KR20110017949A - Apparatus and method for saving stand-by electric power - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An apparatus and a method for saving stand-by electric power is provided to solve user inconvenience by performing a standby power while an electron device is operated. CONSTITUTION: A power measurement unit(110) measures power consumption of an electronic device. A standby mode determination unit(130) whether the power consumption is less than a predetermined set value and is maintained for a predetermined time. A switch(150) intercepts the power supply to the electronic device if the standby mode determination unit satisfies a standby mode.

Description

Standby power saving device and method {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SAVING STAND-BY ELECTRIC POWER}

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for reducing standby power, and in more detail, to measure the used power of a connected household appliance, and the measured power for a preset duration less than a preset value within a driving power range of the household appliance. In the standby power saving device and method for determining the standby mode that is continuous, the duration is continuous by a predetermined number of times, and if the standby mode is satisfied, the standby power can be reliably cut off by cutting off the power supply of the home appliance. It is about.

Due to the rapid development of digital technology, electronic products with advanced functions are widely used in homes and businesses, and various kinds are causing various energy problems. The proliferation of energy use has caused environmental problems such as global warming, which has increased the demand for Green IT and Smart Grid.

In particular, the smart grid field is considering the construction of intelligent power systems for the efficient use of energy. Intelligent power systems enable efficient production / transmission / consumption of power, providing differential power plans, facilitating the transaction of personal idle power, detecting and minimizing leaked power, and remote metering of power usage. In addition, a real-time power usage monitoring function is proposed as a way to support the user's efficiency in power usage. It is equipped with a communication module capable of transmitting remote information to a digital meter and transmits it to a server on the Internet so that the user can monitor the power usage in his or her home, thereby realizing the need for power savings, and ultimately reduce the power usage. To induce it.

The most important thing in this power saving part is to reduce the standby power in the home appliance. In Korea, standby power consumption of TVs, washing machines, video and audio devices used in daily life is estimated to be over 4 trillion won per year. Unplugging the power plug is the best solution for saving standby power in home appliances. However, due to the inconvenience of operation of the remote control, reservation recording, and plugging in the power required for reuse, most users are spending standby power instead of shutting off the power plug.

As a way to solve the standby power problem, products that can switch off the power to several home appliances by attaching a switch to the power strip are being sold, but the switch operation for the user's power cut, and the reservation recording and the remote control There is a problem that can not use convenient functions such as reactivation of home appliances using.

In order to partially solve the problem of using a remote control, a method of attaching a battery to a power connection device such as a power strip and attaching a remote control sensor has been proposed to solve the problem of controlling the remote control as well as shutting down standby power. However, this method also does not completely solve the problem of generating standby power again when the battery is completely discharged and technical problems such as accuracy of sensor and recognition of sensor information.

Recently, a technology for reducing power consumption as a whole has been developed by providing functions such as monitoring power consumption for efficiency of power consumption of the user as well as the standby power cutoff problem. In particular, Google has launched a service that adds a communication function to a home electricity meter, so that the used power information can be viewed on the Internet. While still in its infancy, the Internet allows users to monitor their household's power usage patterns, leading them to recognize the need for power savings and to reduce their use.

The present invention is to provide a standby power saving device and method that can reliably cut off standby power.

Specifically, a standby mode in which the power consumption of the connected household electrical appliance is measured, and the measured power lasts for a predetermined duration less than a preset value within the driving power range of the household electrical appliance, and the duration continues for a preset number of times. The present invention provides a standby power saving apparatus and method capable of reliably cutting off standby power by determining a power supply to the home appliance when the standby mode is satisfied.

In order to achieve the above object, the standby power saving apparatus according to the present invention includes a power measurement unit for measuring the power used of a connected home appliance, and the measured power is a preset time that is less than a preset value within a driving power range of the home appliance. And a standby mode determination unit configured to determine a standby mode in which the duration continues for a predetermined number of times, and a switch unit which cuts off power supply of the home appliance when the standby mode is satisfied.

In this case, the preset value may be a selected value between driving power when the home appliance is driven and standby power of the home appliance.

In addition, the interval between the duration may be a selected value between 0 seconds and 120 seconds.

The duration may also be a selected value between 30 and 90 seconds.

In addition, the preset number may be a selected value between one and five times.

