JP2010520736A - Apparatus and method for controlling power usage - Google Patents

Abstract

A solution for controlling and managing household power usage to avoid undesired service interruptions.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a removable device is proposed that can be inserted between any appliance and meter to prevent and manage power breakdown in a domestic electrical system. This device interacts with a server that monitors and controls the total power usage of the system, and the server can meet a new power consumption requirement by any appliance without the requirement exceeding the system's predetermined maximum allowable load. Allow only if you get.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to the field of information technology. In particular, the present invention relates to a power measurement system.

  The problem of controlling and managing the use of household power to avoid undesired service interruptions is a well-known and long felt problem. Modern integrated electrical systems provide some preventive measures and some mechanism to try to prevent and manage these accidents.

  For example, co-pending application EP 06127206.8 filed on December 27, 2006 prevents excessive power loads with interaction between appliances or points in the house and electricity meters, and Alternatively, a method and system for an integrated system to manage is disclosed.

  However, the methods and systems described above require some form of “intelligence” in the wiring system and are constrained by the level of such “intelligence”. This is not a major problem when a power system is designed with this objective in mind and all components are integrated and properly communicating with each other. However, when similar protection and control systems are to be applied to existing systems, things will be a bit more difficult.

  For this reason, a more flexible system that allows existing power usage measurement systems to be adapted is highly desirable.

  The object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art.

  In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus is provided for controlling power usage adapted to be connected to a power network system that includes a server element that monitors the power usage of the system. The apparatus includes first electrical connection means for connecting at least one power consuming element to the apparatus, second electrical connection means for connecting the apparatus to the power network system, and the at least one power. Means for detecting a start command for the at least one power consuming element when the consuming element is connected to the device, and determining the amount of power required for the at least one power consuming element Means for sending to the server a request for the amount of power required, means for receiving a response from the server, and the at least one power consumption in response to a permission received by the server Switching means for connecting elements to the power network system.

  The invention itself and its further features and advantages will best be understood in connection with the following detailed description, given as a purely non-limiting indication, to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. .

1 is a schematic block diagram of a data processing system to which a solution according to an embodiment of the present invention is applicable. FIG. 2a shows an exemplary application of a solution according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2b shows an exemplary application of the solution according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 illustrates possible interactions between a server and a client according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 describes an operational flow associated with executing a solution according to an embodiment of the invention.

  With particular reference to FIG. 1, a distributed data processing system 100 is shown. The system 100 has a client / server architecture, and the server 105 manages a plurality of clients 110. A plurality of clients 110 are connected to the server 105 (eg, the clients 110 can be coupled to household appliances or electronic appliances such as washing machines, DVD recorders, computers, etc.). For this purpose, the server 105 and the client 110 communicate through a network that allows them to communicate their intention to turn on the appliance / switch associated with a given client. Typically, the network 115 is implemented by a medium capable of carrying electronic control signals, for example by carrier waves, which is a common way of propagating low voltage control signals over normal wires (eg, 220). / 110 volts and 50/60 hertz). This allows each client 110 to access the server 105 even from a distance. In addition to the carrier on the wire, there is an alternative method for exchanging control signals between the server and the client, such as any radio frequency signal suitable for home range (ie WiFi) or Bluetooth signal. Can be used.

  In particular, server 105 consists of a computer formed by several units connected in parallel to system bus 120. Specifically, one or more microprocessors (μP) 125 control the operation of server 105, RAM 130 is used directly as working memory by microprocessor 125, and ROM 135 stores basic code for bootstrap of server 105. . Several peripheral units are collected around the local bus 140 (by their respective interfaces). In particular, a mass storage device consists of one or more hard disks 145. Further, the server 105 includes an input unit 160 (eg, a keyboard) and an output unit 165 (eg, a monitor). An adapter 170 is used to connect the server 105 to the network 115. Bridge unit 175 interfaces system bus 120 with local bus 140. Each microprocessor 125 and bridge unit 175 can operate as a master agent that requests access to the system bus 120 to convey information. Arbiter 180 manages the granting of access to the system bus 120 with mutual exclusion.

  In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the client 110 is a removable device that can be inserted between the power network and the corresponding appliance without requiring modification of the wiring system or the appliance itself.

  Referring to FIG. 2a, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. In accordance with this embodiment, the client 110 is removable which can be inserted, for example, as a female / male plug adapter between an electrical device (eg, home appliance) and a server 105 (not shown in this figure) Device. For the remainder of this document we will refer to the server 105 as a “power enabler device” (PED) and we will refer to the client 110 as a “power request broker device”. (POD). An optional controller 201 can be used to set and adjust the expected power load value that will be required by the corresponding device once it is connected. This value is communicated to the PED to obtain consent to the new requested power load. Manual adjustment is the simplest way to set the POD, but instead more advanced methods and systems can be implemented, as will be explained more fully later.

