Power control apparatus, power control system, and control method

• US 9,891,604 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2012
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshitani, Naohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Kenneth M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huntley, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US14/364,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20140350700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,889 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• 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: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A HEMS (200) connects to a plurality of devices furnished to a consumer'"'"'s residence, and performs control relating to power management of the plurality of devices. The HEMS (200) is provided with a controller (240) for transmitting control information for the purpose of respective control of the plurality of devices, respectively to the plurality of devices on the basis of a predetermined cycle. The controller (240) classifies the plurality of devices into a plurality of groups, transmitting the control information to devices respectively classified into the plurality of groups, at different timing for each group.

Claims

1. A power control apparatus that is communicatively connected to a plurality of equipment provided in a consumer and performs control on a power management of the plurality of equipment, wherein the power control apparatus is connected, via an ad hoc network, to the plurality of equipment, and wherein the power control apparatus comprises:

a transmitter, and

a controller configured to transmit control information for controlling each of the plurality of equipment to each of the plurality of equipment, wherein the controller is configured to

classify the plurality of equipment into a plurality of groups based on an actual data amount of the control information transmitted to each of the plurality of equipment so as to minimize a difference between multiplication results for each of the plurality of groups, each of the multiplication results being obtained, for each of the plurality of groups, by multiplying total actual data amount of the control information and a number of hops required to transmit the control information, and

control the transmitter to transmit the control information for each of the plurality of groups at different timing in a predetermined period.

2. The power control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller randomly selects equipment included in the plurality of equipment and classifies the plurality of equipment into the plurality of groups.

3. The power control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller classifies the plurality of equipment into the plurality of groups on the basis of identification information assigned to each of the plurality of equipment.

4. The power control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ad hoc network is a ZigBee network.

5. The power control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller transmits the control information in a period defined in a ZigBee protocol.

6. A power control system, comprising:

a plurality of equipment provided in a consumer; and

a power control apparatus that communicatively connects to the plurality of equipment and performs control on a power management of the plurality of equipment, wherein the power control apparatus includes

a transmitter, and

a controller configured to transmit control information for controlling each of the plurality of equipment to each of the plurality of equipment, wherein the controller is configured to

classify the plurality of equipment into a plurality of groups based on an actual data amount of the control information transmitted to each of the plurality of equipment so as to minimize a difference between multiplication results for each of the plurality of groups, each of the multiplication results being obtained, for each of the plurality of groups, by multiplying total actual data amount of the control information and a number of hops required to transmit the control information, and

control the transmitter to transmit the control information for each of the plurality of groups at different timing in a predetermined period.