JP2012205494A - Power leveling method, power leveling device, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To level power consumption while also restricting reduction in convenience.SOLUTION: A power leveling method executes various processes by a computer, the processes involving collecting, for each of plural information processing devices, a history of changes in states of connection to a commercial power supply and recording the history in a history recording unit; identifying, on the basis of the history recorded in the history recording unit and for each of the information processing devices, a connection time zone during which they are connected to the commercial power supply; calculating an overlapping time between the connection time zone and a time zone during which the amount of power consumption was below a prescribed value as recorded in a transition recording unit; and selecting, in decreasing order of the overlapping time, an information processing device which is to be started using a battery stored in itself.

Description

  The present invention relates to a power leveling method, a power leveling apparatus, and a program.

  The realization of a low-carbon society is considered an urgent issue for environmental protection. In order to realize a low-carbon society, not only so-called energy saving, which reduces the amount of energy used, but also leveling the transition of power consumption is considered effective. This is because if the transition of power consumption is leveled, the chance of supplementing the shortage of power with thermal power generation will decrease, and the amount of CO2 emitted by thermal power generation will be reduced.

  Therefore, the leveling of power consumption in the office is being studied by utilizing the battery installed in the notebook PC. As an example, for example, it is considered to level the power consumption by charging the battery when the power consumption is low and discharging the battery when the power consumption is high.

JP 2001-258176 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-300188

  However, when the charging timing and discharging timing of the battery are controlled uniformly for each notebook PC, the convenience of the notebook PC may be impaired. That is, the original role of the battery of the notebook PC is to function as an auxiliary power source when the commercial power source cannot be used. Therefore, for example, when the time when the notebook PC is taken out due to going out overlaps with the time when the battery is not sufficiently charged, such as immediately after the discharging time, the notebook PC may not be used at the destination. There is.

  Therefore, it is an object to provide a power leveling method, a power leveling device, and a program that can level power consumption while suppressing a decrease in convenience.

  Therefore, in order to solve the above problem, the power leveling method collects a history of changes in the connection state to the commercial power source for each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses, records the history in the history storage unit, and stores the history storage. Based on the history recorded in the storage unit, for each information processing device, the connection time zone to the commercial power supply is specified, and the connection time zone and the transition storage unit store the power consumption amount equal to or less than a predetermined value. The computer executes a process of calculating an overlap time with a certain time zone and selecting an information processing device to be activated using a battery included in the information processing device in order of increasing overlap time.

  Power consumption can be leveled while suppressing a decrease in convenience.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the electric power leveling system in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the hardware structural example of the power leveling apparatus in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the tendency of the time transition of the power consumption in an office. It is a figure which shows the function structural example of the power leveling system in embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example of the process sequence of the collection process of the log | history of the change of the connection state to a commercial power source in 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the memory part corresponding to a tap note. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the connection log | history memory | storage part of 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example of the process sequence of an electric power leveling control process. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example of the process sequence of the priority determination process of 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the table for calculation of 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of an electric power consumption transition storage part. It is a figure which shows the structural example of a priority order memory | storage part. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example of the process sequence which notebook PC of 1st Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example of the process sequence of the priority determination process of 2nd embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the table for calculation of 2nd embodiment. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example of the process sequence of the log | history collection process of the change history of the connection state to a commercial power source in 3rd embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the connection log | history memory | storage part of 3rd embodiment. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example of the process sequence of the priority determination process of 3rd embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the table for calculation of 3rd embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the process sequence of the notification process by the notebook PC of a charge state. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example of the process sequence which notebook PC of 4th Embodiment performs.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a power leveling system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a power leveling system 1 includes a power leveling device 10 and a plurality of notebook PCs 20. The power leveling device 10 and each notebook PC 20 are communicably connected via an information communication network N1 (regardless of wired or wireless) such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

  The notebook PC 20 is a portable PC (Personal Computer) including a rechargeable battery (secondary battery). The notebook PC 20 can be driven using both a battery and a commercial power source as power sources. Each notebook PC 20 can be supplied with electric power from a commercial power source by connecting the plug to the outlet (plug receptacle) of the power tap 30 connected to the power network N2. Each power tap 30 has a built-in power sensor, for example, notifies the power leveling device 10 of a change in the connection state of each notebook PC to the commercial power supply via the information communication network N1. The connection from the power tap 30 to the information communication network N1 may be performed via wireless communication, for example. Alternatively, the power tap 30 may be connected to a converter or the like connected to the information communication network N1 via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) or the like. In this case, the converter or the like converts information input from the power tap 30 via the USB or the like into, for example, an IP packet or the like, and outputs the packet to the information communication network N1.

  Note that an information processing apparatus other than the notebook PC 20 may be applied to position the notebook PC 20 as long as the apparatus includes a rechargeable battery and can be driven by using both the battery and the commercial power supply as power sources.

  The power leveling device 10 executes processing for leveling the transition of power consumption in the entire power leveling system 1 or in a predetermined area where the power leveling system 1 is used. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the predetermined area is an office.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of the power leveling apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. The power leveling device 10 in FIG. 2 includes a drive device 100, an auxiliary storage device 102, a memory device 103, a CPU 104, an interface device 105, and the like that are connected to each other via a bus B.

