JP5967931B2 - Energy management system and energy management method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an energy management system and an energy management method for managing energy consumption in a building equipped with energy consuming equipment, and more particularly, to a sensor for measuring energy consumption in a building, and a change with time in the measurement result of the sensor. The present invention relates to an energy management system and an energy management method for visualizing and displaying on a display.

  As an energy management system for managing energy consumption in buildings, a system that uses communication technology to monitor the energy consumption in a house and automatically control the operating state of energy consuming equipment such as home appliances (Home Energy Management System, hereinafter referred to as HEMS) is known. In HEMS, the power load situation in the house is visualized (visualized), and the visualized information is an opportunity for the user (for example, a resident of a building) to practice energy-saving behavior and review the power load in the house. It becomes.

  In addition, as an example of HEMS, there is one that calculates power consumption individually for each of a plurality of power consuming devices (for example, home appliances) installed in a house and visualizes the calculation result (for example, , See Patent Document 1). According to the system described in Patent Document 1, not only power consumption but also usage frequency and usage intensity (for example, set temperature and set illuminance) are visualized for each power consuming device. Based on the above, it is possible to evaluate in detail the effect of the energy saving action practiced by the user.

JP 2010-146387 A

  However, as in the case of the energy management system described in Patent Document 1, even when the power consumption amount is individually determined for each power consuming device, in finally evaluating the effect of the energy saving action, It is necessary to grasp the power consumption in the entire house. In other words, in order to appropriately evaluate the effect of energy-saving behavior, it is necessary to obtain the total amount of power consumption consumed at various locations in the house and to grasp the fluctuation (increase / decrease) in the value.

  Here, the change tendency of the total power consumption consumed in the home can be grasped by installing a sensor for measuring the power consumption in the home (for example, in the distribution board). In other words, if the change over time of the sensor measurement results is displayed graphically, etc., it is possible to capture the changing trend of the total power consumption in the home, which motivates users to practice energy-saving behavior. Become.

  However, even if the change over time of the sensor measurement results is visualized, unless the cause of the change is identified, the user cannot determine what to do as the energy-saving action, and effective energy-saving. It becomes difficult to practice the action. In other words, even if the power consumption status in the home can be grasped, it is difficult to efficiently reduce the power consumption in the home as long as the cause of the change in the power consumption cannot be grasped.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and the object of the present invention is to visualize the energy consumption in the building and present it to the user, and to perform effective energy-saving behavior for the user. It is to realize an energy management system and an energy management method capable of providing useful information for putting them into practice.

According to the energy management system of the present invention, the subject is a management device that manages energy consumption in a building equipped with energy consuming equipment, a display that displays information indicated by data transmitted from the management device, and A sensor that measures energy consumption in the building, wherein the management device includes a first acquisition unit that acquires first data indicating a measurement result of the sensor, and the energy consuming device. A second acquisition unit that acquires second data indicating the occurrence time of the event in which the driving state has changed and the content of the event, the first data acquired by the first acquisition unit, and the second acquisition unit A storage unit that stores the second data; and a data reading unit that reads the first data and the second data stored in the storage unit, Vessel, the data reading section on the basis of the data read out, time change information visualizing a change with time of the measurement results of the sensors, and, at the same time both the event information representing the content of the event, and, The event information is solved by displaying the event information in association with the portion representing the content corresponding to the occurrence time of the event in the time-dependent change information.

  In addition, according to the energy management method of the present invention, the subject is an energy management method for managing energy consumption in a building equipped with energy consuming equipment, the measurement result of a sensor for measuring the energy consumption in the building Acquiring the first data indicating the occurrence time of the event in which the operating state of the energy consuming device has changed and the second data indicating the content of the event, acquiring the first data and the first data Storing the two data in the storage unit, reading the first data and the second data stored in the storage unit, and displaying the information indicated by the data based on the read data on the sensor Both the time-dependent change information that visualizes the time-dependent change of the measurement results and the event information that represents the contents of the event at the same time, and the event information During serial temporal change information, and be displayed in relationship to the part representing the contents corresponding to the occurrence time of the event, it is solved by having.

  With the above configuration, in the present invention, it is possible to visualize fluctuations in energy consumption in a building and display the visualized information together with information on an event that caused a change in the energy consumption. That is, according to the energy management system and the energy management method of the present invention, it is possible to confirm the change tendency of the energy consumption amount in the building and at the same time specify the cause of the change. As a result, the user (a user of the energy management system, for example, a resident of a building) can appropriately determine what should be done as an energy saving action, and practice effective energy saving action. It becomes possible to do.

Further, in the energy management system, the second acquisition unit, as the second data, includes the occurrence time of the first event when the operation state of the energy consuming device is switched from the normal operation state to the non-normal operation state, and the second data. 1st event data which shows the content of 1 event, 2nd event data which shows the generation | occurrence | production time of the 2nd event in which the driving | running state of the said energy consumption apparatus switched from the non-normal operation state to the normal operation state, and the content of this 2nd event The third event data indicating the time of occurrence of the third event in which the operation management value of the energy consuming device has been changed and the content of the third event may be acquired.
The first event to the third event should be monitored as an event that fluctuates the energy consumption amount of the energy consuming device, and consequently fluctuates the energy consumption amount in the entire building. Therefore, it is preferable in terms of energy management to acquire data indicating the occurrence time and contents of each of the above three events, and to display the event information indicated by the data in association with the change tendency of the energy consumption in the building. As a result, a more effective energy management system can be constructed.

Further, in the energy management system, the management device includes a calculation unit that calculates a cumulative operation time of the energy consuming device during a predetermined period, and the calculation unit is the first unit acquired during the predetermined period. The occurrence time of the first event and the occurrence time of the second event are identified from the one event data and the second event data, and the occurrence time of the first event and the second event are identified. The cumulative operation time of the energy consuming device during the predetermined period is calculated based on the occurrence time of the storage, and the storage unit calculates the cumulative operation time of the energy consuming device during the predetermined period calculated by the calculation unit. Calculation result data is stored, the data reading unit reads the calculation result data stored in the storage unit, and the display unit is read by the data reading unit. Based on the calculation result data out, it is also possible to display the cumulative operation time of the energy consuming device during the predetermined period in which the calculation unit is calculated.
With the above configuration, it is possible to check the cumulative operating time of the energy consuming device during a predetermined period. For example, by comparing with the previous cumulative operating time, etc., the motivation to review the operating status of the energy consuming device ( (Awareness) can be given.
In addition, with the above configuration, the accumulated operating time of the energy consuming device during a predetermined period can be calculated more accurately. Specifically, conventionally, in order to calculate the cumulative operating time of energy consuming equipment during a predetermined period, processing such as checking the operating status of energy consuming equipment and measuring power consumption has been performed periodically, and the result of the processing Based on the above, the time when the on / off switching of the energy consuming device was performed was specified. However, in such a regular process, it is difficult to accurately determine the accumulated operation time because the time when the energy consuming device is switched on / off cannot be accurately specified. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the time when the on / off switching of the energy consuming device (that is, the first event and the second event) occurs can be accurately specified, the above cumulative operation time can be more accurately determined. It becomes possible to calculate accurately.

In the energy management system, the calculation unit calculates the cumulative operating time of the energy consuming device during the predetermined period, and the first event data and the second event data acquired during the predetermined period. When the occurrence time of the first event and the occurrence time of the second event during the predetermined period are specified from the event data, and the occurrence time of the first event and the occurrence time of the second event are specified, each occurrence The date and time of the time and the hour, minute, and second may be specified.
With the above configuration, the accumulated operation time of the energy consuming device during the predetermined period can be calculated more accurately.

In the energy management system, a plurality of the energy consuming devices are provided in the building, and the second acquisition unit converts the first event data, the second event data, and the third event data into the energy. Acquired for each consumer device, the storage unit stores the first event data, the second event data, and the third event data for each energy consumer device, and the calculation unit is configured to store the energy consumption during the predetermined period. The accumulated operating time of the device may be calculated for each energy consuming device.
With such a configuration, the accumulated operating time of energy consuming devices during a predetermined period is calculated for each device, so that the user can check the accumulated operating time for each energy consuming device, and practice energy saving behavior. Thus, it is possible to appropriately determine which energy consuming device should be adjusted in the operating state.

  In the energy management system, the temporal change information is a graph representing a temporal change in the measurement result of the sensor, and the indicator displays both the graph and the event information at the same time. The elephant may be displayed while being associated with a location corresponding to the occurrence time of the event on the graph.

Furthermore, in the above energy management system, the energy management system further includes a reception unit that receives a user operation performed to enlarge and display a part of the graph displayed on the display, and the display receives the display data. Then, only the graph is displayed out of the graph and the event information, and when the accepting unit accepts the user operation in a state where only the graph is displayed, the enlarged display according to the user operation in the graph And the event information representing the contents of the event that occurred during the period corresponding to the magnified portion are simultaneously displayed on the magnified portion. It is good also as displaying in correlation with the location corresponding to the generation | occurrence | production time of the said event.
With the above configuration, the event information is displayed only for the range that the user intends to enlarge and confirm in the graph, so the user can see the event that occurred within the period corresponding to the expanded range. Limit and grasp the contents. With such a configuration, the user can check the event information only within a range that the user wants to know (in other words, a range that the user wants to enlarge) in the graph, so that convenience for the user is improved.

