Generator control system, generating apparatus control method, program and record medium

• US 7,489,988 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Issued: 02/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsui, Masaru, Noguchi, Eiji, Nishitani, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta; Kidest
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAUGHLIN, NATHAN L
• Application Number:
  US10/993,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20050107892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 700/291, 700286-289, 700/30, 700/295, 700/297, 700/290, 700/276, 307/64, 340/635
• US Class Current: 700/287
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/62 The condition being non-electrical, e.g. temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

In the case where a user changes a set state of apparatuses, an apparatus operation control portion repressively controls the apparatuses, in spite of an instruction of a control signal according to that change, so that an increasing amount of power consumption of the apparatuses obtained from an apparatus power consumption measuring portion will not exceed an increasing amount of the generating capacity of a generator obtained from a generating capacity measuring portion so as to gradually bring it closer to a target set state set up by the user.

Claims

1. A generator control system comprising:

an apparatus power consumption estimator configured to estimate a power consumption by an apparatus from a value of an operation setting parameter of the apparatus when an apparatus operation detector detects a new value of the operation setting parameter corresponding to an increase in the power consumption by the apparatus;

a generator controller configured to increase power output of a generator based on the power consumption estimated by the apparatus power consumption estimator; and

an apparatus operation controller configured to control the apparatus to vary the value of the operation setting parameter to approach the new value of the operation setting parameter, so that the power consumption by the apparatus corresponds to the increased power output of the generator.

2. The generator control system according to claim 1, wherein the generator controller, which is configured to output a control signal to the generator according to a predetermined value of the operation setting parameter when the apparatus operation detector detects a change of the predetermined value of the operation setting parameters of the apparatus, outputs the control signal to the generator based on the data held in advance indicating a relation between the predetermined value of the operation setting parameter of the apparatus and the power consumption of the apparatus.

3. The generator control system according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus operation controller controls the apparatus to operate in a different value of the operation setting parameter from the new value of the operation setting parameter detected by the apparatus operation detector so that the power consumption estimated by the apparatus power consumption estimator is increased to meet the increase in the generating power of the generator.

4. The generator control system according to claim 1, wherein the generator controller outputs a control signal to the generator based on data held in advance indicating a relation between a predetermined value of the operation setting parameter of the apparatus and the estimated power consumption of the apparatus.

5. The generator control system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an environment measuring unit configured to measure environment information on an environment of the apparatus, wherein the apparatus power consumption estimator estimates the power consumption of the apparatus based on a predetermined value of the operation setting parameter of the apparatus and the measured environment information.

6. The generator control system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an environment measuring unit configured to measure environment information on an environment of the apparatus; and

an apparatus power consumption measuring unit configured to measure the power consumption of the apparatus,

wherein the apparatus power consumption estimator estimates the power consumption based on a power consumption estimation model, the apparatus power consumption estimator modifying the power consumption estimation model based on information received from the apparatus power consumption measuring unit, the environment measuring unit and the apparatus operation controller.

7. The generator control system according to claim 6, wherein, when the generator generates enough power compared to the power consumption measured by the apparatus power consumption measuring unit, the operation setting parameter is controlled so that the estimated power consumption meets the generating power of the generator.

8. The generator control system according to claim 1 or 3, further comprising an apparatus power consumption measuring unit configured to measure the power consumption of the apparatus, wherein the apparatus operation controller controls the value of the operation setting parameter to reduce the power consumption of the apparatus in the case where a measured generating power of the generator exceeds a rated value.

9. The generator control system according to claim 1 or 3, wherein, when the apparatus includes a plurality of apparatus, the apparatus operation controller exerts control to keep priorities in reducing the power consumption of each of the apparatuses and controls the value of the operation setting parameter to reduce the power consumption of each of the apparatuses according to the priorities.

10. The generator control system according to claim 9, further comprising a priority setting unit configured to have the priorities in reducing the power consumption of each of the apparatuses set by a user.

11. The generator control system according to claim 1 or 3, further comprising an apparatus control selector for selecting or deselecting whether or not the apparatus operation controller controls the apparatus.

12. The generator control system according to claim 1 or 3, further comprising a power information display for displaying the apparatus controlled by the apparatus operation controller, a measured power consumption of the apparatus or an estimated power consumption of the apparatus and a measured generating consumption of the generator.

13. The generator control system according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the apparatus is a domestic air conditioner, and the apparatus operation controller controls at least one of preset temperature, air volume and air cleaning functions of the domestic air conditioner a plurality of times.

14. The generator control system according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the apparatus is an illumination apparatus having an illumination adjustment function.

15. A computer readable recording medium tangibly embodying a program that causes a computer to perform the steps of a generator control method comprising:

an apparatus power consumption estimating step operable to estimate a power consumption by an apparatus from a value of an operation setting parameter of the apparatus when an apparatus operation detector detects a new value of the operation setting parameter set by a user corresponding to an increase in the power consumption by the apparatus;

a generator controlling step operable to increase power output of a generator based on the power consumption estimated by the apparatus power consumption estimating step; and

an apparatus operation controlling step operable to control the apparatus to vary the value of the operation setting parameter to approach the new value of the operation setting parameter, so that the power consumption by the apparatus corresponds to the increased power output of the generator.

16. A computer readable recording medium according to claim 15,

wherein the apparatus operation controlling step controls the apparatus to operate in a different value of the operation setting parameter from the new value of the operation setting parameter detected by the apparatus operation detecting step so that the power consumption estimated by the apparatus power consumption estimating step is increased to meet the increase in the generating power of the generator.

17. A generator control method comprising:

an apparatus power consumption estimating step operable to estimate a power consumption by an apparatus from a value of an operation setting parameter of the apparatus when an apparatus operation detector detects a new value of the operation setting parameter set by a user corresponding to an increase in the power consumption by the apparatus;

a generator controlling step operable to increase power output of a generator based on the power consumption estimated by the apparatus power consumption estimating step; and

an apparatus operation controlling step operable to control the apparatus to vary the value of the operation setting parameter to approach the new value of the operation setting parameter, so that the power consumption by the apparatus corresponds to the increased power output of the generator.

18. The generator control method according to claim 17,

wherein the apparatus operation controlling step controls the apparatus to operate in a different value of the operation setting parameter from the new value of the operation setting parameter detected by the apparatus operation detecting step so that the power consumption estimated by the apparatus power consumption estimating step is increased in the generating power of the generator.