POWER CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD AND PROGRAM FOR CONTROLLING POWER CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20110270456A1
• Filed: 01/06/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsujimura, Satoshi, Kurimoto, Kazunori, Yoshimura, Yasuo, Nakatani, Naofumi, Kouda, Tetsuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,761,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/292
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• 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 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A power control device includes a priority setting section capable of setting a use priority of a home appliance connected wirelessly or via cable or an adapter connected to the home appliance. The home appliance or the adaptor connected to the home appliance operates within the usable power of a result of the inquiry to the power control device. When there is no excess in usable power over the required power in the inquiry, the power control device reduces the power of a device having a lower priority than the device which has transmitted the inquiry in order to use the device with the higher priority.

Claims

1. A power control system comprising:

a home appliance connected wirelessly or via cable through a communication network section, or an adapter connected between a commercial power supply and the home appliance; and

a power control device,

wherein the home appliance or the adapter comprises;

a power detecting section configured to measure or obtain power consumption of the home appliance or power consumption of a device connected to the adapter,

wherein the power control device comprises;

a current detecting section configured to detect a current flowing through one or more electrical systems of the commercial power supply;

a voltage detecting section configured to detect a voltage of the commercial power supply;

a power calculating section configured to calculate electric power from detection information of the current detecting section and the voltage detecting section;

a transceiver section configured to communicate with the home appliance or the adapter connected between the commercial power supply and the home appliance;

an upper limit setting section configured to set an upper limit of a current flowing through the current detecting section;

a priority setting section configured to set a use priority of the home appliance or the adapter; and

a power control instructing section configured to output alarm notification or a power control instruction to the home appliance or the adapter when it is detected that the current flowing through the current detecting section is equal to or larger than a current value set by the upper limit setting section,

wherein when the home appliance or the device connected to the adapter is operated, an inquiry about whether the home appliance or the device is usable is transmitted to the power control device, and an operation of the home appliance or the device connected to the adapter is controlled according to the inquiry result, and

wherein the power control device outputs a power control instruction to a device which has a lower priority set by the priority setting section than the device which has transmitted the inquiry, based on a content of the inquiry and the detection information of the current detecting section as necessary.

2. The power control system according to claim 1, wherein if an operation of the home appliance or an operation of a device connected to the adapter is an operation related to transition to a mode in which power consumption of the device does not increase, the operation of the home appliance or the device connected to the adapter is controlled according to an instruction of the operation without transmitting the inquiry about whether the home appliance or the device can be used to the power control device.

3. The power control system according to claim 1, wherein when the home appliance or the device connected to the adapter is operated, a content of the inquiry about whether the home appliance or the device can be used transmitted to the power control device includes a required power value, and the inquiry result includes information containing a usable power value.

4. The power control system according to claim 3, wherein one of the home appliances is an IH cooking heater.

5. The power control system according to claim 4, wherein when the IH cooking heater is operated for transition to a mode in which output power thereof increases, an inquiry is transmitted to the power control device together with information including required power, and

wherein when the required power is added in a current state, and a current exceeding the upper limit set by the high limit setting section is expected to flow, the power control device tries to secure the required power by performing a control to reduce electric power of a device with a lower priority than the IH cooking heater so as to use the IH cooking heater as mach as possible.

6. The power control system according to claim 5, wherein the IH cooking heater comprises a device output power deciding section configured to decide to operate in a mode within usable power of the inquiry result when required power cannot be secured even though the power control device has controlled the device with the lower priority than the IH cooking heater.

7. The power control system according to claim 1, wherein in a case in which the home appliance or the device connected to the adapter is an air conditioner, when electric power reduction is requested from the power control device, an instruction to change an operation mode of the air conditioner to a fan mode is given.

8. The power control system according to claim 1, wherein at least one device included in the power control system comprises a display section configured to display information including power consumption of the device collected in the power control system

9. The power control system according to claim 1, wherein at least one device included in the power control system comprises a Web server, and

wherein a device such as a personal computer or a television comprising a Web browser uses the Web browser as a display section to display information containing power consumption collected by the device comprising the Web server through a network.

13. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to perform operations of at least a part of the power control system according to claim 1.

10. A method for controlling a power control system comprising a home appliance connected through a communication network section or an adapter connected between a commercial power supply and the home appliance, and a power control device, said method, performed by the home appliance or the adapter, comprising:

a usable power inquiry transmitting step of transmitting an inquiry to the power control device together with information including required power when the home appliance is operated for transition to a mode in which output power thereof increases;

an inquiry result receiving step of receiving an inquiry result; and

an operation control step of controlling an operation according to the inquiry result.