The apparatus may further include a power supply unit configured to supply power to the power measuring unit, the standby mode determination unit, and the switch unit, wherein the power supply unit is cut off when the power supply to the home appliance is cut off by the switch unit. The power supply to the standby mode determination unit and the switch unit may be cut off. The power supply unit may supply power to the home appliance by supplying power to the power measurement unit, the standby mode determination unit, and the switch unit at the request of a user.

The apparatus may further include a wireless communication unit transmitting the power measured by the power measuring unit to an external device through a wireless network. The power supply unit may further include a power supply unit configured to supply power to the power measurement unit, the standby mode determination unit, the switch unit, and the wireless communication unit, and the power supply unit is configured to standby when the power supply to the home appliance is cut off by the switch unit. The power supply to the mode determining unit and the switch unit can be cut off. In this case, the wireless communication unit may be configured to supply power to the home appliance by causing the power supply unit to supply power to the standby mode determination unit and the switch unit according to a driving signal transmitted from an external device. In addition, the wireless network may be one of WiFi (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, and ZigBee.

In addition, the switch unit, the automatic switch unit for shutting off the power supply of the home appliance when the standby mode is satisfied and by the user's operation to cut off or connect the power supply of the home appliance, the priority of the automatic switch over the manual It may include a switch unit.

The apparatus may further include an outlet type housing in which the power measuring unit, the standby mode determining unit, and the switch unit are disposed.

In addition, the power measuring unit may measure the power used of the home appliance only for the duration.

On the other hand, the standby power saving method according to the present invention comprises the steps of a) a standby power saving device measuring the power consumption of the home appliance connected to the standby power saving device, b) the measured power is within the driving power range of the home appliance Determining whether it is less than a set value, c) determining whether measured power less than the preset value lasts for a preset duration, d) determining whether the duration continues for a preset number of times, e) the b and c) shutting off the power supply of the home appliance when all of the determination steps are satisfied, and f) maintaining the power supply of the home appliance if one of the b, c and d determination steps is not satisfied. Can be.

In this case, the preset value may be a selected value between driving power when the home appliance is driven and standby power of the home appliance.

In addition, the interval between the duration may be a selected value between 0 seconds and 120 seconds.

The duration may also be a selected value between 30 and 90 seconds.

In addition, the preset number may be a selected value between one and five times.

As described above, the standby power saving apparatus and method according to the present invention is a reliable standby power cut off by interrupting the power supply when the measured power less than a certain value lasts for a certain duration and the duration is repeated a certain number of times. This is possible.

That is, the standby power is cut off only when the home appliance is definitely turned off, thereby eliminating user inconvenience that may be caused by the standby power cut-off operation during the operation of the home appliance. As a result, the user may increase the reliability of the apparatus and method for reducing standby power.

The electric power used by the home appliance described in the present specification is meant to include both the driving power consumed during the driving and the standby power consumed in the standby mode.

There have been three major technological approaches to streamlining home energy use. The first is the development of cutting-edge technologies, including parts and materials, to improve the energy efficiency of household appliances. To this end, the power efficiency of each component has been improved, and low power materials have been continuously developed. In addition, various optimization techniques have been developed and applied to minimize the overall power consumption. However, despite these efforts, the use of power for each household is continually increasing due to the emergence of various electronic devices, high performance, and user convenience. The second is the development of a technology to reduce standby power by mounting a function module to reduce standby power consumption in home appliances. Indeed, high functionalization and ease of use of home appliances require much standby power consumption. Table 1 shows examples of actual driving power and standby power of household appliances.

division Drive power General Equipment Standby Power Energy-saving device standby power Office equipment computer 70 49 15 monitor 100 100 5 printer 430 65 20 scanner 50 16 12 fax 400 60 15 copy machine 1200 180 15 MFP 1400 240 80 Appliances TV 120 7 3 VTR 17 9 4 audio 40 9 2 DVD 30 5 3 Microwave 1100 5 3 phone charger 6 1.5 One

Looking at Table 1, it can be seen that the standby power is a very high value, the damage caused by the standby power will be attributed to each home appliance (including office equipment) users.

Hereinafter, an apparatus and method for reducing standby power according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram showing a standby power cut-off outlet associated with the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the standby power cut-off outlet includes a power supply unit 1, a rectifying unit 2, a current sensing unit 3, a ground fault detecting unit 4, a microcomputer 5, a standby power detecting unit 6, a switch ( 7), the display section 8, the RF receiving section 9, the relay 10, the outlet 11, and the DIP switch 12.

The power supply unit 1 supplies power to the outlet 11 through the relay 10.

