Energy demand prediction apparatus and method

• US 9,633,320 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2012
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagata, Kazumi, Baba, Kenji, Enohara, Takaaki, Takagi, Yasuo, Nishimura, Nobutaka, Noda, Shuhei
• Primary Examiner(s): Everett, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US13/361,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20120239213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,912 Days
• Field of Search: 700291
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

An energy demand prediction apparatus according to an embodiment includes an image analysis unit and a prediction unit. The image analysis unit generates analysis data including at least one of human information and environment information of a prediction target area based on image data acquired by an image sensor. The prediction unit generates prediction data by executing an energy demand prediction based on the analysis data and an energy demand prediction model generated using previous data corresponding to the analysis data.

Claims

1. An energy demand prediction apparatus comprising:

an image analyzer that generates, based on image data acquired by an image sensor, analysis data including human information and environment information of a prediction target area, the human information including an identification of an individual;

a predictor that generates prediction data by executing an energy demand prediction based on the human information and environment information and an energy demand prediction model generated using previous data corresponding to the analysis data, the energy demand prediction model matching the human information when the previous data is different from the analysis data;

a device controller that generates, based on the prediction data, the identification of the individual and control setting data including a control value set for the individual, control data which matches the individual; and

an output controller that outputs the control data to a corresponding device.

2. The energy demand prediction apparatus of claim 1, wherein the previous data includes data acquired by a device sensor, and

the predictor executes the energy demand prediction based on the analysis data, the data acquired by the device sensor, and the energy demand prediction model.

3. The energy demand prediction apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the environment information includes at least one of light information, device layout information, or weather information, and

the energy demand prediction apparatus further comprises an environment model generator that generates an environment model, the environment model representing a feature of an environment of the prediction target area based on the environment information.

4. The energy demand prediction apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the human information includes at least one of head-count information, distribution information, activity amount information, clothing amount information, attribute information, or action information of persons, and

the energy demand prediction apparatus further comprises a human model generator that generates, based on the human information, a human model, the human model representing a feature of a person who is staying in the prediction target area.

5. The energy demand prediction apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage device that stores a plurality of energy demand prediction models and model feature data respectively indicating features of the plurality of energy demand prediction models in association with each other; and

a model selector that selects, based on the analysis data, the energy demand prediction model associated with the model feature data which matches the analysis data, wherein the predictor executes the energy demand prediction based on the analysis data and the selected energy demand prediction model.

6. The energy demand prediction apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a coefficient corrector that corrects a coefficient of the energy demand prediction model based on the analysis data.

7. The energy demand prediction apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a model updater that sequentially updates the energy demand prediction model based on the analysis data every time a predetermined period elapses.

8. The energy demand prediction apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a data estimator that estimates a value used in the energy demand prediction based on the analysis data.

9. The energy demand prediction apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a singularity determinator configured to determine a singularity based on the analysis data, and to generate singularity determination data indicating a determination result.

10. An energy demand prediction method by a computer, comprising:

generating, based on image data acquired by an image sensor, analysis data including human information and environment information of a prediction target area, the human information including an identification of an individual;

storing the analysis data in a storage device;

generating prediction data by executing an energy demand prediction based on the human information and environment information stored in the storage device and an energy demand prediction model generated using previous data corresponding to the analysis data, and storing the prediction data in the storage device, the energy demand prediction model matching the human information when the previous data is different from the analysis data;

generating, based on the prediction data, the identification of the individual an control setting data including a control value set for the individual, control data which matches the individual; and

outputting the control data to a corresponding device.