ELECTRIC POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, ELECTRIC POWER MANAGEMENT DEVICE, ELECTRIC POWER MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20130173081A1
• Filed: 11/17/2011
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Solution Innovators, Ltd (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC System Technologies Limited (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Hisashi
• Granted Patent: US 9,329,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/297
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

An electric power management system 1 is comprised of an electric power management device 10, measuring devices 4 and 5, and a database 6. The database 6 has stored system information which specifies, for every electric device, a user entity, a location to supply electric power and an associated measuring device, and has stored a needlessness condition which is configured for every user entity or for every location, and specifies a case where an electric device 2 consumes electric power needlessly. An electric power management device 10 specifies the electric device and measuring device associated with the needlessness condition based on the system information, and from the needlessness condition, configures a determining condition by which it can be determined that the specified electric device uses electric power needlessly, and in the case where the collected electric power information or environment information fulfills the determining condition, determines that needlessness of electric power consumption has arisen.

Claims

1. An electric power management system, comprising:

an electric power management device to manage consumed electric power of an electric device which receives supply of electric power from the outside;

a measuring device to acquire either or both of electric power information which specifies consumed electric power of said electric device and environment information which specifies a peripheral environment of said electric device; and

a database, wherein

said database

stores, as system information, information specifying, for every said electric device, a user entity which uses said electric device, a location to supply electric power to said electric device, and said measuring device associated with said electric device, and furthermore, in advance, for every said user entity or for every location where said electric device is supplied with electric power, stores a needlessness condition which is configured based on either or both of said electric power information and said environment information, and specifies a case where said electric device consumes an electric power needlessly, and

said electric power management device comprises;

a needlessness condition interpretation unit which, based on said system information, specifies an electric device and measuring device associated with said needlessness condition, and furthermore, based on said needlessness condition, configures a condition by which it can be determined that a specified electric device uses electric power needlessly;

an information collection unit to collect either or both of said electric power information and said environment information which are acquired by said measuring device; and

an electric power analysis unit which determines whether either or both of said electric power information and said environment information which are collected from a measuring device specified by said needlessness interpretation unit fulfill a condition configured by said needlessness interpretation unit, and in the case of fulfilling it, determines that needlessness of electric power consumption has arisen.

2. The electric power management system according to claim 1, wherein

said user entity is an organization to which a user or a plurality of users belong, and

said needlessness condition is configured for said every organization or for said every location.

3. The electric power management system according to claim 1, wherein

said electric power management system comprises, as said measuring device, a electric power measuring device to acquire electric power information which specifies consumed electric power of said electric device, and a peripheral measuring device to acquire environment information which specifies a peripheral environment of said electric device, and

said information collection unit collects said electric power information and said environment information, and then, whenever carrying out collection, creates a record where said electric power information is recorded and a record where said environment information is recorded, and

said electric power analysis unit,

based on said system information, associates said electric power information with said environment information which are recorded in said record, and furthermore,

determines that consumed electric power specified by said electric power information is needless in the case where said electric power information fulfills said configured condition, and

determines that consumed electric power specified by said electric power information associated with said environment information is needless in the case where said environment information fulfills said configured condition, and

in a record of said electric power information where consumed electric power is determined to be needless, records a mark indicating that said consumed electric power is determined to be needless.

4. The electric power management system according to claim 1, wherein

said electric power management device further comprises a display unit which makes at least one of said result of determination by said electric power analysis unit, said electric power information collected by said information collection unit, and said environment information collected by said information collection unit displayed on a screen of an external display device.

5. The electric power management system according to claim 3, wherein

said electric power management device further comprises a display unit which makes said electric power information collected by said information collection unit displayed on a screen of an external display device, and

said display unit, in accordance with an instruction from the outside, specifies a record where said mark is recorded among records where said electric power information is recorded, and in the case of displaying said electric power information recorded on the specified record on said screen, carries out displaying also purporting that consumed electric power specified by said electric power information is needless.

6. The electric power management system according to claim 1, wherein

said electric power management system further comprises a control device to control operation of said electric device, and

said electric power management device further comprises a device control unit which instructs said control device so that consumed electric power of said electric device may be reduced.

7. The electric power management system according to claim 6, wherein

said device control unit determines whether either or both of said electric power information and said environment information which are collected from a measuring device specified by said needlessness interpretation unit fulfill a condition configured by said needlessness interpretation unit, and in the case of fulfilling it, instructs said control device so that consumed electric power of said electric device may be reduced.

