JPWO2014103026A1 - Power control system, control device, and power control method - Google Patents

Abstract

A power control system for controlling power consumption, comprising: a control target device whose power consumption is controlled; and a control device connected to the control target device via a network, the control device being connected to the control target device. A communication control unit that controls communication, and a control unit that controls power consumption of the control target device, and the control device acquires the power saving setting of the control target device so that the control target device It is determined which of the power saving settings, the current limit setting and the power saving operation setting, and the power limit setting, the current limit setting, and the power saving setting supported by the control target device are determined. The power consumption of the control target device is controlled in preference to the power saving operation setting.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for controlling the power consumption of devices installed in a home, building, store, etc. in order to achieve a power saving target.

  As background art of this technical field, for example, there is JP-A-2004-23283. This publication discloses that a controller controls power consumption of home appliances and the like via a network.

  In the system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-23283, when the power in the house is insufficient, the controller instructs the controller to suppress the operation of the home appliance, and the home appliance suppresses the operation to suppress the power consumption. Can do.

  However, when the controller instructs the home appliance to suppress power, it is necessary for the controller to recognize an interface for saving power of each device and to explicitly control the interface using the recognized interface. For example, when reducing the power consumption of an air conditioner, the controller recognizes the interface for setting the temperature of the air conditioner, grasps the condition of the air conditioner using the recognized interface, increases the set temperature for cooling, or decreases the set temperature for heating, etc. It is necessary to control.

  As an interface for connecting such a controller and a home electric appliance, standardization of the ECHONET Lite standard is progressing in Japan. In the future, it is considered that home appliances having an interface compliant with the ECHONET Lite standard and controllers for controlling home appliances will be sold in the market.

  An object of the present invention is to allow a controller to control power consumption via an interface such as ECHONET Lite without being aware of the type of device to be controlled and the state of each device.

  A typical example of the invention disclosed in the present application is as follows. That is, a power control system for controlling power consumption, comprising: a control target device whose power consumption is controlled; and a control device connected to the control target device via a network, wherein the control device includes the control target device A communication control unit that controls communication with the control target device, and a control unit that controls power consumption of the control target device, and the control device acquires the power saving setting of the control target device, thereby controlling the control target device. It is determined whether the device supports a power saving setting, a current limiting setting, or a power saving operation setting, and the power limiting setting and the current limiting among the power saving settings supported by the control target device. The power consumption of the control target device is controlled in preference to the setting and the power saving operation setting.

  According to the present invention, the control device can select a power saving function that can be supported by the device to be controlled, and can reduce power consumption by an appropriate method. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the description of the following embodiments.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the power control system of 1st Example of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the control apparatus of 1st Example of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the control object apparatus of 1st Example of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the control apparatus integrated with the gateway apparatus of this invention. It is a figure explaining the energy-saving request | requirement data which the control apparatus of 1st Example of this invention receives from a server. It is a figure explaining the energy-saving cancellation | release data which the control apparatus of 1st Example of this invention receives from a server. It is a figure explaining the format of the command message of ECHONET Lite used for communication with the control apparatus of 1st Example of this invention, and a control object apparatus. It is a figure explaining the format of the response message of ECHONET Lite used for communication with the control apparatus of 1st Example of this invention, and a control object apparatus. It is a figure explaining the example of the property for controlling the electric power of the control object apparatus of 1st Example of this invention. It is a figure explaining the structure of the apparatus management table used in order that the control apparatus of 1st Example of this invention may manage the management state of the electric power of each control object apparatus. It is a flowchart of the protocol process which the control apparatus of 1st Example of this invention controls a control object apparatus. It is a flowchart of the whole power consumption monitoring process of 1st Example of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the power-saving start process of 1st Example of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the power-saving completion process of 1st Example of this invention. It is a figure explaining the example of the property for controlling the electric power of the control object apparatus of 2nd Example of this invention. It is a flowchart of the electric power measurement process of 2nd Example of this invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the power control system according to the first embodiment.

  The power control system according to the first embodiment includes a control device 100 and a gateway device 120.

  The control apparatus 100 is connected to the control target devices 110A to 110N via the internal network 140, and controls the connected control target devices 110A to N. Further, the control device 100 is transmitted to the control device 100 via the measurement device network 150. Further, the control device 100 receives data from the server 200.

  The control target devices 110 </ b> A to 110 </ b> N are devices controlled by the control device 100, for example, devices such as an air conditioner, a television, a refrigerator, a heat pump water heater, and an air purifier. Each of the control target devices 110A to 110N stores a property 920A for controlling power consumption. A configuration example of the property 920A will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The gateway device 120 transfers data between the internal network 140 and the network 160. The gateway device 120 is connected to the server 200 via the network 160.

  The power meter 130 is installed in a distribution board or an outlet, and measures the power consumption of each control target device or the entire house. Note that the power meter 130 may measure current consumption instead of power consumption. The power consumption (or current consumption) measured by the power meter 130 is transmitted to the control device 100 via the measurement device network 150. In the present invention, the power meter 130 is not essential.

