KR20120080090A - A network system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A network system is provided to efficiently manage power source by efficiently producing, using, distributing, or storing power. CONSTITUTION: A utility network(10) includes an energy generator(11). A home network(20) includes an energy consumption unit(26). Energy measurement units(15,25) recognizes energy information or the external information of the energy information. Energy management units(14,24) manage the energy information or the additional information related with the energy consumption unit.

Description

Network system {A network system}

The present invention relates to a network system.

The supplier simply supplied energy sources such as electricity, water and gas, and the consumer simply used the supplied energy sources. Therefore, effective management in terms of energy production, distribution, or energy use has been difficult to carry out.

In other words, energy is a radial structure that is distributed from energy suppliers toward multiple demand sources, that is, spreads from the center to the periphery, and is characterized by unidirectional supplier center, not consumer center.

The price information for electricity was not only available in real time, but only limitedly through the power exchange, and since the price system is also a de facto fixed price system, incentives such as incentives to consumers through price changes cannot be used. There was also a problem.

In order to solve this problem, there have been a lot of efforts in recent years to implement a horizontal, cooperative, and distributed network that effectively manages energy and enables interaction between consumers and suppliers.

An object of the present invention is to provide a network system capable of effectively managing an energy source and reducing electric charges and / or energy consumption.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a network system includes a utility network including an energy generator; A home network including an energy consumption unit that consumes energy generated by the energy generation 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 provided in the utility network or the home network, the energy management unit managing the energy information or additional information in relation to the energy consumption unit, wherein the energy consumption unit is configured to generate electricity based on the energy information or additional information. A function performed to reduce charges or power consumption includes a plurality of power saving modes, wherein the plurality of power saving modes include: at least two time power saving modes associated with an operating time of the energy consumption unit; At least two coarse power saving modes associated with the manner of operation of the energy consumer; And at least one power saving mode among at least two charge power saving modes associated with the base rate of the energy consumer.

According to the present invention, the energy source can be efficiently produced, used, distributed, stored, and the like, thereby enabling effective management of the energy source.

In addition, it is possible to drive and control electrical appliances in the home by using the energy information transmitted from the supplier, and there is an effect of reducing energy usage fees or power consumption.

1 is a view schematically showing a network system according to the present invention.
2 is a block diagram schematically showing a network system according to the present invention.
3 is a block diagram showing a process of transferring information on a network system of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating a form of an electric charge. FIG. 4A is a graph showing time of use (TOU) information and critical peak pattern (CPP) information, and FIG. 4B is a RTP ( This graph shows 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 invention.
9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electrical appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an input unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a display unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a view illustrating a display unit in a coarse power saving mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a view illustrating a display unit of a cost saving mode according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

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

1 is a view schematically showing a network system according to the present invention.

This network system is a system for managing energy sources such as electricity, water, and gas. The energy source means that the amount of generation, the amount of use, etc. can be measured.

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

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary network system includes a power plant that generates electricity. The power plant may include a power plant that generates electricity through thermal power generation or nuclear power generation, and a power plant using hydro, solar, wind, and the like, which are environmentally friendly energy.

In addition, the electricity generated in the power plant is transmitted to the power station through the transmission line, and in the power station (substation) to transmit electricity to the substation so that the electricity is distributed to the demand destination, such as home or office.

In addition, the electricity produced by the environmentally friendly energy is also transmitted to the substation to be distributed to each customer. Then, the electricity transmitted from the substation is distributed to the office or home via the electrical storage device or directly.

Even in homes that use a home area network (HAN), they can produce, store, or distribute their own electricity through solar light or fuel cells mounted on a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), The surplus electricity can also be sold back to the outside world (for example, the utility).

In addition, the network system includes a smart meter for real-time measuring the electricity usage of the demand destination (home or office, etc.), and a meter (AMI: Advanced Metering infrastructure) for real-time measurement of the electricity usage of a plurality of demand destinations. May be included. That is, the measuring device may receive the information measured by the plurality of smart meters to measure the electricity usage.

In this specification, the measurement includes not only the smart meter and the measuring device itself measuring, but also that the smart meter and the measuring device can recognize the generation amount or the usage amount from other components.

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

In the present specification, the function or solution performed by the energy management device may be referred to as an energy management function or an energy management solution.

