JP2009301528A - Life energy proper use support system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system for enabling a user to regularly and easily view the use state of energy, and to easily perform the operation, and for automatically controlling the power source of predetermined equipment to be controlled to a direction in which the consumption of energy is decreased, and for supporting the proper use of life energy by performing interrupt operation so that a user can actually feel that the user is excessively using energy. <P>SOLUTION: This life energy proper use support system includes: a trigger means being a chance to change the driving operation state of the consumption equipment of life energy; a control signal output part for outputting a signal to control the driving operation state of the consumption equipment of life energy to a direction where the consumption of a power is decreased on the basis of information from the trigger means; a video data creation part for creating video data on the basis of the information from the trigger means; and a video data output part for outputting the video data to the video data input part of the display device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention collects and processes usage information of living energy such as electricity, gas and water mainly in homes such as dwelling units and condominiums, and displays each living energy consumption amount and consumption charge on a display device. It relates to a system that controls the operation of equipment that consumes living energy according to the set goals and supports proper use.

In recent years, there are concerns about the depletion of the earth resources necessary for people to live their lives, and there is an urgent need to respond to environmental problems such as global warming due to the effects of carbon dioxide, etc. generated by consuming resources. ing.

In companies, efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and measures to acquire carbon dioxide emission rights are proceeding at a rapid pace.

On the other hand, energy conservation is advancing at home as part of efforts to save global resources and prevent global warming. The burden of charges associated with the use of energy is a concern for households, and as a means of promoting energy conservation, the following devices have conventionally been used to monitor and display energy usage. Is disclosed.

In Patent Document 1, the energy-saving effect after the introduction of energy-saving devices has not been specifically grasped in the past, and there are many cases where multiple energy such as electric power and gas is used in ordinary households. In view of the fact that it is necessary to grasp and manage the energy consumption of the whole as a whole, the target value of the consumption of multiple energy such as electric power and gas used in each household is set as accurately as possible, and the overall energy consumption is A home energy-saving support method and apparatus for the purpose of helping to reduce the power consumption are disclosed.

In the energy saving support method and device for home use, the target consumption value of each energy is converted into the light heat cost which is a common unit, and the target light heat cost corresponding to the sum of the plurality of energy consumption target values is obtained. This is characterized in that the actual light heat cost corresponding to the sum of a plurality of actual energy consumption values is obtained by converting the actual heat consumption value into the light heat cost, and the target light heat cost and the actual light heat cost are compared and evaluated.

According to this configuration, consumption of a plurality of energy such as electric power and gas is evaluated in terms of money as a whole, so that fluctuations in energy consumption can be easily grasped as a household balance. Further, it is disclosed that, for example, in a household that uses both electric power and gas for air conditioning, it is possible to manage the energy consumption as a whole while avoiding the troublesome management of energy consumption individually.

Further, in Patent Document 2, since the ratio of individual consumption to the energy consumption of society as a whole is small, it is difficult for each individual to perceive the necessity of reducing energy consumption as his own problem. Because energy consumption is not thoroughly reduced, and energy usage fees are paid in units of 1 to 2 months, so the cost perception of energy becomes dull and there is a tendency to consume energy carelessly. As a result, in view of the fact that the individual energy consumption is not thoroughly reduced, and that the energy consumption of each individual device is difficult to understand, the individual energy consumption cannot be reduced thoroughly. Energy data management system and energy data tube that can grasp the energy consumption of your home in detail and simply Apparatus, energy data management method and energy data management program, and energy data management system, energy data management apparatus, and energy data that are easy to understand for the residents of ordinary households An invention made for the purpose of providing a management method and an energy data management program is disclosed.

The invention of Patent Document 2 is an energy data management system that records and displays energy usage data in a house, and measures a gas meter that measures the gas usage in the house, and measures water usage in the house A water meter, a breaker that allows a current to be supplied to the electrical equipment in the house, and a power value of the breaker is measured periodically, and the usage data is received from the meter. An energy data management device that stores data and data of the power value, and a display device that displays information received from the energy data management device, wherein the energy data management device receives the usage received from each of the meters Usage data storage means for storing quantity data and data of the power value obtained by regular measurement, and gas per unit period of the house Target value storage means for storing target usage values for water and electricity, and the data stored in the usage data storage means and the target when there is a request from a display device connected to the energy data management device A predetermined period display screen that simultaneously displays the gas, water, and electricity usage values within a predetermined period and the gas, water, and electricity target usage values during the predetermined period using the target usage values stored in the value storage means. Means for generating data and transmitting it to the display device, the display device comprising display means for receiving the data of the display screen for a predetermined period and displaying the display screen.

Also, in Patent Document 3, a meter for measuring received power is usually constructed so as to display the amount of power accumulated since installation, which is inconvenient for the purpose of monitoring the power usage state. There is no general equipment suitable for this purpose. Also, especially in buildings and factories where the amount of power used is large, there are generally managers related to utilities such as power. However, it is important to know the power usage status in real time especially during times when power usage fluctuations are large. It is generally difficult from the viewpoint of cost management and effective utilization of resources because the use site and managers are systematically separated. However, in view of the fact that there is no device suitable for monitoring the power usage state suitable for such purposes, the power usage is suitable for simultaneously monitoring the power usage state in buildings, factories, etc. where power consumption is generally large. An invention made for the purpose of providing a state monitoring method and apparatus therefor is disclosed.

The invention of Patent Document 3 detects at least the instantaneous power as the power usage, wirelessly transmits the detected usage, and when the receiving means receives the wirelessly transmitted signal, the usage is converted to the instantaneous power. Or, it is displayed in comparison with a target value stored in advance by the amount of electric power obtained by integrating it, and a power usage state monitoring time zone is determined in advance, and the comparison result in the monitoring time zone is displayed at least in a graph. It is what I did.

In addition, Patent Document 4 forgets to close the faucet when water is artificially poured into the bathtub, unnecessary continuous water discharge due to a toilet flushing failure caused by equipment abnormalities, and large consumption due to disconnection of a rubber hose connected to the faucet such as a washing machine. Even if there is, the resident only has to pay the usage fee with the meter reading value, but from the viewpoint of water resources, it is a waste of water. In addition, the consumption of tap water is unexpectedly unaware of the residents, such as the amount of water used in a flush toilet, the amount of water used for washing, and the amount of water required for bathing in daily life. The amount varies. However, in light of the problem that people feel inconvenience in life only when the flow rate is reduced or water is cut off due to drought, and there is no way to make the rare value of water habitual, it is easy for residents to raise awareness of water conservation and energy management. An invention made for the purpose of providing a water amount management device is disclosed.

The invention of Patent Document 4 includes a flow rate measuring means for measuring the amount of water flowing through a water pipe, and a flow rate information display means for managing the state of the used flow rate according to the flow rate signal from the flow rate measuring means and displaying the used flow rate information. The flow rate information display means counts the flow rate signal and measures the flow rate used, a water consumption switch for setting and resetting the measurement value of the integration means, and a set of the water consumption switch The storage means stores the measurement value of the integration means, and the display unit displays the measurement value stored in the storage means.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-101292 FIG. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-012148 FIG. JP 2000-193695 A FIG. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-164592 FIG.

However, although those disclosed in these patent documents can display the energy usage status, the display target is a dedicated terminal or a screen of Internet browsing software displayed on the monitor of a personal computer. For example, in the case of what is displayed on the monitor of a personal computer, for example, the personal computer is started and the corresponding screen is displayed to check the energy consumption state. It was necessary to start the Internet browsing software to reach the target display screen, and it was impossible or difficult to handle when the user did not own a personal computer or was unfamiliar with the personal computer. Even if you are familiar with computers, you need to start up your personal computer one by one, and there are many steps required to check the usage status of energy. It was not something that could be confirmed. In addition, even when using a dedicated terminal, if the installation location is in a place where you do not see much, you will gradually lose sight, and there is a possibility that the awareness of confirming initiatives related to energy conservation will fade.

In addition, in the case of what is shown in the patent literature, the energy consumption state can be seen and the consumption amount is displayed in numerical values and graphs. We cannot continue to use energy as it is without any change, and it is not possible to realize that the energy consumption has exceeded the target. Even if you use the dedicated terminal or personal computer Internet browsing software to confirm that you are using too much, you can continue to use the energy as it is, so there is no reason, "Let's be careful" However, it was not easy to stop using energy on its own, and there was a concern that energy-saving orientation would become popular as a result.