  The internal network 140 is configured by a home network that conforms to the ECHONET Lite standard, for example. Further, transmission media of the internal network 140 include Ethernet, 802.15.4, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and the like.

  The measurement device network 150 is a network using RS-485, 802.15.4, Ethernet, or the like. The measurement device network may be shared with the internal network 140.

  The network 160 is, for example, the Internet or an AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure).

  Photovoltaic power generation equipment 170 and power storage equipment 180 may be connected to the power control system. Note that the photovoltaic power generation equipment 170 and the power storage equipment 180 are not essential components for the power control system. The photovoltaic power generation facility 170 is connected to the power meter 130. The power meter 130 measures the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility 170. The power storage facility 180 stores power in a lead storage battery or a lithium ion battery. When the power storage facility 180 has a communication function, the power storage amount can be monitored from the control device 100.

  The server 200 monitors the power consumption and power generation in the area, and transmits an energy saving request described later to the control device 100 as necessary.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the control device 100 according to the first embodiment.

  The control device 100 according to the first embodiment includes a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, a power measurement unit 103, and a communication processing unit 104.

  The control unit 101 controls a device connected to the control device 100 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 102, and executes processing such as data processing and communication processing.

  The storage unit 102 is configured by a storage medium such as a ROM, a RAM, or a flash memory, and is used in a work area in which a program executed by the control unit 101 and data used when executing the program are stored.

  The power measurement unit 103 is a communication interface, and includes hardware and control software compliant with standards such as RS-485, 802.15.4, and Ethernet. The power measurement unit 103 receives power consumption data from the power meter 130 and transfers the received power consumption data to the control unit 101. When the power control system does not include the power meter 130, the power measuring unit 103 is not necessary.

  The communication processing unit 104 is a communication interface, and includes, for example, hardware and control software compliant with the ECHONET Lite standard using Ethernet, 802.15.4, wireless LAN, Bluetooth, or the like as a transmission medium. The communication processing unit 104 transmits / receives data to / from the server 200 and transmits / receives data to / from the control target device 110.

  The power measurement unit 103 and the communication processing unit 104 may be configured by a single network interface.

  The control unit 101, the storage unit 102, the power measurement unit 103, and the communication processing unit 104 are connected by a bus 105.

  The control device 100 may have a user interface that displays information to the user and receives instructions from the user.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the control target device 110 according to the first embodiment.

  The control target device 110 according to the first embodiment includes a device control unit 111 and a communication processing unit 112.

  The device control unit 111 controls the entire control target device 110, such as setting the state of the control target device 110, controlling the operation of the control target device 110, and controlling the user interface. In addition, the structure of the apparatus control part 111 changes with control object apparatuses 110, such as an air conditioner, a television, a refrigerator, a heat pump water heater, and an air cleaner. The device control unit 111 is configured by a processor that executes a program stored in a memory or a logic circuit by hardware.

  The communication processing unit 112 is a communication interface, and includes, for example, hardware and control software compliant with standards such as Ethernet, 8802.5.4, wireless LAN, and Bluetooth. The communication processing unit 112 transmits / receives data to / from the control device 100.

  The configuration of the control device 100 and the control target device 110 has been described above. However, since other devices are known, the description of the configuration of the other devices is omitted.

  In the configuration example of the power control system illustrated in FIG. 1, the example in which the control device 100 and the gateway device 120 are configured by different devices has been described, but the control device 100 and the gateway device 120 may be integrated.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the control device 125 integrated with the gateway device 120.

  The control device 125 in which the gateway device 120 is integrated has a configuration in which an external communication processing unit 106 and a routing processing unit 107 are added to the control device 100 shown in FIG.

  The external communication processing unit 106 is a communication interface, and includes hardware and control software compliant with standards such as Ethernet, 8802.5.4, wireless LAN, and Bluetooth. The external communication processing unit 106 is connected to the network 160 and transmits / receives data to / from the server 200.

  The routing processing unit 107 controls data transfer between the internal network 140 and the network 160.

  When the control device 100 receives a request for energy saving from the server 200, or when the power consumption within the range managed by the control device 100 (hereinafter referred to as total power consumption) exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control device 100 Instruct operation with low power consumption (energy saving operation). In addition, when a request for energy saving is received from the server 200 and the power consumption in the range managed by the control device 100 is smaller than a predetermined threshold, the control target device 110 is instructed to cancel the energy saving operation. Note that the condition of overall power consumption may not be used.

  Hereinafter, a method for realizing this control will be described.

  FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are diagrams for explaining energy saving request data and energy saving cancellation data received by the control device 100 from the server 200, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the energy saving request data has several patterns. For example, the energy saving request data 300A simply requests a reduction in power consumption. The energy saving request data 300B requests that the power consumption within the range managed by the control device 100 be suppressed to a certain value (4 kW in the figure) or less. The energy saving request data 300C requests that the power consumption within the range managed by the control device 100 be reduced by a certain rate (10% in the figure).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5A, the energy saving cancellation data 310 requests the control device 100 to cancel the energy saving.

