KR101626992B1

KR101626992B1 - A network system

Info

Publication number: KR101626992B1
Application number: KR1020100065752A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 구자인; 김양환; 이훈봉
Original assignee: 엘지전자 주식회사
Priority date: 2010-07-08
Filing date: 2010-07-08
Publication date: 2016-06-02
Also published as: KR20120005151A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a network system.
A network system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a utility network including an energy generating unit; A home network including an energy consuming unit consuming energy generated by the energy generating unit and performing a function according to an operation course; An energy measuring unit provided in the utility network or the home network and recognizing additional information other than energy information or energy information; And an energy management unit that is provided in the utility network or the home network and manages the energy information or the additional information with respect to the energy consuming unit, And a control section for controlling the operation of at least one course constituting part of the operating course to be limited.

Description

A network system

The present invention relates to a network system.

Suppliers simply supply energy sources such as electricity, water, and gas, and demanders simply use the supplied energy sources. Therefore, effective management in terms of energy production, distribution, or energy use is difficult to perform.

In other words, energy is a radial structure that is distributed from an energy supplier to a large number of consumers, that is, from the center to the periphery, and is characterized by a one-way supplier center rather than a consumer center.

The price information of electricity can not be known in real time, but it can be seen only through the power exchange, and because the price system is also a fixed price system, incentives such as incentives for consumers through price changes can not be used There was also a problem.

In order to solve these problems, there has been a lot of efforts recently to implement a horizontal, cooperative and distributed network that can efficiently manage energy and enable interaction between a consumer and a supplier.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a network system capable of effectively managing an energy source and reducing electricity bill and / or energy consumption.

A network system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a utility network including an energy generating unit; A home network including an energy consuming unit consuming energy generated by the energy generating unit and performing a function according to an operation course; An energy measuring unit provided in the utility network or the home network and recognizing additional information other than energy information or energy information; And an energy management unit that is provided in the utility network or the home network and manages the energy information or the additional information with respect to the energy consuming unit, And a control section for controlling the operation of at least one course constituting part of the operating course to be limited.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network system including a utility network including an energy generating unit; A home network including an energy consuming unit for consuming energy generated by the energy generating unit and performing an established operation course; And an energy management unit that is provided in the utility network or the home network and manages the energy consuming unit according to additional information other than the recognized energy information or energy information, and further, based on the energy information or the additional information transmitted from the energy management unit , And the power consumption or energy charge by at least one of the plurality of course components constituting the operation course is reduced.

According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently produce, use, distribute, and store an energy source, thereby effectively managing the energy source.

In addition, it is possible to drive and control the electric appliances in the home using the energy information transmitted from the supplier, and it is possible to reduce the energy usage fee or power consumption.

1 is a schematic diagram of a network system according to the present invention.
2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a network system according to the present invention.
3 is a block diagram illustrating an information delivery process on the network system of the present invention.
4 (a) is a graph showing TOU (Time of use) information and CPP (critical peak pattern) information, and FIG. 4 (b) is a graph showing RTP real time pattern) information.
5 is a block diagram schematically showing a first embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.
6 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a second embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.
7 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a third embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.
8 is a schematic diagram of a home network according to the present invention.
9 is a block diagram showing a network system including an energy consuming unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an operation course of the energy consuming part according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a graph showing the classification of course components according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a flowchart showing a control method of a network system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an operation course of the energy consuming portion according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a network system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a schematic diagram of a network system according to the present invention.

The network system is a system for managing energy sources such as electricity, water, and gas. The energy source means that the generated amount or the used amount can be measured.

Therefore, an energy source not mentioned above can also be included in the management of the present system. Hereinafter, the electricity will be described as an example of the energy source, and the contents of this specification can be similarly applied to other energy sources.

Referring to FIG. 1, the network system of one embodiment includes a power plant that produces electricity. The power plant may include a power plant that generates electricity through thermal power generation or nuclear power generation, and a power plant that uses eco-friendly energy such as hydro, solar, and wind power.

Electricity generated by the power plant is transmitted to a power station through a transmission line, and electricity is transmitted to a substation in a substation so that electricity is distributed to consumers such as a home or an office.

Electricity generated by environmentally friendly energy is also transmitted to the substation and distributed to each customer. Electricity transmitted from the substation is distributed through an electric storage device or directly to the office or each household.

In the home using a home network (HAN, home area network), electric power can be produced, stored, distributed, or distributed through a solar cell or a fuel cell mounted on a PHEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) The remaining electricity can be sent back to the outside (for example, a power company).

In addition, the network system includes a smart meter for real-time monitoring of electricity consumption of a consumer (home or office), an AMI (Advanced Metering infrastructure) for measuring electricity usage of a large number of consumers, May be included. That is, the measurement apparatus can measure the amount of electricity used by receiving information measured by a plurality of smart meters.

In this specification, the measurement includes not only what the smart meter and the measuring apparatus itself measure, but also what the smart meter and the measuring apparatus can recognize by receiving the amount of generated or used amount from other components.

In addition, the network system may further include an energy management system (EMS: Energy Management System) for managing energy. The energy management device can generate information about the operation of one or more components in relation to energy (generation, distribution, use, storage, etc.) of the energy. The energy management device may generate at least instructions related to operation of the component.

The function or solution performed by the energy management apparatus in this specification may be referred to as an energy management function or an energy management solution.

