JP2017225262A - Power demand remote management system, demand controller, demand controller master unit, and power demand remote management method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a power demand remote management system etc., enabling a user to remotely monitor through the Internet the operation state of a power demand controller under automatic control installed in a remote place.SOLUTION: A power demand remote management system 1 includes demand controllers 2a, 2b, each including: a master unit 21 which internally embeds a communication device, an Internet communication unit, a radio signal transmission/reception unit, a communication unit which includes an alert receiver unit, a management signal analysis unit, an alert information analysis unit, an input information analysis unit, a control signal generation unit, a calculation processing unit which includes an image information generation unit and a setting unit, and a computer having a storage unit; a slave unit 25; and a relay slave unit. The power demand remote management system 1 also includes a server 4 and information communication terminals 51-53. The Internet communication unit has an MQTT conversion unit and a Web socket communication unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a power demand remote management system, a demand controller, a master unit of a demand controller, and a power demand remote management method. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus in which a user can remotely monitor the operation status of a power demand controller that is installed at a remote location and is under automatic control through the Internet.

  In recent years, there are an increasing number of companies that introduce a power demand management system for the purpose of reducing energy costs of facilities and machines used for facility operation, limiting power usage, or responding to shortage of power supply. As an example of such a power demand management system, there is a power demand management system described in Patent Document 1 proposed by the present inventor. The configuration of this power demand management system is shown in FIG.

  The power demand management system 9 shown in FIG. 19 includes a master unit 91, a plurality of control slave units 92, a relay slave unit 93 that relays signals between the master unit 91 and the first slave unit 92, and a cubicle. 95 includes a power demand monitoring device 94 connected to 95.

  Each control slave unit 92 is connected to be able to control a terminal device 96 such as an air conditioner outdoor unit and can receive control signals of the terminal device 96 generated outside the unit.

  The master unit 91 has a function of receiving an alert from the power demand monitoring device 94 that is issued when the maximum demand power approaches or reaches the set value within the unit time, and the maximum within the unit time according to the content of the received alert. It has a function of generating a control signal to the terminal device 96 that switches to an operation in which the demand power does not exceed the set value, and a function of transmitting the control signal to the control slave unit 92.

  This power demand management system 9 sets the maximum demand power setting value within the unit time of the power consumption of the terminal device 96 connected to the control slave unit 92 according to the content of the alert received from the power demand monitoring device 94. It is possible to execute the operation so as not to exceed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-213410

  By the way, in the power demand management system 9 described above, a failure or operation abnormality (hereinafter referred to as “failure etc.”) occurs in the devices constituting the system such as the control slave unit 92 due to an external factor such as a lightning strike to the installed area. It can happen. Originally, such a failure was discovered by a company that is a facility manager by conducting a regular check or a temporary check, and trying to reset it while referring to the manual, etc. The manufacturer should be repaired.

  However, if the user of the power demand management system 9 is a small business or the like, there is often no dedicated system administrator, and even if there is a system administrator, there is a case where the user is concurrently serving as a normal business. In many cases, there is a possibility that a management system failure or the like may not be noticed during normal operations. If the installation company is completely unaware of the occurrence of a failure or the like, or if it is not aware for a long time, the power consumption of the installed terminal device 96 not only exceeds the set value of the maximum demand power per unit time, but also the business of the installation company There is a possibility that serious damage will occur.

  On the other hand, it is conceivable that a service person such as a store where the power demand management system 9 is installed frequently checks the facility where the power demand management system 9 is installed, but the labor is excessive and it is not realistic.

  The present invention has been developed in view of the above points, and the operation status of a power demand controller (corresponding to the power demand management system 9 described above) installed by a user at a remote location during automatic control. It is an object of the present invention to provide a power demand remote management system, a demand controller, a master unit of the demand controller, and a power demand remote management method that can remotely monitor the power demand.

  In order to achieve the above object, the power demand remote management system of the present invention is a control in which an information communication terminal and a terminal device are connected in a controllable manner, and receives control signals of the terminal device generated outside the machine. A slave unit having a signal reception unit, a management signal transmission unit that generates and transmits a management signal that conveys the operating status of the terminal device, a management signal reception unit that receives the management signal, and an external power demand monitoring device And an alert receiver that receives the alert that the maximum demand power has imminently reached or reached the set value within a unit time and is issued by the power demand monitoring device, and a unit time according to the content of the received alert A control signal transmission unit that generates the control signal for switching to an operation in which the maximum demand power does not exceed a set value and transmits the control signal to the slave unit, and the management signal received and connected to the Internet line Transmits either or both of the alert to the information communication terminal, and a base unit and a Internet communication unit for receiving a signal from the information communication terminal.

  Here, the information communication terminal can receive one or both of the management signal and the alert transmitted from the parent device via the Internet line. Thereby, the operating status or power demand value of the terminal device based on one or both of the management signal and the alert is displayed on the Web browser displayed on the Web browser of the information communication terminal or on the monitor connected to the information communication terminal. Can be displayed.

  Note that “alert” is used to mean an alarm or a warning, and is used in the same meaning hereinafter. The “management signal” is used to mean a signal that conveys the operating status of the connected terminal device to the base unit at all times or at predetermined intervals.

  The slave unit can control the connected terminal device based on the control signal received from the master unit by having the control signal receiving unit, and the operation status of the terminal device can be controlled by the management signal transmitting unit. A management signal to be transmitted can be generated and transmitted to the master unit.

  The master unit can receive the management signal from the slave unit by having the management signal receiving unit, and can also receive the alert from the power demand monitoring apparatus by having the alert receiving unit.

  And the main | base station can generate | occur | produce the control signal to the terminal device according to the content of the above-mentioned received alert by having a control signal transmission part, and can transmit to a subunit | mobile_unit. It is possible to prevent the connected terminal device from being in an operation state in which the maximum demand power within a unit time exceeds the set value.

