JP2012231555A - Apparatus control device and apparatus control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus control device and an apparatus control method that can improve convenience of a user.SOLUTION: The apparatus control device includes: a change determination part which determines whether to change time shift time computed by a time shift time computation part 14; a notification part 18 which informs the user that time shift time which is computed first is changed when the change determination part determines that the time shift time is changed; a timer part 19 which starts clocking time when the change determination part determines that the time shift time is changed; and a confirmation reception part 27 which receives user's confirmation after the timer part 19 starts clocking the time. A time shift reservation is canceled when the clocked value of the timer part 19 exceeds a certain value before the confirmation reception part 27 receives the user's confirmation.

Description

  The present invention relates to a device control apparatus and a device control method for controlling the operation start time or operation end time of an electric device.

  Conventionally, there has been proposed a power load leveling system that presents a time period during which the load of a power supply device of a power company is low during a day and prompts each customer to use power during this time period (for example, Patent Document 1).

  In the above power load leveling system, by showing each customer a time zone (recommended power usage time) when the load of the power supply device is low during the day, and encouraging the use of power in this time zone, It is described that the bottom power of the power demand can be increased. Moreover, it can be expected that the peak power will be reduced along with this, and it is described that the load of the power supply apparatus is leveled as a whole.

  In addition, the leveling of the load will lead to a reduction in the cost for the power company to control the amount of power generated by the power supply device in accordance with the power demand. It is described that if a discount is performed, a power user who is a consumer can expect to use cheap power intentionally at that time, and the power demand can be leveled more effectively.

  As an example, electric water heaters and heat pump water heaters that boil hot water using a late-night power contract or an hourly lamp contract in order to equalize the daily power demand are already widespread in the home. The hot water boiled using low-power electricity at the late night of the previous day (for example, between 11:00 pm and 7:00 am) is stored in a hot water storage tank, and this hot water is used for meals, showers, and bathing during the day, morning, and night. By using it, the power demand for boiling water is shifted to the midnight time of the previous day.

  These electric water heaters and heat pump water heaters compatible with midnight power have a clock means in their devices, and start boiling operation when the time set in advance by a contract with an electric power company comes. That is, the reserved operation is performed every day at a preset operation start time (or operation end time).

  In the future, natural energy generators such as solar power generators and wind power generators may be widely used, but it is expected that the amount of power generated by these natural energy generators will vary greatly depending on the climate and time.

  Then, technology to control power demand will become more and more important in the future. It is considered that a new system for controlling the power demand according to the fluctuating power generation amount is required in addition to the conventional system for leveling the power demand and controlling the power generation amount accordingly.

  For example, if an electric power company fluctuates the electricity bill according to the fluctuating power generation amount, the electricity bill is reduced when the power generation amount is large, and the electricity bill is increased when the power generation amount is small, and the electric power bill is changed according to the fluctuating power generation amount. Electric power demand can be controlled.

JP 2007-124793 A

  By the way, there are countries that have adopted a real-time pricing system in regions where solar power generation devices and wind power generation devices are spreading. This is because electricity charges are reduced at a fixed time between 11:00 pm and 7:00 am every day for late-night electricity contracts, whereas real-time pricing is real-time according to the amount of power generated by solar and wind power generators. The electricity rate fluctuates during the same period, and the electricity rate fluctuates depending on the day even in the same time zone.

  For example, electricity price information (a table in which time zones and electricity charges are entered) that increases or decreases electricity charges every hour is distributed from an electric power company to consumers. As for the frequency of distribution of the electricity charge information, for example, the electricity charge information of the next day is distributed today. Alternatively, the electricity bill information for this afternoon will be distributed this morning. The user operates the electric device with reference to the electric charge information.

  However, since the real-time pricing is not considered in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the home appliance is operated by selecting a time zone where the electricity rate is cheaper by using the electricity rate information or the electricity rate menu provided by the power company. In this case, there is a possibility that the convenience of the user is impaired.

  For example, it is possible to reduce the electricity bill by operating the electric device in a time zone where the electricity bill is cheap as in Patent Document 1. When this is applied to frequently changing electricity bill information such as real-time pricing, the operating time of the electric device changes every time the cheap electricity bill time fluctuates. As a result, the operation start time initially set by the user may be different from the operation start time at which the operation of the electric device is actually started.

  In Patent Document 1, no consideration is given to changing the initially set operation start time or operation end time. Therefore, when the initially set operation start time is changed, the user cannot know that the operation start time has been changed, and can grasp when the operation of the electric device is started. There is a risk of disappearing.

