Apparatus control device, apparatus control system and method for controlling apparatus for controlling an operation of an intended apparatus in accordance with a control schedule

• US 10,054,915 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2013
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kazuno, Hiroki, Nakao, Toshiaki, Sogo, Tomoya, Murakami, Yoshifumi, Shimotsuma, Toru, Maeda, Ryuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Aguilera, Todd
• Application Number:
  US14/412,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20150185720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: 700 11, 700 12, 700 14, 700 19, 700276
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23077 Reconfigurable remote programmer, learn control signals for different devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25419 Scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

The obtainment unit obtains information indicative of a content of manual-operation performed by a user regarding control of an intended apparatus from a group of loads, and stores it as manual-operation information including an obtaining time. The identification unit identifies a type of control of the manual-operation information. The determination unit counts the number of times of obtaining the manual-operation information within a counting period equal to two days or more, for each type and for each time period, and determines whether the number of times of obtaining the same type of manual-operation information within the same time period is equal to a predetermined threshold or more. When the number of times of obtaining the same type of manual-operation information within the same time period is determined to be equal to the predetermined threshold or more, the schedule change unit changes a control schedule based on this manual-operation information.

Claims

1. A method for controlling apparatus for controlling an operation of an intended apparatus in accordance with a control schedule, the method comprising:

storing, in a storage unit, a control schedule including multiple control commands each defining a pair of a control time and a control content, the control time and the control content being associated with each other;

controlling an intended apparatus at a control time used in the control schedule stored in the schedule storage unit, in accordance with the control content associated with the control time;

obtaining, within a counting period equal to or more than two days, manual-operation information indicative of a control content of a manual-operation conducted by a user and a time at which the manual-operation is conducted with regard to control on the intended apparatus;

counting the number of times of a specific manual operation conducted by the user based on the manual-operation information within the counting period equal to or more than two days, for each of multiple time periods into which a day is divided;

determining whether the number of times of the specific manual operation for the time periods is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold;

after determining that the number of times of the specific manual operation in a given time period is equal to or more than the predetermined threshold, identifying a control command, in the given time period, having the same control content type as a control content of the specific manual operation;

setting, as a determination period, a monitoring period based on the control schedule, the monitoring period being constituted by at least one of predetermined time periods prior to and subsequent to the control time in the control schedule corresponding to the identified control command;

determining whether or not the given time period is included in the monitoring period, and

after determining that the given time period is included in the monitoring period, changing the control time in the control schedule corresponding to the identified control command based on manual-operation information corresponding to the given time period.

2. An apparatus control device for controlling an operation of an intended apparatus in accordance with a control schedule, which consumes resources to operate, the apparatus control device comprising:

a schedule storage unit configured to store a control schedule including multiple control commands each defining a pair of a control time and a control content, the control time and the control content being associated with each other;

an execution unit configured to control the intended apparatus, at a control time defined in the control schedule stored in the schedule storage unit, in accordance with the control content associated with the control time;

an obtainment unit configured to obtain, within a counting period equal to or more than two days, manual-operation information indicative of a control content of a manual-operation conducted by a user and a time at which the manual-operation is conducted with regard to control on the intended apparatus;

a first determination unit configured to;

count the number of times of a specific manual operation conducted by the user based on the manual-operation information within the counting period equal to or more than two days, for each of multiple time periods into which a day is divided, and

determine whether the number of times of the specific manual operation for the time periods is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold;

a schedule change unit configured to;

when the number of times of the specific manual operation in a given time period is equal to or more than the predetermined threshold, identify a control command, in the given time period, having the same control content type as a control content of the specific manual operation; and

a second determination unit configured to;

set, as a determination period, a monitoring period based on the control schedule, the monitoring period being constituted by at least one of predetermined time periods prior to and subsequent to the control time in the control schedule corresponding to the identified control command; and

determine whether or not the given time period is included in the monitoring period,

wherein the schedule change unit is further configured to, when the given time period is included in the monitoring period, change the control time in the control schedule corresponding to the identified control command based on manual-operation information corresponding to the given time period.

3. The apparatus control device according to claim 2,

wherein the schedule change unit is configured to,

when the given time period is included in the monitoring period, change the control time based on a content of manual-operation information which is obtained at a time which results in a smallest consumption of the resources.

