METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING ENERGY SUPPLY

• US 20120029721A1
• Filed: 07/15/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: CHANG, Young-Bin, LEE, Geun-Ho, TAORI, Rakesh
• Granted Patent: US 9,608,446 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/297
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/28 Arrangements for balancing of the load in a network by storage of energy

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling energy supply to energy consuming devices are provided. The method includes acquiring a first amount of energy to be used in at least one energy consuming device, determining the amount of energy stored in an energy storage, and optionally transmitting an energy supply request message to an energy supplier based on the amount of energy to be consumed in an energy consuming device and the amount of stored energy.

Claims

1. A method for controlling energy supply, the method comprising:

acquiring a first amount of energy to be used in at least one energy consuming device;

determining a second amount of energy stored in an energy storage; and

optionally transmitting an energy supply request message to an energy supplier based on the first amount of energy and the second amount of energy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first amount of energy is an amount of energy to be used in the at least one energy consuming device in a preset time period.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the energy supply request message includes information about an amount of requested energy, which is determined based on the first amount of energy, and information about the preset time period.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the amount of requested energy is determined based on at least one of a preset amount of energy, the first amount of energy, and the second amount of energy.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the amount of requested energy is determined to be greater than or equal to a difference between an amount of required energy and the second amount of energy, and the amount of required energy is determined as a sum of the preset amount of energy and the first amount of energy.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first amount of energy is a sum of an amount of operating energy and an amount of energy demand for the at least one energy consuming device, the amount of operating energy includes an amount of energy for communication with the at least one energy consuming device, and the amount of energy demand includes at least one of an amount of energy, which is acquired based on energy demand information received from the at least one energy consuming device, an amount of energy for an energy consuming device incapable of transmitting the energy demand information, and an amount of energy for an energy consuming device that operates nonstop.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the energy demand information includes at least one of a number of operations of the at least one energy consuming device, an operating time thereof, a maximum delay time required for the completion of the operations, and an amount of energy consumed per hour.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the optionally transmitting of the energy supply request message comprises:

determining whether to transmit the energy supply request message based on at least one of the first amount of energy, the second amount of energy, and a target amount of energy;

wherein the target amount of energy represents an amount of energy required to be stored in the energy storage.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring an operation time period where the at least one energy consuming device will operate; and

if a second time period included in the operation time period is higher than a first time period included in the operation time period in terms of an energy cost, controlling the at least one energy consuming device to first consume the energy stored in the energy storage in the second time period.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the operation time period is acquired based on information about an amount of energy consumption for each of the energy consuming devices, which is received from a meter, and information about time-specific energy costs.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the optionally transmitting of the energy supply request message comprises:

if the first amount of energy is greater than the second amount of energy in an operation time period where the at least one energy consuming device will operate, searching for a time period whose an energy cost is lower than an energy cost corresponding to the operation time period in a time period from an arbitrary time to an end time of the operation time period; and

transmitting the energy supply request message to the energy supplier so that energy may be supplied from the energy supplier to the energy storage in a partial time period included in the searched time period.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the optionally transmitting of the energy supply request message comprises:

determining whether the searched time period precedes a remaining time period determined by excepting the searched time period from the operation time period; and

determining whether the first amount of energy is greater than the second amount of energy in the remaining time period determined by excepting the searched time period from the operation time period.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the optionally transmitting of the energy supply request message comprises:

if the second amount of energy is less than the first amount of energy, acquiring an energy supply time period where energy will be supplied from the energy supplier, based on time-specific energy costs; and

transmitting the energy supply request message to the energy supplier so that energy may be supplied from the energy supplier to the energy storage in the energy supply time period.

14. An apparatus for controlling energy supply to at least one energy consuming device, the apparatus comprising:

an energy detector for determining a second amount of energy stored in an energy storage;

a controller for acquiring a first amount of energy to be used in the at least one energy consuming device, and for controlling a transceiver to optionally transmit an energy supply request message to an energy supplier based on the first amount of energy and the second amount of energy; and

the transceiver for transmitting the energy supply request message to the energy supplier.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first amount of energy is an amount of energy to be used in the at least one energy consuming device in a preset time period.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the energy supply request message includes information about an amount of requested energy, which is determined based on the first amount of energy, and information about the preset time period.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the amount of requested energy is determined based on at least one of a preset amount of energy, the first amount of energy, and the second amount of energy.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the amount of requested energy is determined to be greater than or equal to a difference between an amount of required energy and the second amount of energy, and the amount of required energy is determined as a sum of the preset amount of energy and the first amount of energy.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first amount of energy is a sum of an amount of operating energy and an amount of energy demand for the at least one energy consuming device, the amount of operating energy includes an amount of energy for communication with the at least one energy consuming device, and the amount of energy demand includes at least one of an amount of energy, which is acquired based on energy demand information received from the at least one energy consuming device, an amount of energy for an energy consuming device incapable of transmitting the energy demand information, and an amount of energy for an energy consuming device that operates nonstop.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the energy demand information includes at least one of a number of operations of the at least one energy consuming device, an operating time thereof, a maximum delay time required for the completion of the operations, and an amount of energy consumed per hour.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller determines whether to transmit the energy supply request message based on at least one of the first amount of energy, the second amount of energy, and a target amount of energy;

wherein the target amount of energy represents an amount of energy required to be stored in the energy storage.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller acquires an operation time period where the at least one energy consuming device will operate, and if a second time period included in the operation time period is higher than a first time period included in the operation time period in terms of an energy cost, the controller controls the at least one energy consuming device to first consume the energy stored in the energy storage in the second time period.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the operation time period is acquired based on information about an amount of energy consumption for each of the energy consuming devices, which is received from a meter, and information about time-specific energy costs.

24. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein if the first amount of energy is greater than the second amount of energy in an operation time period where the at least one energy consuming device will operate, the controller searches for a time period whose an energy cost is lower than an energy cost corresponding to the operation time period in a time period from an arbitrary time to an end time of the operation time period, and transmits the energy supply request message to the energy supplier through the transceiver so that energy may be supplied from the energy supplier to the energy storage in a partial time period included in the searched time period.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the controller determines whether the searched time period precedes a remaining time period determined by excepting the searched time period from the operation time period, and determines whether the first amount of energy is greater than the second amount of energy in the remaining time period determined by excepting the searched time period from the operation time period.

26. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein if the second amount of energy is less than the first amount of energy, the controller acquires an energy supply time period where energy will be supplied from the energy supplier, based on time-specific energy costs, and the transceiver transmits the energy supply request message to the energy supplier so that energy may be supplied from the energy supplier to the energy storage in the energy supply time period.