  In addition, when the initially set operation start time is changed, even if the user is notified that the operation start time is changed, the user receives the notification and has recognized that the operation start time is changed. I don't know if it is.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a device control apparatus and a device control method that can improve user convenience.

The device control device according to the present invention is a home appliance having a time shift function for performing a timer reservation process based on a time shift calculation result indicating an operation start time or an operation end time at which the electricity cost for operation is the lowest. A time shift time calculation unit that calculates a time shift time indicating an operation start time or an operation end time when the electric bill charged when an electric device is operated is equal to or less than a predetermined charge, and is calculated by the time shift time calculation unit A change determination unit that determines whether or not to change the time shift time, and when the change determination unit determines to change the time shift time, the time shift time calculated first is changed. And when the change determination unit determines that the time shift time is to be changed, the time measurement is started. A timer unit, and a confirmation receiving unit that receives a user response after the timer unit starts measuring time, and the timer unit receives a user response in the confirmation receiving unit, and the time measurement value in the timer unit is a constant value. If exceeded, cancel the timer reservation.

  According to this configuration, the time shift time calculation unit calculates a time shift time indicating an operation start time or an operation end time at which the electricity bill charged when the electric device is operated is equal to or less than a predetermined charge. The change determining unit determines whether to change the time shift time calculated by the time shift time calculating unit. When the change determination unit determines that the time shift time is to be changed, the notification unit notifies the user that the time shift time calculated first is changed, and waits for a user response. At this time, the timer unit is started to start timing. If a response from the user is not obtained within a certain time after the notification, the operation start time or the operation end time is discarded and the timer reservation for the operation is canceled.

  Therefore, when the time shift time calculated first is about to be changed, the user is notified that the time shift time calculated first is changed, and waits whether the user recognizes that, If it is determined that the change in the time shift time has been recognized, the time shift time is changed during the period when the electricity rate has been reduced. On the other hand, if it is determined that the change has not been recognized, the user's expectation Cancel reservations to avoid driving in non-time periods and to avoid driving in non-best time periods. For this reason, a user's convenience can be improved.

  Moreover, in said apparatus control apparatus, when the time measured value in the said timer part exceeds a fixed value before accepting a user's response in the said confirmation reception part, it can also be made not to change a time shift time.

  According to this configuration, when the time shift time calculated first is changed, the user is informed that the time shift time calculated first is changed, and waits whether the user has recognized that, If it is determined that it has not been recognized, it is possible to continue the reservation according to the time shift time calculated first without changing the reservation time for driving, thereby improving the convenience for the user.

  The device control method according to the present invention includes a time shift time calculating step for calculating a time shift time indicating an operation start time or an operation end time at which an electricity bill charged when an electric device is operated is equal to or less than a predetermined charge, When it is determined that the time shift time calculated in the time shift time calculation step is to be changed, and the change determination step is to change the time shift time in the change determination step, it is calculated first. If it is determined that the time shift time is to be changed by the notification step for notifying the user that the time shift time is to be changed and the change determination step, a timer step for starting timing, and after the timer step starts timing , A confirmation reception step for receiving a user response and the change determination step Therefore if the it is determined to change the time-shift time, a timer initiating a time counting, after said timer step began counting, and a confirmation accepting step of accepting a user's response.

  According to this configuration, in the time shift time calculating step, a time shift time indicating an operation start time or an operation end time at which the electricity bill charged when the electric device is operated is equal to or less than a predetermined charge is calculated. Next, in the change determination step, it is determined whether or not to change the time shift time calculated in the time shift time calculation step. In the notification step, when it is determined in the change determination step that the time shift time is to be changed, the notification step is notified to the user that the time shift time calculated first is changed, and a user response is waited for. At this time, the timer step starts timing. If a response from the user is not obtained within a certain time after the notification, the operation start time or the operation end time is discarded and the timer reservation for the operation is canceled.

  Therefore, if the first calculated time shift time is changed, the user is informed that the first calculated time shift time will be changed, and waits if the user recognizes that, if not, it is not recognized. If it is determined that the operation has been performed, the reservation for driving is canceled, so that it is possible to cancel the driving at a time when the electricity charge may be high if the user does not recognize it. In addition, when it is determined that the change of the time shift time is recognized by the user, the time shift time is changed in a time zone when the electricity rate is reduced, so that the convenience for the user can be improved.

  According to the present invention, when the first calculated time shift time is changed, the user is notified that the first calculated time shift time is changed, but it is determined that the user cannot recognize the notification. In such a case, since the reservation is canceled, it is possible to avoid driving in an unexpected time zone of the user or driving in a time zone that is not optimal in terms of electricity bill, and improve user convenience. be able to.