  FIG. 2B shows a schematic diagram of the main components of the POD. Modules 203 and 205 are required to communicate with the server 105 via the network 115. The CW sender 203 sends an <ID> signal and / or a <needed load> CW signal or both to the PED. The CW receiver 205 waits for a response from the PED 105. Conveyed Waves appears to be the best solution for transmitting information between POD and PED and can transmit low voltage control signals over power lines, as discussed Other transmission solutions can also be used. If authorization by PED is obtained, module 207 closes the circuit and provides the requested power to the associated device. Although a relay module is used in this embodiment, those skilled in the art will readily understand that other equivalent solutions can also be used. A sensor 209 is needed to detect that a new power load is required and triggers the transmission of that request to the PED. Sensor 209 may be more sophisticated to handle situations where permanently connected appliances are turned on or appliances with varying power consumption levels are managed, Handshaking renewal can be automated. Such a sensor can detect when the appliance is powered on, i.e. a request from the appliance with significant power fluctuations in addition to the standby current. The measured value can be obtained using, for example, an ammeter capable of reporting dynamic resistance fluctuations. For example, a more complex implementation for POD that can include additional modules such as an internal memory for tracking previous requests or for storing useful information regarding the consumption needs of associated appliances. Is possible. More advanced implementations of POD can perform a self-observation function that allows the associated appliance to be inspected to detect its factory load characteristics. This will avoid manual initial setup.

  Another possible implementation is to embed the POD directly in the appliance. Many state-of-the-art appliances include electronic control logic (dishwashers, washing machines, microwave ovens, full electronics, etc.) and can therefore be easily extended to host such additional POD logic. If the POD is embedded in the appliance, a greater interaction between the POD and the appliance can be realized. For example, not only is it possible to self-observe factory parameters (eg, static information such as peak needs) for standard power needs, but also current appliance settings (eg required heat / cold It is possible to estimate the power needs more accurately according to such current settings. In this way, when the POD sends a power-on request to the PED, it can be much more accurate with respect to actual appliance power needs. Another possible feature is the ability to detect changing power needs for appliances with time-varying load demand. In this case, the POD can generally exchange control signals with the PED, not just for power-on requests, but for all significant status change needs. For example, during a two hour cycle of a typical washing machine, some of the limited time that requires a strong power load (1-1.3 kilowatts for heating water, but only for 5 to 10 minutes) In addition to these operations, there are repetitive operations that require less power load (300-500 watts when washing or squeezing). If the embedded POD can interact with the appliance internal state and also interact with the PED for consent, it acts as a real-time broker to make more frequent, power accurate requests to the PED. And whether the appliance can switch between its consumption statuses or has to wait for consent.

  If the POD can self-observe the appliance status (eg, with a power demand detection sensor), it is possible to automate the interaction with the PED without any special human intervention. Thus, not only can the user interact directly through the appliance interface without having to interact with the switch in the electrical home system, but also “time” or “event” can be used to switch the appliance (timer / It also covers scenarios where it is automatically integrated in harmony (through a scheduler or thermostat). For example, at a given time, in an unattended home, a time / temperature threshold has been reached and the thermostat is attempting to turn on air conditioning and the dishwasher is operating at the same time. Even in this unattended scenario, POD and PED can prevent an overload situation in the unattended state, reject or postpone load activation, and record a message. Also, as long as the POD can observe the appliance load characteristics and its power settings, or interact with the appliance, the POD can interact with the PED and send a more accurate power load demand request. it can. This is beneficial both for maximizing the use of the total available load between home appliances and for the time-orchestration of time-varying loads for dynamic appliances. It can be.

  Referring to FIG. 3, the POD 110 can be connected to one or more appliances 301 on one side and connected to the PED through wires on the other side. The PED 105 is typically connected to a meter / switch 303 and one or more PODs 110. In state-of-the-art home electrical systems, the PED 105 provides functions that can range from simple alarm services to appropriate control and management of electricity consumption in the home. The PED can be placed anywhere between the main meter / switch normally provided by the distribution company and the home appliance, or more generally, the electrical device to be managed. However, its preferred location is in the apartment itself, near the remainder of the main internal switch (usually used to partition the electrical network into 10 and 16 A loads, for example). The meter / switch 303 can be a legacy electromechanical model or electronic.

  In any case, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the role of the PED is to give consent each time a new appliance is turned on.

