Method, apparatus and graphical user interface for controlling power

• US 9,417,673 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2011
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Marivoet, Philip, Apts, Yoeri, Spiessens, Alfred, Rutherford, Christopher, Minnoy, Chris, Guthrie, Hamish
• Primary Examiner(s): Gami, Tejal
• Application Number:
  US13/820,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20130162650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,842 Days
• Field of Search: 700/295, 700/291, 700/297, 345/440
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy wind motors F03D
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/16 The load or loads being an Information and Communication Technology [ICT] facility
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/66 one of the loads acting as master and the other or others acting as slaves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/003 Load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/004 Generation forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future energy generation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• 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: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 : Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 : Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/123 : the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources
• 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 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 : Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 : using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A method of controlling power to a device which consumes energy from an energy network. The network has a renewable energy generator and a mains supply connected thereto to supply energy to the network. The method includes determining energy requirements of the device, and determining a renewable energy component of the supplied energy generated by the renewable energy generator. The method compares the energy requirements of the device with the renewable energy component of the supplied energy, and controls the energy to the device in accordance with the comparison between the energy requirements of the device with the renewable energy component of the supplied energy.

Claims

1. A method of controlling power over an energy network including a plurality of sockets, the method comprising:

determining, by circuitry of a home energy gateway that separates the energy network from an external power grid, energy requirements of a device connected to a first socket of the plurality of sockets;

determining, by the circuitry, a supply capability of a renewable energy source connected to a second socket of the plurality of sockets;

comparing, by the circuitry, the energy requirements of the device connected to the first socket with the supply capability of the renewable energy source connected to the second socket; and

controlling, by the circuitry, supply of energy to the device from the renewable energy source when the energy requirements of the device connected to the first socket are less than the supply capability of the renewable energy source connected to the second socket, wherein

the circuitry controls the supply of energy so that any device connected to the first socket is supplied energy from the renewable energy source connected to the second socket and without energy from any power source that is external to the energy network.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising increasing the energy supplied to the device by using energy from a battery that stores previously generated renewable energy generated by the renewable energy source.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing energy in a battery when the supply capability of the renewable energy source is greater than the energy requirements of the device.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

supplying the energy to the device for a predetermined amount of time, wherein

a length of the predetermined amount of time is determined in accordance with the energy requirements of the device and the supply capability of the renewable energy source.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the circuitry, cause the computer circuitry to perform the method according to claim 1.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the circuitry, supply of energy to a second device from an external power source, wherein

the second device is connected to a third socket of the plurality of sockets.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control supply of energy to the second device from the renewable energy source when the energy requirements of the device are less than the supply capability of the renewable energy source.

20. The method according to claim 3, further comprising controlling, by the circuitry, supply of energy stored in the battery to the device.

5. An apparatus for controlling power over an energy network including a plurality of sockets, the apparatus separating the energy network from an external power grid, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to

determine energy requirements of a device connected to a first socket of the plurality of sockets;

determine a supply capability of a renewable energy source connected to a second socket of the plurality of sockets;

compare the energy requirements of the device connected to the first socket with the supply capability of the renewable energy source connected to the second socket; and

control supply energy to the device from the renewable energy source when the energy requirements of the device connected to the first socket are less than the supply capability of the renewable energy source connected to the second socket, wherein

the circuitry controls the supply of energy so that any device connected to the first socket is supplied energy from the renewable energy source connected to the second socket and without energy from any power source that is external to the energy network.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the circuitry is configured to increase the energy supplied to the device by using energy from a battery that stores previously generated renewable energy generated by the renewable energy source.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the circuitry is configured to control a storing device to store energy in a battery when the supply capability of the renewable energy source is greater than the energy requirements of the device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the circuitry is configured to supply the energy to the device for a predetermined amount of time, and

a length of the predetermined amount of time is determined in accordance with the energy requirements of the device and the supply capability of the renewable energy source.

9. A system, comprising:

the apparatus according to claim 5 coupled to the renewable energy source via the energy network, an external power source, and the device via the energy network.

13. An apparatus, for controlling power over an energy network including a plurality of sockets, the apparatus separating the energy network from an external power grid, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to

control display of a pictorial representation of a device connected to a first socket of the plurality of sockets;

receive a selection of the device;

determine, after the selection of the device, energy requirements of the device;

determine a supply capability of renewable energy source connected to a second socket of the plurality of sockets;

compare the energy requirements of the device connected to the first socket with the supply capability of renewable energy source connected to the second socket; and

control supply of energy to the device from the renewable energy source when the energy requirements of the device connected to the first socket are less than the supply capability of the renewable energy source connected to the second socket, wherein

the circuitry controls the supply of energy so that any device connected to the first socket is supplied energy from the renewable energy source connected to the second socket and without energy from any power source that is external to the energy network.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

control display of a pictorial representation of the renewable energy source connected to the second socket, and

receive a selection of the renewable energy connected to the second socket to supply energy to the device connected to the first socket.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the circuitry is configured to increase the energy supplied to the device by using energy from a battery that stores a previously generated renewable energy component generated by the renewable energy source.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the circuitry is configured to control a storing device to store energy in a battery when the supply capability of the renewable energy source is greater than the energy requirements of the device.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the circuitry is configured to supply the energy to the device for a predetermined amount of time, and

a length of the predetermined amount of time is determined in accordance with the energy requirements of the device and supply capability of the renewable energy source.

18. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

control display of a pictorial representation of a second device connected to a third socket of the plurality of sockets;

and

control supply of energy to the second device from an external power source.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the circuitry is further configured to further control supply of energy to the second device from the renewable energy source when the energy requirements of the device are less than the supply capability of the renewable energy source.