The figure which shows the whole structure of the apparatus control system which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. The block diagram which shows the structure of the apparatus control system which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. First flowchart for describing the operation of the household electrical appliance in the first embodiment Second flowchart for describing the operation of the household electrical appliance according to the first embodiment First flowchart for explaining the operation of the device control apparatus according to the first embodiment. Second flowchart for explaining the operation of the device control apparatus according to the first embodiment. Schematic diagram for explaining the time shift time in the first embodiment of the present invention Schematic diagram for explaining recalculation of time shift time in the first embodiment

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the following embodiment is an example which actualized this invention, Comprising: It is not the thing of the character which limits the technical scope of this invention.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a device control system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. A device control system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a device control device 10 and home appliances 20, 30, and 40.

  Home appliances 20, 30, and 40 are, for example, a washing / drying machine, a rice cooker, an electric water heater, a dishwasher, a clothes dryer, an air conditioner, an electromagnetic cooker (IH), and a garbage disposal machine.

The device control apparatus 10 and the home appliances 20, 30, and 40 are connected to each other via a wireless or wired home network so that information can be transmitted and received between them. In FIG. 1, three home appliances 20, 30, and 40 are connected to the device control apparatus 10, but the present invention is not particularly limited to this, and two or less, or four or more home appliances are devices. It may be connected to the control device 10.

  Moreover, the apparatus control apparatus 10 may be provided outside the house instead of in the house, and in that case, the home appliances 20, 30, and 40 are connected via an external network such as the Internet. Furthermore, one of the household electrical appliances 20, 30, and 40 may have the function of the device control device 10 without providing the device control device 10.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the device control system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In addition, since the household appliances 20, 30, and 40 are the same structures, only the household appliance 20 is illustrated in FIG.

  The device control apparatus 10 includes a reception unit 11, a power rate information acquisition unit 12, a power rate information storage unit 13, a time shift time calculation unit 14, a time shift time storage unit 15, a transmission unit 16, a recalculation determination unit 17, and a notification unit. 18, a timer unit 19, and a confirmation receiving unit 27.

  The receiving unit 11 receives various data, information, and signals transmitted by the home appliance 20. The receiving unit 11 receives the time shift time calculation start signal transmitted by the home appliance 20. The time shift time calculation start signal is a signal for instructing start of calculation of the time shift time, identification information for identifying the home appliance 20, driving period information indicating a period required for the home appliance 20 to drive, and the home appliance It includes power information indicating the power required for the device 20 to operate.

  The power charge information acquisition unit 12 acquires power charge information indicating a power charge that changes with time. The power rate information is provided from, for example, an electric power company. For example, the power charge information acquisition unit 12 acquires the power charge information of the day on the previous day and stores it in the internal memory. The power rate information represents a change in power rate per 1 kWh for 24 hours. The electric power charge fluctuates according to time, for example, every hour. This is because electricity supply sources such as solar cells and fuel cells are installed in homes with home appliances, and electricity supply systems to homes change drastically due to the installation of storage batteries. It reflects the changing real-time pricing.

  Real-time pricing generally indicates power rate information notified from an electric power company in advance. Real-time pricing is created not only from information on electricity charges from electric power companies, but also from past results of household appliances such as power supply sources and storage batteries, information on purchased electricity charges, and information on electricity sales. In some cases, the power rate information is displayed.

  As described above, the power rate information is applied only to a certain home created not only from the power rate information from the power company but also from the past performance of the device operation information, the power purchase fee information and the power sale fee information. It may be power rate information. In short, it is only necessary to know a power rate that fluctuates depending on time, and the method of obtaining the information is not limited.

  As described above, real-time pricing in which the charge is changed finely for each unit time based on the power demand prediction is adopted for the power charge information. Factors that fluctuate electricity demand include seasons, days of the week, weather conditions (temperature, relative humidity, weather, etc.), large-scale consumer operation plans, social factors (sports events, etc.), and economic trends. It is closely related to weather conditions. For example, the effect when the temperature changes once is assumed to be 3% for summer power demand and 1.5% for winter power demand.

  In recent years, the installation of photovoltaic power generation devices has been promoted, and the electric power obtained by photovoltaic power generation is being used in the whole society. The amount of power generated by solar power has a significant correlation with sunshine hours, and sunshine hours have a greater effect than temperature fluctuations.

  For example, if the temperature is higher than expected and it is hot and humid, but the sun is blocked by clouds and sufficient sunshine hours are not obtained, the power demand will increase, but the photovoltaic power generation system will Power supply cannot be obtained. From these points, the accuracy of the weather forecast will directly affect the power demand forecast. However, it is currently difficult to accurately predict regional temperatures and sunshine hours.

