Method and apparatus for managing power of smart appliance

• US 9,564,755 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Ji-Hye, Kim, Wuk
• Primary Examiner(s): KASENGE, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US13/362,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20120197455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,834 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/295, 700/296, 705/412
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/008 involving trading of energy or energy transmission rights
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing power of a smart appliance is provided. The method includes acquiring, from the smart appliance, by an Energy Management System (EMS) for managing power of the smart appliance at home over a home network, terminal information including function information and power consumption information; monitoring power of the smart appliance and transmitting results of the results to an energy service provider; and controlling, upon receiving a power reduction command from the energy service provider, the power of the smart appliance based on the acquired terminal information.

Claims

1. A method for managing power of a smart appliance, comprising:

acquiring, from the smart appliance, by an Energy Management System (EMS) for managing power of the smart appliance at home over a home network, terminal information including information about functions supported by the smart appliance and power consumption of the smart appliance;

monitoring power of the smart appliance and transmitting monitoring results to an energy service provider; and

controlling, upon receiving a power reduction command, the power of the smart appliance based on the acquired terminal information and previously stored user preference information associated with a control of power of each of a plurality of smart appliances,

wherein the information about functions supported by the smart appliance and power consumption of the smart appliance indicates a power supply class of the smart appliance, and

wherein the user preference information indicates a level where each of a plurality of smart appliances is always powered on.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring the terminal information comprises:

receiving, from the energy service provider, an energy profile;

acquiring, from the smart appliance, the terminal information including information about functions supported by the smart appliance and power consumption of the smart appliance; and

storing the acquired terminal information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the received energy profile includes a change in existing energy profile information shared for a smart grid service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about functions supported by the smart appliance and power consumption of the smart appliance further indicates a terminal type of the smart appliance, power consumption of the smart appliance, a terminal function list of the functions supported by the smart appliance, and a power management method of the smart appliance.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the power supply class is set to any one of an always-on mode, a power saving mode, and an off-during peak time mode.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the power management method is set to any one of a manual mode for manually controlling the power by interaction with a user, and an automatic mode for automatically controlling a function of the smart appliance.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the controlling the power of the smart appliance comprises:

selecting a smart appliance whose power is to be controlled and a terminal function to be controlled in the smart appliance, based on the acquired terminal information and the previously stored user preference information;

sending, if the power management method is set to a manual mode, a power control command to the smart appliance; and

receiving power control results from the smart appliance.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the controlling the power of the smart appliance comprises:

selecting a smart appliance whose power is to be controlled and a terminal function to be controlled in the smart appliance, based on the acquired terminal information and previously stored user preference information; and

if the power management method is set to an automatic mode, controlling the selected terminal function of the smart appliance.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user preference information further indicates at least one of a level where the smart appliance operates at a higher priority than other smart appliances, and a normal level where the smart appliance operates at a lowest priority than the other smart appliances.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the power reduction command includes information indicating an amount of reduction in power.

11. An apparatus for managing power of a smart appliance, comprising:

an input unit for receiving an input signal from a user;

a display for outputting display information;

a communication unit for performing communication with the smart appliance and a smart meter and acquiring terminal information including information about functions supported by the smart appliance and power consumption of the smart appliance;

a storage unit for storing terminal information including information about functions supported by the smart appliance and power consumption of the smart appliance;

a controller for monitoring power of the smart appliance, and transmitting results of the monitoring to an energy service provider; and

a power adjustment unit for controlling the power of the smart appliance based on the acquired terminal information and previously stored user preference information including information indicating a level where each of a plurality of smart appliances must always be powered on, a level where the smart appliance must operate at a higher priority than other smart appliances, and a normal level according to a control signal from the controller, upon receiving a power reduction command from the energy service provider through the communication unit,

wherein the information about functions supported by the smart appliance and power consumption of the smart appliance indicates a power supply class of the smart appliance, and

wherein the user preference information indicates a level where each of a plurality of smart appliances is always powered on.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller receives an energy profile from the energy service provider, acquires the terminal information including information about functions supported by the smart appliance and power consumption of the smart appliance, and stores the acquired terminal information in the storage.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the received energy profile includes a change in existing energy profile information shared for a smart grid service.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the information about functions supported by the smart appliance and power consumption of the smart appliance further indicates a terminal type of the smart appliance, power consumption of the smart appliance, a terminal function list of the functions supported by the smart appliance, and a power management method of the smart appliance.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the power supply class is set to any one of an always-on mode, a power saving mode, and an off-during peak time mode.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the power management method is set to any one of a manual mode for manually controlling the power by interaction with a user, and an automatic mode for automatically controlling a function of the smart appliance.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the power adjustment unit selects a smart appliance whose power is to be controlled and a terminal function to be controlled in the smart appliance, based on the acquired terminal information and the previously stored user preference information, sends, if the power management method is set to a manual mode, a power control command to the smart appliance through the communication unit, and receives power control results from the smart appliance.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the power adjustment unit selects a smart appliance whose power is to be controlled and a terminal function to be controlled in the smart appliance, based on the acquired terminal information and the previously stored user preference information, controls, if the power management method is set to an automatic mode, the selected terminal function of the smart appliance.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the power reduction command includes information indicating an amount of reduction in power.