CN112020182A - Load control device, load control method, and non-transitory recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a load control device, a load control method, and a non-transitory recording medium capable of suppressing the power supply voltage supplied by the output voltage from the buffer unit from falling below a predetermined voltage. The load control device includes a switch unit, a switch control unit, a rectifier circuit, a radio unit, a buffer unit, and a control unit. The switch unit conducts and cuts off the AC power source and the load. The switch control unit controls the switch unit. The rectifier circuit converts AC power supplied from an AC power source into DC power. The wireless unit operates using the DC power converted by the rectifier circuit. The buffer unit stores power in a dischargeable manner using the DC power converted by the rectifier circuit, and can discharge the stored power to the wireless unit and the switch control unit as the DC power. The control unit controls the wireless unit based on the output voltage of the buffer unit.

Description

Load control device, load control method, and non-transitory recording medium

technical field

The present disclosure generally relates to a load control apparatus, a load control method, and a non-transitory recording medium, and more particularly, to a load control apparatus, a load control method, and a non-transitory recording medium that control power supply from an AC power source to a load .

Background technique

Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 4620773 ) discloses a two-wire dimming device (load control device) for controlling lighting loads. This two-wire dimming device includes: two FETs for opening and closing a power supply path for supplying power from an AC power source to a lighting load, and a diode (converter) for generating AC power from the AC power source DC power; a capacitor (buffer) that smoothes the DC power; and a control circuit that operates using the DC power smoothed by the capacitor to control the on-off of the FET. In this two-wire dimming device, the power supply voltage is supplied by the output voltage of the capacitor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Invention to solve problem

In the above-mentioned two-wire dimming device, when the power supply voltage supplied by the output voltage of the capacitor is lower than a predetermined voltage, the control circuit is reset. If the control circuit is reset, the control circuit cannot be used until the control circuit is restarted, and thus the load control device cannot be used.

In view of the above-mentioned reasons, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a load control device, a load control method, and a non-transitory recording medium capable of suppressing the power supply voltage supplied by the output voltage of the buffer portion from falling below a predetermined voltage.

solution to the problem

A load control device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a switch unit, a switch control unit, a conversion unit, an additional function unit, a buffer unit, and a control unit. The switch unit controls power supply from the AC power source to the load by turning on and off the AC power source and the load, thereby operating and stopping the load. The switch control unit controls the switch unit. The conversion unit converts the AC power supplied from the AC power source into DC power. The additional function unit operates using the DC power converted by the conversion unit. The buffer unit stores electricity in a dischargeable manner using the DC power converted by the conversion unit, and discharges the stored power as the DC power to the additional function unit. The control unit controls the additional function unit based on the output voltage of the buffer unit.

A load control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a load control method for controlling a load control device including a switch unit, a switch control unit, a conversion unit, an additional function unit, and a buffer unit. The switch unit controls power supply from the AC power source to the load by turning on and off the AC power source and the load, thereby operating and stopping the load. The switch control unit controls the switch unit. The conversion unit converts the AC power supplied from the AC power source into DC power. The additional function unit operates using the DC power converted by the conversion unit. The buffer unit stores electricity in a dischargeable manner using the DC power converted by the conversion unit, and discharges the stored power as the DC power to the additional function unit. The load control method includes control processing of controlling the additional function unit based on the output voltage of the buffer unit.

A non-transitory recording medium according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a non-transitory recording medium on which a program for causing a computer system to execute the load control method according to the one aspect described above is recorded.

effect of invention

The present disclosure has an advantage that the power supply voltage supplied by the output voltage of the buffer portion can be suppressed from falling below a predetermined voltage.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a load control device according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a control unit of the above-described load control device.

3A is a schematic configuration diagram of a load control device according to Modification 2 of Embodiment 1. FIG.

3B is a schematic configuration diagram of a modification of the load control device according to Modification 2. FIG.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a control unit of the load control device according to Embodiment 2. FIG.

5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a load control device according to Embodiments 3 and 4. FIG.

6 is a schematic configuration diagram of a load control device according to Embodiment 5. FIG.

Description of reference numerals

1: load control device; 2: switch part; 4: switch control part; 5, 5A, 5B: wireless part (additional function part); 7: display part (additional function part); 10: rectifier circuit (conversion part); 11: constant voltage circuit; 12: constant current circuit; 14: buffer part; 17: control part; B1: AC power supply; Q1: load; V4: output voltage; Vref, Vref1～Vref4: threshold voltage.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, the load control device according to the embodiment will be described. The embodiments described below are merely examples of various embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, it is sufficient that the following embodiments can achieve the object of the present disclosure, and various changes can be made in accordance with designs and the like.

(Embodiment 1)

The load control device 1 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 .

As shown in FIG. 1, the load control apparatus 1 is a two-wire type load control apparatus. The load control device 1 is connected in series between the AC power source B1 and the load Q1, and controls the electric power supplied from the AC power source B1 to the load Q1. The load control device 1 operates with electric power from the AC power source B1. That is, the load Q1 and the load control device 1 operate with the electric power from the AC power supply B1.

The load control device 1 can be controlled based on, for example, a control signal based on a wireless signal from the remote control device 20 . That is, the operation of the load Q1 can be controlled by controlling the load control device 1 by the operation from the remote control device 20 .

The load Q1 is, for example, a lighting fixture. The lighting fixture is, for example, a lighting fixture installed in the interior of a building to illuminate the interior. Load Q1 has 2 power supply terminals. The AC power from the AC power supply B1 is input to the two power supply terminals.

The AC power supply B1 is, for example, a commercial AC power supply. The AC power source B1 has 2 output terminals. One output terminal is connected to one power supply terminal of the load Q1 via the circuit H1, and the other output terminal is connected to the other power supply terminal of the load Q1 via the circuit H2.

The load control device 1 includes a switch unit 2 , a drive circuit 3 , a switch control unit 4 , a wireless unit 5 (additional function unit), and a power supply unit 6 .

