JP2023168115A - Circuit breaker and distribution switchboard - Google Patents

Abstract

To receive information that a user requires when needed with a higher probability via a terminal when power fails.SOLUTION: A circuit breaker 1 includes: an acquisition part 121; a storage part 10a; a reception part 11; a communication part 13; and a backup power supply. The acquisition part 121 acquires power failure information including cause information and power restoration information including procedure information according to occurrence of power failure. The cause information is related to a cause of the power failure, and the procedure information is related to procedures of power restoration corresponding to the cause. The storage part 10a stores the power failure information and the power restoration information. The reception part 11 receives predetermined operation. The communication part 13 starts a communication process according to the predetermined operation, and transmits at least one of the power failure information and the power restoration information to a terminal. The backup power supply supplies power at least to the communication part 13 during a power failure period from the power failure to the power restoration.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present disclosure relates to a circuit breaker and a power distribution board, and more particularly, to a circuit breaker and a power distribution board having a communication function.

Patent Document 1 describes a power distribution system that detects the occurrence of a power outage and transmits recovery information (power restoration information including procedure information regarding the power restoration procedure) including procedures for restoring (power restoration) from the power outage to an information terminal. board, is written on it. This distribution board has a backup power source including a secondary battery such as a nickel-metal hydride battery, and can transmit recovery information using the power supplied from the backup power source in the event of a power outage.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-72639

Power outages occur due to various causes, such as overcurrent, electrical leakage, and earthquakes. The user needs to perform an operation for power restoration (for example, turning on a breaker) in a procedure depending on the cause of the power outage.

Generally, a user needs power restoration information when performing an operation for power restoration (hereinafter simply referred to as "at the time of power restoration"). A power outage is often caused by overcurrent, and in the case of a power outage due to overcurrent, operations to restore power are often performed immediately after the power outage occurs (for example, within a few minutes). However, if the cause of the power outage is an electrical leak or an earthquake, operations to restore power may be performed a considerable amount of time (for example, several hours to several days) after the power outage occurs.

In most cases, the above-mentioned distribution boards can receive the recovery information that the user needs from the distribution board via the information terminal when necessary, but for example, if a power outage occurs due to an earthquake, etc. If the backup power supply becomes too long, the backup power supply may run low, making it difficult to receive recovery information.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a circuit breaker and a distribution board that allow users to receive the information they need, when they need it, through their terminals with a higher probability when a power outage occurs.

A circuit breaker according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition section, a storage section, a reception section, a communication section, and a backup power source. The acquisition unit acquires power outage information and power restoration information in response to occurrence of a power outage. The power outage information includes cause information. The cause information is information regarding the cause of the power outage. The power restoration information includes procedure information. The procedure information is information regarding a power restoration procedure corresponding to the cause. The storage unit stores the power outage information and the power restoration information. The reception unit receives a predetermined operation. The communication unit starts at least a communication process for communicating with the terminal in response to the predetermined operation, and transmits at least one of the power outage information and the power restoration information to the terminal through the communication process. The backup power supply supplies power to at least the communication unit among the acquisition unit, the storage unit, the reception unit, and the communication unit over a power outage period from the power outage to the power restoration.

A distribution board according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the circuit breaker and a box that accommodates the circuit breaker.

When a power outage occurs, the circuit breaker and distribution board of the present disclosure provide the information required by the user (power outage information and/or power restoration information) at the necessary time (for example, immediately after a power outage and/or at the time of power restoration). (immediately before), it has the effect of making it possible to receive it with a higher probability via the terminal.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a power supply system including a distribution board according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a circuit breaker included in the above distribution board. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining part of the operation of the circuit breaker mentioned above. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining another part of the operation of the circuit breaker mentioned above. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the server constituting the above power supply system. Figure 6 shows timing diagrams for explaining the relationship between state changes in each part of the above circuit breaker, notification of the cause and procedure by the terminal application, and user actions based on the notification when a power outage occurs due to an earthquake. It is a chart. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of notification of the cause and procedure by the terminal application. FIG. 8 is an external view of the distribution board same as above.

(1) Main parts As shown in FIG. 2, the circuit breaker 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a storage section 10a, a reception section 11, a processing section 12, a communication section 13, a backup power supply 14, Equipped with The processing unit 12 includes an acquisition unit 121.

(1-1) Processing Unit The processing unit 12 executes various processes. The various types of processing are, for example, acquisition processing by the acquisition unit 121. The processing unit 12 also performs some of the various determinations described in the flowcharts (FIGS. 3 and 4).

(1-1-1) Acquisition Unit The acquisition unit 121 acquires power outage information and power restoration information in response to the occurrence of a power outage.

A power outage in this embodiment refers to a stoppage of power supply from the distribution board 100 to the load 202. The power outage includes, for example, a power outage caused by the power system 201 (hereinafter referred to as a "grid power outage"), a power outage caused by the operation of the circuit breaker 1 (trip of the main breaker 10) (hereinafter referred to as a "home power outage"), It is classified into two types. Furthermore, in-home power outages are subdivided into three types: power outages caused by overcurrent, power outages caused by leakage, and power outages caused by earthquakes.