  Next, an ECHONET Lite message format used for communication between the control device 100 and the control target device 110 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the command message format 900 includes transmission source identification information 901, transmission destination identification information 902, transaction identifier 903, service code 904, property identification information 905, property value 906, and the like.

  The transmission source identification information 901 and the transmission destination identification information 902 indicate a transmission source and a transmission destination of a message in the network, respectively. The transaction identifier 903 is identification information for uniquely identifying the instruction transaction.

  The service code 904 indicates the format of the command message. The service code 904 includes GET (status acquisition) for acquiring the value of each property, SET (setting) for setting the value of each property, and ANNOUNCE (notification) for notifying the control target device of an asynchronous event. There are two types of SETs: those that return status notifications by response messages and those that do not. There are two types of ANNOUNCE: notification that designates a partner and notification that broadcasts to all devices in the network.

  The property identification information 905 uniquely identifies a property to be referenced or set. The property value 906 is a property value to be set in the case of a property setting command.

  In response to the GET command and the SET command, the control target device 110 uses a response message to notify the result. As shown in FIG. 6B, the response message format 910 includes transmission source identification information 911, transmission destination identification information 912, transaction identifier 913, status information 914, property identification information 915, property value 916, and the like.

  The transmission source identification information 911 and the transmission destination identification information 912 indicate a transmission source and a transmission destination of a message in the network, respectively. The transaction identifier 913 is identification information for uniquely identifying the instruction to be responded. The status information 914 notifies the execution state for the command message. The property identification information 915 is identification information that uniquely identifies the property requested to be referenced. The property value 916 is a property value notified in the case of a property reference instruction.

  When setting or referring to a property in a command message, a plurality of property values can be set or referred to collectively by repeatedly describing a plurality of pairs of property identification information 905 and property values 906. Also in the response message, when setting or reference of a plurality of properties is requested, a plurality of property values can be responded collectively by repeatedly describing a plurality of pairs of property identification information 915 and property values 916.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of properties for controlling the power of the control target device. The property example shown in FIG. 7 can be referred to and set using the above-described message format.

  Common properties 920A related to power control include properties such as an operation state 921, an instantaneous power consumption measurement value 922, an integrated power consumption measurement value 923, an integrated operation time 924, a power limit setting 926, a current limit setting 928, and a power saving operation setting 929. . The instantaneous power consumption measurement value 922, the integrated power consumption measurement value 923, and the integrated operation time 924 are properties used for measuring the power consumption and can only be referred to. Other properties can be referenced and set.

  The operation state property 921 represents a power ON / OFF state. The instantaneous power consumption measurement value property 922 is used to obtain the peak power consumption value (W). The integrated power consumption measurement value property 923 is used to acquire the integrated power consumption value (Wh) from a certain time point. The accumulated operation time property 924 is a time obtained by integrating power consumption.

  The power limit setting property property 926 is used to specify the power value (W) and limit power consumption. The current limit setting property 928 is used to limit the power consumption by specifying the current amount as a percentage (%) with respect to the rated value. The power saving operation setting property 929 is used not to specify a specific numerical value but to change the power consumption by specifying the state of the power saving mode / normal mode.

  Among the common properties described above, the operation state property 921 is an indispensable property that needs to be installed in any device, but the other properties are optional, and all the properties cannot be referenced and set. Also good.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the device management table 700 used by the control device 100 to manage the power management state of each control target device 110 using the properties conforming to the ECHONET Lite standard described above.

  The device management table 700 is recorded in the storage unit 102 of the control device 100. The device management table 700 includes one or more device management records 710A-N.

  Each device management record 710 includes device identification information 711, name 712, priority 713, energy saving correspondence 714, state 715, power limit setting property (716, 717), current limit setting property (718, 719), power saving operation setting property. (720, 721) and an operation state property value 722.

  The power limit setting property includes a support presence / absence 716 and a value 717, the current limit setting property includes a support presence / absence 718 and a value 719, and the power saving operation setting property includes a support presence / absence 720 and a value 721.

  The device identification information 711 is identification information for uniquely identifying a control target device, and may be assigned based on, for example, the IP address or MAC address of the device. The name 712 is the name of the device identified by the device identification information 711. The priority 713 is a priority when performing energy saving control. For example, the priority 713 is an integer value of 1 or more, and the priority is higher as the value is smaller.

  The energy saving correspondence 714 is a flag indicating whether or not the device identified by the device identification information 711 is compatible with power saving control. For example, if the device supports any of the properties of the power limit setting 926, the current limit setting 928, and the power saving operation setting 929, the response is “Yes”. If the device does not support any property, the response “No” is set. Is.

  The state 715 is a state of the device identified by the device identification information 711. For example, the device state includes “normal state”, “energy saving state”, and the like, and if power saving control is performed by any of the properties of the power limit setting 926, the current limit setting 928, and the power saving operation setting 929, “energy saving” is performed. “Status” is set, and “Normal status” is set if power saving control is not performed.

