Power control device for home appliances

• US 8,817,677 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2011
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sun Patent Trust
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ukita, Yosuke, Nakae, Hironori, Hayashino, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Belur, Deepa
• Application Number:
  US13/390,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20120147802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• 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 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances

Abstract

An energy controller, as a communication device, transmits and receives data by transmitting a signal for establishing transmission and reception of the data to network-connected home appliances. The energy controller includes a power saving control unit that determines a transmission period such that the transmission period during which the signal is transmitted is increased as a power value difference increases, which is a value obtained by subtracting the total power consumption value of a power consumption appliance from available power supply value to the power consumption appliance including the network-connected home appliances; and a wireless communication IF for transmitting the signal containing the information indicating the transmission period to the network-connected home appliances in order to set the network-connected home appliances in an active state with a period according to the transmission period.

Claims

1. A communication device for transmitting and receiving data to and from a communication terminal device by transmitting a signal during a transmission period for establishing transmission and reception of the data to the communication terminal device when the communication terminal device, which alternately switches between an active state and a sleep state, is switched to the active state, the active state being triggered by receipt of the signal and is a state in which communication is possible, and the sleep state being a state in which communication is not possible, the communication device comprising:

a power saving control unit configured to control the transmission period used for transmitting the signal used for switching the communication terminal device from the sleep state to the active state in such a manner that the transmission period during which the signal is transmitted is increased as a power value difference increases, the power value difference being a value obtained by subtracting a total power consumption value of a power consumption appliance including the communication terminal device from an available power supply value for power available to the power consumption appliance; and

a communication interface unit configured to transmit the signal containing information indicating the transmission period to the communication terminal device so as to set the communication terminal device in the active state with a period according to the transmission period determined by the power saving control unit.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising

a power management storage unit configured to store a generated power value of a power generator, an accumulated power value of a power accumulator, and the total power consumption value of the power consumption appliance,

wherein the power saving control unit is configured to calculate the power value difference by subtracting the total power consumption value from the available power supply value, which is set to a sum of the generated power value and the accumulated power value, and to determine the transmission period such that the transmission period is increased as the calculated power value difference increases.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising

a power management storage unit configured to store an electric power rate change boundary value which is an electric power value at which an electric power rate is incremented, and the total power consumption value of the power consumption appliance,

wherein the power saving control unit is configured to calculate the power value difference by subtracting the total power consumption value from the available power supply value, which is set to the electric power rate change boundary value, and to determine the transmission period such that the transmission period is increased as the calculated power value difference increases.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising

a power management storage unit configured to store a distribution board supply capability value indicating a power value that can be supplied by a distribution board, and the total power consumption value of the power consumption appliance,

wherein the power saving control unit is configured to calculate the power value difference by subtracting the total power consumption value from the available power supply value, which is set to the distribution board supply capability value, and to determine the transmission period such that the transmission period is increased as the calculated power value difference increases.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising

an appliance characteristics storage unit configured to store respective rates of change in power consumption values in the power consumption appliance,

wherein the power saving control unit is configured to calculate and determine a transmission period by dividing the power value difference by a value which is obtained by using a rate of change in the total power consumption value, the rate of change being calculated based on the rates of change in the power consumption values.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising

a transmission period pattern storage unit configured to store transmission period patterns, each of which is a pattern of the transmission period,

wherein the power saving control unit is configured to calculate a transmission period during which the signal is transmitted in such a manner that the transmission period is increased as the power value difference increases, and to determine a transmission period as the determined transmission period, which is less than or equal to the calculated transmission period and is longest among the transmission period patterns.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising

an application allowable delay storage unit configured to store allowable delay times which may be allowed when predetermined application is executed,

wherein the power saving control unit is configured to calculate a transmission period during which the signal is transmitted in such a manner that the transmission period is increased as the power value difference increases, and

to determine an allowable delay time as the determined transmission period, which has a shortest value out of the allowable delay times which are stored in the application allowable delay storage unit when the calculated transmission period is longer than the shortest allowable delay time, and

to determine the calculated transmission period as the determined transmission period when the calculated transmission period is shorter than or equal to the shortest allowable delay time.