  Furthermore, since the master unit has an Internet communication unit, it is possible to transmit either one or both of the received management signal and alert to the information communication terminal via the Internet line. Can remotely monitor the operating status of a power demand controller installed at a remote location through the Internet. A signal from the information communication terminal can be received by the Internet communication unit. Here, the “signal from the information communication terminal” is used to include various signals such as an information transmission request to the parent device and an operation command to the parent device, and is used in the same meaning hereinafter. .

  According to this power demand remote management system, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost by concentrating the function of generating the control signal according to the alert on the master unit and simplifying the slave unit. The cost of introduction due to the expansion of slave units accompanying the increase in terminal devices to be managed can be suppressed.

  Also, in cooperation with the Internet communication unit, either or both of the management signal transmitted / received by the parent device and the alert received by the parent device are converted into a signal based on an MQTT (Message Queueing Telemetry Transport) communication protocol. In the case of including an MQTT conversion unit that transmits to the information communication terminal and converts a signal based on the MQTT communication protocol received from the information communication terminal into a signal that can be processed in the base unit, the MQTT conversion unit Compared with data using a conventional communication protocol such as HTTP, the data used for signal transmission / reception can reduce the protocol header and make the data lightweight, so that the transfer amount, CPU load, power consumption, etc. Since it can be reduced to about 1 / n and the processing speed is fast, real-time display is possible.

  Since not only one-way or one-to-one communication but also two-way or one-to-many communication is possible, a single administrator can centrally manage many installed units. In addition, by adopting MQTT, it is possible to know the disconnection of the communication with the child device or the parent device by the function “Will” unique to MQTT.

  Further, in cooperation with the Internet communication unit, the information communication terminal converts either one or both of the management signal transmitted / received by the parent device and the alert received by the parent device into a signal based on an MQTT communication protocol. In combination with an MQTT conversion unit that converts a signal based on the MQTT communication protocol received from the information communication terminal into a signal that can be processed in the base unit, and the Internet communication unit and the MQTT conversion unit. In the case of including a WebSocket communication unit that performs communication path connection by the WebSocket communication protocol as a path capable of transmitting and receiving a signal based on the protocol, by adopting the WebSocket method for communication path connection, together with the above-described effects of MQTT, Browsing web pages with a web browser Simply connect the master unit to kill the network, it can be installed available.

  More specifically, the default communication port of MQTT is 1883, and it is necessary to open the port in the network environment where the master unit is installed. However, the port may not be opened due to the problem of Internet security measures at the installation location. For this reason, in the present invention, the communication path of the WebSocket method is adopted, and the communication port used by the master unit is 80 ports or 443 ports (which are ports used when browsing a Web page with a Web browser, Open even under security).

  In other words, by combining WebSocket and MQTT, when connecting the master unit to the Internet line, it is only necessary to connect the master unit to a network environment such as a LAN (Local Area Network) without setting the port open. As a result, the time and effort required for installation are reduced.

  Furthermore, by combining WebSocket, which is a communication path capable of real-time bi-directional communication, and MQTT, which is lightweight in data, the response speed between the information communication terminal and the base unit is higher than when a conventional communication protocol is adopted. Thus, real-time display of operation information of the slave unit or the like, and improvement of the reflection speed of the operation command to the master unit can be realized.

  In addition, when a server having a Web server unit, an MQTT server unit, and a database unit and capable of being connected to the Internet line is provided, each unit cooperates with one or a plurality of master units and information communication terminals. And data can be recorded, and access from not only a specific information communication terminal but also a plurality of information communication terminals can be performed.

  Furthermore, since the communication protocol is MQTT, the transfer amount, CPU load, power consumption, etc. can be reduced to about 1/10 of the conventional one, and the processing speed is fast, so that real-time display is possible.

  In addition, when a server having a Web server unit, an MQTT server unit, a WebSocket communication unit, and a database unit and capable of being connected to the Internet line is provided, each unit cooperates to provide one or more parent units. In addition to recording data by relaying between the information processing terminal and the information communication terminal, access from a plurality of information communication terminals as well as a specific information communication terminal becomes possible.

  Furthermore, since the communication protocol is MQTT, the transfer amount, CPU load, power consumption, etc. can be reduced to about 1/10 of the conventional one, and the processing speed is fast, so that real-time display is possible. In addition, by adopting WebSocket as the communication protocol, a communication path capable of real-time bidirectional communication is secured, and data transmission / reception with MQTT is possible without releasing the default communication port of MQTT. .

  In other words, by combining WebSocket and MQTT, when connecting the server to the Internet line, it is only necessary to connect the server to a network environment such as a LAN (Local Area Network) without performing settings such as port opening. , Less installation work.

  Furthermore, by combining WebSocket, which is a communication path capable of real-time bi-directional communication, and MQTT, which is lightweight in data, the response speed from the server to the information communication terminal or base unit is higher than when using a conventional communication protocol. Thus, real-time display of operation information of the slave unit or the like, and improvement of the reflection speed of the operation command to the master unit can be realized.

  In addition, when a relay slave unit that relays the management signal is provided between the master unit and the slave unit, a large facility where the distance between the master unit and the slave unit is long, and signals are difficult to reach. Even in a facility, a signal can be suitably sent.

  When the slave unit includes a relay communication unit that relays one or both of the management signal and the control signal, the slave unit itself can control one or both of the management signal and the control signal without using the relay slave unit. Can be relayed. For example, if there are multiple slave units, you can relay management signals from a slave unit close to the master unit to a remote slave unit, and if a part of the slave unit breaks down, the signal will be interrupted there, It is also possible to identify a failed slave unit.

  In order to achieve the above object, a demand controller according to the present invention includes a control signal receiving unit that is connected to a terminal device so as to be controllable and receives a control signal of the terminal device generated outside the device, and the terminal device Connected to an external power demand monitoring device connected to a slave unit having a management signal transmitting unit for generating and transmitting a management signal for transmitting an operation status, a management signal receiving unit for receiving the management signal, and the same power demand monitoring An alert receiver that receives an alert issued by the device that indicates that the maximum power demand is imminent or has reached the set value within the unit time, and the maximum power demand within the unit time is set according to the content of the received alert. A control signal transmission unit that generates and transmits the control signal to be switched to an operation that does not exceed the slave unit, and is connected to the Internet line, and is either the received management signal or the alert The square or both and transmits to the information communication terminal, and a base unit and a Internet communication unit for receiving a signal from the information communication terminal.