The switch unit 2 turns on and off between the AC power source B1 and the load Q1. Thereby, the power supply from the AC power supply B1 to the load Q1 is controlled, and the load Q1 is operated and stopped. When the load Q1 is a lighting fixture, operating the load Q1 means turning on the load Q1, and when the load Q1 is a lighting fixture, stopping the load Q1 means turning off the load Q1. The switch unit 2 is connected in series between the AC power source B1 and the load Q1. That is, the switch part 2 is connected in series with the circuit H1.

The switching unit 2 includes two switching elements M1 and M2. The two switching elements M1 and M2 are, for example, semiconductor switching elements, more specifically, enhancement-type N-channel MOSFETs (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor: Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor). semiconductor field effect transistor). The drain of one switching element M1 is electrically connected to one output terminal of the AC power source B1. In addition, the drain of the other switching element M2 is electrically connected to the other output terminal of the AC power supply B1 via the load Q1. In addition, the sources of the two switching elements M1 and M2 are electrically connected to each other. The connection point NP3 of the sources of the two switching elements M1 and M2 is grounded to the ground point. The gates of the two switching elements M1 and M2 are electrically connected to the drive circuit 3 . The drive circuit 3 turns on and off the two switching elements M1 and M2 under the control of the switch control unit 4 .

The respective switching elements M1 and M2 are connected in series with the circuit H1 for turning the circuit H1 on and off. One switching element M1 is turned on during the positive half cycle of the AC power source B1, and the other switching element M2 is turned on during the negative half cycle of the AC power source B1. That is, the load control device 1 controls the phase of the AC voltage supplied from the AC power source B1 to the lighting fixture serving as the load Q1 by turning the switching elements M1 and M2 on and off, thereby lighting the lighting fixture. and dimming. For example, each of the switching elements M1 and M2 is turned on (conducted) at the beginning of each half cycle of the AC power source B1 according to the control of the switch control unit 4, and during the half cycle period according to the desired luminance of the load Q1 disconnected (cut off) at some point. In addition, each of the switching elements M1 and M2 may be turned on (conducted) at a desired phase within a half cycle of the AC power supply B1 under the control of the switch control unit 4 and turned off at the end of the half cycle. (cut off).

The drive circuit 3 drives the switch unit 2 according to the control of the switch control unit 4 . More specifically, the drive circuit 3 applies a drive voltage between the gates and sources of the two switching elements M1 and M2 of the switch unit 2 to turn the two switching elements M1 and M2 on (on state) and off. switch between on (off state).

The wireless unit 5 performs communication (wireless communication) based on a wireless signal with the remote control device 20 (external communication device). The wireless unit 5 receives a control signal based on a wireless signal from the remote control device 20 . The wireless unit 5 outputs the received control signal to the switch control unit 4 . The wireless unit 5 controls the switch control unit 4 based on the output thereof. In addition, the signal medium of the wireless signal is infrared rays or radio waves. The wireless unit 5 is controlled by a control unit 17 to be described later. The wireless unit 5 may be any of Bluetooth (registered trademark), Zigbee (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and specific low-power wireless, for example.

The switch control unit 4 performs on-off control of the switch unit 2 via the drive circuit 3 in accordance with the control of the wireless unit 5 . Thereby, the lighting, extinguishing and dimming of the load Q1 are controlled.

More specifically, the switch control unit 4 controls the length of the ON period in each half cycle of the AC power from the AC power supply B1. The ON period refers to the period from when the switch unit 2 is turned on to when it is turned off. For example, the switch control unit 4 controls the switch unit 2 to be turned on at the start of each half cycle of the AC power from the AC power source B1 (the zero-cross point of the AC power), and turns on the switch unit 2 at a desired time point within the half cycle. The switch unit 2 is turned off. That is, the switch control unit 4 controls the length of the on time of the switch unit 2 by controlling the timing of turning off the switch unit 2 . The load Q1 is switched off or on by controlling the on-time to zero or a desired length other than zero. In addition, the load Q1 is dimmed by controlling the length of the on-time.

In addition, the switch control unit 4 may control the switch unit 2 to be on at a desired time point of a half cycle of the AC power from the AC power source B1, and may turn off the switch unit 2 at the end of the half cycle. , thereby controlling the length of the on-time.

The power supply unit 6 converts the AC power supplied from the AC power source B1 into DC power, and supplies the converted DC power to the drive circuit 3 , the switch control unit 4 , and the wireless unit 5 . That is, the drive circuit 3, the switch control unit 4, and the wireless unit 5 operate using the AC power from the AC power supply B1.

The power supply unit 6 includes a rectifier circuit 10 (conversion unit), a constant voltage circuit 11 , a constant current circuit 12 , a DC-DC converter 16 (step-down circuit), smoothing capacitors C1 and C3 , a buffer unit 14 , and a control unit 17 .

The rectifier circuit 10 converts the AC power supplied from the AC power source B1 into DC power. That is, the rectifier circuit 10 generates DC power to be supplied to the drive circuit 3 , the switch control unit 4 , and the wireless unit 5 from the AC power. The rectifier circuit 10 has two rectifier elements D1 and D2. The anodes of the rectifier elements D1 and D2 are connected to the circuit H1 at branch points NP1 and NP2 on both sides of the switch unit 2 . The cathodes of the rectifier elements D1 and D2 are connected to each other and then connected to the input end of the constant voltage circuit 11 .

The rectifier circuit 10 receives AC power from the AC power source B1 at the branch points NP1 and NP2, and converts the input AC power into DC power. More specifically, when the cycle of the AC power from the AC power source B1 is a positive half cycle, the rectifier circuit 10 inputs the AC power from the branch point NP1, and passes the input AC power to the rectifier element D1 for rectification. Converted to DC power. In addition, when the cycle of the AC power from the AC power source B1 is a negative half cycle, the rectifier circuit 10 inputs the AC power from the branch point NP2, passes the input AC power to the rectifier element D2 for rectification, and converts it into DC power . The rectifier circuit 10 outputs, to the constant voltage circuit 11 , a ripple voltage (DC voltage) obtained by full-wave rectification of the AC voltage supplied from the AC power source B1 .