In the network system of the present invention, the energy management device may be included in one or more components in a separate configuration, or may be included as an energy management function or solution in one or more components.

2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a network system according to the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the network system of the present invention is configured by a plurality of components. For example, power plants, substations, power stations, energy management devices, household appliances, smart meters, capacitors, web servers, measuring devices, and home servers are components of the network system.

Further, in the present invention, each component can be constituted by a plurality of detailed components. For example, when one component is a household appliance, the microcomputer, the heater, the display, and the motor constituting the household appliance may be detailed components.

That is, in the present invention, everything that performs a specific function may be a component, and these components constitute the network system of the present invention. And the two components can communicate by communication means.

Further, one network may be a single component or may be composed of a plurality of components.

In this specification, a network system in which communication information is related to an energy source may be referred to as an energy grid.

The network system of one embodiment may be composed of a utility network (UAN) 10 and a home network (HAN) 20. The utility network 10 and the home network 20 can be wired or wirelessly communicated by communication means.

In this specification, assumption means a group of specific components such as a building, a company, and the like, as well as assumptions of a dictionary meaning. A utility is a collection of specific components outside the home.

The utility network 10 includes an energy generation component 11 for generating energy, an energy distribution component 12 for distributing or transferring energy, and an energy storage unit An energy storage component 13 for managing energy, an energy management component 14 for managing energy, and an energy metering component 15 for measuring energy related information.

When one or more components of the utility network 10 consume energy, the energy consuming component may be an energy consuming part. That is, the energy consuming part may be a separate component or included in another component.

The energy generating unit 11 may be, for example, a power plant. The energy distribution unit 12 distributes or transfers the energy generated by the energy generation unit 11 and / or the energy stored in the energy storage unit 13 to the energy consuming unit. The energy distribution unit 12 may be a power transmission unit, a substation, a power station, or the like.

The energy storage unit 13 may be a battery and the energy management unit 14 may include an energy generation unit 11, an energy distribution unit 12, an energy storage unit 13, an energy consumption unit 26). &Lt; / RTI > In one example, the energy management unit 14 may generate commands relating to operation of at least a specific component.

The energy management unit 14 may be an energy management device. The energy measuring unit 15 may measure information related to energy generation, distribution, consumption, storage, and the like, and may be, for example, an AMI. The energy management unit 14 may have a separate configuration or may be included as an energy management function in another component.

The utility network 10 may communicate with the home network 20 by a terminal component (not shown). The terminal component may be, for example, a gateway way. These terminal components may be provided in at least one of the utility network 10 and the home network 20. [

Meanwhile, the home network 20 includes an energy generation component 21 for generating energy, an energy distribution component 22 for distributing energy, an energy storage component for storing energy a storage component 23, an energy management component 24 for managing energy, an energy metering component 25 for measuring energy related information, and an energy consuming part a consumption component 26, a central management component 27 for controlling a number of components, an energy grid assistance component 28, an accessory component 29, a consumable handling component 29, component: 30).

The energy generation component 21 may be a household power generator and the energy storage component 23 may be a battery and the energy management component 24 may be an energy management device. have.

The energy metering component 25 may measure information related to energy generation, distribution, consumption, storage, and the like, for example, a smart meter.

The energy consuming unit 26 may be a heater, a motor, a display, or the like that constitutes a home appliance (a refrigerator, a washing machine, an air conditioner, a cooking appliance, a cleaner, a drier, a dishwasher, a dehumidifier, . It is to be noted that there is no limitation in the kind of the energy consuming section 26 in the present embodiment.

The energy management unit 24 may be an individual component or may be included as an energy management function in another component. The energy management unit 21 may communicate with one or more components to transmit and receive information.

The energy generating unit 21, the energy distributing unit 22, and the energy storing unit 23 may be individual components or a single component.

The central management unit 27 may be, for example, a home server for controlling a plurality of appliances.

The energy network auxiliary unit 28 is a component having an original function while performing an additional function for the energy grid. For example, the energy network auxiliary unit 28 may be a web service providing unit (e.g., a computer), a mobile device, a television, and the like.

The accessory component 29 is a dedicated energy network component that performs an additional function for the energy network. For example, the accessory component 29 may be an energy-network-dedicated weather-receiving antenna.

The Consumable handling component 30 is a component that stores, supplies, and delivers a consumable, and can confirm or recognize information on a consumable. The consumable may be an article or a material to be used or processed in the operation of the energy consuming unit 26, for example. The consumable processing unit 30 may be managed by the energy management unit 24 in the energy network.

For example, the consumable may be a food in a washing machine, a cooking appliance in a washing machine, a detergent or a fabric softener for washing laundry in a washing machine, or a seasoning for cooking a food.

The energy distributing units 12 and 22, the energy storing units 13 and 23, the energy managing units 14 and 24, the energy measuring units 15 and 25, The central management unit 26, and the central management unit 27 may exist independently of each other, or two or more may constitute a single component.

For example, the energy management units 14 and 24, the energy measurement units 15 and 25, and the central management unit 27 exist as a single component, and each of the smart meters, the energy management device, Or the energy management units 14 and 24, the energy measurement units 15 and 25, and the central management unit 27 may constitute a single component mechanically.

Further, in performing a single function, the functions may be sequentially performed in a plurality of components and / or communication means. For example, an energy management function may be sequentially performed in a separate energy management unit, an energy measurement unit, and an energy consumption unit.