In the energy management system, the management device can manage power consumption in a house as the building, and can communicate with a power consumption device as the energy consumption device through a home network provided in the house. It is a home server, the display is an information terminal capable of communicating with the home server through the home network, and the sensor indicates a measurement result when measuring power consumption per unit time in the house. The first data is transmitted to the home server through the home network, the first acquisition unit acquires the first data from the sensor through the home network, and the second acquisition unit is configured to transmit the first data to the home server. The second data is collected from the power consuming device in which the event has occurred through a network. The data reading unit is a data transmitting unit that reads the first data and the second data stored in the storage unit and transmits the read data to the information terminal through the home network, The information terminal is configured to simultaneously generate both the graph and the event information and generate the event information on the graph based on the data received from the data transmission unit through the home network. It is good also as displaying in correlation with the location corresponding to time.
With the above configuration, when the power consumption (power consumption) per unit time in the house is visualized, the information about the visualized power consumption is displayed together with the information about the event that causes the change in the power consumption. It is possible to build a system capable of (ie, the HEMS described above).

  According to the energy management system and the energy management method of the present invention, it is possible to visualize fluctuations in energy consumption in a building and display the visualized information together with information on an event that causes a change in the energy consumption. become. Thereby, the user can confirm the change tendency of the energy consumption in the building and can identify the factor of the change. As a result, the user can appropriately determine what should be specifically performed as the energy saving action and can practice the effective energy saving action.

It is explanatory drawing of the house in which the energy management system which concerns on this invention is mounted. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of the home server which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram regarding the execution environment of the home server which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of the information terminal which concerns on this invention. It is an example of the power load management screen drawn on the information terminal which concerns on this invention (the 1). It is an example of the power load management screen drawn on the information terminal which concerns on this invention (the 2). It is an example of the power load management screen drawn on the information terminal which concerns on this invention (the 3). It is an example of the power load management screen drawn on the information terminal which concerns on this invention (the 4). It is a figure which shows the electric power load management screen which expanded and displayed a part of load variation graph. It is a figure which shows the structure of the energy management system which concerns on this invention. It is the figure which showed the flow of the measurement data acquisition process. It is the figure which showed the flow of the event notification data acquisition process. It is the figure which showed the flow of the electric power load management screen drawing process (the 1). It is the figure which showed the flow of the electric power load management screen drawing process (the 2). It is the figure which showed the flow of the calculation process. It is the figure which showed the flow of the expansion graph screen drawing process.

  An energy management system according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, this embodiment) will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a house equipped with an energy management system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the home server according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram relating to the execution environment of the home server according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the information terminal according to the present invention. 5 to 8 are examples of energy management screens drawn on the information terminal according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a power load management screen in which a part of the load fluctuation graph is enlarged and displayed. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of an energy management system according to the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the flow of measurement data acquisition processing. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a flow of event notification data acquisition processing. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating the flow of the power load management screen drawing process. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the flow of calculation processing. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the flow of the enlarged graph screen drawing process.

  The following description relates to an energy management system that manages energy consumption in a house H that is an example of a building. However, the house H is merely an example of a building, and the present invention can also be used in other buildings such as commercial buildings, buildings in factories, stores, and the like.

<< Entire configuration of energy management system according to this embodiment >>
First, an overall outline of an energy management system (hereinafter, system S) according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, among the lines connecting the system components, the solid lines indicate electrical wiring, and the broken lines indicate communication lines.

  This system S monitors the power consumption in the house H, that is, the power load in the house H, as the energy consumption in the house H, and for the user (for example, a resident of the house H). And the information regarding the electric power load condition in the house H is presented. That is, this system S is what is called HEMS, and visualizes (visualizes) the power load situation in the house H and presents the visualized information to the user. The power load status is a concept that indicates the actual power consumption in the house H. Specifically, the current power consumption in the entire house H (that is, power consumption per unit time) or during a predetermined period. This indicates the accumulated consumption or how much power is consumed in the house H.

  As described above, the present system S constituting the HEMS monitors the power load in the house H, presents information visualizing the power load state to the user, and power load in the house H. Motivation (awareness) to reduce the user is given to the user. Thereby, the user grasps the power load situation in the house H from the presented information, and implements an action to reduce the power load in the house H (that is, an energy saving action) according to the power load situation. It becomes like this.

On the other hand, in the house H according to the present embodiment, a plurality of power consuming devices are used. The power consuming equipment corresponds to the energy consuming equipment of the present invention, and specifically includes home appliances, lighting, air conditioners, water heaters, AV equipment, security equipment, and the like.
In the present system S, it is possible to remotely control each power consuming device through a network constructed in the house H (hereinafter referred to as “home network TN”). The home network TN is configured by, for example, a wired IP network using an Ethernet (registered trademark) cable or a wireless IP network using IEEE 802.1x or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

  In FIG. 1, only the air conditioner D1 and the illumination D2 are illustrated as power consuming devices for the sake of illustration, but the types and the number of power consuming devices illustrated in FIG. More than the number (two) of power consumption devices illustrated in FIG. 1 may be installed in the house H, and power consumption devices of a type not illustrated in FIG. It is good as well.

  Furthermore, in this system S, the operating state of each power consuming device is constantly monitored, and when an event that changes the operating state (hereinafter referred to as an event) occurs, the occurrence of the event is detected, and the fact that the event has occurred Can be stored as data. Here, the operation state is a concept indicating contents that are controllable (adjustable) with respect to the operation of the device, such as start / stop (on / off), operation modes such as cooling and heating, operation management values such as set temperatures.

As shown in FIG. 1, the system S described above includes a home server 10 installed in a house H, a main sensor 20 that measures power consumption in the house H, and a home server 10 through a home network TN. Constructed by power consuming equipment that can communicate with. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the information terminal 30 that functions as an interface when the user remotely operates the power consuming device or confirms the visualized power load state is included in the components of the system S. It is.
Hereinafter, each component of the system S will be described.

(1) Home server 10
The home server 10 is the center of the system S, and functions as a management device that manages the power consumption (electric power load) in the house H. More specifically, the home server 10 communicates with a communicable device (a device capable of communicating with the home server 10 via the home network TN) in the house H, and exchanges data and signals with the device. Do. By executing such communication, the home server 10 collects data necessary for visualizing the power load situation in the house H, presents the visualized information to the user, or is provided in the house H. It is possible to control the operating state of each power consuming device.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the home server 10 includes a CPU 10a, a memory 10b, a nonvolatile storage device 10c, a communication interface 10d (indicated as communication I / F in FIG. 2), a display 11, and an input device 12. Each of these elements is connected via a bus 10e. Various programs are stored in the nonvolatile storage device 10c. The program stored in the nonvolatile storage device 10c is read and executed by the CPU 10a.

  Note that the home server 10 according to the present embodiment switches the communication method according to the type of the device that is the communication partner, and is synonymous with the communication method (communication standard and communication protocol) corresponding to the device, and the same applies to the following. ) To enable communication.

  If it demonstrates concretely, in the case of the house H in which HEMS is mounted, it is desired to be unified with the apparatus which employ | adopted the communication system (ECHONET standard) which ECHONET consortium advocates. On the other hand, there is a case where devices having different communication methods are mixed in communicable devices existing in the house H because the user purchases a power consuming device without considering the communication method. In such a case, the communication method differs between devices.

  On the other hand, in the home server 10 according to the present embodiment, the communication method can be switched according to the type of communicable device. That is, in the case where communicable devices existing in the house H are classified into three types of first standard devices, second standard devices, and third standard devices depending on the communication method, the home server 10 is a first standard device. When communicating, a communication method corresponding to the first standard device is adopted. After that, when communicating with the second standard device (third standard device), the communication method is changed to the second standard device (third standard device). ) And switch to a compatible communication method.

  The function of switching the communication method in accordance with the type of communicable device of the home server 10 will be described in detail. The execution environment shown in FIG. That is, the home server 10 includes an OS 201, a JAVA (registered trademark) virtual machine (hereinafter referred to as JVM) 202, an OSGi (Open Services Gateway Initiative) framework 203, and software (hereinafter referred to as a bundle) operating on the OSGi framework 203. Is also installed). The device control unit 102 includes the above-described program (that is, the OS 201, the JVM 202, the OSGi framework 203, and a bundle that operates on the framework) as constituent elements, and by cooperation of these, It is possible to communicate with a communication method according to the type.

  The OSGi framework 203 is built on the JVM 202 and manages a life cycle such as downloading, installing, starting and stopping a bundle operating on the OSGi framework 203. Bundles operating on the OSGi framework 203 can be dynamically replaced, and a plurality of bundles can be executed in parallel.