The constant voltage circuit 11 converts the pulsating voltage supplied from the rectifier circuit 10 into a stable DC voltage (for example, a DC voltage of 80V), and performs constant voltage. Thereby, the constant voltage circuit 11 stabilizes the DC voltage supplied to the drive circuit 3 , the switch control unit 4 , and the wireless unit 5 . More specifically, the constant voltage circuit 11 converts the voltage value of the voltage V1 of the DC power from the rectifier circuit 10 to a predetermined voltage value and outputs it, thereby maintaining the voltage value of the output voltage V2 at the predetermined voltage value. The constant voltage circuit 11 is constituted by, for example, a Zener diode, a resistor, a semiconductor switch, and the like.

A smoothing capacitor C1 is provided at a subsequent stage of the constant voltage circuit 11 . More specifically, the smoothing capacitor C1 is connected between a branch point, which is a point on the circuit between the output terminal of the constant voltage circuit 11 and the input terminal of the constant current circuit 12 , and a ground point.

The constant current circuit 12 controls the current I2 of the DC power from the constant voltage circuit 11 (ie, the DC power obtained by the control of the constant voltage circuit 11 ) to a predetermined current value. That is, the constant current circuit 12 makes constant current the DC current supplied to the drive circuit 3 , the switch control unit 4 , and the wireless unit 5 . More specifically, the constant current circuit 12 converts the current value of the current I2 of the DC power from the constant voltage circuit 11 into a predetermined current value and outputs it, thereby maintaining the current value of the output current I3 at the above-mentioned predetermined current. value.

The constant current circuit 12 sets the current value of the output current I2 of the constant voltage circuit 11 to the first current value (for example, 0.5 mA) according to the operating state and the stopped state of the switching unit 2 (that is, when the load Q1 is turned on and off). It switches between the second current value (for example, 3.0 mA) as a predetermined current value. The operating state of the switching unit 2 refers to a state in which the switching elements M1 and M2 are controlled on and off to control the phase of the AC voltage supplied from the AC power source B1 to the load Q1, and the load Q1 is operated (lighted). state. The stopped state of the switching unit 2 refers to a state in which the switching elements M1 and M2 are turned off to stop power supply from the AC power source B1 to the load Q1, and is a state in which the load Q1 is stopped (turned off). The second current value is a larger current value than the first current value. In more detail, in the stopped state of the switch unit 2 (that is, when the load Q1 is turned off), the constant current circuit 12 converts the current value of the output current I2 of the constant voltage circuit 11 into a first current value, and outputs the first current value. The current value of the output current I3 is maintained at the first current value. In addition, in the operating state of the switch unit (that is, when the load Q1 is turned on), the constant current circuit 12 converts the current value of the output current I2 of the constant voltage circuit 11 into a second current value and outputs it, and outputs the output current I3 The current value of is maintained as the second current value. The constant current circuit 12 is constituted by, for example, a semiconductor switch, a bias resistor, a shunt resistor, a shunt stabilizer, and the like.

The buffer unit 14 is provided at a subsequent stage of the constant current circuit 12 . More specifically, the buffer unit 14 is connected between a branch point NP4 which is a point on the circuit between the output end of the constant current circuit 12 and the input end of the DC-DC converter 16 and a ground point. The buffer portion 14 is composed of a buffer capacitor C2. The buffer unit 14 is charged by the output voltage V3 of the constant current circuit 12 . That is, the buffer unit 14 stores the output power (the output current I3 ) of the constant current circuit 12 as chargeable and dischargeable energy. In addition, since the output power of the constant current circuit 12 is based on the DC power converted by the rectifier circuit 10 , the buffer unit 14 can be said to be dischargeably charged using the DC power converted by the rectifier circuit 10 . When the output current I3 of the constant current circuit 12 is insufficient, the buffer unit 14 can discharge the charged electric charge (charging power) as the output current I3 of the constant current circuit 12 . Thereby, the shortage of the output current I3 of the constant current circuit 12 is compensated. In addition, the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is supplied to the drive circuit 3 , the switch control unit 4 , and the wireless unit 5 via the DC-DC converter 16 as a power supply voltage. The output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is proportional to the stored electric charge (storage power) of the buffer unit 14 .

The DC-DC converter 16 steps down the voltage value of the voltage V3 of the DC power output from the constant current circuit 12 to a predetermined voltage value (for example, 3.3 V), and supplies the step-down DC power to the switch control unit 4, wireless part 5 and the drive circuit 3 . That is, the switch control unit 4 , the wireless unit 5 , and the drive circuit 3 operate using the output power of the DC-DC converter 16 . Since the output power of the DC-DC converter 16 is based on the DC power converted by the rectifier circuit 10 , it can be said that the switch control unit 4 , the wireless unit 5 and the drive circuit 3 operate using the DC power converted by the rectifier circuit 10 . . The above-mentioned predetermined voltage value (for example, 3.3 V) is an example of the required voltage required by the switch control unit 4 , the wireless unit 5 , and the drive circuit 3 .

A smoothing capacitor C3 is provided at the subsequent stage of the DC-DC converter 16 . In more detail, the smoothing capacitor C3 is connected between the output terminal of the DC-DC converter 16 and the ground.

The control unit 17 controls the wireless unit 5 based on the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 . That is, the control unit 17 determines the operation content of the wireless unit 5 based on the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 . In addition, the output voltage V4 of the buffer part 14 is a voltage between two electrodes of the buffer part 14 .