  A program that realizes processing in the power leveling apparatus 10 is provided by the recording medium 101. When the recording medium 101 on which the program is recorded is set in the drive device 100, the program is installed from the recording medium 101 to the auxiliary storage device 102 via the drive device 100. However, the program need not be installed from the recording medium 101 and may be downloaded from another computer via a network. The auxiliary storage device 102 stores the installed program and also stores necessary files and data.

  The memory device 103 reads the program from the auxiliary storage device 102 and stores it when there is an instruction to start the program. The CPU 104 executes a function related to the power leveling device 10 according to a program stored in the memory device 103. The interface device 105 is used as an interface for connecting to the information communication network N1.

  An example of the recording medium 101 is a portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, or a USB memory. An example of the auxiliary storage device 102 is an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. Both the recording medium 101 and the auxiliary storage device 102 correspond to computer-readable recording media.

  Note that the notebook PC 20 may have hardware similar to that shown in FIG. However, the notebook PC 20 may include an input device such as a keyboard and a display device such as a liquid crystal screen. Further, as described above, the notebook PC 20 includes a battery.

  Next, the basic concept of power leveling in the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a trend of temporal transition of power consumption in the office.

  In the figure, the time zone is divided at the time of leaving the office, lunch break, and leaving the office. In the example shown in the figure, at the time of going to work, the power consumption increases rapidly, and the peak of the day is recorded. This is considered to be due to each employee starting up an electronic device such as a PC (Personal Computer) with the company. After that, at lunch break, the power of the PC or the like is turned off to save power, and the power consumption temporarily decreases. When the lunch break ends, the PC and the like are activated again, and the power consumption increases. However, since the number of employees leaving in the afternoon increases due to business trips and meetings, the amount of power consumed immediately after lunch break is not as high as when leaving the office. Thereafter, as the employee approaches the company, the number of employees returning from the office increases, and the power consumption increases due to the PC or the like activated accordingly. After the time of leaving the office, the power source of the PC and the like is turned off, and the power consumption is rapidly reduced.

  In the present embodiment, in view of the tendency shown in FIG. 3, the power is leveled by using a battery instead of a commercial power source for starting up some notebook PCs 20. That is, by using a battery for starting up some of the notebook PCs 20 (hereinafter referred to as “battery starting”), for example, it is possible to expect a reduction in power consumption when leaving the office or after a lunch break. As a result, it is possible to expect the level of the overall power transition through the time of leaving the office, lunch break, and leaving the office.

  The selection criteria for some notebook PCs 20 to be battery activated will be described. In the present embodiment, battery activation is performed for a notebook PC 20 of a user who is likely to be in the office during an off-peak time period (hereinafter referred to as “off-peak time period”). On the other hand, notebook PCs 20 of users who are unlikely to be in the office during off-peak hours are excluded from battery activation targets.

  The off-peak time zone refers to a time zone in which the average power consumption in units of 30 minutes is equal to or less than a threshold value, for example. The threshold value may be determined on the basis of a peak value of a temporal transition of the daily power consumption, or may be determined on the basis of an average value of the daily power consumption. In the former case, for example, a value obtained by multiplying the peak value by a coefficient less than 1 is set as the threshold value. In the example of FIG. 3, for example, the lunch break is an off-peak time zone.

  A user who is unlikely to be in the office during the off-peak hours can be said to be a user who has a high possibility of going out during off-peak hours. Therefore, if such a user uses a battery for starting up the notebook PC 20 at the time of leaving the office, the user may not be able to use the battery at the destination. In the present embodiment, since the notebook PC 20 of such a user is excluded from the battery activation target, the possibility that such inconvenience may occur can be reduced.

  In order to enable the control as described above, the power leveling system 1 has a functional configuration as shown in FIG. 4, for example.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of the power leveling system in the embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the notebook PC 20 includes a notification unit 21, an inquiry unit 22, a battery activation flag storage unit 23, a power source selection unit 24, and the like. The notification unit 21, the inquiry unit 22, and the power source selection unit 24 are realized by a process that the program installed in the notebook PC 20 causes the CPU of the notebook PC 20 to execute. The battery activation flag storage unit 23 can be realized by using an auxiliary storage device included in the notebook PC 20 or a storage device connected to the notebook PC 20 via a network.

  The notification unit 21 notifies the power leveling device 10 of a change in the state of the notebook PC 20. The inquiry unit 22 inquires of the power leveling device 10 whether or not the notebook PC 20 is a battery activation target. When the response from the power leveling device 10 indicates that the battery is to be activated, the inquiry unit 22 provides information indicating that the notebook PC 20 is to be activated (hereinafter referred to as “battery activation flag”). Is recorded in the battery activation flag storage unit 23. Note that the processing of the inquiry unit 22 is already after the notebook PC 20 is started. Therefore, the battery activation flag becomes effective at the next activation.

  The power source selection unit 24 selects a power source used by the notebook PC 20. When the battery activation flag is recorded in the battery activation flag storage unit 23, the power supply selection unit 24 uses the battery as a power source for driving the notebook PC 20 and for a predetermined period after the activation. On the other hand, when the battery activation flag is not recorded in the battery activation flag storage unit 23, the power source selection unit 24 uses a commercial power source for the activation of the notebook PC 20 or the like.

