METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING ENERGY THROUGH VIRTUALIZATION BY GROUPING TERMINAL CONTROLLERS

• US 20130131881A1
• Filed: 09/05/2012
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: CHUN, Ji-won, KIM, Dae-dong
• Granted Patent: US 9,853,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/421 Interconnected ring systems
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A terminal control apparatus and a central control apparatus may control at least one terminal device that consumes energy in an energy management system while obtaining the same effect as when virtual equipment is used. A first terminal control apparatus may receive a control command related to a first terminal device from a central control apparatus or a second terminal control apparatus included in the energy management system. The first terminal control apparatus may determine whether the first terminal device matches the first terminal control apparatus, and selectively transmit the control command to a third terminal control apparatus or selectively control the first terminal device according to the control command, based on the determination.

Claims

1. A first terminal control apparatus used to control at least one terminal device that consumes energy in an energy management system, the first terminal control apparatus comprising:

a control command receiving unit to receive a control command related to a first terminal device from at least one of a central control apparatus and a second terminal control apparatus included in the energy management system;

a determination unit to determine whether the first terminal device matches the first terminal control apparatus;

a control command transmitting unit to selectively transmit, based on the determination of the determination unit, the control command to a third terminal control apparatus; and

a terminal device control unit to selectively control, based on the determination of the determination unit, the first terminal device, according to the control command,

wherein the first terminal control apparatus, the second terminal control apparatus, and the third terminal control apparatus are included in one terminal control group.

2. The first terminal control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first terminal control apparatus is connected to other terminal control apparatuses included in the terminal control group, in a ring fashion.

3. The first terminal control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first terminal control apparatus is connected to other terminal control apparatuses included in the terminal control group, in a mesh fashion.

4. The first terminal control apparatus of claim 1, wherein, if the determination unit determines that the first terminal device does not match the first terminal control apparatus, the control command transmitting unit transmits the control command to the third terminal control apparatus.

5. The first terminal control apparatus of claim 1, wherein, if the determination unit determines that the first terminal device matches the first terminal control apparatus, the first terminal control apparatus controls the first terminal device, based on the control command.

6. The first terminal control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit to store information about at least one terminal device matching the first terminal control apparatus, and

wherein the determination unit determines whether the first terminal device matches the first terminal control apparatus, based on the information about the at least one terminal device.

7. The first terminal control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether the control command includes a sub control command related to a second terminal device, and determines whether the second terminal device matches the first terminal control apparatus when it is determined that the control command includes a sub control command related to the second terminal device.

8. The first terminal control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit for storing information about at least one terminal control apparatus connected to the first terminal control apparatus from among the terminal control apparatuses included in the terminal control group, and

wherein the control command transmitting unit transmits the control command to the third terminal control apparatus, based on the information about the at least one terminal control apparatus.

9. The first terminal control apparatus of claim 8, wherein the information about the at least one terminal control apparatus comprises internet protocol (IP) information of the third terminal control apparatus.

10. The first terminal control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether the control command is to be handled by the terminal control group, and discards the control command when it determines that the control command is not to be handled by the terminal control group.

11. The first terminal control apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control command comprises at least one group identifier (ID), and

the determination unit determines that the control command is to be handled by the terminal control group, based on an ID of the terminal control group and the at least one group ID included in the control command.

12. A central control apparatus used to control a plurality of terminal devices that consume energy in an energy management system, the central control apparatus comprising:

a group generation unit to generate at least one terminal control group which includes a first terminal control apparatus matching at least one first terminal device and a second terminal control apparatus matching at least one second terminal device from among the plurality of terminal devices; and

a control command transmitting unit to transmit a control command relating to the at least one first terminal device to at least one of the first terminal control apparatus and the second terminal control apparatus.

13. The central control apparatus of claim 12, wherein the group generation unit generates the at least one terminal control group by connecting the terminal control apparatuses included in the terminal control group in a ring fashion.

14. The central control apparatus of claim 12, wherein the group generation unit generates the at least one terminal control group by connecting the terminal control apparatuses included in the terminal control group in a mesh fashion.

15. The central control apparatus of claim 12, wherein the control command comprises a device identifier (ID) of the at least one first terminal device matching the first terminal control apparatus,

wherein the device ID is used to determine whether the at least one first terminal device matches a terminal control apparatus receiving the control command.

16. The central control apparatus of claim 12, wherein the energy management system includes a plurality of terminal control groups, and the control command transmitting unit further transmits the control command to a terminal control apparatus belonging to a first terminal control group that is different from the at least one terminal control group which includes the first terminal control apparatus and the second terminal control apparatus.

