Smoothing device, smoothing system, and computer program product

• US 9,244,468 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2012
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaneko, Yu, Matsuzawa, Shigeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Darrin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Everett, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US13/719,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20130173067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/509 Offload
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

According to an embodiment, a smoothing device includes a predicting unit, a calculating unit, and a control unit. The predicting unit predicts a calculation load of operation at a first time slot on the basis of weather prediction information of operation areas in which facility devices that perform environmental control according to control values resulting from the operation based on weather information are installed. The calculating unit calculates a calculation load of operation at a second time slot earlier than the first time slot on the basis of the weather information of the operation areas. The control unit controls an executing device that executes the operation so that part of the operation to be executed at the first time slot is executed at the second time slot.

Claims

1. A smoothing device comprising:

a predicting unit configured to calculate, among a plurality of operation areas in which facility devices that perform environmental control according to control values are installed, the number of operation areas in which a change in a weather represented by weather prediction information at a first time slot is larger than a threshold and predict a calculation load of operation at the first time slot;

a calculating unit configured to calculate, among the plurality of the operation areas, the number of operation areas in which a change in a weather represented by weather information at a second time slot earlier than the first time slot is larger than the threshold, subtract the number of operation-executed operation areas from the number of the operation areas, and calculate a calculation load of operation at the second time slot; and

a control unit configured to control an executing device that executes the operation so that part of the operation to be executed at the first time slot is executed at the second time slot when the calculation load at the second time slot is smaller than a first threshold and the calculation load at the first time slot is equal to or larger than the first threshold, wherein

the control unit comprises;

a checking unit configured to determine whether or not the calculation load at the second time slot is smaller than the first threshold and determine whether or not the calculation load at the first time slot is equal to or larger than the first threshold;

a deciding unit configured to determine part of the operation to be executed at the first time slot as first operation to be executed at the second time slot when the calculation load at the second time slot is smaller than the first threshold and the calculation load at the first time slot is equal to or larger than the first threshold; and

a second transmitting unit configured to transmit, at the second time slot, second information containing the weather information at the second time slot and first information containing the weather prediction information at the first time slot to the executing device that executes the operation.

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

a storage unit configured to store the control values resulting from the operation executed by the executing device, an operation executing time of the control values, and an original operation executing time at which the operation of the control values is scheduled in association with one another; and

a first transmitting unit configured to transmit a control value with the original operation executing time that matches with current time among the control values stored in the storage unit to the corresponding facility device.

3. The device according to claim 2, further comprising a determining unit that determines whether or not the weather prediction information matches with actual weather information at the first slot when current time reaches the first time slot, wherein

the first transmitting unit transmits third information containing the actual weather information at the first time slot to the executing device that executes the operation when the weather prediction information does not match with the actual weather information at the first time slot.

4. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a smoothing program executed by a computer, the program causing the computer to execute:

calculating, among a plurality of operation areas in which facility devices that perform environmental control according to control values are installed, the number of operation areas in which a change in a weather represented by weather prediction information and a first time slot is larger than a threshold and predicting a calculation load of operation at the first time slot;

calculating, among the plurality of the operation areas, the number of operation areas in which a change in a weather represented by weather information at a second time slot earlier than the first time slot is larger than the threshold, subtracting the number of operation-executed operation areas from the number of the operation areas, and calculating a calculation load of operation at the second time slot; and

controlling an executing device that executes the operation so that of the operation to be executed at the first time slot is executed at the second time slot when the calculation load at the second time slot is smaller than a first threshold and the calculation load at the first time slot is equal to or larger than the first threshold, wherein

the controlling unit includes;

determining whether or not the calculation load at the second time slot is smaller than the first threshold and determining whether or not the calculation load at the first time slot is equal to or larger than the first threshold;

determining part of the operation to be executed at the first time slot as first operation to be executed at the second time slot when the calculation load at the second time slot is smaller than the first threshold and the calculation load at the first time slot is equal to or larger than the first threshold; and

transmitting, at the second time slot, second information containing the weather information at the second time slot and first information containing the weather prediction information at the first time slot to the executing device that executes the operation.

5. A smoothing system comprising:

a smoothing device;

an executing device connected to the smoothing device; and

facility devices connected to the executing device, wherein

the smoothing device comprises;

a predicting unit configured to calculate, among a plurality of operation areas in which the facility devices that perform environmental control according to control values are installed, the number of operation areas in which a change in a weather represented by weather prediction information at a first time slot is larger than a threshold and predict a calculation load of operation at the first time slot;

a calculating unit configured to calculate, among the plurality of the operation areas, the number of operation areas in which a change in a weather represented by weather information at a second time slot earlier than the first time slot is larger than the threshold, subtract the number of operation-executed operation areas from the number of the operation areas, and calculate a calculation load of operation at the second time slot;

a checking unit configured to determine whether or not the calculation load at the second time slot is smaller than a first threshold and determine whether or not calculation load at the time slot is equal to or larger than the first threshold;

a deciding unit configured to determine part the operation to be executed at the first time slot as first operation to be executed at the second time slot when the calculation load at the second time slot is smaller than the first threshold and the calculation load at the first time slot is equal to or larger than the first threshold; and

a first transmitting unit configured to transmit, at the second time slot, second information containing the weather information at the second time slot and first information containing the weather prediction information at the first time slot to the executing device that executes the operation, wherein

the checking unit is further configured to determine whether or not the calculation load at the second time slot is smaller than the first threshold and determine whether or not the calculation load at the first time slot is equal to or larger than the first threshold, and

the deciding unit is further configured to determine part of the operation to be executed at the first time slot as first operation to be executed at the second time slot when the calculation load at the second time slot is smaller than the first threshold and the calculation load at the first time slot is equal to or larger than the first threshold, wherein

the smoothing device further comprises;

a second transmitting unit configured to transmit, at the second time slot, the second information containing the weather information at the second time slot and the first information containing the weather prediction information at the first time slot to the executing device that executes the operation,

the executing device comprises;

a receiving unit configured to receive the first information and the second information;

a calculating unit configured to execute the operation on a basis of the first information and the second information to calculate the control values to be used at the facility devices installed in the operation areas; and

an output unit configured to output the control values to associated facility devices installed in the operation areas, and

the facility devices control environment of the operation areas in which the facility devices are installed according to the control values.