Energy data processing system

Abstract

We provide an energy data processing system that can reduce the amount of data collected on the remote control side. [Solution] The energy data processing system 100 includes a remote control-side storage unit 11 that stores quantity information indicating the amount of energy for each first period in the residential equipment 30 in association with timing information, a quantity information transmission unit 12 that transmits the quantity information stored in the remote control-side storage unit 11 to the server together with the timing information, a server-side storage unit 21 that stores quantity information from the remote control 10 in association with timing information, a calendar information storage unit 22 that stores calendar information indicating the calendar, a calculation unit 23 that calculates the amount of energy for each second period based on the quantity information and timing information stored in the server-side storage unit 21 and the calendar information, an image data generation unit 24 that generates image data based on the amount of energy for each second period, and an image data transmission unit 25 that transmits the image data to the display unit 13.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to an energy data processing system that processes energy data relating to energy used or generated in a residence where household equipment is installed. BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Conventionally, techniques for clarifying the amount of energy used or generated in a residence equipped with household equipment have been utilized. As such techniques, for example, those described in Patent Documents 1 to 2 whose sources are indicated below are available.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an energy usage display device that displays the usage of energy such as gas and tap water used in a water heater. This energy usage display device is applied to a remote controller of the water heater. The remote controller includes an aggregation processing unit, a display control unit, and a display unit. The aggregation processing unit includes an aggregation unit that aggregates the usage of gas and the like, a storage unit that records the usage data aggregated by the aggregation unit retroactively for a predetermined number of periods in units of predetermined periods, and an aggregation control unit that causes the usage data to be written from the aggregation unit to the storage unit each time a predetermined time is reached. The display control unit reads one or both of the aggregated value of the aggregation unit and the recorded value of the storage unit according to the period unit requested by the user to create display data for usage, and the display unit displays the usage based on the display data created by the display control unit.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes an energy data processing system for processing energy data related to the energy used in a house where residential equipment is installed. This energy data processing system comprises residential equipment, an information processing terminal capable of communicating with the residential equipment, and a server capable of communicating with the information processing terminal. The residential equipment has a device communication unit that transmits source data necessary for calculating energy data, the information processing terminal has a terminal communication unit that transmits the source data transmitted from the device communication unit to the server, and the server comprises a device aggregation unit that aggregates energy data in specified device aggregation period units based on the source data transmitted from the terminal communication unit, and an output unit that outputs the device aggregation data aggregated by the device aggregation unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-157502 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-144730 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] As described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, displaying annual or monthly energy usage data on an energy graph on a remote control requires processing that spans multiple months or years, based on calendar information. However, calendars can have varying numbers of days in each month, and irregular processing such as leap years may be required, making the energy graph display prone to malfunctions due to these cross-month and cross-year processing issues. Furthermore, if the software cannot be updated remotely to correct such malfunctions, on-site intervention becomes necessary, increasing the workload associated with corrections. Moreover, as the evaluation effort related to the energy graph display increases during remote control development, there is a need to reduce malfunctions related to the energy graph display and simplify the difficulty of correcting them.

[0007] Furthermore, currently, when displaying an energy graph in an application, data (hour data, day data, month data) transmitted from the remote control and routed through the server is used. However, the remote control needs to have calendar information such as leap years, and this calendar information must be linked to the data and sent to the server as a set. It is difficult to create a remote control that does not have calendar information. On the other hand, although the remote control has memory space, the amount of memory used by the microcontroller is increasing, so it is desirable to reduce the amount of memory used for displaying the energy graph.

[0008] Therefore, an energy data processing system capable of reducing the amount of data on the remote control side is required. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The characteristic configuration of the energy data processing system according to the present invention is an energy data processing system for processing energy data relating to energy used or generated in a house where residential equipment is installed, comprising: a remote control unit provided on a remote control that can remotely operate the residential equipment, which sequentially stores quantity information indicating the amount of energy for each first period in the residential equipment, associated with timing information indicating the timing at which the energy amount was stored; a quantity information transmission unit provided on the remote control unit, which transmits the quantity information stored in the remote control unit together with the timing information to a server via a network; and a server provided on the server that receives the remote control The system includes: a server-side storage unit that stores the quantity information in association with the timing information; a calendar information storage unit provided on the server that stores calendar information indicating the calendar; a calculation unit provided on the server that calculates the amount of energy for each second period which is longer than the first period, based on the quantity information and timing information stored in the server-side storage unit and the calendar information; an image data generation unit provided on the server that generates image data to be displayed on the display unit based on the calculated amount of energy for each second period; and an image data transmission unit provided on the server that transmits the image data to the display unit via the network.

[0010] With this configuration, even when processing spans across months or years, a high-performance server calculates the energy amount and generates the image data to be displayed on the display unit, making it less likely for problems to occur when displaying the energy graph. Furthermore, even if a problem does occur, it can be easily corrected on the server side. In addition, since calendar information indicating the calendar is stored on the server, there is no need to associate and store calendar information on the remote control side. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of data (data usage) on the remote control side.

