DESC:Background of Invention
[001] Technical Field
[002] The present invention generally relates to energy measurement, and more specifically to an energy consumption recording system/device.
[003] Related Art
[004] Energy consumption often needs to be measured to enable determination of the charges/tariff to be levied on the consumer for consumption of the energy. With respect to a device or system that consumes electrical energy, consumed energy is the product of the voltage applied to the device/system, the current drawn by the device/system, and the duration for which the device/system is operational (and draws electrical power).
[005] Energy meters (Watt-hour meters) are typically installed in consumer premises (e.g., house, factory) to measure energy consumption. The source of the energy may be a national or regional power grid or a standalone power plant (solar, fossil fuel, etc.). Typically, the energy consumption in a billing cycle (e.g., one month, quarterly, etc.) is recorded by an energy meter, for example, in terms of energy units (typically kilowatt hours), and the corresponding charges payable by the consumer are computed (either manually or in an automated fashion).
[006] However, such prior meters record only the total energy drawn from a supply, i.e., the sum of the energy consumption by various devices/appliances (such as refrigerator, television, light sources, fans, etc.) connected to the supply, and not by each individual device. Hence, there is a general need to provide a device/system that is capable of measuring power consumption by each (individual) device connected to a supply. Further, there is also a general need to provide a system/device that can record (store) the energy consumption data, and make the data available to other systems/devices at one or more different locations to enable a user to remotely analyze both the past and the present energy consumption details.

Brief Description of Drawings
[007] The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are described briefly below. In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. The drawing in which an element first appears is indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in the corresponding reference number.
[008] Figure (Fig.) 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional (prior) energy measurement system.
[009] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the details of an energy consumption recording system in an embodiment of the present invention.
[010] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating the details of signal measurement and processing module in an embodiment of the present invention. ¬
[011] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating the details of data acquisition and processing module in an embodiment of the present invention.
[012] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating the details of a memory module in an embodiment of the present invention.
[013] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating the details of a time module in an embodiment of the present invention.
[014] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating the details of an analytics module in an embodiment of the present invention.
[015] Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating the details of a remote processing system in an embodiment of the present invention.
[016] Figures 9A-9I are screen shots showing the results of various analyses at a remote processing system in an embodiment of the present invention.
[017] Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating the details of a server system in an embodiment of the present invention.

¬Detailed Description ¬
[018] 1.Overview
[019] A system for processing electrical energy consumption data representing energy consumed by one or more appliances from a supply includes a memory device and a processor. The memory device is used to store data and is detachable from the system. The processor is operable to compute and store values of electrical energy consumption data in the memory device. A user can detach the memory device from the system, connect the memory device to an external system and analyze the stored data using the external system. The system further includes a wireless transmitter to transmit the computed energy consumption data to a remote system.
[020] Several aspects of the present invention will be clear by understanding the operation of some conventional prior systems, which do not implement one or more features of the present invention. Accordingly, one such example conventional system is described below first.
[021] 2. Conventional System
[022] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating the details of a conventional (prior) energy measurement system. Electrical supply 101 represents a power source that provides power for operation of one or more load devices/appliances (not shown) connected to electrical supply 101. Signal measurement module 102 obtains instantaneous values of voltage level of electrical supply 101, and the current drawn by load device(s) from supply 101. Signal measurement module 102 may use current transformers for obtaining the current drawn from supply 101. The current and voltage values are provided in analog form to signal conditioning and memory module 103. Signal conditioning and memory module 103 performs analog to digital conversion of the current and voltage values received in analog form. A processor contained in module 103 computes the energy consumed by the load devices by multiplying current, voltage and the time for which current is drawn from supply 101. Instantaneous values of energy consumed (for example in terms of units such as Kilowatt-hour) are sent to output module 104, which displays the energy consumed on a display device contained in output module 104. Alternatively, the energy consumed may be determined using analog techniques (without having to perform analog to digital conversion of current and voltage samples), and an analog meter may be driven to display the energy consumed.
[023] As may be appreciated, the prior energy measurement system merely computes (and displays) the total amount of energy consumed by all appliances connected to supply 101, and does not provide the capability to make the computed energy consumption values/data available at a different location. Further, the prior system is not capable of measuring energy consumption of individual devices connected to supply 101.
[024] Several aspects of the present disclosure are described below with reference to examples for illustration. However, one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific details or with other methods, components, materials and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring the features of the disclosure. Furthermore, the features/aspects described can be practiced in various combinations, though only some of the combinations are described herein for conciseness.
