JP2015188276A - Apparatus controller and apparatus control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology capable of performing apparatus control that makes it easy for users to understand.SOLUTION: Based on a prediction value of a total amount of power consumption of a plurality of apparatuses for a unit period, a target reduction level relative to the prediction value is displayed. The prediction value of a total amount of power consumption is calculated based on a total amount of power consumption for the previous year's unit period corresponding to a unit period which is a prediction target. The apparatus controller includes a display control section that displays an input interface for inputting such a degree that a change from the prediction value is wanted.

Description

  The present invention relates to device control technology.

There are methods of directly controlling the device so that the electricity charge (power consumption) in a certain period becomes a target value set in advance by the user, or indirectly controlling the device by notifying the user of advice.
Patent Document 1 discloses setting target values for individual devices (branching devices).

International Application Publication WO2013 / 145525

In patent document 1, it is necessary to set the target value of each apparatus (branch switch), and there exists a problem that a trouble generate | occur | produces for a user.
An object of this invention is to provide the technique which can perform apparatus control intelligible for a user.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device control apparatus including a display control unit that displays a target reduction level for the predicted value based on a predicted value of total power consumption of a plurality of devices in a unit period. .

  The target reduction level is the degree that the user or device desires to make adjustments / changes, which is set or input at the present time, and indicates, for example, the target level for energy saving in the unit period thereafter. Reduction level, etc. The reduction level and the like include% display of the degree of reduction from the target value of electricity bill, display by a level display bar, and the like.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device control method comprising a step of displaying a target reduction level for a predicted value based on a predicted value of total power consumption of a plurality of devices in a unit period. Provided.

  According to the present invention, by using the predicted value of the target unit period as a reference, the user can set a target value such as electricity cost reduction that is more accurate and reasonable.

It is a functional block diagram which shows the example of 1 structure of the apparatus control apparatus used in the apparatus control technique by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart figure which shows an example of the flow of the power consumption amount prediction process for every month by a power consumption amount estimation part. It is a figure which shows the example of the actual value and average temperature which were read and read the past monthly power consumption. It is a figure which shows the example of calculation of the total power consumption predicted value for one month by initial prediction. It is a figure which shows an example of how to select the object month used for calculation of temperature dependence correction | amendment. It is a figure which shows the example of calculation for calculating expected temperature. It is a figure which shows the example of the algorithm of the temperature dependence correction | amendment depending on temperature, and is a figure which shows the mode of selection of the parameter used for calculation exemplarily. It is a flowchart figure which shows the flow of the 1st display control processing by this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the user interface displayed on a display part. It is a flowchart figure which shows the flow of the 2nd display control processing by the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the user interface displayed on a display part. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a flow of target change processing when a target change button is pressed in the display of FIG. 6. It is a figure which shows the user interface which performs target change operation. It is a figure which shows another example of a display of the user interface displayed on the display part by the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows another example of a display of the user interface displayed on the display part by the 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows another example of a user interface displayed on the display screen for changing the target of this month so that a reduction level bar can be compared with the present after a change.

Hereinafter, a device control technique according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
As will be described below, in the device control technology according to the embodiment of the present invention, based on past actual values (power consumption, temperature, etc.), for example, prediction of electricity bill (or power usage) for one month Calculate the value. Using this predicted value as a reference value, a user interface (UI) capable of setting a target value for electricity charges is provided.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a device control apparatus used in the device control technique according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the device control apparatus 1 is a HEMS management in a system (for example, a home energy management system (HEMS)) that can collectively control a plurality of devices such as home appliances and house equipment. It consists of parts. For example, the device control apparatus 1 includes a power consumption amount prediction unit 11 that predicts a power consumption amount, a device control unit 15, a control unit 17 that controls the whole, a storage unit 21 that stores various data and programs, A display unit 23 that displays a user interface and the like, and an input unit 25 that performs user input in a state where the user interface is displayed and the like are included. The control unit 17 includes a display control unit 17a that performs display control for displaying a user interface and the like. The storage unit 21 also includes a power consumption data storage unit 21a that stores past power consumption data and the temperature of the day. And based on the target value input from the input part 25, the apparatus control part 15 is comprised so that various household appliances etc. can be controlled automatically.

