Method and apparatus for controlling power supply

• US 10,491,001 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lim, Hunjung, Kim, Kyungjae, Song, Kwanwoo, Cho, Hyejung, Seo, Jeongil
• Primary Examiner(s): Hernandez, William
• Application Number:
  US15/575,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20180183238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 307 31
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2639 Energy management, use maximum of cheap power, keep peak load low
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances

Abstract

The present invention relates to power supply control and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for simultaneously or individually supplying power to multiple connected devices. A method for managing power supply to a device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: measuring power consumption of at least one connected device; when the measured power consumption exceeds an allowed power supply level, determining the priority of each of the at least one connected device; and controlling power supply to each of the at least one connected device on the basis of the determined priority, wherein the priority of each of the at least one connected device is determined on the basis of the power consumption pattern and connected time of the corresponding connected device. The present invention relates to a technology for a sensor network, machine-to-machine (M2M), machine type communication (MTC), and the Internet of things (IoT). The present disclosure may be used for intelligent services (smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car or connected car, healthcare, digital education, retail, security and safety-related service, and the like) on the basis of the technology.

Claims

1. A method for managing supply of power to a device executed by an apparatus, comprising:

measuring power consumption of at least one device connected to the apparatus;

determining a priority of each of the at least one device, in case that the measured power consumption exceeds allowable power; and

controlling the supply of power to each of the at least one device, based on the determined priority,

wherein the priority of each of the at least one device is determined based on a power consumption pattern of the at least one device and a connection time of the at least one device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the connection time of a new device is less than a first threshold time, in case that the measured power consumption exceeds the allowable power; and

interrupting the supply of power to the new device, in case that the connection time of the new device is less than the first threshold time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one of an input of setting information for priority, user feedback information and predetermined priority information based on environmental information for the at least one device, and

wherein the priority of each of the at least one device is determined by preferentially considering the setting information for priority in case that the input of the setting information is received, or determined by further considering at least one of the user feedback information and the predetermined priority information based on the environmental information for the at least one device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the power consumption pattern includes at least one of a type of stably consuming power, a type of periodically consuming power, and a type of aperiodically consuming power, and

wherein the priority of each of the at least one device is determined by considering the connection time, in case that the type of each of the at least one device is the type of aperiodically consuming power.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling the supply of power to each of the at least one device includes:

calculating an excess over the allowable power in the measured power consumption;

determining, based on the calculated excess and the determined priority, the number of devices to be power-interrupted; and

interrupting the supply of power to the device according to the determined number of the devices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether there is a power usage fluctuation device, in case that the measured power consumption is within the allowable power;

calculating available power in case that there is the power usage fluctuation device; and

determining the priority of each of the at least one device in case that the calculated available power is less than a predetermined value, and controlling the supply of power to the each of the at least one device based on the determined priority,

wherein the available power is calculated based on maximum power consumption of the power usage fluctuation device, and

wherein the power usage fluctuation device consumes power according to a power consumption pattern in which the power consumption changes periodically.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the controlling the supply of power to the each of the at least one device performs the supply of power to all of the at least one device, in case that the available power is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling the supply of power to the each of the at least one device includes:

interrupting the supply of power to the at least one device; and

determining a device to be interruption-released in the at least one power-interrupted device in case that the power consumption measured after the power interruption does not exceed the allowable power, and then releasing the power interruption of the determined device, and

wherein the device to be interruption-released is determined based on at least one of the determined priority and an interruption time.

9. An apparatus for managing supply of power to a device, comprising:

a controller configured to;

measure power consumption of at least one device connected to the apparatus,

determine a priority of each of the at least one device, in case that the measured power consumption exceeds allowable power, and

control the supply of power to each of the at least one device, based on the determined priority,

wherein the priority of each of the at least one device is determined based on a power consumption pattern of the at least one device and a connection time of the at least one device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine whether the connection time of a new device is less than a first threshold time, in case that the measured power consumption exceeds the allowable power, and

interrupt the supply of power to the new device, in case that the connection time of the new device is less than the first threshold time.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive at least one of an input of setting information for priority, user feedback information and predetermined priority information based on environmental information for the at least one device, and

wherein the priority of each of the at least one device is determined by preferentially considering the setting information for priority in case that the input of the setting information is received, or determined by further considering at least one of the user feedback information and the predetermined priority information based on the environmental information for the at least one device.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the power consumption pattern includes at least one of a type of stably consuming power, a type of periodically consuming power, and a type of aperiodically consuming power, and

wherein the priority of each of the at least one device is determined by considering the connection time, in case that the type of each of the at least one device is the type of aperiodically consuming power.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate an excess over the allowable power in the measured power consumption, determine, based on the calculated excess and the determined priority, the number of devices to be power-interrupted, and interrupt the supply of power to the device according to the determined number of the devices,

wherein the controller is further configured to interrupt the supply of power to the at least one device, determine a device to be interruption-released in the at least one power-interrupted device in case that the power consumption measured after the power interruption does not exceed the allowable power, and to release the power interruption of the determined device, and

wherein the device to be interruption-released is determined based on at least one of the determined priority and an interruption time.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether there is a power usage fluctuation device, in case that the measured power consumption is within the allowable power, calculate available power in case that there is the power usage fluctuation device, determine the priority of each of the at least one device in case that the calculated available power is less than a predetermined value, and control the supply of power to the each of the at least one device based on the determined priority,

wherein the available power is calculated based on maximum power consumption of the power usage fluctuation device, and

wherein the power usage fluctuation device consumes power according to a power consumption pattern in which the power consumption changes periodically.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to supply power to all of the at least one device, in case that the available power is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.