  Fields 716 to 722 represent the presence / absence and state of each power saving control. For example, when the power limit setting property 926 is supported (the support presence / absence 716 is “Yes”), the property value can be set. When the setting of the power limit setting property 926 is successful, the value of the set power limit setting property is set in the field 717.

  Similarly, if the current limit setting property 928 is supported (supported presence / absence 718 is “Yes”), the property value can be set. If the current limit setting property 928 is successfully set, the current limit setting property 928 is set. The value of the current limit setting property is set in the field 719.

  Further, when the power saving operation setting property 929 is supported (the support presence / absence 720 is “Yes”), the property value can be set. If the setting of the power saving operation setting property 929 is successful, the set power saving operation is performed. The value of the operation setting property is set in the field 721.

  Since the operation state property 921 is an indispensable property supported by all devices, it is not necessary to manage the presence or absence of support, and only the property value 722 is managed. When the setting of the operation state property 921 is successful, the value of the set operation state property 921 is set in the field 722.

  The device management record can be registered in the device management table 700 using a protocol such as UPnP (Universal Plug & Play). In this case, the control target device 110 transmits information necessary for registration to the control device 100 using UPnP.

  Whether or not each property is supported can be determined by issuing a GET command message for each property and whether the property value can be acquired normally or an unsupported error code is returned.

  The device management record can also be manually registered in the device management table 700. In this case, for example, the control device 100 has a WWW server function, and a device management record is set in the control device 100 via the internal network 140 using a browser function such as a PC.

  The control device 100 has the device management table 700 as described above, and manages the power control state of each control target device 110, thereby enabling efficient and efficient power saving control for the devices in the home network. It can be performed.

  Next, power saving control performed using the data structure described above will be described.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a protocol process in which the control device 100 controls the control target device 110.

  The communication processing unit 104 of the control device 100 controls or controls the control target device 110 in response to a predetermined event, as shown in the processing flow 610, or a property information reference command or setting specified in the ECHONET Lite standard The command message of the command is transmitted to the control target device 110 (step 611).

  When receiving the command message transmitted from the control device 100, the control target device 110 executes the processing flow 650. Specifically, the communication processing unit 112 analyzes the content of the received command message (step 651), and if the received command message is a property information reference command, the value of the property specified in the command message is It transmits to the control apparatus 100 as a response message (step 652).

  On the other hand, if the received command message is a property information setting command, processing corresponding to the property setting value specified by the command message is executed for the device control unit 111. Specifically, when the process is executed normally, the property specified in the command message is updated with the specified value (step 653), and the process result (normal end of process) is sent to the control device 100 as a response message. (Step 654).

  On the other hand, if the processing of the property specified by the instruction message is not executed normally in step 653, the property value is not updated and the processing result (error) is transmitted to the control device 100 as a response message (step 654). ).

  The control device 100 receives the response message transmitted from the control target device 110 (step 612), determines whether the setting process or the reference process is successful, and updates the device management table 700 according to the instruction content by the successful command. (Step 613). Thereafter, the process ends.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the overall power consumption monitoring process 400 for determining whether the power consumption in the range managed by the control device 100 exceeds a predetermined threshold.

  The overall power consumption monitoring process 400 is started repeatedly (for example, at a predetermined time interval) by, for example, a timer. The range in which the control device 100 manages power consumption is, for example, the entire house, the entire store, or the entire building.

  In the total power consumption monitoring process 400, first, the total power consumption is measured using the data measured by the power meter 130 (step 401). Next, the state 715 of the device is acquired from the device management table 700, and it is determined whether the state is “normal state” or “energy saving state” (step 402). If it is determined that the state of the device is the normal state, it is determined whether the total power consumption measured in step 401 is smaller than a predetermined upper limit threshold (step 403). If the total power consumption is smaller than the predetermined upper limit threshold, the process ends. On the other hand, if the total power consumption is equal to or greater than the predetermined upper threshold, a power saving start process is executed (step 404). Details of the power saving start process will be described with reference to FIG. Thereafter, the process ends.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step 402 that the state of the device is an energy saving state, it is determined whether the total power consumption measured in step 401 is smaller than a predetermined lower threshold (step 406). If the overall power consumption is greater than or equal to a predetermined lower threshold, the process ends. On the other hand, when the total power consumption is smaller than the predetermined lower threshold, a power saving end process for canceling the power saving process of the control target device 110 is executed (step 407). Details of the power saving end process will be described with reference to FIG. Thereafter, the process ends.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing details of the power saving start process.

  The power saving start process 950 is executed when executed from the overall power consumption monitoring process 400 or when the control device 100 receives the energy saving request data 300A from the server 200.

  First, the order in which power control is performed is determined, and priority is set (step 951). For example, based on the power consumption of each control target device 110 measured in the step of power consumption measurement 401 in FIG. 10, the control may be performed in descending order of power consumption, or may be controlled in the order set by the user. .