  A part of the above configuration may be realized by a portable terminal such as a television device or a smartphone. For example, the display control unit 17a may include an output unit that outputs a display control instruction signal for displaying a user interface on a portable terminal such as a television apparatus or a smartphone, and the form of the device control apparatus 1 is limited. Not.

  In addition, the power consumption of each device is measured, for example, by measuring the power consumption of each device with a “plug-type power sensor” or a “CT sensor” attached to a distribution board, and the measurement result is represented by the HEMS management unit of the HEMS. You may make it provide to.

  The components of the device control apparatus 1 in FIG. 1 do not have to be integrated. For example, prediction is performed by a server connected to the device control apparatus 1 through a network and the information is provided to the device control apparatus 1. You may make it do. Such a system is also within the scope of the present invention.

  FIG. 2A is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of the power consumption amount prediction process for each month by the power consumption amount prediction unit 11. The power prediction process is not limited to these examples, and various prediction algorithms can be used.

  First, when the process is started (Start: step S1), in step S2, the control unit 17 reads the actual value of the power consumption data from the power consumption data storage unit 21a. Also, environmental data such as average temperature is read out.

  FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating an example of past actual power consumption values and average temperatures read in step S2.

  Hereinafter, for example, it is a figure which shows the mode of the initial prediction in the case of estimating the total power consumption of 1 month about the total power consumption of October, 2013, for example. This algorithm obtains a predicted value of power consumption assuming that the tendency when the total power consumption is monthly dependent is the same as the trend up to last year.

  When estimating the total power consumption of a month, it can be estimated that it will basically be the same power consumption as the same month of the previous year, but the number of families and home appliances are increasing and decreasing compared to the previous year. there is a possibility. The initial prediction of the power consumption is taken into account the effect.

  In addition, because some home appliances have different usage due to temperature differences, the initial prediction is corrected to take into account the effects of temperature differences, and two steps are taken for one month. Estimate total household power consumption.

  The initial forecast is obtained by multiplying the previous month actual value by the increase / decrease ratio of the total power consumption in the same month of the previous year and the previous month of the previous year. This process is an initial prediction that does not depend on the temperature for the previous year's actual value, for example, the number of families, the type and number of household appliances used, etc., and does not depend on the temperature. It can also be said. Hereinafter, this is referred to as initial prediction.

FIG. 2C is a diagram illustrating a calculation example of a predicted value of total power consumption for one month based on initial prediction.
Here, E _{y, m} [Wh] represents the total power consumption for one month with the target year = y and the target month = m. The initial prediction E * _{Y, M} [Wh] for the total power consumption for one month of the prediction target month (Y month M month) is obtained by the following formula.

When the data of the previous month of the target month is available
E * _{Y, M} = E _{Y-1, M}・ (E _{Y, M-1} / E _{Y-1, M-1} )
When the data for the previous month of the forecast target month is not available
E * _{Y, M} = E _{Y-1, M}・ (E _{Y, M-2} / E _{Y-1, M-2} )
A specific example of initial prediction will be described below.

  The initial prediction is, for example, prediction based on the following formula. In this example, the change rate (B / C) of the total power consumption, which is the actual value B in the same month the previous year (October 2012) and the actual value C in the previous month (September 2012) immediately before that, is the previous month (actual) The value obtained by multiplying the actual value D of the value (September 2013) is the predicted value for the next month.

A = D × (B / C)
For example, in August 2013, D (August 2013) = 797989 × (395642/478378) = 659976. In September 2013, it will be 886250. The predicted value A in October 2013 is obtained as 565285 × (451215/531289) = 480936. This algorithm is not limited to the above as long as it is an algorithm that obtains a predicted value assuming that the tendency when the total power consumption is monthly dependent is the same as the trend up to last year.

  Next, in step S4, temperature-dependent positive depending on the temperature is performed. The temperature-dependent correction is a prediction value E that takes into account the amount of change in the total power consumption with respect to the average temperature before and after the predicted temperature of the prediction target month in the past data with respect to the initial predicted value A.

FIG. 2D is a diagram illustrating an example of how to select a target month to be used for calculating temperature-dependent correction.
A correction is performed for the predicted value obtained by the initial prediction, taking into consideration the effect of the difference in temperature.
In addition, the average temperature for one month with the target year = y and the target month = m is expressed as Ty, m [° C.]. In addition, it is assumed that the predicted average temperature for one month of the target month (Y year M month) is given by T * _{Y, M} [° C.].