Therefore, in view of such problems, the present invention makes it possible to easily and easily see the usage state of energy on a daily basis, and the operation can be easily performed. Excessive use of energy for the user by controlling the power supply of the device to be controlled in advance in a direction that reduces energy consumption automatically, using the ratio of the amount and control from the operation switch as a trigger The purpose is to provide a system that can support the use of living energy more appropriately by performing an intervention operation so that it can be realized.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system that can save the wiring work related to the introduction and reduce the wiring.

In order to achieve the above object, claim 1 of the present invention provides:
Trigger means for triggering a change in the driving operation state of the consumer device of predetermined living energy;
A control signal output unit that outputs a signal for controlling the operation state of the consumer device of the living energy based on the information from the trigger means in a direction in which power consumption decreases;
A video data generation unit for generating video data based on information from the trigger means;
A video data output unit for outputting the video data to a video data input unit of a display device;
Provided a life energy appropriate use support system characterized by actively controlling the driving operation state of the energy consumption consumer device so that the use of life energy becomes an appropriate use state .

According to such a life energy appropriate use support system, the use state of energy can be easily seen on a daily basis, and the operation state of the consumer device of the life energy can be determined based on information from the trigger means. By controlling the power consumption in such a direction as to reduce the power consumption, it is possible to support the user to use living energy more appropriately by performing an intervention operation so that the user can use the energy appropriately.

Further, in claim 2, the trigger means is a living energy usage target value setting means for setting a target value of the usage amount of the living energy,
A usage amount measured by a living energy usage measuring means connected to a living energy supply unit to be measured and measuring a usage amount of living energy, and a usage target value set by a living energy usage target value setting means And a calculation means for comparing and calculating
A video data generation unit that generates video data based on data obtained as a result of the comparison calculation by the calculation unit;
A video data output unit for outputting the video data to a video data input unit of the display device;
As a result of the comparison calculation, when the measured living energy usage exceeds the amount of usage target value, the consumption of energy is reduced in the driving operation state of a predetermined device for consumption of living energy. A control signal output unit for outputting a signal for controlling the direction,
A life energy appropriate use support system characterized by supporting the use of life energy to be in an appropriate use state with respect to the target value by actively controlling the operation state of the consumer device of the life energy. Is provided.

According to such a life energy appropriate use support system, it is possible to easily and easily see the energy usage state on a daily basis, and the operation can be easily performed. By defining, it is possible to easily check the usage status such as how much excess or margin is currently in excess of the target value. , By controlling the power supply of the device to be controlled in advance in a direction that reduces energy consumption, an intervention operation is performed so that the user can feel that energy is being used excessively. Support for proper use of living energy.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, regarding the use of electric power as living energy, the trigger means sets a contract current of a current limiter or a rated current of a main switch in a power supply unit provided with a living energy appropriate use support system. Current setting means,
A calculation means for comparing and calculating the current value measured by the living energy consumption measuring means and the current value determined by the current setting means;
A video data generation unit that generates video data based on data obtained as a result of the comparison calculation by the calculation unit;
A video data output unit for outputting the video data to a video data input unit of the display device;
As a result of the comparison calculation, when the measured current value is larger than the predetermined current value, the energy consumption is reduced in the operating state of the predetermined life energy consuming device related to the consumption of power energy. A control signal output unit for outputting a signal to be controlled
By actively controlling the driving operation state of the consumer device of the living energy, the use of the living energy is supported so as to be in an appropriate using state with respect to the determined current value. Also good.

According to such an appropriate use support system for living energy, the current used is not limited to the current limiter for the use of electric power but also when the use of energy is excessive with respect to the predetermined target value of energy use. In the case where the contract current exceeds the rated current of the main switch or the rated current of the main switch, the use of living energy can be controlled by controlling the operating state of the consumer device that uses a predetermined amount of living energy in a direction that reduces energy consumption. All power interruptions in the electric circuit can be controlled so as to be in an appropriate usage state for the determined current value, and the system can provide support so as not to impair user convenience.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the trigger means is a manual switch that controls on / off of a driving operation state of a predetermined consumer device for living energy,
A calculation means for performing calculation processing in response to an operation signal of the manual switch;
A video data generation unit for generating video data based on data obtained as a result of calculation by the calculation means;
A video data output unit for outputting the video data to a video data input unit of a display device;
As a result of the calculation, by outputting a control signal from the control signal output unit to a consumer device of a predetermined living energy,
You may comprise as a characteristic that it supports so that use of a living energy may be in an appropriate use state.

According to such a life energy appropriate use support system, it is likely that the user will use the energy by viewing the usage state of the energy displayed on the display device by leaving the room for the user himself / herself to control the device. If it is determined that the system is using or energy is not being used, the control signal is sent to the system via the manual switch, so that the target device can be controlled manually. Rather, the user's own energy-saving consciousness can be more easily invited, and support for the proper use of living energy can be provided.

Further, in claim 5, a plurality of devices for consuming the living energy are provided,
When the arithmetic means receives an operation signal from the manual switch,
The operation state of the devices that consume the living energy may be controlled to be turned on or off all at once.

According to such a life energy appropriate use support system, it is possible to control a plurality of life energy consumption devices with a single operation, preventing forgetting to turn off some devices or forgetting to turn on the power. As a result, the overall device can be controlled efficiently, and the energy saving effect can be increased while simplifying the control operations performed by the user.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the trigger unit and the setting unit and the calculation unit corresponding to the trigger unit may be selectively or all combined.

According to such a life energy appropriate use support system, it is possible to provide support so that the use of life energy is in an appropriate use state based on various trigger means.

Further, in claim 7, in the life energy appropriate use support system, the calculation means prorately converts the target value set by the life energy use amount target value setting means into the amount of energy that can be used every day, and Generating graph data representing a usage situation for the target amount of usage together with the total amount of life energy measured by the energy usage measuring means, and generating video data by the video data generation unit based on the graph data; The video data output unit may output video data.

According to such a life energy appropriate use support system, the current energy consumption is visually displayed on the display device together with the accumulated usage at that time, such as monthly or yearly, with respect to the set target value. It is easy for the user to grasp the state of energy use, and it is possible to provide support for using living energy more appropriately.

Further, in the present invention, the living energy appropriate use support system includes a first housing unit including the living energy use amount measuring unit and the control signal output unit, the computing unit, and the video data generating unit. And a second housing unit comprising the video data output unit, and further, a low-power short-range wireless means capable of adding identification data for identifying the housing unit to each housing. It may be provided that the data communication between the first casing unit and the second casing unit is performed wirelessly.

According to such a living energy appropriate use support system, a unit for measuring living energy can be provided separately from a unit for generating and outputting video data by performing arithmetic means, and data communication between the units. Since wireless communication is performed, wiring work can be saved when introducing the system, and wiring materials can be reduced as much as possible. Therefore, the system itself can be easily installed while saving the construction. it can.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the living energy appropriate use support system, the control signal output unit for outputting a signal for controlling the operating state of the living energy consumption device includes a home automation control system. You may comprise as.

According to such an appropriate usage support system for living energy, automatic control can be performed on a living energy consuming device having a relatively large amount of energy consumption, and such a living energy consuming device is used for the living environment of the user. Since it is often a necessity, both automatic control of the system and manual control from the user can easily improve the energy saving effect, and support for more appropriate use of living energy can be provided.

According to the present invention, the usage state of energy can be seen on a daily basis, the operation can be performed easily, the target value of the usage amount, the ratio of the usage amount to the magnitude of the current used, the operation By using the control from the switch as a trigger to automatically control the power supply of the device to be controlled in a direction that reduces energy consumption, users can feel that they are using excessive energy. By performing the intervention, it is possible to provide a system that can support the use of living energy more appropriately.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The living energy appropriate use support system according to the present embodiment is a system for supporting proper use of living energy in a house.

(System configuration)
FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration diagram of a life energy appropriate use support system.

The life energy appropriate use support system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a measurement / control unit 100 having a function of measuring the amount of use of life energy to be measured and a function of controlling the operating state of the control target device, A function for performing data communication with the measurement / control unit 100 and generating video data to be displayed on the display device based on the measurement result, and an operation unit for the user to make various settings and control the operating state of the control target device And a display device 300 that receives video data output from the operation / display unit 200 and displays predetermined video data.

Here, the life energy is assumed to be energy necessary for daily life such as electricity, gas, and water, mainly at home. In addition, when a new energy medium is used, the usage amount may be measured and controlled for the energy medium.