  Thereafter, it is determined whether the power saving control of all the control target devices 110 is completed (step 952). As a result, if the power saving control of all the control target devices 110 has been completed, the process ends. On the other hand, if the power saving control of some of the control target devices 110 is not completed, the power control processing (steps 953 to 961) of each control target device 110 is executed based on the determined power control policy.

  Specifically, in the power saving control of each control target device 110, it is determined whether the control target device 110 supports the power limit setting property 926 based on the device management table 700 (step 953). If the device supports the power limit setting property 926, a command to set the power limit value (W) in the power limit setting property 926 is transmitted to the control target device 110 (step 954). The power limit setting property 926 is preferentially set because the power limit can set the clearest power saving target.

  If the device does not support the power limit setting property 926, it is determined whether the device supports the current limit setting property 928 (step 955). If the device supports the current limit setting property 928, the current limit value is calculated from the target power limit value (step 956), and the ratio of the current limit value to the rated value (for example, a value of%) is calculated. A command to be set in the current limit setting property 928 is transmitted to the control target device 110 (step 957). The reason why the current limit setting property 928 is preferentially set after the power limit setting property 926 is that the current limit can be a clear power saving target.

  If the device does not support the current limit setting property 928, it is determined whether the device supports the power saving operation setting property 929 (step 958). If the device supports the power saving operation setting property 929, a command to set the “power saving mode” in the power saving operation setting property 929 is transmitted to the control target device 110 (step 959).

  If the device does not support the power saving operation setting property 929, it is determined whether the device can be powered off (step 960). For example, it may be determined whether the power can be shut off based on the manufacturer ID and device ID of the control target device 110. Specifically, standby power of a microwave oven that is not operating is reduced.

  If there is little trouble in the operation of the device or the convenience of the user, it is determined that the power of the device can be cut off, and a command to set “Power OFF” in the operation state property 921 is transmitted to the control target device 110. (Step 961). Thus, since the power supply of the said apparatus is interrupted | blocked as the last method, power consumption can be reduced, without affecting the operation | movement of an apparatus.

  Examples of the control target device 110 that may be able to cut off the power supply when urgent power saving is necessary include a household power storage device, an electric vehicle charger, a lighting device, a cleaning toilet seat, and an AV device. The types of these devices can be automatically determined from the properties of the device types that can be acquired by ECHONET Lite. Moreover, you may set individually the control object apparatus 110 which may interrupt | block power supply using the user interface of the control apparatus 100. FIG.

  If the control is successful after executing the power control process (steps 953 to 961) of the control target device 110, the device management table 700 is updated with the executed control content (step 962). With the above processing (steps 953 to 962), the power control processing of each control target device 110 is completed, and the processing returns to step 952.

  In addition, before executing the power saving process for each control target device 110, the user may confirm whether to execute the power saving process. In this case, a screen for confirming whether or not to execute the power saving process is displayed on the user interface of the control device 100. When the user selects to execute the power saving process, the energy saving request process 610 is executed. On the other hand, when the user selects not to execute the power saving process, the energy saving request process 610 is not executed. Further, the control device 100 may have a WWW server function, and the user may confirm whether to execute the power saving process using a browser function such as a PC.

The power control policy of each control target device 110 determined by the control device 100 may be determined by a formulation rule described later.
(1) The power of a device having a high priority 713 set in the device management table 700 is preferentially controlled.
(2) Preferentially control the power of a device that supports the power limit setting property 926 and the current limit setting property 928 in which a reduction in the amount of power is expected more reliably.

  The control device 100 may finally determine the control content of each control target device 110 according to one or a combination of these rules.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing details of the power saving end process.

  The power saving end process 970 is executed when executed from the overall power consumption monitoring process 400 or when the control device 100 receives the energy saving release data 310 from the server 200.

  First, with reference to the device management table 700, information on the power limit state of the control target device 110 at the start of the power saving end process is acquired (step 971).

  Thereafter, it is determined whether the power saving state of each control target device 110 is released (step 972). As a result, if the release processing of all the control target devices 110 has been completed, the processing ends. On the other hand, if the release processing of some of the control target devices 110 has not been completed, the power saving state of each control target device 110 is canceled based on the acquired power limit state information (steps 973 to 979).

  Specifically, in the power saving state release processing of each control target device 110, a reference command is transmitted to the control target device 110, and the value of the operation state property 921 at that time is acquired. With reference to the value of the acquired operation state property 921, the power state of the device is determined (step 973). If the value of the acquired operation state property 921 is “power OFF”, it is not necessary to turn on the power by the power saving end process, and the process returns to step 972 without performing anything.

  If the value of the acquired operation state property 921 is “power ON”, the value of the property set in the device management table 700 is acquired (step 973). Based on the value of the acquired property, it is determined whether the power limit setting property 926 is set for the device (step 974). When the power limit setting property 926 is set for the device, the limit of the power limit setting property 926 is released. In ECHONET Lite, the power limit property is set with a limit value (W), and thus a clear release instruction cannot be made. Therefore, the rated power value (maximum power value) of the device is determined from properties such as manufacturer code and model code separately specified in ECHONET Lite, and the rated power value determined by the message command to the control target device 110 Is set in the power limit setting property (step 975). At this time, by clearing the power limit setting property value 719 of the device management table 700, it is recorded that the power limit is released as the internal state of the control device 100.

