NETWORK SYSTEM

• US 20130221749A1
• Filed: 08/04/2011
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Junho Ahn, Kangwoon Cheon
• Inventors: Lee, Hoonbong, Ahn, Junho, Lee, Koonseok, Kim, Yanghwan, Cheon, Kangwoon
• Granted Patent: US 9,595,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/43
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/008 involving trading of energy or energy transmission rights
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• 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 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A network system is provided. The network system includes: at least one component of an energy supply unit supplying energy and an energy management unit managing the energy supply unit. An amount of energy used or energy charge of the energy supply unit is adjustable. An amount of energy used or energy charge when the component is controlled on the basis of information related to at least usage charge may be less than that when the component is controlled not on the basis of the information related to at least usage charge. Also, the energy supply unit has a power saving mode to determine a driving method or a driving time of the energy supply unit on the basis of the information related to energy charge.

Claims

1. A network system comprising:

at least one component of an energy supply unit supplying energy and an energy management unit managing the energy supply unit,

wherein

an amount of energy used or energy charge of the energy supply unit is adjustable;

an amount of energy used or energy charge when the component is controlled on the basis of information related to at least usage charge may be less than that when the component is controlled not on the basis of the information related to at least usage charge; and

the energy supply unit has a power saving mode to determine a driving method or a driving time of the energy supply unit on the basis of the information related to energy charge.

2. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the energy supply unit has a general mode to determine a driving method or a driving time of the energy supply unit not on the basis of the information related to energy charge.

3. The network system according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the power saving mode and the general mode is selectable as an operating mode of the energy supply unit.

4. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the energy supply unit comprises an input unit selecting at least one of a driving course, time, charge, an amount of power consumed, and a power saving level.

5. The network system according to claim 4, where the network system recommends at least another different value than the driving course, the time, the charge, the amount of power consumed, and the power saving level, on the basis of one input value selected through the input unit.

6. The network system according to claim 5, wherein the energy supply unit is driven in response to the recommended another different additional command than the driving course, the time, the charge, the amount of power consumed, and the power saving level.

7. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the information related to energy charge is displayed before a start operation is performed after power of the energy supply unit is applied.

8. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the energy supply unit further comprises a start input unit inputting a driving start command of the energy supply unit;

and

Once the start input unit is selected, the energy supply unit determines optimized driving time or driving method information on the basis of the information related to energy charge.

9. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the energy supply unit further comprises a control unit determining whether driving of the energy supply unit is necessary, and

whether the driving of the energy supply unit is necessary is determined on the basis of whether a consumable equipped in the energy supply unit is recognized.

10. The network system according to claim 9, where if the consumable is recognized, an optimized driving method or driving time is determined on the basis of information obtained from the consumable.

11. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the power saving mode comprises a plurality of power saving modes in which the driving method or driving time is divided.

12. The network system according to claim 11, wherein one power saving mode among the plurality of power saving modes is predetermined and is changeable to another power saving mode.

13. The network system according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of power saving modes comprise power saving modes with levels in correspondence to the degree of reducing electricity charge or an amount of power consumed.

14. The network system according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of power saving modes comprise at least two power saving modes sharing a driving method, for a power saving driving of the energy supply unit.

15. The network system according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of power saving modes comprise:

at least two time saving modes related to a driving time of the energy supply unit;

at least two course power saving modes related to a driving method of the energy supply unit; and

at least two charge power saving modes related to a reference charge of the energy supply unit.

16. The network system according to claim 15, wherein the time power saving mode comprises a recommended time power saving mode setting an operating time of the energy supply unit with a recommended time.

17. The network system according to claim 16, wherein the recommended time power saving mode comprises:

one time power saving mode recommending the lowest charge among a first setting time interval; and

another time power saving mode recommending the lowest charge during a greater second setting time interval than the first setting time interval.

18. The network system according to claim 15, wherein the course power saving mode is divided into a plurality of course power saving modes on the basis of a reference factor determining the driving method, and

the reference factor is divided into a plurality with a plurality of levels.

19. The network system according to claim 15, wherein the reference charge is an allowable limit charge for an operation of the electric product;

and

the charge power saving mode is divided into a plurality of charge power saving modes according to the allowable limit charge.

20. The network system according to claim 15, wherein at least two power saving modes are selectable from the time power saving mode, the course power saving mode, and the charge power saving mode.

21. The network system according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of power saving modes further comprise a power saving method power saving mode whose power saving method is determined on the basis of ON/OFF or an output limit of at least one of a plurality of components constituting the energy supply unit.

22. The network system according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of power saving modes are divided according to a setting method of a power saving time interval, and

at least one of a start time and an end time in relation to the power saving time interval may be set.

23. The network system according to claim 22, wherein a length of the power saving time interval is limited, and

when one of the start time and the end time is set, the other one is automatically set on the basis of the length of the power saving time interval.

24. The network system according to claim 22, wherein the power saving time interval is set as a high cost interval or is set with a time slot in which the number of using the energy supply unit is less.

25. The network system according to claim 22, wherein the plurality of power saving modes comprise a power saving time fixed mode having a power saving time interval fixed and a power saving time variable mode having a power saving time interval variable.