The measurement / control unit 100 includes a living energy supply unit to be measured, that is, a distribution board unit to which a lead-in wire to a dwelling unit is connected via a watt-hour meter if electricity, and a gas flow rate if gas. Install the meter near the water meter where the water meter is installed.

The display device 300 is assumed to be a television receiver that is widely used in homes and is often seen by users, and the operation / display unit 200 is installed in the vicinity of the display device.

The life energy appropriate use support system 1 shown in FIG. 1 has the following functions as a whole.

As a first function, in a dwelling unit provided with the life energy appropriate use support system, an instantaneous upper limit is set when the living energy used is electricity, and the ratio of the current value of the used energy to the instantaneous upper limit is described later. This is a function for displaying according to predetermined conditions.

In this case, the trigger means is assumed to be a current setting means for setting the contract current of the current limiter or the rated current of the main switch in the power supply unit provided with the life energy appropriate use support system. Video data is generated based on data obtained by comparing and calculating the current value measured by the quantity measuring unit and the current value determined by the current setting unit, and the video data is output to the video data input unit of the display device. .

The second function is a function for issuing an alarm when energy is used when the set value of the instantaneous upper limit exceeds a predetermined condition described later.

A third function is a function for controlling on / off of the device to be controlled by using energy exceeding the set value of the instantaneous upper limit value after a predetermined condition described later.

In this case, the trigger means is assumed to be a current setting means for setting the contract current of the current limiter or the rated current of the main switch in the power supply unit provided with the life energy appropriate use support system. If the current value measured by the quantity measuring means and the current value determined by the current setting means are compared and calculated, and the measured current value is larger than the determined current value, then the power consumption The driving state of the consumer device that consumes a predetermined amount of living energy is controlled so that the consumption of energy decreases.

The fourth function is a function for displaying a unit time usage amount, a cumulative usage amount actual result, and a ratio of the cumulative usage amount to the target usage amount as a video with respect to a preset target value of the energy usage amount.

In this case, the trigger means is assumed to be a living energy usage target value setting means for setting a target value of the usage amount of living energy, and the usage measured by the living energy usage measuring means, Video data is generated on the basis of data obtained as a result of comparison operation with the usage target value set by the living energy usage target value setting means, and the video data is output to the video data input unit of the display device.

As a fifth function, when the actual value exceeds a predetermined condition described later with respect to the integrated target value, the control target device is controlled to the cut side in a direction in which energy consumption decreases.

In this case, the trigger means is assumed to be a living energy usage target value setting means for setting a target value of the usage amount of living energy, and the usage measured by the living energy usage measuring means, As a result of comparing and calculating the usage target value set by the living energy usage target value setting means, if the measured living energy usage exceeds the target usage value, it is determined in advance. Control the operating state of the consumer devices that consume the living energy in a direction that reduces energy consumption.

The sixth function is a function to arbitrarily turn on / off the control target device.

In this case, it is assumed that the trigger means is a manual switch that controls the operation state of a consumer device that consumes predetermined life energy, and performs arithmetic processing in response to an operation signal of the manual switch. The driving state is controlled for a consumer device that consumes predetermined living energy. Also, video data is generated for the control result and output to the video data input unit of the display device.

About these trigger means, you may provide in a living energy appropriate use support system independently, and may provide in combination.

Next, the measurement / control unit 100 and the operation / display unit 200 will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the measurement / control unit 100. The measurement / control unit 100 is connected to a living energy supply unit to be measured, and measures a living energy usage measuring unit 101 that measures the usage of living energy, and calculates the measured living energy usage by an arithmetic process. An arithmetic unit 102 that converts the data into digital data and outputs the digital data to the transmission / reception unit 103; a transmission / reception unit 103 that transmits / receives data to perform wireless data communication with the operation / display unit 200; and an operation / display unit 200 described later. The control unit 104 is configured to control the operation state of a predetermined control target device when the control target device is controlled by the above.

In addition, according to the type of living energy to measure, the measuring means of the said living energy usage measuring part 101 is changed suitably, and is comprised.

For example, when measuring the amount of electricity used as living energy, a current transformer that detects current is used as the measuring means used in the living energy usage measuring unit 101, and the current transformer is provided on the distribution board. By providing in the primary side circuit or the secondary side circuit of the main switch, the current flowing through the circuit can be detected and measured by a current transformer. In addition, the current may be detected using a Hall element, a magnetoresistive element, or a shunt resistor as a sensor for detecting the current.

The control target device 400 is an electric device having a JEM-A terminal defined by the Japan Electrical Manufacturers' Association, which can control the increase or decrease in the amount of electricity used. Control) to turn on / off the control target device. Therefore, the control unit 104 is provided with a control circuit that receives an output signal from the calculation unit 102 and outputs an HA control signal. A JEM-A terminal is also provided on the control unit 104 side, and the controlled device 400 and the control unit 102 are connected by HA wiring. Further, according to the wiring length between the control target device 400 and the control unit 102, an interface unit (IFU) determined when providing an HA terminal is appropriately provided.

Further, when measuring the amount of gas used as living energy, a gas flow meter that detects the flow rate of gas is used as the measuring means used in the living energy usage measuring unit 101, and the gas flow meter is installed in the gas meter unit. By providing it, the amount of gas used can be measured. In addition, the amount of use may be measured by obtaining pulse information from a gas meter with a pulse counter.

The control target device 400 is assumed to be a gas meter itself for closing a gas main valve, and controls a meter having a function of closing the main valve by an external signal input. As the signal system, a signal system suitable for each meter may be used, and the adapted signal data may be output from the control unit 104 in advance.

When measuring the amount of water used as living energy, a flow meter for detecting the flow rate of water is used as the measuring means used in the living energy usage measuring unit 101, and the water meter is connected to the water meter unit. By installing it in water, the amount of water used can be measured.

In addition, as the control target device 400, a water meter itself is assumed to close a water main valve, and a meter having a function of closing the main valve is controlled by an external signal input. As in the case of gas, the signal system may be configured to use a signal system suitable for each meter and output the suitable signal data from the control unit 104 in advance.

In addition, regarding gas use, gas stoves, water heaters, and valve usage that reduce the flow rate of gas and water by receiving external control signals at the faucet part of the water supply. Means may be provided, and control signals may be output from the control unit 104 to the individual valve adjusting means to control the use of living energy more finely. As a result, it is possible to appeal to users that life energy cannot be used satisfactorily, promote energy conservation effectively, and support the appropriate use of living energy. Can do.

In addition, the transmission / reception unit 103 is configured by a short-distance wireless means with low power that can add identification data that can identify each measurement / control unit. Specifically, a specific low-power radio is used, and a unique MAC address is used as identification data for each transmission / reception unit. By performing communication including the MAC address in the communication data, the communication partner can be specified, and the measurement data can be easily identified.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the operation / display unit 200. The operation / display unit 200 includes a transmission / reception unit 204 that transmits / receives data for wireless data communication with the measurement / control unit 100, and a usage amount of living energy obtained through the transmission / reception unit 204. Arithmetic unit that performs measurement data processing, outputs data to the video generation unit, displays operation status on the display unit, and receives control signals from the operation unit to output signals to the measurement / control unit. 203, a video generation unit 201 that generates video data based on data obtained from the calculation unit, an output unit 202 that outputs video data output from the video generation unit 201 to a display device, and a user The operation unit 205 that performs various settings related to the appropriate life energy use support system 1 and controls the operation of the control target device; A display unit 206 for indicating the work status, depending on the amount of life energy, is constituted and a notification unit 207 for notifying the predetermined audio data.

Similarly to the measurement / control unit 100, the transmission / reception unit 204 is configured by a low-power, short-range wireless means capable of adding identification data that can identify each measurement / control unit. Specifically, a specific low-power radio is used, and a unique MAC address is used as identification data for each transmission / reception unit. By performing communication including the MAC address in the communication data, the communication partner can be specified, and the measurement data can be easily identified.

Here, the display unit 206 is provided on the surface of the casing of the operation / display unit 200 so as to be visible from the outside of the operation / display unit 200, and displays the operating state of the life energy appropriate use support system 1. It is comprised by LED so that it can visually recognize.

