KR101687027B1 - A network system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a network system.
A network system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a utility network including an energy generating unit; A home network including an energy consuming unit for consuming energy generated in the energy generating unit; An energy measuring unit provided in the utility network or the home network and recognizing additional information other than energy information or energy information; And an energy management unit that is provided in the utility network or the home network and manages the energy information or the additional information with respect to the energy consuming unit, A plurality of power saving modes are configured as functions performed to reduce the charge or the amount of power consumed.

Description

A network system

The present invention relates to a network system.

Suppliers simply supply energy sources such as electricity, water, and gas, and demanders simply use the supplied energy sources. Therefore, effective management in terms of energy production, distribution, or energy use is difficult to perform.

In other words, energy is a radial structure that is distributed from an energy supplier to a large number of consumers, that is, from the center to the periphery, and is characterized by a one-way supplier center rather than a consumer center.

The price information of electricity can not be known in real time, but it can be seen only through the power exchange, and because the price system is also a fixed price system, incentives such as incentives for consumers through price changes can not be used There was also a problem.

In order to solve these problems, there has been a lot of efforts recently to implement a horizontal, cooperative and distributed network that can efficiently manage energy and enable interaction between a consumer and a supplier.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a network system capable of effectively managing an energy source and reducing electricity bill and / or energy consumption.

A network system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a utility network including an energy generating unit; A home network including an energy consuming unit for consuming energy generated in the energy generating unit; An energy measuring unit provided in the utility network or the home network and recognizing additional information other than energy information or energy information; And an energy management unit that is provided in the utility network or the home network and manages the energy information or the additional information with respect to the energy consuming unit, A plurality of power saving modes are configured as functions performed to reduce the charge or the amount of power consumed.

Further, a network system according to another aspect includes a utility network including an energy generating unit; A home network including an energy consuming unit for consuming energy generated in the energy generating unit; An energy measuring unit provided in the utility network or the home network and recognizing additional information other than energy information or energy information; And an energy management unit that is provided in the utility network or the home network and manages the energy information or the additional information with respect to the energy consuming unit, wherein the energy consuming unit includes a plurality of And a power saving mode.

According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently produce, use, distribute, and store an energy source, thereby effectively managing the energy source.

In addition, it is possible to drive and control the electric appliances in the home using the energy information transmitted from the supplier, and it is possible to reduce the energy usage fee or power consumption.

1 is a schematic diagram of a network system according to the present invention.
2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a network system according to the present invention.
3 is a block diagram illustrating an information delivery process on the network system of the present invention.
4 (a) is a graph showing TOU (Time of use) information and CPP (critical peak pattern) information, and FIG. 4 (b) is a graph showing RTP real time pattern) information.
5 is a block diagram schematically showing a first embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.
6 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a second embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.
7 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a third embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.
8 is a schematic diagram of a home network according to the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electrical product according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an input unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a power saving level according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a flow chart showing a method of controlling an electrical product according to an embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a flowchart showing a control method of an electrical product according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a schematic diagram of a network system according to the present invention.

The network system is a system for managing energy sources such as electricity, water, and gas. The energy source means that the generated amount or the used amount can be measured.

Therefore, an energy source not mentioned above can also be included in the management of the present system. Hereinafter, the electricity will be described as an example of the energy source, and the contents of this specification can be similarly applied to other energy sources.

Referring to FIG. 1, the network system of one embodiment includes a power plant that produces electricity. The power plant may include a power plant that generates electricity through thermal power generation or nuclear power generation, and a power plant that uses eco-friendly energy such as hydro, solar, and wind power.

Electricity generated by the power plant is transmitted to a power station through a transmission line, and electricity is transmitted to a substation in a substation so that electricity is distributed to consumers such as a home or an office.

Electricity generated by environmentally friendly energy is also transmitted to the substation and distributed to each customer. Electricity transmitted from the substation is distributed through an electric storage device or directly to the office or each household.

In the home using a home network (HAN, home area network), electric power can be produced, stored, distributed, or distributed through a solar cell or a fuel cell mounted on a PHEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) The remaining electricity can be sent back to the outside (for example, a power company).

In addition, the network system includes a smart meter for real-time monitoring of electricity consumption of a consumer (home or office), an AMI (Advanced Metering infrastructure) for measuring electricity usage of a large number of consumers, May be included. That is, the measurement apparatus can measure the amount of electricity used by receiving information measured by a plurality of smart meters.

In this specification, the measurement includes not only what the smart meter and the measuring apparatus itself measure, but also what the smart meter and the measuring apparatus can recognize by receiving the amount of generated or used amount from other components.

In addition, the network system may further include an energy management system (EMS: Energy Management System) for managing energy. The energy management device can generate information about the operation of one or more components in relation to energy (generation, distribution, use, storage, etc.) of the energy. The energy management device may generate at least instructions related to operation of the component.

The function or solution performed by the energy management apparatus in this specification may be referred to as an energy management function or an energy management solution.

In the network system of the present invention, the energy management device may be included in one or more components in a separate configuration, or may be included as an energy management function or solution in one or more components.

2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a network system according to the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the network system of the present invention is configured by a plurality of components. For example, power plants, substations, power stations, energy management devices, household appliances, smart meters, capacitors, web servers, measuring devices, and home servers are components of the network system.

Further, in the present invention, each component can be constituted by a plurality of detailed components. For example, when one component is a household appliance, the microcomputer, the heater, the display, and the motor constituting the household appliance may be detailed components.

That is, in the present invention, everything that performs a specific function may be a component, and these components constitute the network system of the present invention. And the two components can communicate by communication means.

Further, one network may be a single component or may be composed of a plurality of components.

