Building Management and Appliance Control System

Abstract

The building management and appliance control system of the present invention includes an appliance control unit capable of monitoring and regulating the energy use of connected appliances based on information gathered from an energy cloud. The energy cloud is a network of remote server clients hosted on the Internet used to store, manage, and process energy data which are in communication with utility providers and third party systems. The appliance control unit includes a control system which communicates between and controls the overall function of the modules within the unit such as the user interface input, communication interface, power control unit, and battery unit. The appliance control unit uses all of the information available from the energy cloud to determine the optimum time to operate the attached appliances and when and how fast to charge the battery unit to ensure adequate power for the appliances at all times.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An appliance management system comprising:
 an appliance control unit, wherein said appliance control is configured to monitor and regulate power;   an energy cloud, said energy cloud in communication with said appliance control unit to communicate data to said appliance control unit; and   wherein said appliance control unit regulates power n response to said data from said energy cloud.   
     
     
         2 . The appliance management system of  claim 1 , wherein said appliance control unit comprises:
 a control system;   a user interface input in communication with said control system;   a communication interface in communication with said control system;   memory in communication with said control system; and   a timer and clock in communication with said control system, said user interface system, said communication interface, and said memory.   
     
     
         3 . The appliance management system of  claim 2 , wherein said appliance control unit further comprises:
 a power control unit in communication with said control system and said timer and clock; and   an energy storage unit in communication with said power control unit, said control system, and said timer and clock.   
     
     
         4 . The appliance management system of  claim 3 , wherein said appliance control unit further comprises grid power. 
     
     
         5 . The appliance management system of  claim 4  further comprises:
 a remote server client in communication with said energy cloud; 
 at least one utility provider in communication with said remote server client and said energy cloud; 
 at least one third party system in communication with said energy cloud. 
 
     
     
         6 . The appliance management system of  claim 5  further comprising an inverter, said inverter is connected to said grid power, and wherein said inverter receives grid power. 
     
     
         7 . The appliance management system of  claim 6 , wherein said inverter is bi-directional, and wherein said inverter receives and returns grid power. 
     
     
         8 . The appliance management system of  claim 7 , further comprises:
 a control chassis housing said control system, said timer and clock, said user interface input, said communication interface, and said memory; and   a power chassis housing said power control unit, said inverter, and said energy storage unit.   
     
     
         9 . The appliance management system of  claim 8 , wherein said control chassis and said power chassis are housed within an appliance control unit chassis. 
     
     
         10 . An appliance management system comprising:
 an appliance control unit, wherein said appliance control is configured to monitor and regulate electrical power;   an energy cloud, said energy cloud in communication with said appliance control unit to communicate data to said appliance control unit;   at least one appliance with an integrated power chassis, said appliance in communication with said appliance control unit; and   wherein said appliance control unit regulates electrical power to said appliance in response to said data from said energy cloud.   
     
     
         11 . The appliance management system of  claim 10 , wherein said appliance control unit comprises:
 a control system;   a user interface input in communication with said control system;   a communication interface in communication with said control system;   a memory in communication with said control system; and   a timer and clock in communication with said control system, said user interface system, said communication interface, and said memory.   
     
     
         12 . The appliance management system of  claim 11 , wherein said appliance control unit further comprises a control chassis housing said control system, said user interface input, said communication interface, said memory and said timer and clock. 
     
     
         13 . The appliance management system of  claim 12 , wherein said power chassis of said appliance comprises:
 a power control unit in communication with said control system and said timer and clock;   at least one energy storage unit in communication with said power control unit, said control system, and said timer and clock; and   an inverter in communication with said power control unit and said energy storage unit, said inverter is connected to a grid power.   
     
     
         14 . The appliance management system of  claim 13  further comprises:
 a remote server client in communication with said energy cloud; 
 at least one utility provider in communication with said remote server client and said energy cloud; 
 at least one third party system in communication with said energy cloud. 
 
     
     
         15 . The appliance management system of  claim 14  wherein said inverter is bi-directional, wherein said inverter receives and returns grid power to the power grid. 
     
     
         16 . A method of providing uninterruptable power comprising the steps of:
 providing an appliance control unit, said appliance control unit configured for power delivery;   providing an energy cloud in communication with said applicant control unit;   providing a grid power to said appliance control unit;   sending data from said energy cloud to said appliance control unit;   alternating power delivery of said appliance control unit in response to said data from said energy cloud.   
     
     
         17 . The method of providing uninterruptable power of  claim 16 , wherein said appliance control unit comprises:
 a control system;   a user interface input in communication with said control system;   a communication interface in communication with said control system;   a memory in communication with said control system;   a timer and clock in communication with said control system, said user interface system, said communication interface, and said memory;   a power control unit in communication with said control system and said timer and clock; and   an energy storage unit in communication with said power control unit, said control system, and said timer and clock.   
     
     
         18 . The method of providing uninterruptable power of  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a remote server client in communication with said energy cloud;   providing at least one utility provider in communication with said remote server client and said energy cloud;   providing at least one third party system in communication with said energy cloud.   
     
     
         19 . The method of providing uninterruptable power of  claim 18 , wherein said appliance control unit further comprises an inverter. 
     
     
         20 . The method of providing uninterruptable power of  claim 19 , wherein said inverter is bi-directional.