(1-1-2) Power outage information Power outage information is information regarding a power outage that has occurred. The power outage information includes cause information. Note that the power outage information may further include, for example, time information indicating the time when the power outage occurred.

(1-1-2a) Cause information Cause information is information regarding the cause of a power outage. The cause information may be, for example, a term indicating the cause of the power outage, or a sentence including the term. Examples of terms indicating the cause of a power outage include "grid power outage,""in-home power outage,""overcurrent,""leakage," and "earthquake." Sentences that include terms include, for example, "The cause of the power outage is a problem in the electric power system." and "The cause of the power outage is the operation of the in-house circuit breaker due to an earthquake." Note that the cause information may be, for example, first cause information, which will be described later, or second cause information, which will be described later.

(1-1-3) Power restoration information Power restoration information is information regarding power restoration. Power restoration in this embodiment refers to restarting power supply from the distribution board 100 to the load 202. The power restoration information includes procedure information. Note that the power restoration information provided by the server 30 when a grid power outage occurs may further include information such as a scheduled time for power restoration.

(1-1-3a) Procedure information Procedure information is information regarding the procedure for power restoration corresponding to the cause of the power outage. The procedure information is associated with cause information. For example, the cause information "grid power outage" has the procedure information "Please wait until the power grid is restored.", but the cause information "earthquake" (or "the cause of the power outage is the activation of the in-house circuit breaker due to the earthquake") , Procedure information ``Please follow the steps below. Check to see if the stove etc. has fallen down. Turn off all branch breakers...'' is associated with each item.

(1-1-4) Method for acquiring power outage information For example, the master breaker 10 detects the occurrence of a power outage based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 15, and identifies the cause of the power outage. The main breaker 10 then acquires power outage information including cause information regarding the identified cause, and passes the acquired cause information to the acquisition unit 121.

However, at least one of detecting the power outage and identifying the cause may be performed by an element other than the master breaker 10 (for example, the measurement unit 15) in the circuit breaker 1 (or the distribution board 100). Further, detection of a power outage and identification of the cause may be performed outside the distribution board 100 (for example, the server 30), and power outage information acquired externally may be delivered to the acquisition unit 121.

(1-1-4a) Modified example of how to obtain power outage information Note that when the cause of a power outage is on the power system 201 side, the detection of the power outage and identification of the cause are not performed on the distribution board 100 side, and the server 30 The cause information may be transmitted to the power board 100. In this case, the communication unit 13 receives the cause information transmitted from the server 30 and passes it to the acquisition unit 121.

(1-1-5) Method for acquiring power restoration information (1-1-5a) Group of paired information For example, a group of paired information is stored in the memory of the server 30 in advance. The counter information group is a set of counter information. The pair information is a pair of cause information and procedure information as described above. For example, the pairing information is the first pairing information that is a pair of cause information "grid power outage" and procedure information "Please wait until the power grid is restored." , Please wait."}, Cause information: "Earthquake" and procedure information: "Please follow the steps below. Check to see if the stove has fallen down. Turn off all branch breakers..." second pair information that is a pair, and so on.

(1-1-5b) Acquisition through communication with the server The acquisition unit 121 acquires procedure information by communicating with the server 30 via the communication unit 13 using the power outage information acquired as described above. do. Communication with the server 30 includes transmission of acquired power outage information to the server 30 and reception from the server 30 of procedure information paired with the power outage information.

For example, the cause information "earthquake" is transmitted to the server 30 via the communication unit 13, and the server 30 uses the procedure information paired with the cause information "earthquake" based on the second counter information of the counter information group. Please take the following steps. Is the stove etc. fallen down?" is obtained. The procedure information acquired by the server 30 in this manner is received via the communication unit 13 and delivered to the acquisition unit 121.

(1-1-6) Modification of method for acquiring power restoration information The counter information group may be stored in the memory within the circuit breaker 1 (for example, the memory of the master breaker 10). The acquisition unit 121 may acquire cause information paired with the acquired power outage information using a group of paired information in the memory.

(1-2) Storage Unit The storage unit 10a stores power outage information and power restoration information acquired by the acquisition unit 121.

Specifically, the storage unit 10a first stores power outage information acquired based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 15, and then stores power restoration information acquired from the server 30 based on the power outage information. It is stored in association with the power outage information.

(1-3) Reception Unit The reception unit 11 accepts predetermined operations. The predetermined operation is normally accepted during a power outage period from power outage to power restoration.

(1-3-1) Predetermined Operation The predetermined operation is an operation that serves as a trigger for at least starting communication processing by the communication unit 13. The predetermined operation is, for example, an operation for starting and stopping communication processing (e.g., a continuous operation or a repeated operation), but is not an operation for simply starting communication processing by the communication unit 13. It's okay. Note that the details of the predetermined operation will be described later.

(1-4) Communication unit The communication unit 13 performs communication processing. Communication processing is processing for communication. The communication process is a process for communicating with at least the terminal 40. The communication processing may further include processing for communicating with the server 30. The communication process in this embodiment includes a first communication process and a second communication process.