  Bundles operating on the OSGi framework 203 include standard bundles and application bundles. The standard bundle is a bundle of basic protocols such as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and UPnP (Universal Plug and Play). The application bundle is application software registered in the OSGi framework 203, and includes various communication bundles 204a, 204b, and 204c. The communication bundle is an application for communicating with a communication target device using a predetermined communication method (a communication method suitable for the communication target device), and is provided for each communication method.

  Then, the various communication bundles 204a, 204b, and 204c are executed by the CPU 10a, so that communication can be performed using a communication method corresponding to the communication target device. In addition, the function of the OSGi framework 203 for dynamically exchanging bundles allows the communication bundle to be executed to be switched when it becomes necessary to switch the communication method according to the type of device to be communicated. By exchanging the communication bundle, the communication method adopted by the home server 10 is switched.

  When the communication bundles 204a, 204b, and 204c are registered in the OSGi framework 203, an interface for using the functions of the communication bundles 204a, 204b, and 204c is registered in a registry (also referred to as a service registry). On the other hand, the OSGi framework 203 provides an integrated version of these interfaces. This interface group converted to API (hereinafter referred to as general-purpose API) is used as a function for executing activation or replacement of the communication bundles 204a, 204b, and 204c.

  Further, the general-purpose API is made public and is used for development of a program (for example, a communication program executed by the information terminal 30) executed by a device other than the home server 10. That is, if a general-purpose API is used when developing a program (for example, a program for communicating with the home server 10 to cause the home server 10 to execute remote control of the power consuming device), the program developer can It is possible to easily develop the above program without being aware of the difference in the communication method between them.

(2) Main sensor 20
The main sensor 20 corresponds to the sensor of the present invention, and is attached to the distribution board Dx, for example, and measures power consumption in the entire house H (in other words, power consumption in the house H per unit time). Is. In the present embodiment, the main sensor 20 includes a smart meter, and can communicate with the home server 10 through the home network TN. However, the main sensor 20 is not limited to the smart meter, and can be used without limitation as long as it can measure power consumption in the entire house H and can communicate with the home server 10.

  Then, the main sensor 20 outputs data indicating the measurement result (hereinafter referred to as measurement data) to the home server 10. This measurement data corresponds to the first data of the present invention, and is digital data indicating the numerical value of the measurement result of the main sensor 20. The home server 10 receives measurement data from the main sensor 20 through the home network TN, temporarily stores the received data in the memory 10b, and then stores the data in the nonvolatile storage device 10c.

  In the present embodiment, the measurement of power consumption by the main sensor 20 is always performed at predetermined intervals, and the measurement data is transmitted from the main sensor 20 to the home server 10 every time new data is acquired. . However, the measurement of the power consumption is not limited to a case where the power consumption is always performed, and may be performed only in a time zone in which the power consumption in the entire house H is a certain value or more. The transmission of the measurement data from the main sensor 20 to the home server 10 is not limited to the case of transmission every time data is acquired. For example, the measurement data is temporarily stored on the main sensor 20 side, and the home server 10 May be transmitted collectively when requesting the main sensor 20 to transmit data.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the main sensor 20 measures at predetermined intervals and transmits data indicating the actual measurement value of the measurement. For example, the main sensor 20 performs measurement at intervals of 1 second, and every minute. An average value of measurement results for the latest 60 times may be obtained, and data indicating the average value may be transmitted as measurement data. As described above, the measurement data that is the first data of the present invention includes data indicating an average value of a plurality of measurement results in addition to data indicating an actual measurement value when the main sensor 20 measures power consumption.

(3) Power Consumption Device As described above, the power consumption device is a device that communicates with the home server 10 via the home network TN and is a target of remote control of the home server 10. More specifically, a signal (control signal) for controlling the operation state of the power consuming device is generated on the home server 10 side, and this control signal is transmitted from the home server 10 to the power consuming device through the home network TN. Is done. And in the power consumption apparatus which received the control signal, a driving | running state switches according to a control signal. In other words, on the power consuming device side that has received the control signal, an event in which the driving situation has changed, that is, an event occurs.

  There are three types of events. Specifically, the first event (corresponding to the first event) when the operating state of the power consuming device is switched from the normal operating state to the non-normal operating state, and the operating state of the power consuming device are A second event (corresponding to a second event) that is switched from a non-normal operation state to a normal operation state, and a third event (corresponding to a third event) in which the operation management value of the power consuming device is changed. Here, the normal operation state means a state in which the power consuming device is operating while performing its function, and is an on state (operation state). On the other hand, the non-normal operation state means a state where the power consuming device is not able to perform its function, and is an off state (stop state) or a standby state. The operation management value is a set value indicating an operation condition when the power consuming device is normally operated, such as a set temperature and illuminance.

  In addition, as a kind of event, it is not limited to said three types, For example, it is also as an event that power consumption exceeded the rated value (upper limit of management value) with the driving | running state changing. It may be included.

  Event notification data is generated in the power consuming device in which the event has occurred, that is, the power consuming device in which the operating state has changed, and the data is transmitted to the home server 10 through the home network TN. This event notification data corresponds to the second data, and is data indicating the event occurrence time, the power consuming device in which the event has occurred, and the content of the event. When receiving event notification data from the power consuming device via the home network TN, the home server 10 temporarily stores the event notification data in the memory 10b and then stores the event notification data in the nonvolatile storage device 10c.

(4) Information terminal 30
As described above, the information terminal 30 functions as an interface when the user remotely operates the power consuming device or confirms the visualized power load status. More specifically, the information terminal 30 is a terminal having a browsing function and can communicate with the home server 10 through the home network TN. In particular, the information terminal 30 according to the present embodiment is configured by a portable terminal such as a smartphone, a PDA, a notebook computer, or a digital photo frame on which predetermined application software is installed.

  And the information terminal 30 receives the data transmitted from the home server 10 by communicating with the home server 10 via the home network TN, and displays the information indicated by the data. That is, the information terminal 30 functions as a display that displays information based on data generated on the home server 10 side. With such a function of the information terminal 30 (function as a display device), the user grasps the power load situation in the house H and obtains motivation (awareness) to practice the energy saving action.

  Furthermore, the information terminal 30 includes a touch panel 31 as an accepting unit, and accepts a user operation through the touch panel 31. Among user operations, an operation for requesting data transmission to the home server 10 (hereinafter referred to as a data transmission request operation) and an operation for causing the home server 10 to perform remote control of a power consuming device (hereinafter referred to as “data transmission request operation”). Device control request operation). Then, the information terminal 30 transmits a request corresponding to the user operation received through the touch panel 31 to the home server 10. As a result, the user obtains desired data among the data that can be provided by the home server 10 through the information terminal 30, and causes the home server 10 to control the operating state of the power consuming device designated by the user as the control target device. It becomes possible.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the information terminal 30 having the functions as described above includes a CPU 30a, a memory 30b, a nonvolatile storage device 30c, a communication interface 30d (indicated as communication I / F in FIG. 4), and a touch panel 31. These elements are connected via a bus 30e. The nonvolatile storage device 30c stores various programs (application programs), one of which includes a utility program. This utility program is a program for the user to use the functions of the system S described above, and specifically, a program for drawing a power load management screen (see FIGS. 5 to 8) described later on the touch panel 31. It is.

  The utility program is activated when the user performs a predetermined operation (for example, an operation of touching an icon displayed on the touch panel 31) on the touch panel 31. When the utility program is activated, a selection screen T1 shown in FIG. On the selection screen T1, selection buttons A1 to A3 are displayed that indicate candidates for the power load management screen to be drawn (specifically, “load fluctuation graph”, “accumulated operating time for each device”, and “device control screen”). The

  When the user presses any one of the selection buttons A1 to A3 on the touch panel 31 in order to select one power load management screen from the candidates for the power load management screen, the pressed button is displayed. A corresponding power load management screen is drawn on the touch panel 31.

In the present embodiment, when the touch panel 31 draws a power load management screen (strictly speaking, among the power load management screens, a load fluctuation graph screen T2 and an operation time display screen T3 described later), the power load management screen is displayed. Data for drawing is obtained from the home server 10, and the power load management screen is drawn on the touch panel 31 by expanding the data.
That is, when the user presses the selection button A1 or A2, the information terminal 30 distributes data for causing the power load management screen corresponding to the pressed selection button to be drawn (hereinafter referred to as power load management screen data). Request to 10. Upon receiving a data transmission request from the information terminal 30, the home server 10 generates power load management screen data in response to the request, and provides the generated data to the information terminal 30 through the home network TN.

  In addition, when a device control request operation for causing the home server 10 to perform remote control of the power consuming device is performed on the touch panel 31 while the utility program is being executed, the information terminal 30 controls the home server 10. The execution of processing for controlling the operating state of the power consuming device designated by the user as the target device is requested. When the home server 10 receives the device control request from the information terminal 30, the home server 10 controls the operation state of the power consuming device designated as the control target according to the request.

