Electric distribution network with ad hoc communication function

• US 9,425,606 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Yoshihiro, Yano, Ryo, Mori, Keiko, Yamada, Mitsukage, Ogino, Michiyo, Ogita, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lindsay, Bernard G
• Application Number:
  US13/797,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines

Abstract

An information communication device is provided with a monitoring unit, a communication unit, a storage unit, a switching unit, an acquisition unit, a creation unit, and a transmission unit. In the event that the monitoring unit detects trouble in the basic network, the switching unit switches the communication function of the communication unit from a first communication function to a second communication function. In the event that the monitoring unit detects trouble in the basic network, the creation unit creates notification information about the trouble in the basic network. The transmission unit transmits the created notification information via the switched-to communication function to a contact retrieved from the storage unit.

Claims

1. An information communication device comprising:

a communication unit having an infrastructure communication function used for wireless LAN (local area network) communication with another device via a basic network and an ad-hoc communication function used for the wireless LAN direct communication with another device without using the basic network, the basic network including an electric system network and a communication system network independent of each other, the electric system network supplying electricity to an indoor electric device via a smart meter, the communication system network being established in parallel with the electric system network by at least one of wire communication or wireless communication with the smart meter;

a monitoring unit to detect a failure in the basic network or a recovery of the basic network from the failure;

a communication function switching unit to switch a communication function of the communication unit from the infrastructure communication function to the ad-hoc communication function upon a detection of the failure in the basic network by the monitoring unit, and to switch a communication function of the communication unit from the ad-hoc communication function to the infrastructure communication function upon a detection of the recovery from the failure;

a storage unit to store a contact used to inform the failure in the basic network or the recovery of the basic network from the failure;

a message generator unit to generate a notification message of the failure in the basic network upon the detection of the failure in the basic network, and to generate the notification message of the recovery of the basic network from the failure upon the detection of the recovery of the basic network from the failure;

a control requesting unit to generate a control instruction for controlling a neighboring self-power-generating device to supply electricity to the smart meter and the information communication device itself in a case that communication with the neighboring self-power-generating device by communication using the ad-hoc communication function is enabled; and

a transmitter to transmit the notification message generated by the message generator unit to the contact retrieved from the storage and to transmit the control instruction generated by the control requesting unit to the neighboring self-power-generating device, by a switched communication function.

2. The information communication device according to claim 1, further comprising

a demand curve generator unit to generate a demand curve showing relation between meter data and measurement time, the meter data being included in meter information obtained from the smart meter as needed, and to provide the demand curve to the message generator unit.

3. The information communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a priority storage unit to store priority of a device receiving electricity supplied from an electricity source being different from the basic network via the smart meter upon the failure in the basic network;

a supply-demand balance regulating procedure generator unit to generate a procedure of regulating supply-demand balance of the device based on the priority of a device, the priority being stored in the priority storage unit; and

a control requesting unit to transmit a control instruction to the smart meter for supplying electricity from the electricity source to devices based on a procedure generated by the supply-demand balance regulating procedure generator unit.

4. An information communication device comprising:

a communication unit having an infrastructure communication function used for wireless LAN (local area network) communication with another device via a communication system network established in parallel with an electric system network to supply electricity and an ad-hoc communication function used for the wireless LAN communication with another device without using the communication system network;

a switching unit to switch a communication function of the communication unit from the infrastructure communication function to the ad-hoc communication function upon a failure in the communication via the communication system network by the infrastructure communication function of the communication unit, and to switch the communication function of the communication unit from the ad-hoc communication function to the infrastructure communication function upon a recovery of the communication via the communication system network from the failure;

a storage unit to store a contact used to inform the failure in the communication system network or the recovery of the communication system network from the failure;

a peripheral information generator unit to generate information of a peripheral device obtained based on communication with a peripheral device by the ad-hoc communication function;

a transmitter to transmit information on the peripheral device generated by the peripheral information generator unit to the contact retrieved from the storage by the switched communication function; and

an electricity supplying unit to supply the electricity generated by a self-power-generating function upon a reception of an instruction instructing to supply electricity to a neighboring smart meter through communication by the ad-hoc communication function.

