Energy management system and method for controlling high current draws from variable current devices commonly connectable to an electrical circuit

摘要

An energy management controller for controlling and limiting the time during which high current draws may be made by one or more of a plurality of single serve coffee brewers that are commonly connected to the same circuit and which include heater constructions that require and draw high power at certain times during operation, and require and draw lower power at other times. It includes one controller board, connected to the primary brewer to complete a circuit, and which board includes heat and wait timer functions to monitor the power status usage with respect to all of the brewers.

主权项

1. An energy management control system for controlling and limiting the time during which high current is drawn by at least a high current circuit of a defined primary device from among a plurality of devices commonly connectable to the same electrical circuit for drawing high current therefrom, wherein at least the defined primary device has an operating cycle during a portion of which it draws high current for operation, comprising:
a controller electrically connectable to the primary device to complete a circuit for controlling the provision of high current from the electrical circuit to the high current circuit of the primary device, said controller construction including; a first circuit for receiving power usage status information from each of the other devices devices commonly connected to the same electrical circuit, the power usage status information is defined to be representative of a high power usage state for a given device of the other devices or a lower power usage state for a given device of the other devices; said first circuit operable to determine in accordance with said power usage status information and predefined timing criteria whether to disallow or permit the provision of high current to the high current portion of the primary device under then-existing conditions; said first circuit disallowing the provision of high current at least during periods when the power usage status information regarding the other devices indicates that authorization of high current for the high current circuit of the primary device at that time would result in a total high current draw deemed impermissible for the electrical circuit; said first circuit permitting the provision of high current when the supplied power usage status information regarding the other devices indicates that authorization of high current for the high current portion of the primary device at that time would result in a total high current draw deemed within permissible parameters for the electrical circuit and is allowable in accordance with said predefined timing criteria; a second circuit operable to determine in accordance with predefined timing criteria whether to disallow or permit the provision of high current to the high current circuit of the primary device under then-existing conditions; an output control circuit responsive to a disallowance determination by said first circuit or said second circuit to inhibit the provision of high current between the electrical circuit and the high current circuit of the primary device and responsive to a permission determination by said first circuit or said second circuit to effect the provision of a high current to the high current circuit of the primary device to the electrical circuit; and said controller further including an output at which power status information representative of the power status of the primary device is provided to the other devices.