More specifically, the control unit 17 controls the wireless unit 5 so that the power consumption of the wireless unit 5 decreases as the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 decreases. More specifically, the control unit 17 detects (that is, monitors) whether or not the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or higher than the threshold voltage. Further, the output voltage V4 of the buffer portion 14 is proportional to the charge of the buffer portion 14 . Therefore, the output voltage V4 of the detection buffer portion 14 is equivalent to the stored electric charge of the detection buffer portion 14 .

Then, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 exceeds the threshold voltage, the control unit 17 causes the wireless unit 5 to operate in the normal operation. The normal operation means that the operation of the wireless unit 5 is not restricted, and the wireless unit 5 operates so as to enable both transmission and reception. In addition, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage, the control unit 17 restricts the operation of the wireless unit 5 . As an example of the restriction on the operation of the wireless unit 5 , the control unit 17 stops the wireless unit 5 .

The above-mentioned threshold voltage is, for example, a voltage higher than the reset voltage of each of the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 . The reset voltage of the switch control unit 4 refers to a voltage at which the microcomputer (microcomputer) in the switch control unit 4 is reset and restarted. That is, the microcomputer in the switch control unit 4 is restarted when the supplied voltage becomes equal to or lower than the reset voltage. Similarly, the reset voltage of the wireless unit 5 refers to a voltage at which the microcomputer in the wireless unit 5 is reset and restarted. That is, the microcomputer in the wireless unit 5 is restarted when the supplied voltage becomes equal to or lower than the reset voltage.

In addition, in this embodiment, the switch control part 4 and the radio|wireless part 5 are respectively comprised by the microcomputer, for example. When the output voltage of the constant current circuit 12 (ie, the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 ) drops, and the voltage of the power supplied to the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 is lower than the reset voltage, the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 5 Reset and restart automatically.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control part 17 is comprised as a comparison circuit, for example. The comparison circuit has two input parts 17a and 17b and one output part 17c. One input unit 17 a is electrically connected to the electrode on the high potential side of the two electrodes of the buffer unit 14 . Thereby, the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is input to the one input unit 17a. The threshold voltage Vref is input to the other input unit 17b as a reference voltage. The output unit 17c is electrically connected to the wireless unit 5 . That is, the comparison circuit compares the two voltages (the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 and the threshold voltage Vref) input to the two input units 17a and 17b. Then, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is larger than the threshold voltage Vref as a result of the comparison, the control unit 17 outputs an H-level signal from the output unit 17c. In addition, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vref as a result of the above comparison, the control unit 17 outputs the L-level signal from the output unit 17c. On the other hand, the wireless unit 5 operates in the normal operation when receiving the H-level signal from the control unit 17 , and restricts (for example, stops) the operation when receiving the L-level signal. In addition, the H level signal is an example of a control signal for causing the wireless unit 5 to operate in a normal operation, and the L level signal is an example of a control signal for stopping the wireless unit 5 . In the present embodiment, the control unit 17 functions as a voltage detection circuit that detects the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 by being configured as a comparison circuit.

Next, the operation of the load control device 1 will be described. In this load control device 1 , the AC power from the AC power source B1 is input to the power supply unit 6 . Then, the AC power input to the power supply unit 6 is rectified by the rectifier circuit 10 and converted into DC power. Then, the converted DC power is maintained at a predetermined voltage value (eg, 80 V) in the constant voltage circuit 11 , and is maintained at a predetermined current value (the first current value or the second current value) in the constant current circuit 12 . , is stepped down to a predetermined voltage value (eg, 3.3V) in the DC-DC converter 16 . Then, the DC power reduced by the DC-DC converter 16 is supplied to the drive circuit 3 , the switch control unit 4 , and the wireless unit 5 . With this power supply, the drive circuit 3 , the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 operate. In addition, the buffer unit 14 is charged by the output voltage V3 of the constant current circuit 12 . Then, when the current consumption of the drive circuit 3 , the switch control unit 4 , and the wireless unit 5 increases and the output current I3 of the constant current circuit 12 is insufficient, the charging electric charge (charging power) of the buffer unit 14 is discharged as the output current of the constant current circuit 12 . Output current I3 to compensate for the insufficient part of output current I3. Then, the discharge current is supplied to the drive circuit 3 , the switch control unit 4 , and the wireless unit 5 as the output current I3 . Thereby, insufficiency of electric power supplied to the drive circuit 3 , the switch control unit 4 , and the wireless unit 5 can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, as an example, the first current value (the current value of the output current I3 of the constant current circuit 12 when the load Q1 is turned off) is set to 0.5 mA. The premise of this setting is that when the load Q1 is turned off, when the current consumption of the circuits for controlling the power supply to the load Q1 (for example, the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 ) is 0.7 mA or less, the load Q1 does not mistakenly lit. In this case, the first current value is set to 0.5 mA with a slight margin.

When the first current value is 0.5 mA, when the output voltage of the constant current circuit 12 is set to 50 V, the output power of the constant current circuit 12 is 25 mW (=0.5 mA×50 V). Furthermore, when the efficiency of the DC-DC converter 16 is 80%, the output power of the DC-DC converter 16 is 20 mW (=25 mW×80%). In this case, the current consumption that can be consumed by the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 is about 6 mA. In this case, when the current consumption of the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 momentarily exceeds 6 mA, the charged charge of the buffer unit 14 is discharged, and the output current I3 of the constant current circuit 12 is maintained at the first current value (0.5 mA).

In the present embodiment, as an example, the second current value (the current value of the output current I3 of the constant current circuit 12 when the load Q1 is turned on) is set to a relatively low current value of 5.0 mA. Accordingly, when the load Q1 is turned on, the impedance seen from the load Q1 becomes small. As a result, when the current consumption of the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 is large, even if the current consumption of the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 fluctuates, the load Q1 can be maintained in a stable lighting state without flickering.