(1-4-1) First Communication Process The first communication process is a process for communicating with the terminal 40. Communication with the terminal 40 is, for example, short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), and in this embodiment, communication is based on the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) method. The first communication process includes, for example, pairing with the terminal 40, sending various information (power outage information, power restoration information, etc.) to the terminal 40, and the like.

(1-4-2) Second Communication Process The second communication process is a process for communicating with the server 30. Communication with the server 30 is, for example, wide area communication via a wide area network such as the Internet or a communication line network.

(1-4-3) Starting communication processing in response to a predetermined operation The communication unit 13 starts communication processing in response to a predetermined operation. The communication unit 13 in this embodiment starts the first communication process and the second communication process in response to a predetermined operation.

(1-4-4) Sending information to the terminal through the first communication process The communication unit 13 transmits the power outage information and the power recovery information stored in the storage unit 10a to at least one of the terminals through the started first communication process. 40. The communication unit 13 in this embodiment transmits both the stored power outage information and power restoration information to the terminal 40.

However, as described above, the storage unit 10a first stores power outage information based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 15, and then stores power restoration information acquired from the server 30 based on the power outage information. Ru. Therefore, although there is a period in which only power outage information is stored in the storage unit 10a and power restoration information is not stored, only power outage information may be transmitted during such a period.

(1-4-5) Acquisition of power restoration information from the server through the second communication process The acquisition unit 121 transmits the cause information included in the power outage information to the server 30 through the second communication process started by the communication unit 13. , and the procedure information from the server 30, thereby acquiring power restoration information including the procedure information. The power restoration information acquired in this way is stored in the storage unit 10a in association with the power outage information.

In this manner, the communication unit 13 further starts the second communication process in response to a predetermined operation, thereby making it possible to acquire power restoration information including procedure information corresponding to cause information from the server 30. In addition, when the cause of a power outage is outside the circuit breaker 1 (for example, the power system 201), the server 30 sends information regarding the power outage and power restoration (for example, the range of occurrence of the grid power outage and the scheduled power restoration time). Information can be obtained.

(1-4-6) Communication processing immediately after a power outage occurs The communication unit 13 in this embodiment starts communication processing in response to the occurrence of a power outage, and stops the communication processing when a predetermined time has elapsed from the start.

In this way, by automatically executing communication processing over a period from the occurrence of a power outage until a predetermined period of time has elapsed (hereinafter referred to as the "initial communication period"), necessary information (power outage information and power restoration information) can be obtained without any predetermined operations. can send and receive. Therefore, immediately after a power outage occurs, the power outage information and power restoration information are stored in the storage unit 10a, so when a predetermined operation is performed, the power outage information and power restoration information can be promptly transmitted to the terminal 40. becomes.

(1-5) Backup Power Supply The backup power supply 14 supplies power to at least the communication unit 13 when a power outage occurs. The backup power supply 14 in this embodiment supplies power to each of the acquisition unit 121, the storage unit 10a, the reception unit 11, and the communication unit 13 over a power outage period from a power outage to power restoration.

(1-5-1) Secondary Battery Specifically, the backup power supply 14 includes a secondary battery (not shown). The secondary battery is charged with power (regular power) from the power grid 201, and when a power outage occurs, the power (emergency power) stored in the secondary battery is transferred to the acquisition unit 121, the storage unit 10a, the reception unit 11. and the communication unit 13.

The secondary battery in this embodiment is, for example, an electric double layer capacitor. Since the electric double layer capacitor has a small capacitance, the effect of improving the reception probability based on the reduction in power consumption is remarkable.

(1-6) Advantages According to this embodiment, when a power outage occurs, the first communication process and the second communication process are executed over an initial communication period, and power outage information including cause information and power recovery information including procedure information are It is acquired by the acquisition unit 121 and stored in the storage unit 10a. When the predetermined operation is accepted by the reception unit 11, at least a first communication process is started by the communication unit 13, and at least one of the power outage information and the power recovery information stored in the storage unit 10a is transmitted to the terminal through the first communication process. 40. During the power outage period, power for operating the communication unit 13 and the like is supplied from the backup power supply 14.

In this way, the execution period of communication processing by the communication unit 13 is limited to the above-mentioned initial communication period and after a predetermined operation (for example, a period specified by a predetermined operation: hereinafter "designated communication period"), and communication By reducing power consumption for processing, the remaining power of the backup power supply 14 can be conserved. Therefore, when a power outage occurs, the information required by the user (for example, power outage information and power restoration information) can be sent to the terminal 40 at the necessary time (for example, immediately after a power outage and just before power restoration) with a higher probability. will be available for reception.

(2) Details The electricity distribution board 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is used, for example, in a power supply system 2 as shown in FIG.

(2-1) Power Supply System The power supply system 2 includes a power system 201 and a load 202 that receives power from the power system 201 via the distribution board 100. The power system 201 supplies power (common power) to the load 202 via the distribution board 100. The distribution board 100 and the load 202 are arranged inside a residence (inside the house) where each of a plurality of customers of the electric power company that manages the electric power system 201 lives. Hereinafter, the term "customer" refers to one of these multiple customers.

(2-2) Load The load 202 is a household electrical device that operates with power from the power system 201. The load 202 is preferably an IoT device such as an information home appliance, for example. Such a load 202 can be connected to a second network 302 (described below). However, the load 202 may be an electrical device that does not have a connection function to the second network 302.