  Since the previous year's data includes data on average temperature and average power consumption, the trend of average temperature and average power consumption can be grasped by referring to the data. However, since the relationship between the average temperature and the average power consumption is not a linear relationship, the month whose average temperature is close to the expected average temperature of the target month for which the power consumption is predicted is extracted from past data. Then, the power consumption amount of the prediction target month is corrected by referring to the information on the power consumption amount of those months.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2D, among the average temperatures T _{Y−1, m} (M−2 ≦ m ≦ M + 1) of each month during the two months before and after the same month of the prediction target month, T _{Y-1, M} and _{T Y-1, T} * _Y between _{m, M} is sandwiched, and, | elect is minimum monthly _{m | T Y-1, M} -T Y-1, m . (The month is hereinafter referred to as m.)
However, the priority for selecting m is as follows.
1) Select m in the range of M ± 1.
2) Select M within the range of m ± 2.
The predicted value E ** _{Y, M,} which is obtained by performing temperature-dependent correction on the initial predicted E * _{Y, M} for the total power consumption for one month of the target month (Y year M month), is obtained by the following formula.

E ** _{Y, M} = E * _{Y, M}・ α
α = {E _{Y-1, M} + (E _{Y-1, M} −E _{Y-1, m} ) ・ (T * _{Y, M} −T _{Y-1, M} ) / (T _{Y-1, M} −T _{Y-1, m} )} / E _{Y-1, M}
However, if M satisfying the conditions is not found when selecting 1) and 2) above, correction based on temperature is not performed and E ** _{Y, M} = E * _{Y, M.}

A specific example of temperature dependence prediction will be described below.
FIG. 2E is a diagram illustrating a calculation example for calculating the predicted temperature. As shown in FIG. 2E, the average temperature of each month is calculated from the weather data for the past N years in the prediction target area. In the example shown in FIG. 2E, the average temperature for each month calculated from the data for the past five years is averaged over five years as the predicted temperature of the prediction target month. For example, when the prediction target month is May 2013, the predicted temperature of the prediction target month is (22 + 23 + 19 + 25 + 24) /5=22.6° C. in the example of FIG. 2E. Furthermore, the predicted temperature coefficient Tk of this year may be added to this value. As the coefficient Tk, for example, a difference from the annual temperature of each month provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency or a weather information company is used. If the month is 0.5 ° C higher than the average year, Tk = 0.5 should be added to the predicted temperature to make 23.1 ° C the expected temperature. However, this calculation method is exemplary, and is not limited to this method. For example, prediction data such as a predicted temperature provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency or a weather information company may be used.

FIG. 2F is a diagram illustrating an example of an algorithm for temperature-dependent correction that depends on the temperature, and is a diagram exemplarily showing how parameters used for calculation are selected.
This process uses the correlation between the average temperature and the total power consumption for each month of the previous year when data for the previous year exists. Using the predicted temperature of the prediction target month, the actual power consumption of the prediction target month is predicted by correcting the actual value of the same month of the previous year with temperature dependence.

  In FIG. 2F, in order from the left, the first column shows October 2012, which is the same month of the previous year of October 2013, and the second column shows T1, that is, the average temperature of the same month of the previous year (from FIG. 2B). Indicates. The third column shows the power consumption (actual value October 2012) E1 in the same month of the previous year. The fourth column shows the months before and after the same month of the previous year used for the secondary dependence correction. The fifth column shows the average outside temperature T2 in the months before and after the same month of the previous year. The sixth column shows the actual value E2 of the power consumption in the months before and after the same month of the previous year. The seventh column is the predicted temperature T0 of the prediction target month, which can be obtained from the past data in FIG. 2B, for example, forecast data from the Japan Meteorological Agency may be used. Here, a value of T0 = 15 ° C. is used.