In this specification, a network system in which communication information is related to an energy source may be referred to as an energy grid.

The network system of one embodiment may be composed of a utility network (UAN) 10 and a home network (HAN) 20. The utility network 10 and the home network 20 can be wired or wirelessly communicated by communication means.

In this specification, assumption means a group of specific components such as a building, a company, and the like, as well as assumptions of a dictionary meaning. A utility is a collection of specific components outside the home.

The utility network 10 includes an energy generation component 11 for generating energy, an energy distribution component 12 for distributing or transferring energy, and an energy storage unit An energy storage component 13 for managing energy, an energy management component 14 for managing energy, and an energy metering component 15 for measuring energy related information.

When one or more components of the utility network 10 consume energy, the energy consuming component may be an energy consuming part. That is, the energy consuming part may be a separate component or included in another component.

The energy generating unit 11 may be, for example, a power plant. The energy distribution unit 12 distributes or transfers the energy generated by the energy generation unit 11 and / or the energy stored in the energy storage unit 13 to the energy consuming unit. The energy distribution unit 12 may be a power transmission unit, a substation, a power station, or the like.

The energy storage unit 13 may be a battery and the energy management unit 14 may include an energy generation unit 11, an energy distribution unit 12, an energy storage unit 13, an energy consumption unit 26). ≪ / RTI > In one example, the energy management unit 14 may generate commands relating to operation of at least a specific component.

The energy management unit 14 may be an energy management device. The energy measuring unit 15 may measure information related to energy generation, distribution, consumption, storage, and the like, and may be, for example, an AMI. The energy management unit 14 may have a separate configuration or may be included as an energy management function in another component.

The utility network 10 may communicate with the home network 20 by a terminal component (not shown). The terminal component may be, for example, a gateway way. These terminal components may be provided in at least one of the utility network 10 and the home network 20. [

Meanwhile, the home network 20 includes an energy generation component 21 for generating energy, an energy distribution component 22 for distributing energy, an energy storage component for storing energy a storage component 23, an energy management component 24 for managing energy, an energy metering component 25 for measuring energy related information, and an energy consuming part a consumption component 26, a central management component 27 for controlling a number of components, an energy grid assistance component 28, an accessory component 29, a consumable handling component 29, component: 30).

The energy generation component 21 may be a household power generator and the energy storage component 23 may be a battery and the energy management component 24 may be an energy management device. have.

The energy metering component 25 may measure information related to energy generation, distribution, consumption, storage, and the like, for example, a smart meter.

The energy consuming unit 26 may be a heater, a motor, a display, or the like that constitutes a home appliance (a refrigerator, a washing machine, an air conditioner, a cooking appliance, a cleaner, a drier, a dishwasher, a dehumidifier, . It is to be noted that there is no limitation in the kind of the energy consuming section 26 in the present embodiment.

The energy management unit 24 may be an individual component or may be included as an energy management function in another component. The energy management unit 21 may communicate with one or more components to transmit and receive information.

The energy generating unit 21, the energy distributing unit 22, and the energy storing unit 23 may be individual components or a single component.

The central management unit 27 may be, for example, a home server for controlling a plurality of appliances.

The energy network auxiliary unit 28 is a component having an original function while performing an additional function for the energy grid. For example, the energy network auxiliary unit 28 may be a web service providing unit (e.g., a computer), a mobile device, a television, and the like.

The accessory component 29 is a dedicated energy network component that performs an additional function for the energy network. For example, the accessory component 29 may be an energy-network-dedicated weather-receiving antenna.

The Consumable handling component 30 is a component that stores, supplies, and delivers a consumable, and can confirm or recognize information on a consumable. The consumable may be an article or a material to be used or processed in the operation of the energy consuming unit 26, for example. The consumable processing unit 30 may be managed by the energy management unit 24 in the energy network.

For example, the consumable may be a food in a washing machine, a cooking appliance in a washing machine, a detergent or a fabric softener for washing laundry in a washing machine, or a seasoning for cooking a food.

The energy distributing units 12 and 22, the energy storing units 13 and 23, the energy managing units 14 and 24, the energy measuring units 15 and 25, The central management unit 26, and the central management unit 27 may exist independently of each other, or two or more may constitute a single component.

For example, the energy management units 14 and 24, the energy measurement units 15 and 25, and the central management unit 27 exist as a single component, and each of the smart meters, the energy management device, Or the energy management units 14 and 24, the energy measurement units 15 and 25, and the central management unit 27 may constitute a single component mechanically.

Further, in performing a single function, the functions may be sequentially performed in a plurality of components and / or communication means. For example, an energy management function may be sequentially performed in a separate energy management unit, an energy measurement unit, and an energy consumption unit.

In addition, a plurality of components of a specific function configuring the utility network and the home network may be provided. For example, the energy generating unit or the energy consuming unit may be plural.

On the other hand, the utility network 10 and the home network 20 can communicate by communication means (first interface). At this time, a plurality of utility networks 10 can communicate with a single home network 20, and a single utility network 10 can communicate with a plurality of home networks 20.

For example, the communication means may be a simple communication line or a power line communication means. Of course, the power line communication means may include a communicator (e.g., a modem or the like) connected to each of the two components. As another example, the communication means may be zigbee, wi-fi, Bluetooth, or the like.

In the present specification, there is no limitation on a method for wired communication or a method for wireless communication.

The two components constituting the utility network 10 can communicate by communication means.

In addition, the two components constituting the home network 20 can be communicated by communication means (second interface). The energy consumption unit 26 may be connected to at least one of the energy management unit 24, the energy measurement unit 25, the central management unit 27, the energy network auxiliary unit 28, As shown in Fig.

