Reducing electric energy consumption based on energy usage pattern

• US 10,346,855 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sabe, Kohtaro, Iwama, Takashi, Kamitani, Hiroshi, Shimizu, Osamu, Takiguchi, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamilton, Matthew L
• Application Number:
  US13/538,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20130018717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,566 Days
• Field of Search: 702 62, 705 14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes an electric power related information obtaining unit mounted on or connected to equipment and configured to obtain electric power related information with regard to the equipment and a communication unit configured to transmit the electric power related information obtained by the electric power related information obtaining unit to a rebate processing apparatus connected via a network. A rebate processing apparatus includes a communication unit configured to receive electric power related information transmitted from an information processing apparatus mounted on or connected to equipment via the network, a rebate reference calculation unit configured to calculate a rebate reference functioning as a reference for a rebate processing on the basis of the electric power related information, and a rebate processing unit configured to perform a predetermined rebate processing on the basis of the rebate reference.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU) configured to;

detect an ON state associated with an equipment connected to the information processing apparatus;

determine electric power consumption information based on the ON state associated with the equipment;

determine a mode of operation corresponding to the equipment, wherein

the mode of operation indicates one of a standby mode of operation or a normal mode of operation of the equipment;

transmit equipment usage time information corresponding to the electric power consumption information and equipment identification information indicating an identity associated with the equipment to a rebate processing server based on the mode of operation that has switched from the standby mode of operation to the normal mode of operation of the equipment; and

transmit the equipment usage time information and the equipment identification information to the rebate processing server based on the mode of operation that has switched from the normal mode of operation to the standby mode of operation of the equipment, wherein the electric power consumption information is accurately calculated based on the equipment usage time information corresponding to a time of the standby mode of operation and standby energy associated with the equipment.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electric power consumption information indicates a first period of time of operation associated with the equipment;

and

the CPU is further configured to measure the first period of time of operation associated with the equipment based on the ON state.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the CPU is further configured to:

detect an OFF state associated with the equipment; and

transmit the equipment usage time information to the rebate processing server based on the first period of time and the OFF state.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electric power consumption information indicates electric power consumed by the equipment;

and

the CPU is further configured to measure the electric power consumed by the equipment.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the CPU is further configured to determine the electric power consumption information corresponding to one of the standby mode of operation or the normal mode of operation.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the rebate processing server executes a rebate calculation process that outputs benefit information corresponding to the electric power consumption information,

wherein the benefit information includes a rebate credited to a bank account of a user, and

wherein the rebate is credited based on an electricity charge paid by the user for usage of the equipment in a first period of time.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a timer configured to determine the first period of time that is associated with a threshold time and date of the transmission of the equipment usage time information and the equipment identification information,

wherein the CPU is further configured to transmit the equipment usage time information and the equipment identification information to the rebate processing server, based on the threshold time and the date.

6. A method, comprising:

detecting, by an information processing apparatus, an ON state associated with an equipment connected to the information processing apparatus;

determining, by the information processing apparatus, electric power consumption information based on the ON state associated with the equipment;

determining, by the information processing apparatus, a mode of operation corresponding to the equipment, wherein

the mode of operation indicates one of a standby mode of operation or a normal mode of operation of the equipment;

transmitting, by the information processing apparatus, equipment usage time information corresponding to the electric power consumption information and equipment identification information indicating an identity associated with the equipment to a rebate processing server based on the mode of operation that has switched from the standby mode of operation to the normal mode of operation of the equipment; and

transmitting, by the information processing apparatus, the equipment usage time information and the equipment identification information to the rebate processing server based on the mode of operation that has switched from the normal mode of operation to the standby mode of operation of the equipment,

wherein the electric power consumption information is accurately calculated based on the equipment usage time information corresponding to a time of the standby mode of operation and standby energy associated with the equipment.