WO2012026586A1

WO2012026586A1 - Electricity charges visualizing device

Info

Publication number: WO2012026586A1
Application number: PCT/JP2011/069306
Authority: WO
Inventors: ケリムトック; 誠河崎
Original assignee: パナソニック株式会社
Priority date: 2010-08-26
Filing date: 2011-08-26
Publication date: 2012-03-01
Also published as: JP2012048505A; JP5592730B2

Abstract

The present invention provides: a unit price obtaining unit that obtains the electricity charges (unit price) per unit consumed at the time an instruction obtaining unit obtains an instruction to start operation of an electrical appliance; a power estimation unit that estimates the amount of power consumed by the electrical appliance during a prescribed period from the above time; a charges calculation unit that calculates an estimated amount of electricity for the prescribed period, based on the unit price and the estimated amount of power consumption; a presentation unit that presents the estimated amount via a presentation device; and a confirmation unit that prohibits commencement of operation of the electrical device from the above time, sets the device to standby, and applies an instruction from an input device to the electrical device.

Description

Electricity price visualization device

The present invention relates to an electricity bill visualization device configured to present an electricity bill associated with the use of an electric device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed a technique for providing information effective for reducing power consumption (electricity consumption) when using an electrical device, and making the user of the electrical device aware of the power consumption. Yes. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-222546 (hereinafter referred to as “Document 1”), a current supplied to an electrical device is calculated by measuring a current flowing through the electrical device and calculating an amount of power supplied to the electrical device from the measured current. A technique for predicting and calculating an electricity bill relative to the amount of electric power is described. Further, Document 1 describes that an electricity charge when using an electric device is shown in advance. That is, a configuration that shows an electricity bill or the like as effective information for reducing power consumption is adopted.

The technique described in Document 1 calculates the amount of power supplied by measuring the current flowing through an electrical device, and shows a predicted value such as an electricity bill after 1 hour, and starts the operation of the electrical device. The predicted value will be shown after that. That is, a user of an electric device can easily execute a power saving measure or the like by knowing a predicted value such as an electric charge for each electric device.

By the way, in the technique described in Document 1, since the predicted value such as the electricity bill is shown to the user after the electric device is actually operated, power saving measures are taken only after the operation of the electric device is started. Cannot be executed. That is, it is not possible to provide information for making a decision as to whether or not to use an electric device before starting the operation of the electric device.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned reasons, and its purpose is related to the operation of the electric device before starting the operation by presenting the predicted value of the electric charge before the operation of the electric device is started. An object of the present invention is to provide an electricity bill visualization device that makes it possible to make a decision.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes an instruction acquisition unit, a unit price acquisition unit, a power amount estimation unit, a charge calculation unit, a presentation unit, and a confirmation unit. The instruction acquisition unit is configured to acquire an instruction for the electrical device. The unit price acquisition unit is configured to acquire an electricity charge per unit consumption at the time when an instruction to start operation of the electrical device is acquired by the instruction acquisition unit. The power amount estimation unit is configured to estimate an electric consumption amount of the electric device during the predetermined period from the time point. The charge calculation unit is configured to calculate an estimated amount of electricity during the predetermined period from the electricity charge per unit consumption and the electricity consumption during the predetermined period. The presentation unit is configured to present the estimated amount through a presentation device. The confirmation unit waits for an instruction regarding the operation of the electrical device from the input device in a state where the presentation unit presents the estimated amount through the presentation device while prohibiting the start of the operation of the electrical device from the time point and waiting the device. Configured as follows.
In addition, when the confirmation unit receives an instruction to start or stop the operation of the electric device from the input device while waiting for an instruction regarding the operation of the electric device, the confirmation unit is configured to give the received instruction to the electric device. Composed.

In one embodiment, the electric energy estimation unit is configured to estimate the electric consumption during a predetermined period using the past operation history of the electric device.

In one embodiment, the electrical device has a function for selecting any one of a plurality of types of operating conditions in which the amount of electricity consumption changes. The instruction acquisition unit is configured to also acquire the operation condition selected when the instruction to start the operation of the electric device is first acquired. The power amount estimation unit includes a history storage unit and an estimation calculation unit. The history storage unit is configured to store the electricity consumption for each operating condition of the electrical device as a history. The estimation calculation unit is configured to collate the operation condition acquired by the instruction acquisition unit with the operation condition stored in the history storage unit, and to estimate the electricity consumption during a predetermined period with the operation condition acquired by the instruction acquisition unit. The

In one embodiment, the electrical device has a function for selecting any one of a plurality of types of operating conditions in which the amount of electricity consumption changes. The instruction acquisition unit is configured to also acquire the operation condition selected when the instruction to start the operation of the electric device is first acquired. The power amount estimation unit includes a storage unit and an estimation calculation unit. The storage unit is configured to store operating power or electricity consumption determined for each operating condition of the electric device. The estimation calculation unit is configured to estimate the electricity consumption during a predetermined period with the operation condition acquired by the instruction acquisition unit by comparing the operation condition acquired by the instruction acquisition unit with the operation condition stored in the storage unit. .

In one embodiment, the unit price acquisition unit further includes a function of acquiring an electricity charge per unit consumption in another time zone after the time point when the instruction acquisition unit acquires an instruction to start operation of the electrical device. The charge calculation unit includes a first electricity charge obtained from an electricity charge per unit consumption at the time when the instruction acquisition unit obtains an instruction to start operation of the electric device, and an electricity charge per unit consumption during another time period. The second electricity charge obtained from the time zone in which the electricity charge obtained from is lower than the first electricity charge is generated as an option. The presenting unit is configured to present the options generated by the fee calculating unit through the presenting device. The confirmation unit is configured to give an instruction to the electric device according to the option selected by the input device.