The microcomputer of each of the components (for example, the energy consuming unit) can communicate with the communication unit (the second interface) (third interface). For example, when the energy consuming unit is an appliance, the energy consuming unit may receive information from the energy management unit by a communication means (second interface), and the received information is transmitted to the microcomputer Lt; / RTI >

Further, the energy consuming unit 26 can communicate with the accessory component 29 through a communication means (fourth interface). Further, the energy consuming unit 26 can communicate with the consumable processing unit 30 through a communication means (fifth interface).

3 is a block diagram illustrating an information delivery process on the network system of the present invention. 4 (a) is a graph showing time of use (TOU) information and critical peak pattern (CPP) information, and FIG. 4 (b) is a graph showing RTP real time pattern) information.

Referring to FIG. 3, in the network system of the present invention, the specific component C can receive information related to energy (hereinafter, "energy information") by communication means. Further, the specific component (C) can be configured to include additional information (environmental information, program update information, time information, operation or status information of each component (failure), and consumer habit information using the energy consumption unit Can be further received.

The environmental information may include carbon dioxide emission amount, carbon dioxide concentration in air, temperature, humidity, rainfall amount, rainfall amount, insolation amount, air amount, and the like.

In another aspect, the information includes internal information such as information relating to each component (operation or status information (failure) of each component, energy usage information of the energy consumption unit, consumer habits information using the energy consumption unit, etc.) (Energy-related information, environmental information, program update information, and time information), which are information.

At this time, the information can be received from other components. That is, the received information includes at least energy information.

The specific component may be one component that constitutes the utility network 10 or one component that constitutes the home network 20.

The energy information I may be one of electricity, water, gas, and the like as described above.

For example, the types of information related to electricity include time-based pricing, energy curtailment, grid emergency, grid reliability, energy generation amount, (operation priority), and energy consumption amount (energy consumption amount). In this embodiment, the charge related to the energy source is an energy charge.

That is, energy related information can be classified into charge information (energy charge) and non-charge information (energy reduction, emergency situation, network safety, power generation, operation priority, energy consumption, etc.).

Such information can be divided into scheduled information generated in advance based on previous information and real time information that varies in real time. The schedule information and the real-time information can be classified according to the prediction of the information after the present time (future).

The energy information I may be divided into time of use (TOU) information, critical peak pattern (CPP) information, or real time pattern (RTP) information according to a change pattern of data over time. The energy information I may vary with time.

Referring to FIG. 4 (a), according to the TOU information, data is changed stepwise according to time. According to the CPP information, the data changes stepwise or real-time with time, and emphasis is displayed at a specific time point. That is, in the case of the CPP pattern, the general charge is cheaper than the charge of the TOU pattern, but the charge at the specific point in time is significantly more expensive than the charge in the TOU pattern.

Referring to FIG. 4 (b), according to the RTP information, data changes in real time according to time.

On the other hand, the energy information I may be transmitted or received as true or false signals such as Boolean on the network system, actual price information may be transmitted or received, or a plurality of levels may be transmitted and received. Hereinafter, an example of information related to electricity will be described.

When the specific component C receives a true or false signal such as a Boolean signal, it recognizes one of the signals as an on-peak signal and the other signal as an off-peak ) Signal.

Alternatively, a particular component may recognize information about at least one drive that includes an electricity bill, and the particular component may compare on-peak and off-peak values by comparing the recognized information value with a reference information value off-peak.

For example, when a specific component recognizes leveled information or actual price information, the specific component compares the recognized information value with the reference information value to determine on-peak and off-peak values, Lt; / RTI >

At this time, the information value about the driving may be at least one of an electricity rate, a power rate, a rate of change of the electricity rate, a rate of change of the electric power rate, an average value of the electricity rate and an average value of the electric power amount. The reference information value may be at least one of an average value, an average value of a minimum value and a maximum value of power information during a predetermined section, and a reference change rate of power information during a predetermined section (for example, a slope of power consumption amount per unit time).

The reference information value may be set in real time or set in advance. The reference information value may be set in a utility network or set in a home network (input by a consumer direct input, energy management unit, central management unit, etc.).

If the specific component (for example, the energy consuming unit) recognizes an on-peak (for example, a recognition time point), the output may be set to 0 (stop or stop) and the output may be reduced. The specific component may determine the driving method in advance before starting the operation, and may change the driving method when the on-peak is recognized after the operation starts.

And, if a particular component recognizes off-peak, it can recover or increase its output when needed. That is, when a particular component that recognizes an on-peak recognizes an off-peak, the output can be restored to its previous state or increased further than the previous output.

At this time, the total consumed power and / or the total electricity use charge during the entire driving time of the specific component is reduced, even when the output of the specific component is recovered or the output is increased after recognizing the off-peak.

Alternatively, if the specific component recognizes an on-peak (for example, a recognition time point), the output can be maintained if the condition is operable. At this time, the operable condition means that the information value of the driving is below a certain standard. The information value of the driving may be information on an electric charge, an amount of power consumption, or an operation time. The constant criterion may be a relative value or an absolute value.

The predetermined criteria may be set in real time or may be set in advance. The predetermined criteria may be set in the utility network or in a home network (input by a consumer direct input, energy management unit, central management unit, etc.).

Alternatively, the output may be increased if the particular component recognizes an on-peak (for example, a point-in-time). However, even when the output is increased at the time when the on-peak is recognized, the total output amount during the entire driving period of the specific component can be reduced or maintained to be less than the total output amount when the specific component operates at the normal output.

Alternatively, the total power consumption or total electricity charge during the entire drive period of a particular component, even when the output increases at the time of recognizing the on-peak, It can be reduced than the electricity rate.