  On the other hand, the power leveling apparatus 10 includes a history collection unit 121, an off-peak connection time calculation unit 122, a priority order determination unit 123, a battery activation selection unit 124, an instruction unit 125, and the like. Each of these units is realized by processing executed by the CPU 104 by a program installed in the power leveling device 10. The power leveling device 10 further includes a tap / note correspondence storage unit 131, a connection history storage unit 132, a power consumption transition storage unit 133, a calculation table 134, a priority storage unit 135, and the like. Each of these storage units or tables can be realized using the auxiliary storage device 102 or a storage device connected to the power leveling device 10 via a network. However, the calculation table 134 is preferably realized using the memory device 103.

  The history collection unit 121 collects the history of changes in the connection state of the notebook PC 20 to the commercial power supply from each power tap 30. The state of connection to the commercial power source refers to the presence or absence of connection to the commercial power source. The history collection unit 121 identifies the notebook PC 20 corresponding to the power collection tap 30 as a history collection destination with reference to the tap / note correspondence storage unit 131. The history collection unit 121 records the history in the connection history storage unit 132 as a history of changes in the connection state to the commercial power supply related to the specified notebook PC 20.

  The tap / note correspondence storage unit 131 stores correspondence information between an identifier for each outlet of each power strip 30 (hereinafter referred to as “tap ID”) and an identifier for each notebook PC 20 (hereinafter referred to as “note ID”). Remember.

  The power consumption amount transition storage unit 133 stores in advance information (for example, information as shown in FIG. 3) indicating a temporal transition of the power consumption amount of the entire power leveling system 1 or the entire office. Specifically, for example, the power consumption for 24 hours is stored in units of 30 minutes. The power consumption may be measured using, for example, a power meter installed in an office building, or may be a total power value measured by a power sensor included in each power strip 30. Also good. Further, the power consumption transition storage unit 133 may store an average value of measured values in a certain period, not the power consumption of a specific day.

  The off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 calculates the connection time to the commercial power source in the off-peak time zone for each notebook PC 20. Specifically, the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 calculates, for each notebook PC 20, the overlapping time between the connection time zone to the commercial power source and the off-peak time zone. The connection time zone of each notebook PC 20 to the commercial power supply is specified with reference to the connection history storage unit 132. The off-peak time zone is specified with reference to the power consumption transition storage unit 133.

  The calculation table 134 is a work table used for calculating the off-peak connection time. The calculation table 134 is finally in a state where the off-peak connection time is recorded for each notebook PC 20.

  The priority order determination unit 123 determines the priority order of each notebook PC 20 related to battery activation based on the off-peak connection time of each notebook PC 20 recorded in the calculation table 134. The longer the off-peak connection time, the higher the priority. This is because it can be estimated that the notebook PC 20 having a long off-peak connection time is a notebook PC 20 that is highly likely to be connected to a commercial power source in the off-peak time zone. The priority order determination unit 123 records the priority order determination result in the priority order storage unit 135.

  That is, in the present embodiment, the notebook PC 20 with a relatively long off-peak connection time is estimated to be a notebook PC 20 of a user who is relatively likely to be in the office during the off-peak time period. On the other hand, the notebook PC 20 having a relatively short off-peak connection time is estimated to be a notebook PC 20 of a user who is relatively unlikely to be in the office during the off-peak time period.

  The battery activation selection unit 124 refers to the priority order of each notebook PC 20 recorded in the priority order storage unit 135 and selects the notebook PC 20 to be activated by the battery. The battery activation selection unit 124 records the selection result in the priority order storage unit 135.

  The instructing unit 125 refers to the priority order storage unit 135 and instructs the notebook PC 20 referred to as the battery activation target to activate the battery.

  Hereinafter, a processing procedure executed in the power leveling system 1 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a processing procedure for collecting a history of changes in the connection state to the commercial power supply in the first embodiment.

  When a notebook PC 20 is plugged into an outlet of a certain power strip 30 and the notebook PC 20 is turned on (Yes in S110), power consumption is detected by the power sensor of the power strip 30. In response to detection of power consumption, the power tap 30 transmits a connection notification including a tap ID identifying the power tap 30 and the outlet to the power leveling device 10 (S120).

  When the connection notification is received in the power leveling device 10, the history collection unit 121 searches the tap / note correspondence storage unit 131 for the identifier (note ID) of the notebook PC 20 using the tap ID included in the connection notification as a key. (S130).

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the tap / note correspondence storage unit. In the figure, the tap / note correspondence storage unit 131 stores, for each power tap 30, the tap ID and the note ID of the notebook PC 20 connected to the power tap 30 related to the tap ID. In the figure, the note ID is abstracted as “A”, “B”, or “C”. However, for example, an IP address or a host name may be used as the note ID.