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

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

1 and 2, the network system of the present invention is constituted by a plurality of components. For example, power plants, substations, power stations, energy management devices, appliances, smart meters, capacitors, web servers, instrumentation devices, and home servers are the components of network systems.

In addition, in the present invention, each component may be constituted by a plurality of detailed components. For example, when one component is a home appliance, a detailed component may be a microcomputer, a heater, a display, a motor, etc. constituting the home appliance.

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

In addition, one network may be one component or may be composed of multiple components.

In the present specification, a network system in which communication information is associated with an energy source may be referred to as an energy grid.

The network system according to an exemplary embodiment may be configured of a utility network (UAN) 10 and a home network (HAN) 20. The utility network 10 and the home network 20 may communicate by wire or wirelessly by communication means.

In this specification, a home means a group of specific components such as a building, a company, as well as a home in a dictionary meaning. And, utility means a group 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 for storing energy. An energy storage component 13), an energy management component 14 for managing energy, and an energy metering component 15 for measuring energy related information.

When one or more components constituting the utility network 10 consume energy, the component that consumes energy may be an energy consumer. That is, the energy consumption unit may be a separate configuration or may be included in other components.

The energy generator 11 may be, for example, a power plant. The energy distribution unit 12 distributes or delivers the energy generated by the energy generator 11 and / or the energy stored in the energy storage unit 13 to the energy consumption unit. The energy distribution unit 12 may be a power transmitter, a substation, or a power station.

The energy storage unit 13 may be a storage battery, and the energy management unit 14 is related to energy, the energy generating unit 11, energy distribution unit 12, energy storage unit 13, energy consumption unit ( 26) generates information for one or more of driving. For example, the energy management unit 14 may generate a command regarding the 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, a measuring device (AMI). The energy management unit 14 may be a separate configuration or may be included as an energy management function in other components.

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. Such terminal components may be provided in one or more 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, and an energy storage unit for storing energy. storage component 23, an energy management component 24 for managing energy, an energy metering component 25 for measuring information related to energy, and an energy consuming unit for consuming energy consumption component 26, a central management component 27 for controlling a plurality of components, an energy grid assistance component 28, an accessory component 29, and a consumer processing component component: 30).

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

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

The energy consumption unit 26 may be, for example, a home appliance (a refrigerator, a washing machine, an air conditioner, a cooking appliance, a cleaner, a dryer, a dishwasher, a dehumidifier, a display device, a lighting device, etc.) or a heater, a motor, a display, etc. constituting the home appliance. Can be. Note that there is no restriction on the type of energy consumption unit 26 in this 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 generator 21, the energy distributor 22, and the energy storage unit 23 may be individual components or may constitute a single component.

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

The energy network assistant 28 is a component having an original function while performing an additional function for the energy grid. For example, the energy network assistant 28 may be a web service provider (eg, a computer), a mobile device, a television, or the like.

The accessory component 29 is an energy network only component that performs additional functions for the energy network. For example, the accessory component 29 may be a weather network antenna dedicated to the energy network.

The consumer handling component 30 is a component that stores, supplies, and delivers the consumer, and may identify or recognize information about the consumer. The consumer may be, for example, an article or material that is used or processed when the energy consumption unit 26 operates. In addition, the consumer processor 30 may be managed by the energy manager 24 as an example in an energy network.

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

Energy generation unit 11, 21, energy distribution unit 12, 22, energy storage unit 13, 23, energy management unit 14, 24, energy measuring unit 15, 25, energy consumption unit mentioned above (26), 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 unit 14 and 24, the energy measuring unit 15 and 25, and the central management unit 27 each exist as a single component, and perform smart functions, energy management devices, and home servers that perform their respective functions. Or, the energy management unit 14, 24, the energy measuring unit 15, 25, the central management unit 27 may form a single component mechanically.

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

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

On the other hand, the utility network 10 and the home network 20 can communicate by a communication means (first interface). At this time, the plurality of utility networks 10 may communicate with a single home network 20, and the single utility network 10 may 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 (eg, a modem) 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 the method for wired communication or the method for wireless communication.

Two components constituting the utility network 10 may communicate by means of communication means.