In addition, the power supply unit 1 transmits AC power to the rectifier 2 to easily supply power to the microcomputer portion 5, and the rectifier 2 rectifies the transmitted power and transfers it to the microcomputer 5.

The current detection unit 3 detects these current values when using the home appliances that are plugged into the outlet 11 and transmits the detection signals accordingly to the microcomputer 5.

The ground fault detecting unit 4 detects whether there is a leakage current from the power supply unit 1, and thus transmits a ground fault signal to the microcomputer 5 when a leakage current occurs.

The standby power detector 6 detects standby power generated in an initial state in which a plug of a home appliance is plugged into an outlet 11, and transmits the standby power value to the microcomputer 5.

The switch 7 is a switch part capable of turning on / off the main power by itself, and transmits a signal to the microcomputer 5 to turn on / off the power supply 220V to the outlet 11.

The RF receiver 9 may receive the ON / OFF signal from the RF remote controller regardless of the direction, and the signal transmitted to the RF receiver 9 is transmitted to the microcomputer 5 so that the switch unit ( Performs the same function as the signal in 7).

The relay 10 is ON / OFF in response to the command from the microcomputer 5 and applies a power source 220V to the outlet 11 as it becomes ON.

The DIP switch 12 is a switch for adjusting the time to cut off the power supply of the outlet 11 when the standby power flows.

The microcomputer 5 is supplied with power through the rectifier 2, a current value from the current detector 3, an earth leakage signal from the earth leakage detector 4, and standby air from the standby power detector 6. The power value and the ON / OFF signal from the switch 7 and the RF receiver 9 are received.

The microcomputer 5 receiving the above signals controls the relay 10 according to the value to open and close the power supply circuit of the outlet 11.

That is, when the earth leakage signal of the earth leakage detection unit 4 is received, the power of the power supply unit 1 is not transmitted to the outlet 11 through the relay 10, and the current value from the current detection unit 3. When receiving the relay 10 to turn on the power of the power supply unit (1) to be delivered to the outlet (11) to operate the home appliances.

In addition, if the standby power value from the standby power detection unit 6 is received and stored, and larger than the current value from the current detection unit 3, the relay 10 is turned off so that no current flows in the outlet 11. do.

In addition, when the power is supplied to the outlet, the light emitting diode of the display unit 8 is turned on and the light emitting diode is turned off according to the standby power blocking state.

According to this, since the standby power is completely cut off when the power of the home appliance is turned off, it is possible to save power of the connected home appliance. Therefore, you can save power during use by completely shutting off standby power that is not used in your home or office. In addition, the plug is automatically pulled out in case of leakage current, preventing fire, overload and overcurrent, and extending the life of expensive electric and electronic devices.

However, when the current value sensed by the current sensing unit is smaller than the standby power value, the relay may be turned off so that the power supply to the home appliance in operation may be undesirably cut off. For example, if the power is unstable, the current value may be lower than the standby power value instantaneously.Although it is possible to recover to normal operation sufficiently by various stabilizers built in the home appliances, the relay is activated to supply power to the home appliances. Can be blocked. In particular, even if the power switch is turned on in order to reduce power consumption in recent years, such an increase in the number of home appliances that consume less power than the driving power, such as the power saving mode, the possibility of such a problem is increased and It can be seen that. This undesired power off can increase user complaints. In addition, even when the home appliance is turned off, the user may feel inconvenient because the user must perform a return operation from the relay of the standby power cut-off outlet normally when the home appliance is turned on again in a short time.

2 is a block diagram showing a standby power saving apparatus related to the present invention.

Standby power saving device shown in Figure 2 is a power measuring unit 110 for measuring the use power of the connected home appliances, the measured power is maintained for a predetermined duration of less than a predetermined value within the drive power range of the home appliance And a standby mode determination unit 130 for determining a standby mode in which the duration continues for a predetermined number of times, and a switch unit 150 for interrupting power supply of the home appliance when the standby mode is satisfied.

The power measuring unit 110 measures the power used by the home appliance that is the standby power cutoff target. The household electrical appliance must be connected to the standby power saving apparatus of FIG. 2 for this purpose. The power measuring unit may measure power using a current as in the current sensing unit of FIG. 1. In the case of current measurement, the power measuring unit itself may not require a separate power supply, that is, a power supply by using a current transformer, or may require a separate power supply. In the former case, since the current transformer is directly connected to the switch unit to drive a switch element such as a relay, the latter case is preferable.