The eighth column is an estimated value E0 of the power consumption in the month before and after the same month last year when the temperature T0 = 15 ° C., and can be obtained using the following equation (1).
E0 = {(E1-E2) / (T1-T2)} × (T0-T1) + E1 (1)

The ninth column is the absolute value of T1-T2. The tenth column is the value of E0 / E1. Then, the temperature dependence correction is performed according to the following procedure.
1) In (T1, E1) October and (T2, E2) September, see if T0 is between T1 and T2, and if | T1-T2 |
2) In (T1, E1) October and (T2, E2) November, see if T0 is between T1 and T2, and if | T1-T2 |
3) Equation (1) is calculated with the combination of the months with the smaller | T1-T2 | of steps 1) and 2). By interpolating with a smaller value of | T1-T2 |, a better time can be provided. If both steps 1) and 2) are NG, proceed to the next step.
4) In (T1, E1) October and (T2, E2) August, see if T0 is in T1 and T2, and if | T1-T2 |
5) In (T1, E1) October and (T2, E2) December, see if T0 is in T1 and T2, and if | T1-T2 |
6) Equation (2) is calculated for the combination of months with the smaller | T1-T2 | of steps 4) and 5). If both steps 4) and 5) are NG, the temperature dependent correction value = A × 1.
E (secondary correction value) = A × [{(E1-E2) / (T1-T2)} × (expected temperature T0-T1) + E1] / E1] = A × E0 / E1 (2)

  In this way, the predicted temperature T0 of the target month is obtained, T0, the average outside temperature T1 of the same month in the previous year, the actual value E1 of the power consumption, and the average outside temperature T2 and the power consumption in the months before and after the same month of the previous year. The estimated value E0 of the power consumption in the month before and after the same month in the previous year in consideration of the temperature when the predicted temperature T0 of the prediction target month is used is obtained for each month, and the initial predicted value A is set to E0. By multiplying / E1, it is possible to accurately obtain the temperature dependence correction value, that is, the total power consumption E for one month considering the dependence of the temperature.

(Processing when the total power consumption of this month has not been determined)
In the above example, as a method for predicting the total power consumption in October 2013, for example, a case where all the data of September 2013, which is the previous month of the same year, has been described. When predicting the total power consumption for next month, the data for September 2013, which is the month before the same year, are often not available.

  In such a case, in the initial prediction, the increase / decrease ratio (B / C) of the total power consumption, which is the actual value B in the same month of the previous year (October 2012) and the actual value C ′ of the month before the previous year (August 2012). A value obtained by multiplying ') by the actual value D' two months before the same year (actual value August 2013) can be used as a predicted value for the next month.

  Further, in the temperature dependent correction, the correction may be performed by step 4) -6) without performing the above step 1) -3).

  In the process for calculating the predicted power consumption, a simpler process or a more complicated process may be used. However, the process described above enables accurate prediction.

  Next, in step S5, the total power consumption of the target month calculated in step S4 is stored in the power consumption data storage unit 21a, and the process ends (step S6: end).

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to accurately obtain the total monthly power consumption in the future based on data such as past power consumption.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the first display control process according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface displayed on the display unit 23.

  In the present embodiment, today is February 6, and an example is shown in which the electricity bill for the next month, that is, March is predicted. As described in the first embodiment, when the power consumption for one month in March (next month) is predicted, the total power consumption value for one month in February (this month) has not yet been obtained. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the power consumption in March is predicted based on the power consumption in January.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the processing is started (step S11: Start), in step S12, the power consumption in March, which is the next month of the current day (February), is calculated, for example, in the above-described first embodiment. In line with the processing when the total power consumption of this month has not been determined, the total power consumption of January of last month is used, and the power consumption of next month (March) is calculated using the prediction processing in the first embodiment. And the electricity bill based on it. In addition, various methods that can predict power consumption for one month can be used, and the method is not limited to the prediction method according to the first embodiment. Needless to say, the following embodiments are not similarly limited.

  Next, in step S13, the electricity bill is obtained based on the charge table of the power company. In step S14, the electricity bill target value for the next month is displayed, and in step S15, if there is an input of the target reduction level (degree of adjustment) (Yes), the reduction level is determined in step S16 based on that value. The target reduction level is displayed at the same time.

  In this way, the amount of power consumed next month is predicted in consideration of changes in seasons and temperatures, and converted into electricity bills. The predicted electricity bill is multiplied by the current reduction level as a reference value to obtain the electricity bill target value for next month.

  On the display screen of the display unit 23 in FIG. 4, the electricity bill target / automatic suppression tab 51, the home appliance navigation tab 53 for navigating how to control the home appliance, the calendar tab 55 for displaying a calendar, and the like When the electricity bill target / automatic suppression tab 51 is selected and switched from the electricity bill tab 61 of this month to the electricity bill tab 63 of the next month, a display 65 relating to the electricity bill of the next month is made.

