Patent ID: 8463452

Claim:
An apparatus ( 10 ) for analyzing time-based electrical load characteristics of an electrical appliance on a premises micro-power grid to identify an individual specific electrical appliance, the apparatus consisting of: a signal conditioner ( 20 ) receiving electrical load character signals ( 14 ) of the electrical appliance, the signal conditioner ( 20 ) adapted to generate a conditioned signal ( 24 ) adapted for use by other components of the apparatus; a signature engine ( 40 ) adapted to receive the conditioned signal ( 24 ) and to generate a signature signal ( 44 ) based on the conditioned signal ( 24 ), the signature signal including signature data and an assigned value in the signature signal to make the signature signal unique to the electrical appliance; an ID-engine ( 60 ) adapted to receive the signature signal ( 44 ), to analyze the signature data in the signature signal ( 44 ) in view of a set of signature ID criteria ( 66 ) to identify the individual specific electrical appliance, and to store the identity in a database ( 80 ), and further adapted to derive the identity of the appliance through a user interaction and/or calls to a remote database for storage and additional signature ID data; and a system manager ( 90 ) adapted to provide overall control of the apparatus ( 10 ), and having I/O interfaces ( 94 ) for sending and receiving signals ( 94 , 14 ).