The standby mode determination unit 130 determines whether the power measured by the power measurement unit is less than a preset value within the driving power range of the home appliance. To this end, it is necessary to grasp the driving power of the home appliance. It is not seen that the power is turned on at the same time as connecting a predetermined household appliance to an outlet. Therefore, the measured power immediately after the predetermined home appliance is connected to the standby power saving device is set to standby power, and the measured power greatly increased compared to the standby power by the home appliance is set as the drive power. Of course, in order to use the standby power and the driving power in the standby mode determination unit, the standby mode determination unit may include a storage unit that stores the power (power value) measured by the power measurement unit. The preset value means a value within the driving power range, that is, less than or equal to the driving power. Accordingly, the standby mode determination unit determines whether the measured power is smaller than the driving power. In general, the driving power is not a fixed value but a value including a power saving mode. Therefore, the driving power referred to in the present specification means the smallest power among the power measured in the driving state in which the home appliance is powered on.

When the user plugs in the cord of the home appliance, it is common to immediately start driving the home appliance. Accordingly, the determination of the standby power is made in a shorter time than the determination of the driving time. Therefore, since the reliability of the identified standby power may be lowered, it is preferable that the preset value is a value greater than or equal to the standby power. In summary, the preset value is a value selected between the driving power when the home appliance is driven and the standby power of the home appliance, that is, any one selected from the standby power or less than the standby power. Obviously, the selection can be made in a variety of ways. For example, one-third point value between the driving power and the standby power and between the driving power and the standby power can be selected. Of course, it is also possible to set the standby power itself.

Determining whether the power measured by the power measuring unit is less than a preset value within a driving power range of the home appliance determines whether the home appliance uses standby power, that is, the power is turned off. To figure out. Regardless of whether the standby power use state is a desired or undesired result, blocking the power supply to the home appliance (refering to standby power) may cause the above problem. For example, when the computer is turned off and then turned on again for the purpose of returning from a down phenomenon, if the standby power is cut off, the user must precede the process of releasing the standby power cutoff. Alternatively, when the measured power drops below the preset value due to instantaneous power instability and returns, the home appliance may be forcibly turned off. In order to prevent such a problem, the standby mode determination unit performs an additional determination procedure without causing the switch unit to cut off the power supply immediately when the measured power is less than a preset value.

That is, the standby mode determiner determines whether the measured power lasts for a predetermined duration less than a preset value within the driving power range of the home appliance, and determines whether the duration continues for a predetermined number of times and determines the above. Only when all the conditions are satisfied, the switch unit is instructed to cut off the power supply. 3 shows a power-time graph, through which an example will be described. When the preset duration is 60 seconds and the preset number of times is three times, it is first determined whether the measured power less than the preset value lasts for 60 seconds. If it does not last for 60 seconds, do not cut off the power supply to the appliance.If it lasts for 60 seconds, determine whether the duration is maintained for three consecutive times.If it is maintained for three consecutive times, cut off the power supply. Keep it. In this case, the duration of continuous duration is not a duration interval separated from the duration 1, duration 2, duration 3, duration 4 ..., duration n intervals such as duration 1, 2, 4, but duration. It means that the duration period is continuous as shown in 1, 2, 3. On the other hand, the interval between the durations should also be taken into account. The interval between the durations may be a selected value between 0 and 120 seconds, and the duration may be a selected value between 30 and 90 seconds. In general, if the power is measured less than the preset value for more than 30 seconds can be seen as a situation that the user does not consider the reuse of home appliances. During the duration, the power consumption of the standby power saving apparatus itself increases because the power measurement by the power measuring unit and the determination operation of the standby mode determination unit are performed in real time or at a fast cycle. Therefore, in order to reduce power consumed by the standby power saving device itself, the time is preferably 90 seconds or less. If the interval between the duration is 0 seconds, it means that there is no interval between the duration. This means that the duration of successive recalls is linked. If the interval between the durations is too large, it means that the standby power shutdown is performed late so that much standby power is consumed. Accordingly, the interval between the durations is set to 120 seconds or less, which is a time when the home appliance measured below the preset value can be expected to operate again.