5. An information communication device comprising:

a communication unit having an infrastructure communication function used for wireless LAN (local area network) communication with another device via a second basic network and an ad-hoc communication function used for the wireless LAN communication with another device without using the second basic network, the second basic network being a communication system network established in parallel with a first basic network by at least one of wire communication or wireless communication with the smart meter, the first basic network being configured to supply electricity;

an acquisition unit to acquire meter information as to whether or not electricity is supplied from the first basic network from the smart meter;

a monitoring unit to detect a failure in the first basic network or a recovery of the first basic network from the failure, based on the meter information acquired by the acquisition unit;

a switching unit to switch a communication function of the communication unit from the infrastructure communication function to the ad-hoc communication function upon a detection of the failure in the first basic network by the monitoring unit, and to switch a communication function of the communication unit from the ad-hoc communication function to the infrastructure communication function upon a detection of the recovery of the first basic network by the monitoring unit;

a storage unit to store a contact used to inform the failure in the first basic network or the recovery of the first basic network from the failure;

a message generator unit to generate a notification message of a stop of the electricity supply from the first basic network or a restart of the electricity supply from the first basic network based on meter information obtained by the acquisition unit;

a transmitter to transmit the notification message generated by the message generator unit to the contact retrieved from the storage by a switched communication function; and

a control requesting unit to generate a control instruction for controlling a neighboring self-power-generating device to supply electricity to the smart meter and the information communication device itself in a case that communication with the neighboring self-power-generating device by communication using the ad-hoc communication function is enabled.

6. An information communication device comprising:

a communication unit having an infrastructure communication function used for wireless LAN communication with another device via a second basic network and an ad-hoc communication function used for the wireless LAN communication with another device without using the second basic network, the second basic network being a communication system network established in parallel with a first basic network by at least one of wire communication or wireless communication with a smart meter, the first basic network being an electric system network to supply electricity to an indoor electric device via the smart meter;

an acquisition unit to acquire communication information between the smart meter and the second basic network from the smart meter;

a monitoring unit to detect a failure in the second basic network or a recovery of the second basic network from the failure, based on the communication information acquired by the acquisition unit;

a switching unit to switch a communication function of the communication unit from the infrastructure communication function to the ad-hoc communication function upon a detection of the failure in the second basic network by the monitoring unit, and to switch a communication function of the communication unit from the ad-hoc communication function to the infrastructure communication function upon a detection of the recovery of the second basic network by the monitoring unit;

a storage unit to store a contact used to inform the failure in the second basic network or the recovery of the second basic network from the failure;

a message generator unit to generate a notification message of a failure in the second basic network or a recovery of the second basic network based on communication information obtained by the acquisition unit;

a transmitter to transmit the notification message generated by the message generator unit to the contact retrieved from the storage by a switched communication function; and

a control requesting unit to generate a control instruction for controlling a neighboring self-power-generating device to supply electricity to the smart meter and the information communication device itself in a case that communication with the neighboring self-power-generating device by communication using the ad-hoc communication function is enabled.

7. An information communication method performed by an information communication device comprising:

detecting a failure in a basic network or a recovery of the basic network from the failure, the basic network including an electric system network and a communication system network independent of each other, the electric system network supplying electricity to an indoor electric device via a smart meter, the communication system network being established in parallel with the electric system network by at least one of wire communication or wireless communication with the smart meter;

switching a communication function of the information communication device from an infrastructure communication function to an ad-hoc communication function upon a detection of the failure in the basic network, and switching a communication function from the ad-hoc communication function to the infrastructure communication function upon a detection of the recovery from the failure;

generating a notification message of the failure in the basic network upon the detection of the failure in the basic network, and generating notification message of the recovery of the basic network from the failure upon the detection of the recovery of the basic network from the failure;

transmitting the generated notification message to a preset contact by a switched communication function; and

generating a control instruction for controlling a neighboring self-power-generating device to supply electricity to the smart meter and the information communication device itself in a case that communication with the neighboring self-power-generating device by communication using the ad-hoc communication function is enabled.