  When the corresponding note ID is searched (Yes in S130), the history collection unit 121 records that the connection to the commercial power supply is performed in the connection history storage unit 132 regarding the note ID (S140). On the other hand, when the corresponding note ID is not searched (No in S130), step S140 is not executed.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the connection history storage unit according to the first embodiment. In the figure, the connection history storage unit 132 stores a history of changes in the connection state to the commercial power supply for each notebook PC 20. That is, each record in the connection history storage unit 132 includes a note ID, a connection state, a time, and the like. The notebook ID is the notebook ID of the notebook PC 20 whose connection state to the commercial power source has changed. The connection state is the connection state after the change. “Present” indicates that a connection to a commercial power source (consumption of power of the commercial power source) is detected. “None” indicates that the release of the connection to the commercial power supply (no power consumption of the commercial power supply) has been detected. The time is the time when the connection state is changed, that is, the time when the record is recorded in the connection history storage unit 132.

  In step S140 described above, the history collection unit 121 records a record including the retrieved note ID, the connection state indicating “present”, and the current time in the connection history storage unit 132.

  On the other hand, when the power of the notebook PC 20 connected to the outlet of a certain power strip 30 is turned off or the plug is removed (Yes in S150), power consumption (power value) is detected by the power sensor of the power strip 30. ) Will not be detected. In response to the fact that power consumption is no longer detected, the power strip 30 transmits a disconnection notification including the tap ID identifying the power strip 30 and the outlet to the power leveling device 10 (S160).

  When the disconnection notification is received in the power leveling device 10, the history collection unit 121 searches the tap / note correspondence storage unit 131 for the note ID using the tap ID included in the disconnection notification as a key (S170). When the corresponding note ID is searched (Yes in S170), the history collection unit 121 records a record including “none” as the connection state to the commercial power supply and the current time for the note ID, the connection history storage unit 132. (S180). On the other hand, when the corresponding note ID is not searched (No in S170), step S180 is not executed.

  The processing shown in FIG. 5 is executed for one day, for example, so that it is possible to specify the connection time zone to the commercial power supply for each notebook PC 20. Note that the process shown in FIG. 5 may be executed for several days.

  In the above description, the example in which the power sensor of the power tap 30 detects the connection of the notebook PC 20 to the commercial power supply has been described. However, the notebook PC 20 checks the current-carrying state and detects the connection to the commercial power supply. May be. That is, the connection notification or the disconnection notification may be transmitted by the notification unit 21 of the notebook PC 20. In this case, a note ID can be specified for the connection notification or the disconnection notification. Therefore, the tap / note correspondence storage unit 131 is not necessarily required.

  Next, a power leveling control process executed by the power leveling apparatus 10 asynchronously with the process shown in FIG. 5 will be described.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the processing procedure of the power leveling control process.

  The process of FIG. 5 is periodically executed (S201). For example, it is executed every week or every month. Alternatively, it may be executed in accordance with changes in the contents of the connection history storage unit 132 or the contents of the power consumption transition storage unit 133. That is, the processing of the figure is periodically executed because of power leveling in accordance with changes in the connection time zone of each notebook PC 20 to the commercial power supply, changes in the power consumption of the entire office, and the like. It is for performing control for this.

  In step S202, the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 and the priority order determination unit 123 execute a priority order determination process. In the priority order determination process, the priority order related to the selection of the notebook PC 20 to be activated by the battery at the next startup is determined. The priority determination result is recorded in the priority storage unit 135.

  Subsequently, the battery activation selection unit 124 selects, for example, the notebook PC 20 that is the target of battery activation for the next activation, for a predetermined number of notebook PCs 20 with higher priority (S203). The selection result of the battery activation target is recorded in the priority storage unit 135.

  Subsequently, when an inquiry as to whether or not it is an activation target is received from any of the notebook PCs 20 (Yes in S204), the instruction unit 125 is designated in the inquiry with reference to the priority storage unit 135. It is determined whether or not the notebook PC 20 related to the notebook ID is a battery activation target, and a response including the determination result is returned (S205). If the content of the response indicates that the battery is to be activated, the response corresponds to a notification that the battery is activated or an instruction to activate the battery.

  Next, details of step S202 will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the processing procedure of the priority determination processing according to the first embodiment.

  In step S <b> 210, the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 acquires one record in order from the connection history storage unit 132. When the record can be acquired (Yes in S210), the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 determines whether or not the connection state value of the record (hereinafter referred to as “history record”) is “present” ( S220). When the connection value of the history record is “Yes” (Yes in S220), the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 determines whether or not the record including the note ID of the history record is recorded in the calculation table 134. Determine (S230).

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a calculation table according to the first embodiment. In the calculation table 134 shown in the figure, an off-peak connection time, a connection start time, and the like are recorded for each note ID. The off-peak connection time is a time during which the notebook PC 20 related to the note ID is connected to the commercial power supply in the off-peak time zone. That is, the off-peak connection time is an overlap time between the connection time zone to the commercial power source by the notebook PC 20 and the off-peak time zone. The connection start time is the time when the notebook PC 20 related to the notebook ID starts connection to the commercial power supply, and is temporarily recorded in order to calculate the off-peak connection time. Note that the content of the calculation table 134 is empty at the start of the processing of FIG.

  Therefore, when step S230 is executed for a certain note ID for the first time, the process proceeds to step S240. In step S <b> 240, the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 adds a record related to the target note ID (hereinafter referred to as “calculation record”) to the calculation table 134. “0” is recorded in the off-peak connection time of the calculation record. Subsequently, the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 records the time of the history record as the connection start time of the calculation record (S250).