In addition, a plurality of components of a specific function configuring the utility network and the home network may be provided. For example, the energy generating unit or the energy consuming unit may be plural.

On the other hand, the utility network 10 and the home network 20 can communicate by communication means (first interface). At this time, a plurality of utility networks 10 can communicate with a single home network 20, and a single utility network 10 can communicate with a plurality of home networks 20.

For example, the communication means may be a simple communication line or a power line communication means. Of course, the power line communication means may include a communicator (e.g., a modem or the like) connected to each of the two components. As another example, the communication means may be zigbee, wi-fi, Bluetooth, or the like.

In the present specification, there is no limitation on a method for wired communication or a method for wireless communication.

The two components constituting the utility network 10 can communicate by communication means.

In addition, the two components constituting the home network 20 can be communicated by communication means (second interface). The energy consumption unit 26 may be connected to at least one of the energy management unit 24, the energy measurement unit 25, the central management unit 27, the energy network auxiliary unit 28, As shown in Fig.

The microcomputer of each of the components (for example, the energy consuming unit) can communicate with the communication unit (the second interface) (third interface). For example, when the energy consuming unit is an appliance, the energy consuming unit may receive information from the energy management unit by a communication means (second interface), and the received information is transmitted to the microcomputer Lt; / RTI >

Further, the energy consuming unit 26 can communicate with the accessory component 29 through a communication means (fourth interface). Further, the energy consuming unit 26 can communicate with the consumable processing unit 30 through a communication means (fifth interface).

3 is a block diagram illustrating an information delivery process on the network system of the present invention. 4 (a) is a graph showing time of use (TOU) information and critical peak pattern (CPP) information, and FIG. 4 (b) is a graph showing RTP real time pattern) information.

Referring to FIG. 3, in the network system of the present invention, the specific component C can receive information related to energy (hereinafter, "energy information") by communication means. Further, the specific component (C) can be configured to include additional information (environmental information, program update information, time information, operation or status information of each component (failure), and consumer habit information using the energy consumption unit Can be further received.

The environmental information may include carbon dioxide emission amount, carbon dioxide concentration in air, temperature, humidity, rainfall amount, rainfall amount, insolation amount, air amount, and the like.

In another aspect, the information includes internal information such as information relating to each component (operation or status information (failure) of each component, energy usage information of the energy consumption unit, consumer habits information using the energy consumption unit, etc.) (Energy-related information, environmental information, program update information, and time information), which are information.

At this time, the information can be received from other components. That is, the received information includes at least energy information.

The specific component may be one component that constitutes the utility network 10 or one component that constitutes the home network 20.

The energy information I may be one of electricity, water, gas, and the like as described above.

For example, the types of information related to electricity include time-based pricing, energy curtailment, grid emergency, grid reliability, energy generation amount, (operation priority), and energy consumption amount (energy consumption amount). In this embodiment, the charge related to the energy source is an energy charge.

That is, energy related information can be classified into charge information (energy charge) and non-charge information (energy reduction, emergency situation, network safety, power generation, operation priority, energy consumption, etc.).

Such information can be divided into scheduled information generated in advance based on previous information and real time information that varies in real time. The schedule information and the real-time information can be classified according to the prediction of the information after the present time (future).

The energy information I may be divided into time of use (TOU) information, critical peak pattern (CPP) information, or real time pattern (RTP) information according to a change pattern of data over time. The energy information I may vary with time.

Referring to FIG. 4 (a), according to the TOU information, data is changed stepwise according to time. According to the CPP information, the data changes stepwise or real-time with time, and emphasis is displayed at a specific time point. That is, in the case of the CPP pattern, the general charge is cheaper than the charge of the TOU pattern, but the charge at the specific point in time is significantly more expensive than the charge in the TOU pattern.

Referring to FIG. 4 (b), according to the RTP information, data changes in real time according to time.

On the other hand, the energy information I may be transmitted or received as true or false signals such as Boolean on the network system, actual price information may be transmitted or received, or a plurality of levels may be transmitted and received. Hereinafter, an example of information related to electricity will be described.

When the specific component C receives a true or false signal such as a Boolean signal, it recognizes one of the signals as an on-peak signal and the other signal as an off-peak ) Signal.

Alternatively, a particular component may recognize information about at least one drive that includes an electricity bill, and the particular component may compare on-peak and off-peak values by comparing the recognized information value with a reference information value off-peak.

For example, when a specific component recognizes leveled information or actual price information, the specific component compares the recognized information value with the reference information value to determine on-peak and off-peak values, Lt; / RTI >

At this time, the information value about the driving may be at least one of an electricity rate, a power rate, a rate of change of the electricity rate, a rate of change of the electric power rate, an average value of the electricity rate and an average value of the electric power amount. The reference information value may be at least one of an average value, an average value of a minimum value and a maximum value of power information during a predetermined section, and a reference change rate of power information during a predetermined section (for example, a slope of power consumption amount per unit time).

The reference information value may be set in real time or set in advance. The reference information value may be set in a utility network or set in a home network (input by a consumer direct input, energy management unit, central management unit, etc.).

If the specific component (for example, the energy consuming unit) recognizes an on-peak (for example, a recognition time point), the output may be set to 0 (stop or stop) and the output may be reduced. The specific component may determine the driving method in advance before starting the operation, and may change the driving method when the on-peak is recognized after the operation starts.