  As described above, the information terminal 30 requests the home server 10 to transmit power load management screen data or remotely control the power consuming device, and the home server 10 responds to the request. Such exchange is performed by communication through the home network TN. In the present embodiment, particularly, this is performed by communication in a REST (Representational State Transfer) format. That is, a request from the information terminal 30 to the home server 10 is performed in the HTTP format (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), and when the home server 10 transmits data to the information terminal 30 as a response, the XML (Extensible Markup Language) format is used. Data will be transmitted.

  The program for the information terminal 30 to request the home server 10 to remotely control the power consuming device, that is, the utility program uses the above-described general-purpose API. For this reason, it is not necessary to be aware of the difference in the communication method between the power consuming devices in the development of the utility program, and the program developer can easily develop the utility program.

<< About the power load management screen >>
Next, a power load management screen displayed on the touch panel 31 of the information terminal 30 by executing the utility program described above will be described.
As shown in FIG. 6, the power load management screen (hereinafter referred to as the load variation graph screen T2) showing the “load variation graph” is the power of today (specifically, the day to which the time point when the load variation graph screen T2 is drawn) belongs. It is a screen which displays the change with time of a graph as a graph. Here, the change with time of the power load is the change with time of the power consumption in the house H, and the power consumption in the house H is measured by the main sensor 20 as described above. Therefore, the load variation graph displayed on the load variation graph screen T2 is a graph showing the change over time of the measurement result of the main sensor 20, and corresponds to the time change information visualizing the change over time.

  In the present embodiment, the horizontal axis of the load fluctuation graph displayed on the load fluctuation graph screen T2 indicates time, and the vertical axis indicates power consumption expressed in W units. Here, the left end of the horizontal axis corresponds to midnight of the day to which the time point when the load fluctuation graph screen T2 is drawn belongs, and the right end of the horizontal axis corresponds to 12:00 on the same day. The load fluctuation graph screen T2 includes load fluctuations from midnight on the day to which the time point when the load fluctuation graph screen T2 is drawn to the time when the power consumption measurement of the main sensor 20 performed most recently is performed. Is displayed. Therefore, when the load fluctuation graph screen T2 is drawn before 12 pm, the load fluctuation graph from 0:00 am on the same day to the latest power consumption measurement time is displayed.

However, the display format of the load fluctuation graph is not limited to the above contents, and it is possible to arbitrarily determine which period the load fluctuation graph is displayed on. For example, it is possible to display a graph showing the load fluctuation from the last hour before the time when the load fluctuation graph screen T2 is drawn.
As described above, in the present embodiment, the vertical axis of the load fluctuation graph indicates the power consumption expressed in W units, but is not limited to this. For example, the amount converted by the power charge It is good also as showing the power consumption represented by these.

  By the way, in the state where the load fluctuation graph screen T2 is drawn and the load fluctuation graph is displayed, a user operation (hereinafter referred to as an enlargement operation) for enlarging a part of the displayed load fluctuation graph is accepted by the touch panel 31. Then, the power load management screen shown in FIG. 9 (hereinafter, enlarged graph screen T21) is redrawn. As an enlargement operation, an operation of touching a portion to be magnified in the above load fluctuation graph, an operation of placing two fingers on the portion to be magnified and then expanding the interval between the fingers (so-called pinch out), etc. Can be mentioned.

  In the enlarged graph screen T21, the portion of the load variation graph that is the target of the enlargement operation is enlarged and displayed at a preset enlargement magnification. In the load variation graph, a portion that is enlarged and displayed according to the enlargement operation (that is, a portion that is displayed on the enlarged graph screen T21) is a period corresponding to the portion on the touch panel 31 where the enlargement operation is performed. In particular, in this embodiment, it is enlarged and displayed as a graph for one hour. However, the enlargement magnification and the enlarged display portion are not limited to the above-described contents, and can be arbitrarily set.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the enlarged graph screen T <b> 21 includes a portion related to a period corresponding to a portion where the enlargement operation is performed on the touch panel 31 in the load fluctuation graph and the content of an event that occurs during the same period. Event information (corresponding to the event information) indicating is simultaneously displayed. As described above, in the present embodiment, when the load fluctuation graph is displayed on the information terminal 30, it is possible to display the contents of the events performed during the period corresponding to the graph.

  In addition, on the enlarged graph screen T21, the event information is displayed in association with the portion indicating the content corresponding to the occurrence time of the event in the temporal change information visualizing the temporal change of the measurement result of the main sensor 20. More specifically, the event information is displayed while being associated with a location corresponding to the occurrence time of the event on the load fluctuation graph (more specifically, a portion that is enlarged and displayed according to the enlargement operation). Here, the event information is displayed while being associated with the location corresponding to the occurrence time of the event on the load fluctuation graph, as shown in FIG. 9, the text box representing the event information and the event on the load fluctuation graph. This means that the correspondence between the two is connected with a line or the like so that the correspondence between them can be recognized by the user.

  Thus, in this embodiment, since the load fluctuation graph is displayed together with event information indicating the content of the event that is considered to be a factor when the power load changes significantly, the user can show the change tendency of the power load in the house H. At the same time, it becomes possible to identify the cause of the change. As a result, the user can appropriately determine what should be done as an energy saving action (in simple terms, which power consuming equipment should be controlled), and effective energy saving. It becomes possible to practice the action.

Note that the events monitored in this embodiment are divided into three types (specifically, the first event, the second event, and the third event) as described above. In the present embodiment, event information is displayed for each of the above three types of events simultaneously with the load fluctuation graph and in association with a location corresponding to the occurrence time of the event on the load fluctuation graph.
The above three types of events should be monitored as an event that fluctuates the power consumption of the power consuming device, and consequently fluctuates the power consumption in the entire house H. Therefore, it is preferable in terms of energy management to acquire data indicating the occurrence time and contents of each of the three events and to display the event information indicated by the data in association with the load fluctuation graph. That is, the energy management system according to the present embodiment (that is, the present system S) is a rational system that appropriately monitors events to be monitored when managing the power consumption in the house H.

As shown in FIG. 7, the power load management screen (hereinafter, “operation time display screen T <b> 3”) indicating “accumulated operation time by device” is a time (that is, a normal time when the power consumption device in the house H is operated during a predetermined period. It is a screen which displays the cumulative value of the time during operation. In the present embodiment, the accumulated operating time during this month (specifically, the month to which the operating time display screen T3 is drawn) is displayed, but the accumulated operating time in any period is displayed. There is no particular limitation on whether to do so, for example, the cumulative operating time of the power consuming device in one day may be displayed.
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the accumulated operation time and the amount obtained by converting the accumulated operation time into a power charge are displayed together.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, in addition to the load fluctuation graph, it is possible to check the accumulated operating time of the power consuming device of this month (strictly, the calculation result of the accumulated operating time). It is possible to give an opportunity (awareness) to take energy saving action. That is, the user can check the accumulated operating time of the power consuming device during the current month through the operating time display screen T3. For example, the user can check the operation status of the power consuming device by comparing with the accumulated operating time of the previous month. It becomes possible to give motivation (awareness) to review.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the accumulated operation time is displayed for each power consuming device provided in the house H. As a result, the user can check the accumulated operation time for each power consuming device, and can appropriately determine which energy consuming device should be adjusted in practicing energy saving behavior. become.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, in the present embodiment, the accumulated operation time is displayed in a range of hour / minute / second. For this reason, the user can accurately grasp the cumulative operating time of this month for each power consuming device (up to a second). However, the display range of the cumulative operation time is not limited to this, and may be up to hours and minutes.

  The power load management screen (hereinafter simply referred to as device control screen T4) as the “device control screen” is a screen for designating the power consuming device to be remotely controlled by the home server 10 and the operating conditions of the device. is there. On the device control screen T4, as shown in FIG. 8, an operation button B1 and a stop button B2 are displayed for each power consuming device. The operation button B1 is a button for switching the operation state of the corresponding power consumption device to the normal operation state (on state), and the stop button B2 is the operation state of the corresponding power consumption device to the stop state (off state). It is a button for switching. Further, an operation management value change button B3 for changing the operation management value is displayed for a power consuming device (air conditioner in the case shown in FIG. 8) capable of switching the operation management value such as the set temperature. Has been.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 8, on the device control screen T4, information indicating the current operating state of each power consuming device (for example, “stopped” for the air conditioner and “running” for the lighting) It is displayed on the left side of the operation button B1 provided for the power consuming device.

  Then, in the state in which the device control screen T4 is drawn on the touch panel 31, the user selects the control target among the buttons described above (specifically, the operation button B1, the stop button B2, and the operation management value change button B3). By pressing a button corresponding to the power consuming device to be controlled and the control condition, it becomes possible to request the home server 10 for control processing corresponding to the pressed button. That is, the operation of pressing the above button displayed on the device control screen T4 corresponds to the above-described device control request operation, and by this operation, the user can use the power consuming device whose driving state is controlled by the home server 10, and Then, it becomes possible to specify an operation management value after control (that is, a control condition).