  Unexpected power demand fluctuations are unavoidable at this time, so real-time pricing is required to change the electricity rate every certain unit time (for example, every 3 hours) as the power demand fluctuates. Shifting the operating time of home appliances (so-called time shift) is being demanded as a basic function of home appliances.

  The power rate information storage unit 13 stores the power rate information acquired by the power rate information acquisition unit 12. In the present embodiment, the power rate information storage unit 13 stores the power rate information acquired by the power rate information acquisition unit 12, but the present invention is not particularly limited to this and is input by the user. The power charge information may be stored.

  The time shift time calculation unit 14 calculates, as the time shift time, an operation start time at which the electricity bill charged when the home appliance 20 is operated is equal to or less than a predetermined charge. When the home appliance 20 is driven based on the driving period information and power information received by the receiving unit 11 and the power rate information stored in the power rate information storage unit 13, the time shift time calculation unit 14 The operation start time at which the electricity bill charged for is the cheapest is calculated. Note that the time shift time calculation unit 14 may calculate only the operation end time instead of calculating only the operation start time, or may calculate both the operation start time and the operation end time.

  The time shift time storage unit 15 includes the time shift time calculated by the time shift time calculation unit 14, the operation period information used when calculating the time shift time, and the electric power used when calculating the time shift time. The information is stored in association with the identification information received by the receiving unit 11. The time shift time storage unit 15 stores time shift time, operation period information, and power information for each home appliance.

  The transmission unit 16 transmits various data, information, and signals to the home appliance 20. The transmission unit 16 transmits the time shift time calculated by the time shift time calculation unit 14 to the home appliance 20. When the transmitted time shift time is corrected in the home appliance 20, the receiving unit 11 receives a confirmation signal including the corrected time shift time, and stores the corrected time shift time in the time shift time storage unit 15. Remember.

  Although details will be described later, the transmission unit 16 transmits a signal to cancel the reservation (time shift time) of the home appliance 20 to the home appliance 20 when the timer unit 19 exceeds the predetermined time.

  The recalculation determination unit 17 determines whether or not to change the time shift time calculated by the time shift time calculation unit 14. More specifically, the recalculation determination unit 17 determines whether or not to recalculate the time shift time calculated by the time shift time calculation unit 14. The recalculation determination unit 17 monitors the power rate information stored in the power rate information storage unit 13 and determines whether the power rate information has been updated. When it is determined that the power rate information has been updated, the recalculation determination unit 17 instructs the time shift time calculation unit 14 to recalculate the time shift time. In addition, the recalculation determination unit 17 in the present embodiment corresponds to an example of a change determination unit.

  When the recalculation determination unit 17 determines that the time shift time is calculated again, the time shift time calculation unit 14 calculates the time shift time again. At this time, the time shift time calculation unit 14 is based on the operation period information and power information stored in the time shift time storage unit 15 and the updated power rate information stored in the power rate information storage unit 13. Thus, the operation start time at which the electricity bill charged when the home appliance 20 is operated is the lowest is calculated.

  When the recalculation determination unit 17 determines that the time shift time is to be changed, the notification unit 18 notifies the user that the time shift time calculated first is to be changed. When the time shift time calculated again by the time shift time calculation unit 14 is different from the time shift time calculated by the time shift time calculation unit 14, the notification unit 18 changes the time shift time calculated first. Inform the user that he / she wants to do. The time shift time calculation unit 14 determines whether or not the time shift time calculated again by the time shift time calculation unit 14 and the first time shift time calculated in the time shift time storage unit 15 are the same. Determine whether. When it is determined that the time shift time calculated again by the time shift time calculation unit 14 and the first time shift time calculated in the time shift time storage unit 15 are different, the notification unit 18 It is notified that the time shift time calculated in is changed. Alternatively, a notification instruction may be sent from the transmission unit 16 to the home appliance 20 and notified by the home appliance 20.

  The timer unit 19 starts timing by the output of the recalculation determination unit 17 and stops timing by the output of the confirmation reception unit 27. When the timed value reaches a predetermined time, the timer unit 19 cancels the time shift reservation. The instruction signal is sent to the home appliance 20 through the transmitter 16.

  The confirmation receiving unit 27 receives a notification indicating that the user has confirmed and accepted the change of the time shift time after notifying the user of the change of the time shift time determined first. The means for accepting the user's intention may be provided with an operation input means for accepting the user's input in the device control apparatus, or the user's intention display is received by the input operation unit 21 of the home appliance 20. You may comprise so that the confirmation reception part 27 may interpret the message | telegram received by the receiving part 11 of the apparatus control apparatus 10 from the transmission part 23. FIG.