And, if a particular component recognizes off-peak, it can recover or increase its output when needed. That is, when a particular component that recognizes an on-peak recognizes an off-peak, the output can be restored to its previous state or increased further than the previous output.

At this time, the total consumed power and / or the total electricity use charge during the entire driving time of the specific component is reduced, even when the output of the specific component is recovered or the output is increased after recognizing the off-peak.

Alternatively, if the specific component recognizes an on-peak (for example, a recognition time point), the output can be maintained if the condition is operable. At this time, the operable condition means that the information value of the driving is below a certain standard. The information value of the driving may be information on an electric charge, an amount of power consumption, or an operation time. The constant criterion may be a relative value or an absolute value.

The predetermined criteria may be set in real time or may be set in advance. The predetermined criteria may be set in the utility network or in a home network (input by a consumer direct input, energy management unit, central management unit, etc.).

Alternatively, the output may be increased if the particular component recognizes an on-peak (for example, a point-in-time). However, even when the output is increased at the time when the on-peak is recognized, the total output amount during the entire driving period of the specific component can be reduced or maintained to be less than the total output amount when the specific component operates at the normal output.

Alternatively, the total power consumption or total electricity charge during the entire drive period of a particular component, even when the output increases at the time of recognizing the on-peak, It can be reduced than the electricity rate.

If the specific component recognizes an off-peak (for example, a recognition time point), the output can be increased. For example, when the operation reservation is set, a component whose operation starts before a setting time or a component having a large output among a plurality of components can be driven first.

Further, in the case of a refrigerator, it is possible to store the hot water in the hot water tank by supercooling the output by increasing the output from the existing output, or in the case of a washing machine or a washing machine, by driving the heater ahead of the scheduled operation time of the heater. This is to operate in off-peak in advance to be operated at an on-peak to be reached in the future, thereby reducing electric charges.

Or when a particular component recognizes an off-peak (for example, when it is recognized).

In the present invention, the particular component (e.g., the energy consuming unit) may maintain, reduce or increase the output. Thus, a particular component may include a power changing component. Since the power can be defined by current and voltage, the power variable component may include a current regulator and / or a voltage regulator. The power variable component may, for example, be operated according to an instruction issued from the energy management unit.

On the other hand, the energy curtailment information is information related to a mode in which the component is stopped or the electricity fee is reduced. The energy reduction information may be transmitted or received as a true or false signal, such as a Boolean on a network system. That is, a stop signal (turn off signal) or a reduction signal (lower power signal) can be transmitted and received.

When the specific component recognizes the energy reduction information, it can reduce the output (when the lower power signal is recognized) or to zero the output as described above (if the stop or stop state is maintained) have.

The emergency information (Grid emergency) is information related to a power failure or the like, and can be transmitted and received as a true or false signal, for example, as a Boolean. The information related to the power failure or the like is related to the reliability of components using energy.

If the particular component recognizes the emergency information, it may be immediately shut down.

When the specific component receives the emergency information as the schedule information, the specific component may increase the output before arriving at the emergency time point and perform the same operation as the operation at the off-peak of the specific component described above . And, at the time of the emergency, the specific component can be shut down.

The grid reliability information is information about the amount of electricity supplied or the amount of electricity supplied or information about the quality of electric power. The grid reliability information is transmitted or received as a true or false signal such as a Boolean or supplied to a component (for example, The component may determine the frequency of the AC power source.

That is, when the underfrequency of the AC power supplied to the component is detected (recognized), it is determined that the supplied electricity quantity is small. If an overfrequency higher than the reference frequency of the AC power supply is detected (recognized) Can be judged to be many.

When the specific component recognizes that the amount of electricity is low or the quality of the electricity is poor, the specific component may set the output 0 (stop or stop) depending on the case, as mentioned above, The output can be reduced, the output can be maintained, or the output can be increased.

The electricity generation excess information is information about the state where the electricity consumption of the component consuming energy is smaller than that of the electricity generation and the surplus electricity is generated and can be transmitted or received as a true or false signal such as Boolean.

The output can be increased if the specific component recognizes the generated electricity excess information (eg, when it recognizes grid overfrequency or recognizes an over energy signal). For example, when the operation reservation is set, a component whose operation starts before a setting time or a component having a large output among a plurality of components can be driven first. Further, in the case of a refrigerator, it is possible to store the hot water by supercooling the output by increasing the output from the existing output, or by driving the heater in advance of the operation time of the heater in the case of the washing machine or the washing machine.

Specifically, each type of information related to the energy includes first information (I1) that is not processed, second information (I2) that is information processed in the first information, And third information (I3), which is information for performing a function of the component. That is, the first information is raw data, the second information is refined data, and the third information is a command for performing a function of a specific component.

And, energy related information is included in the signal and transmitted. At this time, at least one of the first to third information may be converted only the signal, but the content may be transmitted a plurality of times without being converted.

For example, as shown in the figure, a component receiving a signal including the first information I1 may simply convert a signal and transmit a new signal including the first information I1 to another component.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the conversion of the signal and the conversion of the information are described as different concepts. At this time, it can be easily understood that the signals are also converted when the first information is converted to the second information.

However, the third information may be transmitted a plurality of times in a state in which the contents are converted, or may be transmitted a plurality of times in a state in which signals are converted while maintaining the same contents.

In detail, when the first information is unprocessed electricity rate information, the second information may be processed electricity rate information. The processed electricity bill information is information or analytical information in which electric bill is divided into multiple levels. The third information is an instruction generated based on the first information or the second information.