  Of the power load management screens described so far, for the load fluctuation graph screen T2 (including the enlarged graph screen T21) and the operation time display screen T3, the data received by the information terminal 30 from the home server 10 is developed. Is drawn on the touch panel 31. That is, as described above, when the home server 10 according to the present embodiment receives a transmission request from the information terminal 30 for data for rendering the load fluctuation graph screen T2 or the operation time display screen T3, in response to the request. The power load management screen data is generated, and the generated power load management screen data is provided to the information terminal 30 through the home network TN.

<< Configuration of Home Server 10 and Information Terminal 30 >>
Next, the configuration of each of the home server 10 and the information terminal 30 already described will be described again from the functional aspect with reference to FIG.
(1) Detailed Configuration of Home Server 10 The detailed configuration of the home server 10 will be described. The home server 10 includes a measurement data acquisition unit 101, a device control unit 102, and an event notification data acquisition unit 103 as shown in FIG. A storage unit 104, an operation time calculation unit 105, and a data transmission unit 106. Hereinafter, each component of the home server 10 (specifically, the measurement data acquisition unit 101, the device control unit 102, the event notification data acquisition unit 103, the storage unit 104, the operating time calculation unit 105, and the data transmission unit 106). explain.

  The measurement data acquisition unit 101 corresponds to the first acquisition unit of the present invention, and acquires measurement data from the main sensor 20 through the home network TN. The CPU 10a, the memory 10b, the communication interface 10d, and the measurement data are acquired. In order to acquire, it is comprised by the program mounted in the home server 10. FIG. In the present embodiment, as described above, the measurement of power consumption by the main sensor 20 is always performed at predetermined intervals, and the measurement data is transmitted from the main sensor 20 to the home server 10 every time new data is acquired. Is done. Therefore, the measurement data acquisition unit 101 according to the present embodiment acquires measurement data from the main sensor 20 at predetermined intervals.

  The device control unit 102 remotely controls the operation state of the power consuming device designated by the user as the device to be controlled among the power consuming devices provided in the house H, and includes a CPU 10a, a memory 10b, a communication interface 10d, And it is comprised by the program mounted in the home server 10 in order to carry out remote control of the driving | running state of an electric power consumption apparatus. Upon receiving a device control request from the information terminal 30, the device control unit 102 analyzes the request and designates the power consuming device specified by the user as the control target device and the operation state of the control target device. Specify operation conditions (for example, operation management values, etc.). And the apparatus control part 102 outputs the control signal according to the specified driving | running condition toward the specified electric power consumption apparatus.

  The event notification data acquisition unit 103 corresponds to the second acquisition unit of the present invention, and transmits event notification data transmitted from a power consuming device in which an event has occurred (in other words, a power consuming device whose operating state has changed) to the home network. It is acquired through TN. The event notification data acquisition unit 103 includes a CPU 10a, a memory 10b, a communication interface 10d, and a program installed in the home server 10 for acquiring event notification data from a power consuming device.

  In this embodiment, event notification data is automatically transmitted from a power consuming device in which an event has occurred (that is, a power consuming device whose operating state is controlled), and the event notification data acquisition unit 103 is connected via the home network TN. Receive event notification data. Further, in a configuration in which a plurality of power consuming devices are provided in the house H as in the present embodiment, the event notification data acquisition unit 103 acquires event notification data for each power consuming device.

  Further, as described above, there are three types of events that can occur in the present embodiment, and each power consuming device transmits event notification data corresponding to the type of event that has occurred. More specifically, the number of types of event notification data is the same as the number of types of events, the first event data corresponding to the first event data, the second event data corresponding to the second event data, and the third There is third event data corresponding to the event data.

The first event data includes the occurrence time of the first event (the event in which the operating state of the power consuming device is switched from the normal operating state to the non-normal operating state), the power consuming device in which the first event has occurred, and the content of the first event. Is event notification data.
Similarly, the second event data includes the occurrence time of the second event (the event in which the operating state of the power consuming device switches from the non-normal operating state to the normal operating state), the power consuming device in which the second event has occurred, and the second Event notification data indicating the content of the event, the third event data is the time of occurrence of the third event (the event in which the operation management value of the power consuming device is changed), the power consuming device where the third event has occurred, It is event notification data indicating the contents of the third event.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the three events are monitored with respect to the operating state of each power consuming device, and the event notification data acquisition unit 103 provides an event notification indicating the time of occurrence of each of the three events. Data (that is, first event data, second event data, and third event data) is acquired.

  The storage unit 104 includes a memory 10b and a nonvolatile storage device 10c, and stores measurement data acquired by the measurement data acquisition unit 101 and event notification data acquired by the event notification data acquisition unit 103. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 104 temporarily stores measurement data and event notification data in the memory 10b, and then accumulates them in the nonvolatile storage device 10c to construct a database.

  As described above, the event notification data (in other words, the first event data, the second event data, and the third event data) is acquired by the event notification data acquisition unit 103 for each power consuming device. In addition, the storage unit 104 also stores event notification data for each power consuming device.

  The operation time calculation unit 105 corresponds to the calculation unit of the present invention and calculates the accumulated operation time during a predetermined period (specifically, this month) for each of the power consuming devices provided in the house H. is there. The operating time calculation unit 105 includes a CPU 10a, a memory 10b, and a program installed in the home server 10 in order to calculate the cumulative operating time of each power consuming device during the current month.

The operation time calculation unit 105 reads the event notification data stored in the storage unit 104, and calculates the accumulated operation time during this month for each power consuming device based on the event notification data.
The procedure for calculating the accumulated operating time during the current month will be described. The operating time calculating unit 105 reads out the first event data and the second event data acquired during the current month from the event notification data stored in the storage unit 104. The occurrence time of the first event and the occurrence time of the second event in the current month are specified from the read first event data and second event data. That is, the read first event data and second event data are analyzed, and the current time when the operating state of the power consuming device is switched from the non-normal operation state to the normal operation state, and from the normal operation state to the non-normal operation. Specify the time when the status was changed.

  Then, after identifying the occurrence time of each of the first event and the second event, the occurrence time of the identified second event (the time when the non-normal operation state is switched to the normal operation state) and the first event that occurs immediately thereafter The time difference from the event occurrence time (the time when the normal operation state is switched to the non-normal operation state) is obtained, and this time difference is totaled within the range of this month.

  Through the procedure described above, the accumulated operating time during this month is calculated for one power consuming device. The process of calculating the accumulated operating time during this month is repeatedly executed for each power consuming device provided in the house H. As a result, the cumulative operating time during this month is calculated for each power consuming device. The cumulative operating time of the power consuming device during this month calculated by the operating time calculation unit 105 is converted into data, and the data (data indicating the cumulative operating time of the power consuming device of this month, hereinafter calculated result data) is: It is stored in the storage unit 104 for each power consuming device.

  By the way, when the operating time calculation unit 105 specifies the occurrence time of the first event and the occurrence time of the second event during the current month from the first event data and the second event data acquired during the current month, Specify the date, time, hour, minute, and second. In other words, the first event data and the second event data are data indicating up to the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second of the occurrence time of each event. As a result, in this embodiment, the cumulative operating time of the power consuming device during the current month is calculated more accurately.

  Specifically, conventionally, in order to calculate the cumulative operating time of the power consuming equipment during the current month, processing such as checking the operating status of the power consuming equipment and measuring power consumption is performed periodically, and based on the results The time when the power consuming device was switched on and off was specified. However, in such regular processing (batch processing), it is difficult to accurately determine the time when the power consuming device is switched on / off, and thus it is difficult to accurately determine the accumulated operation time.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the time when the on / off switching of the energy consuming device (that is, the first event and the second event) occurs can be accurately specified, the above cumulative operation time can be more accurately determined. It becomes possible to calculate accurately. In other words, in this embodiment, when calculating the operation state switching point (that is, the switching point between the on state and the off state) in calculating the cumulative operating time of the power consuming device during this month, the year of the switching point is determined. Since the date and time can be specified up to the hour, minute, and second, the accumulated operation time can be calculated more finely and accurately.

  In response to the data transmission request from the information terminal 30, the data transmission unit 106 generates and transmits data for causing the information terminal 30 to draw the power load management screen (power load management screen data). The CPU 10a , A memory 10b, a communication interface 10d, and a program installed in the home server 10 for generating and transmitting power load management screen data to the information terminal 30.

  When the data transmission unit 106 receives a data transmission request from the information terminal 30, the data transmission unit 106 reads data corresponding to the request among the data stored in the storage unit 104. Thus, the data transmission unit 106 functions as a data reading unit in the system S.

  Then, the data transmission unit 106 transmits the read data to the information terminal 30 through the home network TN. In the present embodiment, the data transmission unit 106 transmits the data read from the storage unit 104 in a reconstructed form as power load management screen data.