  The home appliance 20 includes an input operation unit 21, an operation control unit 22, a transmission unit 23, a reception unit 24, a storage unit 25, and a display unit 26.

  The input operation unit 21 receives an input operation by a user.

  When the power is turned on, the operation control unit 22 generates a time shift time calculation start signal for instructing start of calculation of the time shift time, and outputs the generated time shift time calculation start signal to the transmission unit 23. . As described above, the time shift time calculation start signal includes identification information for identifying the home appliance 20, operation period information indicating a period required for the home appliance 20 to operate, and power information indicating power required for the home appliance 20 to operate. including. When the power is turned on, the operation control unit 22 reads the identification information, the operation period information, and the power information stored in advance, and outputs a time shift time calculation start signal including the read identification information, operation period information, and power information. The data is output to the transmission unit 23.

The transmission unit 23 transmits various data, information, and signals to the device control apparatus 10. The transmission unit 23 transmits the time shift time calculation start signal output from the operation control unit 22 to the device control apparatus 10. When the time shift time transmitted by the device control device 10 is corrected, the transmission unit 23 transmits a confirmation signal including the corrected time shift time to the device control device 10.

  The receiving unit 24 receives various data, information, and signals transmitted by the device control apparatus 10. The receiving unit 24 receives the time shift time transmitted by the device control device 10 and also receives the notification signal transmitted by the device control device 10.

  The storage unit 25 stores the time shift time received by the receiving unit 24. The operation control unit 22 controls the operation of the home appliance 20 based on the operation start time stored in the storage unit 25. That is, the operation control unit 22 has a built-in clock, and outputs a start signal when the current time reaches the operation start time stored in the storage unit 25 to control the home appliance 20 to start operation.

  The display unit 26 displays the time shift time. The display unit 26 may display the time shift time calculated again by the time shift time calculation unit 14 and the time shift time calculated first by the time shift time calculation unit 14 together. Only the time shift time calculated again by the time calculation unit 14 may be displayed.

  Next, the operation of the home appliance in the first embodiment will be described.

  3 and 4 are flowcharts for explaining the operation of the household electrical appliance according to the first embodiment.

  First, in step S1, the input operation unit 21 accepts power-on by the user.

  Next, in step S2, the operation control unit 22 generates a time shift time calculation start signal for instructing start of calculation of the time shift time. The operation control unit 22 reads identification information, operation period information, and power information stored in advance, and generates a time shift time calculation start signal including the read identification information, operation period information, and power information. The operation control unit 22 outputs the generated time shift time calculation start signal to the transmission unit 23.

  In the present embodiment, the operation period information and the power information that are stored in advance and are uniquely determined when the power is turned on are read. However, the present invention is not particularly limited to this, and an input operation is performed. The unit 21 may accept input of driving period information and power information by the user. Moreover, the input operation part 21 may receive an input of driving conditions by the user, and the driving period information and the power information may be specified based on the received driving conditions.

  For example, if the home appliance 20 is a washing / drying machine, a laundry course (a standard course, an energy saving course, a short-time course, etc.) is selected by the input operation unit 21, so that operation period information and power information corresponding to the laundry course are obtained. Since it can specify, it is not necessary for a user to input driving | operation period information and electric power information. In short, if the operation period information and the power information can be specified by some input information, the user does not need to input individual information.

  Moreover, the household appliances 20 may memorize | store each information input with the input operation part 21 in internal memory. Here, if the information input by the input operation unit 21 is information that needs to be converted from the driving conditions such as the washing course, the input operation unit 21 sets driving period information and power information corresponding to the washing course. The conversion correspondence table is stored in advance.

In particular, if the home appliance 20 is a washing / drying machine, a plurality of steps (for example, a washing step, a dehydration step, a drying step, etc.) are sequentially performed during operation, so that the operation period information and power information are complicated. It becomes. The input operation unit 21 stores a plurality of pieces of power information for each sensor result such as a laundry course, the weight of laundry clothes, and an outside air temperature.

  Next, in step S <b> 3, the transmission unit 23 transmits the time shift time calculation start signal output from the operation control unit 22 to the device control apparatus 10.

  Next, in step S4, the operation control unit 22 determines whether or not the time shift time is received within a predetermined time. The predetermined time is a timeout time for waiting for transmission of the time shift time from the device control apparatus 10, and is set to 5 minutes, for example. Here, when it is determined that the time shift time has not been received within the predetermined time (NO in step S4), in step S5, the operation control unit 22 notifies the user of the system abnormality. That is, the operation control unit 22 displays a display screen indicating that there is some abnormality in the operation control system on the display unit 26.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the time shift time is received within the predetermined time (YES in step S4), in step S6, the operation control unit 22 displays the time shift time received by the receiving unit 24 on the display unit 26. Control to do. The display unit 26 displays the time shift time.