  If the power limit setting property 926 is not set for the device, it is determined based on the acquired property value whether the current limit setting property 928 is set for the device (step 976). If the current limit setting property 928 is set for the device, the current limit setting is canceled. Since the current limit is set as a ratio (for example,%), 100% is set in the current limit setting property 928 by a message command to the control target device 110 (step 977).

  If the current limit setting property 928 is not set for the device, it is determined whether the power saving operation setting property 929 is set for the device based on the acquired property value (step 978). When the property 929 is set, the power saving mode is canceled. To cancel the power saving mode, the “normal” mode is set in the power saving operation setting property 929 by a message command to the control target device 110 (step 979).

  If the control is successful after executing the power saving state release processing (steps 973 to 979) of the control target device 110, the device management table 700 is updated with the executed control content (step 980). With the above processing (steps 973 to 980), the power saving state release processing of each control target device 110 is completed, and the processing returns to step 972.

  With the above processing, when the control device 100 receives the energy saving request data 300A from the server 200, or when the control device 100 starts power saving processing to control the overall power consumption, the consumption by the control target device 110 Electric power can be reduced. That is, even when power is insufficient in the area, power can be supplied stably. Further, even when the power consumption amount at home or in the store approaches the contracted power consumption amount, it is possible to prevent the breaker from operating and the power supply from being cut off.

  As described above, in the first embodiment of the present invention, when the control device 100 receives the energy saving request data from the server 200, or the power consumption monitoring process of the control device 100 should reduce the power consumption. If it is determined, the optimum power saving function is selected from a plurality of power saving functions that can be supported by the device to be controlled, and a reduction in power consumption that is as close to the power saving target as possible can be achieved.

  Therefore, it is not necessary for the control device 100 to take into account the specifications specific to the control target device 110 in the power measurement process, the power limit setting setting process, and the power limit setting release process for the control target device 110. In addition, it is not necessary to implement individual specifications corresponding to the control target device 110, the control process of the control device 100 is facilitated, and the new control target device 110 can be easily supported.

<Second embodiment>
In the second embodiment, the property of the control target device 110 is expanded to simplify the power saving control of the control target device 110. In the second embodiment, only the configuration and processing different from those of the first embodiment will be described, and the description of the same configuration and processing as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of properties for controlling the power of the control target device according to the second embodiment of this invention.

  In the extended control target device property 920B, the power measurement state property 925 and the power limit state property 927 are added to the property 920A item of the first embodiment described above.

  In the ECHONET Lite standard, the accumulated power consumption measurement value 923 and the accumulated operation time 924 are generally reset when the power is turned on, and it is estimated that counting starts. However, in actuality, it depends on the mounting of the device, and there is no clear rule that links the timing for resetting the accumulated power consumption measurement value 923 and the accumulated operation time 924. Further, when the accumulated operation time 924 overflows, it is specified in the standard that the accumulated operation time 924 is reset to 0, but there is no provision for resetting the accumulated power consumption measurement value 923 at this time. On the other hand, when the accumulated power consumption measurement value 923 is reset to 0 for some reason, there is no provision for simultaneously resetting the accumulated operation time 924 to 0.

  For this reason, in order to constantly monitor the average power consumption of each control target device 110, it is necessary to implement measurement processing according to the specific specifications of each control target device 110 in each control target device 110.

  As a method for solving this problem, there is a method of clearly defining that the power measurement state property 925 and the power limit state property 927 are operated in conjunction.

  For example, the accumulated power consumption measurement value 923 is reset when the accumulated operation time 924 is reset at a timing such as power ON. Further, when the accumulated power consumption measurement value 923 overflows and is reset, the regulation such as resetting the accumulated operation time 924 is clarified, and the control target device 110 operates according to the clarified regulation. Thereby, when acquiring the property of the integrated power consumption measurement value 923 and the property of the integrated operation time 924, it is possible to prevent the average power consumption from being calculated depending on the reset timing of each property.

  Another solution is to add a new property. The newly added power measurement state property 925 is a property for defining the timing for resetting the integrated power consumption measurement value 923 and the integrated operation time 924 in synchronization with one of the values “START” and “STOP”. Is.

  By changing the value of the property from “STOP” to “START” by a command message for setting the property, the integrated power consumption measurement value 923 and the integrated operation time 924 are reset at the same time to start counting up. Further, by changing the property value from “START” to “STOP”, the count-up of the accumulated power consumption measurement value 923 and the accumulated operation time 924 is stopped. For this reason, it is possible to refer to the property values of the integrated power consumption measurement value 923 and the integrated operation time 924 that are stopped at the same time.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart of the power measurement process 990 of the second embodiment.

  The power measurement process 990 of the second embodiment is executed using the power measurement state property 925 in step 401 of the overall power consumption monitoring process 400.