The specific component may generate, transmit, or receive one or more of the first to third information. The first to third pieces of information are not necessarily sequentially transmitted and received.

For example, a plurality of third information can be transmitted and received in sequence or in parallel without first and second information. Alternatively, the first and third information may be transmitted or received together, the second and third information may be transmitted or received together, or the first and second information may be transmitted or received together.

In one example, when a particular component receives the first information, the particular component may transmit the second information, transmit the second information and the third information, or transmit only the third information.

When a specific component receives only the third information, the specific component can generate and transmit new third information.

On the other hand, in the relationship between two pieces of information, one piece of information is a message and the other piece of information is a response to a message. Accordingly, each component constituting the network system can transmit or receive a message, and can respond to a received message when receiving a message. Therefore, the transmission and correspondence of a message is a relative concept for individual components.

The message may comprise data (first information or second information) and / or instructions (third information).

The command (third information) includes at least one of a data storage command, a data generation command, a data processing command (including generating additional data), an additional command generation command, a further generated command transmission command, Command, and the like.

In this specification, responding to a received message means that it is necessary to store data, to process data (including generating additional data), to generate a new command, to send a newly created command, ), Operation, transmission of stored information, transmission of an acknowledge character or negative acknowledge character, etc.

For example, if the message is first information, the component that received the first information may generate a second information by processing the first information, generate second information, and generate new third information, Only the third information can be generated.

Specifically, when the energy management unit 24 receives the first information (internal information and / or external information), the energy management unit 24 generates the second information and / or the third information, And may be transmitted to one or more constituent components (e.g., an energy consuming unit). The energy consuming unit 26 may operate according to the third information received from the energy managing unit 24. [

5 is a block diagram schematically showing a first embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the first component 31 of the home network 20 may communicate directly with the utility network 10. The first component 31 may communicate with a plurality of components 32, 33, 34 (second to fourth components) of the home network. It is noted that there is no limit to the number of components of the home network that communicate with the first component 31 at this time.

That is, in this embodiment, the first component 31 serves as a gateway. The first component 31 may be, for example, one of an energy management unit, an energy measurement unit, a central management unit, an energy network auxiliary unit, an energy consumption unit, and the like.

A component acting as a gateway in the present invention not only enables communication between components communicating using different communication protocols, but also enables communication between components communicating using the same communication protocol.

Each of the second to fourth components 32, 33 and 34 may be one of an energy generating unit, an energy distributing unit, an energy managing unit, an energy storing unit, an energy measuring unit, a central managing unit, have.

The first component 31 may receive information from the utility network 10 or one or more components that make up the utility network 10 and may forward or process the received information so that the second component- (32, 34). For example, when the first component 31 is an energy measurement unit, the first component may receive electric bill information and transmit it to an energy management unit, an energy consumption unit, and the like.

And each of the second to fourth components can communicate with another component. For example, the first component 31 may be an energy measurement unit, the second component may be an energy management unit, and the energy management unit may communicate with one or more energy consumption units.

6 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a second embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, a plurality of components constituting the home network 20 of the present invention can communicate with the utility network 10 directly.

That is, in the present invention, a plurality of components (first and second components 41 and 42) serving as a gateway are included. The first and second components may be homogeneous components or other types of components.

The first component 41 may communicate with one or more components (e.g., the third and fourth components 43 and 44), and the second component 42 may communicate with one or more components And the sixth component 45, 46).

For example, each of the first and second components may be one of an energy management unit, an energy measurement unit, a central management unit, an energy network auxiliary unit, an energy consumption unit, and the like.

Each of the third to sixth components may be one of an energy generation unit, an energy distribution unit, an energy management unit, an energy measurement unit, a central management unit, an energy network auxiliary unit, and an energy consumption unit.

7 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a third embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, each of the components 51, 52, 53 constituting the home network of the present embodiment can directly communicate with the utility network 20. [ That is, there is no component acting as a gateway as in the first and second embodiments, and each of the components 51, 52 and 53 can communicate with the utility network.

8 is a schematic diagram of a home network according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, the home network 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an energy measuring unit 25 for measuring in real time power and / or electricity rates supplied from the utility network 10 to homes, For example, a smart meter, the energy measurement unit 25, and an energy management unit 24 connected to and controlling the operation of the electric product.

On the other hand, the electricity rate of each household can be charged by the hourly rate, and the electricity rate per hour becomes high in the time interval in which the electric power consumption is rapidly increased, and the electricity rate per hour becomes low when the electric power consumption is relatively low .

The energy management unit 24 controls the energy consumption unit 26 such as the refrigerator 81, the washing machine 82, the air conditioner 83, the dryer 84, or the cooking appliance 85, And can be used for bi-directional communication.

Communication in the home can be done through wired such as Zigbee, wifi, or a power line communication (PLC, Power line communication), and one household appliance can be connected to communicate with other household appliances.

9 is a block diagram showing a network system including an energy consuming unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9, the network system including the energy consuming unit 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes an energy measuring unit 25 for recognizing additional information other than energy information or energy information, An energy management unit 24 that manages (controls) the operation of the energy consuming unit 100 according to information or additional information, and a communication unit 110 that communicates with the energy management unit 24 or the energy measurement unit 25 .

The energy measuring unit 25 and the energy managing unit 24 may be connected to each other to be able to communicate with each other. The communication unit 110 may be provided to the energy consuming unit 100 or may be connected to the energy consuming unit 100.