  Next, in step S <b> 7, the operation control unit 22 determines whether a numerical value increase / decrease button provided in the input operation unit 21 has been pressed. When the numerical value increase / decrease button is pressed, the time shift time displayed on the display unit 26 can be increased or decreased. If it is determined that the numerical value increase / decrease button has not been pressed (NO in step S7), the process proceeds to step S9.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the numerical value increase / decrease button has been pressed (YES in step S7), in step S8, the operation control unit 22 determines the time shift time displayed on the display unit 26 in response to the numerical value increase / decrease button being pressed. Control to change the numerical value.

  Next, in step S <b> 9, the operation control unit 22 determines whether or not a cancel button provided in the input operation unit 21 has been pressed. When the cancel button is pressed, the operation control unit 22 cancels the time shift time displayed on the display unit 26. Here, when it is determined that the cancel button has been pressed (YES in step S9), the process proceeds to step S13, and the operation control unit 22 performs control to immediately start the operation of the home appliance 20.

  In the present embodiment, when it is determined that the cancel button is pressed in step S9, the home appliance 20 is immediately started to operate. However, the present invention is not particularly limited thereto, and the cancel button is pressed. When it is determined that the operation has been performed, the operation control unit 22 may perform control so as to display a screen for accepting an input of an operation start time by the user. In this case, the input operation unit 21 receives an input by the user of the operation start time.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the cancel button is not pressed, that is, when the confirmation button provided in the input operation unit 21 is pressed (NO in step S9), in step S10, the operation control unit 22 determines the determined time. A confirmation signal including the shift time is transmitted to the device control apparatus 10.

  Next, in step S <b> 11, the operation control unit 22 stores the determined time shift time in the storage unit 25.

  Next, in step S <b> 12, the operation control unit 22 determines whether or not the current time has reached the operation start time (time shift time) stored in the storage unit 25. Here, when it is determined that the current time is the operation start time stored in the storage unit 25 (YES in step S12), the operation control unit 22 starts the operation of the home appliance 20 in step S13. In addition, the driving control part 22 drives the household appliances 20 according to the said driving conditions, when driving conditions are input by the input operation part 21. FIG.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the current time is not the operation start time stored in the storage unit 25 (NO in step S12), in step S14, the operation control unit 22 sets the changed time shift time to the device. It is determined whether or not it has been received from the control device 10. If it is determined that the changed time shift time has not been received from the device control apparatus 10 (NO in step S14), the process proceeds to step S16.

  When it is determined that the changed time shift time is received from the device control apparatus 10 (YES in step S14), in step S15, the operation control unit 22 receives the operation start time stored in the storage unit 25. The time shift time after change received by 24 is updated, and the process returns to step S12.

  If a time shift reservation cancel instruction is received from the device control apparatus 10 in step S16 (YES in step S16), the time shift reservation is canceled in step S17 and the process ends. On the other hand, if no instruction for canceling the time shift reservation has been received from the device control apparatus 10 in step S16 (NO in step S16), the process returns to step S12.

  Next, the operation of the device control apparatus in the present embodiment will be described.

  5 and 6 are flowcharts for explaining the operation of the device control apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  First, in step S <b> 21, the reception unit 11 receives a time shift time calculation start signal transmitted from the home appliance 20.

  Next, in step S <b> 22, the time shift time calculation unit 14 selects the home appliance based on the operation period information and power information received by the receiving unit 11 and the power rate information stored in the power rate information storage unit 13. The operation start time at which the electricity bill charged when the device 20 is operated is the lowest is calculated as the time shift time. The time shift time calculation unit 14 outputs the calculated time shift time to the transmission unit 16 and the time shift time storage unit 15. The power charge information acquisition unit 12 periodically acquires power charge information and stores it in the power charge information storage unit 13.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the time shift time in the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 7, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the power rate (yen / kWh).

The time shift time calculation unit 14 is an operation schedule in which the electricity bill charged when the home appliance 20 is operated is the lowest based on the operation period information, power information, and power rate information (power rate Y (t)). The period Tx is calculated, and the time shift time (operation start time) is calculated based on the scheduled operation period Tx. The time shift time calculation unit 14 uses the following equation (1) to calculate the electricity bill charged when the home appliance 20 is driven. That is, the time shift time calculation unit 14 calculates a value obtained by multiplying the power charge Y (t) for each time period by the power P (t) required for the home appliance 20 to operate from the operation start time t1 to the operation end time t2. By integrating over the operation period, the charged electricity bill can be calculated.