[025] ¬3. Energy Consumption Recording System
[026] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the details of an energy consumption recording system/device in an embodiment of the present invention. Electrical supply 201 is also shown in Figure 2, and is a source of electrical power (typically alternating current), such as for example, electrical mains available at house, factories etc., and supplied by a national or regional power grid (230 Volts, 50 Hertz in India). Alternatively, supply 201 can correspond to a supply generated by a stand-alone power plant based on fossil fuel, solar energy, etc. Energy consumption monitoring system 200 is shown containing signal measurement and processing module 202, data acquisition, control and processing module 203, memory module 204, time module 205 and analytics module 206. Each of the modules may be implemented as a card (Printed Circuit Board/PCB containing ICs and other components). The details, as well as operation, of each module are described below with reference to corresponding diagrams.
[027] 4. Signal Measurement and Processing Module
[028] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating the details of signal measurement and processing module 202 in an embodiment of the present invention. Module 202 is shown containing voltage measurement block 301, voltage signal conditioning block 302, sensors 301-1 through 308-N, current signal conditioning block 304, signal selector 305 and voltage regulator 307. It is assumed that N (N being an integer greater than or equal to 1) appliances draw power from supply 201, and it is desired to compute the energy consumed by each of the N appliances individually.
[029] Voltage measurement block 301 receives supply 201, and operates to generate a signal representing the voltage (e.g., 230 volts) of supply 201. In an embodiment, voltage measurement block 301 contains resistive and capacitive elements, and/or transformer for stepping-down voltage of supply 201 to a lower (standardized) reference value. Additionally, block 310 may also perform rectification of the stepped-down AC supply. The voltage measurement is common for all appliances. Block 301 forwards the stepped-down voltage in analog form to voltage signal conditioning block 303 on path 308.
[030] Voltage signal conditioning block 302 contains an analog to digital converter (ADC), and generates digital values representing the magnitude of the voltage received from block 301. The sampling rate, i.e., the number of voltage samples per second, may be pre-programmed to be a desired number, for example one sample every millisecond. Block 302 forwards the digital voltage values on path 208. Each voltage sample may be appended with a time stamp indicating the time instant at which the corresponding samples were generated, thereby enabling computation of energy consumption as a later step. The time stamps may be obtained from a time-keeping circuitry such as real-time clock (RTC) 602 of Figure 6 (although the communication path between RTC 602 and module 202 is not shown in the Figures in the interest of clarity and conciseness). The voltage values may be transmitted on path 208 according to a protocol convention, such as for example a serial protocol (e.g., RS-232), or in general, consistent with the interface that receives the digital values transmitted on path 208.
[031] Each of sensors 308-1 through 308-N (total N sensors) senses the magnitude of current drawn by the corresponding one of N appliances connected to supply 201, thereby enabling the measurement of energy consumption by each of the N devices individually. Thus, assuming for example, that there is a refrigerator, television (TV) and air-conditioner (AC) connected to supply 201, one sensor each is provided at the refrigerator, TV and AC respectively to sense the current drawn by the corresponding appliance. In an embodiment, each of sensors 308-1 through 308-N contains a current transformer that is electro-magnetically coupled to the local wiring (e.g., phase wire) between supply 201 and the corresponding appliance, and generates an output signal representing the magnitude of instantaneous current drawn by the corresponding appliance. The output signals of each of sensors 308-1 through 308-N is provided to current signal conditioning block 304.
[032] Current signal conditioning block 304 contains N analog to digital converters (ADC), each of the N ADCs connected to receive the respective ones of outputs of sensors 308-1 through 308-N. The sampling rate, i.e., the number of samples per second, may be pre-programmed to be a desired number, for example, one sample every millisecond for each ADC. In general, the sampling rate of each of the N ADCs is the same as the sampling rate of the ADC of block 302. Further, the sampling instants of ADCs of block 304 and the ADC of block 302 are synchronized such that respective voltage and current samples are obtained at the same time instant. Each current sample may be appended with a time stamp indicating the time instant at which the corresponding sample was generated. The time stamps may be obtained from a time-keeping circuitry such as real-time clock (RTC) 602 of Figure 6 (although the communication path between RTC 602 and module 202 is not shown in the Figures in the interest of clarity and conciseness). Block 304 forwards digital current samples corresponding to each of the N appliances on respective paths 346-1 through 346-N. Processor 402 (described below) is provided with information on which of paths 346-1 through 346-N corresponds to which appliance (refrigerator, TV, AC, etc.) via an input device noted in sections below. The current samples may be transmitted according to a protocol convention, such as for example a serial protocol (e.g., RS-232), or in general, consistent with the interface that eventually receives the digital values transmitted on path 211.