17. The central control apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control command comprises a group identifier (ID),

and the group ID is used to determine whether a terminal control apparatus receiving the control command is to handle the control command.

18. The central control apparatus of claim 12, wherein the group generation unit generates an upper-rank terminal controller including a plurality of terminal controllers.

19. The central control apparatus of claim 12, wherein the control command transmitting unit broadcasts the control command.

20. A method of controlling at least one terminal device that consumes energy in an energy management system, performed by a first terminal control apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a control command related to a first terminal device from at least one of a central control apparatus and a second terminal control apparatus included in the energy management system;

determining whether the first terminal device matches the first terminal control apparatus;

selectively transmitting, based on the determination, the control command to a third terminal control apparatus; and

selectively controlling, based on the determination, the first terminal device according to the control command,

wherein the first terminal control apparatus, the second terminal control apparatus, and the third terminal control apparatus are included in one terminal control group.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the terminal control apparatus is connected to other terminal control apparatuses included in the terminal control group, in a ring fashion.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the terminal control apparatus is connected to other terminal control apparatuses included in the terminal control group, in a mesh fashion.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising storing information about at least one terminal device matching the first terminal control apparatus, and

wherein the determining of whether the first terminal device matches the first terminal control apparatus comprises determining whether the first terminal device matches the first terminal control apparatus, based on the information about the at least one terminal device.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining of whether the first terminal device matches the first terminal control apparatus comprises determining whether the control command includes a sub control command related to a second terminal device, and determining whether the second terminal device matches the first terminal control apparatus when it is determined that the control command includes a sub control command related to the second terminal device.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining of whether the first terminal device matches the first terminal control apparatus comprises determining whether the control command is to be handled by the terminal control group, and discarding the control command when it is determined that the control command is not to be handled by the terminal control group.

30. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for executing the method of claim 20.

26. A method of controlling a plurality of terminal devices that consume energy in an energy management system, performed by a central control apparatus, the method comprising:

generating at least one terminal control group to include a first terminal control apparatus matching at least one first terminal device and a second terminal control apparatus matching at least one second terminal device from among the plurality of terminal devices; and

transmitting a control command relating to the at least one first terminal device to at least one of the first terminal control apparatus and the second terminal control apparatus.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the control command comprises a device identifier (ID) of the at least one first terminal device matching the first terminal control apparatus,

wherein the device ID is used to determine whether the at least one first terminal device matches the first terminal control apparatus receiving the control command.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the energy management system includes a plurality of terminal control groups, and the transmitting of the control command comprises transmitting the control command to a terminal control apparatus belonging to a first terminal control group that is different from the at least one terminal control group which includes the first terminal control apparatus and the second terminal control apparatus.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the control command comprises a group identifier (ID),

wherein the group ID is used to determine whether a terminal control apparatus receiving the control command is to handle the control command.

31. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for executing the method of claim 26.

32. A first terminal controller among a plurality of terminal controllers, the first terminal controller comprising:

a control command receiving unit to receive a command from a central controller or a second terminal controller among the plurality of terminal controllers; and

a determination unit to determine whether to transmit the command to a third terminal controller among the plurality of terminal controllers or to control a terminal device directly connected to the first terminal controller, based on information included in the command,

wherein the first terminal controller, the second terminal controller, and the third terminal controller are included in one terminal control group in an energy management system including the central controller, the terminal control group, and the plurality of terminal controllers.

33. The first terminal controller of claim 32, further comprising:

a control command transmitting unit to transmit, based on the determination of the determination unit, the command to the third terminal controller; and

a terminal device control unit to selectively control, based on the determination of the determination unit, the first terminal device, according to the command.

34. The first terminal controller of claim 33, further comprising:

a storage unit to store information about one or more terminal controllers connected to the first terminal controller, to store information about terminal devices matching the first terminal controller, and to store identification information about the terminal control group to which the first terminal controller is included in.

35. The first terminal controller of claim 34, wherein the plurality of terminal controllers are arranged in a predetermined configuration, and the plurality of terminal controllers are classified into a terminal control group according to predetermined criteria.

36. The first terminal controller of claim 35, wherein the predetermined configuration includes at least one of a ring fashion, a mesh fashion, and a tree fashion, and the predetermined criteria includes at least one of determining whether the plurality of terminal controllers control terminal devices performing a same operation and determining whether the plurality of terminal controllers control terminal devices in a same geographic area.