11. A method for controlling a power control system comprising a home appliance connected through a communication network section or an adapter connected between a commercial power supply and the home appliance, and a power control device, said method, performed by the IH heater in a case in which the home appliance is an IH heater, comprising:

a usable power inquiry transmitting step of transmitting an inquiry to the power control device together with information including required power when the IH heater is operated for transition to a mode in which output power thereof increases;

an inquiry result receiving step of receiving an inquiry result; and

a device output power deciding step of deciding to operate in a mode within usable power of the inquiry result when required power can not be as the inquiry result.

12. A method for controlling a power control system comprising a home appliance connected through a communication network section or an adapter connected between a commercial power supply and the home appliance, and a power control device, said method, performed by the power control device, comprising:

a priority setting step of setting a use priority of the home appliance or the adapter;

a required power receiving step of receiving required power from the home appliance or the adapter;

a margin power value calculating step of calculating, when the required power is received,

a margin power value with respect to an upper-limit power value which is set based on an electric power value currently measured;

a usable power responding step of sending a response to the home appliance or the adapter with the calculated margin power value as a usable power value; and

a power reduction request step of outputting an instruction to reduce electric power of a device having a priority lower than the home appliance or the adapter which has transmitted the information regarding the required power, when the usable power is lower than the required power value.

14. A power control system comprising:

a plurality of home appliances connected wirelessly or via cable through a communication network section; and

a power control device,

wherein the home appliance comprises;

a power detecting section configured to measure or obtain power consumption of the home appliance and output the power consumption as a power signal;

a home appliance information communication section configured to perform communication of a power information signal, a power control signal, or home appliance operation information with the power control system and other home appliances through the communication network section; and

a home appliance control section configured to control the home appliance based on the power control signal obtained from the home appliance information communication section and the power signal from the power detecting section,

wherein the power control device comprises;

a current detecting section configured to detect a current flowing through one or more electrical systems of the commercial power supply;

a voltage detecting section configured to detect a voltage of the commercial power supply;

a power calculating section configured to calculate electric power from detection information of the current detecting section and the voltage detecting section;

a power control communication section configured to communicate with the home appliance;

a current upper limit setting section configured to set an upper limit of a current flowing through the current detecting section;

a power upper limit setting section configured to set an upper limit of the electric power calculated by the power calculating section;

a priority setting section configured to set a use priority of the home appliance; and

a power control section configured to receive inputs of the current upper limit from the current upper limit setting section, the power upper limit from the power upper limit setting section, the priority from the priority setting section, and the communication information of the home appliance from the power control communication section, and to decide the electric power value of the home appliance as the power control signal and output the power control signal to the power control communication section,

wherein when a first home appliance which is one of the plurality of home appliances is operated, the first home appliance transmits an inquiry including the operation information to the power control device, and

wherein the power control section of the power control device outputs the power control signal for reducing a current or electric power to a home appliance having a lower priority set by the priority setting section than the first home appliance, when the power control section determines that it is necessary to reduce a current or electric power in order to enable the first home appliance to be used.

15. The power control system according to claim 14, wherein when the first home appliance is operated for a transition to a mode in which electric power of a device does not increase, the first home appliance does not transmit the inquiry to the power control device.

16. The power control system according to claim 14, wherein the power control section of the power control device stops transmission of the power control signal to the first home appliance until a drop in electric power by control of the home appliance having the lower priority is confirmed, and

wherein the first home appliance does not operate in response to the operation until the power control signal from the power control section of the power control device is input.

17. The power control system according to claim 14, wherein the power control section of the power control device gradually reduces electric power of the home appliance having the low priority by the power control signal.

18. The power control system according to claim 17, wherein the power control section of the power control device changes an amount of time variation at the gradual reduction of the electric power of the home appliance having the low priority, according to a type of the target home appliance.

19. The power control system according to claim 14, wherein the power control section of the power control device gradually increases electric power of the first home appliance by the power control signal.

20. The power control system according to claim 19, wherein the power control section changes an amount of time variation at the gradual increase of the electric power of the first home appliance, according to a type of the first home appliance.

21. The power control system according to claim 14, wherein when the electric power of the first home appliance in operation cannot be secured even though the electric power is reduced by control of the home appliance having the low priority, the power control section outputs electric power not exceeding the power upper limit as maximum power, and

wherein the first home appliance operates with the electric power less than the maximum power indicated by the power control signal from the power control section of the power control device.