  Here, the slave unit can control the connected terminal device based on the control signal received from the master unit by having the control signal receiving unit, and the management signal transmitting unit can operate the terminal device. A management signal that conveys the situation can be generated and transmitted to the master unit.

  The master unit can receive the management signal from the slave unit by having the management signal receiving unit, and can also receive the alert from the power demand monitoring apparatus by having the alert receiving unit. And the main | base station can generate | occur | produce the control signal to the terminal device according to the content of the above-mentioned received alert by having a control signal transmission part, and can transmit to a subunit | mobile_unit. It is possible to prevent the connected terminal device from being in an operation state in which the maximum demand power within a unit time exceeds the set value.

  Furthermore, since the master unit has an Internet communication unit, it is possible to transmit either one or both of the received management signal and alert to the information communication terminal via the Internet line. Can remotely monitor the operating status of a power demand controller installed at a remote location through the Internet. A signal from the information communication terminal can be received by the Internet communication unit.

  According to this demand controller, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost by concentrating the function of generating a control signal according to the alert on the parent device and simplifying the child device, and thus the terminal device to be installed As a result of this increase, the introduction cost due to the expansion of slave units can be suppressed.

  In order to achieve the above object, the master unit of the demand controller of the present invention receives a management signal that is generated and transmitted by an external slave unit and that reports the operation status of the terminal device connected to the slave unit. A receiving unit, an alert receiving unit that receives an alert from the connected external power demand monitoring device that the maximum demand power is imminent or reached the set value within a unit time, and the content of the received alert A control signal transmission unit that generates a control signal for switching to an operation in which the maximum demand power within a unit time does not exceed a set value according to the control signal transmission unit, connected to an Internet line, and the received management signal and the An Internet communication unit that transmits one or both of the alerts to the information communication terminal and receives a signal from the information communication terminal.

  Here, the master unit can receive the management signal from the slave unit by having the management signal receiving unit, and can also receive the alert from the power demand monitoring apparatus by having the alert receiving unit. it can. And the main | base station can generate | occur | produce the control signal to the terminal device according to the content of the above-mentioned received alert by having a control signal transmission part, and can transmit to a subunit | mobile_unit. It is possible to prevent the connected terminal device from being in an operation state in which the maximum demand power within a unit time exceeds the set value.

  Furthermore, since the master unit has an Internet communication unit, it is possible to transmit either one or both of the received management signal and alert to the information communication terminal via the Internet line. Can remotely monitor the operating status of a power demand controller installed at a remote location through the Internet. A signal from the information communication terminal can be received by the Internet communication unit.

  According to the main unit of this demand controller, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost by concentrating the function of generating the control signal according to the alert on the main unit and simplifying the sub unit. The cost of introduction due to the expansion of slave units accompanying the increase in terminal devices to be managed can be suppressed.

  Further, in a facility that employs the power demand management system described in Patent Document 1, the above-described power demand remote management system or demand controller of the present invention can be obtained by replacing the existing base unit with the master unit of the demand controller of the present invention. In addition, the existing handset can be used as it is, so the cost for introducing the system can be suppressed and the trouble of installing the new handset can be saved.

  In order to achieve the above object, the power demand remote management method of the present invention is a first method in which a slave unit to which a terminal device is controllably connected generates and transmits a management signal that conveys the operating status of the terminal device. A second step in which a power demand monitoring device connected to the cubicle transmits an alert that is issued when the maximum demand power approaches or reaches a set value within a unit time; A third step of receiving the alert, and transmitting one or both of the received management signal and the alert to the information communication terminal via the Internet line.

  Here, in the power demand remote management method, the master unit transmits the management signal received from the slave unit or the alert received from the power demand monitoring device to the information communication terminal via the Internet line, thereby An administrator or the like can remotely monitor the operating status of a power demand controller installed at a remote location through the Internet.

According to the power demand remote management system of the present invention, a user can remotely monitor the operation status of a power demand controller that is installed at a remote location and is under automatic control through the Internet.
Further, by using the demand controller of the present invention, it is possible to allow a user to remotely monitor the operating status of a power demand controller that is automatically controlled and installed at a remote location through the Internet.
Furthermore, by using the master unit of the demand controller of the present invention, it is possible to allow a user to remotely monitor the operating status of the power demand controller under automatic control installed at a remote location through the Internet.
Furthermore, by using the power demand remote management method according to the present invention, the user can remotely monitor the operating status of the power demand controller under automatic control installed at a remote location through the Internet.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline of the electric power demand remote management system which concerns on this Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of installation of the demand controller in the electric power demand remote management system shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the main | base station of the demand controller shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline of the internal structure of the main | base station shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline of a structure of the server in the electric power demand remote management system shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the network connection procedure of a main | base station. It is the schematic which shows the outline of the network connection state between a main | base station and a server. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the interface which shows the state of the subunit | mobile_unit displayed on the display screen part of the main | base station. It is explanatory drawing which shows the login screen displayed on the screen of an information communication terminal. It is explanatory drawing which shows the user registration screen displayed on the screen of an information communication terminal. It is explanatory drawing which shows the setting and the change screen displayed on the screen of an information communication terminal. It is explanatory drawing which shows the real-time trend screen displayed on the screen of an information communication terminal. It is explanatory drawing which shows the screen showing the subunit | mobile_unit monitor screen, wireless sensitivity, etc. which are displayed on the screen of an information communication terminal. It is explanatory drawing of the screen which shows the subunit | mobile_unit separate display state displayed on the screen of an information communication terminal. It is explanatory drawing which shows the data browsing and download screen displayed on the screen of an information communication terminal. It is explanatory drawing which shows the event information screen displayed on the screen of an information communication terminal. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 1st administrator screen displayed on the screen of an information communication terminal. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 2nd administrator screen displayed on the screen of an information communication terminal. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a power demand management system described in Patent Document 1. FIG.