  Note that the power P (t) may be determined by factors other than time, such as when the electricity rate is determined by the peak power during a specific period. In addition, when a plurality of scheduled driving periods Tx with the lowest electricity bill are extracted, the time shift time calculation unit 14 determines the driving scheduled period whose driving start time is closest to the current time ta among the plurality of scheduled driving periods Tx. Select Tx.

  Returning to FIG. 5, next, in step S <b> 23, the transmission unit 16 transmits the time shift time calculated by the time shift time calculation unit 14 to the home appliance 20.

  Next, in step S <b> 24, the receiving unit 11 receives a confirmation signal transmitted from the home appliance 20. The confirmation signal includes the time shift time confirmed by the home appliance 20. The time shift time determined by the home appliance 20 is the time shift time transmitted by the transmission unit 16 or the time shift time corrected by the home appliance 20.

  Next, in step S25, the time shift time storage unit 15 stores the time shift time calculated by the time shift time calculation unit 14, the operation period information used when calculating the time shift time, and the time shift time. The power information used in the calculation is stored in association with the identification information received by the receiving unit 11. When the time shift time included in the confirmation signal is different from the time shift time calculated by the time shift time calculation unit 14, the time shift time storage unit 15 stores the time shift time included in the determination signal.

  Next, in step S <b> 26, the recalculation determination unit 17 determines whether or not the current time has reached the operation start time (time shift time) stored in the time shift time storage unit 15. Here, when it is determined that the current time is the operation start time (time shift time) stored in the time shift time storage unit 15 (YES in step S26), the process of the device control apparatus 10 is terminated.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the current time is not the operation start time (time shift time) stored in the time shift time storage unit 15 (NO in step S26), the recalculation determination unit 17 is determined in step S27. Monitors the power charge information stored in the power charge information storage unit 13.

  Next, in step S28, the recalculation determination unit 17 determines whether or not the power rate information stored in the power rate information storage unit 13 has been updated. If it is determined that the power rate information stored in the power rate information storage unit 13 has not been updated (NO in step S28), the process returns to step S26.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the power rate information stored in the power rate information storage unit 13 has been updated (YES in step S28), in step S29, the time shift time calculation unit 14 calculates the time shift time again. . At this time, the time shift time calculation unit 14 is based on the operation period information and power information stored in the time shift time storage unit 15 and the updated power rate information stored in the power rate information storage unit 13. Thus, the operation start time at which the electricity bill charged when the home appliance 20 is operated is the lowest is calculated. The time shift time calculation method in step S29 is the same as the time shift time calculation method in step S22.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining the recalculation of the time shift time in the present embodiment. In FIG. 8, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the power rate (yen / kWh).

  First, the time shift time calculation unit 14 is based on the operation period information and power information received by the reception unit 11 and the power rate information (power rate Y (t)) stored in the power rate information storage unit 13. Thus, the operation scheduled period Tx that provides the lowest cost of electricity when the home appliance 20 is operated is calculated, and the time shift time (operation start time) is calculated based on the scheduled operation period Tx.

  Thereafter, when the power rate Y (t) is updated to the power rate Y ′ (t), the time shift time calculation unit 14 stores the operation period information and power information stored in the time shift time storage unit 15, and the power Based on the updated power charge information (power charge Y ′ (t)) stored in the charge information storage unit 13, the operation schedule that the electricity bill charged when the home appliance 20 is operated is the lowest A period Ty is calculated, and a time shift time (operation start time) is calculated based on the scheduled operation period Ty.

  As shown in FIG. 8, when the power rate Y (t) is updated to the power rate Y ′ (t), the time shift time is calculated again, and the scheduled operation period Ty is newly calculated. As a result, the time shift time is changed from the first 13:00 to 16:00.

  Returning to FIG. 5, next, in step S <b> 30, the time shift time calculation unit 14 first calculates the time shift time calculated again by the time shift time calculation unit 14 and the time shift time storage unit 15. It is determined whether or not the calculated time shift time is the same. Here, if it is determined that the time shift time calculated again and the time shift time calculated first are the same (YES in step S30), the process returns to step S26.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the time shift time calculated again is different from the time shift time calculated first (NO in step S30), in step S31, the notification unit 18 is driven to notify the user of the time shift time. Is changed, and in step S32, the timer 19 starts timing. Further, in step S33, it is determined whether or not the confirmation receiving unit 27 has received a response indicating that the user has recognized that the time shift time is to be changed. If there is a response from the user (YES in step S33), the change of the time shift time is confirmed in step S34, the time shift time updated in step S35 is transmitted to the home appliance 20, and the process returns to step S26. .