In addition, in the load control device 1 , when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 exceeds the threshold voltage Vref, the control unit 17 operates the wireless unit 5 without restricting the operation of the wireless unit 5 (ie, operates normally). . On the other hand, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vref, the control unit 17 restricts (for example, stops) the operation of the wireless unit 5 . Thereby, the power consumption of the wireless unit 5 is suppressed. As a result, the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 can be suppressed from becoming equal to or lower than a predetermined voltage (eg, a reset voltage). Then, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 exceeds the threshold voltage Vref, the control unit 17 causes the wireless unit 5 to operate in the normal operation.

As described above, according to the load control device 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to absorb fluctuations in the power consumption of the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 by using the discharged charges of the buffer unit 14 . Accordingly, malfunction of the load Q1 caused by fluctuations in the power consumption of the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 can be suppressed. Then, the wireless unit 5 is controlled based on the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 . Therefore, the power supply voltage supplied by the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 can be suppressed from falling to be equal to or lower than a predetermined voltage (eg, a reset voltage). That is, when the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 are reset and restarted, the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 cannot be used for a fixed time until the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 are reset and restarted. As described above, by suppressing that the power supply voltage supplied by the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined voltage, the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 can be suppressed from being unavailable for a fixed period of time.

(Variation of Embodiment 1 and Other Embodiments)

Embodiment 1 is only one of various embodiments of the present invention. As long as the object of the present invention can be achieved, various changes can be made to Embodiment 1 in accordance with design and the like. In addition, the aspect according to Embodiment 1 is not limited to being specifically realized by the load control device 1 . For example, the system according to Embodiment 1 may be embodied by a load control method, a computer program, a storage medium in which the program is stored, or the like. Modifications of Embodiment 1 and other embodiments (including modifications) described below can be applied in combination as appropriate.

The above-described load control method is a load control method for controlling a load control device 1 including a switch unit 2, a switch control unit 4, a rectifier circuit 10 (conversion unit), additional function units 5, 5A, 5B, 7. The buffer unit 14 and the control unit 17 . The switch unit 2 controls the power supply from the AC power source B1 to the load Q1 by turning on and off the AC power source B1 and the load Q1, thereby operating and stopping the load Q1. The switch control unit 4 controls the switch unit 2 . The rectifier circuit 10 converts the AC power supplied from the AC power source B1 into DC power. The additional function units 5 , 5A, 5B, and 7 operate using the DC power converted by the rectifier circuit 10 . The buffer unit 14 stores electricity in a dischargeable manner using the DC power converted by the rectifier circuit 10 , and discharges the stored power to the additional function units 5 , 5A, 5B, and 7 as DC power. The load control method includes control processing for controlling the additional function units 5 , 5A, 5B, and 7 based on the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 .

(Variation 1)

In Embodiment 1, the case where the additional function unit is the wireless unit 5 is exemplified. However, the additional function unit is not limited to the wireless unit 5 , and may be any processing unit as long as it is a processing unit that operates using the DC power obtained by the power conversion by the rectifier circuit 10 . For example, the additional function unit may be a display unit or a voice recognition unit, or may be a processing unit that performs an operation different from that of the switch control unit. In addition, the display unit is, for example, a device capable of displaying information related to the load Q1. The voice recognition unit is a device for the user to input an operation on the load Q1 in the form of voice.

(Variation 2)

In Embodiment 1, the constant voltage circuit 11 , the constant current circuit 12 , and the DC-DC converter 16 are provided, but as shown in FIG. 3A , all of the circuits 12 , 13 , and 16 may not be provided. In the case of the example of FIG. 3A , the buffer unit 14 is directly charged in a chargeable and dischargeable manner by the output current of the rectifier circuit 10 . Then, the discharge power of the buffer unit 14 is directly supplied to the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 . In addition, only any one of the circuits 12 , 13 , and 16 or any two circuits may be provided. For example, when only the constant current circuit 12 in each of the circuits 12, 13, and 16 is provided, the configuration is as shown in FIG. 3B. In the case of the example of FIG. 3B , the output current of the rectifier circuit is directly input to the constant current circuit. Then, as in the case of FIG. 3A , the discharge power of the buffer unit 14 is directly supplied to the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 .

(Variation 3)

In Embodiment 1, the control unit 17 may be constituted by, for example, a microcomputer having a processor and a memory as its main components. That is, the control unit 17 may be realized by a computer system including a processor and a memory. In this case, the computer system is made to function as the control unit 17 by executing an appropriate program by the processor. The program may be pre-recorded in a memory, or may be provided through an electric communication line such as the Internet, or may be provided by being recorded in a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card. Similarly, the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 (additional function unit) may be constituted by, for example, a microcomputer mainly composed of a processor and a memory.

(Embodiment 2)

The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the operation of the wireless unit 5 is restricted in stages according to the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 . The load control device 1 according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 .

In Embodiment 2, the control unit 17 has a plurality of (for example, two) threshold voltages Vref1 and Vref2 (Vref1>Vref2) whose voltages are different from each other. The control unit 17 compares the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 with the respective threshold voltages of the two threshold voltages Vref1 and Vref2 , and outputs the comparison result to the wireless unit 5 . The wireless unit 5 restricts the operation in stages based on the comparison result from the control unit 17 .

The wireless unit 5 has a plurality of (for example, three) operation modes. The plurality of operation modes include a normal mode, a transmission prohibition mode, and a reception prohibition mode. The normal mode is a mode in which the wireless unit 5 can perform both transmission and reception (ie, a mode in which the operation of the wireless unit 5 is not restricted). The transmission prohibition mode is a mode in which transmission and reception by the wireless unit 5 are prohibited and only reception is possible. The reception prohibition mode is a mode in which transmission and reception in the wireless unit 5 are prohibited and only transmission is possible.