In one embodiment, when the electrical device has a function for selecting any of a plurality of types of operating conditions, the charge calculation unit is configured to determine the operating conditions at the time when the instruction acquisition unit acquires an instruction to start the operation of the electrical device. The first electricity charge obtained from the electricity charge per unit consumption and the second electricity charge that is cheaper than the first electricity charge among the electricity charges obtained from other operating conditions are generated as options. Configured. The presenting unit is configured to present the options generated by the fee calculating unit through the presenting device. The confirmation unit is configured to give an instruction to the electric device according to the option selected by the input device.

According to the configuration of the present invention, since the predicted value of the electricity bill, that is, the estimated amount is presented before starting the operation of the electric device, it is possible to make a decision regarding the operation of the electric device before starting the operation. become. In addition, if it is possible to select operating conditions for an electrical device, it is also possible to start the operation of the electrical device after selecting the operating condition and confirming the electricity charge before starting the operation of the electrical device. Thus, it is possible to present information for the user to judge convenience and economy.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in further detail. Other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood with reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
It is a block diagram which shows embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the usage example same as the above. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing same as the above.

In the embodiment described below, as shown in FIG. 2, a communication network (for example, a home communication network 11) is provided in a building (for example, a residence) 10, and an electricity bill visualization device (hereinafter referred to as “management device”) 20. Shows a configuration for communicating with at least one electric device 30 through the home communication network 11. In the present embodiment, the management device is installed in a building that receives power supply from an electric power company that has a contract with different electricity charges per unit consumption (for example, Japanese yen / kWh) in a plurality of time zones in a day. The Further, the management device is configured to communicate with a plurality of electrical devices 30. In addition, since the electric device 30 communicates with the management device 20 through the home communication network 11, the electric device 30 includes a communication interface.

This interface manages the identification information set for each electric device 30, the instruction content when operating the electric device 30, and the amount of electric power (electric consumption) used during the operation of the electric device 30. 20 is provided. The interface also has a function of receiving an operation instruction from the management device 20. As the identification information for each electric device 30, it is desirable to use identification information unique to the electric device 30 such as a MAC address, but identification information that can identify the electric device 30 only in the residence 10 may be used. The amount of power used during the operation of the electrical device 30 is notified to the management device 20 every unit time (for example, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, etc.).

The in-home communication network 11 may be either wired or wireless. In addition to a configuration using a dedicated line as a communication path, a configuration using Ethernet (registered trademark) or the like, or a distribution line in the residence 10 is used as a communication path. The power line carrier communication may be performed. When power line carrier communication is performed, it is only necessary to insert a modem into an outlet provided on the wall, so there is no need to newly lay a communication path. In the case of wireless, technologies such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), and Wi-Fi (registered trademark) can be used.

The management device 20 is configured to communicate with the electrical device 30 provided in the residence 10 through the home communication network 11. A plurality of electrical devices 30 are arranged in the residence 10, and each electrical device 30 has a communication function. In addition, the management device 20 is configured to communicate with an operation display 31 that is a presentation device through the home communication network 11. The operation indicator 31 includes, for example, a touch panel and functions as an input device for instructing the operation of the electric device 30 disposed in the residence 10 and as a presentation device for presenting the operation of the electric device 30. Etc. The operation indicator 31 is also used when various types of information are set in the management device 20. The operation indicator 31 may be provided with a function for inputting and outputting sound.

The place where the operation indicator 31 is arranged can be selected as appropriate. However, the electric device 30 and the operation indicator 31 are provided close to each other to the extent that the operation indicator 31 can be operated from a place where the electric device 30 is used. Therefore, it is possible to share the operation indicator 31 for a plurality of electric devices 30. Further, the operation indicator 31 may be provided corresponding to the electrical device 30 on a one-to-one basis. In this case, the operation indicator 31 can be attached to the electric device 30. That is, the operation indicator 31 may be incorporated in the electric device 30. When the operation indicator 31 is incorporated in the electric device 30, the management device 20 may also be incorporated in the electric device 30.

Furthermore, when the home communication network 11 uses a wireless transmission path, the operation display 31 may be shared by a plurality of electric devices 30 in the home by using the operation display 31 as a portable type.

The management device 20 includes a processor 21 that operates by executing a program, and further includes an interface 22 that communicates with the electrical device 30 and an interface 23 that communicates with the operation display 31. Here, the processor 21 means a configuration including not only a processing device that performs arithmetic processing but also a storage device including a semiconductor memory. In the illustrated example, an interface 22 for a device provided separately from the residence 10 such as the electrical device 30 and an interface 23 for a device attached to the residence 10 such as the operation indicator 31 are individually described. . However, the

interfaces

22 and 23 may be combined into one interface.

The functions of the management device 20 can be expressed as shown in FIG. The management device 20 is provided with an instruction acquisition unit 24 configured to acquire an instruction for each electrical device 30. The instructions for the electric device 30 include an instruction to start and stop operation and an instruction to select an operation condition. However, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which only an instruction to start and stop operation is provided, and when an operation condition is selected, an instruction to start operation is usually added.

