Power supply control method, power supply control system and computer program product

• US 6,018,690 A
• Filed: 09/10/1997
• Issued: 01/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Saito, Takeshi, Kamagata, Eiji, Kamatani, Yukio, Takabatake, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garland, Steven R.
• Application Number:
  US08/926,969
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 364/528.3, 364/528.26, 364/528.27, 364/528.28, 364/528.32, 364/184, 364/185, 364/707, 395/750.01, 395/750.03, 395/750.08, 361/64, 361/66, 363/72, 307/35, 307/38-40, 713/300, 713/320, 713/340
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• 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: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances

Abstract

In supplying power to a plurality of electric apparatuses connected to a power line having a predetermined maximum consumable power, a power consumption of the power line is measured as a first power consumption. When a second power consumption predetermined in each of the electric apparatuses is told, a sum of the second power consumption and the first power consumption of the power line is compared with the predetermined maximum consumable power of the power line, and it is determined whether the second power consumption by the electric apparatus is permissible. A result of the determination is told to the electric apparatuses.

Claims

1. A computer program product, in a computer system, for use in a control for supplying power to a plurality of electric apparatuses connected to a plurality of power lines each having a predetermined maximum consumable power, the product comprising:

a recording medium;

first instruction means, stored in the recording medium, for instructing the computer system to measure a power consumption of each power line as a first power;

second instruction means for instructing the computer system to collect identification information of each of the electric apparatuses;

third instruction means for instructing the computer system to search for attributive information of the electric apparatus on the basis of the identification information;

fourth instruction means for instructing the computer system to determine, on the basis of a value of power which must be supplied to the electric apparatus, which value is included in the attributive information, the first power of the power line and a value of the predetermined maximum consumable power of each power line, whether the power consumption by the electric apparatus is permissible;

fifth instruction means for instructing the computer system to determine, when the power consumption by the electric apparatus has been determined to be permissible by the computer system instructed by the fourth instruction means, whether the power consumption by the electric apparatus is permissible, on the basis of a value of power which must be supplied to the electric apparatus, the first power of the power line and the value of the predetermined maximum consumable powers of the power lines; and

sixth instruction means for instructing the computer system to tell to the electric apparatus a result of the determination by the computer system instructed by the fifth instruction means.

2. A power control method for supplying power through a power line, which has a predetermined maximum consumable power, to a plurality of electric apparatuses which are connected to the power line, the method comprising:

a step of receiving a power use request message from one of the electric apparatus via the power line;

a step of measuring a total amount of power actually used by all of the electric apparatuses connected to the power line;

a first sending step of sending a first message to said electric apparatus for granting the power use request, when a sum of the total amount of power and the requested power does not exceed the predetermined maximum consumable power;

a determination step of determining an upper limit of permissible power which is lower than the requested power, when the sum of the total amount of power and the requested power exceeds the maximum consumable power; and

a second sending step of sending a second message to said electric apparatus for granting a use of the upper limit of permissible power.

3. A power control method for supplying power through a power line, which has a predetermined maximum consumable power, to a plurality of electric apparatuses connected to the power line, the method comprising:

a step of receiving identification information from one of the electric apparatuses via the power line;

a search step of searching for attributive information of the electric apparatus in accordance with the identification information; and

a control step of performing a control for supplying power to the plural electric apparatuses in accordance with the attributive information, wherein said control step comprises;

a step of receiving a power use request message from the electric apparatus via the power line;

a step of measuring a total amount of power actually used by all of the electric apparatuses connected to the power line;

a first sending step of sending a first message to said electric apparatus for granting the power use request, when a sum of the total amount of power and the requested power, whose value is included in the attributive information, does not exceed the predetermined maximum consumable power of the power line;

a determination step of determining an upper limit of permissible power which is lower than the requested power, when the sum of the total amount of power and the requested power exceeds the maximum consumable power; and

a second sending step of sending a second message to said electric apparatus for granting a use of the upper limit of permissible power.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said search step comprises:

a step of accessing a database which holds the attributive information of the electric apparatus, using communication means except for the power line, to search the attributive information of said electric apparatus.