(2-3) Electrical Path The electric path includes a first electric path 203a and a second electric path 203b. The first electrical circuit 203a is an electrical circuit on the power system 201 side (primary side of the main breaker 10) with respect to the breaker (main breaker 10). The second electrical circuit 203b is an electrical circuit on the load 202 side (secondary side of the main breaker 10) with respect to the breaker (main breaker 10).

(2-4) Terminal The above customer can use the terminal 40. Utilization means, for example, viewing information displayed on a display or outputting audio from a speaker, inputting information via an input device such as a touch panel, and the like.

The terminal 40 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, but may also be a stationary terminal such as a desktop PC (Personal Computer). The mobile terminal is carried by the customer. The stationary terminal is installed in the customer's home.

The terminal 40 in this embodiment is capable of communicating (wide area communication) with the server 30 (described later). The terminal 40 includes a processor and memory (computer), a communication module, an input device such as a touch panel, and an output device such as a display. In addition to the short-range wireless communication with the master breaker 10, the communication module of the terminal 40 further realizes wide-area communication with the server 30.

(2-5) Server The server 30 provides services to customers via the terminal 40. The services may include, for example, notifying customers of power outage information regarding power outages in the power system 201. The service is provided through application software (hereinafter referred to as "application") 401 installed on the terminal 40.

Server 30 includes a processor, memory, and a communication module. The memory stores information such as the above-mentioned pair information group. The communication module of the server 30 realizes wide area communication via a network such as the Internet. The functions of the server 30 (for example, the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5) are realized by the processor operating based on the program in the memory (further cooperating with the communication module).

(2-6) Network The server 30 is communicably connected to the terminal 40 via the first network 301. The first network 301 is, for example, a wide area network such as the Internet or a communication network.

On the other hand, the network to which the load 202 is connected is the second network 302. The second network 302 is, for example, a PLC (Power Line Communications) network that performs communication via an in-house electric line.

The second network 302 is communicably connected to the first network 301 via a gateway (GW) 303.

Specifically, the communication protocol of the first network (wide area network such as the Internet) 301 to which the server 30 is connected and the communication of the second network (PLC network) 302 to which the master breaker 10 is connected (via the measurement unit 15). Since the protocols are different, a gateway (GW) 303 is interposed between the first network 301 and the second network 302 to convert the protocol between the two protocols.

(2-7) Distribution board As shown in FIG. 1, the distribution board 100 includes a main breaker 10, a backup power source 14, a measurement unit 15, and two or more branch breakers 50. Note that the distribution board 100 further includes a box 100A (see FIG. 8) that accommodates the above elements.

The circuit breaker 1 described above is realized by the master breaker 10, the measurement unit 15, and the backup power supply 14 among the above-mentioned elements.

(2-7-1) Main Breaker The main breaker 10 is electrically connected to the power system 201 on the primary side and to each of the two or more branch breakers 50 on the secondary side.

Moreover, the master breaker 10 is connected to each of the measurement unit 15 and the terminal 40 so as to be able to communicate with each other by short-range wireless communication such as BLE. Note that the connection between the measurement unit 15 and the main breaker 10 may be a wired connection.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the main breaker 10 is provided with a switch (also referred to as a handle) 10A that opens and closes contacts (described later), and the branch breaker 50 is also provided with a similar switch.

The master breaker 10 has a detection function that detects overcurrent, electric leakage, and earthquake, a disconnection function that interrupts the current in the electric circuit (enters a trip state) when overcurrent, etc. is detected, and each of the measurement unit 15 and the terminal 40. It has a communication function to communicate with.

The main breaker 10 enters a trip state when an overcurrent or leakage occurs in the second electric circuit 203b, or when an earthquake occurs. When the main breaker 10 is in a tripped state, the supply of power to the load 202 is stopped.

The master breaker 10 includes a processor (CPU, MPU, etc.), memory (semiconductor memory, SSD, etc.), and a communication module (none of which are shown). The memory stores various data and programs, and the processor executes the programs using the various data, thereby realizing the detection function and the blocking function.

Further, the above communication function is realized by a communication module. That is, the communication module of the master breaker 10 realizes a short-range wireless communication function.

In this embodiment, the communication module of the measurement unit 15 (described later) has two types of communication functions: short-range wireless communication and communication via the second network 302. Therefore, the communication module of the master breaker 10 performs short-range wireless communication with the communication module of the measurement unit 15 to further realize a communication function via the second network 302.

(2-7-2) Measurement unit The measurement unit 15 includes a wattmeter (not shown) connected to the first electric path 203a, an ammeter (not shown) connected to the second electric path 203b, and an accelerometer (not shown). ).

The measurement unit 15 measures the power of the first electric path 203a using the power meter, and obtains a power value that is the measurement result. Furthermore, the measurement unit 15 measures the current in the second electric path 203b using the ammeter, and obtains a current value that is the measurement result. Furthermore, the measurement unit 15 measures its own acceleration using the accelerometer, and obtains an acceleration value that is the measurement result.

