Power control device and power control method

• US 9,835,661 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kubota, Eiichiro, Avitabile, Antonio, Mariella, Costantino Cristiano, Rutherford, Christopher Michael, Colby, Edward Grellier, Bailey, Nicholas George, Knill, Alexander Charles, Mehta, Harshul Deepak
• Primary Examiner(s): Hollington, Jermele M
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCANDREW, CHRISTOPHER P
• Application Number:
  US13/806,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20130214763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,351 Days
• Field of Search: 324113, 3461502, 347111
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/00 Arrangements for measuring electric power or power factor G01R7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/063 related to remote communication
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/10 using digital techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/26 involving maximum power point tracking control for photovoltaic sources maximum power point systems in particular G05F1/67
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/388 Islanding, i.e. disconnection of local power supply from the network
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

Information to be displayed on a display is generated in such a way that a gateway processes a measured value (with a time stamp) transmitted from a power meter, an appliance monitor, a solar module, and a battery center through a wireless LAN. In the gateway, information relating to the consumed electric energy is synchronized with each other by the time stamp. Further, an integrated value of the consumed electric energy is calculated with respect to time. The information can be secured by obtaining the integrated value of data even if breakdown of devices and the like occurs due to power failure.

Claims

1. A power control device, comprising:

a controller configured to;

receive communications from a power measuring device, the power measuring device configured to measure a flow of power at a plurality of positions over a network, wherein the communications include at least a power measurement value associated with time data;

calculate a carbon emission footprint from the communications received from the power measuring device based on an integration of the power measurement value associated with the time data measured at each of the plurality of positions; and

communicate with a battery controller over the network to control, based on the carbon emission footprint, at least one battery.

2. The power control device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive communications from an appliance monitor over the network, wherein the communications include an amount of power consumed by at least one electrical appliance and associated time data;

receive communications from a power generation system, wherein the communications include a power generation value and associated time data; and

communicate with the battery controller to control the at least one battery based on at least the communications received from the appliance monitor,

wherein the carbon emission footprint used by the controller is also based on the communications received from the power generation system.

3. The power control device of claim 2, wherein the communications received from the appliance monitor are utilized to calculate at least one of a total amount of power consumed by the at least one electrical appliance, a total of generated power indicated by the power generation value, or a difference between the total of the consumed power and the total of the generated power.

4. The power control device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit information over the network to a computing device and receive the carbon emission footprint from the computing device based on the transmitted information.

5. The power control device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to communicate with the battery controller to control timings to store energy in the at least one battery and to supply the energy from the at least one battery.

6. The power control device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to communicate with the battery controller to store energy in the at least one battery based on a determination that the carbon emission footprint is less than a threshold value.

7. The power control device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to communicate with the battery controller to supply energy from the at least one battery based on a determination that the carbon emission footprint is not less than a threshold value.

8. The power control device of claim 2, wherein the communications received by the controller from the power generation system relate to power generated by at least one solar panel.

9. The power control device of claim 1, wherein the communications received by the controller from the power measuring device relate to power supplied by a power supply company.