In the present embodiment, the power consumption consumed by the reception by the wireless unit 5 is smaller than the power consumption consumed by the transmission by the wireless unit 5 . Therefore, the power consumption decreases in the order of the normal mode, the reception prohibition mode, and the transmission prohibition mode.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the wireless unit 5 restricts the operation in stages from the three operation modes based on the comparison result from the control unit 17 . In the example of FIG. 4 , the operation mode of the wireless unit 5 is restricted so that the power consumption of the wireless unit 5 decreases in stages according to the drop in the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 . That is, when the comparison result of the control unit 17 is that the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is larger than the threshold voltage Vref1 ( S1 : YES), the wireless unit 5 operates in the normal mode ( S2 ). That is, since the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is sufficiently high, the wireless unit 5 operates without restriction. Then, the process returns to step S1. In addition, when the result of the comparison by the control unit 17 is that the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vref1 (S1: “No”) and greater than the threshold voltage Vref2 (S3: “Yes”), the buffer unit 14 Since the output voltage V4 of 14 drops slightly, the wireless unit 5 operates in the reception prohibition mode (S4). Then, the process returns to step S1. In addition, when the result of the comparison by the control unit 17 is that the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vref2 ( S3 : NO), since the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 drops a lot, the wireless unit 5 The operation is performed in the transmission prohibition mode in which the power consumption is the smallest ( S5 ). Then, the process returns to step S1.

In this way, by restricting the operation of the wireless unit 5 in stages according to the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 , the wireless unit 5 can be prevented from being completely stopped.

In addition, in Embodiment 2, the case where there are three operation modes is exemplified, but the number of operation modes is not limited to three. For example, when there are two operation modes (for example, a normal mode and a transmission prohibition mode), the threshold voltage is one. In this case, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 exceeds the threshold voltage, the wireless unit 5 operates in the normal mode, and when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or less than the threshold voltage, the wireless unit 5 transmits Prohibit mode to operate. That is, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 drops, the transmission is prohibited and the reception is activated. As a result, it is possible to operate the reception function for a longer period of time than the reception function which consumes less power than the transmission function.

(Embodiment 3)

As shown in FIG. 5 , the load control device 1 according to the third embodiment includes a plurality of additional function units (for example, two wireless units 5A and 5B) in the first embodiment. For example, at least one of the frequency and the communication method of the two wireless units 5A and 5B is different from each other. The two wireless units 5A and 5B may be, for example, two different communication methods among Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, and specific low-power wireless. In the present embodiment, the wireless unit 5A is, for example, Bluetooth, and the wireless unit 5B is, for example, a specific low-power wireless.

When the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 exceeds the threshold voltage, the control unit 17 of the present embodiment causes the two wireless units 5A and 5B to operate in the normal mode. In addition, the normal mode refers to a mode in which both transmission and reception are possible without restricting the operation. On the other hand, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage, the control unit 17 causes one of the two wireless units 5A and 5B (the wireless unit that has recently communicated) to operate in the normal mode (that is, the operation is not restricted), and operations of other wireless units are restricted (eg, stopped). As a result, the wireless unit that has recently communicated can be used in the normal mode for a longer period of time. Further, "communication was performed recently" means that communication was performed last in the time series. In addition, the control unit 17 stores the communication history of each of the two wireless units 5A and 5B, and identifies the wireless unit that communicated most recently among the two wireless units 5A and 5B based on the communication history.

(Embodiment 4)

In the third embodiment, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage, the wireless unit that has communicated most recently among the plurality of wireless units 5A and 5B operates in the normal mode, and restricts (for example, stops) ) actions of other wireless units. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage, the operation of the wireless unit 5A with the largest power consumption among the plurality of wireless units 5A and 5B is restricted (for example, stopped), The other wireless unit 5B is caused to operate in the normal mode. Thereby, the other wireless unit 5B among the plurality of wireless units 5A and 5B can be operated for a longer period of time. Also, in this embodiment, as in Embodiment 3, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 exceeds the threshold voltage, the control unit 17 also causes the plurality of wireless units 5A and 5B to operate in the normal mode. In addition, the load control apparatus 1 of this Embodiment is also comprised like Embodiment 3 as shown in FIG. 5. FIG.

(Embodiment 5)

As shown in FIG. 6 , the load control device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of (for example, two) additional function units 5 and 7 in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the additional function unit 5 is, for example, a wireless unit as in the first embodiment, and the additional function unit 7 is, for example, a display unit that displays various information related to the load Q1. Hereinafter, the additional function units 5 and 7 are also described as the wireless unit 5 and the display unit 7, respectively. The display unit 7 can switch the brightness of the display screen between two levels (high brightness and low brightness) under the control of the control unit 17 .

In addition, the control unit 17 of the present embodiment has a plurality of (for example, two) threshold voltages Vref3 and Vref4. The plurality of threshold voltages Vref3 and Vref4 correspond to the plurality of additional function units 5 and 7, respectively. That is, the threshold voltages Vref3 and Vref4 are set for each of the plurality of additional function units 5 and 7 . In the present embodiment, the two threshold voltages Vref3 and Vref4 are, for example, different voltages from each other.

The control unit 17 controls the plurality of additional function units 5 and 7 with different control contents based on the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 . More specifically, as in the first embodiment, for example, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 exceeds the threshold voltage Vref3, the control unit 17 causes the wireless unit 5 to operate in the normal mode. In addition, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vref3, the control unit 17 restricts (for example, stops) the operation of the wireless unit 5 . In addition, with respect to the display unit 7, for example, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 exceeds the threshold voltage Vref4, the control unit 17 causes the display screen of the display unit 7 to emit light with high luminance. In addition, with respect to the display unit 7 , when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vref4 , the control unit 17 causes the brightness of the display screen of the display unit 7 to emit light at low luminance.

In the present embodiment, the control unit 17 includes a plurality of (for example, two) comparison circuits 17A and 17B. The plurality of comparison circuits 17A and 17B respectively correspond to the plurality of additional function units 5 and 7 . Each of the comparison circuits 17A and 17B includes two input units and one output unit, respectively. In each of the comparison circuits 17A and 17B, one input portion is connected to the electrode on the high potential side of the two electrodes of the buffer portion 14 , the other input portion is input with corresponding threshold voltages Vref3 and Vref4 , and the output portion corresponds to the corresponding additional function Parts 5 and 7 are electrically connected.

