POWER CONTROL APPARATUS, POWER CONTROL SYSTEM, AND CONTROL METHOD

• US 20140350700A1
• Filed: 12/12/2012
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshitani, Naohisa
• Granted Patent: US 9,891,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/22
• 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 connected to a plurality of equipment provided in a consumer and performs control on a power management of the plurality of equipment, comprising:

a control unit that transmits, on the basis of a predetermined period, control information for controlling each of the plurality of equipment, to each of the plurality of equipment, wherein

the control unit

classifies the plurality of equipment into a plurality of groups and transmits the control information to the equipment classified into each of the plurality of groups, at a timing different depending on each group.

2. The power control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit classifies the plurality of equipment into the plurality of groups so that a difference in value, totaled for each group to which the equipment belongs, of a data amount of the control information transmitted to each of the plurality of equipment is minimum.

3. The power control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the power control apparatus is connected, via an ad hoc network, to the plurality of equipment, and

the control unit acquires results obtained by multiplication of a data amount of the control information transmitted to each of the plurality of equipment by a hop number of each of the plurality of equipment in the ad hoc network, and classifies the plurality of equipment into the plurality of groups so that a difference in value obtained by totaling the multiplication results for each group to which the equipment belongs is minimum.

4. The power control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit randomly selects equipment included in the plurality of equipment and classifies the plurality of equipment into the plurality of groups.

5. The power control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit classifies the plurality of equipment into the plurality of groups on the basis of identification information assigned to each of the plurality of equipment.

6. The power control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit transmits the control information at a timing different depending on each group, within the predetermined period.

7. The power control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the ad hoc network is a ZigBee network.

8. The power control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the control unit transmits the control information in a period defined in a ZigBee protocol.

9. A power control system, comprising:

a plurality of equipment provided in a consumer; and

a power control apparatus that 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 control unit that transmits, on the basis of a predetermined period, control information for controlling each of the plurality of equipment to each of the plurality of equipment, and

the control unit classifies

the plurality of equipment into a plurality of groups and transmits the control information to the equipment classified into each of the plurality of groups, at a timing different depending on each group.

10. A control method in a power control apparatus that is connected to a plurality of equipment provided in a consumer and performs control on a power management of the plurality of equipment, comprising:

a step A of transmitting, on the basis of a predetermined period, control information for controlling each of the plurality of equipment, to each of the plurality of equipment, wherein

the step A comprises;

a step A1 of classifying the plurality of equipment into a plurality of groups; and

a step A2 of transmitting the control information to the equipment classified into each of the plurality of groups, at a timing different depending on each group.