  In this display 65, for example, a title such as next month's electricity bill target 71 and an amount display 73 such as 20,517 yen are made, so that the user can roughly know the standard of the next month's electricity bill. The electricity bill for the next month is obtained by multiplying the electricity bill target value based on the predicted power consumption of the next month by the reduction level.

  Then, user interfaces 75, 77, 81, and 83 for changing the reduction level are provided on the same display screen so that the target reduction level for next month can be freely changed at any time. A display 75 displays the reduction level for next month in an easy-to-understand manner, and a display 77 displays the value of the reduction level in a graph. When the current level or a change is made, the source level after the change is clearly indicated. In addition, an automatic driving range that can be reduced in the automatic driving range of home appliances is also displayed. This automatic operation area allows the user to know whether or not the reduction level can be handled in an automatic operation mode such as lighting or an air conditioner (a mode in which energy saving operation is automatically performed without user operation). ing. If the current level is within the automatic driving range, the user can cope with the energy saving function of the home appliance even when no new operation is performed. On the other hand, if the current level is outside the automatic operation range, the user can know that an operation such as forcibly lowering the set temperature of the air conditioner is necessary. When a new air conditioner operation such as lowering the set temperature is performed, a signal to that effect is input and it can be confirmed whether or not the vehicle enters the automatic operation range.

  The display 81 is a button for performing a reduction level change operation, and a set value after the reduction level is changed can be confirmed by the decision button 83, and a new calculation based on the set value can be performed.

  The display 85 and the display 87 are graph display examples for user reference. The display 85 displays the actual value of the previous month of the electricity bill, the previous month of the previous year, the same month of the previous year and this month (accumulated value until February 5), the previous month of the previous year, and the predicted value of the next month, for example, in a bar graph. It is. This allows you to see at a glance the comparison of each month compared to the previous year and the trend of increase / decrease in the previous and next months. The display 87 displays the line graph of the predicted value of the electricity bill for each week of the next month and the target value (bar graph) after the change when the target reduction level is changed. You can see the electricity bill for next month weekly. These displays may be other display forms such as a pie chart instead of a bar chart.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the target value for the next month's electricity bill is obtained by using the result obtained based on the power prediction process for one month in the first embodiment. You can know at a glance. Furthermore, it is possible to perform an easy-to-understand target reduction process in the form of increase / decrease from the current target reduction level, and to know the target value as a result.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the second display control process according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface displayed on the display unit 23.

  In the present embodiment, today is February 6, and an example is shown in which the expected value of the electricity bill for this month, that is, February, and the actual value for this month are confirmed.

  Since the total power consumption for one month in January (previous month) is obtained when the power consumption for one month in February (this month) is predicted, 2 as described in the first embodiment. The predicted value of the month can be obtained.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the process is started (step S21: Start), in step S22, the power consumption in February, which is the next month of the day (February), is the total power consumption in January of the previous month. And can be obtained by using the prediction processing in the first embodiment. Based on the predicted value of the total power consumption in February (this month), the electricity bill for February can be obtained. The predicted value of the electricity bill predicted in February (this month) and the actual value of the power consumption amount for each day are read from the power consumption amount data storage unit 21a.

  In step S23, the reduction level for the predicted electricity cost read in step S22 is read. The reduction level is a rate of reduction with respect to the predicted electricity cost when the home appliance controller predicts the electricity cost of this month (February) in the previous month (January). For example, if the electricity bill of this month is predicted to be 10,000 yen in the previous month and the user sets the reduction level to -3%, the electricity bill target is 97,000 yen. By displaying the reduction level numerically, it is possible for the user to be aware of the set value and to be a reference when setting the target for the next month. Next, in step S24, the electricity cost and the reduction level are displayed.

  In the display screen 51a of the display unit 23 in FIG. 6, as in FIG. 4, the electricity bill target / automatic suppression tab 51, the home appliance navigation tab 53 for navigating how to control the home appliance, and a calendar display are displayed. When the electricity bill target / automatic suppression tab 51 is selected from the calendar tab 55 and the like and is switched to the electricity bill tab 61 of this month, displays 101 and 103 concerning the electricity bill of this month are made.

  In the display 101, the predicted value of the electricity bill for this month and the daily integrated value of the target value are displayed in a graph. The current target setting line is an electricity bill target line based on a predicted value considering reduction based on the reduction level. Today's target value is specified, and the electricity bill before that time is displayed as a bar graph of actual values, so that it can be distinguished from the bar graph of predicted values thereafter. By displaying such an integrated value for each day together with the target value, the user can recognize the daily transition.