If the specific component recognizes an off-peak (for example, a recognition time point), the output can be increased. For example, when the operation reservation is set, a component whose operation starts before a setting time or a component having a large output among a plurality of components can be driven first.

Further, in the case of a refrigerator, it is possible to store the hot water in the hot water tank by supercooling the output by increasing the output from the existing output, or in the case of a washing machine or a washing machine, by driving the heater ahead of the scheduled operation time of the heater. This is to operate in off-peak in advance to be operated at an on-peak to be reached in the future, thereby reducing electric charges.

Or when a particular component recognizes an off-peak (for example, when it is recognized).

In the present invention, the particular component (e.g., the energy consuming unit) may maintain, reduce or increase the output. Thus, a particular component may include a power changing component. Since the power can be defined by current and voltage, the power variable component may include a current regulator and / or a voltage regulator. The power variable component may, for example, be operated according to an instruction issued from the energy management unit.

On the other hand, the energy curtailment information is information related to a mode in which the component is stopped or the electricity fee is reduced. The energy reduction information may be transmitted or received as a true or false signal, such as a Boolean on a network system. That is, a stop signal (turn off signal) or a reduction signal (lower power signal) can be transmitted and received.

When the specific component recognizes the energy reduction information, it can reduce the output (when the lower power signal is recognized) or to zero the output as described above (if the stop or stop state is maintained) have.

The emergency information (Grid emergency) is information related to a power failure or the like, and can be transmitted and received as a true or false signal, for example, as a Boolean. The information related to the power failure or the like is related to the reliability of components using energy.

If the particular component recognizes the emergency information, it may be immediately shut down.

When the specific component receives the emergency information as the schedule information, the specific component may increase the output before arriving at the emergency time point and perform the same operation as the operation at the off-peak of the specific component described above . And, at the time of the emergency, the specific component can be shut down.

The grid reliability information is information about the amount of electricity supplied or the amount of electricity supplied or information about the quality of electric power. The grid reliability information is transmitted or received as a true or false signal such as a Boolean or supplied to a component (for example, The component may determine the frequency of the AC power source.

That is, when the underfrequency of the AC power supplied to the component is detected (recognized), it is judged that the supplied electricity quantity is small. If an overfrequency higher than the reference frequency of the AC power supply is detected (recognized) Can be judged to be many.

When the specific component recognizes that the amount of electricity is low or the quality of the electricity is poor, the specific component may set the output 0 (stop or stop) depending on the case, as mentioned above, The output can be reduced, the output can be maintained, or the output can be increased.

The electricity generation excess information is information about the state where the electricity consumption of the component consuming energy is smaller than that of the electricity generation and the surplus electricity is generated and can be transmitted or received as a true or false signal such as Boolean.

The output can be increased if the specific component recognizes the generated electricity excess information (eg, when it recognizes grid overfrequency or recognizes an over energy signal). For example, when the operation reservation is set, a component whose operation starts before a setting time or a component having a large output among a plurality of components can be driven first. Further, in the case of a refrigerator, it is possible to store the hot water by supercooling the output by increasing the output from the existing output, or by driving the heater in advance of the operation time of the heater in the case of the washing machine or the washing machine.

Specifically, each type of information related to the energy includes first information (I1) that is not processed, second information (I2) that is information processed in the first information, And third information (I3), which is information for performing a function of the component. That is, the first information is raw data, the second information is refined data, and the third information is a command for performing a function of a specific component.

And, energy related information is included in the signal and transmitted. At this time, at least one of the first to third information may be converted only the signal, but the content may be transmitted a plurality of times without being converted.

For example, as shown in the figure, a component receiving a signal including the first information I1 may simply convert a signal and transmit a new signal including the first information I1 to another component.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the conversion of the signal and the conversion of the information are described as different concepts. At this time, it can be easily understood that the signals are also converted when the first information is converted to the second information.

However, the third information may be transmitted a plurality of times in a state in which the contents are converted, or may be transmitted a plurality of times in a state in which signals are converted while maintaining the same contents.

In detail, when the first information is unprocessed electricity rate information, the second information may be processed electricity rate information. The processed electricity bill information is information or analytical information in which electric bill is divided into multiple levels. The third information is an instruction generated based on the first information or the second information.

The specific component may generate, transmit, or receive one or more of the first to third information. The first to third pieces of information are not necessarily sequentially transmitted and received.

For example, a plurality of third information can be transmitted and received in sequence or in parallel without first and second information. Alternatively, the first and third information may be transmitted or received together, the second and third information may be transmitted or received together, or the first and second information may be transmitted or received together.

In one example, when a particular component receives the first information, the particular component may transmit the second information, transmit the second information and the third information, or transmit only the third information.

When a specific component receives only the third information, the specific component can generate and transmit new third information.

On the other hand, in the relationship between two pieces of information, one piece of information is a message and the other piece of information is a response to a message. Accordingly, each component constituting the network system can transmit or receive a message, and can respond to a received message when receiving a message. Therefore, the transmission and correspondence of a message is a relative concept for individual components.

The message may comprise data (first information or second information) and / or instructions (third information).

The command (third information) includes at least one of a data storage command, a data generation command, a data processing command (including generating additional data), an additional command generation command, a further generated command transmission command, Command, and the like.

In this specification, responding to a received message means that it is necessary to store data, to process data (including generating additional data), to generate a new command, to send a newly created command, ), Operation, transmission of stored information, transmission of an acknowledge character or negative acknowledge character, etc.

For example, if the message is first information, the component that received the first information may generate a second information by processing the first information, generate second information, and generate new third information, Only the third information can be generated.

