APPLIANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND APPLIANCE MANAGEMENT METHOD

• US 20140340237A1
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuniyoshi, Kenji, Suzuki, Junichi, Yanagi, Yasuhiro, Takenaga, Hideki
• Application Number:
  US14/375,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20140340237A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/12 Determination or prediction of behaviour, e.g. likely power consumption or unusual usage patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/00 Tariff metering apparatus in taximeters G07B13/00; apparatus actuated by coins, cards or the like with meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas, or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 11/00 Electromechanical arrangements for measuring time integral of electric power or current, e.g. of consumption monitoring electric consumption of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/00 Arrangements for measuring electric power or power factor G01R7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/063 related to remote communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

The appliance management system according to the present invention includes: a meter device configured to measure a predetermined physical amount; an appliance having a predetermined function; and a management device. The management device sends first information including a first identifier allocated to the appliance and a second identifier allocated to the meter device. The meter device sends, when the second identifier included in the first information received from the management device matches the second identifier allocated to this meter device, second information including the first identifier included in the first information and the second identifier allocated to this meter device. The appliance performs, when the first identifier included in the second information received from the meter device matches the first identifier allocated to this appliance, a setting process of selecting the meter device identified by the second identifier included in the second information as a communication partner.

Claims

1. An appliance management system, comprising:

a meter device configured to measure a predetermined physical amount;

an appliance having a predetermined function; and

a management device,

the management device being configured to, when obtaining a first identifier allocated to the appliance and a second identifier allocated to the meter device, send first information including the first identifier and the second identifier,

the meter device being configured to

when receiving the first information, judge whether the second identifier included in the first information matches the second identifier allocated to this meter device, and

when the second identifier included in the first information matches the second identifier allocated to this meter device, send second information including the first identifier included in the first information and the second identifier allocated to this meter device, and

the appliance being configured to

when receiving the second information, judge whether the first identifier included in the second information matches the first identifier allocated to this appliance, and

when the first identifier included in the second information matches the first identifier allocated to this appliance, perform a setting process of selecting the meter device identified by the second identifier included in the second information as a communication partner.

2. The appliance management system according to claim 1, wherein:

the appliance and the meter device each have a function of communicating in a connection oriented protocol;

the appliance is configured to, after completion of the setting process, perform a connection process of sending a connection request for establishing connection with the communication partner in the connection oriented protocol;

the meter device is configured to, when receiving the connection request, send a connection reply to a sender of the connection request; and

the appliance is configured to, when receiving the connection reply after completion of the connection process, determine that connection with the communication partner is established.

3. The appliance management system according to claim 2, wherein:

the appliance and the meter device each have a function of communicating in a connectionless protocol; and

the meter device is configured to send the second information in the connectionless protocol.

4. The appliance management system according to claim 3, wherein

the management device is configured to, when obtaining the first identifier and the second identifier, send the first information to the meter device identified by the second identifier obtained.

5. The appliance management system according to claim 4, wherein:

the appliance management system further comprises a communication terminal configured to communicate with the management device and the meter device;

the management device is configured to, when connection between the appliance and the meter device respectively identified by the first identifier and the second identifier included in the first information has not yet been established even after a lapse of a predetermined time period from sending the first information, send the first information to the communication terminal; and

the communication terminal is configured to, when receiving the first information, send the first information to the meter device identified by the second identifier included in the first information.

6. The appliance management system according to claim 5, wherein:

the meter device is configured to send a connection establishment signal to the management device after sending the connection response; and

the management device is configured to, when having not yet received the connection establishment signal even after a lapse of the predetermined time period from sending the first information, send the first information to the communication terminal.

7. The appliance management system according to claim 3, wherein:

the appliance management system further comprises a communication terminal configured to communicate with the management device and the meter device;

the management device is configured to, when obtaining the first identifier and the second identifier, send the first information to the communication terminal; and

the communication terminal is configured to, when receiving the first information, send the first information to the meter device identified by the second identifier included in the first information.

8. An appliance management system, comprising:

a meter device configured to measure a predetermined physical amount;

an appliance having a predetermined function; and

a management device,

the management device being configured to, when obtaining a first identifier allocated to the appliance and a second identifier allocated to the meter device, produce a setting code for identifying the meter device associated with the second identifier based on the first identifier and the second identifier, and

the appliance being configured to, when receiving the setting code, perform a setting process of selecting the meter device identified by the setting code as a communication partner.

9. The appliance management system according to claim 8, wherein:

the appliance and the meter device each have a function of communicating in a connection oriented protocol;

the appliance is configured to, after completion of the setting process, perform a connection process of sending a connection request for establishing connection with the communication partner in the connection oriented protocol;

the meter device is configured to, when receiving the connection request, send a connection reply to a sender of the connection request; and

the appliance is configured to, when receiving the connection reply after completion of the connection process, determine that connection with the communication partner is established.

10. An appliance management method for establishing connection between a meter device configured to measure a predetermined physical amount and an appliance having a function of communicating with the meter device, the method comprising:

a first step of, by a management device, obtaining a first identifier allocated to the appliance and a second identifier allocated to the meter device;

a second step of, by the management device, sending first information including the first identifier and the second identifier;

a third step of, by the meter device, receiving the first information and judging whether the second identifier included in the first information matches the second identifier allocated to this meter device;

a fourth step of, by the meter device, sending second information including the first identifier included in the first information and the second identifier allocated to this meter device when the second identifier included in the first information matches the second identifier allocated to this meter device;

a fifth step of, by the appliance, receiving the second information and judging whether the first identifier included in the second information matches the first identifier allocated to this appliance; and

a sixth step of, by the appliance, selecting the meter device identified by the second identifier included in the second information as a communication partner when the first identifier included in the second information matches the first identifier allocated to this appliance.

11. The appliance management method according to claim 10, wherein

the appliance management method further comprises:

a seventh step of, by the appliance, sending a connection request for establishing connection with the communication partner in a connection oriented protocol, after the sixth step;

an eighth step of, by the meter device, receiving the connection request and sending a connection reply to a sender of the connection request; and

a ninth step of, by the appliance, determining that connection with the communication partner is established when receiving the connection reply.

12. The appliance management method according to claim 11, wherein

in the fourth step, the meter device sends the second information in a connectionless protocol.

13. The appliance management method according to claim 12, wherein

in the second step, the management device sends the first information to the meter device identified by the second identifier obtained.

14. The appliance management method according to claim 13, wherein:

the appliance management method further comprises a tenth step and an eleventh step;

in the tenth step, when connection between the appliance and the meter device respectively identified by the first identifier and the second identifier included in the first information has not yet been established even after a lapse of a predetermined time period from sending the first information, the management device sends the first information to a communication terminal configured to communicate with the management device and the meter device; and

in the eleventh step, when receiving the first information, the communication terminal sends the first information to the meter device identified by the second identifier included in the first information.

15. The appliance management method according to claim 14, wherein:

the appliance management method further comprises a twelfth step and a thirteenth step;

in the twelfth step, the meter device sends a connection establishment signal to the management device after sending the first information; and

in the thirteenth step, when having not yet received the connection establishment signal even after a lapse of the predetermined time period from sending the first information, the management device sends the first information to the communication terminal.