[033] It is to be understood that the specific details of block 304 are provided above merely as an illustrative example. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a single ADC is be used with an N-channel multiplexer at the front-end to direct each of the outputs of the sensors 308-1 through 308-N to the ADC portion for sampling in a time-division multiplexed manner.
[034] Signal selector 306 operates under control of processor 402 (described below) via path 212, to forward, on path 211, the digital samples received on paths 346-1 through 346-N in a time-division multiplexed manner. Processor 402 may control signal selector 306 to cause signal selector 306 to forward the digital samples on paths 346-1 through 346-N onto path 211 in a time-division multiplexed fashion.
[035] Voltage regulator 307 receives supply 201 and performs voltage step down of the supply voltage to a smaller voltage, rectifies the stepped-down voltage, filters the rectified voltage, and operates to generate a regulated power supply from the rectified and filtered voltage. The regulated power supply is used for powering all the circuits/components/ICs in all the modules and blocks of system 200. Voltage regulator 307 provides the regulated voltage on path 214.
[036] 5. Data Acquisition and Processing Module
[037] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating the details of data acquisition and processing module 203 in an embodiment of the present invention. Data acquisition and processing module 203 is shown containing processor 402, flash storage 403, memory 404 and signal, input-output and network interfaces (also termed interface blocks herein) 401-A and 401-B. Data acquisition and processing module 203 receives power for operation on path 214.
[038] Each of interface blocks 401-A and 401-B is designed consistent with the interface requirements between processor 402 and external (off-module) circuits/devices, and contains interface circuitry to enable processor 402 to communicate with external circuitry/devices. Merely as an example, each of blocks 401-A and 401-B can be a serial interface such as RS-232. However, interface blocks 401-A and 401-B are not limited to such serial interfaces, and any implementation suitable for enabling communication between processor 402 and external circuits/devices (i.e., external to module 203) can be used to implement these blocks.
[039] Flash storage 403 represents a non-volatile memory, which may be used to store instructions for execution by processor 402, as well as data. Memory 404 represents a volatile memory such as SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), and may be used to store temporary data. Processor 402 represents one or more processing units and executes instructions stored in the form of program code in flash storage 403 to provide several features in accordance with the current invention.
[040] Interface block 401-A forwards the digital voltage and current samples received on paths 208 and 211 to processor 402.
[041] Processor 402 calculates the voltage of supply 201, and current drawn by each of the N appliances (or loads) from supply 201, from the received voltage and current samples. In an embodiment of the present invention, processor determines the voltage of supply 201, current drawn by an appliance, and the power-factor (phase angle between voltage and current drawn for that appliance) every second, based on multiple current and voltage samples received for that second and for that appliance. Processor 402 determines instantaneous power consumed by an appliance every second by multiplying the corresponding voltage, current and power-factor values determined for that second for that appliance. Processor 402 computes energy consumption by an appliance for a period of time (T) by adding instantaneous power values computed for the appliance at each 1-second interval in that period of time (T). For example, to determine energy consumed between 10AM and 11AM on a particular day by a refrigerator (assumed connected with sensor 308-1), processor 402 adds all the instantaneous power values computed for each 1-second interval between 10AM and 11AM for that day for the refrigerator. In addition, processor 402 translates the energy consumption value thus computed to the number of units of energy consumed. For example, in India, one kilowatt-hour equals one unit of energy for the purposes of cost computation. Processor 402 converts the energy consumed (e.g., in Watt-hours) into the equivalent number of energy units. Processor computes the energy units consumed by each of the N appliances in a similar manner. Various other techniques (different from the specific technique noted above) for computation of instantaneous power and energy consumed can also be used by processor 402, and is well-known in the relevant arts.
[042] Corresponding to each of the N appliances, processor 402 stores the power values determined for that appliance for each second (along with the corresponding time instant details), as well as the present value of energy (as well as energy units) consumed, in flash storage 403. Processor 402 also computes the charges for the energy consumed by that appliance (and stores the charges in flash storage 403), based on tariff data, slab rates (as specified by the power company), etc., pre-stored in flash storage 403. The set of data containing power values determined for each appliance for each second (along with the corresponding time instant details), the present value of energy consumed by each appliance, the units of energy consumed by each appliance and the charges for the energy units consumed by each appliance together are referred to herein as “energy consumption data” or “electrical energy consumption data”.