  Depending on the amount of logic that can be assumed to be in the various PODs of the house, as described in co-pending patent application EP06127206.8 (not all PODs need to have the same level of logic) There are a variety of scenarios with different working styles that PED supports.

  In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each POD can not only send an ID signal over the wire to the PED, but can also receive a consent signal.

  When such a consent signal is received (eg, a CW signal), the POD operates in the “relay” mode described above with respect to FIG. 2B to activate power to the associated appliance. The advantage of this solution is that a consent signal is sent through the junction to the appropriate switch (eg, “<switchID> <ack>” or “<switchID> <noack>”), so no direct wiring from PED to POD is required It is that.

  Also, in this case, all junction wires to the POD are always powered (as in the conventional layout), and when consent is obtained from the PED, it works in relay mode to power the appliance. Is a switch. PODs actually act as true power switches, with the difference that power-on only occurs when they receive consent from PED.

  In a simpler embodiment, the POD can only transmit over the wire each time the corresponding appliance or device is turned on (to turn on the lighting or enable the appliance) Is a unique signal ID (for example, a unique deviation from the base CW frequency or a unique resistance).

  The PED receives a signal ID from the POD and has a static table that describes the associated known load for each ID. Since a PED is usually connected to a power meter, it immediately knows the current total load being used, and if power is applied to the wire to which that particular POD is connected, the total power threshold is violated. Can be predicted, and in this case, the particular wiring that connects the PED to that particular POD is not activated. In this scenario, every POD (which is known to have a perceptible load may be connected) must have a direct wire connecting it to the PED, such a wire is usually Not powered (it only allows ID signal exchange) and is powered at 220/110 voltage only if consent is given by PED.

  In the case of a POD that is powered from an intermediate junction and does not have direct wiring with the master PED, a slave PED can be added to the intermediate junction. In this scenario, the PED must know how much power the POD absorbs, and this information can be statically defined in the PED configuration, but it is an optional time when consent is given. Can optionally be self-updated with a base reset policy (usage statistics).

  The constraints of this scenario are static load pre-configuration and the need to point the PED-POD wire or the need for an intermediate PED. The advantage is the limited logic required for POD.

  In one more sophisticated embodiment, the POD can send its ID (sender) and receive a consent signal from the PED (CW receiver), as well as the last required load from the serviced appliance. Will be able to remember.

  In this case, the amount of power required from each POD may not be known a priori from the PED, but the POD can store the last used load. The PED must only answer that it is available in this case, for the given switch ID that made the request, the requested amount of load will not exceed the total available load. It is.

  That is why, for example, <ID> and <needed power> are communicated from the POD to the PED, and there is no longer a need to look into the static table.

  However, it is not essential that this “load memory” function be available within each POD and can also be placed on the PED itself (with the capability for an optional time-based automatic or manual reset, Track the last power usage associated with each ID). If consent is not given, an alarm (warning sound) can be emitted from the requesting switch.

  Referring to FIG. 4, a representative process logic flow that may be performed in the system to manage power loads (or overloads) within a plurality of household appliances is represented by method 400.

  The method begins at start block 401 and proceeds to block 403 where a new request for a power load is detected by the client (POD) 110. The request is sent to the server (PED) 105 at step 405. The PED processes the request according to a predetermined process and responds to the POD (step 407). As described for example in EP06127206.8, the expected new requested load can be estimated by the system, for example by a lookup table conveyed by the PED or directly by the POD 110. If the addition of the expected new load to the current load does not exceed the predetermined maximum allowable power of meter / switch 303, permission is granted to POD 110 to provide power (step 409) and control passes to step 411. Here, for example, the circuit is closed by a relay. Otherwise, control returns to step 403. In this case, an alternative recovery solution is performed (not shown in the figure) and the request is suspended, but the rest of the system does not suffer breakdown as in the prior art system. The range of possible recovery solutions is very wide and simply tells the client (eventually to the user) that a new request is unacceptable (for example by an alarm) or depends on the logic contained in the POD 110 It can be a more complex management of the power load. The control messages exchanged between the PED and multiple PODs 110 can be of several different types, depending on the level of complexity of each POD. If the POD 110 can only send its unique identity, the client cannot receive the consent signal, so the PED must directly control the power that must be given to the client switch. Has implications for wiring. This is because a star-wiring from PED to POD will be required. On the other hand, if the POD can also receive consent control signals (eg, a CW receiver is implemented), the set of messages exchanged from the PED and POD can be more complex and the PED can supply power to the POD. Can be avoided, so that once the consent signal is issued by the PED, activation of the electrical load can be delegated to the POD. In a further extension, the POD 110 may set additional attributes of the control load so that it can report the expected load demand, for example, according to the current load setting or according to the last / past power demand for the control load. I can also tell you. This information allows the PED to operate more dynamically without requiring manual power usage settings for various control client loads. In addition, more complex recovery operations, for example, one of the currently connected appliances or devices can be disconnected according to a predetermined priority list to allow new requirements to be met Can be executed.