  Further, the display 103 can display the current electricity bill target value, the set value of the reduction level for prediction, and the electricity bill up to today as numerical values. In this display 103, the electricity bill target value and the reduction level set before the time when this screen is displayed are numerically displayed.

  It should be noted that the reduction level cannot be changed by directly inputting on the display screen 51a. In other words, if you want to change the electricity bill target for this month, use the lower right target change button (input interface). Already in the middle of automatic control of home appliances toward the current electricity bill target, this month's target change is a separate screen in order to prevent the target from being inadvertently changed. A target change button 104 for giving a transition instruction is provided.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of target change processing when the target change button 104 is pressed in the display of FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a user interface for performing the target change operation.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the process is started (step S31), and in step S32, when pressing of the target setting button 104 in the display 51a of FIG. 6 is detected (YES), in step S33, another screen is shown in FIG. A screen 110 is displayed.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a reduction level change button 123 is provided on the change screen of the electricity bill target value for this month (February) on the screen 110.

  If it is detected in step S34 that the reduction level change button 123 is pressed (YES), the target reduction level 117 of this month after the change is displayed in accordance with the reduction level in step S35. In this example, a display to the effect that the current value is changed from −3% to −5% and a changed electricity bill target set value 115 are displayed accordingly. In addition, an electricity bill graph 111 similar to the display 101 of FIG. 6 and graphs 121 and 122 showing the relationship between the reduction level and the automatic operation area are displayed (step S35).

  If it is acceptable to make this change while referring to these displays, when the confirm button 125 is pressed, the reduction level is changed to 5%, which is the reduction level, and the change process ends (step S36), and the display of FIG. Return to.

  In this way, the user can change the reduction level by using the screen displayed after pressing the mark change button. Moreover, the transition of the electricity bill graph after the setting change and the electricity bill target value can be confirmed at the same time.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to confirm the current state while comparing the actual electricity bill of this month with the predicted value. In addition, by making it possible to change the reduction level of electricity bills on a separate screen, the target changes carelessly during the automatic control of home appliances already towards the electricity bill target for this month. It is possible to change the target for this month safely.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another display example of the user interface displayed on the display unit 23 according to the present embodiment.

  A display example 51b illustrated in FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a display example when the home appliance navigation tab 201 and the target setting tab 203 of the notification setting tab are selected. Basically, the prediction described in the first embodiment is performed. The electricity bill for one month is predicted using the method (here, it is predicted to be 7500 yen).

  In this display 51b, the setting of the target level is shown, for example, in five stages, and any one of these target levels can be selected. In this example, as the target setting level 207 and the reduction rate 211 of the electricity bill in that case, the standard target (reduction level 0%), hereinafter, in order of decreasing reduction level, a little eco (reduction level -5%), normal ECO (reduction level-10%), more eco (reduction level-20%), ultimate eco (reduction level-30%), etc. It is configured to be able to.

  The user can select a desired reduction level from these five buttons and easily set a target level. In addition, for example, the bar graph display 215 of the actual value of the electricity bill for the past month, the bar graph display 217 of the target value of the electricity bill for the next month (preferably to be able to distinguish between the standard goal and the home goal, etc.), the past The bar graph display 219 and the like of the results of 6 months and the predicted electricity bill for the next month are changed and displayed according to the set target level.

  According to the UI according to this embodiment, the electric target value can be set step by step, and the setting of the electric target value can be changed by assigning a name that indicates the degree of energy saving at each step. The operation can be changed while the user is aware of the target, and the electricity bill that is expected to be obtained as a result can also be changed and viewed while comparing with past results, thus providing an easy-to-understand interface. .

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another display example of the user interface displayed on the display unit 23 according to the present embodiment.

  The display example 51c illustrated in FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a display example when the home appliance navigation tab 201 and the next month target setting tab 251 of the notification setting tab are selected. Basically, the display example 51c has been described in the first embodiment. Predict the electricity bill for one month using the prediction method. In this display example, a reduction target value from the predicted power consumption is set, but a display 254 of the predicted power consumption (300 kW) and the predicted electricity charge (7300 yen) is also shown.

