Equipment power management system

• US 9,270,114 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2011
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Cavallari, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/253,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20120098340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,602 Days
• Field of Search: 307/31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• 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: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• 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: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances

Abstract

An equipment power management system in accordance with the present invention has a plurality of electrical devices and a control device. The electrical devices can operate in any one of multiple operational states different from each other in power consumption of a commercial power source. The control device switches the operational state of an electrical device to that of a smaller power consumption of the commercial power source in ascending order from the electrical device of the lowest priority when a receiving power amount of the whole equipment including the plurality of electrical devices exceeds a first threshold value until the receiving power amount falls below a second threshold value which is lower than or equal to the first threshold value.

Claims

1. An equipment power management system comprising:

a plurality of electrical devices having multiple operational states different from each other in power consumption of a commercial power source, each electrical device operable in an operational state of the multiple operational states; and

a control device including;

a comparator to compare a receiving power amount of the plurality of electrical devices to a first threshold value and to a second threshold value lower than or equal to the first threshold value;

a switch to switch the operational states of one or more electrical devices to that of a smaller power consumption in ascending order from the electrical device of a lowest priority when the comparator determines that the receiving power amount exceeds the first threshold value until the comparator determines that the receiving power amount falls below the second threshold.

2. The equipment power management system according to claim 1, wherein the control device repeats the process of selecting the electrical device of the lowest priority as the reduction object from the electrical devices operating in an operational state other than that of the least power consumption, and switching the operational state of the selected electrical device to that of a smaller power consumption until the receiving power amount falls below the second threshold value.

3. The equipment power management system according to claim 2, wherein the control device preferentially selects an electrical device operating in the operational state of a larger power consumption if every priority is identical in selecting the reduction object.

4. The equipment power management system according to claim 2, wherein the control device classifies the electrical devices of an identical priority into an identical group, and selects an electrical device operating in the operational state of a larger power consumption from the group of the electrical devices of the lowest priority among the electrical devices operating in an operational state other than that of the least power consumption in selecting the reduction object.

5. The equipment power management system according to claim 1, wherein the control device switches the operational state of an electrical device to that of a one-level smaller power consumption in switching that to the operational state of a smaller power consumption.

6. The equipment power management system according to claim 1, wherein the control device selects the electrical device of the highest priority as the increase object from the electrical devices operating in an operational state other than that of the largest power consumption when the receiving power amount falls below a third threshold value which is lower than or equal to the second threshold value, and switches the operational state of the selected electrical device to that of a larger power consumption.

7. The equipment power management system according to claim 6, wherein the control device preferentially selects an electrical device operating in the operational state of a smaller power consumption if every priority is identical in selecting the increase object.

8. The equipment power management system according to claim 6, wherein the control device classifies the electrical devices of an identical priority into an identical group, and selects an electrical device operating in the operational state of a smaller power consumption from the group of the electrical devices of the highest priority among the electrical devices operating in an operational state other than that of the largest power consumption in selecting the increase object.

9. The equipment power management system according to claim 6, wherein the control device switches the operational state of an electrical device to that of a one-level larger power consumption in switching that to the operational state of a larger power consumption.

10. The equipment power management system according to claim 1, wherein the control device selects the electrical device operating in the operational state of the least power consumption as the increase object from the electrical devices of the highest priority among those operating in an operational state other than that of the largest power consumption, calculates the difference between the power consumptions of the commercial power source for the selected electrical device before and after switching on the assumption of switching the operational state of the selected electrical device to that of a one-level larger power consumption, takes the value of subtracting the calculated difference from the second threshold value as a third threshold value, and switches the operational state of the electrical device selected as the increase object to that of the one-level larger power consumption when the receiving power amount falls below the third threshold value.

11. The equipment power management system according to claim 1, wherein each electrical device is an IT device having a computer.

12. The equipment power management system according to claim 11, wherein the priority of each electrical device is determined according to the service level of the application program executed by the computer.

13. The equipment power management system according to claim 1, wherein the multiple operational states of the electrical devices include an operational state for operating the electrical devices in a low power consumption mode.

14. The equipment power management system according to claim 1, wherein the multiple operational states of the electrical devices include an operational state for operating the electrical devices by a secondary battery, or an operational state for compensating part of the power for the electrical devices by a secondary battery.

15. The equipment power management system according to claim 14, wherein the control device selects the electrical device with the secondary batter at the lowest remaining battery level and instructs the selected electrical device to start charging the secondary battery, when the receiving power amount falls below the second threshold value under the condition of the absence of electrical devices operating in an operational state other than that of the largest power consumption.

16. The equipment power management system according to claim 15, wherein the control device repeats selecting the electrical device with the secondary battery at the lowest remaining battery level and instructing the selected electrical device to start charging the secondary battery, with the receiving power amount in the range of not exceeding the second threshold value.

17. A control device comprising:

a communication interface unit to communicate with a plurality of electrical devices having multiple operational states different from each other in power consumption of a commercial power source, each electrical device operable in an operation state of the multiple operational states; and

a power reduction control unit including;

a comparator to compare a receiving power amount of the plurality of electrical devices to a first threshold value and to a second threshold value lower than or equal to the first threshold value;

a switch to switch the operational states of one or more electrical devices to that of a smaller power consumption in ascending order from the electrical device of a lowest priority when the comparator determines that the receiving power amount exceeds the first threshold value until the comparator determines that the receiving power amount falls below the second threshold.