  First, in the power measurement process 990, it is determined whether the measurement of the power consumption of all the control target devices 110 is completed (step 991). As a result, if the measurement of the power consumption of all the control target devices 110 is completed, the process is terminated. On the other hand, if the measurement of the power consumption of some control target devices 110 is not completed, the average power consumption of the control target devices 110 is measured (steps 992 to 995).

  Specifically, the measurement of the average power consumption of each control target device 110 is to change the power measurement state property 925 to “STOP” and stop the count-up of the accumulated power consumption measurement value 923 and the accumulated operation time 924. To stop the power measurement (step 992). Then, after stopping the power measurement, a command message for acquiring the property value is transmitted, and the integrated power consumption measurement value 923 and the integrated operation time 924 are acquired (step 993).

  The acquired integrated power consumption measurement value 923 is divided by the acquired integrated operation time 924 to calculate the average power consumption and stored in the storage unit 102 of the control device 100 (step 994). Thereafter, the power measurement state property 925 is changed to “START”, the integrated power consumption measurement value 923 and the integrated operation time 924 are reset, the power measurement is restarted (step 995), and the process returns to step 991.

  As a modification of the second embodiment, an example in which four values of “START”, “STOP”, “LAP”, and “PAUSE” are taken as the value of the power measurement state property 925 is also conceivable. In this case, when the property value is changed to “RESET”, the accumulated power consumption measurement value 923 and the accumulated operation time 924 are reset to 0, and when the property value is changed to “START”, the count-up is started. Further, when the property value is changed to “LAP”, the accumulated power consumption measured value 923 and the accumulated operation time 924 at the time when the property value is changed to “LAP” are held while the count-up continues, and the property value is retained. When the value of “PAUSE” is changed, the count-up is temporarily interrupted, and the accumulated power consumption measurement value 923 and the accumulated operation time 924 at the time when the property value is changed to “PAUSE” are held.

  When the property value is changed to “START” from the “LAP” and “PAUSE” states, the state returns to the count-up state before the “LAP” and “PAUSE” states are set.

  By controlling the property value in such a state, power can be measured with high accuracy without considering the internal processing time of the control device 100.

  The power limit state property 927 has a state of “limit” and “not limit”, and operates as a flag for controlling whether to limit power with the power limit value (W) set in the power limit setting property 926. To do. When the power limit state property 927 is set to “restrict”, the power consumption control of the control target device 110 is enabled, and when the power limit state property 927 is set to “not limit”, the power consumption control of the control target device 110 is disabled. It becomes.

  When the power limit state property 927 is provided, it is necessary to set the value of the power limit state property 927 to “limit” when setting the limit value in the power limit setting property 926 in step 954 of the power saving start process 950. is there. Further, in step 975 of the power saving end process 970, the power limit can be released by changing the value of the power limit state property 927 to “not limit”. For this reason, unlike the first embodiment, since the control device 100 does not need to know the rated power value of each control target device 110, the power saving end process can be simplified.

  As yet another embodiment, a rated power value property is provided instead of the power limit state property 927, and the control device 100 uses a command message for acquiring the property value in the normal state of each control target device 110. The rated power value (W) may be acquired. In this case, when canceling the power limit, the power limit is canceled by setting the acquired rated power value (W) as the value of the power limit setting property 926.

  As described above, in the second embodiment of the present invention, an accurate integrated power consumption value can be acquired.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the Example mentioned above, Various modifications are included. The above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. A part of the configuration of one embodiment may be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment. Moreover, you may add the structure of another Example to the structure of a certain Example. In addition, for a part of the configuration of each embodiment, another configuration may be added, deleted, or replaced.

  In addition, each of the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in hardware by designing a part or all of them, for example, with an integrated circuit, and the processor realizes each function. It may be realized by software by interpreting and executing the program to be executed.

  Information such as programs, tables, and files that realize each function can be stored in a storage device such as a memory, a hard disk, and an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, an SD card, and a DVD.

  Further, the control lines and the information lines are those that are considered necessary for the explanation, and not all the control lines and the information lines that are necessary for the mounting are shown. In practice, it can be considered that almost all the components are connected to each other.

Claims (18)