  When it is not possible to obtain a response indicating that the user has changed the time shift time in step S33 (NO in step S33), in step S36, when the time measured by the timer unit 19 exceeds a predetermined time (step S36). The transmission unit 16 transmits a signal for canceling the reservation (time shift time) of the home appliance 20 to the home appliance 20 and ends the process. On the other hand, if the time measured by the timer unit 19 has not yet reached the predetermined time in step S36 (NO in step S36), the process returns to step S33.

  Here, the predetermined value of the determination time when determining whether or not the predetermined time has passed in step S36 may be different for each device.

  If the predetermined time is exceeded in step S36 (YES in step S36), if the process returns to step S26, the instruction to cancel the time shift reservation is not transmitted, and the initially set time shift time is maintained. Is done.

  When the time shift time calculated first is changed in this way, the user is notified that the time shift time calculated first is changed, but it is determined that the user cannot recognize the notification. In order to cancel the reservation, it is possible to avoid driving in an unexpected time zone of the user or driving in a time zone that is not optimal in terms of electricity bill, and to improve user convenience. .

  Note that the user may be notified that the time shift time calculated first has been changed, or may be notified to the user by a buzzer sound or voice.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment, the operation control part 22 of the household appliances 20 has a built-in timer, and it is determined whether or not the current time is the operation start time (time shift time) stored in the storage unit 25. However, the present invention is not particularly limited to this. When the operation control unit 22 does not have a built-in timer, the transmission unit 16 of the device control apparatus 10 when the current time becomes the operation start time (time shift time) stored in the time shift time storage unit 15. However, an activation signal for starting the operation of the home appliance 20 may be transmitted to the home appliance 20. At this time, when the activation signal is received by the reception unit 24, the operation control unit 22 starts the operation of the home appliance 20.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the time shift time calculation unit 14 calculates the time shift time again when it is determined by the recalculation determination unit 17 to calculate the time shift time again. It is not limited to. When the time shift time first calculated by the time shift time calculation unit 14 is directly changed from the power company by the power demand management (DSM: Demand Side Management) system, the notification unit 18 calculates the time shift calculated first. The user may be notified that the time is to be changed.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The device control device and the device control method according to the present invention can improve user convenience and are useful for a device control device and a device control method that control the operation start time or operation end time of an electric device.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Device control apparatus 11 Receiving part 12 Electricity rate information acquisition part 13 Electricity rate information memory | storage part 14 Time shift time calculating part 15 Time shift time memory | storage part 16 Transmission part 17 Recalculation judgment part 18 Notification part 19 Timer part 20, 30, 40 Home appliance 21 Input operation unit 22 Operation control unit 23 Transmission unit 24 Reception unit 25 Storage unit 26 Display unit 27 Confirmation reception unit 100 Device control system

Claims (3)

A home appliance having a time shift function that performs a timer reservation process based on a time shift calculation result indicating an operation start time or an operation end time at which the electricity bill related to driving is the cheapest,
A time shift time calculating unit for calculating a time shift time indicating an operation start time or an operation end time at which the electricity bill charged when the electric device is operated is equal to or less than a predetermined charge;
A change determining unit that determines whether to change the time shift time calculated by the time shift time calculating unit;
When the change determination unit determines to change the time shift time, a notification unit that notifies the user that the time shift time calculated first is changed;
If it is determined by the change determination unit to change the time shift time, a timer unit for starting time measurement,
After the timer unit starts timing, a confirmation receiving unit that receives a user response,
A device control apparatus that cancels a time shift reservation when a time measured value in the timer unit exceeds a certain value before receiving a user response in the confirmation receiving unit.   The apparatus control device according to claim 1, wherein the time shift time is not changed when a time measured value in the timer unit exceeds a certain value before receiving a user response in the confirmation receiving unit. A time shift time calculating step for calculating a time shift time indicating an operation start time or an operation end time at which the electricity bill charged when the electric device is operated is equal to or less than a predetermined charge;
A change determining step for determining whether or not to change the time shift time calculated in the time shift time calculating step;
A notification step for notifying a user that the time shift time calculated first is changed when it is determined in the change determination step that the time shift time is changed;
If it is determined by the change determining step that the time shift time is to be changed, a timer step for starting timing,
A confirmation acceptance step for accepting a user's response after the timer step starts timing;
A device control method for canceling a time shift reservation when a time measured value in the timer step exceeds a certain value before receiving a user response in the confirmation receiving step.

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