Utility monitoring and utility usage determination, control and optimization
AssigneePowerX Technology Inc.
InventorManuel Schönfeld
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media for utility monitoring and utility usage determination, control and optimization. The system receives utility usage information from one or more sensor devices, and obtains water usage information from a first sensor device coupled to a water pipe, obtains electricity usage information from a second sensor device coupled to an electrical panel, and/or obtains water heater usage information from a third sensor device coupled to a water heater. The system may use the obtained utility information to determine types of utility activities and/or appliances being used corresponding to the utility usage.
Claims21
A system comprising one or more processors, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:
- receiving water usage information from a first sensor device, wherein the first sensor device is configured to receive water flow rate information from ultrasonic sensors coupled to a water pipe;
- receiving electricity usage information from a second sensor device, wherein the second sensor device is configured to receive amperage information from clamp meters attached to electrical wiring, and is configured to receive voltage information from a connection to a circuit of an electrical panel;
- receiving water heater usage information from a third sensor device, wherein the third sensor device is configured to receive temperature information from temperature sensors positioned about a water heater and/or from a controller of the water heater;
- based on the received water usage information, the received electricity usage information and/or the received water heater usage information, determining utility usage information for one or more appliances, devices and/or water outlets being used;
- and
- displaying, via a user interface, a graphical indication of the determined utility usage information for the one or more appliances, devices and/or water outlets being used.
A computer-implemented method comprising the operations of:
- receiving water usage information from a first sensor device, wherein the first sensor device is configured to receive water flow rate information from ultrasonic sensors coupled to a water pipe;
- receiving electricity usage information from a second sensor device, wherein the second sensor device is configured to receive amperage information from clamp meters attached to electrical wiring, and is configured to receive voltage information from a connection to a circuit of an electrical panel;
- receiving water heater usage information from a third sensor device, wherein the third sensor device is configured to receive temperature information from temperature sensors positioned about a water heater and/or from a controller of the water heater;
- based on the received water usage information, the received electricity usage information and/or the received water heater usage information, determining utility usage information for one or more appliances, devices and/or water outlets being used;
- and
- displaying, via a user interface, a graphical indication of the determined utility usage information for the one or more appliances, devices and/or water outlets being used.
A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program code embodied therein to be executed by one or more processors, the program code including instructions to perform the operation of:
- receiving water usage information from a first sensor device, wherein the first sensor device is configured to receive water flow rate information from ultrasonic sensors coupled to a water pipe;
- receiving electricity usage information from a second sensor device, wherein the second sensor device is configured to receive amperage information from clamp meters attached to electrical wiring, and is configured to receive voltage information from a connection to a circuit of an electrical panel;
- receiving water heater usage information from a third sensor device, wherein the third sensor device is configured to receive temperature information from temperature sensors positioned about a water heater and/or from a controller of the water heater;
- based on the received water usage information, the received electricity usage information and/or the received water heater usage information, determining utility usage information for one or more appliances, devices and/or water outlets being used;
- and
- displaying, via a user interface, a graphical indication of the determined utility usage information for the one or more appliances, devices and/or water outlets being used.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.