APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANAGING ELECTRIC DEVICES, AND MOBILE DEVICE AND SYSTEM ADAPTED TO THE METHOD

• US 20130082526A1
• Filed: 08/28/2012
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Hyungrae, Lee, Kangmin, Oh, Seokmin, Kweon, Jihyeon, Kharsim, Yousef
• Granted Patent: US 9,825,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/003 Load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• 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: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• 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 50/14 Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards

Abstract

An apparatus and method for managing electric devices, and a mobile device and a system adapted to the method are provided. The electric device management system includes an electric power supply, a plurality of electric devices that are arranged in an area and receive electric power from the electric power supply, and a device management apparatus for providing information regarding the electric devices and at least one operation schedule of electric devices based on the entire amount of electric power planned to be consumed by the electric devices.

Claims

1. An electric device management apparatus comprising:

a communication unit for collecting information regarding a plurality of electric devices consuming electric power;

a device controller for producing at least one operation schedule of electric devices that defines the operations of the electric devices according to their amounts of electric power consumed and the total amount of electric power planned to be consumed by the electric devices for a preset period of time; and

a device display unit for displaying at least one operation schedule.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication unit receives electricity cost-related information from an electric power supply and provides it to the device controller.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the device controller produces the operation schedules of electric devices with respect to electricity cost.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device controller identifies the priority orders of the electric devices and allocates the amounts of electric power to the electric devices, with different amounts, according to the priority orders.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the device display unit provides a screen interface; and

the screen interface comprises;

a list of electric devices;

items of default electric devices, the default electric devices operating with amounts of electric power corresponding to fixed values for a period of time, respectively; and

items of optional electric devices, the optional electric devices operating with the remaining amounts of electric power subtracting the amount of electric power, consumed by the default electric devices, from the set amount of electric power planned to be consumed.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the device controller identifies preset priority orders of the optional electric devices and allocates the remaining amount of electric power to the optional electric devices with different amounts.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an input unit and/or a display unit serving as the input unit to receive the amount of electric power planned to be consumed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication unit establishes communication channels with a mobile device, receives the amount of electric power planned to be consumed therefrom, and transfers it to the device controller.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device controller provides the device display unit or a mobile device with at least one of operation schedules of electric devices, information regarding amounts of electric power consumed by the electric devices at a time point, and information regarding a determination result as to whether amount of electric power, consumed by the electric devices according to operation schedules of electric devices, is equal to the amount of electric power planned to be consumed.

10. A mobile device for supporting electric devices comprising:

a display unit for providing screen interface to distinguish between default electric devices and optional electric devices, wherein the default electric devices operate with amounts of electric power corresponding to fixed values for a period of time, respectively, and the optional electric devices operate with the remaining amounts of electric power subtracting the amount of electric power, consumed by the default electric devices, from the set amount of electric power planned to be consumed; and

a controller for producing at least one operation schedule of electric devices, based on the amount of electric power planned to be consumed, according to the setting of the default electric devices and the optional electric devices.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the controller allocates the remaining amount of electric power to the optional electric devices, with different amounts, according to the priority orders.

12. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the display unit displays at least one operation schedule of electric devices.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the controller operates the electric devices according to a selected operation schedule of electric devices.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the display unit outputs information regarding amounts of electric power consumed by the electric devices at a time point and/or information regarding a determination result as to whether amount of electric power, consumed by the electric devices according to operation schedules of electric devices, is equal to the amount of electric power planned to be consumed

15. An electric device management method comprising:

collecting, by at least one of a device management apparatus and a mobile device, information regarding a number of electric devices and the entire amount of electric power planned to be consumed by the electric devices for a period of time, wherein the device management apparatus communicates with the electric devices and the mobile device communicates with the electric devices and the device management apparatus;

producing at least one operation schedule of electric devices, based on the collected amount of electric power planned to be consumed; and

outputting the operation schedules of electric devices to the device management apparatus and/or the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

collecting electricity cost-related information according to the amount of electric power consumed from an electric power supply,

wherein at least one operation schedule of electric devices is produced, based on electricity cost corresponding to an amount of electric power consumed.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

classifying at least one electric device into a default electric device and optional electric device,

wherein the default electric device operates with an amount of electric power corresponding to a fixed value, for a period of time, and the optional electric device operates with a variable amount of electric power, for a period of time, according to the amount of electric power planned to be consumed.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the production of at least one operation schedule of electric devices comprises:

subtracting the amount of electric power, consumed by the default electric devices for a period of time, from an entire amount of electric power planned to be consumed; and

allocating a remaining amount of electric power to the optional electric devices with a same amount, or determining priority orders of the optional electric devices and allocating the remaining amount of electric power to the optional electric devices with different amounts according to the priority orders.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

outputting, to the device management apparatus and/or a mobile device, information regarding amounts of electric power consumed by the electric devices at a time point and/or information regarding a determination result as to whether amount of electric power, consumed by the electric devices according to operation schedules of electric devices, is equal to the amount of electric power planned to be consumed.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the production of at least one operation schedule of electric devices comprises:

adjusting a period of time during which the electric devices are operated within the amount of electric power planned to be consumed, operation conditions, operation periods, and operation hours of the electric devices.