[043] According to an aspect of the present invention, for each appliance, processor 402 forwards, via interface block 401-B, the corresponding instantaneous power values determined for each second (along with the corresponding time instant details), the present value of energy (and/or energy units) consumed (energy consumed thus far from a specific start time, e.g., from the start of the current month), and the computed charges for the energy consumed (together referred to as “energy consumption data” or “electrical energy consumption data”) for storage in storage module 503 contained in memory module 204, as well as to analytics module 206.
[044] Further, processor 402 may also aggregate energy consumption values over a desired time duration. Thus, for example, processor 402 may aggregate energy consumed (by each appliance) over an hour, a day, a month, a year etc., and stores such aggregated energy consumption values (along with the corresponding time period) in flash storage 403, as well as forwards such aggregated energy consumed to storage module 503 and analytics module 206. Such aggregation may enable easier future analysis of energy consumption.
[045] It is to be understood that processor 402 can be replaced by dedicated digital hardware units such as programmable logic devices, field programmable logic arrays (FPGA), etc., which can perform the same/similar operations performed by processor 402 as described above. In such an embodiment, the operation described herein is achieved not by virtue of execution of instructions by a processor, but instead hard-wired by the implementation of the dedicated digital hardware.
[046] 6. Memory Module
[047] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating the details of memory module 204 in an embodiment of the present invention. Memory module 204 is shown containing signal, input-output and network interface (also termed interface block herein) 501, processor 502, storage module 503, wireless interfaces block 504 and antenna 509. Memory module 204 receives power for operation on path 214.
[048] Interface block 501 is designed consistent with the interface requirements between processor 502 and external (off-module) circuits/devices connected to path 234, and contains interface circuitry to enable processor 502 to communicate with external circuitry/devices connected to path 234. Interface block 501 may be designed/implemented similar to interface blocks 401-A and 401-B of module 203. Interface block 501 receives from processor 402 (via the corresponding interface block), the instantaneous power values determined for each appliance at each second (along with the corresponding time instant details), the present value of energy consumed for each appliance, and the computed charges for the energy consumed for each appliance via interface block 401-B and forwards the received data values to processor 502.
[049] Processor 502 operates as a storage controller and controls writing and reading of stored data in storage module 503 according to the interface and protocol convention (e.g., USB, secure digital (SD) card, etc.) required by storage module 503. Storage module 503 is implemented to contain non-volatile memory such as, for example, flash memory, and is designed to be removable from module 204. One example implementation of storage module 503 is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory stick. Processor 502 stores the instantaneous power values determined for each appliance for each second (along with the corresponding time instant details), the present value of energy consumed by each appliance, and the computed charges for the energy consumed by each appliance (together referred to as “energy consumption data” or “electrical energy consumption data”) in storage module 503.
[050] Storage module 503 can be physically detached from module 204 (and thus from system 200) by a user. The user can then connect storage module 503 to an external system (e.g., desk-top computer), retrieve the data stored in storage module 503, and perform analysis of the data using appropriate software installed in the external system.
[051] Wireless interfaces block 504 provides wireless transmission and reception capability to system 200, and contains one or more pairs of wireless transmitter and receiver implemented according to wireless standards such as for example WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network, or WiFi), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), etc. In addition to storage in storage module 503, processor 502 forwards the instantaneous power values determined for each appliance for each second (along with the corresponding time instant details), the present value of energy consumed by each appliance, and the computed charges for the energy consumed by each appliance (together referred to as “energy consumption data” or “electrical energy consumption data”) to wireless interfaces block 504, which in turn transmits the “energy consumption data” or “electrical energy consumption data” wirelessly via antenna 509 to a desired remote system (e.g., a server system on the cloud or an enterprise). The user is thus enabled to perform analysis of the energy consumption data using appropriate software installed in the remote system. Wireless interfaces block 504 also enables system 200 to receive commands wirelessly from external systems. For example, processor 502 can receive the IP address of a remote system to which energy consumption data is to be transmitted. Processor 502 then uses such received IP address to transmit the data using IP packets.

[052] Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating the details of a computer/processing system in an enterprise where analysis of energy consumption data can be performed by a user based on the data transmitted wirelessly by system 200. The block diagram is shown containing end user systems 810A-810Z, internet 820, intranet 830, server systems 840A-840C, and data store 880. Merely for illustration, only representative number/type of systems is shown in the Figure. Many environments often contain many more systems, both in number and type, depending on the purpose for which the environment is designed. Any of server systems 840A-840C represents a remote system to which system 200 transmits (via wireless interfaces block 504 and antenna 509) energy consumption data, as described above, and further elaborated below.
