1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to concepts associated with energy management systems and, more particularly, to means for providing remote communications associated with management of functions such as load balancing, load shedding and the like.
2. Background Art
A significant amount of work is currently being performed in technologies associated with control of what can be characterized as “environmental” systems. Such systems may be utilized in commercial and industrial buildings, residential facilities, transportation systems and other environments. Control functions may vary from relatively conventional HVAC temperature control to extremely sophisticated systems for control of the entirety of a city's subway complex.
Development is also being undertaken in the field of network technologies for controlling environmental systems. References are often made in current literature to “smart” buildings or rooms having automated and centralized environmental functionality. This technology provides for networks controlling a number of separate and independent functions, including temperature, lighting and the like.
There are a number of issued patents directed to various aspects of control of environmental systems. For example, Callahan, U.S. Pat. No. 6,211,627 B1 issued Apr. 3, 2001 discloses lighting systems specifically directed to entertainment and architectural applications. The Callahan lighting systems include apparatus which provide for distribution of electrical power to a series of branch circuits, with the apparatus being reconfigurable so as to place the circuits in a dimmed or “not-dimmed” state, as well as a single or multi-phase state. Callahan further discloses the concept of encoding data in a form detectable in electrical load wiring and at the load. The data may include dimmer identification, assigned control channels, descriptive load information and remote control functionality. For certain functions, Callahan also discloses the use of a handheld decoder.
D'Aleo et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,265 issued Mar. 2, 1993 disclose a wall-mounted lighting control system. The system may include a master control module, slave modules and remote control units. The system is programmable and modular so that a number of different lighting zones may be accommodated. D'Aleo et al. also disclose system capability of communicating with a remote “power booster” for purposes of controlling heavy loads.
Dushane et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,467 B1 issued Mar. 6, 2001 disclose a wireless programmable thermostat mobile unit for controlling heating and cooling devices for separate occupation zones. Wireless transmission of program instructions is disclosed as occurring by sonic or IR communication.
Other patent references disclose various other concepts and apparatus associated with control systems in general, including use of handheld or other remote control devices. For example, Zook et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,009 issued Jul. 18, 1989 disclose the use of a portable handheld terminal having optical barcode reader apparatus utilizing binary imaging sensing and an RF transceiver. Sheffer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,019 issued Jul. 14, 1992 disclose a system for interfacing an alarm reporting device with a cellular radio transceiver. Circuitry is provided for matching the format of the radio transceiver to that of the alarm reporting unit. Dolin, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,130 B1 issued Jan. 30, 2001 disclose specific apparatus and methods for communicating information in a network system. Network variables are employed for accomplishing the communication, and allow for standardized communication of data between programmable nodes. Connections are defined between nodes for facilitating communication, and for determining addressing information to allow for addressing of messages, including updates to values of network variables. Dolin, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,861 B1 issued Mar. 5, 2002 disclose apparatus and methods for a programming interface providing for events scheduling, variable declarations allowing for configuration of declaration parameters and handling of I/O objects.
Although a number of the foregoing references describe complex programming and hardware structures for various types of environmental control systems, it is desirable for certain functions associated with environmental control to be readily useable by the layperson. This is particularly true at a specific location, where it may be desirable to readily initially configure or reconfigure relationships or “correlation” between, for example, switching devices and lighting apparatus. Also, it may be desirable for such capability of initial configuration or reconfiguration to preferably occur within the proximity of the switching and lighting apparatus, rather than at a centralized or other remote location.
In addition to the foregoing, particular attention is being directed to energy conservation. In this regard, reviews are currently being undertaken with respect to time periods and quantities of power which are used in various types of residential, commercial and industrial facilities. For example, it would be desirable to be able to determine target values for power consumption within a total facility, and be able to adjust energy transmissions based on an “as needed” basis, so as to maintain power consumption at a specific level, or otherwise within a specific tolerance window.