least one electrical appliance (108);
at least one electrical adapter (106) coupled to the at least one electrical appliance (108) and a source of electricity, the at least one electrical adapter (106) configured to:
supply electricity to the at least one electrical appliance (108); and
record appliance usage data associated with the usage of the at least one electrical appliance (108), wherein the appliance usage data comprises a time duration for which the at least one electrical appliance (108) is used and a measurement of at least one electrical parameter supplied to/drawn by the at least one electrical appliance (108); and
a gateway (104) communicatively coupled to the smart lock and key arrangement (102) and the at least one electrical adapter (106), wherein the gateway (104) is configured to:
receive the appliance usage data from the at least one electrical adapter (106); and
generate individual-appliance usage data based on the appliance usage data and an identity associated with the individual, wherein the individual-appliance usage data is indicative of usage of the at least one electrical appliance (108) by the individual.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the smart lock and key arrangement (102) further comprises:
storage element, wherein the identity storage element comprises a unique identity (ID) associated with the individual; and
a smart lock apparatus comprising:
an identity reader, wherein the identity reader is configured to obtain the unique ID from the smart key unit; and
a controller coupled to the identity reader, wherein the controller is configured to perform the authentication of the user based on the unique ID and an internal database of the smart lock and key arrangement (102), wherein the internal database comprises a plurality of unique IDs corresponding to a plurality of authorized individuals.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the smart lock apparatus comprises a wireless communication unit to transmit a control message to the gateway (104) when the individual is successfully authenticated, wherein the control message comprises the unique ID of the individual.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gateway (104) comprises:
a wireless communication unit; and
a controller coupled to the wireless communication unit, wherein the controller is configured to:
receive the control message from the smart lock apparatus; and
transmit a trigger message to the at least one electrical adapter (106) for recording the application usage data associated with the at least one electrical appliance (108), in response to the receiving of the control message.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one electrical adapter (106) comprises:
a wireless communication unit;
a controller coupled to the wireless communication unit, wherein the controller is configured to:
receive the trigger message from the gateway (104); and
activate recording of the appliance usage data, when the at least one electrical appliance (108) is switched ON; and
a monitoring unit coupled to the controller, wherein the monitoring unit is configured to:
record a switch ON time and a switch OFF time of the at least one electrical appliance (108); and
measure the at least one electrical parameter supplied to/drawn by the at least one electrical appliance (108) during the switch ON time and the switch OFF time; and
generate the appliance usage data based on the recorded switch ON time, the switch OFF time, and the measured at least one electrical parameter.
to the receiving of the control message.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller of the at least one electrical adapter (106) is further configured to transmit the appliance usage data to the gateway (104).

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the controller of the gateway (104) is further configured to:
receive a control message from the smart lock and key arrangement (102), when the individual is successfully authenticated, wherein the control message comprises the unique ID of the individual;
receive the appliance usage data from the at least one electrical adapter (106);
obtain the identity of the individual from an internal database stored in a storage of the gateway (104), wherein the internal database comprises a mapping between a plurality of unique IDs and a plurality of identities of the individual;
generate the individual-appliance usage data based on the identity of the individual and the appliance usage data; and
transmit the individual appliance usage data to a user device.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the system further comprises a User Equipment (UE) coupled to the gateway (104), the UE comprising:
a wireless communication unit;
a display; and
a controller coupled to the wireless communication unit and the display, wherein the controller is configured to:
receive the individual-appliance usage data; and
display the individual-appliance usage data on a graphical user interface using the display.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein:
the controller of the UE is further configured to:
receive a user input for applying at least one appliance access permission; and
transmit an appliance control message including an identity of the individual; and
the controller of the gateway (104) is further configured to:
receive the appliance control message from the UE;
obtain the at least one appliance access permission corresponding to the UE, based on the identity of the individual and an internal database including a plurality of identities and a plurality of corresponding one or more appliance access permissions; and
transmit a control message to the at least one electrical adapter (106) for affecting the at least one appliance access permission; and
the at least one electrical adapter (106) further comprises a relay, wherein:
the controller is configured to receive the control message; and
toggle the relay between a switched ON state and a switched OFF state based on the control message, for implementing the at least one access control permission.