  When the calculation record including the note ID of the history record is already recorded in the calculation table 134 (No in S230), the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 determines the time of the history record as the connection of the calculation record. Record at the start time (S250).

  On the other hand, when the value of the connection state of the history record is not “present” (No in S220), the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 specifies the connection time zone to the commercial power supply for the notebook PC 20 related to the note ID of the history record. (S260). Specifically, the time zone from the connection start time recorded in the calculation table 134 for the note ID to the time recorded in the history record is specified as the connection time zone to the commercial power source of the notebook PC 20. The

  Subsequently, the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 calculates an overlap time between the identified connection time zone and the off-peak time zone (S270). That is, the time belonging to the off-peak time zone is calculated among the connection time zones. The off-peak time zone is specified based on the temporal transition of the power consumption amount stored in the power consumption amount transition storage unit 133.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the power consumption amount transition storage unit. In the figure, a power consumption transition storage unit 133 stores the power consumption in units of 30 minutes. In this case, the off-peak time zone is specified in increments of 30 minutes. For example, a time during which the power consumption is equal to or less than a preset threshold is included in the off-peak time period.

  In addition, information (for example, start time and end time) indicating an off-peak time zone may be directly recorded in the power consumption transition storage unit 133. Further, the off-peak time zone is not necessarily limited to one time zone. When there are a plurality of off-peak time zones, the sum of the overlap times of the plurality of off-peak time zones and the connection time zone is calculated as the off-peak connection time.

  Subsequently, the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 adds the calculated overlap time to the off-peak connection time of the record related to the note ID of the history record in the calculation table 134 (S280).

  Subsequent to step S250 or S280, step S210 and subsequent steps are executed for all records stored in the connection history storage unit 132. When execution of step S210 and subsequent steps is completed for all records (Yes in S210), the priority determination unit 123 refers to the calculation table 134 and determines the priority for each notebook PC 20 (S290). Here, the priority order is higher in order of longer off-peak connection time. The priority order determination unit 123 records the determination result in the priority order storage unit 135.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the priority order storage unit. As shown in the figure, the priority order storage unit 135 stores a priority order for each note ID. In the figure, an example is shown in which priorities are set in the order of longer off-peak connection times recorded in the calculation table 134 of FIG.

  8, the battery activation selection unit 124 refers to the priority order storage unit 135 and selects a predetermined number of notebook PCs 20 in order from the top of the priority order. However, a notebook PC whose off-peak connection time is equal to or greater than a threshold value may be selected. In this case, the number of selected notebook PCs 20 is not necessarily a predetermined number. The battery activation selection unit 124 records in the priority storage unit 135 that the selected notebook PC 20 has a notebook ID related to the battery activation. That is, in FIG. 12, “◯” recorded in the item “battery activation” indicates that the battery was activated.

  The number of notebook PCs 20 to be activated by the battery may be fixed or may be calculated based on the transition of power consumption in the office. Specifically, the battery activation selection unit 124 refers to the power consumption amount transition storage unit 133 and specifies the maximum value and the minimum value of the power consumption. Subsequently, the battery activation selection unit 124 sets the value obtained by dividing the difference between the highest value and the lowest value by the standard power consumption of the notebook PC 20 as the number of notebook PCs 20 to be activated by the battery. Note that the standard power consumption refers to the amount of power consumed in a normal connection state, for example.

  Subsequently, a processing procedure executed by each notebook PC 20 will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a processing procedure executed by the notebook PC according to the first embodiment.

  When the power of the notebook PC 20 is turned on (S310), the power supply selection unit 24 determines whether or not a battery activation flag is recorded in the battery activation flag storage unit 23 (S320). When the battery activation flag is recorded (Yes in S320), the power source selection unit 24 activates and drives the notebook PC 20 using the battery (S330). In this case, power required for driving the notebook PC 20 is supplied from the battery for a predetermined time after activation. On the other hand, when the battery activation flag is not recorded (No in S320), the power source selection unit 24 activates and drives the notebook PC 20 using the commercial power source (S340).

  In the steady operation after activation, the inquiry unit 22 designates a notebook ID and periodically inquires whether the notebook PC 20 is a battery activation target (S350). In response to the inquiry, the power leveling apparatus 10 executes steps S204 and S205 in FIG. That is, the instruction unit 125 refers to the priority order storage unit 135 to determine whether or not the notebook PC 20 related to the notebook ID specified in the inquiry is a battery activation target, and returns a response including the determination result. To do.

  When receiving the response, the inquiry unit 22 updates the stored content of the battery activation flag storage unit 23 based on the determination result included in the response (S360). That is, if the determination result indicates that the notebook PC 20 is a target for battery activation, the battery activation flag is recorded in the battery activation flag storage unit 23. On the other hand, if the determination result indicates that the notebook PC 20 is not subject to battery activation, and the battery activation flag is recorded in the battery activation flag storage unit 23, the battery activation flag is deleted. Step S350 and subsequent steps are performed at regular intervals while the notebook PC 20 is activated (S370).