The energy consuming unit 100 includes an input unit 130 through which a user inputs a predetermined command for the operation of the energy consuming unit 100 and a display unit 130 for storing predetermined information according to a command input through the input unit 130 A memory unit 150, a display unit 140 for displaying an operating state of the energy consuming unit 100 or the predetermined information, and a control unit 120 for controlling these configurations.

In detail, the energy consuming unit 100 may be defined as a component (one electric appliance) that can be driven with a predetermined pattern or manner (course) in accordance with a commanded input.

The input unit 130 may include a plurality of input units capable of performing the pattern (driving method). For example, input units for separately inputting commands for A, B, C, and D to an energy consuming unit that performs a course consisting of A, B, C, and D may be included. On the other hand, a separate input section for selecting a formal (predetermined) course composed of A + B + C + D may be included.

There is no limitation to the type and type of the input through the input unit 130. [

The memory unit 150 may store configuration information of a course performed by the energy consuming unit 100 or driving content information of an energy consuming unit corresponding to a configuration part of the course.

The display unit 140 may display the type of the currently performed course, the type of the course configuration unit constituting the course, the remaining time information of the course configuration unit or the course execution, and the like.

The energy consuming unit 100 includes a driving unit 200 that is operated to perform the course of the energy consuming unit 100. For example, the drive unit 200 may be any one of a motor, a pump, a compressor, a fan, or the like provided in an electrical product. The operation of the course component may be performed by driving the drive unit 200.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an operation course of the energy consuming unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a graph showing a classification of a course constructing unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

10 and 11, an operation course 300 performed by the energy consuming unit 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a first course component 310, a second course component 320 ), And a third course constructing unit 330 may be included.

Further, the operation course 300 may include more course components (n-course components) depending on the operating characteristics of the energy consuming part 100. [ On the other hand, the second course component 320 and the third course component 330 may be omitted.

In summary, the operation course 300 includes at least one course component.

The operation course 300 may be understood as an operation pattern that is operated for performing the function of the energy consuming unit 100 and has a predetermined time interval. On the other hand, the operation course 300 may be understood as a stroke section repeated with a predetermined period.

The course component may be a component of the operation course 300. That is, one or more course components may be combined to complete the operating course 300. The plurality of course components can be performed sequentially or simultaneously.

For example, the energy consuming unit 100 may be a washing machine, and the operating course 300 may be one of a standard course, a wool course, a quilt course, a baby clothes course, And may be one of a cold water washing course, a hot water washing course, a boiled laundry course or a similar course depending on the washing method.

Each of the above-mentioned courses may include dubbing, washing, rinsing, dewatering or drying steps constituting the operation of the course. Each of these strokes can be understood as a course component, and can be performed sequentially according to the passage of time.

Depending on the type of the operation course 300, the time, the number of times, or the like may be differently performed, and the information may be stored in the memory unit 150 in advance.

As another example, the energy consuming unit 100 may be a dishwasher, and the operating course 300 may be one of a standard course, a course, a strong course, a delicate course, or a similar course.

Each of the above courses may include washing, rinsing, heating, or drying steps constituting the operation of the course. Each of these strokes can be understood as a course component, and can be performed sequentially according to the passage of time.

Depending on the type of the operation course 300, the washing, rinsing, heating or drying steps may be carried out at different times or times, and this information may be stored in the memory unit 150 in advance.

As another example, the energy consuming unit 100 may be a refrigerator, and the operation course 300 may be one of a general cooling course, a rapid cooling course, or a similar course.

Each of the above-mentioned courses may include driving of a compressor or a blower fan, opening and closing of a damper for releasing cool air, and the like. Each of these operations can be understood as a course component, and can be performed sequentially or simultaneously according to the selection of the operation course 300.

Depending on the type of the operation course 300, the time or the number of times the operation of the compressor, the blowing fan, or the damper may be performed may be different, and the information may be stored in the memory unit 150 in advance.

In addition, even when the energy consuming unit 100 is a dryer, a cooking device, a water purifier, and an air conditioner, the memory unit 150 may include an operation course 300 based on the performance of each energy consuming unit 100 have. The operation course 300 may include at least one course part constituting the operation course 300.

The plurality of course components may be formed differently in terms of the amount of power consumed according to one component of the energy consuming part 100 to be operated. For example, in a washing machine, a drying cycle requiring driving of a heater may have a larger amount of power consumed than a rinse or dewatering cycle.

As shown in FIG. 11, the plurality of course configuration units includes a second course configuration unit 320 having a value equal to or greater than preset power information R1, and a second configuration unit 320 having a value less than the preset power information R1. The one-course configuration unit 310 and the third-course configuration unit 330 may be included.

However, the graph shown in Fig. 11 is merely an example, and more course components can be classified based on the R1 according to the operating characteristics of the energy consuming unit 100. [

The power information may be charge information according to the power consumption amount or power consumption of the one component. The power information of each course component and the preset power information value R1 may be stored in advance in the memory unit 150. [

When it is required to perform power reduction drive or energy cost reduction drive of the energy consuming unit 100 according to information (energy information or additional information) transmitted from the energy management unit 24 or the energy measurement unit 25, The operation of the course component having a value equal to or greater than the power information R1, that is, the operation of the second course component 320, can be controlled correspondingly. Descriptions related to such control are described below.