5. A power control system for supplying power through a power line, which has a predetermined maximum consumable power, to a plurality of electric apparatuses which are connected to the power line, the system comprising:

a receiving section which receives a power use request message from one of the electric apparatus via the power line;

a measuring section which measures a total amount of power actually used by all of the electric apparatuses connected to the power line;

a first sending section which sends a first message to said electric apparatus for granting the power use request, when a sum of the total amount of power and the requested power does not exceed the predetermined maximum consumable power;

a determination section which determines an upper limit of permissible power which is lower than the requested power, when the sum of the total amount of power and the requested power exceed the maximum consumable power; and

a second sending section which sends a second message to said electric apparatus for granting a use of the upper limit of permissible power.

6. A power control system for supplying power through a power line, which has a predetermined maximum consumable power, to a plurality of electric apparatuses connected to the power line, the system comprising:

a section which receives identification information from one of the electric apparatuses via the power line;

a section which searches for attributive information of the electric apparatus in accordance with the identification information; and

a control section which performs a control for supplying power to the plural electric apparatuses in accordance with the attributive information, wherein said control section comprises;

a section which receives a power use request message from the electric apparatus via the power line;

a section which measures a total amount of power actually used by all of the electric apparatuses connected to the power line;

a first sending section which sends a first message to said electric apparatus for granting the power use request, when a sum of the total amount of power and the requested power, whose value is included in the attributive information, does not exceed the predetermined maximum consumable power of the power line;

a determination section which determines an upper limit of permissible power which is lower than the requested power, when the sum of the total amount of power and the requested power exceeds the maximum consumable power; and

a second sending section which sends a second message to said electric apparatus for granting a use of the upper limit of permissible power.

7. A computer program product, in a computer system, for use in a control for supplying power through a power line, which has a predetermined maximum consumable power, to a plurality of electric apparatuses which are connected to the power line, the product comprising:

a recording medium;

instruction means, stored in the recording medium, for instructing the computer system to receive a power use request message from one of the electric apparatus via the power line;

instruction means for instructing the computer system to measure a total amount of power actually used by all of the electric apparatuses connected to the power line;

instruction means for instructing the computer system to send a first message to said electric apparatus for granting the power use request, when a sum of the total amount of power and the requested power does not exceed the predetermined maximum consumable power;

instruction means for instructing the computer system to determine an upper limit of permissible power which is lower than the requested power, when the sum of the total amount of power and the requested power exceeds the maximum consumable power; and

instruction means for instructing the computer system to send a second message to said electric apparatus for granting a use of the upper limit of permissible power.

8. A computer program product, in a computer system, for use in a control for supplying power through a power line, which has a predetermined maximum consumable power, to a plurality of electric apparatuses connected to the power line, the product comprising:

a recording medium;

first instruction means, stored in the recording medium, for instructing the computer system to receive identification information from one of the electric apparatuses via the power line;

second instruction means for instructing the computer system to search for attributive information of the electric apparatus in accordance with the identification information; and

third instruction means for instructing the computer system to perform a control for supplying power to the plural electric apparatuses in accordance with the attributive information wherein said third instruction means comprises;

instruction means for instructing the computer system to receive a power use request message from the electric apparatus via the power line;

instruction means for instructing the computer system to measure a total amount of power actually used by all of the electric apparatuses connected to the power line;

instruction means for instructing the computer system to a send a first message to said electric apparatus for granting the power use request, when a sum of the total amount of power and the requested power, whose value is included in the attributive information, does not exceed the predetermined maximum consumable power of the power line;

instruction means for instructing the computer system to determine an upper limit of permissible power which is lower than the requested power, when the sum of the total amount of power and the requested power exceeds the maximum consumable power; and

instruction means for instructing the computer system to send a second message to said electric apparatus for granting a use of the upper limit of permissible power.