  In the above description, the form in which the notebook PC 20 inquires as to whether or not the battery is to be activated is described. However, following step S290 in FIG. 9, the instruction unit 125 of the power leveling device 10 performs the activation of the battery. The notebook PC 20 selected as may be notified that the battery is to be activated. The inquiry unit 22 of the notebook PC 20 that has received the notification may record the battery activation flag in the battery activation flag storage unit 23.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the notebook PC 20 having a long overlap time between the commercial power connection time zone and the off-peak time zone is preferentially selected as the battery activation target. Such a notebook PC 20 is estimated to be a notebook PC 20 that is unlikely to be taken out during an off-peak time period. That is, it is estimated that the user of the notebook PC 20 is a user who is unlikely to go out during the off-peak time period. By using such a notebook PC 20 as a battery activation target, it is possible to expect leveling of power consumption of the entire office while suppressing the possibility that the convenience of the notebook PC 20 is impaired. That is, the amount of power used from the commercial power source can be reduced when leaving the office. In addition, it is possible to increase the possibility that the battery-powered notebook PC 20 performs charging in the off-peak time zone.

  Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be described. Accordingly, points not particularly mentioned in the second embodiment may be the same as those in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the processing procedure of the priority determination processing according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 14, the same steps as those in FIG. 9 are denoted by the same step numbers, and the description thereof is omitted. That is, in the second embodiment, the processing procedure of FIG. 9 is replaced as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 14, step S240 is replaced with step S240a, and steps S251 and S252 are added. Step S290 is replaced with step S290a.

  In step S240a, the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 adds a record (calculation record) related to the target note ID to the calculation table 134.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a calculation table according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 15, the description of the same parts as those in FIG. 10 is omitted.

  In the calculation table 134a shown in FIG. 15, the number of connections and the number of disconnections are further recorded for each note ID. The number of connections is the number of connections to commercial power. The number of disconnections is the number of disconnections from the commercial power source. In step S240a, the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 records 0 in the off-peak connection time, the connection count, and the disconnection count in the calculation record.

  In step S251, the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 adds 1 to the connection count of the calculation record. In step S281, the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 adds 1 to the number of cuts of the calculation record.

  Further, in step S290a, the priority order determination unit 123 increases the priority order of the notebook PC 20 with a relatively long off-peak connection time and a relatively small number of connections and disconnections recorded in the calculation table 134a. And For example, first, priorities are given in order of longer off-peak connection time, and thereafter, the priority of the notebook PC 20 having the number of connections or the number of disconnections greater than a threshold is lowered. That is, the possibility that the notebook PC 20 having the connection count or disconnection count greater than the threshold is excluded from the activation target is increased. Note that the number of times of connection and the number of times of disconnection make a pair. Therefore, either one may be used for the priority determination.

  A user of the notebook PC 20 that has a large number of connections to the commercial power supply or a disconnection from the commercial power supply is estimated to be a user who is likely to take the notebook PC 20 away from the office on a business trip or a meeting. Accordingly, by excluding such a notebook PC 20 from the battery activation target, it is possible to reduce the possibility of running out of the battery at the take-out destination of the notebook PC 20 and level the power consumption in the entire office. Can do.

  Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be described. Therefore, points not particularly mentioned in the third embodiment may be the same as those in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 16 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a processing procedure for collecting history of changes in the connection state to the commercial power supply according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 16, the same steps as those in FIG. 5 are denoted by the same step numbers, and the description thereof is omitted. That is, in the third embodiment, the processing procedure in FIG. 5 is replaced as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 16, step S120 is replaced with step S120a, and steps S141 to S143 are added.

  In step S120a, the power tap 30 transmits a connection notification including a tap ID for identifying the outlet into which the plug is inserted and a power value detected by the power sensor to the power leveling device 10.

  In step S141, the history collection unit 121 determines whether the power value included in the connection notification is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. The predetermined value may be a value that can distinguish between the average power consumption value of the notebook PC 20 during charging and the average power consumption value of the notebook PC 20 during non-charging.

  When the power consumption value included in the connection notification is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (Yes in S141), the history collection unit 121 records that the battery is being charged in the record recorded in Step S140 (S142). ). When the power value included in the connection notification is less than the predetermined value (No in S141), the history collection unit 121 records that charging is not being performed for the record recorded in Step S140 (S143).

  FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a connection history storage unit according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 17, the description of the same parts as those in FIG. 7 is omitted.

  Each record of the connection history storage unit 132a illustrated in FIG. 17 further includes a state of charge. The state of charge indicates whether charging is in progress. “ON” indicates that charging is in progress, and “OFF” indicates that charging is not in progress. Therefore, in step S142, “ON” is recorded in the state of charge. In step S143, “OFF” is recorded in the state of charge.

  FIG. 18 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a processing procedure of priority order determination processing according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 18, the same steps as those in FIG. 9 are denoted by the same step numbers, and the description thereof is omitted. That is, in the third embodiment, the processing procedure of FIG. 9 is replaced as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 14, step S240 is replaced with step S240b, and steps S252 and S253 are added. Step S290 is replaced with step S290b.

  In step S240b, the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 adds a record (calculation record) related to the target note ID to the calculation table 134.

  FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a calculation table according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 19, the description of the same part as in FIG. 10 is omitted.