Meanwhile, the preset number may be a selected value between one and five times. In case of one time, only one duration needs to be considered, and no interval between the durations is necessary. The five times were set in consideration of the time when the home appliance measured below the preset value can be expected to operate again as described above. For example, if the preset number of times is four times, the power supply will be cut off at the end of the eighth duration period from the left indicating the measured power less than the preset value four times in FIG. 3. In the case of the standby power cut-off outlet shown in FIG. 1, the power cutoff occurs at ⓐ when the measured power becomes smaller than the set value. The standby mode determination unit may be included in a control unit such as the microcomputer of FIG. 1.

In view of the above, by properly selecting the duration, the power supply may be cut off for the home appliance measured below the preset value for one duration, and the power supply may be cut off in consideration of the duration of several times. The latter case is considered to reduce the power consumed by the standby power saving device itself. If the power should be measured continuously for 5 minutes and the power is measured 5 times at 30 second intervals and 30 seconds duration, and the measured power is less than the preset value, the power consumption of the standby power saving device itself is reduced. Will be. In particular, in the latter case, unlike the case where the duration check is started when the measured power is less than the preset value, the power measurement and the standby mode judgment are performed only during the duration with the interval between the durations. It is advantageous when applied. That is, the power measuring unit may measure the power used of the home appliance only for the duration.

When it is determined that the state of the home appliance satisfies the standby mode, the switch unit 150 cuts off the power supply of the home appliance under the control of the standby mode determination unit. The switch unit may be configured as a relay or an electronic switch.

On the other hand, the power measuring unit, the standby mode determination unit and the switch unit can be seen to have performed all its roles when the power supply of the home appliance is cut off. Therefore, it is not necessary to consume power by performing unnecessary operations after the power supply of the home appliance is cut off. The power supply for cutting off such unnecessary power is shown in FIG. 4.

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the standby power saving apparatus related to the present invention.

The illustrated standby power saving device of FIG. 4 includes a power measurement unit 110, a standby mode determination unit 130, a switch unit 150, and a power supply unit 170.

The power supply unit 170 is an element for supplying power to the power measuring unit, the standby mode determination unit and the switch unit, and determines the power measurement unit and the standby mode when the power supply to the home appliance is cut off by the switch unit. Shut off the power supply to the unit and switch unit. In general, to cut off the power supply of the home appliance in the power saving device cuts the switch itself has the effect of shutting off the standby power. In such a case, in order to use the home appliance again, the cut switch of the power saving device must be returned to its original state. Such an operation is directly performed by the user. Therefore, the cutoff of the power measuring unit, the standby mode determination unit, and the switch unit made by the power supply unit may also take into consideration the standby power consumed by itself. Of course, when the power saving device is returned to its original state by an electronic means such as a remote control rather than a switch manually operated by the user, the power supply cut in the power supply unit should be made in a state where only power is turned off, that is, standby power is consumed. will be.

As described above, the power supply unit supplies power to the home appliance by supplying power to the power measurement unit, the standby mode determination unit, and the switch unit at the request of a user such as a manual switch operation. Of course, for this purpose, since the switch unit must be returned to its original state, the switch unit must be configured to return to the original state when the power is turned off and on by the power supply unit. If necessary, the standby mode determination unit or a separate control unit may transmit a return signal to the switch unit.

In the above, a method for performing a reliable standby power cut-off without causing inconvenience to the user has been described. As described above, the standby power saving device that cuts off the standby power needs to initialize an existing determination result and return the switch unit to its original state, that is, to supply power to the household appliances in order to reuse the connected household appliances. Since the initialization of the standby mode determination unit and the return of the switch unit are performed directly by the user, there is a need to provide a method of easily performing the return of the switch unit.

Figure 5 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the standby power saving apparatus related to the present invention.

The standby power saving apparatus shown in FIG. 5 includes a power measurement unit 110, a standby mode determination unit 130, a switch unit 150, and a wireless communication unit 190.

The wireless communication unit 190 transmits the power measured by the power measuring unit to an external device through a wireless network. Accordingly, the user can easily grasp the power used by the home appliance. Of course, for this purpose, the external device should include a display for visually displaying the power information transmitted from the wireless communication unit or an audio output device for audibly displaying the information.

When checking the power measured by the power measurement unit through the wireless communication unit through an external device, it is preferable that the wireless communication unit and the power measurement unit operate regardless of whether the standby mode determination unit and the switch unit are on or off. To this end, the apparatus further includes a power supply unit 170 for supplying power to the power measuring unit, the standby mode determination unit, the switch unit, and the wireless communication unit, wherein the power supply unit cuts off the power supply to the home appliance. If only the power supply to the standby mode determination unit and the switch unit can be cut off. That is, the power supply unit continuously supplies power to the wireless communication unit and the power measurement unit. For reference, the power supply cutoff to the standby mode determiner and the switch unit may be made in a state of consuming standby power (off state or connected to a wire), and between the standby mode determiner and the switch unit and the power supply unit. By placing a separate switch in and cut the switch may be made in a state to cut off the standby power.