The acquisition unit 121 described above determines whether the power outage that has occurred is a system power outage or a home power outage based on the power value measured by the measurement unit 15, and acquires cause information (first cause information) indicating the determination result. Further, the acquisition unit 121 determines whether the cause of the in-house power outage is an overcurrent, a leakage, or an earthquake based on the current and acceleration measured by the measurement unit 15, and causes information (second cause information) indicating the result of the determination. cause information).

Note that although the measurement unit 15 in this embodiment is separate from the main breaker 10, it may be a component of the main breaker 10. For example, among the wattmeter, ammeter, and accelerometer, at least the wattmeter may be built into the main breaker 10. Further, at least one of the ammeter and the accelerometer may be further incorporated in the main breaker 10.

Alternatively, the measurement unit 15 may be included in an internal device (for example, a limiter) other than the main breaker 10 in the electricity distribution board 100, or may be provided outside the electricity distribution board 100. As long as the measurement results of the measurement unit 15 can be delivered to the processing section 12 of the circuit breaker 1, the location of the measurement unit 15 does not matter.

(2-7-3) Button The button 15A that accepts a predetermined operation is provided on the measurement unit in this embodiment. However, the button 15A may be provided, for example, on the main breaker 10 or anywhere on the circuit breaker 1.

Note that, as shown in FIG. 8, the measurement unit 15 in this embodiment further includes a display 15B that displays information such as measurement results, but the display 15B may not be provided.

(2-8) Details of Predetermined Operation The predetermined operation in this embodiment is an operation that indicates the start timing and stop timing of communication processing. As a result, communication processing is performed only during the period from the start timing to the stop timing indicated by a predetermined operation, so that in the event of a power outage, necessary information can be transmitted and received when necessary while suppressing power consumption.

Such a predetermined operation is, for example, a continuous operation. The continuous operation is, for example, a continuous pressing operation on the button 15A shown in FIG. The continuous pressing operation on the button 15A is an operation of continuing to press the button 15A, and the start timing is indicated by the start of the press, and the stop timing is indicated by the end of the press.

The communication unit 13 starts communication processing in response to the reception unit 11 starting accepting continuous operations, and stops the communication processing in response to completion of acceptance.

As a result, communication processing is performed only while a predetermined operation continues (for example, while the button 15A is being pressed), so necessary information can be transmitted and received when necessary while reducing power consumption.

(2-9) Modification example 1 of predetermined operation
The predetermined operation in this modification is a repetitive operation. The repetitive operation is, for example, a repetitive pressing operation on the button 15A shown in FIG. The repeated pressing operation on the button 15A is an operation in which the button 15A is pressed once and then pressed again, and the first pressing indicates the start timing, and the second pressing indicates the stop timing.

The communication unit 13 starts the communication process in response to the acceptance unit 11 receiving a repetitive operation (the first press of the button 15A) while the communication process is stopped. Then, the communication unit 13 stops the communication process in response to receiving a repetitive operation again (the button 15A is pressed again) during the execution of the communication process.

The button 15A changes from a protruding state to a depressed state in response to a pressing operation (first pressing) performed while communication processing is stopped. Further, the button 15A changes from a pressed state to a protruded state in response to a pressing operation (pressing again) performed during execution of communication processing.

The communication unit 13 starts communication processing in response to the button 15A changing from the protruding state to the depressed state. The communication unit 13 then stops the communication process in response to the button 15A changing from the pressed state to the protruded state.

According to this modification, communication processing is performed only during the period from when a repetitive press operation on the button 15A is accepted until when it is accepted again, so that it is possible to transmit and receive necessary information when necessary while reducing power consumption. can be done.

Furthermore, the user can be made aware of whether the communication process is being executed or not depending on whether the button 15A is in the pressed state or the pressed state.

(2-10) Modification example 2 of predetermined operation
The predetermined operation in this modification is an operation that only indicates the start timing of communication processing. The started communication process is automatically stopped (for example, when a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the start).

That is, the communication unit 13 starts the communication process in response to the reception unit 11 receiving a predetermined operation, and stops the communication process when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start.

According to this modification, communication processing is executed only during the period from acceptance of a predetermined operation until a predetermined time has elapsed, so it is possible to send and receive necessary information when necessary while reducing power consumption. .

(2-11) Operation of circuit breaker The circuit breaker 1 operates according to the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 and 4, for example. Note that the processing in this flowchart is started in response to energization. The energization in this embodiment refers to the start of power supply from the distribution board 100 to the load 202. Additionally, a customer identifier is stored in the memory of the main breaker 10. A customer identifier is information that identifies a customer, and includes, for example, an ID such as a customer number, a telephone number, and the like.

For example, when the switch 10A of the main breaker 10 (and the switch of the branch breaker) is turned on while power is being supplied from the power system 201, power supply from the distribution board 100 to the load 202 is started. Further, when the system power outage is resolved while the switch 10A of the main breaker 10 (and the switch of the branch breaker) is on, power supply from the distribution board 100 to the load 202 is started.

The acquisition unit 121 determines whether a power outage has occurred based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 15 (step S1). If it is determined that a power outage has not occurred, the process proceeds to step S8 (described later).