  In the calculation table 134b shown in FIG. 19, the number of times of charging is further recorded for each note ID. The number of times of charging is the number of times of charging from a commercial power source. In step S240b, the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 records 0 in the off-peak connection time and the number of charges in the calculation record.

  In step S252, the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 determines whether the value of the state of charge in the history record is “ON”. When the state of charge is “ON” (Yes in S252), the off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 adds 1 to the number of charges in the calculation record (S253).

  Furthermore, in step S290b, the priority order determination unit 123 sets the priority order of the notebook PC 20 having a relatively long off-peak connection time and a relatively small number of times of charging recorded in the calculation table 134b as higher. For example, first, priorities are given in the order of longer off-peak connection time, and thereafter, the priority of the notebook PC 20 with the number of times of charging being greater than the threshold is lowered. That is, the possibility that the notebook PC 20 with the number of charging times larger than the threshold is excluded from the activation target is increased.

  It is estimated that the user of the notebook PC 20 with a large number of times of charging is likely to be a user who is likely to take the notebook PC 20 away from the office due to a business trip or a meeting. Accordingly, by excluding such a notebook PC 20 from the battery activation target, it is possible to reduce the possibility of running out of the battery at the take-out destination of the notebook PC 20 and level the power consumption in the entire office. Can do.

  Note that the second embodiment and the third embodiment may be combined. For example, when the priority order is determined, the priority order may be changed based on the number of connections to the commercial power supply, the number of disconnections from the commercial power supply, and the number of charges.

  By the way, the notification of the state of charge to the power leveling device 10 may be performed by the notebook PC 20. FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining an example of a processing procedure of notification processing by a notebook PC in a charged state.

  When the start of charging is detected in the notebook PC 20 (Yes in S401), the notification unit 21 of the notebook PC 20 transmits a charging start notification including the notebook ID of the notebook PC 20 to the power leveling apparatus 10 (S402). . Thereafter, when charging ends (Yes in S403), the notification unit 21 transmits a charging end notification including the notebook ID of the notebook PC 20 to the power leveling device 10 (S404).

  When a charge start notification is received in the power leveling device 10, the history collection unit 121 includes a note ID included in the charge start notification and records a charge state “OFF” as a connection history storage unit. Add to 132a. On the other hand, when the power leveling device 10 receives a charge end notification, the history collection unit 121 includes a note ID included in the charge end notification and records a charge state “OFF” as a connection history storage unit. Add to 132a.

  Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. In the fourth embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be described. Therefore, points not particularly mentioned in the fourth embodiment may be the same as those in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 21 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a processing procedure executed by the notebook PC according to the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 21, the same steps as those in FIG. 13 are denoted by the same step numbers, and the description thereof is omitted. That is, in the fourth embodiment, the processing procedure of FIG. 13 is replaced as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 21, step S335 is added. That is, the power source selection unit 24 continues to drive with the battery until the off-peak start time elapses (No in S335). The off-peak start time refers to the start time of the off-peak time period, and is notified in response to an inquiry to the power leveling device 10 and recorded in the battery activation flag storage unit 23, as will be described later.

  When the off-peak start time has elapsed (Yes in S335), the power source selection unit 24 switches to driving using a commercial power source (S340).

  In the steady operation after activation, the inquiry unit 22 designates a notebook ID and periodically inquires whether the notebook PC 20 is a battery activation target (S350). In response to the inquiry, the instruction unit 125 of the power leveling apparatus 10 refers to the priority order storage unit 135 and determines whether or not the notebook PC 20 related to the note ID specified in the inquiry is a battery activation target. Then, a response including the determination result and the off-peak start time is returned.

  When the inquiry unit 22 receives the response, the inquiry unit 22 updates the stored content of the battery activation flag storage unit 23 based on the determination result included in the response, and sets the off-peak start time included in the response to the battery. It records in the starting flag memory | storage part 23 (S360).

  According to the fourth embodiment, it is possible to increase the possibility that the battery of the notebook PC 20 is charged during the off-peak hours. As a result, the leveling of the entire office can be further promoted.

  The fourth embodiment may be combined with at least one of the second and third embodiments.

  In the present embodiment, the connection history storage unit 132 is an example of a history storage unit. The history collection unit 121 is an example of a collection unit. The off-peak connection time calculation unit 122 is an example of a calculation unit. The battery activation selection unit 124 is an example of a selection unit. The power consumption amount transition storage unit 133 is an example of a transition storage unit.

  As mentioned above, although the Example of this invention was explained in full detail, this invention is not limited to such specific embodiment, In the range of the summary of this invention described in the claim, various deformation | transformation・ Change is possible.