  The embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. Note that the reference numerals in each figure are given within a range that reduces complexity and facilitates understanding, and a plurality of equivalents to which the same reference numerals are attached may be given only a part thereof. is there.

  Please refer to FIG. The power demand remote management system 1 in FIG. 1 includes demand controllers 2a and 2b, a server 4, and information communication terminals 51, 52, and 53 (hereinafter collectively referred to as “information communication terminals 51 to 53”). Has been. In addition, although the aspect which manages the demand controllers 2a and 2b installed in separate facilities is described in FIG. 1 for convenience, it is not limited to this. For example, one demand controller may be managed. And it may be 3 or more. Hereinafter, each part will be described with reference mainly to FIGS.

  Please refer to FIG. FIG. 2 shows an example of the demand controller 2a and peripheral devices connected thereto, and the demand controller 2a according to the present embodiment is a portion surrounded by a broken line. Since the demand controllers 2a and 2b have the same configuration, the description of the demand controller 2b is omitted. Terminal devices 301, 302, and 303 (hereinafter collectively referred to as “terminal devices 301 to 303”) are outdoor units of an air conditioner, and are examples of terminal devices.

(Power demand monitoring device)
A cubicle 31 shown outside the broken line in FIG. 2 is a facility that receives power from outside the facility at a high voltage, and a power demand monitoring device 32 is connected to the inside. In FIG. 2, the power demand monitoring device 32 is shown outside the cubicle 31 for convenience of explanation. The power demand monitoring device 32 is connected to the parent device 21 by wire or wirelessly, and issues an alert when the maximum demand power approaches or reaches a set value within a unit time.

  The power demand monitoring device is used in combination with, for example, an existing demand monitoring device (without a communication function to the parent device 21), and has a function capable of being connected to the parent device 21 by wire or wirelessly. An apparatus that can transmit an alert issued by the demand monitoring device to the parent device 21 (a kind of relay child device) may be adopted. In this case, the existing demand monitoring apparatus can be used continuously, and advantages such as installation cost reduction and introduction work period shortening can be expected.

(Demand controller)
The demand controller 2a includes a single parent device 21, a plurality of child devices 25 (three in this embodiment), and a relay child device 26 (one in this embodiment). In FIG. 2, for convenience of explanation, the master unit 21 is shown outside the cubicle 31. However, the master unit 21 is connected to the power demand monitoring device 32 in a wired manner and accommodated in the cubicle 31. Alternatively, the power demand monitoring device 32 may be connected to the power demand monitoring device 32 in a wired or wireless manner and installed in a management building of the facility.

<Master unit>
Please refer to FIG. The parent device 21 includes an electronic computer inside, and a display screen section 211 for information output via the electronic computer is provided on the front surface of the housing 210. An antenna 212 for signal transmission / reception is provided on one side surface of the housing 210. On the side opposite to the side where the antenna 212 of the housing 210 is provided, the main body power switch 213, the air vent 214 communicating with the inside of the housing 210, and the computer can be used to input and output data. USB port 215 and AC inlet hole 216 for supplying power are provided. The display screen unit 211 also serves as an operation unit and is a touch panel screen.

  Please refer to FIG. The parent device 21 incorporates a communication device (not shown), and an electronic computer having a communication unit 22, an arithmetic processing unit 23, and a storage unit 24.

  The communication unit 22 includes an Internet communication unit 221, a wireless signal transmission / reception unit 224, and an alert reception unit 225.

  The Internet communication unit 221 includes an MQTT conversion unit 222 and a Websocket communication unit 223. The MQTT conversion unit 222 converts the received management signal or alert into a message based on the communication protocol “MQTT” (generates a message) and transmits the message, and an MQTT format message (operation) received from the information communication terminals 51 to 53. Command) and other data formats. The Websocket communication unit 223 has a function of performing Internet connection with the server 4 or the information communication terminals 51 to 53 through a WebSocket communication path.

  The radio signal transmitting / receiving unit 224 has a function of receiving a management signal transmitted from each slave unit 25 (via the relay slave unit 26 in FIG. 4) and transmitting a control signal generated by the arithmetic processing unit 23. The alert receiving unit 225 has a function of receiving an alert received from the power demand monitoring device 32. The wireless communication used here adopts the ZigBee standard.

  The arithmetic processing unit 23 includes a management signal analysis unit 231, an alert information analysis unit 232, an input information analysis unit 233, a control signal generation unit 234, an image information generation unit 235, and a setting unit 236.

  The management signal analysis unit 231 has a function of analyzing the management signal received from each slave unit 25, converting it into data, and recording it in the storage unit 24. The alert information analysis unit 232 has a function of analyzing the alert received from the power demand monitoring device 32, converting it into data, and recording it in the storage unit 24. The input information analysis unit 233 has a function of analyzing an operation command or the like transmitted through the display screen unit 211 or the information communication terminals 51 to 53, converting it into data, and recording it in the storage unit 24.

  The control signal generation unit 234 has a function of reading alert or operation command data recorded in the storage unit 24, generating a control signal, and transmitting the control signal to each slave unit 25 through the wireless signal transmission / reception unit 224. The image information generation unit 235 has a function of reading the management signal and alert data recorded in the storage unit 24 to generate image information, and displaying the image on the display screen unit 211 of the parent device 21. Further, the image information generation unit 235 has a function of recording the above-described image in the storage unit 24 and transmitting the image to the information communication terminals 51 to 53 through the Internet communication unit 221 in response to a request from the information communication terminals 51 to 53. Have.

  The setting unit 236 reads the information of the slave unit 25 and the relay slave unit 26 and the information of the server 4 to be connected from the storage unit 24 or holds it directly, and an operation performed directly on the master unit 21 through the display screen unit 211. Alternatively, it has a function capable of changing the setting by an operation performed on the base unit 21 online through the information communication terminals 51 to 53.