Specifically, when the energy management unit 24 receives the first information (internal information and / or external information), the energy management unit 24 generates the second information and / or the third information, And may be transmitted to one or more constituent components (e.g., an energy consuming unit). The energy consuming unit 26 may operate according to the third information received from the energy managing unit 24. [

5 is a block diagram schematically showing a first embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the first component 31 of the home network 20 may communicate directly with the utility network 10. The first component 31 may communicate with a plurality of components 32, 33, 34 (second to fourth components) of the home network. It is noted that there is no limit to the number of components of the home network that communicate with the first component 31 at this time.

That is, in this embodiment, the first component 31 serves as a gateway. The first component 31 may be, for example, one of an energy management unit, an energy measurement unit, a central management unit, an energy network auxiliary unit, an energy consumption unit, and the like.

A component acting as a gateway in the present invention not only enables communication between components communicating using different communication protocols, but also enables communication between components communicating using the same communication protocol.

Each of the second to fourth components 32, 33 and 34 may be one of an energy generating unit, an energy distributing unit, an energy managing unit, an energy storing unit, an energy measuring unit, a central managing unit, have.

The first component 31 may receive information from the utility network 10 or one or more components that make up the utility network 10 and may forward or process the received information so that the second component- (32, 34). For example, when the first component 31 is an energy measurement unit, the first component may receive electric bill information and transmit it to an energy management unit, an energy consumption unit, and the like.

And each of the second to fourth components can communicate with another component. For example, the first component 31 may be an energy measurement unit, the second component may be an energy management unit, and the energy management unit may communicate with one or more energy consumption units.

6 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a second embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, a plurality of components constituting the home network 20 of the present invention can communicate with the utility network 10 directly.

That is, in the present invention, a plurality of components (first and second components 41 and 42) serving as a gateway are included. The first and second components may be homogeneous components or other types of components.

The first component 41 may communicate with one or more components (e.g., the third and fourth components 43 and 44), and the second component 42 may communicate with one or more components And the sixth component 45, 46).

For example, each of the first and second components may be one of an energy management unit, an energy measurement unit, a central management unit, an energy network auxiliary unit, an energy consumption unit, and the like.

Each of the third to sixth components may be one of an energy generation unit, an energy distribution unit, an energy management unit, an energy measurement unit, a central management unit, an energy network auxiliary unit, and an energy consumption unit.

7 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a third embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, each of the components 51, 52, 53 constituting the home network of the present embodiment can directly communicate with the utility network 20. [ That is, there is no component acting as a gateway as in the first and second embodiments, and each of the components 51, 52 and 53 can communicate with the utility network.

8 is a schematic diagram of a home network according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, the home network 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an energy measuring unit 25 for measuring in real time power and / or electricity rates supplied from the utility network 10 to homes, For example, a smart meter, the energy measurement unit 25, and an energy management unit 24 connected to and controlling the operation of the electric product.

On the other hand, the electricity rate of each household can be charged by the hourly rate, and the electricity rate per hour becomes high in the time period in which the electric power consumption is rapidly increased, and the electricity rate per hour becomes low when the electric power consumption is relatively low .

The energy management unit 24 controls the energy consumption unit 26 such as the refrigerator 81, the washing machine 82, the air conditioner 83, the dryer 84, or the cooking appliance 85, And can be used for bi-directional communication.

Communication in the home can be done through wired such as Zigbee, wifi, or a power line communication (PLC, Power line communication), and one household appliance can be connected to communicate with other household appliances.

10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an input unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a power saving operation according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electrical product according to an embodiment of the present invention. Level block diagram.

9 to 11, a communication unit 110 is included in the electrical product 100 as an "energy consuming unit " according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The communication unit 110 includes an energy measuring unit 25 for recognizing additional information other than energy information or energy information and an energy measuring unit 25 for measuring the energy of the energy consumed by the energy consuming unit 100 And the management unit 24, as shown in FIG.

The energy measuring unit 25 and the energy managing unit 24 may be connected to each other to be able to communicate with each other. The communication unit 110 may be provided inside the electrical product 110 or may be detachably coupled to the electrical product 110.

A display unit 130 for displaying driving information of the electric product 100 or information recognized from the communication unit 110, And a control unit 140 for controlling these configurations.

In detail, the input unit 120 includes a power saving level selection unit 121 for selecting a power saving intensity of the electrical product 100, a course selection unit 122 for selecting a driveable course of the electrical product 100, A time setting unit 123 for setting the driving time of the electric product 100, a charge setting unit 124 for setting a maximum value of the usage fee or the electric energy amount, A start input unit 125 is included.

When the power saving level selection unit 121 is input, the display unit 130 displays the contents as shown in FIG. The display unit 130 may display a plurality of selectable power saving modes.

Here, the term "mode " can be understood as a concept including a specific component constituting the electrical product, a specific driving course or an administration, etc. with respect to the function performed by the electrical product 100.

The "power save mode" can be understood as a mode capable of reducing the electric bill or the amount of consumed electric power based on the energy information or the additional information.

The plurality of power saving modes include a first power saving mode in which the electric appliance 100 is controlled to be driven only when the off peak time period, that is, the received information is less than a preset reference value.

Hereinafter, a case where the electric product 100 is driven for a specific course for one hour will be described as an example. It is assumed that the current time is 09:20 minutes, the on-peak time interval is 09:20 to 10:00, and the off-peak time interval is 10:00 to 11:00.

When the first power saving mode is performed, the electric appliance 100 may be controlled to be driven in an off peak time interval from 10:00 to 11:00.

In addition, the display unit 130 may display a predicted cost (1,000 won) consumed when the apparatus is driven in the first power saving mode. However, instead of the consumption cost, the used power amount may be displayed.

The plurality of power saving modes include a second power saving mode in which the electric appliance 100 is driven only for a predetermined time or less in an on peak time interval.