For example, if the electric device 30 is an air conditioner, the operation condition selection instruction can select operation conditions such as temperature setting and air volume setting in addition to starting and stopping the operation. If the electric device 30 is a washing machine, in addition to setting the washing time, the number of times of rinsing, and the dehydration time, a plurality of types of courses combining these can be selected as operating conditions. If the electric device 30 is a fan, the air flow can be selected from three to four stages as operating conditions. In addition to operating conditions for maintaining a constant air volume, operating conditions for changing the air volume over time can be selected.

The management device 20 includes a confirmation unit 29. When the instruction acquisition unit 24 receives an operation start instruction from the electrical device 30, the confirmation unit 29 prohibits the operation of the electrical device 30 and waits for the electrical device 30. Put it in a state. That is, the electrical device 30 does not immediately start the operation in response to the operation start instruction, but enters a standby state in which it waits for an instruction related to the operation of the electrical device 30 from the operation display 31 as an input device.

Here, when the instruction acquisition unit 24 receives an operation start instruction from the electrical device 30, the selected operation condition may also be acquired. That is, when operating the electrical device 30, it is also possible to acquire an instruction on how to operate it. However, in the electric device 30 such as a fan or an air conditioner, a usage mode in which the operating condition is changed immediately after the operation is started is also conceivable. There is also.

By the way, the management device 20 includes a unit price acquisition unit 25 configured to acquire an electricity bill (hereinafter referred to as “unit price”) per unit consumption (for example, 1 kWh), and a predetermined period during operation of the electric device 30. A power amount estimation unit 26 configured to estimate a power consumption amount (electricity consumption amount) is provided. When the instruction acquisition unit 24 acquires (detects) an operation start instruction for the electric device 30, the unit price acquisition unit 25 acquires the unit price, and the power amount estimation unit 26 consumes power during a predetermined period from that point. Estimate quantity. In other words, the management device 20 includes a clock unit 201 that counts the current time, and acquires a unit price at the current time that the clock unit 201 counts and estimates power consumption during a predetermined period.

The unit price varies depending on the electric power company and also varies depending on the contents of the contract. Therefore, a price list (data set) may be set in advance in the unit price acquisition unit 25 using the operation display 31. For example, many electric power companies employ contracts that change the unit price according to the time of day. In this case, the unit price is set so as to be the highest during the time when the demand is maximum, such as during the daytime, and the lowest during the time when the demand is reduced, such as at night. In this case, the unit price is often set in two or three stages in the time zone of the day.

Here, since the unit price varies depending on the time, it is desirable that the unit price acquisition unit 25 acquires the latest price list according to the contract contents from a computer server managed by the electric power company through a public network such as the Internet. Further, when the management device 20 can be accessed using a terminal device connected to a public network such as a personal computer, an electricity bill (unit price) fee table may be set by the terminal device.

It should be noted that if the price list is obtained from the computer server each time an instruction to start operation of the electrical device 30 is detected, traffic on the public network will increase. In addition, since the price list is updated in units of several months, it is desirable to hold the price list in the unit price acquisition unit 25 and update the price list by communication about once a month.

The electric energy estimation unit 26 is configured to estimate an electric power consumption that is predicted to be consumed in an operation for a predetermined period (for example, 1 hour or 3 hours) before the operation of the electric device 30 is started. . In estimating the power consumption consumed in a predetermined period, the electric equipment 30 is classified into two types, and different estimation techniques are used for each classification.

In other words, the electric device 30 includes the electric device 30 whose power consumption per unit time is determined only by the set operating conditions regardless of the operating environment at the time of use, and the operating environment at the time of use as well as the set operating conditions. There is also an electric device 30 whose power consumption varies. In many cases, the former electric device 30 does not have a sensor for monitoring the operating environment, and the latter electric device 30 includes a sensor for monitoring the operating environment. Hereinafter, the former electric device 30 is referred to as “first type device”, and the latter electric device 30 is referred to as “second type device”.

As described above, the power consumption of the first type device is determined by the operating conditions set in the electric device 30, and does not depend on the operating environment when used. For example, a fan as the electric device 30 is an example of a first type device. In the fan, by setting an operation condition (for example, an air volume), the power consumption per unit time hardly affects the operating environment. It is decided without receiving.

Thus, for the first type device, it is only necessary to know the power consumption per unit time for each set operating condition. Therefore, for the first type device, the power amount estimation unit 26 stores the operating power (W) such as the rated power or the power consumption per unit time (kWh) determined for each operating condition of the electric device 30. If the amount storage unit 261 is provided, the amount of power consumption per unit time for the set operating condition can be obtained. That is, the storage unit 261 stores a data set for the first type device, which includes various variables, that is, various operating conditions (codes), and operating power (W) allocated to the various variables, respectively. Power consumption per unit time (kWh). The operating power and the power consumption per unit time stored in the power storage unit 261 may be input using the operation display 31 or may be acquired from a computer server through a public network. The power consumption amount stored in the power amount storage unit 261 may be determined from the rated power, or may be determined from the past operation results of the electric device 30.

