POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

• US 20120185107A1
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yanagi, Yasuhiro, Takehara, Kiyotaka, Takamiya, Akiko
• Application Number:
  US13/496,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20120185107A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/292
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6691 with built-in signalling means H01R13/717 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/006 the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/007 Arrangements for selectively connecting the load or loads to one or several among a plurality of power lines or power sources for providing uninterruptable power supply H02J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/02 using a single network for simultaneous distribution of power at different frequencies; using a single network for simultaneous distribution of ac power and of dc power
• 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: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• 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

Abstract

A power distribution system includes power sources and an outlet which is supplied with electric power from the power sources and displays information on which power source is currently supplying the electric power. Further, the power distribution system includes a controller which changes the power sources for supplying the electric power to the outlet and controls the display on the outlet.

Claims

1. A power control system, comprising:

a plurality of electric appliances; and

a power control device for controlling operations of the electric appliances,

wherein the electric appliances are assorted into one or more groups each including two or more electric appliances, and the power control device controls operations of the electric appliances on a group-by-group basis according to a plurality of control options prepared in advance based on state information of the electric appliances.

2. The power control system of claim 1, wherein the power control device is configured to change the control options depending on the kind and number of the electric appliances belonging to the same group as the state information.

3. The power control system of claim 1, wherein the groups include a group including a plurality of cooling and heating electric appliances, and wherein the power control device is configured to control the cooling and heating electric appliances in association with each other.

4. The power control system of claim 1, wherein the groups include a human detector for detecting a human existing in a monitoring region and notifying the power control device of presence or absence of the human, and wherein the power control device is configured to control the electric appliances by use of different control options when the human is detected by the human detector and when the human is not detected by the human detector.

5. The power control system of claim 1, wherein the groups include a group to which the electric appliances required to be operated at all times belong.

6. The power control system of claim 5, wherein the power control device is configured to receive a control command from a power company and to reduce power consumption by controlling the electric appliances other than the electric appliances required to be operated at all times, when the control command requests the power control device to reduce power consumption.

7. The power control system of claim 5, wherein the power control device is configured to receive an operation input setting an upper limit value of power consumption and to reduce power consumption by controlling the electric appliances other than the electric appliances required to be operated at all times, when it is determined that the power consumption is likely to exceed the upper limit value.

8. The power control system of claim 1, wherein the power control device is configured to detect failure of the electric appliances by confirming operation states of the electric appliances and releases the group to which the electric appliance under failure belongs upon detecting failure of one of the electric appliances.

9. The power control system of claim 1, wherein the power control device stores, as a threshold value, an average setting value acquired from use history information including use time, use frequency and setting content of the electric appliances and determines disposition of a dweller based on the threshold value to reflect the disposition of the dweller in selecting the control options.

10. The power control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a server device for making data communications with the power control device, wherein, when one of the electric appliances is replaced and identification information thereof is renewed, the power control device transmits the renewed identification information to the server device and acquires performance information of the electric appliance corresponding to the renewed identification information from the server device to change the control options pursuant to the performance information.

11. The power control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a server device for making data communications with the power control device, wherein the power control device transmits identification information of the electric appliances and measured power consumption of the electric appliances to the server device, and wherein the server device finds a statistical value of power consumption on the electric appliance having the same identification information as the identification information received and transmits a warning notice to the power control device if the power consumption received is out of a normal range set pursuant to the statistical value.