Network system

• US 9,405,280 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Ahn, Junho, Kim, Yanghwan, Lee, Hoonbong, Lee, Koonseok
• Primary Examiner(s): Fennema, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Norton, Jennifer L
• Application Number:
  US13/806,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,863 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/295, 700/296, 700/297
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/12 Determination or prediction of behaviour, e.g. likely power consumption or unusual usage patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/45 Utility meters networked together within a single building
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/28 Arrangements for balancing of the load in a network by storage of energy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0833 for reduction of network energy consumption
• 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 20/12 Energy storage units, uninterruptible power supply [UPS] systems or standby or emergency generators, e.g. in the last power distribution stages
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• 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 20/30 : Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 : Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 : Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

Provided is a component for a network system, which includes a control part and a power consumer unit. The control part recognizes energy information or additional information except for the energy information. The power consumer unit is controlled to maintain a target value, and is repeatedly turned on or off. An on-period or off-period of the power consumer unit is varied depending on information recognized by the control part.

Claims

1. An energy consumption component capable of communicating with a network system, comprising:

a power consumer unit;

a control part that controls the power consumer unit, the control part recognizing energy information including a high price section and a low price section; and

a communication part to receive energy information and that communicates with the control part,

wherein the control part determines optimal driving time of the power consumer unit based on an input value;

wherein a number of times that the input value exceeds a preset reference value is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, and

the control part decreases the number of times that the input value exceeds the preset reference value for a specific time period based on the recognized information.

2. The component according to claim 1,

wherein the power consumer unit that is controlled to maintain a target value between an upper limit value and lower limit value,

wherein the control part varies functioning of the power consumer unit such that an off-period in the high price section is greater than an off-period in the low price section.

3. The component according to claim 2, wherein the control part turns on the power consumer unit when reaching the upper limit value, and turns off the power consumer unit when reaching the lower limit value.

4. The component according to claim 3, wherein the control part increases a difference between the upper and lower limit values in the high price section.

5. The component according to claim 4, wherein the control part varies the difference between the upper and lower limit values based on a duration of the high price section.

6. The component according to claim 2,

wherein the target reference value comprises a temperature value or a humidity value.

7. The component according to claim 2, wherein the component is a refrigerator, and the power consumer unit is a compressor.

8. The component according to claim 7, wherein the control part repeatedly turns the compressor on and off to maintain the refrigerator at the target reference value, the target reference value being a predetermined temperature.

9. The component according to claim 1, wherein the component is a cooking device, and the power consumer unit is a heater.

10. The component according to claim 1, wherein the component is an air conditioner, and the power consumer unit is a compressor.

11. The component according to claim 1, wherein the control part turns the power consumer unit on and off a plurality of times.

12. An energy consumption component capable of communicating with a network system, comprising:

a power consumer unit that maintains a target value within a width between a first reference value and second reference value; and

a control part that recognizes information and controls the power consumer unit,

wherein the control part varies the width depending on the information by varying at least one of the first and second reference values,

wherein the control part determines optimal driving time of the power consumer unit based on an input value;

wherein a number of times that the input value exceeds a preset reference value is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, and

the control part decreases the number of times that the input value exceeds the preset reference value for a specific time period based on the recognized information.

13. The component according to claim 12, wherein when the recognized information is high price section information, the control part reduces the number of times that the input value exceeds the preset reference value in a high price section that is smaller than the number of times that the input value exceeds the preset reference value in a low price section.

14. The component according to claim 12, wherein the input value comprises a value corresponding to electric current applied to the power consumer unit to drive the power consumer unit.

15. The component according to claim 12, wherein the information is energy information comprising energy price information.

16. The component according to claim 12, wherein the information comprises one of a decrease of energy, an emergency, a network safety, an increase of energy, operation priority order, and an energy consumption amount.