If it is determined in step S1 that a power outage has occurred, the backup power supply 14 starts supplying emergency power to the main breaker 10 and the measurement unit (communication unit 13, etc.) (step S2). The communication unit 13 receives the emergency power supply and starts communication processing (step S3).

The acquisition unit 121 acquires power outage information including cause information based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 15 (step S4). The storage unit 10a stores the power outage information acquired in step S4 (step S5).

The communication unit 13 transmits the cause information acquired in step S4 (along with the customer identifier stored in the memory of the main breaker 10) to the server 30 (step S6). Furthermore, the communication unit 13 transmits the power outage information acquired in step S4 to the terminal 40 (step S7). After that, the process returns to step S1.

If it is determined in step S1 that a power outage has not occurred, the processing unit 12 determines whether the communication unit 13 has received power restoration information from the server 30 (step S8). If it is determined that the communication unit 13 has not received power restoration information from the server 30, the process proceeds to step S11 (described later).

If it is determined in step S8 that the communication unit 13 has received the power restoration information from the server 30, the storage unit 10a stores the received power restoration information (step S9). The communication unit 13 transmits the received power restoration information to the terminal 40 (step S10). After that, the process returns to step S1.

If it is determined in step S8 that the communication unit 13 has not received the power restoration information from the server 30, the processing unit 12 determines in step S3 whether a predetermined period of time or more has elapsed since the communication process was started. (Step S11). If it is determined that the predetermined time or more has not elapsed since the start of the communication process (that is, the elapsed time since the start of the communication is still less than the predetermined time), the process returns to step S1.

If it is determined in step S11 that a predetermined period of time or more has passed since the start of the communication process, the communication unit 13 stops the communication process (step S12). After that, the process proceeds to step S13.

The processing unit 12 determines whether the reception unit 11 has accepted a predetermined operation (step S13). If it is determined that the reception unit 11 has not accepted the predetermined operation, the process proceeds to step S16 (described later).

If it is determined in step S13 that the reception unit 11 has accepted the predetermined operation, the communication unit 13 starts communication processing (step S14), and transfers the power outage information and power recovery information stored in the storage unit 10a to the terminal 40. (Step S15). After that, the process returns to step S13.

If it is determined in step S13 that the reception unit 11 has not accepted the predetermined operation, the communication unit 13 determines whether the conditions are satisfied (step S16). Note that the condition is, for example, if the predetermined operation is a continuous operation, "the predetermined operation has been completed", and if the predetermined operation is a repeated operation, "the predetermined operation is performed again". That's what happened. Further, in the case where the predetermined operation is an operation indicating a start timing, the condition is that "a predetermined time or more has elapsed since the predetermined operation." If it is determined that the conditions are not met, the process proceeds to step S18 (described later).

If it is determined in step S16 that the condition is satisfied, the communication unit 13 stops communication processing (step S17). After that, the process returns to step S13.

If it is determined in step S16 that the condition is not satisfied, the processing unit 12 determines whether the power has been restored (step S18). If it is determined that power has not been restored yet, the process returns to step S13.

If it is determined in step S18 that the power has been restored, the backup power supply 14 stops supplying emergency power (step S19). After that, the process returns to step S1.

(2-12) Server Operation The server 30 operates according to the flowchart of FIG. 5, for example. Note that the processing in this flowchart is executed for each customer (for example, for each of two or more customer identifiers). Further, the processing of this flowchart is started in response to the activation of the server 30. The memory of the server 30 stores the pair information group (described above).

The server 30 determines whether cause information (along with the customer identifier) has been received from the circuit breaker 1 (distribution board 100) (step S31). If cause information has not been received, the process returns to step S31.

When the cause information is received from the distribution board 100, the server 30 uses the paired information group stored in the memory to acquire the procedure information corresponding to the cause information received in step S31, and the acquired procedure information (step S32).

Next, the server 30 transmits the power restoration information acquired in step S32 to the circuit breaker 1 (the circuit breaker 1 corresponding to the customer identifier received together with the cause information in step S31) (step S33). After that, the process returns to step S31.

(2-13) Operation example of distribution board For example, when an earthquake occurs, the state of each part of the circuit breaker 1 changes as shown in FIG. 6. That is, in response to the occurrence of an earthquake, the main breaker 10 changes (trips) from an on state to an off state (trip state). Note that the off state of the master breaker 10 continues until the user performs an operation to turn on the switch 10A of the master breaker 10 (on operation).

In response to the tripping of the main breaker 10, the backup power supply 14 changes from an off state (a state where it is being charged with power from the power grid 201) to an on state (a state where it is supplying power to the communication unit 13 and the like). Note that the on state of the backup power supply 14 continues until the trip of the main breaker 10 is canceled by the on operation.

In response to the main breaker 10 tripping, the communication unit 13 starts communication processing. This communication process (that is, the communication process immediately after the earthquake occurs) continues for a time Δt. For example, if the time of occurrence of an earthquake is t1, communication processing immediately after the occurrence of an earthquake is executed over an initial communication period from time t1 to time "t1+Δt". Note that the time Δt is, for example, 5 minutes, but may be changed to an appropriate value in consideration of the capacity of the secondary battery, etc.

