NETWORK SYSTEM

• US 20140303801A1
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Junho Ahn, Yanghwan Kim
• Inventors: Ahn, Junho, Lee, Hoonbong, Lee, Koonseok, Kim, yanghwan, Lee, Deagui
• Granted Patent: US 9,350,174 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/20 The dispersed energy generation being of renewable origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/466 Scheduling the operation of the generators, e.g. connecting or disconnecting generators to meet a given demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• 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: 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: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
• 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
• 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 network system is provided. The network system includes: at least one component selected from an energy receiving unit receiving energy and an energy management unit managing the energy receiving unit. The energy receiving unit or the energy management unit receives energy rate related information; an energy usage amount or a usage rate of when the component is controlled on the basis of at least the energy rate related information is less than that of when the component is controlled without the basis of at least energy rate related information; if the energy rate related information is high cost information, a function of one component constituting the energy receiving unit is limited; and an operating time or an output of the energy receiving unit is adjusted in correspondence to the limited function of one component.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. An energy consumption component capable of communicating with a network system, comprising:

a plurality of compartments disposed in the energy consumption component;

at least one working component that consumes energy and performs work on the plurality of compartments; and

a control unit that receives energy cost information, and controlling the at least one working component and the energy consumed by the energy consumption component;

wherein the control unit adjusts the energy consumed by the energy consumption component based on the energy cost information by varying the work performed by the at least one working component on the plurality of compartments.

28. The energy consumption component of claim 27, wherein the energy consumption component is one of:

a refrigerator, a washing machine, an air conditioner, a drying machine, or a cooking appliance.

29. The energy consumption component of claim 27, wherein the plurality of working components are designated a level of priority among levels of priority, and the control unit varies the work performed by the at least one working component on the plurality of compartments based on the levels of priority of the plurality of compartments.

30. The energy consumption component of claim 29, wherein the control unit uses the levels of priority associated with the plurality of compartments to determine the work performed by the at least one working component on the plurality of compartments when the energy cost information indicates that energy cost is high.

31. The energy consumption component of claim 30, wherein the control unit controls the at least one working component to heat or cool the plurality of compartments based on an order of highest to least priority.

32. The energy consumption component of claim 27, further comprising a communication part in communication with at least one energy measurement part.

33. The energy consumption component of claim 27, wherein the energy consumption component is a refrigerator;

the plurality of compartments include a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment;

a damper disposed to open or close a channel between the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment; and

the at least one working component includes a compressor.

34. The energy consumption component of claim 33, further comprising a first temperature sensor disposed in the freezer compartment and a second temperature sensor disposed in the refrigerator compartment;

wherein when the freezer compartment is at a preset temperature or higher the control unit controls the compressor to supply cold air to the freezer compartment and the control unit opens the damper part such that at least one portion of cold air from the freezer compartment is supplied to the refrigerator compartment.

35. The energy consumption component of claim 33, wherein when the control unit receives the energy cost information indicating an on-peak time period that is smaller than a set time the control unit controls the compressor to supply cold air to the freezer compartment and opens the damper part such that at least one portion of cold air from the freezer compartment is supplied to the refrigerator compartment.

36. The energy consumption component of claim 33, wherein when the control unit receives that energy cost information indicating that an on-peak time period is equal to or greater than a set time, the control unit controls the compressor to supply cold air to the freezer compartment until a set condition is satisfied, and opens the damper part such that at least one portion of cold air from the freezer compartment is supplied to the refrigerator compartment.

37. The energy consumption component of claim 36, wherein the set condition is one or more of:

the refrigerator compartment is at a preset temperature or higher temperature than the preset temperature, a preset time elapses after the compressor is turned on, or a preset frequency variation is sensed after the compressor is turned on.

38. An electric appliance comprising:

a plurality of compartments disposed in the electric appliance;

at least one working component that consumes energy and performs work on the plurality of compartments;

a communication part to receive energy information; and

a control unit controlling the at least one working component and the energy consumed by the appliance,

wherein the control unit adjusts the energy consumed by the appliance based upon energy cost information by varying the work performed by the at least one working component on the plurality of compartments based on a designated priority order of the plurality of compartments.

39. The electric appliance of claim 38, wherein the appliance is a refrigerator and the plurality of compartments includes a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment;

wherein each of the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment is divided into a plurality of storage rooms, and the control unit controls a compressor and a plurality of dampers to cool the storage rooms in a cooling priority order.

40. The electric appliance of claim 39, wherein when the energy cost information indicates an off-peak time period, the control unit controls the compressor to perform a normal cooling mode and when the energy cost information indicates an on-peak time period, the control unit controls the compressor to perform a cost saving operation mode and the control unit adjusts the dampers to lower the supply of cold air to the storage rooms and the storage rooms are sequentially cooled in the cooling priority order.

41. The electric appliance of claim 39, further comprising an input part to input a command and a display part to display driving information of the electric appliance or recognized information from the communication part.

42. The electric appliance of claim 38, wherein the appliance is a dish washer, the plurality of compartments includes a washing space, and the at least one working component is a washing spray part.

43. The electric appliance of claim 38, wherein the appliance is a cooking device, the plurality of compartments includes a cooking space, and the at least one working component is one or more of:

a heating member or a heat conservation part to maintain cooked food at a temperature.

44. The electric appliance of claim 38, wherein the appliance is an air conditioner, the plurality of compartments includes a conditioning space, and the at least one working component is a driving unit.

45. The electric appliance of claim 38, wherein the appliance is a clothes treatment device, the plurality of compartments includes a clothes treatment space, and the at least one working component is one or more of:

a driving part or a heating member.

46. The electric appliance of claim 38, wherein the appliance is a water cooler/heater device, the plurality of compartments includes a water tank, and the at least one working component is one or more of:

a driving motor, a compressor, or a heating member.