Regarding the above description, the following items are further disclosed.
(Appendix 1)
For each of the plurality of information processing devices, collect a history of changes in the connection state to the commercial power source and record the history in the history storage unit,
Based on the history recorded in the history storage unit, a connection time zone to the commercial power supply is specified for each information processing device, and the power consumption amount stored in the connection time zone and the transition storage unit is Calculate the overlap time with the time zone that is less than the predetermined value,
A power leveling method in which a computer executes a process of selecting an information processing device to be activated using a battery included in the information processing device in order of increasing overlap time.
(Appendix 2)
The power leveling method according to supplementary note 1, wherein the selecting process excludes the information processing apparatus having a relatively large number of changes in the connection state recorded in the history storage unit from selection targets.
(Appendix 3)
The recording process collects a history of changes in the state of charge from the commercial power source to the battery for each of the plurality of information processing devices, and records the history in the history storage unit.
The power leveling method according to supplementary note 1 or 2, wherein the selecting process excludes the information processing apparatus having a relatively large number of changes in the state of charge recorded in the history storage unit from selection targets.
(Appendix 4)
For each of the plurality of information processing devices, a collection unit that collects a history of changes in the connection state to the commercial power source and records the history in a history storage unit;
Based on the history recorded in the history storage unit, a connection time zone to the commercial power supply is specified for each information processing device, and the power consumption amount stored in the connection time zone and the transition storage unit is A calculation unit that calculates an overlap time with a time zone that is equal to or less than a predetermined value;
A power leveling device comprising: a selection unit that selects an information processing device to be activated using a battery included in the information processing device in order of increasing overlap time.
(Appendix 5)
The power leveling apparatus according to supplementary note 4, wherein the selection unit excludes the information processing apparatus having a relatively large number of changes in the connection state recorded in the history storage unit from selection targets.
(Appendix 6)
The collection unit collects a history of changes in the state of charge from the commercial power supply to the battery for each of the plurality of information processing devices, and records the history in the history storage unit,
The power leveling apparatus according to appendix 4 or 5, wherein the selection unit excludes the information processing apparatus having a relatively large number of changes in the state of charge recorded in the history storage unit from selection targets.
(Appendix 7)
For each of the plurality of information processing devices, collect a history of changes in the connection state to the commercial power source and record the history in the history storage unit,
Based on the history recorded in the history storage unit, a connection time zone to the commercial power supply is specified for each information processing device, and the power consumption amount stored in the connection time zone and the transition storage unit is Calculate the overlap time with the time zone that is less than the predetermined value,
A power leveling program for causing a computer to execute a process of selecting an information processing device to be activated using a battery included in the information processing device in order of increasing overlap time.
(Appendix 8)
The power leveling program according to appendix 7, wherein the selecting process excludes the information processing apparatus having a relatively large number of changes in the connection state recorded in the history storage unit from selection targets.
(Appendix 9)
The recording process collects a history of changes in the state of charge from the commercial power source to the battery for each of the plurality of information processing devices, and records the history in the history storage unit.
The power leveling program according to appendix 7 or 8, wherein the selecting process excludes the information processing apparatus having a relatively large number of changes in the state of charge recorded in the history storage unit from selection targets.

1 Power leveling system 10 Power leveling device 20 Notebook PC
21 Notification Unit 22 Inquiry Unit 23 Battery Activation Flag Storage Unit 24 and Power Supply Selection Unit 30 Power Tap 100 Drive Device 101 Recording Medium 102 Auxiliary Storage Device 103 Memory Device 104 CPU
105 interface device 121 history collection unit 122 off-peak connection time calculation unit 123 priority determination unit 124 battery activation selection unit 125 instruction unit 131 tap / note correspondence storage unit 132 connection history storage unit 133 power consumption transition storage unit 134 calculation table 135 Priority storage unit B bus

Claims (5)

For each of the plurality of information processing devices, collect a history of changes in the connection state to the commercial power source and record the history in the history storage unit,
Based on the history recorded in the history storage unit, a connection time zone to the commercial power supply is specified for each information processing device, and the power consumption amount stored in the connection time zone and the transition storage unit is Calculate the overlap time with the time zone that is less than the predetermined value,
A power leveling method in which a computer executes a process of selecting an information processing device to be activated using a battery included in the information processing device in order of increasing overlap time.   The power leveling method according to claim 1, wherein the selecting process excludes the information processing apparatus having a relatively large number of changes in the connection state recorded in the history storage unit from selection targets. The recording process collects a history of changes in the state of charge from the commercial power source to the battery for each of the plurality of information processing devices, and records the history in the history storage unit.
The power leveling method according to claim 1, wherein the selecting process excludes the information processing apparatus having a relatively large number of changes in the state of charge recorded in the history storage unit from selection targets. For each of the plurality of information processing devices, a collection unit that collects a history of changes in the connection state to the commercial power source and records the history in a history storage unit;
Based on the history recorded in the history storage unit, a connection time zone to the commercial power supply is specified for each information processing device, and the power consumption amount stored in the connection time zone and the transition storage unit is A calculation unit that calculates an overlap time with a time zone that is equal to or less than a predetermined value;
A power leveling device comprising: a selection unit that selects an information processing device to be activated using a battery included in the information processing device in order of increasing overlap time. For each of the plurality of information processing devices, collect a history of changes in the connection state to the commercial power source and record the history in the history storage unit,
Based on the history recorded in the history storage unit, a connection time zone to the commercial power supply is specified for each information processing device, and the power consumption amount stored in the connection time zone and the transition storage unit is Calculate the overlap time with the time zone that is less than the predetermined value,
A power leveling program for causing a computer to execute a process of selecting an information processing device to be activated using a battery included in the information processing device in order of increasing overlap time.

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