Context-aware smart home energy manager

Abstract

A context-aware smart home energy management (CASHEM) system and method is disclosed. CASHEM dynamically schedules household energy use to reduce energy consumption by identifying contextual information within said household, selecting a comfort of service preference, wherein said comfort of service preference is based on different said contextual information, and extracting an appliance use schedule for maximum energy savings based on said contextual information in light of said comfort of service preferences, by executing a program instruction in a data processing apparatus. CASHEM correlates said contextual information with energy consumption levels to dynamically schedule said appliance based on an energy-saving condition and a user's comfort. Comfort of service preferences are gathered by CASHEM by monitoring occupant activity levels and use of said appliance. CASHEM can also recommend potential energy savings for a user to modify comfort of service preferences.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This patent application claims the priority and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61 / 234,947 filed Aug. 18, 2009 entitled “Context-Aware Smart Home Energy Manager” that is herein incorporated by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]Embodiments are generally related to energy management. Embodiments are additionally related to energy management of household consumer appliances. Embodiments are further related to a control interface for energy management of household consumer appliances.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Net zero energy (NZE) homes are structures that combine state-of-the-art, energy-efficient construction techniques and equipment, with renewable energy systems to return as much energy as it uses on an annual basis. To achieve NZE use in a home, a comprehensive energy reduction strategy is required, including the use of efficient appliances, renewable energy resources, and efficient home energy management capable of ada...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

A home typically uses unmanaged appliances with minimal planning and inefficient scheduling.

It is impossible to formulate a home energy plan without a holistic view of home occupancy, usage patterns, demand peaks, or weather effects on home energy usage.

Further, without dynamic energy pricing, current NZE strategies fall short as technology focuses on user awareness of energy consumption, basic demand response (DR), and fixed programmable schedules with minimal ability to control and schedule energy consumption.

This approach, however, does not take into account reducing the energy use of all the appliances and consumer electronics, as a collective system, within a home.

But these apparatuses, do not communicate with each other through a centralized system to efficiently manage energy use within a home.

Such solutions simply shift energy consumption and do not help achieve NZE goals.

Images