POWER CONTROL NETWORK SYSTEM, POWER CONTROL METHOD, AND POWER CONTROLLER

• US 20130124000A1
• Filed: 07/21/2011
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kanbara, Hironori, Nojima, Mitsunori, Matsumoto, Taku, Doi, Misuzu, Honda, Kazumasa, Umemoto, Azusa, Iwami, Yohhei, Saitoh, Kohtaroh
• Application Number:
  US13/810,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20130124000A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• 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: H02J 9/062 for AC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• 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 20/248 UPS systems or standby or emergency generators

Abstract

When power failure occurs at a power grid, a controller obtains information related to an operating state of a plurality of electrical appliances; restrict an operation of at least some of electrical appliances currently operating among the plurality of electrical appliances, such that power consumption of the plurality of electric appliances does not exceed a first upper limit during a period in which the remaining amount in a storage battery is below a first threshold value; and restrict an operation of at least some of electrical appliances currently operating among the plurality of electrical appliances, such that power consumption of the plurality of electric appliances does not exceed a second upper limit during a period in which the remaining amount in the storage battery is greater than or equal to a first threshold value and below a second threshold value that is larger than the first threshold value.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A power control network system comprising:

a storage battery;

a plurality of electric appliances for operating by utilizing electric power from at least one of a power grid and said storage battery; and

a controller,

said controller including;

a communication interface for communicating with said storage battery and said plurality of electric appliances; and

a processor,

said processor configured to;

obtain, when power failure occurs at said power grid, information related to an operating state of said plurality of electrical appliances;

determine whether a remaining amount in said storage battery is below a first threshold value, and whether the remaining amount in said storage battery is greater than or equal to said first threshold value and less than a second threshold value that is larger than said first threshold value;

restrict an operation of at least some of electrical appliances in operation among said plurality of electrical appliances through said communication interface, such that power consumption of said plurality of electric appliances does not exceed a predetermined first upper limit during a period in which the remaining amount in said storage battery is below said first threshold value; and

restrict an operation of at least some of electrical appliances in operation among said plurality of electrical appliances through said communication interface, such that power consumption of said plurality of electric appliances does not exceed a predetermined second upper limit during a period in which the remaining amount in said storage battery is greater than or equal to said first threshold value and below a second threshold value that is larger than said first threshold value.

11. The power control network system according to claim 10, wherein a ratio of said second upper limit to said first upper limit is identical to the ratio of said second threshold value to said first threshold value.

12. The power control network system according to claim 10, wherein a ratio of said second upper limit to said first upper limit is greater than the ratio of said second threshold value to said first threshold value.

13. The power control network system according to claim 10, wherein restricting an operation of at least some of electrical appliances in operation among said plurality of electrical appliances includes restricting a part of a function of at least one electrical appliance in operation among said plurality of electric appliances.

14. The power control network system according to claim 10, wherein said processor configured to:

obtain, when power failure occurs at said power grid, a time when the power failure ends;

calculate, when a remaining amount in said storage battery is below said first threshold value, a first upper limit of power consumption of said plurality of electric appliances during a period in which the remaining amount in said storage battery is below said first threshold value such that said storage battery is not depleted before the time when said power failure ends; and

restrict an operation of at least some of said plurality of electric appliances through said communication interface such that power consumption of said plurality of electric appliances does not exceed said first upper limit during a period in which the remaining amount in said storage battery is below said first threshold value.

15. The power control network system according to claim 14, wherein

said processor is configured to:

calculate, when the remaining amount in said storage battery is greater than or equal to said first threshold value and below said second threshold value, a second upper limit of power consumption of said plurality of electric appliances during a period in which the remaining amount in said storage battery is greater than or equal to said first threshold value and below said second threshold value, such that said storage battery is depleted only after the time when power failure ends; and

restrict an operation of at least some of said plurality of electric appliances through said communication interface such that power consumption of said plurality of electric appliances does not exceed said second upper limit during a period in which the remaining amount in said storage battery is greater than or equal to said first threshold value and below said second threshold value that is larger than said first threshold value,

said second threshold value has a predetermined ratio to said first threshold value.

16. The power control network system according to claim 14, wherein said processor is configured to receive, through said communication interface, the time when said power failure ends from an external server.

17. The power control network system according to claim 14, wherein

said controller further includes an operation unit for accepting information from a user,

said processor is configured to accept the time when power failure ends through said operation unit.

18. The power control network system according to claim 10, wherein said processor is configured to restrict, based on a predetermined priority level, the operation of at least some of said plurality of electric appliances by prohibiting in order the operation of an electric appliance having a lower priority level through said communication interface.

19. The power control network system according to claim 10, further comprising a solar power generation device,

wherein said storage battery stores electric power from said solar power generation device.

20. A power control method at a network system including a storage battery, a plurality of electric appliances for operating by utilizing electric power from at least one of a power grid and said storage battery, and a controller, said method comprising:

obtaining, by said controller, when power failure occurs at said power grid, information related to an operating state of said plurality of electrical appliances;

determining, by said controller, whether a remaining amount in said storage battery is below a first threshold value, and whether the remaining amount in said storage battery is greater than or equal to said first threshold value and below a second threshold value that is larger than said first threshold value;

restricting, by said controller, an operation of at least some of electrical appliances in operation among said plurality of electrical appliances, such that power consumption of said plurality of electric appliances does not exceed a predetermined first upper limit during a period in which the remaining amount in said storage battery is below said first threshold value; and

restricting, by said controller, an operation of at least some of electrical appliances in operation among said plurality of electrical appliances, such that power consumption of said plurality of electric appliances does not exceed a predetermined second upper limit during a period in which the remaining amount in said storage battery is greater than or equal to said first threshold value and below a second threshold value that is larger than said first threshold value.

21. A power controller comprising:

a communication interface for communicating with a storage battery, and a plurality of electric appliances for operating by utilizing electric power from at least one of a power grid and said storage battery; and

a processor;

said processor configured to;

obtain, when power failure occurs at said power grid, information related to an operating state of said plurality of electrical appliances;

determine whether a remaining amount in said storage battery is below a first threshold value, and whether the remaining amount in said storage battery is greater than or equal to said first threshold value and below a second threshold value that is larger than said first threshold value;

restrict an operation of at least some of electrical appliances in operation among said plurality of electrical appliances through said communication interface, such that power consumption of said plurality of electric appliances does not exceed a predetermined first upper limit during a period in which the remaining amount in said storage battery is below said first threshold value; and

restrict an operation of at least some of electrical appliances in operation among said plurality of electrical appliances through said communication interface, such that power consumption of said plurality of electric appliances does not exceed a predetermined second upper limit during a period in which the remaining amount in said storage battery is greater than or equal to said first threshold value and below a second threshold value that is larger than said first threshold value.