In the present embodiment, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 exceeds the threshold voltage Vref3, the comparison circuit 17A outputs an H-level signal to the wireless unit 5, and the wireless unit 5 operates in the normal mode based on the signal. When the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vref3, the comparison circuit 17A outputs an L-level signal to the wireless unit 5, and stops the wireless unit 5 based on the signal.

When the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 exceeds the threshold voltage Vref4, the comparison circuit 17B outputs an H-level signal to the display unit 7, and the display screen of the display unit 7 emits light with high brightness according to the signal. When the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vref4, the comparison circuit 17B outputs an L-level signal to the display unit 7 and causes the display screen of the display unit 7 to emit light with low luminance in accordance with the signal. The power consumption of the display unit 7 is reduced by making the display screen emit light at low luminance.

According to the present embodiment, a plurality of additional function units 5 and 7 are provided, and threshold voltages Vref1 and Vref2 are set for each additional function unit 5 of the plurality of additional function units 5 and 7 . Therefore, when a plurality of additional function units 5 and 7 are provided, the threshold voltages Vref1 and Vref2 for restricting the operation of each additional function unit 5 and 7 can be made different for each additional function unit 5 and 7 . Thereby, the operation of the additional function units 5 and 7 can be restricted in consideration of the voltage required for the operation of the additional function units 5 and 7 individually.

In addition, based on the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14, the plurality of additional function units 5 and 7 are controlled with mutually different control contents. Therefore, each of the plurality of additional function units 5 and 7 can be controlled with the most suitable control content.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the wireless unit and the display unit are exemplified as the plurality of additional function units 5 and 7 , but the plurality of additional function units 5 and 7 are not limited to the wireless unit and the display unit.

(Summarize)

The load control device (1) of the first aspect includes a switch unit (2), a switch control unit (4), a conversion unit (10), additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7), a buffer unit (14), and a control unit Section (17). The switch section (2) controls the power supply from the AC power source (B1) to the load (Q1) by turning on and off the AC power source (B1) and the load (Q1), thereby operating and stopping the load (Q1). . The switch control unit (4) controls the switch unit (2). A conversion unit (10) converts AC power supplied from an AC power source (B1) into DC power. The additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) operate using the DC power converted by the conversion unit (10). The buffer unit (14) uses the DC power converted by the conversion unit (10) to store electricity in a dischargeable manner, and can use the stored power as the DC power to the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7). ) to discharge. The control unit (17) controls the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) based on the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14).

According to this configuration, since the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) are controlled based on the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14), the power supply voltage supplied by the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14) can be suppressed. It drops to be equal to or lower than a predetermined voltage (eg, reset voltage).

In the load control device (1) of the second aspect, in the first aspect, the control unit (17) controls the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) such that the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) The power consumption decreases as the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14) decreases.

According to this configuration, the power supply voltage supplied by the output voltage ( V4 ) of the buffer unit ( 14 ) can be suppressed from dropping to be equal to or lower than a predetermined voltage (for example, a reset voltage).

In the load control device (1) of the third aspect, in the first aspect or the second aspect, a constant current circuit (12) is further provided, and the constant current circuit (12) controls the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B) 7) The current of the supplied DC power is made constant.

According to this configuration, the constant current circuit (12) can suppress the influence of fluctuations in the consumption current of the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) from affecting the operation of the load (Q1). Thereby, malfunction of the load (Q1) due to fluctuations in the current consumption of the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) can be suppressed.

In the load control device (1) of the fourth aspect, in any one of the first aspect to the third aspect, the additional function unit (5, 5A, 5B, 7) communicates with an external communication device (20). Wireless section (5, 5A, 5B) for wireless communication.

According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the influence of fluctuations in the current consumption of the wireless units (5, 5A, 5B) from affecting the operation of the load (Q1).

In the load control device (1) of the fifth aspect, in any one of the first aspect to the fourth aspect, a plurality of additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) are provided. The control unit (17) does not restrict the operation of one additional function unit that has communicated recently among the plurality of additional function units (5A, 5B) according to the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14), but restricts a plurality of additional functions The operation of the other additional function parts in the parts (5A, 5B).

According to this configuration, the wireless unit that has recently communicated can be used for a longer period of time.

In the load control device (1) of the sixth aspect, in any one of the first aspect to the fifth aspect, a constant voltage circuit (11) is further provided, and the constant voltage circuit (11) controls the additional function unit ( 5, 5A, 5B, 7) The voltage of the DC power supplied is made constant.

According to this configuration, the constant voltage circuit (11) can suppress the influence of the voltage fluctuation of the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) from affecting the operation of the load (Q1). Thereby, malfunction of the load (Q1) due to voltage fluctuations of the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) can be suppressed.

In the load control device ( 1 ) of the seventh aspect, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the additional function unit ( 7 ) is a display unit that displays information about the load ( Q1 ).

According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the influence of fluctuations in the power consumption of the display unit (7) from affecting the operation of the load (Q1).

In the load control device (1) of the eighth aspect, in any one of the first aspect to the seventh aspect, the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14) is the threshold voltage (Vref, Vref1 to Vref4) In the following cases, the control unit (17) restricts the operation of the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7).

According to this configuration, when the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14) is equal to or lower than the threshold voltages (Vref, Vref1 to Vref4), the operation of the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) is restricted, so that the use of The power supply voltage supplied by the output voltage ( V4 ) of the buffer unit ( 14 ) drops to be equal to or lower than a predetermined voltage (for example, a reset voltage).

In the load control device (1) of the ninth aspect, in the eighth aspect, the additional function unit (5, 5A, 5B, 7) restarts when the voltage of the supplied DC power becomes equal to or lower than the reset voltage. The threshold voltages (Vref, Vref1 to Vref4) are larger than the reset voltage.