On the other hand, as described above, the second type device greatly depends on the operating environment as well as the operating conditions set in the electric device 30 for the power consumption. For example, an air conditioner as the electric device 30 is an example of a second type device. In the air conditioner, the power consumption is not limited to the operating conditions, but the room temperature, the room volume, the room thermal insulation, the outside temperature, etc. Depends on the operating environment. In the second type device, since the power consumption amount for a predetermined period cannot be predicted only by the set operating conditions, the past power consumption is used to estimate the power consumption amount when the driving conditions are the same and the driving environment is the same. . Therefore, the electric energy estimation part 26 is provided with the log | history memory | storage part 262 which memorize | stores the electric power consumption for every group of the driving | running condition of the electric equipment 30, and driving environment as a log | history. That is, the storage unit 262 stores a data set (history) for the second type device, which includes various variables, that is, various operating conditions, and at least one value (for example, each of the various variables). , Power consumption per unit time (electricity consumption)). In addition, since the power consumption may change with time, a plurality of types of power consumption are stored when using an appropriate time such as 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, etc. from the start of operation. May be.

The power amount estimation unit 26 preferably includes both the power amount storage unit 261 and the history storage unit 262. However, the electric device 30 that is the target of using the technique of the present embodiment is the first type device and the second type device. When there is only one of the seed devices, it is possible to omit one of the electric energy storage unit 261 and the history storage unit 262.

Table 1 shows examples of type 1 equipment and type 2 equipment. Whether the device is the first type device or the second type device can be determined in advance according to the type of the electric device as shown in Table 1. Therefore, the electric energy estimation unit 26 classifies the types of the electric devices 30 according to the types of electric devices as shown in Table 1, and determines whether the electric energy storage unit 261 or the history storage unit 262 is used. Determine according to the classification of 30 types.

The power amount estimation unit 26 includes an estimation calculation unit 263 configured to estimate a power consumption amount during a predetermined period in the operation condition acquired by the instruction acquisition unit 24. In the present embodiment, the predetermined period is equal to the unit time, for example. The estimation calculation unit 263 classifies the types of the electrical equipment 30 from which the instruction acquisition unit 24 has acquired the operating conditions by using information as shown in Table 1, and sets the operating conditions according to the classified types to the electric energy storage unit 261. It collates with one with the history storage unit 262.

In the electric energy storage unit 261, as shown in Table 2, the operating conditions and the electric power consumption per hour (power consumption) are associated with each other. Table 2 exemplifies the case where the electric device 30 is a fan. The operating condition can be selected from the blowing intensity, and the power consumption per hour is associated with each option of the operating condition. is there.

When the electrical device 30 is the first type device, the estimation calculation unit 263 collates the operation condition acquired by the instruction acquisition unit 24 with the power amount storage unit 261 and obtains the power consumption per hour for the operation condition. .

For example, if the electrical device 30 is a fan, and the user selects an operating condition that increases the blowing intensity and gives an instruction to start the operation, the estimation calculation unit 263 stores the electric energy as shown in Table 2. To the part 261. In this case, the estimation calculation unit 263 obtains X [kWh] as the power consumption per hour.

As described above, for the first type device, the management device 20 acquires the unit price at the unit price acquisition unit 25 when the instruction acquisition unit 24 acquires (detects) the operation start instruction, and the power amount estimation unit 26. To estimate the power consumption per hour.

On the other hand, the management device 20 is provided with a charge calculation unit 27 configured to obtain an electricity charge per hour based on the unit price and the power consumption per hour. In the above example, it is assumed that the unit price acquired by the unit price acquisition unit 25 is p [yen / kWh]. In this case, the charge calculation unit 27 calculates p [yen / kWh] × X [kWh] to set the electricity charge (estimated amount) per hour according to the selected operating condition as p × X [yen]. calculate.

Here, the charge calculation unit 27 in the present embodiment also calculates the electricity charge when other operating conditions are selected. That is, the electricity rate when the air blowing intensity is set to the middle is obtained as p × Y [yen], and the electricity rate when the air blowing intensity is reduced is obtained as p × Z [yen].

The electricity charge obtained in this way is presented not only on the electricity charge for the operating condition selected by the user of the electric device 30 but also on the operation indicator 31 through the presentation unit 28 together with the electricity charge for other operating conditions. The However, it is desirable that the electricity bill presented on the operation display unit 31 is presented together with the operation condition only when the operation fee is lower than the operation condition selected by the user.

By the way, as shown in Table 3, the history storage unit 263 associates the driving conditions selected by the user, the driving environment, and the power consumption when the driving is continued for one hour and when the driving is continued for three hours. . That is, each operating condition is assigned an operating environment, a power consumption amount of 1 hour, and a power consumption amount of 3 hours. Table 3 shows an example in which the electrical device 30 is an air conditioner. In this example, a combination of a set temperature and a blowing intensity can be selected as the operating condition, and room temperature is used as the operating environment.

When the electrical device 30 is the second type device, the estimation calculation unit 263 collates the operation condition acquired by the instruction acquisition unit 24 and the operation environment acquired separately with the history storage unit 262, and sets 1 for the operation condition. The power consumption with respect to time and the power consumption with respect to 3 hours are obtained.

For example, if the electrical device 30 is an air conditioner, and the user sets the temperature to 26 ° C., selects an operating condition that increases the blowing intensity, and gives an instruction to start the operation, the estimation calculation unit 263 The history storage unit 262 as shown in Table 3 is collated. In this case, the estimation calculation unit 263 obtains Z [kWh] as the power consumption when the operation is continued for 1 hour, and obtains T [kWh] as the power consumption when the operation is continued for 3 hours.