In addition, the two components constituting the home network 20 may communicate by a communication means (second interface). For example, the energy consumption unit 26 may communicate with one or more of the energy management unit 24, the energy measurement unit 25, the central management unit 27, the energy network assistance unit 28, and the like (second interface). Can communicate by

In addition, the microcomputer of each component (for example, the energy consumption unit) may communicate with the communication means (second interface) (third interface). For example, when the energy consumption unit is a home appliance, the energy consumption unit may receive information from the energy management unit by a communication means (second interface), and the received information is a microcomputer of the home appliance by a third interface. Can be delivered.

In addition, the energy consumption unit 26 may communicate with the accessory component 29 by a communication means (fourth interface). In addition, the energy consumption unit 26 may communicate with the consumer processor 30 by a communication means (a fifth interface).

3 is a block diagram showing a process of transferring information on a network system of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating a form of an electric charge. FIG. 4A is a graph showing time of use (TOU) information and critical peak pattern (CPP) information, and FIG. 4B is a RTP ( This graph shows real time pattern information.

Referring to FIG. 3, in the network system of the present invention, a specific component C may receive information related to energy (hereinafter, “energy information”) by communication means. In addition, the specific component (C) may be additional information (environmental information, program update information, time information, operation or status information of each component (breakdown, etc.), in addition to the energy information by the communication means, consumer habit information using the energy consumption unit, etc. ) Can be received further.

The environmental information may include carbon dioxide emissions, carbon dioxide concentration in the air, temperature, humidity, rainfall, rainfall or the like, solar radiation, air volume, and the like.

In another aspect, the information may include internal information, such as information related to each component (operation or state information of each component (such as a failure), energy usage information of the energy consumer, consumer habit information using the energy consumer, and the like), and the like. Information may be divided into external information (energy-related information, environmental information, program update information, time information).

At this time, the information may be received from other components. In other words, the received information includes at least energy information.

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

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

For example, information related to electricity includes time-based pricing, energy curtailment, grid emergency, grid reliability, energy generation amount, and operational priority. (operation priority), energy consumption amount (Amount). In this embodiment, the fee associated with the energy source may be referred to as an energy fee.

In other words, energy-related information may be classified into charge information (energy charge) and non-charge information (energy reduction, emergency situation, network safety, generation amount, operation priority, energy consumption amount, etc.).

Such information may be classified into schedule information previously generated based on previous information and real time information that changes in real time. The schedule information and the real time information may be distinguished by predicting information after the current time (future).

The energy information I may be classified 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 change with time.

Referring to FIG. 4A, according to the TOU information, data is gradually changed in time. According to the CPP information, the data changes step by step or in real time with time, and emphasis is displayed at a specific time point. That is, in the case of the CPP pattern, the general fee is lower than that of the TOU pattern, but the charge at a specific time point is significantly higher than that in the TOU pattern.

Referring to FIG. 4B, according to the RTP information, data changes in real time with time.

Meanwhile, the energy information I may be transmitted and received with a true or false signal, such as a Boolean on a network system, or actual price information may be transmitted or received, or may be leveled and transmitted. Hereinafter, information related to electricity will be described by way of example.

When the specific component C receives a true or false signal such as a Boolean, one of the signals is recognized as an on-peak signal, and the other signal is off-peak. ) Can be recognized as a signal.

In contrast, a particular component may recognize information about at least one driving including an electric charge, and the specific component compares the recognized information value with the reference information value to compare the on-peak and off-peak ( 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 turn on-peak and off-peak. Recognize.

In this case, the information value related to the driving may be at least one of an electric charge, a power amount, a change rate of the electric charge, a change rate of the power amount, an average value of the electric charge, and an average value of the electric power. The reference information value may be at least one of an average value, an average value of minimum and maximum values of power information during a predetermined section, and a reference rate of change of power information (eg, slope of power consumption per unit time) during the predetermined section.

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

When the specific component (for example, the energy consumption unit) recognizes an on-peak (for example, a recognition time point), the output may be zero (stopped or stopped) and the output may be reduced. The specific component may determine the driving method in advance before starting the operation, or may change the driving method when the on-peak is recognized after starting the operation.

And, if a particular component recognizes an off peak, the output can be restored or increased as needed. That is, when a specific component that recognizes an on peak recognizes an off peak, the output may be restored to a previous state or increased more than the previous output.

At this time, even when the specific component recovers the output or increases the output after recognizing the off-peak, the total power consumption and / or the total electricity bill for the entire operating time of the specific component is reduced.