The video generation unit 201 generates video data based on the data obtained from the calculation unit 203. The video data generation unit 201 uses a character generator or the like to use current life energy usage data or the total life energy for a predetermined period. Various types of video data are generated, such as the usage amount of the device, the operating state of the controlled device, and various settings of the life energy appropriate use support system. The video data generates analog format data such as NTSC that can be input to a television receiver. In general, in a television receiver, an analog signal can be input as an external input signal, and the video data can be browsed by performing an input switching operation on the television receiver side.

In addition, the operation unit is configured by a push button provided on the surface of the casing of the operation / display unit 200, and is used in the case of electricity to set a target value for the amount of use of living energy and use of living energy. The setting of the instantaneous upper limit value of the current, the control of the operation of the device to be controlled, the time adjustment of the life energy appropriate use support system, the change of the display content, etc. can be performed with the buttons. Then, the video data of the operation state is reflected and generated in real time by the video generation unit 201. For this reason, selection and determination operations can be performed by operating the operation unit 205 while browsing video data displayed on the display device.

The display device 300 is assumed to be a television receiver, and an input unit 302 to which video data output from the output unit 202 of the operation / display unit 200 is input, and the input video data is displayed on the display unit 301. An arithmetic unit 303 that performs arithmetic processing as possible, and an operation unit 304 that performs an operation of switching input between a tuner unit and an input unit provided in the television receiver are provided.

According to such an appropriate use support system for living energy, anyone can see the state of energy use at any time on a daily basis, the operation can be easily performed, and the user can set the target value of the amount of use by himself / herself. By defining, it is possible to easily check the usage status such as how much excess or margin is currently in excess of the target value. , By controlling the power supply of the device to be controlled in advance in a direction that reduces energy consumption, an intervention operation is performed so that the user can feel that energy is being used excessively. Support for proper use of living energy.

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of an operation / display unit 200a as a second embodiment. Compared to the first embodiment, the operation / display unit 200a is different in that it includes a manual switch 210 connected to the outside of the unit.

The manual switch 210 controls on / off of the operation state of a predetermined device for consuming living energy, and is configured by a push button switch. An on / off signal of the switch is input to the arithmetic unit 203. Thus, a signal is output from the transmission / reception unit 204 to the measurement / control unit 100, and a control signal is output from the calculation unit 102 to the control unit 104, so that the operation of a predetermined control target device can be controlled. .

In addition, when there are a plurality of predetermined consumption devices for living energy, the operation state of the living energy consumption devices may be simultaneously controlled to be on or off by the calculation unit.

According to such a life energy appropriate use support system, it is likely that the user will use the energy by viewing the usage state of the energy displayed on the display device by leaving the room for the user himself / herself to control the device. If it is determined that the system is using or energy is not being used, the control signal is sent to the system via the manual switch, so that the target device can be controlled manually. Rather, the user's own energy-saving consciousness can be more easily invited, and support for the proper use of living energy can be provided.

Next, FIG. 5 shows an external view of the operation / display unit 200.

2051 and 2052 are the operation unit 205, 2061 and 2062 are the display unit 206, and 208 is a power lamp that indicates that the life energy appropriate use support system is operating.

On the other hand, the operation unit 2051 sets various settings of the life energy appropriate use support system 1, that is, sets a target value of the amount of use of life energy, sets an instantaneous upper limit value of current used in the case of electricity as the use of life energy, This is an operation unit that controls the operation of the control target device while browsing the display device, adjusts the time of the life energy appropriate use support system, and changes the display contents.

The state of the operation by the operation unit 2051 is configured to be reflected in real time on the display unit 301 of the display device 300, and the operation is performed while browsing the display unit 301. In the operation by the operation unit 2051, the cursor displayed on the display unit 301 is moved by the up / down / left / right push buttons, the cursor is guided to a predetermined position, and the determination button provided at the center of the up / down / left / right push buttons is pushed. Thus, it is programmed that the cursor position is determined, the selected numerical value is appropriately changed by the push buttons up, down, left and right, and the setting is determined by the decision button. Examples of setting screens displayed on the display unit 301 are shown in FIGS.

FIG. 6 is a screen for setting a target value for the usage amount of living energy. In this case, the usage amount of electricity is taken as an example of life energy, and the target of the usage amount in 2008 is set as year information and January is set as month information. The amount of use is set using the up and down buttons of the operation unit 2051 of the operation / display unit. When the upper button is pressed, the value is changed to 112 kWh from the state shown in the figure, and when the lower button is pressed, the numerical value is changed from the state shown in the figure to 110 kWh. When confirming the setting, it is confirmed by pressing the enter button. After confirmation, the cursor on the screen is moved to an item that can be selected or changed by further pressing up, down, left, and right operation buttons, so it is preferable to make settings along each item.

The set target value data is stored in the storage area of the calculation unit. In addition, target value data determined for each month is stored in the storage area for a predetermined period (for example, for the past several years, 10 years, etc.), and later, the target value data determined in the past is displayed and processed by year, It is recommended to display a list of changes in the target value for the same month by year or display it in a graph so that changes in the degree of energy conservation efforts in the household can be grasped.

In this way, the user can grasp whether the energy conservation efforts and results in the household are trending better year after year, whether they are leveling out, or progressing in the direction of more energy consumption. It can be an opportunity to consider the energy conservation efforts of

FIG. 7 shows a screen for setting the volume of the living energy appropriate use support system. In this case, the item for selecting whether or not to output an operation sound is a cursor, and the operation sound is set to be output when the determination button is pressed at “ON”. As for the loudness of the warning sound, it is possible to appropriately set the loudness of the warning sound by moving the cursor to the left and right triangular figures in the upper part of the drawing and operating the operation buttons. The predetermined sound data is notified from the notification unit 207 according to the set volume.

The other operation unit 2052 is a control button for controlling a device to be controlled. In the case of the present embodiment, four buttons are provided so that four devices can be controlled.

By previously setting the device to be controlled using the operation button 2051 using the setting screen shown in FIG. 8, the first device, the first device from the left of the operation button 2052 shown in FIG. The operation of the corresponding device such as the second device can be directly controlled manually. Since the operation of the device is performed by HA control as described above, the on / off control can be easily performed.

In addition to direct manual control, it is also possible to operate the device while browsing the display unit 301 using the operation button 2051 shown in FIG. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, while operating the operation button 2051, move the cursor to a device desired to be operated, press the enter button, and further operate the operation button 2051 to select the operation state, By pressing the enter button, the operation state of the target device is controlled.

(System operation)
Next, the operation of the living energy appropriate use support system 1 will be described. First, the control operation of the system performed according to the set target value of the amount of living energy used will be described with reference to FIG. Each determination is made by the calculation unit.

First, the operation button is operated for the usage amount of the target living energy, and the target value of the monthly usage amount is set as shown in FIG. 6 (step S001).

The life energy appropriate use support system starts measuring the amount of each energy used (step S002), and based on the monthly target value set in step S001, prorately calculates the amount that can be used every day and Whether or not the usage amount exceeds the target value that can be used on the day is determined by the calculation unit (step S003).

Then, when the set target value is exceeded, the operation is controlled to be stopped in order for the control target devices set in advance as shown in FIG. 8 (step S004). If the target value is not exceeded, the process returns to step S002 and continues. In addition, it is good to determine the control order about a control object apparatus suitably.

Then, the passage of time is monitored, and the calculation unit determines whether or not the current day is over and the next day is reached (step S005).

If it is the next day, the stop control of the device is reset, and the initial state is restored (step S006). If it is the current day, the process returns to step S002 and continues. Here, the amount of living energy used is prorated on a daily basis, so the amount of living energy that can be used on a daily basis is determined. When the next day is reached, the amount of energy that can be used on that day is recounted. To start. If the set target value is significantly exceeded and the usage amount that can be used on the next day has already been used, the target value for the usage amount that can be used up to that day is exceeded when the next day is reached. Therefore, the operation of the target device is controlled to be stopped (step S004).

Next, as described above, when the operation of the target device is controlled to stop, and then the user manually controls to start the operation of the device, an intervention operation is performed to provide appropriate energy support. A case where the operation of the target device is stopped again after a predetermined time has elapsed will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the operation button is operated for the usage amount of the target living energy, and the target value of the monthly usage amount is set as shown in FIG. 6 (step S101).

The living energy appropriate use support system starts measuring the amount of each energy used (step S102), and based on the monthly target value set in step S101, prorately calculates the amount that can be used every day and Whether or not the usage amount exceeds a target value that can be used on the day is determined by the calculation unit (step S103).

