Load control system

• US 9,021,302 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirata, Satoshi, Matsuura, Shuji, Fujita, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNES-BULLOCK, CRYSTAL JOY
• Application Number:
  US13/499,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20120209441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,673 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/295, 700/297, 700/298, 714 1- 3, 714 14- 16, 714/22, 307/43, 307/64, 307/66, 307/112, 307/113, 307/115, 307/116, 315/160, 315/161, 340/12.11, 340/12.31, 340/12.32, 340/12.37
• US Class Current: 714/16
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/006 of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/08 Three-wire systems; Systems having more than three wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/10 Applications of fuel cells in buildings
• 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: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/12 Monitoring or controlling equipment for energy generation units, e.g. distributed energy generation [DER] or load-side generation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/12 Energy storage units, uninterruptible power supply [UPS] systems or standby or emergency generators, e.g. in the last power distribution stages

Abstract

A load control system includes: a power supply control unit for controlling a power feeding to multiple load devices; and a backup power supply unit for supplying backup power during a power failure. During a power failure, the power supply control unit supplies the power from the backup power supply unit only to a part of load devices selected among the load devices, and the load devices are devoid of communications function for communicating with the power supply control unit.

Claims

1. A load control system, further comprising:

a power supply control unit for controlling a power feeding to multiple load devices; and

a backup power supply unit for supplying backup power during a power failure,

wherein, during a power failure, the power supply control unit supplies the power from the backup power supply unit only to a part of load devices selected among the load devices, and the load devices are devoid of communications function for communicating with the power supply control unit,

wherein the load control system further comprises;

a power supply unit for supplying an operation power of the whole system;

a load operation terminal connected to the power supply control unit via a communications line;

a power failure notification unit for outputting, when a the power failure is detected, a power failure notification signal to the power supply control unit; and

a number of load circuits, each of which having one or more of the load devices connected to the power supply control unit via power lines,

wherein the power supply control unit includes power feeding on/off units, each of which being connected to one of the load circuits, to independently turn on or off the power feeding to corresponding load circuits, thereby operating or stopping the load devices of the load circuits;

a first communications unit for receiving a load control signal inputted via the communications line; and

a control circuit for switching on or off one or more power feeding on/off units corresponding to the load control signal received by the first communications unit,

wherein the load operation terminal includes an operation unit for performing on/off operation of one or more target load circuits; and

a second communications unit for receiving an operation input from the operation unit and outputting to the communications line the load control signal for controlling said one or more the power feeding on/off units corresponding to the target load circuits,

wherein the control circuit of the power supply control unit controls, when the power failure notification signal is received from the power failure notification unit, the power feeding on/off units to supply the backup power from the backup power supply unit only to a part of the load circuits, and

wherein the power supply control unit further includes a storage unit for storing a power feeding state of the respective load circuits immediately before the power failure occurs; and

when the power failure is recovered, the control circuit controls the power feeding on/off units to return to the power feeding state immediately before the power failure occurs based on the power feeding state stored in the storage unit.

2. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the power supply control unit further includes a setting unit for setting one or more load circuits to which the backup power is supplied during the power failure;

and

when the power failure notification signal is received, the control circuit controls the power feeding on/off units to supply the backup power from the backup power supply unit only to the load circuits set by the setting unit.

3. The load control system of claim 2, wherein the backup power supply unit includes a secondary battery, the power supply unit supplies a DC power as the operation power, and the first and the second communications unit receive and transmit the load control signal by superposing signals on DC voltage.

4. The load control system of claim 3, wherein a power level of the backup power supplied by the backup power supply unit during the power failure is less than that of the operation power supplied by the power supply unit in a normal state other than the power failure.

5. The load control system of claim 2, wherein a power level of the backup power supplied by the backup power supply unit during the power failure is less than that of the operation power supplied by the power supply unit in a normal state other than the power failure.

6. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the backup power supply unit includes a secondary battery, the power supply unit supplies a DC power as the operation power, and the first and the second communications unit receive and transmit the load control signal by superposing signals on DC voltage.

7. The load control system of claim 6, wherein a power level of the backup power supplied by the backup power supply unit during the power failure is less than that of the operation power supplied by the power supply unit in a normal state other than the power failure.

8. The load control system of claim 1, wherein a power level of the backup power supplied by the backup power supply unit during the power failure is less than that of the operation power supplied by the power supply unit in a normal state other than the power failure.

9. The load control system of claim 8, wherein the load devices are lighting devices.