Alternatively, when the specific component recognizes an on-peak (for example, a recognition time), the output may be maintained when the specific component is operable. In this case, the operable condition means that the information value related to driving is equal to or less than a predetermined standard. The information value related to the driving may be information on an electric charge, power consumption amount or operation time. The predetermined criterion may be a relative value or an absolute value.

The schedule standard may be set in real time or may be set in advance. The schedule criterion may be set in the utility network or in a home network (input from a consumer direct input, an energy manager, a central manager, etc.).

Alternatively, when the specific component recognizes an on-peak (eg, a recognition time), the output may be increased. However, even when the output is increased when the on-peak is recognized, the total output amount during the entire driving period of the specific component may be reduced or maintained than the total output amount when the specific component operates at the normal output.

Or, even if the output is increased when the on-peak is recognized, the total power consumption or total electric charge for the entire operating period of the specific component is the total power consumption or total power when the specific component operates at the normal output. It can be lower than the electricity bill.

When the specific component recognizes an off-peak (for example, a recognition time), the output may be increased. For example, when an operation reservation is set, a specific component may start driving before a set time, or a component having a larger output among a plurality of components may be driven first.

In addition, in the case of a refrigerator, the output may be overcooled by increasing the output, or in the case of a washing machine or a washing machine, the hot water may be stored in the hot water tank by driving the heater in advance than the scheduled time of operation of the heater. This is to reduce the electric charge by operating in the off-peak in advance to operate in the on-peak to come later.

Alternatively, when a specific component recognizes an off-peak (eg, a recognition time), power storage may be performed.

In the present invention, the specific component (for example, the energy consumption unit) may maintain, reduce or increase the output. Thus, a particular component can include a power changing component. Since the power can be defined by current and voltage, the power variable component can include a current regulator and / or a voltage regulator. For example, the power variable component may be operated according to a command generated from an energy management unit.

Meanwhile, the energy curtailment information is information related to a mode in which a component is stopped or a low electric charge is used. The energy saving information may be transmitted and received with a true or false signal, for example, as a Boolean on a network system. That is, a turn off signal or a lower power signal may be transmitted and received.

When the specific component recognizes the energy saving information, as described above, the output can be zeroed (if the stop or stop state is recognized) or the output can be reduced (if the lower power signal is recognized). have.

The grid emergency information is information related to a power failure and the like, and may be transmitted / received as a true or false signal such as Boolean. Information related to the power outage is related to the reliability of the component using energy.

When the specific component recognizes the emergency information, it may be immediately shut down.

When the specific component receives the emergency information as schedule information, the specific component may increase the output before the arrival of the emergency time point, thereby performing the same operation as the above-described operation at the off peak of the specific component. . In addition, the specific component may be shut down at an emergency time.

The grid reliability information is information about the high and low supply electricity or information on the quality of electricity, and is transmitted / received by a true or false signal, such as a Boolean, or supplied to a component (for example, a home appliance). The component may determine the frequency of the AC power.

That is, when an under frequency is detected (recognized) below the reference frequency of the AC power supplied to the component, the amount of supply electricity is determined to be low, and when the frequency higher than the reference frequency of the AC power is detected (recognized), the supply electricity is This can be judged by many.

When the specific component recognizes that the amount of electricity in the network safety information is low or the information that the electrical quality is not good, as mentioned above, the specific component to output 0 (stop or stop) in some cases, You can reduce the output, maintain the output, or increase the output.

The excessive amount of generated electricity information is information on a state in which excess electricity is generated since the amount of electricity consumed by the component consuming less energy than the amount of generated electricity may be transmitted / received as a true or false signal, for example, a Boolean.

When the specific component recognizes excessive power generation information (for example, when grid overfrequency is recognized or when over energy signal is recognized), the output may be increased. For example, when an operation reservation is set, a specific component may start driving before a set time, or a component having a larger output among a plurality of components may be driven first. In addition, in the case of a refrigerator, the output may be supercooled by increasing the output, or in the case of a washing machine or a washing machine, the hot water may be stored by driving the heater in advance than the scheduled time of operation of the heater.

On the other hand, each kind of information related to the energy, specifically, the unprocessed first information (I1), the second information (second information (I2)) that is processed information from the first information, and the specific The information may be divided into third information I3 which is information for performing a function of a 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.

In addition, information related to energy is included in the signal and transmitted. In this case, one or more of the first to third information may be transmitted only a plurality of times without converting only the signal.

