Apparatus and medium for associating device with socket

• US 8,924,746 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2012
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PFU Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: PFU Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoynov, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US13/549,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20130031384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 307/29, 307/31, 340/13.23, 700/22, 700/291, 700/295, 710/223, 709/223
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 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: 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 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

The device management server is provided with a power consumption acquisition unit that acquires information relating to power consumption of each of a plurality of sockets; a communication unit that performs communication with an object device from among devices connected to a network in order to change power consumption of the object device; a socket specifying unit that specifies a socket in which power consumption has changed within a period of time relating to the communication on the basis of information acquired by the power consumption acquisition unit; and an association unit 24 that associates the object device with the socket specified by the socket specifying unit.

Claims

1. A device management apparatus comprising:

a power consumption acquisition unit for acquiring information relating to power consumption of each of a plurality of sockets;

a communication unit for performing communication with an object device from among devices connected to a network in order to change power consumption of the object device, the object device is an object for associating with the socket which is to supply power to the object device;

a socket specifying unit for specifying a socket in which power consumption has changed within a period of time relating to the communication on the basis of information acquired by the power consumption acquisition unit; and

an association unit for associating the object device with the socket specified by the socket specifying unit,

wherein the communication unit performs communication for applying a load to the object device as communication for changing power consumption of the object device.

2. The device management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit performs, as the communication for changing power consumption of the object device, communication for instructing a linkage function that has been installed in advance in the object device and changes the power consumption of the object device upon reception of the communication.

3. A device management apparatus comprising:

a power consumption acquisition unit for acquiring information relating to power consumption of each of a plurality of sockets;

an object device specifying unit for specifying an object device that performs communication accompanied by a change in power consumption by acquiring communication performed by a device connected to a network, the object device is an object for associating with the socket which is to supply power to the object device;

a socket specifying unit for specifying a socket in which power consumption has changed within a period of time relating to the communication on the basis of information acquired by the power consumption acquisition unit; and

an association unit for associating the object device with the socket specified by the socket specifying unit,

wherein the object device specifying unit specifies the object device that performs communication for applying a load to the object device as communication accompanied by a change in power consumption.

4. The device management apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the object device specifying unit acquires communication for a printing instruction to a printer as communication for specifying the object device.

5. The device management apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the object device specifying unit acquires communication generated when a device is connected to the network as communication for specifying the object device.

6. A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium having stored therein a device management program for causing a computer to execute:

acquiring information relating to power consumption of each of a plurality of sockets;

performing communication with an object device from among devices connected to a network in order to change power consumption of the object device, the object device is an object for associating with the socket which is to supply power to the object device;

specifying a socket in which power consumption has changed within a period of time relating to the communication on the basis of information acquired by the power consumption acquisition; and

associating the object device with the socket specified by the socket specifying,

wherein the performing communication involves performing communication for applying a load to the object device as communication for changing power consumption of the object device.

7. A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium having stored therein a device management program for causing a computer to function as:

acquiring information relating to power consumption of each of a plurality of sockets;

specifying an object device that performs communication accompanied by a change in power consumption by acquiring communication performed by a device connected to a network, the object device is an object for associating with the socket which is to supply power to the object device;

specifying a socket in which power consumption has changed within a period of time relating to the communication on the basis of information acquired by the power consumption acquisition; and

associating the object device with the socket specified by the socket specifying,

wherein the specifying involves specifying the object device that performs communication for applying a load to the object device as communication accompanied by a change in power consumption.