The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 14, 2005
Filed:
Nov. 17, 2000
Pieter Sierd Van Der Meulen, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Pieter Sierd Van der Meulen, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V., Eindhoven, NL;
Abstract
The instantaneous power consumption of an appliance is used to determine the status of the appliance, from which further actions may be taken. This invention is premised on the observation that most appliances have a characteristic power consumption pattern that can be used to determine the state of operation of the appliance. An electric coffee pot, for example, consumes high power substantially continuously during the brewing state, then reduces its power level, or power duration, or both, while keeping the pot warm, then terminates its power consumption when it is turned off. In like manner, the power consumption patterns of other appliances, such as toasters, washing machines, dryers, and so on may also be used to determine the state of each appliance. The communicated state may be used by a home-automation system to effect a variety of actions, including notifying the user, terminating the available power to the appliance, initiating an action by another appliance, and so on.