US 12,072,357 B1
Plug-in energy sensor with load injection and monitoring
Matthew Liang Chaboud, San Francisco, CA (US); Cameron Dean Whitehouse, Seattle, WA (US); Joseph A. Cullen, Issaquah, WA (US); and Arielle Rachel Bertman, Seattle, WA (US)
Assigned to Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed by Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed on Jun. 28, 2018, as Appl. No. 16/021,744.
Int. Cl. G01R 21/133 (2006.01); G01R 23/00 (2006.01); H02J 13/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 21/133 (2013.01) [G01R 23/005 (2013.01); H02J 13/0006 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
a first plug-in energy sensor, including:
a first electrical prong insertable into a first electrical outlet at a location;
a first processor; and
a first memory coupled to the first processor and storing first program instructions that, when executed by the first processor cause the first processor to perform at least the following:
cause a load to be introduced into an electrical circuit at the location by the first plug-in energy sensor when the first plug-in energy sensor is inserted into the first electrical outlet;
subsequent to the load being introduced into the electrical circuit, process a first voltage data received via the first electrical prong;
detect a first change in a first voltage represented by the first voltage data; and
generate first signature data representative of the first change over a period of time that the load is introduced into the electrical circuit, wherein the first signature data is representative of the load introduced to the electrical circuit as measured by the first plug-in energy sensor;
a second plug-in energy sensor, including:
a second electrical prong insertable into a second electrical outlet at the location;
a second processor; and
a second memory coupled to the second processor and storing second program instructions that, when executed by the second processor cause the second processor to perform at least the following:
subsequent to the load being introduced into the electrical circuit, process a second voltage data received via the second electrical prong;
detect a second change in a second voltage represented by the second voltage data;
generate second signature data representative of the second change in the second voltage over the period of time that the load is introduced into the electrical circuit, wherein the second signature data is representative of the load introduced to the electrical circuit as measured by the second plug-in energy sensor;
analyze the first signature data with the second signature data to determine that the first plug-in energy sensor and the second plug-in energy sensor are on a same branch of the electrical circuit; and
send a request that the first plug-in energy sensor be moved to a third electrical outlet at the location.