Similarly to the first type device, the power consumption acquired by the estimation calculation unit 263 is given to the charge calculation unit 27 together with the unit price acquired by the unit price acquisition unit 25, and the charge calculation unit 27 uses the air conditioner for one hour. And the electricity charge when using for 3 hours is calculated. If the unit price of the electricity charge at the time when the start of operation of the electric device 30 is instructed is p [yen / kWh], the charge calculation unit 27 calculates p [yen / kWh] × Z [kWh] and p [yen / kWh]. kWh] × T [kWh] is calculated. That is, the electricity charge when used for 1 hour under the current operating conditions is calculated as p × Z [yen], and the electricity charge when used for 3 hours is calculated as p × T [yen].

Furthermore, the charge calculator 27 also calculates the electricity charge when other operating conditions are selected in the same operating environment. For example, in the case where the temperature is 28 ° C., the electricity charge when used for 1 hour is determined as p × X [yen], and the electricity charge when used for 3 hours is determined as p × Y [yen].

In the above operation example, the charge calculator 27 calculates the electricity charge due to the difference in operating conditions. However, as described above, the electricity charge varies depending on the electric power company and the contract contents. Therefore, the charge calculation unit 27 may obtain the electricity charge for a time zone in which the electricity charge is cheaper by using the electricity charge charge table set in the unit price acquisition unit 25.

In the state where the electricity charge calculated by the charge calculation unit 27 is presented on the operation display 31 through the presentation unit 28, the electrical device 30 is maintained in a standby state by the function of the confirmation unit 29. That is, when the instruction acquisition unit 24 acquires an instruction to start the operation of the electric device 30, the confirmation unit 29 puts the electric device 30 into a standby state, and waits even when the operation indicator 31 presents an option for an electric charge. State is maintained.

Here, when the user selects a desired option with reference to the electricity price presented on the operation indicator 31, the confirmation unit 29 displays the content (control code) of the selected option for the electric device 30 as electricity. Instruct the device 30. Therefore, when the user changes to an operation condition with a lower electricity bill by the option presented on the operation indicator 31, the operation condition is instructed to the electric device 30. As will be described below as a specific example, to change the operating conditions, when changing the operating conditions when starting the operation, such as changing the temperature setting of the air conditioner or changing the blower intensity of the fan There is. Further, the change of the operation condition includes a change of the time at which the electric device 30 starts to be operated.

The above operations are summarized in FIG. When the electric device 30 is operated while the management apparatus 20 is operating and the instruction acquisition unit 24 acquires the setting of the operation condition and the instruction to start the operation (S1), the confirmation unit 29 waits for the electric device 30. (S2). The instruction content of the instruction acquisition unit 24 is given to the power amount estimation unit 26, and the power amount estimation unit 26 confirms whether there is estimation data for estimating the power consumption amount (S3).

When the electric device 30 is a first type device, the electric device 30 is registered in principle, and it is considered that operating conditions corresponding to the electric device 30 are set. It is determined that data exists. On the other hand, when the electrical device 30 is the second type device, it is determined that the estimation data exists only when the history storage unit 262 includes the estimation data for the same operation condition and the same operation environment.

When the estimation data exists, the charge calculation unit 27 estimates the electric charge based on the unit price of the charge table acquired by the unit price acquisition unit 25 and the estimated power consumption amount estimated by the power amount estimation unit 26. A value (estimated amount) is calculated. In addition, if there are operating conditions or time periods in which the electricity charges are lower than the electricity charges calculated based on the operating conditions set by the user, the electricity charges under those conditions are also required. The electricity charges based on the operating conditions set by the user and the electricity charges based on other conditions are presented together with the conditions as options on the operation display 31 (S5).

If the user selects a desired option from the options presented on the operation indicator 31, the confirmation unit 29 starts the operation of the electric device 30 under the selected condition (S7). When the electric device 30 is the second type device, when the operation of the electric device 30 is started, the actual power consumption is recorded as a history in the history storage unit 262 together with the operating conditions and the operating environment (S8). .

In addition, in step S <b> 6, when the selection to change the time zone in which the electric device 30 is operated is made, or when the selection to stop the operation of the electric device 30 is made, the confirmation unit 29 operates the electric device 30. The electric device 30 is instructed to stop the operation (S9). In addition, the confirmation unit 29 sets a limit on the time for waiting for an input from the operation display unit 31. If the user does not select an option, the confirmation unit 29 operates under the operating condition when the electric device 30 is operated. Instruct to start driving. In addition, the confirmation part 29 can also be set as the operation | movement which stops the driving | operation of the electric equipment 30, if there is no instruction | indication from the operation display part 31 within the limited time.

If the time zone for starting the operation is selected, the time for starting the operation may be registered as a schedule. When the schedule is registered, the operation of the electric device 30 can be automatically started according to the schedule.

In the above-described example, the case where the power estimation unit 26 estimates the power consumption (electric consumption) during a predetermined period when the electric device 30 is operated has been described. If the power consumption during use is known, this power consumption may be used. This type of electric device 30 is a first type device, and includes a washing machine, a dishwasher, a rice cooker, and the like.

In addition, the charge calculation unit 27 may calculate the electricity charge in consideration of both the operation condition and the time zone in addition to calculating the electricity charge due to the difference in the operation condition and the electricity charge based on the time zone.