Hereinafter, a data transmission procedure will be described for each type of data transmitted by the data transmission unit 106.
When transmitting data for drawing the load fluctuation graph screen T2 on the touch panel 31 as the power load management screen data, the data transmission unit 106 was acquired from the data stored in the storage unit 104 today. Read the measurement data. Then, the data transmission unit 106 reconstructs the read measurement data and transmits the data to the information terminal 30. On the information terminal 30 side that has received this data, a load fluctuation graph screen T2 is drawn on the touch panel 31, and a graph (load fluctuation graph) showing today's load fluctuation is displayed on the screen T2.

  In addition, in the state where the load fluctuation graph screen T2 is drawn and the load fluctuation graph is displayed on the screen T2, when the enlargement operation for enlarging a part of the displayed load fluctuation graph is accepted by the touch panel 31, the enlarged graph A data transmission request for rendering the screen T <b> 21 is transmitted from the information terminal 30 to the home server 10. When the data transmission unit 106 accepts the transmission request, the data transmission unit 106 selects a period corresponding to the part where the enlargement operation has been performed on the touch panel 31 from the data stored in the storage unit 104 (that is, the enlarged display in the load variation graph). Measurement data and event notification data acquired during a period corresponding to the portion to be read). Then, the data transmission unit 106 reconstructs the read measurement data and event notification data as data for drawing the enlarged graph screen T21 and transmits the data to the information terminal 30.

  More specifically, the data transmission unit 106 determines, based on the read event notification data, the occurrence time of the event that occurred during the period corresponding to the part where the enlargement operation has been performed on the touch panel 31, the power at which the event occurred. Identify the consumer device and the content of the event. Thereafter, the data transmission unit 106 displays a graph displayed based on the read measurement data (that is, a portion that is enlarged and displayed on the enlarged graph screen T21 in the load fluctuation graph) and event information indicating the content of the specified event. The read data is reconstructed so that and are displayed simultaneously. At this time, in the present embodiment, data reconstruction is performed so that the event information is displayed in association with the location corresponding to the specified event occurrence time on the enlarged display portion in the load fluctuation graph. Done.

  The reconstructed data is transmitted to the information terminal 30 by the data transmission unit 106, and the enlarged graph screen T21 is drawn on the touch panel 31 on the information terminal 30 side that has received the data. In the enlarged graph screen T21, as described above, in the load fluctuation graph, an event that indicates the portion that is enlarged and displayed in response to the enlargement operation and the content of the event that occurred during the period corresponding to the portion that is enlarged and displayed. Both pieces of information are displayed simultaneously (see FIG. 9).

  In the same screen T21, the event information is displayed while being associated with a location corresponding to the occurrence time of the event on the enlarged display portion in the load fluctuation graph. Thereby, the user can confirm the event information together when confirming the load fluctuation graph, and the event information is further displayed in the load fluctuation graph (strictly, the portion of the load fluctuation graph that is displayed in an enlarged manner). ), The factor corresponding to the change in the power load in the house H can be easily identified. For example, in the enlarged graph screen T21 shown in FIG. 9, while the power load has increased rapidly from about 6:30 pm, “air conditioner ON” is applied to the location located at the same time in the load fluctuation graph. Is displayed in association with the event information. Therefore, the user increased the power load from about 6:30 pm because the operating state of the air conditioner changed (specifically, the operating state changed from the non-normal operating state to the normal operating state). Become able to recognize.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when a part of the load fluctuation graph is enlarged and displayed, the event information is also displayed. That is, the event information is not displayed at the stage where the load fluctuation graph is displayed on the load fluctuation graph screen T2 (the stage before the enlargement operation is executed), and the event information is displayed when the enlarged graph is displayed on the enlarged graph screen T21. Is displayed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the event information may be displayed together from the stage where the load fluctuation graph is displayed on the load fluctuation graph screen T2 (the stage before the enlargement operation is executed).
However, in the load fluctuation graph, if the event information is displayed only for the range that the user intends to enlarge and confirm, the user is limited to events that occurred during the period corresponding to the enlarged display range. , You can grasp the contents. In other words, the user can check the event information in the load fluctuation graph in a range that is particularly desired to be known (in other words, a range that is desired to be enlarged), which improves convenience for the user. In this respect, the present embodiment is preferable.

  Also, since the load fluctuation graph from today at midnight is displayed on the load fluctuation graph screen T2, when displaying event information together with the load fluctuation graph, event information from today at midnight is displayed. Are displayed, and the capacity of data (power load management screen data) transmitted to the information terminal 30 is relatively large. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, only the event information during the period corresponding to the enlarged display portion is displayed in the load fluctuation graph, so that the capacity of data transmitted to the information terminal 30 is relatively small. Therefore, the present embodiment is more suitable from the viewpoint of the transmission data capacity.

  When transmitting data for drawing the operation time display screen T3 on the touch panel 31 as the power load management screen data, the data transmission unit 106 uses the calculation result data described above from the data stored in the storage unit 104. read out. Then, the data transmission unit 106 reconstructs the read calculation result data and transmits the data to the information terminal 30. On the side of the information terminal 30 that has received this data, an operation time display screen T3 is drawn on the touch panel 31, and the cumulative operation time of this month's power consumption devices is displayed for each power consumption device on the screen T3 ( (See FIG. 7).

  In the present embodiment, as described above, on the operation time display screen T3, the accumulated operation time of this month and the amount obtained by converting the accumulated operation time into a power charge are displayed together. That is, when reconstructing the calculation result data read from the storage unit 104, the data transmission unit 106 according to the present embodiment displays the amount obtained by converting the cumulative operating time into the power charge in addition to the cumulative operating time. As described above, the above calculation result data is reconstructed.

(2) Detailed Configuration of Information Terminal 30 The detailed configuration of the information terminal 30 will be described. As shown in FIG. 10, the information terminal 30 includes a request transmission unit 301, a data reception unit 302, an information display unit 303, and an operation. And a receiving unit 304. Hereinafter, each component of the information terminal 30 (specifically, the request transmission unit 301, the data reception unit 302, the information display unit 303, and the operation reception unit 304) will be described.

The request transmission unit 301 requests the home server 10 to transmit power load management screen data and execute remote control of each power consuming device. The request transmission unit 301 includes the CPU 30a, the memory 30b, the communication interface 30d, and the aforementioned It is configured by a utility program. As described above, the request transmission unit 301 according to the present embodiment transmits the request in the HTTP format when transmitting the request to the home server 10.
The request transmission to the home server 10 by the request transmission unit 301 is triggered by the touch panel 31 constituting the operation reception unit 304 receiving a user operation such as a data transmission request operation or a device control request operation.

  The data receiving unit 302 receives data (for example, power load management screen data) provided by the home server 10 in response to the request transmitted from the request transmitting unit 301 through the home network TN, and includes a CPU 30a and a memory 30b. , A communication interface 30d, and a utility program. Note that, as described above, in the present embodiment, the data received by the data receiving unit 302 from the home server 10 is message data in XML format.

The information display unit 303 draws a window such as the aforementioned power load management screen on the touch panel 31 and displays information on the drawn screen. The information display unit 303 includes a CPU 30a, a memory 30b, a communication interface 30d, and a utility program. And other information display programs. For example, the information display unit 303 expands the power load management screen data received from the home server 10 by the data receiving unit 302, draws the power load management screen on the touch panel 31, and information corresponding to the type of the power load management screen. Is displayed on the same screen.
As described above, the data received by the data receiving unit 302 from the home server 10 is XML format message data. For this reason, when the information display unit 303 displays information based on the data, it is performed in a form that matches the specifications of the information terminal 30. For example, the information display unit 303 displays the information in a text format according to the specifications of the information terminal 30. Or displayed in a graphical format that includes video.

  The operation receiving unit 304 receives user operations and is mainly configured by the touch panel 31. More specifically, the operation accepting unit 304 has a single power load screen from among the power load management screen candidates displayed on the screen T1 in a state where the selection screen T1 is drawn on the touch panel 31. The operation (selection operation) performed when selecting is received. The operation accepting unit 304 accepts a user operation (enlargement operation) performed to enlarge and display a part of the load fluctuation graph displayed on the screen T2 in a state where the load fluctuation graph screen T2 is drawn. . Further, the operation accepting unit 304 displays the buttons (specifically, the operation button B1, the stop button B2, and the operation management) displayed on the screen T4 when the device control screen T4 is drawn on the touch panel 31. The value change button B3) is pressed to accept an operation (device control request operation) for specifying a power consuming device to be controlled and an operating condition.

<< Flow of each process executed in the system S >>
In the present system S, various processes are executed through communication via the home network TN. Among the processes, a measurement data acquisition process for acquiring measurement data from the main sensor 20 through the home network TN, an event notification data acquisition process for acquiring event notification data transmitted from a power consuming device in which an event has occurred, There is a power load management screen drawing process for drawing a power load management screen on the touch panel 31 of the information terminal 30. Hereinafter, each of the measurement data acquisition process, the event notification data acquisition process, and the power load management screen display process will be described.