12 is a flowchart showing a control method of a network system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. A control method of the network system according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the power of the energy consuming unit 100 is turned on, and an operation course 300 may be input for performing the operation of the energy consuming unit 100. [ Then, the energy consuming unit 100 can be driven according to the input operation course 300. At this time, in order to perform the operation course 300, the operation of the drive unit 200 may be performed (S11, S12).

During the operation of the energy consuming unit 100, information, that is, energy information or additional information, may be received from the energy management unit 24 or the energy measurement unit 25 (S13).

It is determined whether the energy information or the additional information exceeds a preset reference value (S14).

For example, when the information is information related to energy charge information, the reference value may be an average value of the power information, an average value of the minimum value and the maximum value of the predetermined interval, or a reference change rate of the power information, It can be recognized as an on-peak time period.

If it is recognized as the on-peak time period, it can be determined whether the one-course constituting unit set as the control (abort) target is controlled (aborted). Here, the one-course constructing unit set as the control target may be the second course constructing unit 320 having the predetermined power information value R1 or more (S15).

On the other hand, if it is not recognized as the on-peak time period, the energy consuming unit 100 may be driven according to the inputted operation course 300 (S16).

It is judged whether or not the one-course constituent part to be controlled (stopped) is currently operating (S17).

If the one-course component is currently operating, the operation of the one-course component may be immediately halted, or may be stopped after completion of the operation for a shortest time. Here, the shortest time may be a preset time value considering the remaining time of the one-course component operation. The shortest time may be tabulated and stored in the memory unit 150 (S18).

If the one-course component is not currently operating, the operation of the one-course component may be controlled to reduce the energy when the operation sequence of the one-course component arrives.

Here, the control method of the one-course construction unit may include skip operation of the one-course construction unit, interruption after operation for a preset time (shortest time), and the like. That is, the control of the one-course constituent section can be understood as "operation restriction" (S19).

On the other hand, if the operation sequence of the other course component to be controlled (stopped) comes after the operation control of the one-course component, the operation of the other course component can be controlled for energy reduction.

The control method of the other course configuration section may include skip operation of the other course configuration section and interruption after operation for a predetermined time (shortest time) (S20).

As described above, when the on-peak time period comes, there is an effect that the energy charge can be reduced by restricting the operation of a part of the course part having a large amount of power consumption.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an operation course of the energy consuming unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a control method of the network system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, the operation course 300 of the energy consuming part 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of course parts constituting the operation course 300.

The plurality of course configuration units may include a main configuration unit 400 that can be understood as a configuration essential for performing the functions of the energy consumption unit 100 and a function unit 400 that directly performs the functions of the energy consumption unit 100 And an unrelated sub-component 500 is included.

For example, the main configuration unit 400 may include a first course configuration unit 410 and a fourth course configuration unit 420 among a plurality of course configuration units. The sub-configuration unit 500 may include a second course configuration unit 510 and a third course configuration unit 520.

For example, when the energy consuming unit 100 is a washing machine, the main constituent unit 400 may include a washing cycle, a rinsing cycle or a dewatering cycle. In addition, the sub-configuration unit 500 may include a process of displaying an operating state (screen or sound), a process of adjusting the brightness of the display unit 140, and the like.

That is, the sub-configuring unit 500 may perform the function of the energy consuming unit 100 even if the energy consuming unit 100 is omitted or minimally operable, or omitted (minimum operation) Can be defined as a configurable component.

The configuration of the main configuration unit 400 and the sub configuration unit 500 may be different depending on the function of the energy consuming unit 100 and the configuration of the operation course 300, 13 may be different from the contents shown in Fig.

When power saving operation or energy cost saving operation of the energy consuming unit 100 is required according to information (energy information or additional information) transmitted from the energy management unit 24 or the energy measurement unit 25, The operation of the unit 500 can be controlled correspondingly. Descriptions related to such control are described below.

A control method of the network system according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the power of the energy consuming unit 100 is turned on, and an operation course 300 may be input for performing the operation of the energy consuming unit 100. [ Then, the energy consuming unit 100 can be driven according to the input operation course 300. At this time, in order to perform the operation course 300, the operation of the drive unit 200 may be performed (S31, S32).

During the operation of the energy consuming unit 100, information, that is, energy information or additional information, may be received from the energy management unit 24 or the energy measurement unit 25 (S33).

It is determined whether the energy information or the additional information exceeds a preset reference value (S34).

For example, when the information is information related to energy charge information, the energy charge information may be recognized as an on peak time interval if the energy charge information exceeds the reference value. As described above, the reference value may be a predetermined value.

If it is recognized as the on-peak time period, it can be determined whether or not control (interruption) of one of the plurality of course components is to be performed (S35).

On the other hand, if it is not recognized as the on-peak time period, the energy consuming unit 100 can be driven according to the inputted operation course 300 (S36).

It is determined whether the one sub-component is currently operating (S37).

If the one sub-constituent part is currently in operation, the operation of the one sub-constituent part can be immediately stopped or stopped after the operation for a shortest time. Here, the shortest time may be a preset time value considering the remaining time of the operation of one sub-component. The shortest time may be tabulated and stored in the memory unit 150 (S38).

If one of the sub-components is not in operation, the operation of one of the sub-components may be controlled in order to reduce energy when the operation sequence of the one sub-component arrives.

Here, the control method of one sub-configuration unit may include skip operation of the one sub-configuration unit, interruption after operation for a preset time (shortest time), and the like. That is, the control of the one sub-constituent part can be understood as "operation restriction" (S39).