According to this configuration, the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14) can be further suppressed from falling below a predetermined voltage (eg, reset voltage) due to fluctuations in power consumption of the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7).

In the load control device (1) of the tenth aspect, in the eighth aspect or the ninth aspect, a plurality of additional function units (5, 7) are provided. Threshold voltages ( Vref3 , Vref4 ) are set for each of the plurality of additional function units ( 5 , 7 ).

According to this configuration, when a plurality of additional function units (5, 7) are provided, the threshold voltage (Vref3) that limits the operation of each additional function unit (5, 7) can be set for each additional function unit (5, 7). , Vref4) are different. As a result, the operation of the additional function units (5, 7) can be restricted in consideration of the voltage required for the operation of the additional function units (5, 7).

In the load control device (1) of the eleventh aspect, in any one of the first aspect to the tenth aspect, a plurality of additional function units (5A, 5B) are provided. When the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14) is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage, the control unit (17) restricts the additional function unit (5A, 5B) with the largest power consumption among the plurality of additional function units (5A, 5B). Actions.

According to this configuration, it is possible to operate the other additional function units whose power consumption is not the largest among the plurality of additional function units ( 5A, 5B) for a longer period of time.

In the load control device (1) of the twelfth aspect, in any one of the first aspect to the eleventh aspect, a plurality of additional function units (5A, 5B) are provided. The control unit (17) controls the plurality of additional function units (5A, 5B) with mutually different control contents based on the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14).

According to this configuration, each of the plurality of additional function units (5A, 5B) can be controlled with optimum control content based on the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14).

In the load control device ( 1 ) of the thirteenth aspect, in any one of the first to twelfth aspects, the control unit ( 17 ) performs stepwise steps according to the output voltage ( V4 ) of the buffer unit ( 14 ). The action of the additional function unit (5) is restricted.

According to this structure, the operation of the additional function part (5) can be prevented from being stopped suddenly and completely.

A load control method according to a fourteenth aspect is a load control method for controlling a load control device (1) including a switch unit (2), a switch control unit (4), a conversion unit (10), Additional function part (5, 5A, 5B, 7), buffer part (14) and control part (17). The switch section (2) controls the power supply from the AC power source (B1) to the load (Q1) by turning on and off the AC power source (B1) and the load (Q1), thereby operating and stopping the load (Q1). . The control unit (17) controls the switch unit (2). A conversion unit (10) converts AC power supplied from an AC power source (B1) into DC power. The additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) operate using the DC power converted by the conversion unit (10). The buffer unit (14) uses the DC power converted by the conversion unit (10) to store electricity in a dischargeable manner, and can use the stored power as DC power to the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) discharge. The load control method includes control processing for controlling the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) based on the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14).

According to this configuration, since the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) are controlled based on the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14), the power supply voltage supplied by the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14) can be suppressed. It drops to be equal to or lower than a predetermined voltage (eg, reset voltage).

The program of the fifteenth aspect is a program for causing a computer system to execute the load control method according to the fourteenth aspect.

According to this configuration, a program for causing a processor to execute the above-described load control method can be provided.

Claims (15)

1. A load control device comprising: a switch unit that controls power supply from the AC power source to the load by turning on and off the AC power source and the load, thereby operating and stopping the load; a switch control unit that controls the switch unit; a conversion unit that converts AC power supplied from the AC power source into DC power; an additional function unit that operates using the DC power converted by the conversion unit; a buffer unit that stores electricity in a dischargeable manner using the DC power converted by the conversion unit, and can discharge the additional function unit using the stored power as the DC power; and and a control unit that controls the additional function unit based on the output voltage of the buffer unit. 2. The load control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit controls the additional function unit so that the power consumption of the additional function unit decreases as the output voltage of the buffer unit decreases. 3. The load control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Further, a constant current circuit is provided which converts the current of the DC power supplied to the additional function unit into a constant current. 4. The load control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The additional function unit is a wireless unit that performs wireless communication with an external communication device. 5. The load control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: having a plurality of said additional function units, The control unit does not restrict the operation of one additional function unit that has recently communicated among the plurality of additional function units based on the output voltage of the buffer unit, but restricts other additional functions among the plurality of additional function units actions of the department. 6. The load control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Further, a constant voltage circuit is provided which converts the voltage of the DC power supplied to the additional function unit to a constant voltage. 7. The load control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The additional function section includes a display section for displaying information related to the load. 8. The load control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The control unit restricts the operation of the additional function unit when the output voltage of the buffer unit is equal to or lower than a threshold voltage. 9. The load control device according to claim 8, wherein: The additional function unit restarts when the voltage of the supplied DC power becomes equal to or lower than the reset voltage, The threshold voltage is greater than the reset voltage. 10. The load control device according to claim 8, characterized in that, having a plurality of said additional function units, The threshold voltage is set for each additional function unit of the plurality of additional function units. 11. The load control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: having a plurality of said additional function units, When the output voltage of the buffer unit is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage, the control unit restricts the operation of the additional function unit having the largest power consumption among the plurality of additional function units. 12. The load control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, having a plurality of said additional function units, The control unit controls the plurality of additional function units with mutually different control contents based on the output voltage of the buffer unit. 13. The load control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The control unit restricts the operation of the additional function unit in stages according to the output voltage of the buffer unit. 14. A load control method for controlling a load control device, the load control device comprising: a switch unit that controls power supply from the AC power source to the load by turning on and off the AC power source and the load, thereby operating and stopping the load; a switch control unit that controls the switch unit; a conversion unit that converts AC power supplied from the AC power source into DC power; an additional function unit that operates using the DC power converted by the conversion unit; and a buffer unit capable of storing electricity in a dischargeable manner using the DC power converted by the conversion unit, and capable of discharging the stored power as the DC power to the additional function unit, The load control method includes control processing of controlling the additional function unit based on the output voltage of the buffer unit. 15. A non-transitory recording medium, A program for causing the computer system to execute the load control method according to claim 14 is recorded.

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