On the other hand, the wireless communication unit by the drive signal transmitted from the external device may cause the power supply to supply the power to the home appliance by the power supply to the standby mode determination unit and the switch unit. It is possible if the external device has a function of a remote controller or can transmit a driving signal through the wireless network. According to this, the user can execute the return of the switch unit from a long distance without directly operating the standby power saving device. The wireless network is preferably a short-range wireless communication network such as WiFi (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, ZigBee (ZigBee), but may be applied to a medium-to-long range wireless network such as a mobile communication network.

By providing a wireless communication unit as described above, the user can statistically manage and monitor the power usage of each home appliance, thereby inducing a user's life pattern to be suitable for power saving.

Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the switch unit 150 operates by the standby mode determination unit, that is, when the standby mode satisfies the automatic switch unit 151 and the user to cut off the power supply of the home appliance. The electronic device may include a manual switch unit 153 that interrupts or connects the power supply of the home appliance by an operation and has a priority over the automatic switch. Through the manual switch unit, a user may execute a command for the standby power saving apparatus to take priority over the automatic switch unit. For example, the manual switch unit may be configured as a three-stage switch, and the first stage may be set as a disconnection mode for cutting the switch unit, the second stage is a connection mode for connecting the switch unit, and the third stage is an automatic mode for transferring authority to the automatic switch unit. have. In addition, the manual switch may be linked with the wireless communication unit. The wireless communication unit may receive a drive signal from the external device operated by a user as a means for communicating with an external device, to instruct the return of the switch unit, and to force the cutting of the switch unit as necessary.

On the other hand, it is possible to maximize the convenience in use by disposing the power measuring unit, the standby mode determination unit and the switch unit described above in the outlet type housing.

As shown in FIG. 7, the outlet-type housing 120 includes the power measuring unit 110, the standby mode determining unit 130, and the switch unit 150 disposed therein, and in addition, the power supply unit 170. The wireless communication unit 190 may be disposed. Of course, as shown in FIG.

The power supply unit 170 includes a transformer for converting a power signal input at 220V or 110V into power required by each component of the standby power saving device, and a rectifier for stabilizing the transformed power.

By configuring the standby power saving device in the form of such a receptacle housing, it is possible to miniaturize, thereby allowing the user to easily install between the home appliance and the outlet.

8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for reducing standby power according to the present invention.

The standby power saving method shown in FIG. 8 may be described as an operation of the standby power saving apparatus described above.

The standby power saving device measures the power used by the home appliance connected to the standby power saving device (S 510).

It is determined whether the measured power is less than a preset value within the driving power range of the home appliance (S520). If the measured power is greater than or equal to the preset value, the power supply to the home appliance is maintained (S560).

If the measured power is less than the preset value, it is determined whether the measured power less than the preset value lasts for a preset duration (S 530). If power less than a predetermined value is temporarily measured, if the state is not maintained for the duration, the power supply to the home appliance is maintained (S560). When the state below the set value is maintained for the duration, it is determined whether the duration continues for a predetermined number of times (S540). If it does not continue for a predetermined number of times, power supply to the home appliance is maintained (S560).

If the duration continues for a predetermined number of times, the power supply to the home appliance is cut off (S550).

In this case, the preset value may be a selected value between the driving power when the home appliance is driven and the standby power of the home appliance, and the interval between the durations may be a selected value between 0 and 120 seconds. The duration may be a selected value between 30 seconds and 90 seconds, and the preset number may be a selected value between one and five times. The calculation of such a numerical value is the same as described above.

If the standby power saving device includes a wireless communication unit and a power supply unit, the measured power may be transmitted to an external device through the wireless communication unit, and the switch may be cut off to supply power to the home appliance under the control of the external device. The part may be cut and the switch part may be returned to its original state for reuse of home appliances.