[053] Intranet 830 represents a network providing connectivity between server systems 840A-840C and data store 880 (all provided within an enterprise (shown with dotted boundaries)), and internet 820. Alternatively the server systems can be located anywhere on the cloud, and only the end user systems 810A-810Z are located within an enterprise/office/home. Internet 820 extends the connectivity of systems in the enterprise with external systems such as end user systems 810A-810Z. Each of intranet 830 and Internet 820 may be implemented using protocols such as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and/or Internet Protocol (IP), well known in the relevant arts. In general, in TCP/IP environments, an IP packet is used as a basic unit of transport, with the source address being set to the IP address assigned to the source system from which the packet originates and the destination address set to the IP address of the destination system to which the packet is to be eventually delivered.
[054] A (IP) packet is said to be directed to a destination system when the destination IP address of the packet is set to the (IP) address of the destination system, such that the packet is eventually delivered to the destination system by internet 820. When the packet contains content such as port numbers, which specifies the destination application, the packet may be said to be directed to such application as well. The destination system may be required to keep the corresponding port numbers available/open, and process the packets with the corresponding destination ports. Each of Internet 820 and intranet 830 may be implemented using any combination of wire-based or wireless mediums.
[055] IP packets containing energy consumption data transmitted by system 200 (specifically wireless interfaces block 504) are forwarded via internet 820 to intranet 830, and from intranet 830 to one of server systems 840A-840C, which may in turn store the data in data store 880. It is assumed herein that server system 840A (destination or remote system) receives the energy consumption data, and stores the data in data store 880.
[056] Each of server systems 840A-840C represents a server (remote system), such as a web/application server, capable of executing applications to enable a user (via the end user systems) to analyze and view results of analyses of energy consumption data.
[057] Data store 880 represents a non-volatile (persistent) storage facilitating storage and retrieval of a collection of data by applications executing in other systems of the enterprise such as server systems 840A-840C. Data store 880 may be implemented as a database server using relational database technologies and accordingly provide storage and retrieval of data using structured queries such as SQL (Structured Query Language) and/or other methods/languages to retrieve data. Alternatively, data store 180 may be implemented as a file server providing storage and retrieval of data in the form of files organized as one or more directories, as is well known in the relevant arts.
[058] Each of end user systems 810A-810Z represents a system such as a personal computer, workstation, mobile station, mobile phones, computing tablets, etc., used by users to generate and send user requests directed to specific systems of the enterprise. The user requests may be generated using appropriate user interfaces (for example, web pages provided by applications executing in the enterprise). Thus, a user of end user system 810A may send user requests to server system 840A requesting for analysis of energy consumption data. In response, server system 840A may retrieve the energy consumption data stored in data store 880, perform the requested analyses, and send the results of the analyses to end user system 880A where the user can view the results of the analysis. Example analyses include calculating the apparent power consumed by an appliance, computation of frequency of AC supply 201, historical trends in electrical energy consumption by the appliances, power-factor corresponding to each appliance, variation patterns in energy consumption of an appliance (e.g., month-to-month variation in energy consumed), etc.
[059] Example screen shots showing results of analysis that a user may view at end user system 810A are shown in Figures 9A-9J. The type of analysis shown in each of Figures 9A-9J is briefly noted next.
[060] Figures 9A- 9H are screenshots of an analysis dashboard displaying results of various analyses on an end user system (e.g., 810A) when the end user system has a desktop computer. Figure 9A shows the status (whether running or off) of some appliances, as well as the corresponding running or off durations. For example, appliance SLPMP1 is shown as having been off for 403.2 minutes, while appliance ARBLOWER2 is shown as being operational (running) for 471.1 minutes. Figure 9B shows the hour-wise outage status of example appliances due to power cuts. Figure 9C shows the various parameters like power (in Kilowatts, current (in Amperes), cost of energy consumption of appliance, power factor for an appliance, energy units per appliance for various appliances. Figure 9D shows real-time and historical power consumption for appliances. Figure 9E shows the total cost incurred for energy consumption by all appliances, as well as individual cost incurred by some appliances. Figure 9F shows power consumption trends over a selected period of time for various appliances. The output can be exported to an excel file and enables the user to calculate the productivity of the machine/appliance depending on this energy consumption and cost parameters. Figure 9G shows the alerts generated for a particular appliance. These alerts are generated by comparing the real-time electrical parameters of the machine/appliance using the pre-set value defined by the manufacturer of the machine/appliance. Figure 9H shows hourly, monthly, daily parameter trend on the selective parameters like power on the left axis and current on the right axis over a basis of time (bottom axis).
