A method of detecting a fault in a device is described. The method comprises receiving an energy consumption signal for the device, the energy consumption signal indicating a varying energy consumption of the device over time during operation of the device. A basis function is selected, the basis function defining a signal pattern associated with a known fault type. A correlation between the basis function and the energy consumption signal is evaluated. Presence of an operating fault in the device is determined in dependence on the correlation, and an output is generated based on the determination.

Systems and methods dynamically assess energy efficiency by obtaining a minimum energy consumption of a system, receiving in a substantially continuous way a measurement of actual energy consumption of the system, and comparing the minimum energy consumption to the measurement of actual energy consumption to calculate a substantially continuous energy performance assessment. The system further provides at least one of a theoretical minimum energy consumption based at least in part on theoretical performance limits of system components, an achievable minimum energy consumption based at least in part on specifications for high energy efficient equivalents of the system components, and the designed minimum energy consumption based at least in part on specifications for the system components.

A method for detecting a loss or an undervoltage condition of phase of an electric converter unit, wherein the method comprises: determining an extremum value, such as a maximum and/or a minimum value, of a phase voltage of the electric converter unit for at least one fundamental period of the phase voltage, and comparing the extremum value to a first threshold value, and if, based on the comparison, a first threshold criterion related to the first threshold value is satisfied, then determining the loss or the undervoltage condition of phase.

A method of detecting a fault in a device is described. The method comprises receiving an energy consumption signal for the device, the energy consumption signal indicating a varying energy consumption of the device over time during operation of the device. A basis function is selected, the basis function defining a signal pattern associated with a known fault type. A correlation between the basis function and the energy consumption signal is evaluated. Presence of an operating fault in the device is determined in dependence on the correlation, and an output is generated based on the determination.

A reference clock signal of at least one module clock signal associated with each module is delivered. A measurement period is generated and a module whose consumption is to be determined is selected. The frequency of the at least one module clock signal associated with the selected module reduced during the measurement period. A measurement of a first consumption of the device is made in the measurement period. A measurement of a second consumption of the device is made outside the measurement period. The consumption of the selected module is determined from the first and measured first and second consumptions.

A method for determining power consumption levels of an appliance includes reducing a power consumption of the appliance to a minimum value; measuring a first voltage value at an internal terminal of the appliance; increasing the power consumption of the appliance to a factory default value; measuring a second voltage value at the internal terminal of the appliance; computing a supply wire resistance based on the measured first and second voltage values; and determining a maximum allowable power consumption value of the appliance based on the computed supply wire resistance.

A diagnostic system for a home appliance, and a method for diagnosing the home appliance, the method according to one aspect including collecting consumed electric power information of the home appliance by a power measuring part; transmitting the collected electric power information to an external server; and receiving operation state information of the home appliance analyzed from the external server by the home appliance.

A method of fitting a power closure member to a vehicle includes the steps of: (a) detecting, by current sensor, current drawn by a closure member actuator when the closure member is closed and a latch contacts a striker of a lock assembly for the closure member and (b) comparing, by computing device, a detected current to a predetermined current range representative of desired mechanical interference between the latch and the striker.

A method and system for estimating energy consumption of a utility population includes organizing the utility population comprising energy consumers into a plurality of groups. Next, a distribution of energy consumption against the plurality of groups may be calculated. Subsequently, statistically representative groups based on the energy distribution and the plurality of groups may be determined. Data is then collected from the statistically representative groups at predefined intervals from a communications network. Energy consumption of the utility population may then be estimated based on the data collected from the statistically representative groups. The communications network comprises an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network.

Disclosed herein is an electric power management apparatus including: an electric power measurement block configured to measure an electric power consumption amount of an electric power consumer; and an electric power comparison block configured to make a comparison between an electric power consumption amount measured by the electric power measurement block and an electric power demand forecast amount indicative of a forecast amount of an electric power demand of the electric power consumer.