Control device, power usage control system and control method

• US 9,065,294 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2010
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kambara, Hironori, Higuchi, Yukiya
• Primary Examiner(s): Fennema, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEVENS, THOMAS H
• Application Number:
  US13/519,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20120296485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,665 Days
• Field of Search: 700276-278
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00006 characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment
• 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 40/12 characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment

Abstract

A control device includes a storage device storing reference power, basic device point information showing a control priority representing a degree for determining a control order of a plurality of devices, and room information showing a priority of each room in which the plurality of devices are disposed; an acquisition unit acquiring power usage of the plurality of devices; a changing unit changing the basic device point information based on the room information; a determination unit determining whether or not the acquired power usage has exceeded the reference power; and a transmitting unit transmitting, to a device of the plurality of devices that is relatively high in control priority after change, an instruction to reduce the power usage of this device, based on determination that the acquired power usage has exceeded the reference power.

Claims

1. A control device controlling an operation of each of a plurality of devices connected to house wiring, said control device comprising:

a storage device storing reference power, device priority information showing a control priority representing a degree for determining a control order of said plurality of devices and room priority information showing a priority of each room in which said plurality of devices are disposed;

an acquisition unit acquiring power usage of said plurality of devices;

a changing unit changing said control priority based on said room priority information;

a determination unit determining whether or not said acquired power usage has exceeded said reference power; and

a transmitting unit transmitting, to a device of said plurality of devices, an instruction to reduce the power usage of the device, based on determination that said acquired power usage has exceeded said reference power, wherein the control priority of the device is higher relative to another device within the plurality of devices.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

said storage device further stores power consumption information showing predetermined power consumption during an operation for each of said devices,

said determination unit includes a calculation unit calculating a difference between said acquired power usage and said reference power, and

said control device further includes

an identification unit identifying at least one or more devices to which said instruction is transmitted, based on said control priority after change, said difference and said power consumption information, when said acquired power usage has exceeded said reference power, and

a generation unit generating said instruction for each said identified device.

3. The control device according to claim 2, further comprising a first receiving unit receiving presence status information showing a status of human presence in each room from a human detection sensor disposed in said each room, wherein

said control priority includes a control priority during presence representing a degree for determining said control order in a case where a human is present in the room in which the devices are disposed, and a control priority during absence representing a degree for determining said control order in a case where a human is absent in the room,

said changing unit changes said control priority during presence and said control priority during absence based on said room priority information,

when said presence status information shows presence of a human in the room, said identification unit identifies the device to which said instruction is transmitted, based on the control priority obtained after changing said control priority during presence by said changing unit, and

when said presence status information shows absence of a human in the room, said identification unit identifies the device to which said instruction is transmitted, based on the control priority obtained after changing said control priority during absence by said changing unit.

4. The control device according to claim 3, further comprising an accepting unit accepting an input of visitor information showing that a visitor is scheduled to come, wherein

said control priority further includes a control priority for visitor presence representing a degree for determining said control order in a case where a visitor is scheduled to come,

said changing unit changes said control priority for visitor presence based on said room priority information, and

when said accepting unit accepts the input of said visitor information, said identification unit identifies the device to which said instruction is transmitted, based on the control priority obtained after changing said control priority for visitor presence by said changing unit.

5. The control device according to claim 3, wherein

said room priority information includes priority information during presence showing said priority in a case where a human is present in said room, and priority information during absence showing said priority in a case where a human is absent in the room,

said changing unit changes said control priority during presence using said priority information during presence, and changes said control priority during absence using said priority information during absence,

when said presence status information shows presence of a human in the room, said identification unit identifies the device to which said instruction is transmitted, based on the control priority changed using said priority information during presence, and

when said presence status information shows absence of a human in the room, said identification unit identifies the device to which said instruction is transmitted, based on the control priority changed using said priority information during absence.

6. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a first receiving unit receiving presence status information showing a status of human presence in each room from a human detection sensor disposed in said each room, wherein

when said presence status information shows presence of a human in said room, said changing unit changes said control priority based on said room priority information and information predetermined in accordance with said presence status information.

7. The control device according to claim 6, further comprising an accepting unit accepting an input of visitor information showing that a visitor is scheduled to come, wherein

when said input showing that a visitor is scheduled to come is accepted, said changing unit changes said control priority based on said room priority information and information predetermined in accordance with said visitor information.

8. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of said plurality of devices is an air conditioner,

said control device further includes a second receiving unit receiving setting condition information showing a setting condition of a room in which the air conditioner is installed, and environmental information showing an environment of the room under said setting condition, and

said changing unit changes said control priority based on said room priority information, said setting condition information and said environmental information.

9. A power usage control system including a control device controlling an operation of each of a plurality of devices connected to house wiring, and the plurality of devices,

said control device comprising:

a storage device storing reference power, device priority information showing a control priority representing a degree for determining a control order of said plurality of devices, and room priority information showing a priority of each room in which said plurality of devices are disposed;

an acquisition unit acquiring power usage of said plurality of devices;

a changing unit changing said control priority based on said room priority information;

a determination unit determining whether or not said acquired power usage has exceeded said reference power; and

a transmitting unit transmitting, to a device of said plurality of devices, an to reduce the power usage of the device, based on determination that said acquired power usage has exceeded said reference power, wherein the control priority of the device is higher relative to another device within the plurality of devices,

in response to reception of said instruction, said plurality of devices each performing an operation based on said instruction.

10. A control method for a control device for controlling an operation of each of a plurality of devices connected to house wiring, said control method comprising the steps of:

a processor of said control device storing, in a memory of said control device, reference power, device priority information showing a control priority representing a degree for determining a control order of said plurality of devices and room priority information showing a priority of each room in which said plurality of devices are disposed;

said processor acquiring power usage of said plurality of devices;

said processor changing said control priority based on said room priority information;

said processor determining whether or not said acquired power usage has exceeded said reference power; and

said processor transmitting, to a device of said plurality of devices, an instruction to reduce the power usage of the device, based on determination that said acquired power usage has exceeded said reference power, wherein the control priority of the device is higher relative to another device within the plurality of devices