[061] Figures 9I- 9J are screenshots of an analysis dashboard displaying results of various analyses on the screen of a mobile phone. The analyses are performed by a mobile application installed on the user’s mobile phone. Figure 9I shows various parameters such as, total power consumption in units and cost incurred for various time durations (hour, day, month), as well as status (running or off) of various appliances. Figure 9J shows energy consumption units in an hour for various appliances.
[062] Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating the details of server system 840A. Server system 840A may contain one or more processors such as a central processing unit (CPU) 1010, random access memory (RAM) 1020, secondary memory 1030, graphics controller 1060, display unit 1070, network interface 1080, and input interface 1090. All the components except display unit 1070 may communicate with each other over communication path 1050, which may contain several buses as is well known in the relevant arts.
[063] CPU 1010 may execute instructions stored in RAM 1020 to enable operation of server system 840A, including operations to receive/store energy consumption data, performing analyses on energy consumption data, communication with system 200 and the end user systems 810A-810Z. CPU 1010 may contain multiple processing units, with each processing unit potentially being designed for a specific task. Alternatively, CPU 1010 may contain only a single general-purpose processing unit.
[064] RAM 1020 may receive instructions from secondary memory 1030 using communication path 1050. RAM 1020 is shown currently containing software instructions constituting operating environment 1025 and/or other user programs 1026 (such as energy analysis software). In addition to operating environment 1025, RAM 1020 may contain other software programs such as device drivers, virtual machines, etc., which provide a (common) run time environment for execution of other/user programs.
[065] Graphics controller 1060 generates display signals (e.g., in RGB format) to display unit 1070 based on data/instructions received from CPU 1010. Display unit 1070 contains a display screen to display the images defined by the display signals. Input interface 1090 may correspond to a keyboard and a pointing device (e.g., touch-pad, mouse) and may be used to provide inputs. Network interface 1080 provides connectivity to a network (e.g., using Internet Protocol), and may be1 used to communicate with other systems connected to the network.
[066] Secondary memory 1030 may contain hard drive 1035, flash memory 1036, and removable storage drive 1037. Secondary memory 1030 may store the data and software instructions (for energy consumption analysis). The code/instructions stored in secondary memory 1030 may either be copied to RAM 1020 prior to execution by CPU 1010 for higher execution speeds, or may be directly executed by CPU 1010.
[067] Secondary memory 1030 may contain hard drive 1035, flash memory 1036, and removable storage drive 1037. Some or all of the data and instructions may be provided on removable storage unit 1040, and the data and instructions may be read and provided by removable storage drive 1037 to CPU 1010. Removable storage unit 1040 may be implemented using medium and storage format compatible with removable storage drive 1037 such that removable storage drive 1037 can read the data and instructions. Thus, removable storage unit 1040 includes a computer readable (storage) medium having stored therein computer software and/or data. However, the computer (or machine, in general) readable medium can be in other forms (e.g., non-removable, random access, etc.).
[068] In this document, the term "computer program product" is used to generally refer to removable storage unit 1040 or hard disk installed in hard drive 1035. These computer program products are means for providing software to server system 840A. CPU 1010 may retrieve the software instructions, and execute the instructions to perform analyses on energy consumption data.
[069] The term “storage media/medium” as used herein refers to any non-transitory media that store data and/or instructions that cause a machine to operate in a specific fashion. Such storage media may comprise non-volatile media and/or volatile media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical disks, magnetic disks, or solid-state drives, such as secondary memory 1030. Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as RAM 1020.
[070] The description is continued next with the details of other modules in system 200.
[071] 7. Time Module
[072] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating the details of time module 205 in an embodiment. Time module 205 is shown containing signal, input-output and network interface (also termed interface block herein) 601, real-time clock (RTC) 602 and back-up power source 603. Time module 205 receives power for operation on path 214.
[073] Interface block 601 is designed consistent with the interface requirements between RTC 602 and external (off-module) circuits/devices connected to path 235, and contains interface circuitry to enable RTC 602 to communicate with external circuitry/devices connected to path 235. Additionally, although the communication path is not shown in the interest of clarity and conciseness, RTC 602 can communicate with module 202 to enable blocks 302 to 304 to time stamp digital samples representing voltage and current.