Then, when the set target value is exceeded, the operation is controlled to be stopped in order for the control target devices set in advance as shown in FIG. 8 (step S104). If the target value is not exceeded, the process returns to step S102 and continues.

When the operation of the target device is controlled to stop, it is determined whether or not the target device is manually turned on (step S105).

If the target device is manually turned on, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed (step S106). If the target device is not turned on manually, the process proceeds to step S108.

Then, when the predetermined time has elapsed, the operation of the target device is stopped again (step S107). If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S105.

Then, the passage of time is monitored, and the calculation unit determines whether the current day is over and the next day is reached (step S108).

If it is the next day, the stop control of the device is reset, and the initial state is restored (step S006). If it is that day, the process returns to step S105 and continues. Here, the amount of living energy used is prorated on a daily basis, so the amount of living energy that can be used on a daily basis is determined. When the next day is reached, the amount of energy that can be used on that day is recounted. To start. If the set target value is significantly exceeded and the usage amount that can be used on the next day has already been used, the target value for the usage amount that can be used up to that day is exceeded when the next day is reached. Therefore, the operation of the target device is controlled to be stopped (step S104).

As for the stop control of the target device, as shown in FIG. 8, the operation is controlled to be sequentially stopped with respect to the control target device set in advance, but the stop control interval is several minutes. For example, it may be set as appropriate, such as several hours. Moreover, you may comprise so that stop control may be performed simultaneously instead of performing stop control of a control object apparatus in order.

Further, the predetermined time shown in step S106 is set to 3 hours in the present embodiment. It should be noted that the predetermined time may be appropriately determined.

Next, the control operation of the system performed according to the contract current of the current limiter provided in the electric circuit to which the life energy appropriate use support system 1 is applied or the rated current of the main switch will be described.

When using electricity as a living energy, if too much electricity is used, the current limiter and the main switch provided in the circuit will operate, causing the entire dwelling unit to be out of power and extremely inconvenient for the user. In addition, when all blackouts occur at night, lighting is extinguished and darkened, and in some cases, it is expected that the system will be in a dangerous state. When the usage exceeds the contracted current of the current limiter provided in the circuit or the rated current of the main switch, the operation of the target device is controlled so that no power failure occurs.

When the magnitude of the current of the circuit measured by the measurement / control unit exceeds the contract current of the current limiter or the rated current of the main switch, the control target device as shown in FIG. The operation is stopped and controlled in order.

For example, if a current limiter is provided, for the contract current of the current limiter,
The magnitude of the current in the circuit is
If 110% to 120%, stop control is performed in 45 seconds,
If it is 120% to 140%, stop control is performed in 15 seconds,
If it exceeds 140%, stop control is performed in 2 seconds.

In addition, when a main switch is provided in the circuit, the magnitude of the current in the circuit is compared to the rated current of the main switch.
If it is 100% to 120%, stop control is performed in 45 seconds,
If it is 120% to 140%, stop control is performed in 15 seconds,
If it exceeds 140%, stop control is performed in 2 seconds.

Then, stop control is performed in order, and if the magnitude of the current flowing in the electric circuit becomes less than the predetermined current value, the operation on control is performed in the opposite order to that when the stop control is performed. . For example, when the rated current value is 60 A, if the current limiter is provided, the operation on control is started at 52 A, and if the current limiter is not provided, the current limiter is set to 48 A. To start operation on control.

In the present embodiment, the stop control is performed at intervals of about every 3 seconds, and the operation on control is performed every about 10 seconds. These time intervals may be set as appropriate.

Moreover, in this living energy appropriate use support system 1, in order to promote the proper use of energy more effectively, the system performs the operation stop control of the target device, and the electric energy as living energy. Is the ratio of the current usage to the contract current of the current limiter installed in the circuit or the rated current of the main switch, and the ratio of the current usage to the set target value Is a ratio of the display unit 206 of the operation / display unit 200 and the display unit 301 of the display device 300.
It is configured to display.

That is, when the operation stop control is performed because the system exceeds the set target value for the operation stop control of the target device, each display unit 2061 is displayed on the display unit 206 of the operation / display unit 200. And 2062 are alternately turned on / off repeatedly so that it is possible to visually recognize that the operation stop control has been performed because the set target value has been exceeded, and an instantaneous usage amount of electricity as living energy is provided in the electric circuit. When the operation stop control is performed because the contracted current of the current limiter or the rated current of the main switch is exceeded, the display units 2061 and 2062 are simultaneously turned on in the display unit 206 of the operation / display unit 200. / The operation stop control was performed because the contract current of the current limiter or the rated current of the main switch exceeded the current limiter by repeating the turn-off. And to be able to view the door.

Further, the color of the display unit 206 indicates how much the instantaneous usage amount of electricity as living energy is relative to the contract current of the current limiter provided in the electric circuit or the rated current of the main switch. Is changed according to the ratio so that it can be visually recognized. In this embodiment, the color of the display unit is
The ratio of the amount of operating current to the contracted current of the current limiter in the circuit or the rated current of the main switch is
When it is less than 20%, it is blue,
When it is 20% to 40%, it is light blue,
When it is 40% to 60%, it is green.
60% -80% is yellow,
80% to 100% is purple,
When it exceeds 100%, it is displayed using light emitting diodes corresponding to all colors so that it becomes red.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the display on the display unit 206 changes the color of the area surrounding the character displayed as “use rate (vs. target value) 100%” according to the use rate. By doing so, it is possible to visually recognize the ratio of the current usage amount to the set target value. In this embodiment, the color of the area surrounding the character is the ratio of the current usage amount to the set target value.
When it is 80% or less, it is blue,
When it is 80% -90%, it is green.
90% to 100% is yellow,
100% to 110% is orange,
When it is 110% or more, data is generated by the video data generation unit so that the color is red.

It should be noted that the color change and the ratio classification may be changed as appropriate so that the user can see how much energy is being used.

In addition, the calculation unit is provided with a storage unit that stores predetermined audio data notified from the notification unit 207. The audio data is A “too much electricity is used”, B “the device is about to stop control soon”, C “the device is controlled to stop after XX seconds”, D “the target value has been exceeded. As a result, the device was controlled to stop. ”, D“ How is energy saving? ”And so on Data is stored.

And the ratio of the magnitude of the current used to the contract current of the current limiter in the circuit mentioned above or the rated current of the main switch is
When 100% to 110%, voice data A and B are notified every 180 seconds,
When 110% to 120%, voice data A and B are notified every 10 seconds, voice data C is notified after 40 seconds,
When it is 120% or more, the voice data A is notified every 5 seconds, and the voice data C is notified after 15 seconds.

In addition, the ratio of the current usage to the set target value of energy usage is
When 80% -90%, voice data D is notified every 30 minutes,
When 90% to 100%, voice data D is notified every 5 minutes,
When 100% to 110%, the voice data A and D are notified, and after the device is controlled to stop, the voice data D is notified.
When it is 110% or more, the audio data A is notified, and after the device is controlled to stop, the audio data D is notified.

In addition, the living energy appropriate use support system 1 performs an arithmetic process based on the measurement result by the measurement / control unit 100 and the measurement data by the operation / display unit 200 in order to grasp the usage amount of the living energy. The energy usage amount, the cumulative usage amount from the past, and the comparison with the past usage amount are displayed in a graph, and the user can easily browse the information. FIG. 12 shows a case where the amount of electricity used is converted into the amount of heat for grasping the use of energy, and the cumulative amount of use from the past is displayed in a graph, taking as an example the case where the living energy is electricity.

The operation unit of the operation / display unit 200 is provided with a data storage area. By referring to and reading data stored in the storage area, the horizontal axis is a time axis and the vertical axis is a heat quantity. It has become.

FIG. 13 shows a graph comparing the current energy consumption state and the past energy consumption state. Information such as energy type and measurement time is added to the data measured by the measurement / control unit 100 and stored in the storage area together with the information. For this reason, the amount of specific energy used at a certain point in the past is read out and processed together with the amount of specific energy currently used, so that the horizontal axis is the time axis and the vertical axis is the power amount. ing.

As described above, according to such a life energy appropriate use support system, the energy usage state can be seen on a daily basis, and the operation can be easily performed. By setting a value, it is possible to easily check the usage state, such as whether it is an excessive state or a marginal state with respect to the target value, and it is an excessive usage state relative to the target. In some cases, by automatically turning off the power of the device to be controlled in advance, it is possible to use the living energy appropriately by performing an intervention operation so that the user can feel that excessive energy is being used. It is possible to provide a system capable of providing support. In addition, when introducing this system, it is possible to provide a system that can save the wiring work related to the introduction and can perform the wiring-saving.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately applied as necessary without departing from the gist of the invention.

