METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING POWER OF SMART APPLIANCE

• US 20120197455A1
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Ji-Hye, Kim, Wuk
• Granted Patent: US 9,564,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/296
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/008 involving trading of energy or energy transmission rights
• 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: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing power of a smart appliance is provided. The method includes acquiring, from the smart appliance, by an Energy Management System (EMS) for managing power of the smart appliance at home over a home network, terminal information including function information and power consumption information; monitoring power of the smart appliance and transmitting results of the results to an energy service provider; and controlling, upon receiving a power reduction command from the energy service provider, the power of the smart appliance based on the acquired terminal information.

Claims

1. A method for managing power of a smart appliance, comprising:

acquiring, from the smart appliance, by an Energy Management System (EMS) for managing power of the smart appliance at home over a home network, terminal information including function information and power consumption information;

monitoring power of the smart appliance and transmitting results of the results to an energy service provider; and

controlling, upon receiving a power reduction command from the energy service provider, the power of the smart appliance based on the acquired terminal information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring the terminal information comprises:

receiving, from the energy service provider, an energy profile;

acquiring, from the smart appliance, the terminal information including function information and power consumption information; and

storing the acquired terminal information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the received energy profile includes a change in existing energy profile information shared for a smart grid service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminal information includes information indicating a terminal type, power consumption, a power supply class, a terminal function list, and a power management method.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the power supply class is set to any one of an always-on mode, a power saving mode, and an off-during peak time mode.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the power management method is set to any one of a manual mode for manually controlling the power by interaction with a user, and an automatic mode for automatically controlling a function of the smart appliance.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the controlling the power of the smart appliance comprises:

selecting a smart appliance whose power is to be controlled and a terminal function to be controlled in the smart appliance, based on the acquired terminal information;

sending, if the power management method is set to a manual mode, a power control command to the smart appliance; and

receiving power control results from the smart appliance.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the controlling the power of the smart appliance comprises:

selecting a smart appliance whose power is to be controlled and a terminal function to be controlled in the smart appliance, based on the acquired terminal information; and

if the power management method is set to an automatic mode, controlling the selected terminal function of the smart appliance.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the selecting comprises selecting a smart appliance whose power is to be controlled and a terminal function to be controlled in the smart appliance based on the acquired terminal information and previously stored user preference information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user preference information includes information indicating at least one of a level where each of a plurality of smart appliances must always be powered on, a level where the smart appliance must operate at a higher priority than other smart appliances, and a normal level.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the power reduction command includes information indicating at least one of an amount of reduction in power and a time for which power usage is to be limited.

12. An apparatus for managing power of a smart appliance, comprising:

an input unit for receiving an input signal from a user;

a display for outputting display information;

a communication unit for performing communication with the smart appliance and a smart meter;

a storage unit for storing terminal information including function information and power consumption information of the smart appliance;

a controller for acquiring terminal information including function information and power consumption information from the smart appliance, monitoring power of the smart appliance, and transmitting results of the monitoring to an energy service provider; and

a power adjustment unit for controlling the power of the smart appliance based on the acquired terminal information according to a control signal from the controller, upon receiving a power reduction command from the energy service provider through the communication unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller receives an energy profile from the energy service provider, acquires the terminal information including function information and power consumption information from the smart appliance, and stores the acquired terminal information in the storage.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the received energy profile includes a change in existing energy profile information shared for a smart grid service.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the terminal information includes information indicating a terminal type, power consumption, a power supply class, a terminal function list, and a power management method.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the power supply class is set to any one of an always-on mode, a power saving mode, and an off-during peak time mode.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the power management method is set to any one of a manual mode for manually controlling the power by interaction with a user, and an automatic mode for automatically controlling a function of the smart appliance.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the power adjustment unit selects a smart appliance whose power is to be controlled and a terminal function to be controlled in the smart appliance, based on the acquired terminal information, sends, if the power management method is set to a manual mode, a power control command to the smart appliance through the communication unit, and receives power control results from the smart appliance.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the power adjustment unit selects a smart appliance whose power is to be controlled and a terminal function to be controlled in the smart appliance, based on the acquired terminal information,

controls, if the power management method is set to an automatic mode, the selected terminal function of the smart appliance.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the power adjustment unit selects a smart appliance whose power is to be controlled and a terminal function to be controlled in the smart appliance, based on the acquired terminal information and previously stored user preference information.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the user preference information includes information indicating one of a level where each of a plurality of smart appliances must always be powered on, a level where the smart appliance must operate at a higher priority than other smart appliances, and a normal level.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the power reduction command includes information indicating at least one of an amount of reduction in power and a time for which power usage is to be limited.