[074] RTC 602 contains circuitry for maintaining current time. RTC 602 can receive requests for current time from processor 402 (via corresponding interface blocks), and in response provides current time (day, month, year, hour, minutes and seconds) to processor 402. RTC 602 is provided back-up power (in case of power-down of system 200, or failure of supply 201 or voltage regulator 307) by back-up power source 603. Back-up power 603 represents a source of power, such as a battery. In addition, back-up power 603 can also be used for powering all the circuits/components/ICs in all the modules of system 200 in the event of failure of voltage regulator 307 or supply 201, although the power connection from back-up power 603 to each of the modules of system 200 are not shown in the interest of clarity and conciseness.
[075] 8. Analytics Module
[076] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating the details of analytics module 206 in an embodiment of the present invention. Analytics module 206 is shown containing signal, input-output and network interface (also termed interface block herein) 701, analytics block 702 and display block 703.
[077] Interface block 701 is designed consistent with the interface requirements between the analytics block 702 and external circuits/devices connected on path 236, and contains interface circuitry to enable analytics block 702 to communicate with external circuitry/devices. Interface block 701 may be designed/implemented similar to interface blocks 401-A and 401-B of module 203. Interface block 701 receives, from processor 402 (via the corresponding interface block), the instantaneous power values determined for each appliance at each second (along with the corresponding time instant details), the present value of energy consumed by each appliance, and the computed charges for the energy consumed by each appliance (together referred to as “energy consumption data” or “electrical energy consumption data”), and forwards the received data to analytics block 206.
[078] Analytics block 702, which may internally contain one or more processing units, performs various analyses on the received energy consumption data such as, for example, calculating the apparent power, computation of frequency of AC supply 201, historical trends (e.g., month-to-month variations) in electrical energy consumption by the appliances, power-factor corresponding to each appliance, real time specific energy index and other parameters. Real time specific energy index refers to the real time running kilowatt of the particular machine/appliance. As is well known in the relevant arts, a machine has a rated kilowatt capacity specified by the manufacturer. Operating the machine above the rated kilowatt capacity may lead to failure immediately or over a period of time. However, the user has the option of consuming the rated kilowatt or less than the rated kilowatt. For example, if we consider a spinning machine, the real time energy consumption depends on the number of rotations of the spinning machine. A standard spinning machine rotates at 60 revolutions per minute (RPM). However, a user may consider that 30 RPM would serve his operational requirements. So, if the user operates the machine at 30 RPM, the corresponding energy consumption will be half by the end of that hour. By monitoring the power consumption of each machine/appliance in real time (termed as the specific energy index), one can optimize the use of the machine by making use of the running kilowatt. This leads to real-time energy reduction and machine optimization). Apparent power consumed by an appliance refers to the product of supply voltage 201 and current drawn by the appliance, i.e., ignoring power factor. Analytics block 702 then sends the results of the analyses (i.e., calculated parameters) to display block 703. Display block 703 may be implemented, for example, as a Liquid Crystal Display module, or LED (light emitting diode) display, or any other display technology.
[079] In an embodiment of the present invention, display module 703 may be an interactive display that allows the user to enter inputs, which can be processed by the processor in analytics block 702, and transmitted to processor 402. In an alternative embodiment, module 206 contains an input device such as a keyboard/keypad (not shown in the interest of clarity and conciseness) to enable a user to provide inputs to system 200.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the processor in analytics block 206 can display both the past and the present energy consumption data for each appliance so that the user can analyze long-term energy consumption patterns, and manage energy consumption in a desire manner. In an embodiment of the present invention, the display module 703 (or an input device such as a keyboard/keypad) allows the user to input the period or duration for which he would like the corresponding energy consumption data of an appliance(s) to be displayed on display module 703. Upon receiving the user input through display module 703, the processor in analytics block 702 retrieves the energy consumption data for the requested appliance(s) corresponding to the duration specified in the user input, from memory module 204, via corresponding interface blocks and processor 402, and forwards the data to display module 703 for being displayed.
[080] Working of system 200 in an embodiment of the present invention is now further described.