It is assumed that the time when the start of operation of the washing machine is instructed as the electric device 30 is a daytime period when the unit price of the electricity rate is high, and the selected operation condition is an operation condition with a relatively high electricity rate. To do. In addition, it is assumed that the user has set an upper limit (for example, 100 yen) for the electricity bill. Under this condition, even if there is only one type of operating condition that is less than the upper limit when calculating electricity charges for different operating conditions in the same time zone, the operation is such that the electricity price is less than the upper limit in the night hours when the unit price of the electricity rate is low Multiple types of conditions may be obtained. Therefore, if the electricity rate is calculated considering both the operating conditions and the time zone, it is possible to present the operating conditions close to the operating conditions desired by the user as options while satisfying the upper limit of the electricity rate. Become.

By the way, it is not possible to change the time zone for starting the operation of all the electrical devices 30, and the time zone can be changed only for limited electrical devices 30 such as a washing machine and a dishwasher. That is, in the operation of the present embodiment, assuming the electric device 30 that allows the user to select a driving time zone, the electric charge is predicted before the operation is started, and the predicted electric charge is presented to the user. However, in the residence 10, the time zone is changed, such as an electric device 30 that does not always stop when starting operation, such as a refrigerator, a telephone, and a wireless router, a range hood, a ventilator for a toilet, and a video recorder. An electric device 30 that cannot be used is also used. For these electrical devices 30, it is impossible to give an instruction to stop the operation or change the operation conditions even if the electricity charge is presented, and thus the above-described technology cannot be applied to these electrical devices 30.

Therefore, as shown in Table 4, the electrical device 30 that does not present the electricity bill is registered in advance in the management apparatus 20 as an exclusion list (not shown), and the electrical device 30 registered in the exclusion list is It is desirable to exclude from processing for presenting electricity charges.

That is, the electrical device 30 that does not present the electricity bill is registered in the exclusion list in advance, and when the instruction acquisition unit 24 acquires an instruction to start operation of the electrical device 30, the confirmation unit 29 refers to the exclusion list. Here, the confirmation unit 24 determines whether or not the electric device 30 that has been instructed to start operation is registered in the exclusion list, and if it is registered in the exclusion list, the electricity rate is not presented. The electric device 30 is instructed to start operation. On the other hand, when the electric device 30 that has been instructed to start operation is not registered in the exclusion list, the confirmation unit 24 presents the electricity charge on the operation display 31 as described above, and the instruction from the operation display unit 31. Wait for.

In the exclusion list shown in Table 4, in order to display the electric device 30 registered in the exclusion list on the operation display 31 so that the user can understand it, the identification information of the electric device 30 and the name of the electric device 30 are displayed. Corresponds.

If it is not necessary to present the name of the electric device 30 on the operation display 31, only the identification information of the electric device 30 may be registered in the exclusion list. Alternatively, only the name of the electric device 30 may be registered in the exclusion list, and the management device 20 may be provided with a function for determining whether or not it is necessary to present an electric charge based on the name. In this case, by using the device list in which the identification information and the name are associated with each other for all the electrical devices 30 in the residence 10 and collating the exclusion list with the device list, the electrical device 30 that does not require presentation of the electricity bill. May be specified.

As described above, since the exclusion list for registering the electric device 30 that does not present the electricity fee is provided, the addition of the electric device 30 that does not present the electricity fee only by registering the electric device 30 in the exclusion list. And can be deleted at any time. For example, when a security camera is introduced as the electrical device 30, if the security camera is registered in the exclusion list, the electricity charge related to the security camera is not presented on the operation display 31, and unnecessary information is presented. Can be prevented.

In order to register the electric device 30 that does not present an electricity fee in the exclusion list, it is possible to input data to be registered in the exclusion list using the operation display 31 or a personal computer, but this is troublesome for the user. is there. In addition, although it is possible to automatically select the electrical device 30 to be registered in the exclusion list using the name of the electrical device 30, an exclusion list may be generated that is contrary to the user's intention.

Therefore, a device storage unit (not shown) is provided in the instruction acquisition unit 24, and the electrical device 30 from which the instruction acquisition unit 24 has acquired an operation start instruction is registered in the device storage unit. Regardless of the number of times the operation start instruction is acquired from the electrical device 30, the device storage unit registers only one electrical device 30 once.

When the instruction acquisition unit 24 acquires an operation start instruction from the electric device 30, if the electric device 30 is not registered in the device storage unit, the instruction acquisition unit 24 performs the above-described processing and displays the electric charge in the operation display unit 31. To present. Furthermore, the instruction acquisition unit 24 causes the operation display 31 to present a message asking whether or not it is necessary to present an electricity bill through the presenting unit 28. The operation indicator 31 presents unnecessary options for the message.

When the user selects an unnecessary option, the electric device 30 is registered in the exclusion list. That is, after that, the electric device 30 determined by the user as not requiring presentation of the electric charge is registered in the exclusion list. On the other hand, when the user selects a necessary option, the user's request for the option for the electric charge is accepted without registering the electric device 30 in the exclusion list.

By the way, when the instruction acquisition unit 24 acquires an operation start instruction from the electrical device 30, if the electrical device 30 is registered in the device storage unit, the exclusion list is referred to. Here, when the electric device 30 is registered in the exclusion list, the management device 20 does not present the electricity charge, and instructs the electric device 30 to start operation through the confirmation unit 29. If the electric device 30 is not registered in the exclusion list, the management device 20 performs the above-described process and presents the electricity charge to the operation display 31.