For example, as shown in the figure, any component that receives a signal including the first information I1 may only convert a signal and transmit a new signal including the first information I1 to another component.

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

However, the third information may be delivered a plurality of times in the state where the contents are converted or in a state where only the signal is converted while maintaining the same contents.

In detail, when the first information is raw electricity price information, the second information may be processed electricity price information. The processed electricity rate information is information or analysis information in which electricity rates are divided into multiple levels. The third information is a command generated based on the first information or the second information.

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

For example, only a plurality of third information may be transmitted or received sequentially or in parallel without the 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.

For example, when a specific component receives the first information, the specific component may transmit the second information, the second information and the third information, or may transmit only the third information.

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

Meanwhile, in the relationship between the two informations, one information is a message and the other information is a response to the message. Accordingly, each component constituting the present network system may transmit or receive a message, and when the message is received, may correspond to the received message. Thus, the transmission of messages and their corresponding responses is a relative concept for individual components.

The message may include data (first information or second information) and / or command (third information).

The command (third information) includes a data storage command, a data generating command, a data processing command (including generating additional data), a generating command of an additional command, a sending command of an additional generated command, and a received command. Commands and the like.

In the present specification, corresponding to a received message means storing data, processing data (including generating additional data), generating a new command, sending a newly generated command, and simply passing the received command to another component. Command can be generated together), operation, transmission of stored information, transmission of acknowledgment character or negative acknowledgment character.

For example, when the message is the first information, the component that has received the first information corresponds to this to generate the second information by processing the first information, generate the second information, and generate new third information, Only third information can be generated.

In detail, when the energy management unit 24 receives the first information (internal information and / or external information), the energy management unit 24 generates second information and / or third information to establish the home network. It may transmit to one or more components (for example, energy consumption unit) constituting. In addition, the energy consumption unit 26 may operate according to the third information received from the energy management 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 can communicate with a plurality of components 32, 33, 34: second to fourth components of the home network. At this time, it is noted that there is no limit to the number of components of the home network to communicate with the first component 31.

That is, in the present embodiment, the first component 31 serves as a gateway. For example, the first component 31 may be one of an energy management unit, an energy measuring unit, a central management unit, an energy network assistance unit, and an energy consumption unit.

In the present invention, the component acting as a gateway not only enables communication between components that communicate using different communication protocols, but also enables communication between components that communicate using the same communication protocol.

The second to fourth components 32, 33, and 34 may each be one of an energy generator, an energy distributor, an energy manager, an energy storage unit, an energy measurer, a central manager, an energy network assistant, and an energy consumer. have.

The first component 31 may receive information from the utility network 10 or one or more components constituting the utility network 10, and transmit or process the received information to process the second to fourth components. Can be sent to (32, 34). For example, when the first component 31 is an energy measuring unit, the first component may receive electric charge information and transmit the electric charge information to an energy management unit, an energy consumption unit, or the like.

Each of the second to fourth components may communicate with another component. For example, the first component 31 is an energy measuring unit, the second component is 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 may directly communicate with the utility network 10.

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

And, the first component 41 can communicate with one or more components (eg, third and fourth components 43, 44), and the second component 42 can be one or more components (eg, a fifth And sixth component 45, 46.

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

Each of the third to sixth components may be one of an energy generator, an energy distributor, an energy manager, an energy measurer, a central manager, an energy network assistant, and an energy consumer.

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, and 53 constituting the home network of the present embodiment may directly communicate with the utility network 20. That is, as in the first and second embodiments, there is no component serving as a gateway, and each of the components 51, 52, and 53 may communicate with the utility network.

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

Referring to FIG. 8, in the home network 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention, an energy measuring unit 25 capable of measuring in real time power and / or electricity rates supplied from the utility network 10 to each home is provided. For example, a smart meter, the energy measuring unit 25 and the energy management unit 24 is connected to the electrical appliances and control their operation.

On the other hand, the electricity bill of each household can be charged as an hourly rate, and the hourly electricity bill becomes expensive in the time period when the power consumption is rapidly increased, and the hourly electricity bill becomes cheaper at night time, such as relatively low power consumption. Can be.

The energy management unit 24 is an electrical appliance as the energy consumption unit 26, i.e., a refrigerator 81, a washing machine 82, an air conditioner 83, a dryer 84, or a cooking appliance 85 through a home network. It can be connected to electrical appliances such as two-way communication.

