Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program, and power storage apparatus management system

• US 9,094,432 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Noma, Hideki, Ono, Tomoyuki, Kawashima, Hiroshi, Tanaka, Kayoko, Honjo, Ryoki, Tajima, Shigeru, Yamazaki, Daisuke, Sato, Kazumi, Ishibashi, Yoshihito
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnes-Bullock, Crystal J
• Application Number:
  US13/115,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20110295440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 700/11, 700/22, 700/83, 700/286, 700/291, 700/297, 702/187, 702/188, 307/11, 307/31, 307/43, 307/64, 307/66, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/10.7, 340/500, 340/531, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.14, 340/540, 340/635, 455/403, 455/419, 701/22
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1615 Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

In one example embodiment, a power storage management system includes a user terminal, a power storage apparatus and an information processing apparatus. In one example embodiment, the information processing apparatus is configured to, using a mobile communication network (e.g., Global System for Mobile Communications or the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), communicate with the power storage apparatus.

Claims

1. A power storage management system comprising:

a user terminal;

a power storage apparatus, wherein the power storage apparatus includes;

first information indicative of a position of the power storage apparatus; and

second information indicative of an operation state of the power storage apparatus; and

an information processing apparatus configured to, using a mobile communication network, communicate with the power storage apparatus to acquire the first information and the second information from the power storage apparatus.

2. The power storage management system of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication network includes one of the Global System for Mobile Communications and the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System.

3. The power storage management system of claim 1, wherein the power storage apparatus is configured to:

(a) acquire power from at least one of a power generating apparatus and a power supplying network; and

(b) supply the power to an appliance.

4. The power storage management system of claim 3, wherein the power generating apparatus includes one of a photovoltaic power generating device, a wind power generating device, a hydroelectric power generating device and a wave powering device.

5. The power storage management system of claim 1, wherein the user terminal includes a mobile telephone.

6. The power storage management system of claim 1, wherein the user terminal is configured to, using the Internet, communicate with the information processing apparatus.

7. The power storage management system of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the power storage apparatus includes power storage apparatus information; and

(b) the information processing apparatus is configured to, using time/date information, manage the power storage apparatus information.

8. The power storage management system of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the power storage apparatus includes power storage apparatus information; and

(b) the information processing apparatus is configured to, in response to a request from the user terminal, provide the power storage apparatus information to the user terminal.

9. The power storage management system of claim 1, wherein:

(a) at a first point in time, the power storage apparatus includes first power storage apparatus information;

(b) at a second, later point in time, the power storage apparatus includes second power storage apparatus information; and

(c) the power storage apparatus is configured to, in response to a predetermined amount of time being passed since the power storage apparatus transmitted the first power storage information to the information processing apparatus, transmit the second power storage apparatus information to the information processing apparatus.

10. The power storage management system of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the power storage apparatus includes power storage apparatus information;

(b) the power storage apparatus has an operation state; and

(c) the power storage apparatus is configured to, in response to a change in the operation state, transmit the power storage apparatus information to the information processing apparatus.

11. The power storage management system of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the power storage apparatus includes power storage apparatus information; and

(b) the power storage apparatus is configured to;

(i) determine whether a specific situation has occurred; and

(ii) in response to determining that the specific situation has occurred, transmit the power storage apparatus information to the information processing apparatus.

12. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, using a mobile communication network, communicate with a power storage apparatus,

wherein the power storage apparatus includes first information indicative of a position of the power storage apparatus and second information indicative of an operation state of the power storage apparatus,

wherein the instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to acquire the first information and the second information from the power storage apparatus using the mobile communication network.

13. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the mobile communication network includes one of the Global System for Mobile Communications and the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System.

14. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, using the Internet, communicate with a user terminal.

15. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

(a) the power storage apparatus includes power storage apparatus information; and

(b) the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, using time/date information, manage the power storage apparatus information.

16. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

(a) the power storage apparatus includes power storage apparatus information; and

(b) the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, in response to a request from a user terminal, provide the power storage apparatus information to the user terminal.

17. A power storage apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, using a mobile communication network, communicate with an information processing apparatus,

wherein the power storage apparatus includes first information indicative of a position of the power storage apparatus and second information indicative of an operation state of the power storage apparatus,

wherein the instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to provide the first information and the second information from the power storage apparatus using the mobile communication network.

18. The power storage apparatus of claim 17, wherein the mobile communication network includes one of the Global System for Mobile Communications and the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System.

19. The power storage apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

(a) acquire power from at least one of a power generating apparatus and a power supplying network; and

(b) supply the power to an appliance.

20. The power storage apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

(a) at a first point in time, the power storage apparatus includes first power storage apparatus information;

(b) at a second, later point in time, the power storage apparatus includes second power storage apparatus information; and

(c) the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, in response to a predetermined amount of time being passed since the power storage apparatus transmitted the first power storage information to the information processing apparatus, transmit the second power storage apparatus information to the information processing apparatus.

21. The power storage apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

(a) the power storage apparatus includes power storage apparatus information;

(b) the power storage apparatus has an operation state; and

(c) the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, in response to a change in the operation state, transmit the power storage apparatus information to the information processing apparatus.

22. The power storage apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

(a) the power storage apparatus includes power storage apparatus information; and

(b) the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

(i) determine whether a specific situation has occurred; and

(ii) in response to determining that the specific situation has occurred, transmit the power storage apparatus information to the information processing apparatus.

23. A method of operating a power storage management system which includes a user terminal, a power storage apparatus and an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

causing the information processing apparatus to, using a mobile communication network, communicate with the power storage apparatus to acquire first information and second information from the power storage apparatus,

wherein the power storage apparatus includes the first information indicative of a position of the power storage apparatus and the second information indicative of an operation state of the power storage apparatus.

24. A method of operating an information processing apparatus including instructions, the method comprising:

causing a processor to execute the instructions to, using a mobile communication network, communicate with a power storage apparatus to acquire first information and second information from the power storage apparatus,

wherein the first information is indicative of a position of the power storage apparatus and the second information is indicative of an operation state of the power storage apparatus.

25. A method of operating a power storage apparatus including instructions, the method comprising:

causing a processor to execute the instructions to, using a mobile communication network, communicate with an information processing apparatus to provide first information and second information to the information processing apparatus,

wherein the first information is indicative of a position of the power storage apparatus and the second information is indicative of an operation state of the power storage apparatus.