[081] 8. Working of System
[082] When system 200 is switched on, display module 703 displays a message prompting the user to enter whether he would like to retrieve/obtain past energy consumption data. If the user chooses to view past energy consumption data, then the display module 703 displays a message prompting the user to choose the specific appliance(s) and the time period for which the user would like to obtain the energy consumption data of the specific appliance(s). The user provides such information via display module 703 (or an input device such as a keyboard/keypad), which forwards the information to processor 402 via the corresponding intervening blocks. Processor 402 retrieves (from flash storage 403) the requested data and forwards the data to module 204 for storage in storage module 503. The user may then remove storage module 503 from module 204, connect storage module 503 to another system such as a desktop computer containing analysis software, and obtain detailed analysis of energy consumption (example analyses are noted above). Alternatively, or in addition, processor 402 can cause the energy consumption data for the appliances to be transmitted wirelessly to a remote system (e.g., server system 840A) which can perform detailed analyses of the energy consumption and provide the results of the analyses to the user (e.g., at end user system 810A).
[083] 9. Conclusion
[084] While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
,CLAIMS: 1. A system for processing electrical energy consumption data representing energy consumed by one or more appliances from a supply, said system comprising:
a memory device to store data, wherein said memory device is detachable from said system; and
a processor operable to compute and store values of said electrical energy consumption data in said memory device.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
a wireless interfaces block to transmit data on a wireless medium,
wherein said processor causes said wireless interfaces block to transmit said electrical energy consumption data to a remote system wirelessly on said wireless medium.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said memory device is one of a universal serial bus (USB) memory stick and a secure digital (SD) card, and wherein said wireless interfaces block comprises a transmitter implemented in accordance with one of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standard and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) standard.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said one or more appliances comprise a plurality of appliances, wherein said processor is operable to compute electrical energy consumption data corresponding to each one of said plurality of appliances.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:
a first circuit for sensing a voltage of said supply;
a plurality of sensors, each sensor connected to sense a corresponding one of a plurality of currents drawn respectively by a corresponding appliance in said plurality of appliances;
a first analog to digital converter (ADC) to generate a first set of digital samples representing said voltage at corresponding time instants;
a second analog to digital converter (ADC) to generate a plurality of sets of digital samples, each set in said plurality of sets of digital samples representing said corresponding one of a plurality of currents at said corresponding time instants,
wherein said processor determines magnitudes of said voltage and each of said plurality of currents in a reference duration, as well as a corresponding power factor value corresponding to each of said plurality of currents also for said reference duration, by processing said first set of digital samples and each of said plurality of sets of digital samples obtained for said reference duration,
wherein said processor determines power consumed by each of said plurality of appliances in said reference duration by multiplying said voltage, the corresponding one of said plurality of currents, and the corresponding power factor value,
wherein said processor determines energy consumed by each of said plurality of appliances in a desired duration by summing the corresponding power consumption values in said desired duration,
wherein said processor converts the said energy consumed into an equivalent number of energy units.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:
an analytics block to perform one or more analyses on data,
wherein said processor is operable to transmit values of said electrical energy consumption data as said data to said analytics block.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a display block to display results of said one or more analyses,
wherein said one or more analyses comprise calculation of apparent power consumed by an appliance, determination of frequency of said supply, historical trends of energy consumption, variation over time in energy consumption by an appliance and said corresponding power-factor.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, further comprising an input device to enable a user to input details specifying the specific ones of the plurality of appliances and the corresponding duration for which energy consumption data relating to said specific ones of the plurality of appliances are required,
wherein said processor retrieves and stores the corresponding energy consumption data in said memory device,
wherein said processor causes said corresponding energy consumption data to be transmitted to said remote system by said wireless interfaces block.

9. A system comprising:
a first system for generating electrical energy consumption data representing energy consumed by one or more appliances from a supply, said first system operable to transmit said electrical energy consumption data on a network; and
a server system coupled to said network, said server system operable to receive said electrical energy consumption data and to perform one or more analyses on said electrical energy consumption data.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said first system comprises:
a first circuit for sensing a voltage of said supply;
a plurality of sensors, each sensor connected to sense a corresponding one of a plurality of currents drawn respectively by a corresponding appliance in said plurality of appliances;
a first analog to digital converter (ADC) to generate a first set of digital samples representing said voltage at corresponding time instants;
a second analog to digital converter (ADC) to generate a plurality of sets of digital samples, each set in said plurality of sets of digital samples representing said corresponding one of a plurality of currents at said corresponding time instants;
a processor to generate said energy consumption data by processing said first set of digital samples and said plurality of sets of digital samples; and
a wireless interfaces block coupled to said processor, said wireless interfaces block to receive said energy consumption data from said processor and to transmit said energy consumption data to said server system via said network.