APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SMART APPLIANCE USING SMART TERMINAL

• US 20130211614A1
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: CHOI, Moon Ok
• Application Number:
  US13/755,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20130211614A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• 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: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method for controlling a smart appliance using a smart terminal to induce a user to reduce energy consumption in response to a demand response signal from an energy utility. The apparatus and method may motivate a user to reduce energy consumption effectively and actively in response to the demand response signal from the energy utility by allowing the user to report a demand response-based user-defined event to a pre-registered smart terminal, and to control a user-premises smart appliance using the smart terminal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a smart appliance using a smart terminal, the apparatus comprising:

an event registering unit to define and register a price event;

an event generating unit to report a price event corresponding to a demand response signal to a smart terminal when the demand response signal is received from an energy utility; and

an energy control unit to control energy consumption of a smart appliance based on a control signal received from the smart terminal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the event registering unit defines the price event to be a time when the price is greater than or less than a predetermined price or when a peak price is applied.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the event generating unit comprises:

a signal analyzing unit to analyze the demand response signal to determine at least one of time-based price information, system reliability information, and demand response information, and to generate the price event corresponding to the analysis result; and

an event reporting unit to report the price event to the smart terminal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the energy control unit comprises:

a control program registering unit to control energy consumption of the smart appliance selected by the control signal, based on a control flow and a control method for the selected smart appliance.

5. A method of controlling a smart appliance using a smart terminal, the method comprising:

defining and registering a price event;

reporting a price event corresponding to a demand response signal to a smart terminal when the demand response signal is received from an energy utility; and

controlling energy consumption of a smart appliance based on a control signal received from the smart terminal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the registering comprises defining the price event to be a time when the price is greater than or less than a predetermined price or when a peak price is applied.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the reporting comprises:

analyzing the demand response signal to determine at least one of time-based price information, system reliability information, and demand response information, and generating the price event corresponding to the analysis result; and

reporting the price event to the smart terminal.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the controlling comprises:

controlling energy consumption of the smart appliance selected by the control signal, based on a control flow and a control method for the selected smart appliance.