In the above-described standby power saving apparatus and method, when the measured power lasts for a predetermined time period which is lower than a preset value within the driving power range of the home appliance, and the duration is continued by a preset number of times, By treating it as being in standby mode, it is possible to prevent the user from turning off standby power that he does not want. In other words, it is possible to reliably shut off standby power. In addition, it is possible to minimize the power consumed by the power saving device itself by measuring the power of the home appliance only during the duration, and also cut off the power supplied to the power saving device itself when the standby power is cut off. In addition, it is possible to easily monitor and manage the power measured through the external device, it is possible to maximize the user's convenience by enabling the return of the switch unit that cuts off the power supply to the home appliance through the external device.

On the other hand, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features. Therefore, the above-described embodiments are to be understood as illustrative in all respects and not as restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown by the following claims rather than the detailed description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. do.

Applicable to devices that cut off standby power.

In particular, it is advantageous in the case of reliably shutting off standby power in repair shops, home appliances stores, etc. which frequently perform on / off of home appliances.

Of course, it can be applied to general industrial fields or general households that use various electronic devices such as TVs, refrigerators, and kimchi refrigerators that require power supply.

1 is a block diagram showing a standby power cut-off outlet associated with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a standby power saving device related to the present invention.

Figure 3 is a power-time graph for explaining the operation of the standby power saving device related to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the standby power saving apparatus related to the present invention.

Figure 5 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the standby power saving apparatus related to the present invention.

Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a switch unit of the standby power saving apparatus related to the present invention.

Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of applying the outlet type housing to the standby power saving device related to the present invention.

8 is a flowchart illustrating a standby power saving method associated with the present invention.

Description of the Related Art

110 ... power measurement unit 130 ... standby mode determination unit

150 ... switch section 170 ... power supply section

190.Wireless Communication

Claims (13)

A power measuring unit measuring power used of the connected home appliance; Determining a standby mode in which the power consumption of the home appliance measured by the power measurement unit lasts for a predetermined duration less than a preset value within a driving power range of the household appliance, and the duration continues for a predetermined number of times. A standby mode determination unit; And A switch unit which cuts off power supply of the home appliance when the standby mode determination unit satisfies the standby mode; Standby power saving device comprising a. The method of claim 1, And the preset value is a selected value between the driving power at the time of driving the home appliance and the standby power of the home appliance. The method of claim 1, Further comprising a power supply for supplying power to the power measuring unit, the standby mode determination unit and the switch, The power supply unit standby power saving device to block the power supply to the power measuring unit, the standby mode determination unit and the switch unit when the power supply to the home appliance is cut off by the switch unit. The method of claim 3, wherein The power supply unit standby power saving device to supply power to the home appliance by performing a power supply to the power measuring unit, the standby mode determination unit and the switch unit at the request of the user. The method of claim 1, Standby power saving device further comprises a wireless communication unit for transmitting the power measured by the power measuring unit to an external device through a wireless network. The method of claim 5, The apparatus may further include a power supply unit configured to supply power to the power measurement unit, the standby mode determination unit, the switch unit, and the wireless communication unit. And the power supply unit cuts off power supply to the standby mode determiner and the switch unit when the power supply to the home appliance is cut off by the switch unit. The method of claim 6, And the wireless communication unit is configured to supply power to the home appliance by causing the power supply unit to supply power to the standby mode determination unit and the switch unit according to a driving signal transmitted from the external device. The method of claim 5, The wireless network is one of WiFi (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, ZigBee (ZigBee) standby power saving device. The method of claim 1, The switch unit, An automatic switch unit which cuts off power supply of the home appliance when the standby mode is satisfied; And Standby power saving device that cuts or connects the power supply of the home appliance by a user's operation, and includes a manual switch unit of priority over the automatic switch. The method of claim 1, Standby power saving device further comprises an outlet-type housing in which the power measuring unit, the standby mode determination unit and the switch unit is disposed. The method of claim 1, The power measuring unit is a standby power saving device for measuring the power used of the home appliance only for the duration. a) measuring, by the standby power saving device, the power used by the home appliance connected to the standby power saving device; b) determining whether the measured power is less than a preset value within a driving power range of the home appliance; c) determining whether the measured power below the preset value lasts for a preset duration; d) determining whether the duration is continuous by a preset number of times; e) shutting off the power supply of the home appliance when all of the b, c and d determination steps are satisfied; f) maintaining the power supply of the home appliance if one of the b, c and d determination steps is not satisfied; Standby power reduction method comprising a. 13. The method of claim 12, And the predetermined value is a selected value between the driving power when the home appliance is driven and the standby power of the home appliance.

Images