The communication in the home can be made through a wireless method such as Zigbee, wifi or a wire such as power line communication (PLC), and one home appliance can be connected to communicate with other home appliances.

9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electrical appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an input unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9 and 10, a communication unit 110 is included in the electrical appliance 100 as an “energy consuming unit” according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The communication unit 110, the energy measuring unit 25 for recognizing the additional information other than the energy information or energy information and the energy to manage (control) the driving of the energy consumption unit 100 in accordance with the energy information or additional information. Communicate with at least one of the manager 24.

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

The electrical appliance 100 includes an input unit 120 for inputting a predetermined command, a display unit 130 for displaying driving information of the electrical appliance 100 or information recognized by the communication unit 110; A control unit 140 for controlling these configurations is included.

The electrical appliance 100 includes a mode selector 150 for selecting an operation mode of the electrical appliance 100. Here, the term "mode" may be understood as a concept including a specific component, a specific driving course, a stroke, or the like that constitutes the electrical appliance in relation to a function performed by the electrical appliance 100.

The mode selection unit 150 may be based on the general mode selection unit 151 and the energy information or additional information capable of operating the electrical appliance 100 according to the information input by the user, not based on the energy information or additional information. A power saving mode selection unit 155 capable of reducing an electric charge or power consumption is included.

The user may select the general mode selector 151 or the power saving mode selector 155 to determine an operation mode of the electrical appliance 100.

The power saving mode may include a plurality of power saving modes. The plurality of power saving modes include at least two power saving modes that can be classified according to an operation time, an electric charge, or a course (operation method).

The input unit 120 includes a plurality of selectable selectors to enable the electrical appliance 100 to be driven in a power saving mode.

In detail, a time interval selection unit 121 for determining an operating time (or time interval) of the electrical appliance 100 and a course selection unit for selecting a driving method (course) of the electrical appliance 100 ( 122), a rate-based selection unit 123 for setting a standard of electric charges generated by the operation of the electrical appliance 100, and a start input unit 124 for inputting a start command of the electrical appliance 100. do.

When the user wants to select a power saving mode using a time section, a course, or a fee, the time section selector 121, the course selector 122, or the fee reference selector 123 may be selected. That is, at least one power saving mode among the plurality of power saving modes can be selected by selecting one of the selectable selection units.

In addition, a plurality of power saving modes may be defined in each of the selectors 121, 122, and 123. For example, when the time section selector 121 is selected, a plurality of selectable time sections exist. Depending on the time period selected, a number of power saving modes with respect to time may be defined. Hereinafter, this will be described with reference to the drawings.

11 is a view showing the configuration of a display unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 12 is a view showing a state of the display unit in the course power saving mode according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 13 is another embodiment of the present invention Figure is a view showing a display unit of the cost saving mode according to.

Referring to FIG. 11, when the time section selector 121 is selected, the display 130 displays a screen related to setting an operation time of the electrical appliance 100. In the drawings, a washing machine is described as an example, but it is apparent that the idea of the present invention is applicable to other electrical appliances other than the washing machine.

The display unit 130 includes a setting screen 131 on which the operating time, power consumption, or electric charge information of the electric appliance 100 is displayed. The setting screen 131 may display one or more of a power rate information screen 132, power information 133 related to an operation, and time information 134 related to an operation.

The time information 134 related to the operation may include one or more of course performance time information, laundry start time information, and laundry end time information. The power information 133 related to the operation may include at least one of power usage fee information and power consumption information when the course is performed.

The power rate information screen 132 may include graph information related to the power rate. The graph information related to the power rate may be time graph information. In the graph information, the horizontal axis may be time and the vertical axis may be a charge. The initial time (reference time) on the horizontal axis is the current time, and the last time is the time 24 hours after the current time. That is, the time range in the graph information may be 24 hours, and the graph information may include power charge information for 24 hours. In the present invention, the time range may be changed or set automatically or manually, and the time range is not limited.

The display 130 includes a first time power saving mode selection unit 210 for setting an operation time to a current time, and one or more time power saving mode selection units 220 and 230 for setting an operation time to a recommended time. Can be displayed.