When the second power saving mode is performed, the electric appliance 100 is driven and turned off for a predetermined time (10 minutes), that is, 09:20 to 09:30 in the on peak time interval.

Then, the remaining drive can be controlled to be driven in the off-peak time interval from 10:00 to 10:50. The display unit 130 may display a cost (1,200 won) consumed when the apparatus is driven in the second power saving mode.

The plurality of power saving modes include a third power saving mode that is driven under a condition that the electric product 100 is operable. Here, the operable condition means a case where the information value related to the driving of the electrical product is below a certain standard. The information value related to the drive may be information regarding the electric bill, the amount of power consumption, or the operation time.

When the on-peak time period is in the range of 09:20 to 10:00, and the time period of 09:20 to 09:40 is not satisfied, the electric product 100 is driven from 09:40 You can start.

That is, when the third power saving mode is performed, the electric appliance 100 can be driven and turned off from 09:40 to 10:40. In addition, the display unit 130 may display a cost (1,300 won) consumed when the apparatus is driven in the third power saving mode.

The plurality of power saving modes include a fourth power saving mode in which the electric appliance 100 reduces and drives the output of at least one component in an on peak time interval.

When the fourth power saving mode is performed, the electric appliance 100 can be driven from 09:20 to 10:20. In addition, the display unit 130 may display a cost (1,500 won) consumed when driving in the fourth power saving mode.

The plurality of power saving modes include a fifth power saving mode in which the electric appliance 100 increases and drives the output of at least one component in an on peak time interval. However, the total consumed electric power or electric charge during the time when the electric product 100 is driven can be controlled to be reduced.

When the fifth power saving mode is performed, the electric appliance 100 may be driven from 09:20 to 10:00. That is, instead of increasing the output, the driving time can be reduced to reduce the total power consumption or the electricity bill.

In addition, the display unit 130 may display a cost (1,700 won) consumed when the apparatus is driven in the fifth power saving mode.

As described above, the first power saving mode to the fifth power saving mode can be displayed, and the user can select a desired power saving mode. The selection method may include a touch of a display window or an input of a separate button.

The display unit 130 may display the cost in the case of driving the electrical product, that is, in the normal mode, based on the received information. The normal mode is not selectable.

By displaying the normal mode, the user can confirm the degree of cost saving when selecting one power saving mode.

As described above, the electric product 100 includes a plurality of power saving modes according to a power saving level (intensity).

Meanwhile, the electric appliance 100 may include a plurality of power saving modes having different driving methods or different driving times. The plurality of power saving modes can be distinguished when the driving course of the energy consuming part is entirely different or when the function of the specific stroke is different in the same course.

In the electrical product (100), a plurality of power saving modes can be selectively driven. The electrical product 100 may include a selection input unit 150 for selecting any one of a plurality of power saving modes.

In detail, the selection input unit 150 is provided with a manual selection input unit 151 that can be manually selected and an automatic selection input unit 152 that allows a plurality of power saving modes to be automatically selected.

The manual selection input unit 151 may be a button type, a touch type, or a knob type.

When the manual selection input unit 151 is input, a plurality of power saving modes can be displayed, and the user can select one power saving mode among a plurality of displayed power saving modes.

Then, after selecting one of the power saving modes, it is possible to change to another power saving mode. The change to the other power saving mode may be possible before or after the driving of the electric product 100.

When the automatic selection input unit 152 is input, the one power saving mode among the plurality of power saving modes can be automatically selected. That is, the one power saving mode may be preset as the first priority of the power saving mode.

Of course, even if the power save mode is automatically selected, switching to another power save mode (change) will be possible.

As described above, even if one power saving mode is selected by the manual selection input unit 151 or the automatic selection input unit 152, it is possible to change to another power saving mode.

The change of the power saving mode may be manually performed by the user, or may be automatically changed to the optimal power saving mode based on the energy information or the additional information.

Hereinafter, an example of a plurality of power saving modes will be described, and an electric appliance is taken as an example of a refrigerator. The plurality of power saving modes may include various functions or control means (methods) depending on the driving characteristics of the refrigerator.

First power saving mode Second power saving mode 3rd power saving mode Fourth power saving mode Fifth power saving mode High Peak
Target temperature + 2 ° C ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ High Peak
Move defrost point ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ High Peak
Optimal target temperature
Set ○ ○ ○ ○ High Peak Previous
Condensation carried out ○ ○ ○ ○ High Peak
Damper interlocking ○ ○ ○ High Peak
Homebaby heater control ○ ○ ○ Low Peak
Temperature control standard
adjustment ○ ○ Low Peak
Target temperature + 2 ° C ○ ○ Medium Peak
Optimal target temperature
Set ○

As shown in the above [Table 1], the plurality of power saving modes include the first power saving mode to the fifth power saving mode.

If the electric product 100 is a refrigerator, factors that can be controlled based on energy information or additional information include 1) controlling the target temperature of the storage room to be increased by 2 ° C, 2) Controlling the defrosting point to the low peak time interval, 3) controlling the freezing room to the lowest target temperature (-16 ° C), and 4) storing the cold air before the on peak time 5) cooling the refrigerating chamber by opening the damper at the same time as the compressor is driven, 6) saving the driving of the heater provided in the refrigerator home bar, 7) controlling the temperature width . ≪ / RTI >

The plurality of power save modes may be configured to include at least one of the seven control factors.

On the other hand, in the network system, if the received energy information or the additional information is equal to or greater than the reference information value, it may be referred to as an on-peak time period.

Meanwhile, when there are a plurality of reference information values, the information can be classified into a high peak time interval, a medium peak time interval, and a low peak time interval according to the size of the energy information or the additional information value.