Then, the target value can be input by any of the following methods.
1) Click the reduction level bar 261 in FIG. 10 to set a target. When any one of the reduction level bars 261 is clicked 261a, the position is colored. In FIG. 10, it can be seen at a glance that up to −10% is colored and a reduction level of −10% is set.

The reduction level bar 261 has names of increase, automatic control, and self-help efforts with respect to a range in which the setting value is changed, and depending on which range the setting value is in, for example, automatic In the case of control, it is possible to know whether it is a range that can be controlled by automatic operation of an air conditioner or the like, or whether self-help efforts such as changing the set temperature by a user operation are necessary.
The numbers of power consumption and electricity charges can be calculated by the predicted value × (1−reduction level).

2) Clicking on the location of the electricity rate may allow the electricity rate target to be entered numerically. It should be noted that if the lower limit of the reduction level bar 261 is not reached, the coloring position is -20%, which is the middle of the lower limit, and if the upper limit of the reduction level bar 261 is exceeded, the upper limit position is colored. If it falls below the lower limit of the bar, the coloring position is -20%, which is colored to the middle of the lower limit, and if it exceeds the upper limit of the bar, it is colored to the upper limit position.

3) Our target position and bar graph display 265 change according to the set target. In addition, the bar graph of the display 265 counts the weekly electricity bill every 7 days every 7 days from the end of the month. The fraction is added at the beginning of the month. That is, the months up to the 31st are cumulative as of the 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31 days, and the months up to the 30th are cumulative as of the 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 days, 29 Is the accumulation at the time of 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29, and the month of 28 is the accumulation at the 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. You may display the comparison display 267 with the results of the previous year for every month.

  Here, when the determination button 253 is pressed, the target value is determined and control according to the target value is started. When the return button 253 is pressed, the original value (the set value displayed when the display 51c is changed) is restored. When a transition is made to another screen without pressing the enter button 253, it is treated as cancelled (returned to the original value (the set value displayed when transitioning to this screen)). As described above, by providing the target setting user interface, it can be useful for user operation when setting a target for next month.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 11, on the display screen 51d for changing the target for this month, the reduction level bars 235 and 233 may be displayed so that they can be compared with the current level after the change. In this case, it is easy to understand if the current target electricity cost and the changed target electricity cost are displayed side by side 242. When the change is determined, the determination button 244 is pressed. Also in this case, the current target may be displayed 241 for each week, or may be displayed on a separate screen.

  The UI according to this embodiment is characterized in that it is easy to recognize how much energy is saved by setting the electrical target value using the reduction level bar. Therefore, the setting change operation of the electric target value can be changed while the user is conscious of the target, and the electric cost predicted to be obtained as a result can also be changed and viewed while comparing with the past results. An easy-to-understand interface can be provided.

  In each of the above embodiments, an example has been described in which an expected power value for each month is obtained and the degree of reduction can be easily set based on the expected power value. However, the embodiment is not limited to one month, and is a unit period. 2 months, 3 months, 2 weeks, etc. may be used. In the above example, the reduction of power consumption has been described as an example. However, the power consumption may be increased depending on the situation. Including this case, it is referred to as adjustment and adjustment value (adjustment level).

  The processing and control can be performed by software processing by CPU (Central Processing Unit) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate) hardware hardware.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration and the like illustrated in the accompanying drawings are not limited to these, and can be changed as appropriate within the scope of the effects of the present invention. In addition, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the object of the present invention.

  Each component of the present invention can be arbitrarily selected, and an invention having a selected configuration is also included in the present invention.

  In addition, a program for realizing the functions described in the present embodiment is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium is read into a computer system and executed to execute processing of each unit. May be performed. The “computer system” here includes an OS and hardware such as peripheral devices.

  Further, the “computer system” includes a homepage providing environment (or display environment) if a WWW system is used.

  The “computer-readable recording medium” refers to a storage device such as a flexible medium, a magneto-optical disk, a portable medium such as a ROM and a CD-ROM, and a hard disk incorporated in a computer system. Furthermore, the “computer-readable recording medium” dynamically holds a program for a short time like a communication line when transmitting a program via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. In this case, a volatile memory in a computer system serving as a server or a client in that case, and a program that holds a program for a certain period of time are also included. The program may be a program for realizing a part of the above-described functions, or may be a program that can realize the above-described functions in combination with a program already recorded in a computer system. At least a part of the functions may be realized by hardware such as an integrated circuit.