4. The apparatus control device according to claim 2, wherein:

the first determination unit is configured to use different values as the threshold for two or more specific manual operations, and

a value of the threshold for a first manual operation is lower than a value of the threshold for a second manual operation, the first manual operation being for decreasing a consumption of the resources and the second manual operation being for increasing a consumption of the resources.

5. The apparatus control device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a cost conversion unit configured to convert a consumption of the resources into a cost; and

a display output unit configured to display at least one of the consumption of the resources in a case where the intended apparatus is controlled in accordance with the control schedule, and the cost obtained into which the consumption is converted by the cost conversion unit.

6. The apparatus control device according to claim 2, wherein

the schedule change unit is configured to present a candidate of a post-changed control schedule in a process of changing the control schedule, and to finally decide change to the control schedule in response to manual input from a user.

7. An apparatus control system for controlling operation of multiple intended apparatuses in accordance with a control schedule, the apparatus control system comprising:

the apparatus control device according to claim 2; and

multiple intended apparatuses, each of which corresponds to the intended apparatus,

wherein the execution unit is configured to control operations of the multiple intended apparatuses.

8. The apparatus control device according to claim 2, wherein

the first determination unit has a function of setting lengths of the multiple time periods.

9. An apparatus control device for controlling an operation of an intended apparatus in accordance with a control schedule, which consumes resources to operate, the apparatus control device comprising:

a schedule storage unit configured to store a control schedule including multiple control commands each defining a pair of a control time and a control content, the control time and the control content being associated with each other;

an execution unit configured to control the intended apparatus, at a control time defined in the control schedule stored in the schedule storage unit, in accordance with the control content associated with the control time;

an obtainment unit configured to obtain, within a counting period equal to or more than two days, manual-operation information indicative of a control content of a manual-operation conducted by a user and a time at which the manual-operation is conducted with regard to control on the intended apparatus;

a first determination unit configured to;

count the number of times of a specific manual operation conducted by the user based on the manual-operation information within the counting period equal to or more than two days, for each of multiple time periods into which a day is divided, and

determine whether the number of times of the specific manual operation for the time periods is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold;

a schedule change unit configured to;

when the number of times of the specific manual operation in a given time period is equal to or more than the predetermined threshold, identify a control command, in the given time period, having the same control content type as a control content of the specific manual operation; and

a second determination unit configured to;

set, as a determination period, a monitoring period based on the control schedule, the monitoring period being constituted by at least one of predetermined time periods prior to and subsequent to the control time in the control schedule corresponding to the identified control command; and

determine whether or not the given time period is included in the monitoring period,

wherein the schedule change unit is further configured to, when the given time period is not included in the monitoring period, add a new control command to the control schedule based on manual-operation information corresponding to the given time period.

10. The apparatus control device according to claim 9, wherein

the first determination unit has a function of setting lengths of the multiple time periods.

11. The apparatus control device according to claim 9, wherein

the schedule change unit is configured to,

when the given time period is included in the monitoring period, change the control time based on a content of manual-operation information which is obtained at a time which results in a smallest consumption of the resources.

12. The apparatus control device according to claim 9, wherein:

the first determination unit is configured to use different values as the threshold for two or more specific manual operations, and

a value of the threshold for a first manual operation is lower than a value of the threshold for a second manual operation, the first manual operation being for decreasing a consumption of the resources and the second manual operation being for increasing a consumption of the resources.

13. The apparatus control device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a cost conversion unit configured to convert a consumption of the resources into a cost; and

a display output unit configured to display at least one of the consumption of the resources in a case where the intended apparatus is controlled in accordance with the control schedule, and the cost obtained into which the consumption is converted by the cost conversion unit.

14. The apparatus control device according to claim 9, wherein

the schedule change unit is configured to present a candidate of a post-changed control schedule in a process of changing the control schedule, and to finally decide change to the control schedule in response to manual input from a user.

15. An apparatus control system for controlling operations of multiple intended apparatuses in accordance with a control schedule comprising:

the apparatus control device according to claim 9; and

multiple intended apparatuses, each of which corresponds to the intended apparatus,

wherein the execution unit is configured to control operations of the multiple intended apparatuses.