For example, a storage area is provided in the calculation unit 102 provided in the measurement / control unit 100, and the measurement data measured by the living energy consumption measurement unit 101 is stored together with the energy type and the measurement time, and the operation / display is performed. You may make it read the data memorize | stored from the unit 200 as needed. As a result, when there are a plurality of measurement / control units 100, it is not necessary to store all measurement data on the operation / display unit 200 side, the capacity of the storage unit provided in the operation / display unit 200 can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced. However, it is possible to provide a system that supports the proper use of living energy. The transmitter / receiver provided in the measurement / control unit 100 and the measurement / control unit 200 appends identification data for identifying each other to the communication data, so that the data from which measurement / control unit is unique. This makes it possible to determine which measurement / control unit the data is from.

In addition, the transmitting / receiving unit is configured using a specific low-power radio system, but in addition, a weak radio system, a Bluetooth (registered trademark), or other commonly used radio system or other than a radio system may be used. Alternatively, a power line carrier type communication unit that superimposes measurement data on the power line may be provided by using a power line that has already been constructed.

Further, although the home automation system is used as the control method for the control target device, the power source of the control target device may be controlled to be turned on and off by relay control. The relay may be provided in the control unit of the measurement / control unit 100 and may be connected to the power line of the control target device 400, or may be installed near the control target device 400, and the control unit may include a relay. A signal line for outputting a control signal may be provided.

In addition, the measurement / control unit 100 and the operation / display unit 200 are integrated with the measurement / control unit 100 and the operation / display unit 200, and only the living energy usage measuring unit 101 is separated. You may comprise so that various controls may be performed by transmitting the output from a usage-amount measurement part by a transmission / reception part, and processing the obtained measurement data. As a result, the living energy consumption measuring unit can be miniaturized, and restrictions on the mounting location for the measurement target can be reduced. In addition, the amount of data relating to the transmission of wireless communication data performed between the measurement / control unit 100 and the operation / display unit 200 can be reduced, the possibility of being unable to perform control due to a communication error, and the degree of influence due to the inability to perform control. Can be reduced.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, for comparison of the actual usage amount with respect to the usage target value of living energy, and control of the consumer devices of living energy, the target value is set for each day by setting a monthly target value. When the total amount of daily use reaches the amount of energy that can be used every day, the operating state of the appliances that consume daily energy is reduced in the direction of energy consumption. It is something to control.

That is, as shown in FIG. 14, for example, even if the amount of energy used exceeds the apportioning line shown by the dotted line in the figure, the system will not live until it reaches the usable energy for that day. Do not control operation of energy consuming equipment. Therefore, operation control is performed when the use of energy reaches a in the figure.

Then, on the next day, life energy can be used up to b in the figure, so that the consumer device for living energy can be used.

In consideration of the convenience of the user's life and the necessity of living energy consumption equipment, it is configured so that the operation of the living energy consumption equipment can be continued manually even after operation control. .

In addition to the comparison of the actual usage amount with the target value for the use of living energy and the control of consumer devices that use living energy, as a control method that pays more attention to energy saving, it is also judged whether or not the above-mentioned segregation line has been exceeded. The calculation processing may be performed by a program stored in the calculation means so as to be performed at a finer time interval such as a time unit or a minute unit instead of every day.

As a result, it is possible to shorten the time until operation control is performed when the usage line of the living energy exceeds the size indicated by the segregation line shown in FIG. 15, and the living energy shown in FIG. If the usage condition of is the same, the operation control is performed with the usage amount indicated by c in FIG. 15, and the same user can realize that he / she has used too much energy and recognize it earlier. . In this way, the system can provide support so as not to exceed the usage amount apportioned to the initially set target value.

In addition to the comparison of the actual usage amount with the target value of living energy consumption and the control of the consumer devices for living energy, the degree to which the user's autonomy regarding energy saving efforts is increased and the system operation behavior is increased. As a control method for reducing the degree of intervention, the calculation may be performed by a program so that the determination as to whether or not the apportionment line has been exceeded is made not in every day but in a longer period such as a month.

As a result, even if the apportionment line is exceeded during the month as shown in FIG. 16, the system does not control the operation of the consumer devices for energy consumption until the energy that can be used for the entire month is reached. That is, operation control is performed when the amount of use of living energy reaches d in the figure. In the next month, it will be possible to use household energy consumption equipment.

In addition, as to whether or not to perform operation control, if the living energy used is smaller than the above-mentioned segregation line at certain time intervals (daily, hourly, monthly, etc.) In the next interval, the amount of living energy that can be used is relatively large because the amount of living energy that should have been available in the previous interval is added, but the amount of living energy used is the same as the interval. Even if the living energy to be used is smaller than the above-mentioned segregation line, the amount of living energy that should have been available at that interval is Instead of adding to the calculation of the amount of use, the program may be processed by a program so that energy saving is as much as possible.

In addition, when the living energy used is smaller than the above-mentioned segregation line, the amount of living energy that should have been available at that interval is added to the calculation of the amount of living energy used at the next interval. You may comprise so that a process may be performed.

In addition, for the purpose of providing support for the proper use of living energy, for example, among living energy, the amount of electricity used is smaller than the above-mentioned segregation line, but gas energy and If the amount of water used exceeds the segregation line and exceeds the amount used, the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide equivalent to the surplus with respect to the target value of power is further converted into the amount of gas energy used and the amount of water used. It may be configured to convert and subtract that amount from the excess amount to allow for interchange so that the amount of use of various life energy as a whole is appropriate.

Furthermore, the field of view is expanded from a unit such as a household to a unit such as a region, and a target value for energy use is set for each region. If a surplus occurs in a certain home, the surplus is used as the amount of energy used for living. The system may be configured so that the amount of living energy used is appropriate for the region that is allocated to households that exceed the limit.

In this case, for example, a setting value of the amount of use of living energy in a predetermined area, user information that participates in the system, a server device that stores the amount of living energy used in each home to which the user belongs, and information on the server are stored. A system is configured by including an operation / display unit provided with a communication unit so as to be obtainable, and a measurement / control unit for measuring the amount of energy consumed in each home.

In the server device, target value data in each household, life energy usage data, surplus or excess information on usage with respect to the target value, energy saving level, contribution information to the region, and target value data in the region, Data on usable amount of usable living energy is made into a database and the information is accumulated in time series.

For households whose energy consumption exceeds the target value, it is determined whether or not the usage can be reduced to the target value or less in the household at a predetermined time interval such as the current month or year. In addition, allocation processing is performed from the surplus in the region.

At this time, for the households that provided the surplus, the data in the database was updated by increasing the contribution to the region, and for the households to which the surplus was allocated, the data in the database was decreased by reducing the contribution to the region. Update. Regarding the contribution level information to the region, the basic value is set to zero. If the contribution level increases, 1 is added. If the contribution level decreases, 1 is decreased. An arithmetic process may be performed by a program so as to determine the degree of contribution based on the total value in a predetermined period.

In addition, every year, the contribution to the community in each household is aggregated, and based on the contribution data, the usage fee for living energy is increased or decreased, and various taxes such as resident tax are increased or decreased. The system may be configured to process the program, store this information on the server, and determine the charge / tax collection amount for each household based on the stored life energy fee data and various tax data. .

In addition, the database includes, as control operation record data of the life energy appropriate use support system, the number of times the life energy appropriate use support system has performed operation control of the control target device, the type of control target device that has performed operation control, Operational status of the life energy appropriate use support system, such as the number of times of operation control for each control target device, the date data on which the operation was performed, and temperature measurement means such as a temperature sensor. In addition, data representing the surrounding environment state may be recorded.

The storage area for recording these data may be a storage area provided in the calculation unit, or a storage unit may be provided separately and stored in the storage unit.

Using these data, the operation status of the life energy appropriate use support system in the past is displayed as a list or graph by the calculation unit, and the user later browses the operation status of the life energy appropriate use support system. Therefore, it may be configured so that it can be used as an opportunity for study to appropriately take measures for energy saving.

As a result, it is possible to provide more effective support for the proper use of living energy, and it is caused by the depletion of global resources and the consumption of resources necessary for people to live their lives. The response to environmental problems such as global warming due to the effects of carbon dioxide, etc. can be promoted with mutual assistance in each household and the entire region.

