CONTROL DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20170104330A1
• Filed: 04/27/2015
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: KOJIMA, Yukiko, NAKAISHI, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,243,364 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/20 Simulating, e g planning, reliability check, modelling or computer assisted design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A control device (100) includes a communication unit (102) which receives power consumption information of a power control target from an electric energy meter, an acquisition unit (104) which acquires demand control information from at least one power supply source, and a control unit (106) which controls operation of the power control target based on the power consumption information and the demand control information.

Claims

1. A control device comprising:

a communication unit which receives power consumption information of a power control target from an electric energy meter;

an acquisition unit which acquires demand control information from at least one power supply source; and

a control unit which controls operation of the power control target based on the power consumption information and the demand control information.

2. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a selection unit which selects at least one power supply source from among a plurality of power supply sources based on the demand control information from a plurality of power supply sources acquired by the acquisition unit and the power consumption information received by the communication unit; and

a power switching instruction unit which instructs a power switching device to switch, to power supplied from the selected power supply source, power supplied to the power control target.

3. The control device according to claim 1,

wherein the communication unit further acquires at least one of the power consumption information and operation information of another power control target, and

the control unit further respectively controls operations of the plurality of power control targets based on at least one of the power consumption information and the operation information relating to the other power control target.

4. The control device according to claim 3,

wherein the communication unit acquires at least one of the power consumption information and the operation information of the other power control target through the electric energy meter.

5. The control device according to claim 3,

wherein the communication unit directly acquires at least one of the power consumption information and the operation information of the other power control target.

6. The control device according to claim 3,

wherein the acquisition unit further acquires a power control instruction from a management device, and

the control unit further controls respective operations of the plurality of power control targets based on the power control instruction.

7. The control device according to claim 1,

wherein the demand control information includes electricity prices different for each time band, and

the control unit determines the future power consumption of the power control target in each time band based on the electricity prices and history information of the power consumption information of the power control target and controls operation of the power control target based on the determined power consumption.

8. The control device according to claim 7,

wherein the control unit stops operation of the power control target when it is determined that there is a time band in which the power consumption exceeds a predetermined value based on the history information of the power consumption information.

9. The control device according to claim 1,

wherein the demand control information includes information indicating that an incentive is given in a case where the power consumption of the power control target is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and

the control unit determines the future power consumption of the power control target based on the predetermined value and history information of the power consumption information of the power control target and controls operation of the power control target based on the determined power consumption.

10. The control device according to claim 9,

wherein the control unit stops operation of the power control target when it is determined that the power consumption exceeds the predetermined value based on the history information of the power consumption information.

11. The control device according to claim 10,

wherein the control unit selects a device to be stopped in operation from among devices consuming power based on weather information.

12. The control device according to claim 1,

wherein the power control target is a vending machine,

the control device further comprises a commodity information acquisition unit which acquires commodity information indicating a fluctuation in the number of sales of commodities or in inventory quantity for each time period in the vending machine, and

the control unit further controls the operation of the power control target based on the fluctuation in the number of sales of commodities or in inventory quantity.

13. The control device according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit is incorporated in the power control target or is provided outside the power control target.

14. The control device according to claim 1,

wherein the power control target has a temperature adjustment function, and

the control unit controls operation of the temperature adjustment function of the power control target.

15. The control device according to claim 1,

wherein the power control target includes a storage battery or a power generator, and

the control unit controls operation of the storage battery or the power generator.

16. The control device according to claim 2,

wherein the electric energy meter includes a power switching device which switches, to power supplied from a plurality of power supply sources, power supplied to the power control target, and

the power switching instruction unit instructs the power switching device to switch, to power supplied from the selected power supply source, power supplied to the power control target.

17. A control method of a control device performed by the control device comprising:

receiving power consumption information of a power control target from an electric energy meter;

acquiring demand control information from at least one power supply source; and

controlling operation of the power control target based on the power consumption information and the demand control information.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program which causes a computer to execute:

a procedure to receive power consumption information of a power control target from an electric energy meter;

a procedure to acquire demand control information from at least one power supply source; and

a procedure to control operation of the power control target based on the power consumption information and the demand control information.