8. The communication device according to claim 1,

wherein the signal is a beacon signal, or an awake signal which controls the active state and the sleep state of the communication terminal device.

9. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising

a number-of-channel storage unit configured to store a number of frequency channels which is a total of frequency channels currently utilized,

wherein the power saving control unit is further configured to calculate an active time interval and an inactive time interval in the determined transmission period by using the number of frequency channels, and

the communication interface unit is configured to transmit the signal containing information indicating the transmission period, the active time interval, and the inactive time interval over each frequency channel.

10. The communication device according to claim 9,

wherein the power saving control unit is configured to calculate the active time interval by multiplying the determined transmission period by a reciprocal of the number of frequency channels, and

to calculate the inactive time interval by multiplying the determined transmission period by a value obtained by subtracting the reciprocal of the number of frequency channels from 1.

11. The communication device according to claim 1,

wherein the communication interface unit is a wireless communication interface conforming to the IEEE 802.15.4 standard or a power line communication interface.

12. A method of communication for transmitting and receiving data to and from a communication terminal device by transmitting a signal during a transmission period for establishing transmission and reception of the data to the communication terminal device when the communication terminal device, which alternately switches between an active state and a sleep state, is switched to the active state, the active state being triggered by receipt of the signal and is a state in which communication is possible, and the sleep state being a state in which communication is not possible, the method comprising:

controlling a transmission period used for transmitting the signal used for switching the communication terminal device from the sleep state to the active state in such a manner that the transmission period during which the signal is transmitted is increased as a power value difference increases, the power value difference being a value obtained by subtracting a total power consumption value of a power consumption appliance including the communication terminal device from an available power supply value for power available to the power consumption appliance; and

transmitting the signal containing information indicating the transmission period to the communication terminal device so as to set the communication terminal device in the active state with a period according to the transmission period determined by the controlling step.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon for transmitting and receiving data to and from a communication terminal device by transmitting a signal during a transmission period for establishing transmission and reception of the data to the communication terminal device when the communication terminal device, which alternately switches between an active state and a sleep state, is switched to the active state, the active state being triggered by receipt of the signal and is a state in which communication is possible, and the sleep state being a state in which communication is not possible, the program causing a computer to execute:

controlling a transmission period used for transmitting the signal used for switching the communication terminal device from the sleep state to the active state in such a manner that the transmission period during which the signal is transmitted is increased as a power value difference increases, the power difference value being a value obtained by subtracting a total power consumption value of a power consumption appliance including the communication terminal device from an available power supply value for power available to the power consumption appliance; and

transmitting the signal containing information indicating the transmission period to the communication terminal device so as to set the communication terminal device in the active state with a period according to the determined transmission period determined by the controlling step.

14. An integrated circuit for transmitting and receiving data to and from a communication terminal device by transmitting a signal during a transmission period for establishing transmission and reception of the data to the communication terminal device when the communication terminal device, which alternately switches between an active state and a sleep state, is switched to the active state, the active state being triggered by receipt of the signal and is a state in which communication is possible, and the sleep state being a state in which communication is not possible, the integrated circuit comprising:

a power saving control unit configured to control the transmission period used for transmitting the signal used for switching the communication terminal device from the sleep state to the active state in such a manner that the transmission period during which the signal is transmitted is increased as a power value difference increases, the power value difference being a value obtained by subtracting a total power consumption value of a power consumption appliance including the communication terminal device from an available power supply value for power available to the power consumption appliance; and

a communication interface unit configured to transmit the signal containing information indicating the transmission period to the communication terminal device so as to set the communication terminal device in the active state with a period according to the transmission period determined by the power saving control unit.