During the initial communication period (from time t1 to time “t1+Δt”), a notification regarding the cause of the power outage and the procedure for power restoration is provided via the application 401 of the terminal 40. Specifically, a notification screen 40A as shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on the display of the terminal 40, for example.

Notification screen 40A displays "A power outage has occurred. The cause of the power outage is the operation of the breaker in the house due to the earthquake. Please restore power by following the steps below. Check to see if the stove etc. has fallen down. Turn on the branch breaker switch. Messages include "Turn off everything. Turn on the main breaker. Turn on the branch breakers in order...".

It is assumed that the user evacuated without performing any operation to restore power at the time of the notification during the initial communication period, and returned home several hours after the evacuation.

The user who has returned home performs a predetermined operation (in this example, the predetermined operation described in "Modification 2 of Predetermined Operation") on the button 15A of the distribution board 100 before performing the operation for power restoration. conduct. The communication unit 13 resumes communication processing in response to a predetermined operation. It is assumed that this communication process (that is, the communication process immediately after a predetermined operation) continues for a time Δt.

That is, during the designated communication period (from time t2 to time "t2+Δt") designated by a predetermined operation, notification regarding the cause of the power outage and the power restoration procedure is again performed. Note that the length of the designated communication period in this example is the same as the length of the initial communication period (=Δt), but may be a different length (for example, 2×Δt, etc.).

The notification screen 40A of FIG. 7 is displayed on the display of the terminal 40 again. The user performs an operation for power restoration (such as turning on the master breaker 10) according to the procedure notified on the notification screen 40A.

In response to the ON operation, the main breaker 10 changes from the OFF state to the ON state (that is, the trip of the main breaker 10 is manually released). Along with this, the backup power supply 14 changes from the on state to the off state (charging of the secondary battery is restarted).

(2-14) Advantages of the power distribution board As described above, according to the power distribution board 100 of this embodiment, when a power outage occurs, the information required by the user (power outage information and/or power restoration information) is provided. It becomes possible to receive it with a higher probability via the terminal 40 when necessary (for example, immediately after a power outage and/or immediately before power restoration).

(3) Summary The circuit breaker (1) according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition section (121), a storage section (10a), a reception section (11), a communication section (13), and a backup section. A power source (14). The acquisition unit (121) acquires power outage information and power restoration information in response to the occurrence of a power outage. The power outage information includes cause information. The cause information is information regarding the cause of the power outage. The power restoration information includes procedure information. The procedure information is information regarding a power restoration procedure corresponding to the cause. The storage unit (10a) stores the power outage information and the power restoration information. A reception unit (11) receives a predetermined operation. The communication unit (13) starts a communication process for communicating with at least the terminal (40) in response to the predetermined operation, and transmits at least one of the power outage information and the power recovery information to the terminal (40) through the communication process. 40). During the power outage period from the power outage to the power restoration, the backup power source (14) operates at least on the communication unit (13) of the acquisition unit (121), the storage unit (10a), the reception unit (11), and the communication unit (13). ).

According to this aspect, when a power outage occurs, the information required by the user (power outage information and/or power restoration information) is provided to the terminal (400 ), it becomes possible to receive with a higher probability.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, the predetermined operation is an operation that indicates the start timing and stop timing of the communication process.

According to this aspect, since communication processing is performed only during the period from the start timing to the stop timing indicated by a predetermined operation, it is possible to transmit and receive necessary information when necessary while suppressing power consumption in the event of a power outage. can be done.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the third aspect, in the second aspect, the predetermined operation is a continuous operation. The communication unit (13) starts the communication process when the reception unit (11) starts accepting the predetermined operation, and stops the communication process when the reception unit (11) finishes accepting the predetermined operation.

According to this aspect, communication processing is performed only during a period when a predetermined operation continues (for example, while button 15A is being pressed), thereby reducing power consumption and transmitting and receiving necessary information when necessary. can be done.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the fourth aspect, in the second aspect, the predetermined operation is a repetitive operation. The communication unit (13) starts the communication process in response to the reception unit (11) receiving the predetermined operation while the communication process is stopped. Then, the communication unit (13) stops the communication process in response to the acceptance unit (11) receiving the predetermined operation again during the execution of the communication process.

According to this aspect, since communication processing is performed only during the period from acceptance of a predetermined operation to acceptance of the operation again, it is possible to transmit and receive necessary information when necessary while suppressing power consumption.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the fifth aspect, in the fourth aspect, the predetermined operation is a repeated pressing operation on the button (15A). The button (15A) changes from a protruding state to a depressed state in response to a pressing operation performed while the communication process is stopped. Further, the button (15A) changes from the pressed state to the protruded state in response to a pressing operation performed during execution of the communication process. The communication unit (13) starts the communication process in response to the button (15A) changing from the protruding state to the depressed state. Then, the communication unit (13) stops the communication process in response to the button (15A) changing from the pressed state to the protruded state.

According to this aspect, it is possible for the user to recognize whether the communication process is being executed or not depending on whether the button (15A) is in the pressed state or in the pressed state.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the sixth aspect, in the first aspect, the predetermined operation is an operation indicating the start timing of the communication process. The communication unit (13) starts the communication process in response to the receiving unit (11) accepting the predetermined operation, and stops the communication process when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start.