<Slave unit>
The subunit | mobile_unit 25 incorporates the radio | wireless communication apparatus and the electronic computer (all are not shown in figure) inside, and each has the same structure. The slave unit 25 has a function of receiving a control signal generated by the master unit 21 by the program installed in the electronic computer (the above-described control signal receiving unit) and a function of generating a management signal and transmitting it to the master unit 21 (The aforementioned management signal transmission unit). The management signal is a signal obtained by converting data related to the operation status of each of the connection destination terminal devices 301 to 303. As data related to the operation status, information that can be quantified obtained from each terminal device 301 or the like, For example, a current value, a pressure value, a noise value, an abnormal value, and the like can be given.

<Relay slave unit>
The relay slave unit 26 has a function of relaying a management signal between the master unit 21 and each slave unit 25. The relay slave unit 26 is a vast facility where the distance between the master unit 21 and each slave unit 25 is long. Even in a facility where signals are difficult to reach, signals can be sent suitably.

(server)
The configuration of the server 4 will be described with reference to FIG. The server 4 includes a web server unit 41, an MQTT server unit 42, a web socket communication unit 43, an application unit 44, and a database unit 45.

  The Web server unit 41 is connected to the Internet line 8 and transmits / receives data to / from the parent device 21 and the information communication terminals 51 to 53. The MQTT server unit 42 performs processing based on the MQTT protocol, and relays or generates data in the MQTT format. In the present embodiment, the MQTT server unit 42 has Moquitto installed as server (broker) side software, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an MQTT broker such as RabbitMQ (registered trademark) Other software that satisfies the requirements such as functions may be used.

  The Websocket communication unit 43 includes an upgrade file 431 and a setting file 432, and secures a communication path between the parent device 21 and the information communication terminals 51 to 53 by the Websocket method. This communication is performed through the HTTPS communication port 443. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the communication may be performed through the HTTP communication port 80.

  The application unit 44 performs MQTT communication on the Websocket by cooperating with the MQTT server unit 42 and the Websocket communication unit 43. The database unit 45 accumulates various programs, applications, or data. The server 4 includes the Websocket communication unit 43, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the server 4 is in a network environment in which the port 1883, which is the MQTT default communication port, can be opened. The communication unit 43 may be omitted.

(Information communication terminals 51, 52, 53)
The information communication terminal 51 is a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “PC”), and the user U1 is a person who has the authority to centrally manage the demand controllers 2a and 2b. When the user U1 logs in with the administrator ID and password, the operation information of the demand controllers 2a and 2b is displayed as an image on the monitor of the PC, which is the information communication terminal 51, and can be managed from a location away from the master unit 21. It becomes possible.

  The information communication terminal 52 is a tablet terminal, and the user U2 is an administrator in a facility where the demand controller 2a is installed. When the user U2 logs in with the ID and password assigned to the demand controller 2a, the operation information of the demand controller 2a managed by the user U2 is displayed on the information communication terminal 52 and managed even from a location away from the parent device 21. It becomes possible.

  The information communication terminal 53 is a smartphone, and the user U3 is an administrator in a facility where the demand controller 2b is installed. When the user U3 logs in with the ID and password assigned to the demand controller 2b, the operation information of the demand controller 2b managed by the user U3 is displayed on the information communication terminal 53 and managed even from a location away from the parent device 21. It becomes possible. The information communication terminal may be a mobile phone, a PHS, or the like in addition to the above-described PC.

  In the present embodiment, the communication between the master unit 21, the slave unit 25, or the relay slave unit 26 of the demand controller 2a is a wireless system based on the ZigBee standard. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In an environment where there is no or a hard-to-reach environment, wired connection is useful, and a mode in which wired connection is performed for an important terminal device that requires reliable operation may be employed. In the case of wired connection, the relay slave unit 26 may not be provided, and the relay slave unit 26 may not be provided even when the radio wave condition between each slave unit 25 and the master unit 21 is good. Furthermore, the wireless communication standard is not limited to ZigBee, and for example, a communication method based on a wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or other communication standards may be employed.

  In this Embodiment, the subunit | mobile_unit 25 may have not only the operating condition of the terminal devices 301-303 but the observation function of surrounding environment. When the monitoring function of the surrounding environment is provided, for example, information on the surrounding environment in the vicinity of the terminal device (for example, observation data such as temperature and noise around the terminal device) can be transmitted to the parent device, and the control signal can be generated. It can be used as judgment material. “Ambient environment” means information that can be quantified in a peripheral environment such as a terminal device, for example, temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, volume, and the like.

  Moreover, the subunit | mobile_unit 25 may have a relay communication part which relays one or both of a management signal and a control signal. In this case, even if the relay slave unit 26 is not used, the slave unit 25 itself can relay one or both of the management signal and the control signal. When there are a plurality of slave units 25, a management signal or the like can be relayed from a slave unit close to the master unit 21 to a remote slave unit. If a part of the slave unit breaks down, the signal is interrupted there. Therefore, it is possible to identify the failed slave unit.

  Even if a signal is interrupted due to a failure of a part of the slave unit, the master unit 21 can automatically switch the connection route for communication between slave units (for example, when the master unit detects a signal disruption, By changing the setting so that a counterclockwise communication path is added to the communication path that is only clockwise when viewed from the normal master unit, etc., it is possible to continue communication with slave units other than the faulty slave unit. can do. Further, as will be described later, information on the failed slave unit is notified from the master unit 25 to the information communication terminal 51 of the user U1 and can be confirmed on the display screen of FIG.

  The demand controller 2a may include not only the slave unit 25 connected so as to control the terminal devices 301 to 303 but also an observation slave unit (not shown) used only for observation purposes. When equipped with an observation slave unit, information on the surrounding environment away from the terminal device (for example, observation data such as temperature and noise at a location away from the terminal device by a predetermined distance) can be transmitted to the master unit, and control signal generation can be performed. It can be used as judgment material.