(1) About Measurement Data Acquisition Processing Measurement data acquisition processing is performed between the home server 10 (specifically, the above-described measurement data acquisition unit 101) and the main sensor 20, and as shown in FIG. The process starts with the sensor 20 measuring the power consumption in the house H (S001). In the present embodiment, as described above, the measurement of power consumption by the main sensor 20 is always performed at predetermined intervals. The measurement data is transmitted from the main sensor 20 to the home server 10 every time it is newly acquired (that is, every time measurement is performed) (S002). The transmitted measurement data is received by the home server 10 (specifically, the measurement data acquisition unit 101) through the home network TN (S003). The received measurement data is stored in the storage unit 104 of the home server 10 (S004).
The above procedure is repeated at predetermined intervals, that is, every time power consumption is measured.

(2) Event notification data acquisition process The event information acquisition process is performed between the home server 10 (specifically, the event notification data acquisition unit 103) and the power consuming device in the house H, and is shown in FIG. As described above, the process starts from an event where the operating state of the power consuming device changes, that is, an event occurs (S011). Event notification data is automatically transmitted from the power consuming device in which the event has occurred (S012). The transmitted event notification data is received by the home server 10 (specifically, the event notification data acquisition unit 103) through the home network TN (S013). The received event notification data is stored in the storage unit 104 of the home server 10 (S014). Here, in the present embodiment, event notification data is acquired for each device of a plurality of power consuming devices provided in the house H, and event notification data is acquired for each device in the storage unit 104. The above procedure is repeated every time an event occurs.

(3) Power load management screen drawing process The power load management screen drawing process is performed between the home server 10 (specifically, the data transmission unit 106) and the information terminal 30, and as shown in FIG. The process starts from the start of the utility program on the information terminal 30 side (S031). The utility program is activated with a user operation (operation for touching an icon displayed on the touch panel 31) for starting the utility program on the touch panel 31 as a trigger.

When the utility program is activated, a selection screen T1 is first drawn on the touch panel 31 (S032). In this state, the user selects one of the power load management screen candidates displayed on the screen T1 to be drawn and presses the selection buttons A1, A2, A3 corresponding to the selected power load management screen. When the operation (selection operation) is executed, the selection operation is accepted by the operation accepting unit 304 (S033).
The subsequent procedure differs depending on the type of the selected power load management screen (S034).

  When the selected power load management screen is the device control screen T4, the device control screen T4 is rendered on the touch panel 31 by data processing on the information terminal 30 side (S035). In this state, the user performs an operation (device control request operation) for designating a power consuming device or an operation condition to be remotely controlled by the home server 10, and the operation receiving unit 304 receives the operation.

  If the selected power load management screen is the operation time display screen T3, the request transmission unit 301 of the information terminal 30 causes the home server 10 to draw the operation time display screen T3 on the touch panel 31. Screen data is requested (S036). When the home server 10 receives the request (S037), first, the operating time calculation unit 105 executes a calculation process (S038).

  As shown in FIG. 14, the calculation process by the operating time calculation unit 105 reads out and reads out the first event data and the second event data acquired during the current month from the event notification data stored in the storage unit 104. From the first event data and the second event data, the occurrence time of the first event and the occurrence time of the second event in this month are specified (S051, S052). Thereafter, the operating time calculation unit 105 determines the occurrence time of the identified second event (time when the non-normal operation state is switched to the normal operation state) and the occurrence time of the first event that occurs immediately thereafter (non-normal operation state from the normal operation state). The time difference from the normal operation state is calculated, and the time difference is totaled within the range of this month (S053, S054).

  Through the above series of procedures, the operation time calculation unit 105 calculates the accumulated operation time during this month for the power consuming device. The series of procedures is repeatedly executed for each power consuming device provided in the house H. As a result, the accumulated operation time during this month is calculated for each power consuming device, and data indicating the accumulated operation time for each device (calculation result data) is generated (S055).

As described above, in the present embodiment, the calculation process by the operation time calculation unit 105 is executed when data for displaying the operation time display screen T3 is requested from the information terminal 30 side. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the calculation process by the operation time calculation unit 105 may be periodically executed as a batch process regardless of the above request.
In the present embodiment, the above procedure is repeated each time the calculation process by the operating time calculation unit 105 is executed. That is, in this embodiment, in each calculation process, the first event data and the second event data acquired during the current month are read, and the occurrence times of the first event and the second event during the current month are specified. Then, the time difference between the time of occurrence of the second event and the time of occurrence of the first event that occurred immediately thereafter is obtained, and the accumulated time is calculated by summing up the time differences. However, the present invention is not limited to this. When the second event data is acquired and then the first event data is acquired, the time difference between the event occurrence times is obtained by the above procedure, and the newly calculated time difference is The accumulated operating time may be obtained by adding to the calculated accumulated operating time.

  The calculation result data generated by the above calculation process is stored in the storage unit 104 (S039). More precisely, when calculation result data is newly generated, the new calculation result data is overwritten in an area in the storage unit 104 in which the previously generated calculation result data is stored. . Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 13A, the data transmission unit 106 reads the calculation result data stored in the storage unit 104, reconstructs the read calculation result data, and transmits it to the information terminal 30 (S040, S041). On the information terminal 30 side, the data receiving unit 302 receives the calculation result data through the home network TN, and the information display unit 303 expands the calculation result data and draws the operation time display screen T3 on the touch panel 31 (S042, S043). On the operation time display screen T <b> 3 drawn on the touch panel 31, the cumulative operation time of this month's power consuming device is displayed for each power consuming device provided in the house H.

  When the selected power load management screen is the load fluctuation graph screen T2, as shown in FIG. 13B, the request transmission unit 301 of the information terminal 30 displays the load fluctuation graph screen T2 on the touch panel 31 to the home server 10. The power load management screen data for display is requested (S044). When the request is accepted on the home server 10 side (S045), the data transmission unit 106 reads out the measurement data acquired today from the data stored in the storage unit 104 (S046). The data transmission unit 106 reconstructs the read measurement data and transmits it to the information terminal 30 (S047). On the information terminal 30 side, the data receiving unit 302 receives the measurement data through the home network TN, and the information display unit 303 develops the measurement data and draws the load fluctuation graph screen T2 on the touch panel 31 (S048, S049). . On the load fluctuation graph screen T2 drawn on the touch panel 31, the load fluctuation graph for today is displayed.

Then, while the load fluctuation graph screen T2 is drawn and the load fluctuation graph is displayed on the screen T2, the operation accepting unit 304 accepts a user operation (enlargement operation) for enlarging a part of the load fluctuation graph. Then, the enlarged graph screen drawing process is executed as one of the power load management screen drawing processes.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, the request transmission unit 301 of the information terminal 30 makes a request for data for causing the home server 10 to draw the enlarged graph screen T <b> 21 using the reception of the enlargement operation as a trigger. Transmit (S061, S062). When the request is received on the home server 10 side (S063), the data transmission unit 106 selects a period corresponding to the part where the enlargement operation has been performed on the touch panel 31 from the data stored in the storage unit 104 (that is, The measurement data and event notification data acquired during the period corresponding to the enlarged display portion in the load fluctuation graph are read (S064). The data transmission unit 106 reconstructs the read measurement data and event notification data and transmits the reconstructed measurement data and event notification data to the information terminal 30 (S065).

  On the information terminal 30 side, the data receiving unit 302 receives the measurement data and event notification data through the home network TN, and the information display unit 303 expands these data and draws the enlarged graph screen T21 on the touch panel 31 (S066). , S067). As described above, the enlarged graph screen T21 drawn on the touch panel 31 represents the portion that is enlarged and displayed in response to the enlargement operation, and the contents of the event that occurred during the period corresponding to the portion that is enlarged and displayed. Both event information is displayed at the same time, and the event information is displayed in association with the location corresponding to the time of occurrence of the event on the enlarged display portion in the load fluctuation graph.

<< Other Embodiments >>
In the above embodiment, an example of the energy management system of the present invention (namely, the present system S) has been mainly described. Moreover, in said embodiment, an example of the energy management method of this invention was demonstrated.
However, the above embodiment is for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and the present invention includes the equivalents thereof.

  In the above embodiment, in order to measure the power consumption of the entire house H, the main sensor 20 made of a smart meter is attached to the distribution board Dx. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, instead of the main sensor 20, a sensor (individual sensor) is attached for each power consuming device, and the measurement result of each individual sensor is acquired, and the power consumption in the entire house H is obtained by summing up the measurement results. It is good.

  In the above embodiment, the home server 10 directly obtains measurement data from the main sensor 20 through the home network TN, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an external server (not shown) that manages the measurement data of the main sensor 20 is installed in an administrative organization or the like that has jurisdiction over the area to which the electric power company or the house H belongs, and this external server measures from the main sensor 20 through the Internet. The data is acquired, and the home server 10 communicates with the external server through the Internet to know the value indicated by the measurement data (that is, the measurement result of the main sensor 20). Also good.