On the other hand, if the operation order of the other sub-components to be controlled (stopped) comes after the operation control of the one sub-component, the operation of the other sub-components can be controlled for energy reduction.

The control method of the other sub-components may include skip operation of the other sub-components, interruption after operation for a preset time (S40).

In this way, when the on-peak time period comes, there is an effect that the energy charge can be reduced by restricting the operation of the sub-component which can be omitted or the shortest time can be operated.

Other embodiments are suggested.

The input unit 130 may include an input unit for selecting a power saving (energy saving) course.

It can be understood that the power saving course is a combination of course components for reducing the amount of power consumption or the energy charge in advance. Therefore, when the power saving course is selected, an operating course can be performed that can reduce the power consumption or the energy charge irrespective of whether the energy information (or additional information) is received or not.

If there is a selectable option for performing the function of the energy consuming part while the power saving course is selected, the maximum value of the option may be limited. For example, if the energy consuming portion is a washing machine and the selectable options are a heating time, a rinsing frequency, etc., the heating time may be limited to a maximum of 5 minutes and the rinsing frequency may be limited to a maximum of 3 times.

On the other hand, if the energy consumption part is driven according to the input operation course and the energy information (or additional information) is received, the power saving course may be automatically set to be performed.

10: utility network 20: home network
30: Component 40: Information
100: energy consumption unit 110: communication unit
120: control unit 300: operation course

Claims

A home network, which is supplied from a utility network including an energy generating unit, and includes an energy consuming unit that consumes energy and functions according to an operating course;
An energy measuring unit provided in the utility network or the home network and recognizing additional information other than energy information or energy information; And
And an energy management unit provided in the utility network or the home network and managing the energy information or the additional information with respect to the energy consuming unit,
In the operation course,
A main constituent part and a sub constituent part required for performing the function of the energy consuming part,
The sub-
A sound output function, and a display brightness adjustment function in an operating state of the energy consuming unit,
In the energy consuming portion,
And controls the operation of the sub-configuration unit to be limited based on the energy information or the additional information.

The method according to claim 1,
In the energy information,
A network system that includes information about energy bills and non-energy bills.

3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the energy charge information is at least one of an electric charge, a quantity of electricity, a rate of change of the electric charge, a rate of change of the quantity of electricity, an average value of the electric charges and an average value of the electric quantity.

3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein said non-energy rate information is one of energy reduction, emergency, network security, power generation, operation priority, and energy consumption.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the additional information is one of environmental information, program update information, time information, operation or status information of each component, and consumer habit information using an energy consumption unit.

The method according to claim 1,
In the utility network,
A first energy distribution unit for distributing energy generated in the energy generating unit; And
And a first energy storage unit for storing energy generated in the energy generating unit or energy distributed in the energy distributing unit.

The method according to claim 6,
In the home network,
A second energy generating unit for generating energy;
A second energy distribution unit for distributing energy generated in the second energy generation unit; And
And a second energy storage unit for storing energy generated in the energy generation unit or energy distributed in the energy distribution unit.

The method according to claim 1,
And the operation of the sub-component is restricted based on whether the energy information or the additional information exceeds a reference value.

9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the reference value is at least one of an average value, an average value of a minimum value and a maximum value of power information during a predetermined period, and a reference change of power information during a predetermined period.

10. The method of claim 9,
And if the energy information is recognized as exceeding the reference value, the operation of the sub-component is interrupted or stopped after being operated for a predetermined time.

10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein if said energy information is recognized as not exceeding a reference value, said energy consuming section is operated according to a selected operating course.

The method according to claim 1,
The operation course includes a plurality of course components,
Wherein the sub-configuration unit is a course configuration unit having a value equal to or greater than preset power information among the plurality of course configuration units.

13. The method of claim 12,
In the power information,
Wherein the sub-configuration unit includes an amount of power consumed by the sub-configuration unit or an amount of energy corresponding to the amount of power consumed by the sub-configuration unit.

delete

The method according to claim 1,
In the energy consuming portion,
An input unit for inputting a command for selecting the operating course;
A memory unit that stores operation information of the operation course or the sub-configuration unit; And
Further comprising a display unit on which information relating to an operating state of the energy consuming unit, the operating course, or driving of the sub-constituent is displayed.

A household network including an energy consuming section which is supplied from a utility network including an energy generating section and which consumes energy and performs a set operating course; And
And an energy management unit provided in the utility network or the home network and managing the energy consuming unit according to additional information other than the recognized energy information or energy information,
In the operation course,
A main constituent part and a sub constituent part required for performing the function of the energy consuming part,
The sub-
A sound output function, and a display brightness adjustment function in an operating state of the energy consuming unit,
And the power consumption or energy charge by the sub-configuration unit is reduced based on the energy information or the additional information transmitted from the energy management unit.

18. The method of claim 17,
And the operation of the sub-configuration is restricted if the energy information or the additional information is recognized as exceeding a preset reference value.

19. The method of claim 18,
In order to limit the operation of the sub-
Wherein the operation of the subcomponent is immediately suspended, or is stopped after being operated for a predetermined time.

18. The method of claim 17,
The sub-
And a value of the energy consumption or a predetermined energy consumption amount.

18. The method of claim 17,
The sub-
And a function unit for performing an additional function not related to the function of the energy consuming unit.