For example, it can be understood that the High Peak time period is the most expensive period. Therefore, it is important to reduce the electric charge or the amount of power consumption, mainly in the high peak time period, as an important control target.

As shown in Table 1, in all the power saving modes, 1) the target temperature is adjusted by + 2 ° C during the High Peak section, and 2) the defrost phase is moved to the Low Peak section as a common control method.

That is, at least two power saving modes among the plurality of power saving modes have a common control method.

The first power save mode is configured to perform the control method of 1), 2). In addition, the second power saving mode is configured to further perform the control method of 3) and 4) in addition to the first power saving mode, and the third power saving mode to the fifth power saving mode are configured to perform more control methods.

The fifth power save mode is configured to perform all of the seven control methods. That is, among the plurality of power saving modes, the fifth power saving mode performs the most control method in which the electricity rate or the amount of power consumed can be reduced.

As a result, it can be understood that the fifth power saving mode has the greatest reduction effect of the electric bill or the amount of power consumed.

In other words, the fifth power saving mode can be understood as a "power saving upper mode" and the first power saving mode can be understood as a "power saving lower mode". This can be regarded as a concept compatible with the power saving level described above.

In summary, a plurality of power saving modes for driving the electric product may be provided, and a plurality of power saving modes may be configured to vary the entire course or some of the strokes with respect to the function of the electric product.

The plurality of power saving modes may be leveled and divided stepwise in terms of reduction of electricity bill or reduction of power consumption.

Such a plurality of power saving modes may be selected and configured by the user.

For example, when the electrical product is a washing machine, the number of courses that can be performed in the power saving mode may be plural. The user can select the first course from among a plurality of courses, and the rinsing cycle can be added once after the washing cycle. The driving time can be set to the first time, the temperature of the washing water can be set to the first temperature value, and the RPM of the driving motor can be set to the first RPM.

That is, the user can configure the power saving mode by inputting time or out-of-hours information. Here, the out-of-hours information may include a driving method or a settable target temperature.

One such power saving mode can be configured by combining the first course, the addition of one rinse cycle, the first time, the first temperature value, and the first RPM. This power saving mode can be configured in various modes depending on the object or the number to be controlled.

In addition, these plurality of power saving modes can be automatically set as the optimum power saving mode based on the energy information or the additional information. A plurality of automatically settable power saving modes can be stored in advance in correspondence with the energy information or the additional information (Table).

12 is a flow chart showing a method of controlling an electrical product according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12, a method of controlling an electrical product according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, the power saving mode of the appliance is configured to be set manually.

You can name this sleep mode as "sleep manual mode".

When power is applied to the electrical product 100, the communication unit 110 communicates with the energy measurement unit 25 or the energy management unit 24 to receive energy information or additional information (S11). The received information can be displayed through the display unit 130. [

The displayed information may be pre-stored schedule information or real-time information. However, when energy information or additional information for the present time is displayed, the stored information may be displayed (S12).

At least one command may be input through the input unit 120. The input unit 120 may include an input unit other than the start input unit 125 such as the power saving level selector 121, 122, a time setting unit 123, or a charge setting unit 124 (S13).

However, steps S12 and S13 may be performed in a different order. That is, input through the input unit 120 may be performed first, and energy information or additional information may be displayed corresponding to the input command.

When input is made through the input unit 120, the controller 140 can recommend the power saving drive information according to the inputted command. And, the recommended information can be displayed through the display unit 130.

For example, a driving course may be recommended when the input command is time information, and a driving time (start time) may be recommended when the input command is course information. If the input command is a charge or a power limit, the time or course information can be recommended (S14).

If the user selects the recommended drive information, the time information or out-of-hours information (for example, drive method) of the electrical product according to the selected drive information can be determined (S16). When the start input unit 125 is input, the electrical product 100 can be driven according to a determined method or time.

On the other hand, if the user does not select the recommended drive information, the user can input an additional command through the input unit 120. That is, the user may ignore the recommended information and input a new command (S18).

When an additional command is input, time information or out-of-hours information can be determined according to the inputted command. Here, the driving method may include a course to be determined for driving the electric product 100, a temperature, an RPM of the motor, and the like (S19).

When the start input unit 125 is input, the electrical product 100 may be driven according to a determined method or time.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, a driving method or time for reducing an electric charge or an amount of consumed electric power can be determined on the basis of information received through the communication unit 110, so that efficient power management can be performed .

13 is a flowchart showing a control method of an electrical product according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 13, a control method of an electrical product according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, the power saving mode of the appliance is configured to be set automatically.

You can name this sleep mode "sleep automatic mode".

When power is applied to the electrical product 100 (S31), whether or not a predetermined command is input through the input unit 120 can be confirmed.

Here, the input unit 120 may be any one of an input unit except the start input unit 125, that is, the power saving level selection unit 121, the course selection unit 122, the time setting unit 123, (S32).

Energy information or additional information may be received through the communication unit 110 regardless of whether the electric product 100 is powered. At this time, a separate power source for driving the communication unit 110, for example, a battery may be provided.

The received energy information or the additional information may be previously stored schedule information or real time information.

When at least one command is input through the input unit 120, time information or out-of-hours information (driving method) according to the inputted command is compared with an optimal power saving driving method (time) (S33).

When the driving method (first driving method) according to the inputted command matches the optimal power saving driving method (second driving method), that is, when the first driving method is included in at least one of the second driving methods In this case, the driving method of the electric appliance 100 can be determined according to the inputted command.

As a result, regarding the driving of the electrical product 100, the driving method or the driving time based on the inputted command can be maintained (S35) (S36).

When the start input unit 125 is operated, the electrical product 100 may be driven according to a determined driving method (S37).