The present invention includes the following disclosure.
(Appendix)
(1) A device control apparatus including a display control unit that displays a target reduction level for the predicted value based on a predicted value of total power consumption of a plurality of devices in a unit period.
The target reduction level is the degree that the user or device desires to make adjustments / changes, which is set or input at the present time, and indicates, for example, the target level for energy saving in the unit period thereafter. Reduction level, etc. The reduction level and the like include% display of the degree of reduction from the target value of electricity bill, display by a level display bar, and the like.
(2) The device control according to (1), wherein the predicted value of the total power consumption is calculated based on a total power consumption in a unit period of the previous year corresponding to a unit period to be predicted. apparatus.
(3) The predicted value of the total power consumption is calculated by using the first total power consumption in the unit period immediately before the unit period of the current year as the second total power consumption in the unit period immediately before the unit period of the previous year. Based on the ratio of the third total power consumption in the same unit period as the current year of the previous year, and a value that is predicted in consideration of the period that depends on the year and month (2) Device control apparatus of description.
This initial prediction is, for example, a period prediction that depends on the year and the like such as the number of families and the types and number of household appliances to be used, and can be said to be a non-temperature-dependent prediction that does not depend on the temperature.
(4) If there is data for the previous year, use the correlation between the average temperature for each unit period of the previous year and the total power consumption and the predicted temperature for the target unit period, The device control apparatus according to (2) or (3), characterized in that the temperature dependent correction is performed to predict the total power consumption during the prediction target unit period by correcting the temperature.
(5) A device control method comprising a step of displaying a target reduction level from the predicted value based on a predicted value of total power consumption of a plurality of devices in a unit period of the plurality of devices.
(6) The device control apparatus according to (1), further displaying a change interface for changing the target reduction level.
(7) The change interface is
The device control apparatus according to (6), wherein the screen is displayed on a screen different from the screen for displaying the target reduction level.
(8) The device control apparatus according to (6) or (7), wherein a range that can be adjusted by automatic operation of the device is displayed with respect to the target reduction level.
From this display, the user can know whether the user can leave it as it is or whether a setting change operation of some device or the like is necessary as a self-help effort.
(9) The device control apparatus according to (1), wherein a name that makes it easy to understand the degree of energy saving is displayed with respect to the degree of change desired for the target reduction level.
(10) The device control apparatus according to (1), further displaying a target value of the electricity bill in the unit period.
(11) The device control apparatus according to (1), wherein a transition of at least one of the actual value of the electricity bill and the target value is displayed on the display screen of the target reduction level.
(12) The device control apparatus according to (1), further including a device control unit that controls the device based on the predicted value in consideration of the target reduction level.
(13) The device control apparatus according to any one of (1) to (4) and (6) to (12), wherein the unit period is one month.
(14) A device control method comprising a step of displaying a target reduction level for the predicted value based on a predicted value of total power consumption of a plurality of devices in a unit period.
(15) A program for causing a computer to execute the steps described in (14).

  The present invention is applicable to a device control system.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Device control apparatus, 11 ... Power consumption prediction part, 15 ... Equipment control part, 17 ... Control part, 17a ... Display control part, 21 ... Storage part, 21a ... Power consumption data storage part, 23 ... Display part, 25: Input unit.

Claims (5)

  A device control apparatus comprising a display control unit that displays a target reduction level for the predicted value based on a predicted value of total power consumption of a plurality of devices in a unit period.   The apparatus control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predicted value of the total power consumption is calculated based on a total power consumption in a unit period of the previous year corresponding to a unit period to be predicted.   The predicted value of the total power consumption includes the first total power consumption in the unit period immediately before the unit period of the current year, the second total power consumption in the unit period immediately before the unit period of the previous year, and the previous year. 3. The device control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a value obtained by performing an initial prediction depending on the year and month based on a ratio of the third total power consumption in the same unit period as this year is used.   If the previous year's data exists, the actual value of the same unit period of the previous year is corrected by using the correlation between the average temperature and the total power consumption for each unit period of the previous year and the predicted temperature of the target unit period. The apparatus control apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a temperature-dependent correction is performed to predict the total power consumption during the prediction target unit period.   A device control method comprising: displaying a target reduction level for the predicted value based on a predicted value of total power consumption of a plurality of devices in a unit period.

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