In the present invention, a television receiver is assumed as the display device 300, but recently, the lifestyle surrounding the television receiver is changing. For example, there is a case where a recorded television broadcast is viewed later. If there is a program that you want to watch during office hours such as daytime or nighttime for an office worker, connect a video recorder in advance to the television, and record the video recorded on the video recorder after work or after returning home. The number of cases of playback and viewing has increased, and the opportunity to view programs broadcasted by broadcast stations in real time has decreased. In addition, there are increasing opportunities to connect gaming devices to a television for entertainment and play using the television screen, and the opportunity to watch programs broadcast by broadcasters in real time has decreased. There is a background.

The act of watching a video recorded on a video recorder or playing a game is more spontaneous than the case of watching a broadcast program in real time using television. The television screen is occupied while watching the video or playing. For this reason, information that occurs in real time (for example, telops such as breaking news) is rarely seen.

The same is true for grasping the state of use of living energy. It is not possible to grasp the state of use of living energy while watching recorded video or playing using television. .

In such a case, overcurrent occurs in the circuit due to excessive use of electricity due to timer operation of home appliances such as air conditioners and washing machines, and the use of many electric devices, and abnormalities in the circuit. When the rated current of the switch is exceeded, the electric circuit is interrupted and the user suddenly loses power. In addition, if the usage record exceeds the preset target value of energy usage in the life energy appropriate use support system, the device to be controlled is turned off, causing a sudden power interruption for the user. It is assumed that you feel it. When the power is cut off at night, the surroundings become dark and the field of view cannot be secured. Therefore, in some cases, there is a risk of falling and injury.

Therefore, even when a video recorder or game device is connected to the television and the video of these devices is displayed on the television for viewing, the usage status of living energy and the ratio of the energy usage to the target value, By displaying the control intervention status by the life energy appropriate use support system on the television screen, before the power interruption occurs due to the interruption of the current limiter or the main switch or the control intervention, the user knows in advance And provide a life energy appropriate use support system that allows users to safely deal with them. In addition, even when watching video recorded on a video recorder connected to a television, or when playing with a game device also connected to a television, information on life energy can be grasped, The purpose is to provide a living energy appropriate use support system that can raise environmental awareness.

In order to achieve such an object, a life energy appropriate use support system will be described with reference to FIGS. The life energy appropriate use support system 1a is configured using a measurement / control unit 100, an operation / display unit 200, a television connection device (hereinafter referred to as a TV connection device) 500, and a display device 300.

The measurement / control unit 100 and the display device 300 are the same as those shown in FIG. 1, but the operation / display unit 200a relates to various living energies stored in the storage unit provided in the calculation unit 203. Data and the data output part 211 which outputs the control state data about the object apparatus by the life energy appropriate use support system to the exterior are provided.

In addition, a TV connection device 500 is newly provided. The TV connection device 500 is a device that is used by being connected to the display device 300, and is assumed to be a video playback recorder such as a VTR, a DVD playback recorder, an HDD playback recorder, or a game device that plays using the display device. is doing.

The TV connection device 500 performs arithmetic processing on the input unit 502 to which data related to living energy output from the operation / display unit 200a is input, and video software to be recorded and played back, and program software that stores game content. , A calculation unit 503 for temporarily storing and processing the data input from the input unit 502, an operation unit 504 for operating the TV connection device 500, and a display based on the result of the calculation processing by the calculation unit A video generation unit 505 that generates a video to be displayed on the device 300 and an output unit 501 that outputs video data generated by the video generation unit to the display device are included. Note that a portion for reproducing / recording a recording medium such as a tape on which video is recorded, a DVD, an HDD, or a portion for reading program software storing game content is omitted.

Data transmission between the data output unit 211 in the operation / display unit 200a and the input unit 502 in the TV connection device 500 may be either a wired method or a wireless method. For example, in the case of a wired method, it is used for a LAN (local area network). Ethernet (registered trademark) system, USB (universal serial bus) system, RS-232C system, etc. may be used. In the case of a wireless system, a wireless LAN (as defined by IEEE802.11x and various other types) And the specific low-power radio system. Note that peripheral circuits may be added as appropriate depending on the configuration used for data transmission.

In the case of transmission via a LAN, it is only necessary to connect to a LAN used in the home, and data transmission may be performed via a general gateway or hub.

The arithmetic unit 503 and the video generation unit 505 perform arithmetic processing together with data related to living energy input from the input unit 502 when calculating and generating video to be played and game content, as shown in FIG. A video that combines the usage rate with respect to the target, the amount of heat conversion, the current usage amount of living energy, and the like with the reproduction data and game content is generated and output from the output unit 501.

Thus, even when the user views or plays video data using the TV connection device 500, the user uses the living energy usage state, the ratio of the energy usage amount to the target value, or the living energy appropriate usage support system. It is possible to grasp the control status of the target device, and to obtain a margin for dealing with it before the sudden power outage due to overuse of the electric power or the operation stoppage of the electric device due to system control as described above. Can do.

The information related to living energy included in the video data output from the TV connection device may be displayed superimposed on the playback image or the video of the game content like a telop, or information related to living energy is displayed in advance. An area may be defined and displayed in the area. In the latter case, the information on life energy does not overlap with the video or video of the game content, so that the user can be made to recognize without disturbing the viewing of the user.

Also, it does not always display information related to living energy, but when it becomes overcurrent or is likely to occur, when it exceeds or exceeds the set target value, Such information may be displayed when control intervention is performed on the device or before it is performed. In this case, while watching the video from the TV connected device, it is possible to grasp in real time when the usage status of the living energy is not normal or when the control intervention is performed. There is an effect that it becomes easy.

In such a case, for example, the TV-connected device is only used when it is necessary to provide information to the user from the operation / display unit 200a, such as when the usage state of living energy is not normal or when control intervention is performed. Another method is to output data to 500, and when the TV connection device 500 side inputs data to the input unit 502, the arithmetic unit and the video generation unit output the video together. The operation / display unit 200a always outputs to the TV connected device 500 the data related to the usage state of the living energy (use state data, target value data, data to be controlled / performed, etc.). In addition, on the TV connection device 500 side, the data is stored in the storage unit, and the life energy usage state is not normal, or control intervention is performed. When done, the arithmetic unit, there is a way to output the combined image by the image generating unit.

By storing the data related to the usage state of living energy in the TV connection device, the stored data is read by the calculation unit, statistical processing is performed later, and the TV connection device can be viewed or connected to the Internet. If this is the case, a separate center server is provided on the Internet and data communication with the center server is performed, so that the life energy usage state of each user is stored, and the life energy usage state of the users is compared and calculated. By using a TV connection device or other computer, the user can relatively grasp the usage state of his / her life energy, which can be used to improve environmental awareness.

In this way, even when TV-connected devices such as video recorders and game machines are connected to the television, and the images of those devices are displayed and viewed on the television, the usage status and energy usage of living energy By displaying the ratio of the amount to the target value and the control intervention status by the life energy appropriate use support system on the television screen, before the occurrence of a power failure due to the interruption of the current limiter or the main switch, or before the control intervention In addition, it is possible to provide a life energy appropriate use support system that allows the user to recognize it in advance and allows the user to safely deal with them. In addition, even when watching video recorded on a video recorder connected to a television, or when playing with a game device also connected to a television, information on life energy can be grasped, It is possible to provide a life energy appropriate use support system that can raise environmental awareness.

As another embodiment, an example will be described in which the TV connection device 500 is provided with the function of the operation / display unit 200a.
A signal transmission / reception unit that receives a measurement signal from the measurement / control unit (sensor unit) 100 and outputs a control signal to the measurement / control unit 100;
Setting a target value for energy consumption,
An operating unit that performs settings to control the target device so that the use of energy is reduced when the living energy is used beyond the target value;
With
By performing calculation processing of the input measurement signal or comparison calculation processing with a set target value in the calculation unit 503,
Use the TV connection device 500 to determine the usage status of living energy,
Similarly to the above-described embodiment, the video generation unit 505 generates video display data such as the current living energy usage, the ratio of the usage to the target value, and the control intervention state, and is directed to the display device 300. You may comprise so that it may output.