In the present embodiment, a power demand management program is installed in the computer of the parent device 21, and this program is
(A) a function of receiving a management signal that is generated and transmitted by the slave unit 25 and that conveys the operating status of the terminal devices 301 to 303;
(B) a function of receiving an alert when the maximum demand power approaches or reaches a set value within a unit time (for example, every 30 minutes) issued by the power demand monitoring device 32;
(C) Generate control signals to the terminal devices 301 to 303 for switching the operation so that the maximum demand power within the unit time does not exceed the set value according to the content of the received alert, and transmit the control signal to each slave unit 25 function,
(D) The contents of one or both of the received management signal and alert are converted into a message in MQTT format, and are sent to the server 4 or the information communication terminals 51 to 53 via the Internet line 8 via the WebSocket communication path. Function to send,
(E) a function of receiving an MQTT format message (operation command or the like) from the server 4 or the information communication terminals 51 to 53 via the Internet line 8 and converting the message into another data format;
Is given to the base unit 21.

  According to this program, in accordance with the content of the received alert, the operation for preventing the power consumption of each terminal device 301 to 303 connected to each slave unit 25 from exceeding the set value of the maximum demand power within a unit time. Is generated and transmitted, and the terminal devices 301 to 303 are operated based on the control signal, thereby preventing an operation situation exceeding the set value of the power demand. That is, by causing the parent device 21 and each child device 25 to cooperate, the terminal devices 301 to 303 can be automatically controlled so as not to exceed the set value of the power demand.

  In addition, according to this program, one or both of the management signal and alert received by the base unit 21 can be transmitted to the information communication terminals 51 to 53 via the Internet line 8. U1 to U3 can remotely monitor the operating status of the power demand controllers 2a and 2b installed at remote locations.

  Further, according to this program, a message in MQTT format is transmitted via the WebSocket communication path, either one or both of a management signal and an alert from the base unit 21, and an operation command from the information communication terminals 51 to 53 is transmitted. Can be received. Furthermore, according to this program, since the connection is made to the Internet line 8 through the WebSocket communication path, the network can be simply connected to the network environment such as a LAN without setting the port open. Can be connected to.

  Note that this program is installed not only in a mode in which the computer is installed in the base unit 21 but also in a case where the program is installed in a computer externally connected to the base unit 21 and a control signal generated via the base unit 21 is generated. It does not exclude aspects such as transmission.

(Work)
With reference to FIGS. 1-18, the effect | action of the electric power demand remote management system 1 is demonstrated. First, the operation (monitoring and control of power demand) of the demand controller 2a in the facility installed with reference to FIG. 2 to FIG. 4 and FIG. 8 will be described. And remote management in the power demand remote management system 1 will be described in this order.

[Operation of demand controller 2a in facility (monitoring and controlling power demand)]
(1) The power demand monitoring device 32 connected to the cubicle 31 issues an alert when the maximum demand power approaches or reaches a set value within a unit time.

  (2) Each cordless handset 25 transmits the operating status (operating status or abnormality at the time of failure) of the connected terminal devices 301 to 303 as a management signal. At this time, the relay slave unit 26 relays signals between places where radio waves are difficult to reach or between remote master and slave units.

  (3) The base unit 21 receives the alert and the management signal, performs calculation based on the contents of the received alert and the management signal by the built-in electronic computer, and the terminal devices 301 to 303 connected to the slave units 25. Generates a control signal for achieving a suitable operating environment, and transmits the control signal to each slave unit 25. By this control signal, a suitable operation according to the installed terminal device is achieved, for example, power resources are distributed to the terminal device having a high operation priority within a range that does not exceed the set value related to the power demand.

  (4) The operation status of the terminal devices 301 to 303 is displayed on the display screen unit 211 of the parent device 21 by the user interface generated by the image information generation unit 235. In addition, the master unit 21 can be switched to various display screens such as the operating status of each slave unit 25 or the power consumption of the entire installation facility according to the input from the display screen unit 211 that is a touch panel type. It is possible to perform operations such as changing the setting values of the slave unit or the whole. Note that operations such as changing the setting values of the individual slave units or the whole can also be performed using a recording medium such as a USB connected from the USB port 215.

  As an example of the above-described user interface, FIG. 8 shows a display example of the operation status of the terminal device connected to the slave unit. Specifically, a situation is shown in which the slave is operating at an output of 40%. The operation output can be adjusted manually through a program by touching a GUI (Graphical User Interface) switch (icon) displayed on the screen.

[Connection between the base unit 21 and the server 4 in the power demand remote management system 1]
(5) The network connection procedure of the parent device 21 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
(A) Connection step S1
The base unit 21 is activated. After startup, the connection information setting file set in the parent device 21 is read. The connection information is, for example, a connection destination server URL, a connection user name, a connection password, a file upload URL, a file upload user name, a file upload password, and the like. These pieces of information are encrypted after being set in the base unit 21. .

(A) Connection step S2
After connecting with TCP (HTTPS port 443), it is upgraded to Websocket. The base unit 21 sends a handshake request to the server 4 in order to establish a Websocket connection. The server 4 side interprets it as an HTTPS request, and then switches to Websocket. If the Websocket connection is successful, the process returns to connection step S3. If the Websocket connection is not successful, the process returns to connection step S1, and connection information setting is retried.

(C) Connection step S3
The MQTT is connected on the connected Websocket. Connection is performed using the device ID of the parent device 21 as the MQTT client ID. If the MQTT connection is successful, go to connection step 4; otherwise, the MQTT connection is retried.

(D) Connection step S4
After the MQTT connection is completed, the setting file of the parent device 21 is uploaded to the server 4 in order to synchronize the setting information of the parent device 21 and the server 4.

(E) Connection step S5
Various information collected by the base unit 21 is published (issued) in the data message Topic of the device ID, and the application of the server 4 and the Web client subscribe to the published information and subscribe to the database. The latest information is displayed.

  In addition, the base device 21 subscribes the notification message Topic of the device ID, and receives notification message information from this Topic. Accordingly, the switch operation and the like from the Web browser performed by the user U1 who is an administrator is immediately reflected in each child device 25, and the real time operation from the parent device 21 to each child device 25 is enabled.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a network connection state between the parent device 21 and the server 4 in the power demand remote management system 1. As described above, communication between the parent device 21 and the server 4 is performed in such a manner that the message 86 (data) according to the MQTT protocol is transmitted and received through the communication path 85 called Websocket. At this time, the communication port of the Web server unit 41 is No. 433. The MQTT server unit 42 relays messages, and the Websocket communication unit 43 establishes connection as described above.