A power control system for controlling power consumption,
A control target device whose power consumption is controlled; and
A control device connected to the control target device via a network;
The control device includes a communication control unit that controls communication with the control target device, and a control unit that controls power consumption of the control target device,
The controller is
By acquiring the power saving setting of the control target device, it is determined whether the control target device supports power saving setting, current limit setting and power saving operation setting,
Among the power saving settings supported by the control target device, power consumption of the control target device is controlled in priority order of the power limit setting, the current limit setting, and the power saving operation setting. Power control system. The power control system according to claim 1,
When the control target device does not correspond to any of the power limit setting, the current limit setting, and the power saving operation setting, the control device changes an operation state of the control target device, and controls the control target device. A power control system that controls power consumption of the device to be controlled by shutting off the power supply. The power control system according to claim 1 or 2,
The controller is
At the start of power saving, the power saving setting used in the power consumption control of the control target device, and the parameters of the power saving setting are stored,
At the end of power saving, based on the stored power saving settings and parameters, the power control system according to the power saving settings is canceled. The power control system according to claim 2,
The controller is
At the start of power saving, the power saving setting used in the power consumption control of the control target device, and the parameters of the power saving setting are stored,
At the end of power saving, based on the stored power saving settings and parameters, power consumption control by the power limit setting, the current limit setting and the power saving operation setting is canceled, and the operation state is not changed. Control system. The power control system according to claim 1 or 2,
The control target device can be set to start and stop power consumption measurement,
The controller is
Set the stop of power consumption measurement of the device to be controlled,
Obtain an integrated value and an integrated time of power consumption from the controlled device,
Reset the integrated value and integrated time of the power consumption of the control target device,
A power control system configured to set a start of power consumption measurement of the device to be controlled. The power control system according to claim 1 or 2,
The control device changes a setting for controlling validity or invalidity of the power saving setting of the control target device,
The power control system according to claim 1, wherein the control target device controls whether to control power consumption according to whether the power saving setting is valid or invalid. A control device for controlling the power consumption of devices to be controlled connected via a network,
A communication control unit for controlling communication with the device to be controlled;
A control unit that controls power consumption of the device to be controlled,
The controller is
By acquiring the power saving setting of the control target device, it is determined whether the control target device supports power saving setting, current limit setting and power saving operation setting,
Among the power saving settings supported by the control target device, power consumption of the control target device is controlled in priority order of the power limit setting, the current limit setting, and the power saving operation setting. Control device. The control device according to claim 7,
When the control target device does not correspond to any of the power limit setting, the current limit setting, and the power saving operation setting, the control unit changes the operation state of the control target device, and the control target device A control device that controls power consumption of the device to be controlled by shutting off the power supply. The control device according to claim 7 or 8,
The controller is
At the start of power saving, the power saving setting used in the power consumption control of the control target device, and the parameters of the power saving setting are stored,
At the end of power saving, based on the stored power saving settings and parameters, the control apparatus cancels power consumption control based on the power saving settings. The control device according to claim 8,
The controller is
At the start of power saving, the power saving setting used in the power consumption control of the control target device, and the parameters of the power saving setting are stored,
Control that cancels power consumption control by the power limit setting, the current limit setting, and the power saving operation setting based on the stored power saving setting and parameters at the end of power saving, and does not change the operation state apparatus. The control device according to claim 7 or 8,
The control target device can be set to start and stop power consumption measurement,
The controller is
Set the stop of power consumption measurement of the device to be controlled,
Obtain an integrated value and an integrated time of power consumption from the controlled device,
Reset the integrated value and integrated time of the power consumption of the control target device,
A control device that sets a start of power consumption measurement of the device to be controlled. The control device according to claim 7 or 8,
The control unit changes a setting for controlling validity or invalidity of a power saving setting of the control target device, thereby controlling whether the control target device controls power consumption. . A power control method for controlling power consumption of a control target device,
The control target device is connected to a control device via a network,
The method
By determining the power saving setting of the control target device by the control device, it is determined whether the control target device is compatible with a power limit setting, a current limit setting, and a power saving operation setting.
The control device controls the power consumption of the control target device in order of the power limit setting, the current limit setting, and the power saving operation setting among the power saving settings supported by the control target device. A power control method characterized by the above. The power control method according to claim 13,
When the control target device does not correspond to any of the power limit setting, the current limit setting, and the power saving operation setting, the control device changes an operation state of the control target device, and controls the control target device. A power control method characterized by controlling the power consumption of the device to be controlled by shutting off the power supply. The power control method according to claim 13 or 14,
The control device stores a power saving setting used in power consumption control of the control target device at the start of power saving, and parameters of the power saving setting,
The control device cancels power consumption control based on the stored power saving settings and parameters based on the stored power saving settings and parameters at the end of power saving. The power control method according to claim 14,
The control device stores a power saving setting used in power consumption control of the control target device and a parameter of the power saving setting at the start of power saving,
The control device cancels the power consumption control by the power saving setting of the power limit setting, the current limit setting and the power saving operation setting based on the stored power saving setting and parameters at the end of power saving, and the state of the power supply Is a power control method characterized by not changing. The power control method according to claim 13 or 14,
The control target device can be set to start and stop power consumption measurement,
The method
The control device sets a stop of power consumption measurement of the control target device,
The control device acquires an integrated value and an integrated time of power consumption from the control target device,
The control device resets the integrated value and integrated time of the power consumption of the control target device,
The said control apparatus sets the start of the power consumption measurement of the said control object apparatus, The power control method characterized by the above-mentioned. The power control method according to claim 13 or 14,
The control device changes a setting for controlling validity or invalidity of the power saving setting of the control target device,
The power control method according to claim 1, wherein the control target device controls whether to control power consumption according to whether the power saving setting is valid or invalid.

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