Thus, by providing the living energy support function integrally with the TV connection device 500, the user does not need to install a plurality of accessories related to the living energy use support system around the display device 100. This reduces the complexity associated with connection and installation, and improves the appearance. In addition, by providing a life energy usage support function as a standard function of the TV connection device 500, it is possible for the user to recognize that it is no longer necessary to be aware of the environment, and the environmental awareness can be improved naturally. effective.

In addition, the TV connection device is obtained by performing a comparison calculation process between the current living energy usage amount and a preset target value to determine how much the living energy usage state is relative to the target value. To generate video to display on a display device,
A life energy usage support program that operates to control a predetermined target device when the life energy usage exceeds a target value is stored in the storage unit, and the program is read into the calculation unit 503. ,
The amount of living energy used with respect to the target value is obtained by performing a comparison operation process between the current amount of living energy used and a preset target value, and the result is displayed on the display device. Or
Even if the TV connection device 500 is configured to output a control signal to the measurement / control unit 100 so as to control a predetermined target device when the amount of living energy usage exceeds the target value. Good.

As a result, especially when a game device is used as the TV connection device 500, the life energy use support program is stored in a game content storage medium (memory cassette, CD, DVD, etc.) in which the game content is stored. By
By reading the storage medium in a storage medium reading unit that reads the storage medium electrically connected to the calculation unit 503 provided in the TV connection device 500,
The TV connection device 500 is obtained by performing a comparison calculation process between the current living energy usage amount and a preset target value to determine how much the living energy usage state is relative to the target value. Display on the display device 300,
By outputting a control signal to the operation / measurement unit so as to control a predetermined target device when the amount of living energy usage exceeds the target value,
It becomes possible to provide support for the use of living energy.

When the TV connection device 500 can be connected to the Internet network,
To a server connected to the Internet network,
The life energy use support program has been made public,
From the Internet connection means provided in the TV connection device 500 (via a dial-up connection means using a telephone function or a connection means with a wireless LAN or a wired LAN, via a gateway between the LAN and the Internet network via the LAN) By accessing the program release location (URL),
Download the program, store the program in the storage unit of the TV connection device 500,
By executing the program by the calculation unit 503,
The TV connection device 500 is obtained by performing a comparison calculation process between the current living energy usage amount and a preset target value to determine how much the living energy usage state is relative to the target value. Display it on a display device,
When the living energy usage exceeds the target value, the control unit 100 is operated to output a control signal to the measurement / control unit 100 so as to control a predetermined target device.
It is possible to support living energy use using the TV connection device 500.

Furthermore, as a life energy use support system, if you want to provide a new function or if you want to improve if there is a problem,
Programs with these functions added or programs with improved problems are released to the server, downloaded via the Internet, and applied to the TV connection device 500, or programs with additional functions or problems improved By reading the program from the storage medium storing the program, it is possible to add or improve new functions to the TV connection device 500.

Since the present invention is a system that supports the proper use of living energy in dwelling units, it is introduced into ordinary households to prevent resource depletion and global warming that are performed by companies. There is a possibility that it can effectively tackle environmental problems.

Overall block diagram of the life energy appropriate use support system Block diagram of measurement / control unit Block diagram of the operation / display unit Block diagram showing another embodiment of the operation / display unit External view of operation / display unit Explanatory drawing which shows the setting screen in a display part Explanatory drawing which shows the setting screen in a display part Explanatory drawing which shows the setting screen in a display part. Explanatory drawing which shows the apparatus operation screen in a display part Flow chart showing operation of life energy appropriate use support system Flow chart showing operation of life energy appropriate use support system Explanatory drawing which shows the energy usage state in a display part. Explanatory drawing which shows the energy usage state in a display part. Explanatory drawing of the timing which performs driving | operation control of an apparatus. Explanatory drawing of the timing which performs driving | operation control of an apparatus. Explanatory drawing of the timing which performs driving | operation control of an apparatus. The block diagram which shows the other Example of a living energy appropriate use support system. The block diagram which shows the other Example of an operation / display unit.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Living energy appropriate use support system 100 Measurement / control unit 101 Living energy usage measurement part 102 Calculation part 103 Transmission / reception part 104 Control part 200 Operation / display unit 201 Image generation part 202 Output part 203 Calculation part 204 Transmission / reception part 205 Operation part 206 Display unit 207 Notification unit 208 Power lamp 210 Operation unit 211 Data output unit 300 Display device 301 Display unit 302 Input unit 303 Calculation unit 304 Operation unit 400 Control target device 500 Television connection device 501 Output unit 502 Input unit 503 Calculation unit 504 Operation Part 505 video generation part

Claims (9)

Trigger means for triggering a change in the driving operation state of the consumer device of predetermined living energy;
A control signal output unit that outputs a signal for controlling the operation state of the consumer device of the living energy based on the information from the trigger means in a direction in which power consumption decreases;
A video data generation unit for generating video data based on information from the trigger means;
A video data output unit for outputting the video data to a video data input unit of a display device;
A living energy appropriate use support system characterized in that the living energy use is actively controlled by actively controlling the driving operation state of the living energy consumption device so that the use of living energy becomes an appropriate use state.
The trigger means is a living energy usage target value setting means for setting a target value of the usage amount of the living energy;
A usage amount measured by a living energy usage measuring means connected to a living energy supply unit to be measured and measuring a usage amount of living energy, and a usage target value set by a living energy usage target value setting means And a calculation means for comparing and calculating
A video data generation unit that generates video data based on data obtained as a result of the comparison calculation by the calculation unit;
A video data output unit for outputting the video data to a video data input unit of the display device;
As a result of the comparison calculation, when the measured living energy usage exceeds the amount of usage target value, the consumption of energy is reduced in the driving operation state of a predetermined device for consumption of living energy. A control signal output unit for outputting a signal for controlling the direction,
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the use of the living energy is supported in an appropriate use state with respect to the target value by actively controlling a driving operation state of the living energy consumption device. Life energy appropriate use support system.
Regarding the use of electric power as living energy, the trigger means is current setting means for setting a contract current of a current limiter or a rated current of a main switch in a power supply unit provided with an appropriate use support system for living energy.
A calculation means for comparing and calculating the current value measured by the living energy consumption measuring means and the current value determined by the current setting means;
A video data generation unit that generates video data based on data obtained as a result of the comparison calculation by the calculation unit;
A video data output unit for outputting the video data to a video data input unit of the display device;
As a result of the comparison calculation, when the measured current value is larger than the predetermined current value, the energy consumption is reduced in the operating state of the predetermined life energy consuming device related to the consumption of power energy. And a control signal output unit for outputting a signal to be controlled.
The active energy consumption is controlled by actively controlling a driving operation state of the consumer device of the living energy so that the use of the living energy is in an appropriate usage state with respect to the determined current value. The life energy appropriate use support system according to 1.
The trigger means is a manual switch that controls on or off of a driving operation state of a predetermined device for consumption of living energy,
A calculation means for performing calculation processing in response to an operation signal of the manual switch;
A video data generation unit for generating video data based on data obtained as a result of calculation by the calculation means;
A video data output unit for outputting the video data to a video data input unit of a display device;
As a result of the calculation, by outputting a control signal from the control signal output unit to a consumer device of a predetermined living energy,
The life energy appropriate use support system according to claim 1, wherein support is provided so that the use of life energy is in an appropriate use state.
There are a plurality of devices for consuming the living energy,
When the arithmetic means receives an operation signal from the manual switch,
The life energy appropriate use support system according to claim 4, wherein the operation state of the energy consumption consumer devices is simultaneously turned on or off.
A life energy appropriate use support system characterized by having the features of claims 2 to 5 selectively or all together.
The computing means is:
The target value set by the living energy usage target value setting means is prorated to the amount of energy that can be used every day,
Generating graph data representing the usage status of the usage target value together with the cumulative usage amount of the living energy measured by the means for measuring the usage of living energy;
Based on the graph data, the video data generator generates video data,
The life energy appropriate use support system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the image data output unit outputs image data.
The life energy appropriate use support system is:
A first housing unit comprising the living energy consumption measuring means and the control signal output unit;
A second casing unit comprising the arithmetic means, the video data generation unit, and the video data output unit;
Furthermore, each case is provided with a low-power short-range wireless means capable of adding identification data for identifying the case unit,
The life energy appropriate use support according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein data communication between the first casing unit and the second casing unit is performed wirelessly. system.
A control signal output unit that outputs a signal for controlling the operating state of the consumer device of the living energy
The life energy appropriate use support system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the system includes a home automation control system.