[Remote management in the power demand remote management system 1]
(6) Referring mainly to FIGS. 9 to 17, information displayed on the information communication terminal on the user side in the power demand remote management system 1 (particularly information displayed on the information communication terminal 51 of the user U1). explain. Note that the user U1 is a person entrusted with management by a plurality of customers who have installed the demand controller, and uses a special authority ID and password that can access the demand controller of each customer. On the other hand, customers such as users U2 and U3 use a general authority ID and password accessible only to the demand controller managed by them, and browse and manage information only for the demand controllers managed by themselves. be able to.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the web browser screen of the information communication terminals 51 to 53 is displayed on the login screen to the power demand remote management system 1. Log in to the system by entering the administrator's ID and password in the input boxes on this screen. As shown in FIG. 10, a user registration screen is displayed on the Web browser screen of the information communication terminals 51 to 53 after login. Information such as registered user names and person-in-charge names is displayed in each input frame of this screen, and such information and login password can be changed on this screen.

  The screen shown in FIG. 11 is a setting and changing screen. On this screen, a list of registered slave units 25 and a system setting state are displayed, and various setting contents such as a sampling interval and a data collection interval can be changed. It can be carried out. The screen shown in FIG. 12 is a real-time trend screen, and the transition of power consumption can be confirmed with a graph. The screen shown in FIG. 13 is a monitor screen of each slave unit 25, and information such as wireless sensitivity can be confirmed.

  The screen shown in FIG. 14 is a slave unit individual display screen, where the current power consumption of each slave unit can be confirmed, and individual operation contents can be switched for each slave unit by the operation switch displayed on the GUI. . The screen shown in FIG. 15 is a data browsing and download screen. The collected data can be confirmed in a list format, and the data can be downloaded in a CSV format.

  The screen shown in FIG. 16 is an event information screen, and event information (switch OFF, connection start, connection disconnection) that occurred in each slave unit and date and time data when the event occurred can be confirmed in a list form. Data can be downloaded in CSV format.

  The screen shown in FIG. 17 is an administrator screen (customer screen), and more specifically, an administrator screen for centrally managing a plurality of facilities where the power demand remote management system 1 is installed. On this screen, a customer ID, a customer name, and a management icon (GUI) for each customer are displayed in a list form for each business operator, and items to be emphasized (for example, “disconnecting at the top”, “(demand Customers (facilities) that have trouble (such as “exceeding an alarm in the upper rank”) can be set to the upper column.

  The screen shown in FIG. 18 is an administrator screen (status display screen of each parent device), more specifically, an administrator screen for centrally managing a plurality of facilities where the power demand remote management system 1 is installed. On this screen, for each business operator, the customer ID and customer name, the alarm occurrence status of the parent device for each customer, the radio wave intensity status, the presence / absence of alarm occurrence and the date and time are displayed in a list format (for example, , Customers (facility) having troubles such as “disconnecting to the top” and “(alarm exceeding (demand exceeded) alarming to the top”) can be set to appear in the top column.

  In this way, according to the power demand remote management system 1, each slave unit 25 does not exceed the demand value set for the terminal devices 301 to 303 based on the control signal generated by the master unit 21 such as the demand controller 2a. In addition to automatically performing necessary and detailed control, the user U1 and the like can remotely monitor the operation status of the power demand controller 2a and the like installed at a remote place through the Internet.

In addition, data transmission / reception between the parent device 21 and the server 4 and between the server 4 and the browsers of the information communication terminals 51 to 53 is performed using MQTT messages through a WebSocket communication path.
(A) Since the data is lighter than the communication using the conventional HTTP or the like, the transfer amount, CPU load, power consumption, etc. can be reduced to about 1/10 of the conventional one.
(B) By combining WebSocket, which is a communication path capable of real-time bi-directional communication, and MQTT, which is lightweight in data, the information communication terminals 51-53 and the base unit 21 can be used as compared with the case where the conventional communication method is adopted. Since the response speed between the mobile device 25 and the mobile device 25 is improved, real-time display of the operation information of the slave device 25 or the like, or the improvement of the reflection speed of the operation command to the master device 21 can be realized.
(C) Since one-to-many communication is possible, a single administrator can centrally manage many installed units,
(D) By combining WebSocket and MQTT, when the base unit 21 is installed, the Internet can be obtained by simply connecting the base unit 21 to a network environment such as a LAN of the installation facility without performing special settings such as opening a port. Since it can be connected to, there is less time and effort during installation,
(E) With the function “Will” unique to MQTT, it is possible to know the disconnection of communication with the child device or the parent device.
There is an effect.

  If the power demand management system 9 of Patent Document 1 is already installed, the existing power unit 91 can be upgraded to the power demand remote management system 1 simply by replacing the base unit 91 with the base unit 21 in the present embodiment. can do. That is, since it is only necessary to replace the base unit 21 (no need to replace all devices), the installation cost can be reduced and the construction period can be shortened.

  In the present embodiment, the alert includes, for example, an alarm that is issued when the set value is reached, a warning that is issued when the remaining power value up to the set value falls below 25%, and the remaining power value up to the set value is 15%. It can be set to various signals such as an alarm that is issued when the power is turned off, a limit that is issued when the remaining power value up to the set value is less than 5%, and these numerical values and alert types can meet the user's needs. It can be set accordingly.

  In other words, the demand controller 2a and the like in the present embodiment is improved in user convenience and energy saving, unlike a conventional demand management device that uniformly limits output so as not to exceed the demand numerical value. It is also improved. Since the demand controller 2a, etc. prevents the demand upper limit from being exceeded, the increase in running costs due to the revision of the power contract is suppressed, and the realization of energy-saving activities that are being reviewed as the amount of power supply decreases recently It leads to.