8. An electric power management device which manages consumed electric power of a electric device using a measuring device to acquire electric power information which specifies consumed electric power of said electric device which receives supply of electric power from the outside or environment information which specifies a peripheral environment of said electric device, comprising:

a needlessness condition interpretation unit;

an information collection unit; and

an electric power analysis unit, wherein

said needlessness condition interpretation unit,

based on system information which specifies for every said electric device a user entity which uses said electric device, a location to supply electric power to said electric device, and said measuring device associated with said electric device,

for every said user entity or for every location where said electric device is supplied with electric power, specifies an electric device and measuring device associated with a needlessness condition which is configured in advance based on either or both of said electric power information and said environment information and which specifies a case where said electric device consumes electric power needlessly, and

furthermore, configures based on said needlessness condition a condition by which it can be determined that a specified electric device uses electric power needlessly, and

said information collection unit collects either or both of said electric power information and said environment information which are acquired by said measuring device, and

said electric power analysis unit determines whether either or both of said electric power information and said environment information which are collected from a measuring device specified by said needlessness interpretation unit fulfill a condition configured by said needlessness interpretation unit, and in the case of fulfilling it, determines that needlessness of electric power consumption has arisen.

11. The electric power management device according to claim 8, wherein

the user entity is an organization to which a user or a plurality of users belong, and

the needlessness condition is configured for the every organization or for the every location.

12. The electric power management device according to claim 8, wherein

the measuring device is a electric power measuring device to acquire electric power information which specifies consumed electric power of the electric device, and a peripheral measuring device to acquire environment information which specifies a peripheral environment of the electric device, and

the information collection unit collects the electric power information and the environment information, and then, whenever carrying out collection, creates a record where the electric power information is recorded and a record where the environment information is recorded, and

the electric power analysis unit,

based on the system information, associates the electric power information with the environment information which are recorded in the record, and furthermore,

determines that consumed electric power specified by the electric power information is needless in the case where the electric power information fulfills the configured condition, and determines that consumed electric power specified by the electric power information associated with the environment information is needless in the case where the environment information fulfills the configured condition, and

in a record of the electric power information where consumed electric power is determined to be needless, records a mark indicating that the consumed electric power is determined to be needless.

13. The electric power management device according to claim 8

further comprising a display unit which makes at least one of the result of determination by the electric power analysis unit, the electric power information collected by the information collection unit, and the environment information collected by the information collection unit displayed on a screen of an external display device.

14. The electric power management device according to claim 12 further comprising a display unit which makes the electric power information collected by the information collection unit displayed on a screen of an external display device, wherein

the display unit, in accordance with an instruction from the outside, specifies a record where the mark is recorded among records where the electric power information is recorded, and in the case of displaying the electric power information recorded on the specified record on the screen, carries out displaying also purporting that consumed electric power specified by the electric power information is needless.

15. The electric power management device according to claim 8, wherein

in the case where, for the electric device, a control device which controls the operation is used,

further included is a device control unit which instructs the control device so that consumed electric power of the electric device may be reduced.

16. The electric power management device according to claim 15, wherein

the device control unit determines whether either or both of the electric power information and the environment information which are collected from a measuring device specified by the needlessness interpretation unit fulfill a condition configured by the needlessness interpretation unit, and in the case of fulfilling it, instructs the control device so that consumed electric power of the electric device may be reduced.

9. An electric power management method for managing consumed electric power of an electric device using a measuring device to acquire electric power information which specifies consumed electric power of said electric device which receives supply of electric power from the outside or environment information which specifies a peripheral environment of said electric device, the method comprising:

(a) a step which, based on system information which specifies for every said electric device a user entity which uses said electric device, a location to supply electric power to said electric device and said measuring device associated with said electric device, for every said user entity or for every location where said electric device is supplied with electric power, specifies in advance an electric device and measuring device associated with a needlessness condition which is configured based on either or both of said electric power information and said environment information and specifies a case where said electric device consumes electric power needlessly;

(b) a step which, based on said needlessness condition, configures a condition by which it can be determined that an electric device specified in a step of said (a) uses electric power needlessly;

(c) a step which collects either or both of said electric power information and said environment information which are acquired by said measuring device; and

(d) a step which determines whether either or both of said electric power information and said environment information which are collected in a step of said (c) from a measuring device specified in step of said (a) fulfill a condition configured in a step of said (b), and in the case of fulfilling it, determines that needlessness of electric power consumption has arisen.

10. A computer readable recording medium having recorded a program for executing by a computer management of consumed electric power of an electric device, using a measuring device to acquire electric power information specifying consumed electric power of said electric device which receives supply of electric power from the outside or environment information specifying a peripheral environment of said electric device, the computer readable recording medium having recorded a program including an instruction making the computer execute the steps of:

(a) based on system information which specifies for every said electric device a user entity which uses said electric device, a location to supply electric power to said electric device, and said measuring device associated with said electric device, specifying an electric device and measuring device associated with a needlessness condition which is configured in advance based on either or both of said electric power information and said environment information and which specifies a case where said electric device consumes electric power needlessly, for every said user entity or for every location where said electric device is supplied with electric power;

(b) configuring a condition by which it can be determined based on said needlessness condition that an electric device specified in a step of said (a) uses electric power needlessly;

(c) collecting either or both of said electric power information and said environment information which are acquired by said measuring device; and

(d) determining whether either or both of said electric power information and said environment information which are collected in a step of said (c) from a measuring device specified in step of said (a) fulfill a condition configured in a step of said (b), and determining that needlessness of electric power consumption has arisen in the case of fulfilling it.