  The great advantage of the proposed solution is the fact that the POD is independent and can be inserted between any appliance and server (PED) without the need to modify the appliance itself and the wiring system It is. In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the POD is a predetermined that is communicated to the server (PED) when the corresponding appliance is turned on (or better, when an attempt / request to turn on is detected). It can be adjusted to the power load. This is not the most flexible solution as it requires user intervention that is also responsible for setting the device to the appropriate threshold. On the other hand, it is easy to use and there is no need to modify existing systems. For legacy systems this is an important advantage. Of course, more “intelligence” can be provided than is required for POD, eg, POD learns the maximum required load of the associated device or maintains memory for previously requested loads. be able to. From a PED perspective, this is not very important. In any case, what is received from the POD is a request for an accurate power load and the response by the PED is matched to this value, and the accuracy of the system is strictly dependent on the accuracy of the POD request. Another variable that must be considered is the information that is made available by the appliance connected to the POD. Modern appliances can provide more extensive information that can broaden the possible operation of the POD.

  Of course, in order to meet local special requirements, those skilled in the art can make many modifications and changes to the above solution. In particular, although the present invention has been described in some detail, particularly with respect to preferred embodiment (s) thereof, various omissions, substitutions and changes in form and detail are possible, as are other embodiments. . Furthermore, it is expressly intended that the specific elements and / or method steps described in connection with the disclosed embodiments of the invention may be incorporated as a general design matter in any other embodiment. Yes. Merely by way of example, the closure of the circuit by the relay module described in connection with step 411 above can be replaced by other means of controlling the supply of power if the PED has given its consent.

  Similar considerations apply, particularly if the system has a different structure or includes equivalent servers and / or clients. In any case, the proposed solution is suitable to be applied to the scenario where the POD 110 can report additional information that can be considered when making decisions to the controlling PED, , Load priorities for possible pre-emption of various active loads, self-observation of load settings, etc.

  Similar considerations apply if the program (which may be used to implement some aspects of the invention) is assembled differently or additional modules or functions are provided. . Similarly, the memory structure may be of other types or replaced by an equivalent entity (not necessarily consisting of a physical storage medium). Furthermore, the proposed solution is suitable to be carried out in an equivalent manner (by using similar steps, removing some non-essential steps, or adding further optional steps-even in different orders ). In any case, the program may be any suitable for use by or in connection with any data processing device, such as external or resident software, firmware, or microcode (in object code or source code). Can take shape. Further, the program can be provided on any computer usable medium, which can be any element suitable for storing, transmitting, propagating, or transferring the program. For example, the media can be of the electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor type, examples of such media being fixed disks (which can be preloaded with programs), removable disks, Tape, card, wire, fiber, wireless connection, network, broadcast wave, etc.

  In any case, the solution according to the invention is suitable to be implemented with a hardware structure (eg integrated into a chip of semiconductor material) or with a combination of software and hardware.

  Alternatively, the proposed method includes different units or equivalent units (such as a cache memory that temporarily stores a program or portion thereof to reduce access to mass storage during execution). Can be executed on a computer. More generally, it is possible to replace the computer with any code execution entity (PDA, mobile phone, etc.).

Claims (9)

An apparatus (110) for controlling power usage adapted to be connected to a power network system comprising a server element (105) for monitoring the power usage of the system,
First electrical connection means for connecting at least one power consuming element to the device;
Second electrical connection means for connecting the device to the power network system;
Means (209) for detecting a start command for the at least one power consuming element when the at least one power consuming element is connected to the device;
Means for determining the amount of power required for the at least one power consuming element;
Means (203) for sending a request for the required power amount to the server;
Means (205) for receiving a response from the server;
Switching means (207) for connecting the at least one power consuming element to the power network system in response to an authorization received by the server;
Including the device.   The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising input means (201) for setting a predetermined required amount of power.   The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for determining includes memory means for storing a look-up table that includes past power usage data of the at least one power consuming element.   The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for determining includes memory means for storing a unique identifier to be communicated to the server when a request for the power requirement is sent to the server.   An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the means for sending comprises means for sending a carrier wave over a power line.   Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the means for receiving comprises a carrier receiver.   An electrical adapter plug comprising a device according to any preceding claim.   An electronic device comprising the device according to any preceding claim.   A domestic appliance comprising a device according to any preceding claim.

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