  Further, when the number of slave units is increased when adding terminal devices, it is only necessary to change the program setting of the master unit 21, so that it is not necessary to replace all new devices, and the installation cost can be reduced and the construction period can be shortened. . Note that the demand controller 2a concentrates the function of generating control signals and the Internet communication function on the parent device 21, and suppresses the manufacturing cost by simplifying each child device 25. As a result, the terminal device 301, etc. The introduction cost due to the extension of the handset 25 accompanying the increase in the number can be suppressed.

  The terms and expressions used in the present specification and claims are for illustrative purposes only, and are not intended to be limiting in any way. The features described in the present specification and claims and their There is no intention of excluding some equivalent terms and expressions. It goes without saying that various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Power demand remote management system 2a, 2b Demand controller 21 Base unit 210 Case 211 Display screen part 212 Antenna 231 Switch 214 Vent hole 215 USB port 216 AC inlet hole 22 Communication part 221 Internet communication part 222 MQTT conversion part 223 Websocket communication part 224 Radio signal transmission / reception unit 225 Alert reception unit 23 Operation processing unit 231 Management signal analysis unit 232 Alert information analysis unit 233 Input information analysis unit 234 Control signal generation unit 235 Image information generation unit 236 Setting unit 24 Storage unit 25 Child device 26 Relay element Machine 301, 302, 303 Terminal device 31 Cubicle 32 Power demand monitoring device 4 Server 41 Web server unit 42 MQTT server unit 43 Websocket communication unit 431 Version Up file 432 Setting file 44 Application section 45 Database section 51, 52, 53 Information communication terminal 8 Internet line 85 Communication path 86 Message U1, U2, U3 User S1 Connection step S2 Connection step S3 Connection step S4 Connection step S5 Connection step 9 Power Demand management system 91 Master unit 92 First slave unit 93 Third slave unit 95 Cubicle 94 Power demand monitoring device 95 Cubicle 96 Terminal device

Claims (10)

An information communication terminal;
A control signal receiving unit that receives the control signal of the terminal device that is connected to the terminal device in a controllable manner and is generated outside the device, and a management signal transmission that generates and transmits a management signal that conveys the operating status of the terminal device A handset having a part,
A management signal receiving unit that receives the management signal and an alert that is connected to an external power demand monitoring device and is issued by the power demand monitoring device, indicating that the maximum demand power is imminent or reached a set value within a unit time. And a control signal transmission unit that generates the control signal for switching to an operation in which the maximum demand power within a unit time does not exceed a set value according to the content of the received alert and transmits the operation signal to the slave unit And an Internet communication unit that is connected to the Internet line and transmits either or both of the received management signal and the alert to the information communication terminal and receives a signal from the information communication terminal Power demand remote management system. In cooperation with the Internet communication unit, either one or both of the management signal transmitted / received by the parent device and the alert received by the parent device are converted into a signal based on an MQTT communication protocol to the information communication terminal. The power demand remote management system according to claim 1, further comprising an MQTT conversion unit that transmits and converts a signal based on the MQTT communication protocol received from the information communication terminal into a signal that can be processed in the base unit. In cooperation with the Internet communication unit, either one or both of the management signal transmitted / received by the parent device and the alert received by the parent device are converted into a signal based on an MQTT communication protocol to the information communication terminal. An MQTT converter for transmitting and converting a signal based on the MQTT communication protocol received from the information communication terminal into a signal that can be processed in the master unit;
The power demand remote management according to claim 1, further comprising: a WebSocket communication unit that cooperates with the Internet communication unit and the MQTT conversion unit and performs communication path connection using a WebSocket communication protocol as a path capable of transmitting and receiving a signal based on the MQTT communication protocol. system. The power demand remote management system according to claim 2, further comprising a server that includes a Web server unit, an MQTT server unit, and a database unit and is connectable to an Internet line. The power demand remote management system according to claim 3, further comprising a server that includes a Web server unit, an MQTT server unit, a WebSocket communication unit, and a database unit, and is connectable to an Internet line. The power demand remote management according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, further comprising: a relay slave that relays the management signal between the master and the slave. system. The power demand remote management according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, wherein the slave unit includes a relay communication unit that relays one or both of the management signal and the control signal. system. A control signal receiving unit that receives the control signal of the terminal device that is connected to the terminal device in a controllable manner and is generated outside the device, and a management signal transmission that generates and transmits a management signal that conveys the operating status of the terminal device A handset having a part,
A management signal receiving unit that receives the management signal and an alert that is connected to an external power demand monitoring device and is issued by the power demand monitoring device, indicating that the maximum demand power is imminent or reached a set value within a unit time. And a control signal transmission unit that generates the control signal for switching to an operation in which the maximum demand power within a unit time does not exceed a set value according to the content of the received alert and transmits the operation signal to the slave unit And an Internet communication unit that is connected to the Internet line and transmits either or both of the received management signal and the alert to the information communication terminal and receives a signal from the information communication terminal And a demand controller. A management signal receiving unit that receives and transmits a management signal that is generated and transmitted by the slave unit outside the machine and that reports the operating status of the terminal device connected to the slave unit;
An alert receiving unit that receives an alert from the connected external power demand monitoring device that the maximum demand power is imminent or reached the set value within a unit time; and
A control signal transmission unit that generates a control signal for switching to an operation in which the maximum demand power within a unit time does not exceed a set value according to the content of the received alert, and transmits the control signal to the slave unit;
A parent of a demand controller, which is connected to an Internet line and includes an Internet communication unit that transmits one or both of the received management signal and the alert to the information communication terminal and receives a signal from the information communication terminal. Machine. A slave unit to which the terminal device is connected in a controllable manner generates and transmits a management signal that conveys the operating status of the terminal device;
A second step in which a power demand monitoring device connected to the cubicle transmits an alert that is issued when the maximum demand power approaches or reaches a set value within a unit time;
A third unit that receives the management signal or the alert and transmits either or both of the received management signal and the alert to the information communication terminal via the Internet line. Remote management method.