The at least one time power saving mode selection unit includes a second time power saving mode selection unit 220 for selecting a recommended time interval and a third time power saving mode selection unit 230 for selecting a minimum charge time. do. The second time power saving mode and the third time power saving mode may be combined to be referred to as "recommended time power saving mode".

When the first time power saving mode selection unit 210 is selected, the electrical appliance 10 may be operated at a current time. For example, after checking the power rate information screen 132, the user may select the first time power saving mode selection unit 210 when the electrical appliance 10 wants to be completed in a short time.

When the second time power saving mode selection unit 220 is selected, the power rate information screen 132 for a preset time interval (first time interval) may be displayed. That is, in FIG. 11, power rate information is shown based on 24 hours. However, when the preset time interval is 6 hours, the horizontal time interval may be shown within a range of 6 hours from the current time.

In addition, a section (lowest fee section) with the lowest electric charge within the 6 hour range may be recommended.

After confirming the illustrated power rate information, the user may select the recommended time interval as the operating time of the electrical appliance 100. Of course, the user may not select the recommended time period.

The second time power saving mode has an effect that the user can be prevented from delaying the operation of the electrical appliance for too long for a low electric charge.

When the third time power saving mode selection unit 230 is selected, the power rate information screen 132 for a preset time period (second setting time period) may be displayed. The second set time period may have a larger time period than the first set time period, for example, 18 hours or 24 hours. Of course, other time periods may be preset.

In addition, the lowest fee period among the second set time periods may be recommended as an operation time. At this time, the user may be recommended based on the driving time of the course (operation method) to be operated.

The display unit 130 includes an option selector 240. The first set time period or the second set time period may be selected through the option selector 240. That is, the first and second set time periods may be freely selected according to the user's intention.

When the user inputs an arbitrary first set time period or a second set time period, the power rate information screen 132 corresponding to the input time period may be displayed.

Referring to FIG. 12, when the course selector 122 is selected, the display 130 displays a screen related to the operation course setting of the electrical appliance 100.

In detail, as shown in FIG. 12, the display 130 may display a plurality of course power saving modes associated with a course (operation method) of the electrical appliance 100.

For each course power saving mode, a course reference factor for determining a course may be displayed.

The course reference factor may include washing power, washing water temperature, or rinsing frequency. In addition, the reference factor may be defined at a plurality of levels.

The washing power may be divided into strong, medium, and weak, and the washing water temperature may be divided into 25 ° C. corresponding to cold water and 40 ° C. corresponding to hot water, and the number of rinses is divided into 2, 3, 4 times, and the like. Can be.

A number of course power saving modes with different ranges are presented.

In one example, the first course power saving mode is a power saving mode combined with the washing power "strong", the wash water temperature 25 ℃ and three rinsing times, the second course power saving mode is a washing power "medium", wash water temperature 40 ℃ and the number of rinsing 2 It may be a power saving mode combined with the circuit. The third coarse power saving mode and the fourth coarse power saving mode may be defined as shown in FIG.

The user may select one power saving mode among a plurality of course power saving modes and determine the operation method of the electrical appliance 100.

The display unit 130 includes an option selector 250. The option selector 250 may freely set a specific value (or range) related to the washing force, the washing water temperature, or the number of rinses. In this case, the course information may be displayed on the display 130 according to the set specific value.

Referring to FIG. 13, when the fee basis selector 123 is selected, the display 130 displays a screen related to setting an operation course of the electrical appliance 100.

In detail, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the display unit 130 may display a plurality of charge power saving modes related to electric charges according to the driving of the electrical appliance 100.

The plurality of charge power saving modes include a plurality of power saving modes having different reference rates. Here, the reference fee may be understood as a marginal fee that allows the operation of the electrical appliance 100.

In one example, the course selected for operation of the electrical appliance 100 may be a “basic course”. In the first rate power saving mode, the standard fee is 1,000 won, and when the electrical appliance is operated in the first rate power saving mode, it is understood that the first rate power saving mode has an operation time interval of 10:00 to 11:00 based on the current time (08:00). Can be.

On the other hand, in the second rate power saving mode, the standard fee is 1,200 won, and when the electrical appliance is operated in the first rate power saving mode, the operating time interval of 09:45 to 10:45 is determined based on the current time (08:00). It can be understood as having.

The third rate power saving mode and the fourth rate power saving mode may have reference rate information and operation time information as shown in FIG. 13.

