Patent ID: 7034707

Claim:
System for monitoring at least an electric user, in particular a household appliance, the system comprising a monitoring device being located on an AC electric power supply line between a source of electric energy and said user, said user comprising an electronic control system and at least one electric load, said monitoring device comprising: control means, metering means for detecting one or more electric quantities, memory means, means for allowing data to be read from said monitoring device or transmitted out of it, said metering means being provided for measuring one or more electric quantities associated with operation of said user; said memory means containing reference data or profiles representative of theoretical levels of said electric quantity or quantities that apply to respective operations or phases of operation of said user under the user's normal or correct operating conditions, said control means comprising means for performing a comparison of the electric quantity or quantities measured through said metering means with said reference data or profiles; means for generating, in function of said comparison, information being representative of a current operating status or phase of operation of said electric user, communication means being provided, for performing a point-to-point transmission and/or reception of data or information on the electric supply line which connects said user to said monitoring device, by means of a modulation of electric power between said user and said monitoring device and/or vice-versa.