On the other hand, if the command input in step S15 does not comply with the optimal power saving drive, the input command can be ignored. Here, "optimal power saving drive" can be referred to as driving combined with the optimal drive method and drive time (S38).

Consumable information can be obtained from the sensor value detected by the sensing sensor 150. Here, the consumable information may be a kind or weight value of a consumable (S39).

An optimal driving method and an optimal driving time can be determined from the obtained consumable information.

The determined optimum driving method may include the driving course, the operating component, the temperature of the storage room or wash water, the rpm of the driving motor, and the like.

The electric appliance 100 may be driven immediately from the current according to the determined optimum driving time, or may be driven at a selected time or at a time delayed from the present by a predetermined time.

On the other hand, it is possible to display the delayed time (driving start time) when the electric appliance 100 is not operated immediately or operates at a time different from the time selected by the user.

The consumable information and the corresponding driving method or driving time can be predetermined and stored as a table. The determined optimum driving method or driving time can be understood as a driving method capable of reducing the electric charge or the amount of power consumed.

As a result, regarding the driving of the electric product 100, the driving method based on the inputted command is not held, and a new driving method is determined (S40) (S41).

The determined driving method or time may be displayed through the display unit 130. [ Accordingly, the user can confirm the manner or time when the electric product 100 is driven (S42).

Then, the step S17 is performed, so that the driving of the electric product 100 can be started.

On the other hand, if the input through the input unit 120 is not made in step S13, steps S19 and subsequent steps are performed. That is, the optimal driving method and driving time are determined from the consumable information obtained from the sensing sensor 150. [

When the start input unit 125 is input, the electric appliance 100 can be driven based on the determined driving method and driving time.

In summary, the optimum condition for driving the electrical product 100 can be determined in all cases where a predetermined command is inputted by the user or not inputted. The driving of the electrical product 100 according to the determined conditions can be started when the user operates the start input unit.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the driving method (time) for reducing the electricity rate or the amount of consumed electric power is determined based on the information received through the communication unit 110, efficient power management can be performed have.

Other embodiments are suggested.

The power saving manual mode described in FIG. 12 and the power saving automatic mode in FIG. 13 can be configured to be changeable.

When power is applied to the electrical product, either one of the power saving manual mode and the power saving automatic mode may be selected. The selection of any one mode can be performed by inputting a specific input.

The specific input unit may be an existing input unit operable to perform a specific function of the electronic product or may be a separate input unit for mode selection.

If the specific input section is an existing input section, the number of times of pressing (for example, three times of pressing) or the pressing time (for example, three seconds of pressing) for changing the mode may be set in advance.

Meanwhile, any one of the power saving manual mode or the power saving automatic mode may be preset in the electrical product. That is, when power is supplied to the electrical product, any one of the two modes may be set. Of course, one preset mode may be changed to another mode.

10: utility network 20: home network
30: Component 40: Information
100: electrical appliance 110: communication section
120: input unit 130: display unit

Claims (21)

A home network including an energy consuming unit for consuming the generated energy from a utility network including an energy generating unit;
An energy measuring unit provided in the utility network or the home network and recognizing additional information other than energy information or energy information; And
And an energy management unit provided in the utility network or the home network and managing the energy information or the additional information with respect to the energy consuming unit,
The energy-
A display unit for displaying driving information of the energy consuming unit and the energy information or additional information;
And a control unit for controlling the display unit,
Wherein,
Displaying the plurality of selectable power saving modes and the predicted cost consumed when the power saving mode is driven through the display unit based on the energy information or the additional information,
And when the one of the plurality of displayed power saving modes is selected, drives the energy consuming unit in the selected power saving mode. The method according to claim 1,
In the energy information,
A network system that includes information about energy bills and non-energy bills. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the energy charge information is at least one of an electric charge, a quantity of electricity, a rate of change of the electric charge, a rate of change of the quantity of electricity, an average value of the electric charges and an average value of the electric quantity. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein said non-energy rate information is one of energy reduction, emergency, network security, power generation, operation priority, and energy consumption. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the additional information is one of environmental information, program update information, time information, operation or status information of each component, and consumer habit information using an energy consumption unit. The method according to claim 1,
In the utility network,
A first energy distribution unit for distributing energy generated in the energy generating unit; And
And a first energy storage unit for storing energy generated in the energy generating unit or energy distributed in the energy distributing unit. The method according to claim 1,
In the home network,
A second energy generating unit for generating energy;
A second energy distribution unit for distributing energy generated in the second energy generation unit; And
And a second energy storage unit for storing energy generated in the energy generation unit or energy distributed in the energy distribution unit. delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plurality of power saving modes are manually or automatically selectable. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein one of the plurality of power saving modes is set in advance and the one power saving mode is changed to another power saving mode. The method according to claim 1,
In the plurality of power saving modes,
A power saving manual mode in which information for driving the energy consuming portion is manually selected; And
And a power save automatic mode in which information for driving the energy consuming unit is automatically selected. 12. The method of claim 11,
The information for driving the energy consuming unit includes,
Time information related to the driving time, or at least the out-of-hours information including the driving method. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the power saving manual mode and the power saving automatic mode are mutually changeable. The method according to claim 1,
In the plurality of power saving modes,
And a power saving mode that is leveled corresponding to a degree of reduction of an electric charge or an amount of power consumption. The method according to claim 1,
The plurality of power saving modes include:
And at least one control means or control method for power saving operation of the energy consuming portion. The method according to claim 1,
In the plurality of power saving modes,
And at least two power saving modes sharing a common control means or method for power saving driving of the energy consuming portion. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein one of the plurality of power saving modes reduces the electricity bill or the amount of power consumed to a maximum, further comprises control means for power saving driving rather than another power saving mode. delete delete delete delete

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