The display unit 130 includes an option selector 260. The reference fee value may be set differently through the option selector 260. Therefore, the user may arbitrarily select and input an electric charge value that can be tolerated in the process of driving the electrical appliance 100.

When the user inputs a fee value different from the standard fee shown in FIG. 13, the display 130 may display operation time information corresponding to the fee value.

As such, the power saving mode for saving electricity costs includes a plurality of power saving modes associated with time, course or fee, and even within each power saving mode, different information is provided according to a time interval, a course combination, or a reference rate value. A plurality of power saving modes can be provided.

By such a configuration, various options for power saving driving of the electrical appliance 100 can be provided according to a user's preference.

Other embodiments are suggested.

The above embodiment is characterized in that a plurality of power saving modes are provided in relation to time, course (operation method) or fee, but, alternatively, components constituting the electrical appliance 100 (for example, a driving motor, a display unit). Or a plurality of power saving modes for each heater).

For example, a plurality of power saving mode power saving modes may be proposed to limit driving of one component having high power consumption and to allow driving of other components having low power consumption.

Multiple combinations may be generated depending on whether the component is driven on or off or output limitation, and by this combination, a plurality of power saving modes may be defined.

Another embodiment is proposed.

At least two power saving modes among the plurality of power saving modes related to time, course or fee described above may be selected in duplicate. For example, the first time power saving mode and the second power saving mode among the time power saving modes may be simultaneously selected, and the second time power saving mode and the third fee power saving mode may be simultaneously selected.

Of course, one hour power saving mode, one course power saving mode and one day power saving mode may be selected simultaneously.

10: utility network 20: home network
30: component 40: information
100: electrical appliance 110: communication unit
120: input unit 130: display unit

Claims (17)

A utility network including an energy generator;
A home network including an energy consumption unit that consumes energy generated by the energy generation 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
Is provided in the utility network or home network, and includes an energy management unit for managing the energy information or additional information in relation to the energy consumption unit,
In the energy consumption unit,
On the basis of the energy information or additional information, a plurality of power saving modes are included as a function performed to reduce an electric charge or power consumption,
In the plurality of power saving modes,
At least two time power saving modes associated with an operating time of the energy consumer;
At least two coarse power saving modes associated with the manner of operation of the energy consumer; And
And a power saving mode of at least one of at least two charge power saving modes associated with the base rate of the energy consumer. The method of claim 1,
In the energy information,
Network system that contains energy bill information and non-energy bill information. The method of claim 2,
The energy fee information is at least one of an electric charge, an amount of electricity, a rate of change of an electricity rate, a rate of change of an amount of electricity, an average value of an electricity rate, and an average value of an amount of electricity. The method of claim 2,
The information other than the energy fee is one of energy saving, emergency, network safety, power generation, operation priority, and energy consumption. The method of claim 1,
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 of claim 1,
In the time saving mode,
And a recommendation time power saving mode for setting an operation time of the energy consumer to a recommended time within a preset time period. The method according to claim 6,
In the recommended time power saving mode,
A one-hour power saving mode in which a lowest rate is recommended among the first set time periods; And
And a second time power saving mode in which a lowest rate is recommended among the second setting time periods greater than the first setting time period. The method of claim 7, wherein
The first set time period or the second set time period is variable network system. The method of claim 1,
In the course power saving mode,
A network system that can be divided into a plurality of course power saving mode based on a reference factor that can determine the operation of the electrical appliance. The method of claim 9,
The reference factor is provided with a plurality,
The plurality of course power saving modes are configured by combining a plurality of reference factors. The method of claim 9,
The reference factor can be defined in a number of levels network system. The method of claim 11,
And said reference factor is variable from one level to another level among a plurality of levels. The method of claim 1,
The standard fee is the allowable limit for the operation of the electrical appliance,
The charge power saving mode is a network system that can be divided into a plurality of charge power saving mode according to the threshold rate. The method of claim 1,
In the charge power saving mode,
Network system including the operating time information corresponding to the reference fee. The method of claim 1,
The reference fee is a variable network system. The method of claim 1,
And at least two power saving modes of the time power saving mode, the course power saving mode, and the charge power saving mode. The method of claim 1,
In the plurality of power saving modes,
And a power saving mode power saving mode in which a power saving mode is determined according to whether at least one component of the plurality of components constituting the energy consumption unit is turned on or off, an output limit, and the like.

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