According to this aspect, communication processing is executed only during a period from reception of a predetermined operation until a predetermined time elapses, so that necessary information can be transmitted and received when necessary while suppressing power consumption.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the seventh aspect, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the communication unit (13) starts the communication process in response to the occurrence of the power outage, and performs a predetermined process from the start. When the time has elapsed, the communication processing is stopped.

According to this aspect, communication processing is automatically executed over a period from the occurrence of a power outage until a predetermined time has elapsed, so that necessary information can be transmitted and received without predetermined operations.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the eighth aspect, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, communication with the terminal (40) is communication according to the BLE method.

According to this aspect, since BLE communication consumes less power, the effect of improving the reception probability based on the reduction in power consumption becomes significant.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the ninth aspect, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, the backup power source (14) includes an electric double layer capacitor.

According to this aspect, since the electric double layer capacitor has a small capacity, the effect of improving the reception probability based on the reduction in power consumption becomes remarkable.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the tenth aspect, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the communication process includes a first communication process and a second communication process. The first communication process is a process for communicating with the terminal (40). The second communication process is a process for communicating with the server (30). The communication unit (13) starts the first communication process and the second communication process in response to the predetermined operation. Then, the communication unit (13) transmits the power outage information to the terminal (40) through the first communication process. The acquisition unit (121) acquires the power restoration information by transmitting the cause information to the server (30) and receiving the procedure information from the server (30) through the second communication process. .

According to this aspect, it is possible to obtain power restoration information including procedure information corresponding to cause information from the server (30). In addition, when the cause of a power outage is outside the circuit breaker (1) (for example, the power system 201), the server (30) provides information regarding the power outage and power restoration (for example, the extent of the power outage and the schedule for power restoration). This makes it possible to obtain information such as the time of day, etc.

A distribution board (100) according to an eleventh aspect includes the circuit breaker (1) according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, and a box (100A) that accommodates the circuit breaker (1). .

According to this aspect, when a power outage occurs, information required by the user (power outage information and/or power restoration information) can be provided to the terminal (400 ), it becomes possible to receive with a higher probability.

1 circuit breaker 100 distribution board 10a storage unit 11 reception unit 12 processing unit 121 acquisition unit 13 communication unit 14 backup power supply 15A button 30 server 40 terminal

Claims (11)

an acquisition unit that acquires, in response to the occurrence of a power outage, power outage information including cause information regarding the cause of the power outage, and power restoration information including procedural information regarding a power restoration procedure corresponding to the cause;
a storage unit that stores the power outage information and the power restoration information;
a reception section that accepts predetermined operations;
a communication unit that starts at least a communication process for communicating with the terminal in response to the predetermined operation, and transmits at least one of the power outage information and the power restoration information to the terminal through the communication process;
A backup power source that supplies power to at least the communication unit among the acquisition unit, the storage unit, the reception unit, and the communication unit over a power outage period from the power outage to the power restoration;
circuit breaker. The predetermined operation is an operation that indicates start timing and stop timing of the communication process,
The circuit breaker according to claim 1. The predetermined operation is a continuous operation,
The communication unit starts the communication process when the reception unit starts accepting the predetermined operation, and stops the communication process when the reception unit finishes accepting the predetermined operation.
The circuit breaker according to claim 2. The predetermined operation is a repetitive operation,
The communication unit starts the communication process in response to the acceptance unit accepting the predetermined operation while the communication process is stopped, and the communication unit starts the communication process in response to the acceptance unit accepting the predetermined operation while the communication process is being executed. stopping the communication process in response to the re-acceptance;
The circuit breaker according to claim 2. The predetermined operation is a repeated pressing operation on a button,
The button is
Changes from a protruding state to a depressed state in response to a pressing operation performed while the communication process is stopped,
changing from the pressed state to the protruded state in response to a pressing operation performed during execution of the communication process;
The communication unit starts the communication processing in response to the button changing from the protruding state to the pushed-in state, and starts the communication processing in response to the button changing from the pushed-in state to the protruding state. Stop,
The circuit breaker according to claim 4. The predetermined operation is an operation indicating a start timing of the communication process,
The communication unit starts the communication process in response to the receiving unit accepting the predetermined operation, and stops the communication process when a predetermined time has elapsed from the start.
The circuit breaker according to claim 1. The communication unit starts the communication process in response to the occurrence of the power outage, and stops the communication process after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start.
The circuit breaker according to claim 1. Communication with the terminal is communication according to the BLE method,
The circuit breaker according to claim 1. The backup power source includes an electric double layer capacitor.
The circuit breaker according to claim 1. The communication process includes a first communication process for communicating with the terminal and a second communication process for communicating with the server,
The communication unit starts the first communication process and the second communication process in response to the predetermined operation, and transmits the power outage information to the terminal through the first communication process,
The acquisition unit includes:
acquiring the power restoration information by transmitting the cause information to the server and receiving the procedure information from the server through the second communication process;
The circuit breaker according to claim 1. The circuit breaker according to claim 1;
a box accommodating the circuit breaker;
Distribution board.

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