Thus, when the instruction acquisition unit 24 first receives an instruction to start operation of the electric device 30 (when an instruction to start operation is received from the electric device 30 not registered in the device storage unit), the operation display The electricity bill is presented to the device 31, and the necessity of presenting the subsequent electricity bill is consulted. Here, when the user determines that the subsequent presentation of the electricity bill is unnecessary, the electric device 30 is registered in the exclusion list. Therefore, the exclusion list can be created based on the user's judgment. Furthermore, the operation indicator 31 presents options for whether or not to present subsequent electricity charges, and the user can register the electrical device 30 in the exclusion list simply by selecting the presented options. Users can create exclusion lists without burden.

Hereinafter, an operation example using this embodiment will be described. In the following description, it is assumed that the unit price is determined by the unit price acquisition unit 25 as shown in Table 5. That is, it is assumed that the charge table set in the unit price acquisition unit 25 has the contents of Table 5. However, α> β> γ.

(Case 1)
Now, assume that the user tries to wash at 12:00 pm, loads the laundry into the washing machine, selects the course for a short time as the driving condition, and presses the start button to start driving. Further, it is assumed that the history storage unit 262 of the management device 20 stores the data shown in Table 6 as the power consumption when the course, which is an operation condition that can be selected in the washing machine, is executed once. However, Z>X> Y.

Since the washing machine is the first type device, the estimation calculation unit 263 of the power amount estimation unit 26 has the operation condition selected from the power consumption amounts as shown in Table 6 stored in the power amount storage unit 261. Extract data for "short time" courses. That is, the power estimation unit 26 extracts Y [kWh] as the power consumption.

On the other hand, since it is 12:00 pm, the unit price acquired by the unit price acquisition unit 25 is α [yen / kWh], and the charge calculation unit 27 charges the electricity when the washing machine is started immediately in a short course. Α × Y [yen] is calculated as follows. Furthermore, the charge calculation unit 27 searches for an operation condition option that makes the electricity charge cheaper than the selected operation condition, and presents it on the operation display 31 through the presenting unit 28 if there is an option. That is, the user is inquired whether to start driving under the optional driving conditions.

For example, since the unit price of the electricity bill is included in the highest time zone at 12:00 pm, if the start time of the operation is changed without changing the course, the other time zone is 18: 00-08; It is cheaper to start the washing machine at 00.

Therefore, as an option, (1) when the operation of the washing machine is started immediately, (2) when the operation of the washing machine is started from 18:00 to 00:00, (3) from 00:00 to 08:00 A case for starting the washing machine is generated and presented together with the estimated electricity charge for each option. That is, α × Y [circle] for the option (1), β × Y [circle] for the option (2), and γ × Y [circle] for the option (3) are displayed on the operation display 31. Present it and let the user choose it. With this option, the user can change the schedule to stop the operation of the washing machine and start washing at 0:00, which has a lower electricity bill.

(Case 2)
It is assumed that the room temperature is 35 ° C. when the user comes home at 20:00. Here, it is assumed that the user sets the temperature of the air conditioner, which is the electrical device 30, to 26 ° C., and presses the start button to increase the air blowing intensity and start the operation of the air conditioner. Further, it is assumed that the history storage unit 262 stores a history as shown in Table 7. However, U>V>W>Y>R>S> T, I>J>K>L>F>G> H.

Since the air conditioner is the second type device, the estimation calculation unit 263 of the management device 20 selects “short time” which is the operation condition selected from the power consumption amount as shown in Table 7 stored in the history storage unit 262. Extract the course data. That is, the power estimation unit 26 extracts Y [kWh] as the power consumption.

Now, since the temperature as the operating condition is set to 26 ° C. and the air blowing intensity is strong and the room temperature as the operating environment is 35 ° C., it corresponds to the third stage from the bottom of Table 7 and corresponds to 1 hour. The power consumption is J [kWh], and the power consumption for 3 hours is extracted as V [kWh]. Here, since the operating environment cannot be changed, the operating conditions for lowering the electricity bill are extracted from the room temperature of 35 ° C. In the example of Table 7, as options, (1) when operating under the current operating conditions, (2) when setting the temperature to 27 ° C, and when setting the blowing intensity to medium, (3) setting the temperature to 27 ° C When the air blowing intensity is reduced, (4) the temperature is set to 28 ° C. and the air blowing intensity is increased. The charge calculation unit 27 causes the operation indicator 31 to present the electricity charge estimated for each option.

That is, βJ [yen], βV [yen] for option (1), βK [yen], βW [yen] for option (2), βL [yen], βY [ [Circle], option (4) is presented on the operation display 31 as βF [Circle], R [Circle], and the user is allowed to select. By showing such options, the user can select operating conditions with a low electricity bill. For example, it is possible to set the temperature of the air conditioner to 27 ° C. and change the operating conditions so as to set the air blowing intensity to the middle, thereby instructing the operation start. By changing the operating conditions as described above, the user can set operating conditions that can provide comfort while reducing the electricity bill.

In addition, with the operation of the air conditioner, the set operating conditions, operating environment, power consumption for 1 hour, and power consumption for 3 hours are recorded as history. In this case, data that overlaps the operating conditions and operating environment used for estimating the power consumption is recorded as a history. Therefore, a plurality of pieces of information are stored in the history storage unit 262 as a history. In this case, a plurality of histories are extracted when the same operating condition and operating environment occur next. Therefore, when a plurality of histories are extracted, the power consumption is estimated using a representative value such as an average value. Further, when a history of the same operating condition and the same operating environment already exists in the history storage unit 262, it may not be recorded as a history.