In the above embodiment, the power consuming device whose operation state has changed automatically transmits the event notification data to the home server 10. That is, in the above embodiment, the case where the home server 10 acquires event notification data from the power consuming device has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the event notification data is acquired by a method other than the above. It is good as well.
For example, when the home server 10 periodically communicates with a power consuming device, detects the operating state of the power consuming device that is the communication target, and the current detection result changes from the previous detection result, the change is brought about. It is also possible for the home server 10 itself to generate data relating to the event and to acquire such data as event notification data.
Alternatively, when the home server 10 outputs a control signal to the power consuming device, the home server 10 itself generates data indicating the output destination of the control signal, the output time point, and the content of the control signal. It is good also as acquiring as event notification data.

  In the above embodiment, the data transmission unit 106 of the home server 10 reads the measurement data and event notification data stored in the storage unit 104, reconstructs the read measurement data and event notification data, and then the information terminal It was decided to send to 30. On the information terminal 30 side, the data received from the home server 10 is expanded, and the load fluctuation graph (more specifically, the portion that is enlarged and displayed in response to the enlargement operation in the load fluctuation graph) and the event information Both are displayed at the same time, and the event information is displayed while being associated with a location corresponding to the time of occurrence of the event in the load fluctuation graph. As described above, the present embodiment provides the data to be displayed on the information terminal 30 from the home server 10 side while associating the load fluctuation graph with the event information, but is not limited to this. For example, the data transmission unit 106 of the home server 10 may read the measurement data and event notification data stored in the storage unit 104 and transmit the read measurement data and event notification data to the information terminal 30 as they are. . On the other hand, it is good also as performing the process which reconfigure | reconstructs so that the measurement data and event notification data received from the home server 10 may be displayed, making a load fluctuation graph and event information correlate.

In the above embodiment, the home server 10 is responsible for the function as a management device, and the information terminal 30 is responsible for the function as a display. That is, in the above embodiment, the case where the management device and the display are provided separately has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. A configuration in which a function as a display is installed on the home server 10 side that is a management device, for example, a power load management screen may be drawn on the display 11 connected to the home server 10.
On the contrary, the information terminal 30 may have both functions of the management device and the display. That is, various functions (functions for visualizing the power load in the house H and performing remote control of each power consuming device) provided in the home server 10 in the above embodiment are mounted on the information terminal 30 side. The process for displaying the power load management screen (specifically, the measurement data acquisition process, the event notification data acquisition process, and the power load management screen drawing process) may be executed on the information terminal 30 side. .

  Further, in the above embodiment, the configuration for displaying the load fluctuation graph as an example of the time change information representing the power load fluctuation in the house H (that is, the time change of the measurement result of the main sensor 20) has been described. The temporal change information is not limited to a graph, and may be, for example, numerical information that displays the power load fluctuations in a table format.

  In the above-described embodiment, the energy management system that manages the power consumption in the house H has been described as the system that manages the energy consumption in the house H. However, the present invention can also be applied to systems that manage energy consumption other than power consumption, such as gas usage and water usage.

S System H Residential TN Residential network Dx Distribution panel D1 Air conditioner D2 Lighting 10 Home server 10a CPU
10b Memory 10c Non-volatile storage device 10d Communication interface 10e Bus 11 Display 12 Input device 20 Main sensor 30 Information terminal 30a CPU
30b Memory 30c Non-volatile storage device 30d Communication interface 30e Bus 31 Touch panel 101 Measurement data acquisition unit 102 Device control unit 103 Event notification data acquisition unit 104 Storage unit 105 Operation time calculation unit 106 Data transmission unit 201 OS
202 JVM
203 OSGi framework 204a, 204b, 204c Communication bundle 301 Request transmission unit 302 Data reception unit 303 Information display unit 304 Operation reception unit T1 Selection screen T2 Load fluctuation graph screen T21 Expansion graph screen T3 Operating time display screen T4 Device control screen A1, A2, A3 selection button B1 Run button B2 Stop button B3 Run control value change button

Claims (9)

A management device for managing energy consumption in a building equipped with energy consuming equipment;
A display for displaying information indicated by data transmitted from the management device;
A sensor for measuring energy consumption in the building, and an energy management system comprising:
The management device
A first acquisition unit for acquiring first data indicating a measurement result of the sensor;
A second acquisition unit that acquires second data indicating the occurrence time of the event in which the operating state of the energy consuming device has changed and the content of the event;
A storage unit for storing the first data acquired by the first acquisition unit and the second data acquired by the second acquisition unit;
A data reading unit for reading the first data and the second data stored in the storage unit,
The indicator is based on data that the data reading unit has read, aging information visualizing the temporal change of the measurement result of the sensor, and, both event information representing the content of the event at the same time, The energy management system is characterized in that the event information is displayed while being associated with a portion representing the content corresponding to the time of occurrence of the event in the time-varying information. The second acquisition unit, as the second data,
First event data indicating the occurrence time of the first event when the operation state of the energy consuming device is switched from the normal operation state to the non-normal operation state, and the content of the first event;
Second event data indicating the occurrence time of the second event when the operation state of the energy consuming device is switched from the non-normal operation state to the normal operation state, and the content of the second event;
2. The energy management system according to claim 1, wherein the generation time of the third event in which the operation management value of the energy consuming device is changed and the third event data indicating the content of the third event are acquired. . The management device includes a calculation unit that calculates a cumulative operation time of the energy consuming device during a predetermined period,
The calculation unit specifies an occurrence time of the first event and an occurrence time of the second event during the predetermined period from the first event data and the second event data acquired during the predetermined period. , Based on the identified occurrence time of the first event and the occurrence time of the second event, to calculate the cumulative operating time of the energy consuming equipment during the predetermined period,
The storage unit stores calculation result data indicating the cumulative operation time of the energy consuming device during the predetermined period calculated by the calculation unit;
The data reading unit reads the calculation result data stored in the storage unit,
The display device displays the cumulative operation time of the energy consuming device during the predetermined period calculated by the calculation unit based on the calculation result data read by the data reading unit. 2. The energy management system according to 2.   The calculating unit calculates the cumulative operating time of the energy consuming device during the predetermined period from the first event data and the second event data acquired during the predetermined period. When the occurrence time of the first event and the occurrence time of the second event are specified, and the occurrence time of the first event and the occurrence time of the second event are specified, the year, month, day, hour, minute and second of each occurrence time The energy management system according to claim 3, wherein the energy management system is specified. A plurality of the energy consuming devices are provided in the building,
The second acquisition unit acquires the first event data, the second event data, and the third event data for each energy consuming device,
The storage unit stores the first event data, the second event data, and the third event data for each energy consuming device,
The energy management system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the calculation unit calculates the cumulative operation time of the energy consuming device during the predetermined period for each energy consuming device. The time-dependent change information is a graph representing a time-dependent change in the measurement result of the sensor,
The display device displays both the graph and the event information at the same time, and associates the event with a location corresponding to the occurrence time of the event on the graph. The energy management system of any one of thru | or 5. A reception unit that receives a user operation performed to enlarge and display a part of the graph displayed on the display;
When the accepting unit accepts the user operation in a state where only the graph is displayed on the display, it corresponds to a portion that is enlarged and displayed according to the user operation in the graph, and a portion that is enlarged and displayed. Both the event information representing the contents of the event that occurred during the period are displayed at the same time and the event information is associated with the location corresponding to the occurrence time of the event on the enlarged display portion. The energy management system according to claim 6. The management device is a home server that manages power consumption in a house as the building and can communicate with the power consuming device as the energy consuming device through a home network provided in the house.
The display is an information terminal capable of communicating with the home server through the home network,
The sensor transmits the first data indicating a measurement result when measuring power consumption per unit time in the house to the home server through the home network,
The first acquisition unit acquires the first data from the sensor through the home network,
The second acquisition unit acquires the second data from the power consuming device in which the event has occurred through the home network,
The data reading unit is a data transmission unit that reads the first data and the second data stored in the storage unit, and transmits the read data to the information terminal through the home network,
The information terminal is configured to simultaneously generate both the graph and the event information and generate the event information on the graph based on the data received from the data transmission unit through the home network. The energy management system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the energy management system is displayed while being associated with a location corresponding to time. An energy management method for managing energy consumption in a building equipped with energy consuming equipment,
Obtaining first data indicating a measurement result of a sensor for measuring energy consumption in the building;
Obtaining second data indicating the occurrence time of the event in which the operating state of the energy consuming device has changed and the content of the event;
Storing the acquired first data and the second data in a storage unit;
The first data and the second data stored in the storage unit are read out, and a change over time in which a change over time in the measurement result of the sensor is visualized on a display that displays information indicated by the data is displayed. Both the information and the event information representing the content of the event are displayed at the same time, and the event information is displayed while being associated with the portion representing the content corresponding to the occurrence time of the event in the time-varying information. And
The energy management method characterized by having.

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