(Case 3)
As in Case 2, when the user returns home at 20:00, the room temperature is 35 ° C. Here, it is assumed that the user sets the temperature of the air conditioner, which is the electrical device 30, to 24 ° C., and presses the start button to increase the air blowing intensity and start the operation of the air conditioner. Further, it is assumed that the history storage unit 262 stores a history as shown in Table 7.

The electrical device 30 is in a standby state instead of immediately starting operation, and the power amount estimation unit 26 confirms the history stored in the history storage unit 262. Here, in the history storage unit 262 (Table 7), there is no history that the set temperature is 24 ° C., the air blowing intensity is strong, and the room temperature is 35 ° C. In this case, the power estimation unit 26 presents a message on the operation display unit 31 that the power consumption cannot be estimated because there is no history corresponding to the instructed setting. In this case, the air conditioner operation is started through the confirmation unit 29 together with the message displayed on the operation display unit 31 without showing options to the user.

It should be noted that the operating conditions, operating environment, power consumption in 1 hour, and power consumption in 3 hours are set as shown in Table 8 so that the power consumption can be predicted in the next use of the air conditioner. The power consumption is recorded as a history.

In the above operation example, the management device 20 is provided separately from the electrical device 30, but the management device 20 may be incorporated in the electrical device 30. When the electric device 30 is connected to a public network like a so-called information home appliance, the electric device 30 may acquire a price list of the electric charge through the public network. Further, the function of the management apparatus 20 may be provided outside the house, and the services provided by a plurality of management apparatuses 20 may be provided by a computer server on the public network. In this case, since the amount of information that can be used by the power amount estimation unit 26 increases, it is possible to estimate the power consumption amount of the electric device 30 in a predetermined period more accurately.

In the above example, the operation indicator 11 is exemplified as the presentation device and the input device. However, a television receiver or a monitor attached to the electric device 30 can be used as the operation device. As the input device, a remote control device or a switch attached to the electric device 30 can be used.

Claims

An instruction obtaining unit configured to obtain instructions for the electrical device;
A unit price acquisition unit configured to acquire an electricity charge per unit consumption at the time when the instruction to start operation of the electrical device is acquired by the instruction acquisition unit;
An electric energy estimation unit configured to estimate an electric consumption of the electric device during a predetermined period from the time point;
A charge calculator configured to calculate an estimated amount of electricity during the predetermined period from the electricity charge per unit consumption and the electricity consumption during the predetermined period;
A presentation unit configured to present the estimated amount through a presentation device;
While prohibiting the start of operation of the electrical device from the time point and waiting the device, the presentation unit waits for an instruction regarding the operation of the electrical device from the input device in a state where the estimated amount is presented through the presentation device And a confirmation unit configured as follows,
When the confirmation unit receives an instruction to start or stop the operation of the electric device from the input device while waiting for an instruction regarding the operation of the electric device, the confirmation unit gives the received instruction to the electric device. An electricity bill visualization device characterized by being configured as follows.
The electric charge visualization device according to claim 1, wherein the electric energy estimation unit is configured to estimate an electric consumption during a predetermined period using a past operation history of the electric device.
The electrical device has a function for selecting any one of a plurality of types of operating conditions in which the amount of electricity consumption changes,
The instruction acquisition unit is configured to also acquire an operation condition selected when first acquiring an instruction to start operation of the electric device,
The power amount estimation unit is stored in the history storage unit, the history storage unit configured to store the electricity consumption for each operation condition of the electric device as a history, and the operation condition acquired by the instruction acquisition unit. The electric charge according to claim 2, further comprising: an estimation calculation unit configured to estimate an electric consumption amount for a predetermined period in accordance with the operation condition acquired by the instruction acquisition unit with reference to the determined operation condition. Visualization device.
The electrical device has a function for selecting any one of a plurality of types of operating conditions in which the amount of electricity consumption changes,
The instruction acquisition unit is configured to also acquire an operation condition selected when first acquiring an instruction to start operation of the electric device,
The power amount estimation unit is configured to store operating power or electricity consumption determined for each operation condition of the electric device, and the operation condition acquired by the instruction acquisition unit in the storage unit. The estimation calculation part comprised so that the electric consumption during a predetermined period may be estimated with the driving | running condition which collated with the stored driving | running condition and the said instruction | indication acquisition part acquired. Electricity price visualization device.
The unit price acquisition unit further includes a function for acquiring an electricity charge per unit consumption in another time zone after the time point when the instruction acquisition unit acquires an instruction to start operation of the electrical device,
The charge calculation unit includes a first electricity charge obtained from an electricity charge per unit consumption at the time when the instruction acquisition unit acquires an instruction to start operation of the electric device, and a unit consumption of the other time zone. It is configured to generate, as an option, a second electricity charge obtained from a time zone in which the electricity charge obtained from the per-electricity charge is lower than the first electricity charge,
The presenting unit is configured to present the options generated by the fee calculation unit through the presenting device,
The electricity bill visualization device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the confirmation unit is configured to give an instruction according to an option selected by the input device to the electric device.
From the first electric charge obtained from the operating condition and the electric charge per unit consumption at the time when the instruction acquiring part acquires the instruction to start the operation of the electric device, and the other operation conditions It is configured to generate, as an option, a second electricity charge that is lower than the first electricity charge among the required electricity charges,
The presenting unit is configured to present the options generated by the fee calculation unit through the presenting device,
5. The electricity bill visualization device according to claim 3, wherein the confirmation unit is configured to give an instruction according to an option selected by the input device to the electric device.