[0011] Furthermore, it is preferable that the timing information does not include the calendar.

[0012] With this configuration, the remote control does not manage quantitative information using calendar information that indicates the calendar, thus suppressing an increase in the data capacity of the remote control.

[0013] Furthermore, it is preferable that the timing information indicates timing relative to a predetermined reference point.

[0014] With this configuration, the timing information indicating the timing when the quantity information is stored in the remote control's memory can be simplified. Therefore, even when the quantity information and timing information are associated with each other, an increase in data capacity can be prevented.

[0015] Alternatively, the timing information may be a timestamp on which the energy amount is stored.

[0016] Even with this configuration, and even when quantitative information and timing information are correlated, it is possible to prevent an increase in data volume.

[0017] Furthermore, it is preferable that the quantity information transmission unit transmits the quantity information and timing information for a third period which is longer than the first period and shorter than the second period to the server for each first period, the calculation unit calculates the amount of energy for each fourth period which is longer than the first period and shorter than the third period, along with the amount of energy for each second period, and the image data generation unit further generates the image data based on the amount of energy for each fourth period.

[0018] With this configuration, quantity information indicating the amount of energy for the third period is transmitted from the remote control to the server for each first period. The server can then generate image data related to the amount of energy for each fourth period and image data based on the amount of energy for each second period, based on the amount of energy for the third period. Therefore, the computational load on the remote control can be reduced, and the configuration of the remote control can be simplified.

[0019] Alternatively, the quantity information transmission unit may transmit the most recent quantity information and timing information to the server every first period, and transmit the quantity information and timing information for a third period that is longer than the first period and shorter than the second period to the server every fourth period that is longer than the first period and shorter than the third period, the calculation unit may calculate the energy amount for each fourth period along with the energy amount for each second period, and the image data generation unit may further generate the image data based on the energy amount for each fourth period.

[0020] With this configuration, quantity information indicating the most recent energy amount is sent from the remote control to the server for each first period, and quantity information indicating the energy amount for the third period is sent from the remote control to the server for each fourth period. The server can then generate image data related to the energy amount for each fourth period and image data based on the energy amount for each second period. Therefore, the computational load on the remote control can be reduced, and the configuration of the remote control can be simplified.

[0021] Furthermore, the quantity information transmission unit may be configured to transmit the most recent quantity information and timing information to the server every first period, and to transmit the quantity information and timing information for a third period that is longer than the first period and shorter than the second period to the server every fourth period that is longer than the first period and shorter than the third period, and further transmit the quantity information and timing information for a fifth period that is longer than the third period and shorter than the second period to the server every fourth period, and the calculation unit may be configured to calculate the amount of energy for every second period.

[0022] With this configuration, the quantity information indicating the most recent one energy amount for each first period is transmitted from the remote controller to the server for each first period, and the quantity information indicating the energy amounts for the fifth period is transmitted from the remote controller to the server for each fourth period, so that the server can generate image data based on the energy amount for each second period. Accordingly, the computational load on the remote controller side can be reduced, and the configuration of the remote controller can be simplified. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of an energy data processing system. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing quantity information and timing information. [Figure 3] This is an example of image data displayed on a display unit. [Figure 4] This is an example of image data displayed on a display unit. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of timing information according to another embodiment. [Figure 6] This is an example of image data displayed on a display unit according to another embodiment. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] The energy data processing system according to the present invention processes energy data relating to energy used or generated in a house where residential equipment is installed. Residential equipment refers to equipment installed in a house, specifically including water heaters, stoves, fan heaters, alarms, air conditioners, storage batteries, fuel cells, and other residential equipment. Of course, other residential equipment may also be included. Energy used or generated in a house refers to the amount of energy used from electricity, gas, water, etc. (energy consumption) and the amount of energy generated using these (energy generation). Energy data refers to data such as the amount of these used in the house and the amount of electricity generated using these energies. Furthermore, it also includes charges for these energies and CO2 emissions related to their use or generation, calculated using this data.

[0025] Therefore, the energy data processing system processes data such as the amount of electricity and gas energy used or generated in a house equipped with residential equipment such as water heaters, stoves, fan heaters, alarms, air conditioners, storage batteries, and fuel cells, as well as the costs associated with these uses or generation, and the amount of CO2 emissions related to their use or generation. The energy data processing system 100 of this embodiment will be described below.

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the energy data processing system 100. As shown in Figure 1, the energy data processing system 100 consists of a remote control 10 and a server 20 connected to each other via a network. The remote control 10 includes a remote control-side storage unit 11, a quantity information transmission unit 12, and a display unit 13. The server 20 includes a server-side storage unit 21, a calendar information storage unit 22, a calculation unit 23, an image data generation unit 24, and an image data transmission unit 25. Each functional unit is constructed with a CPU as its core component, using hardware, software, or both, to perform processing related to energy data.

[0027] The remote control 10 is an operating device that allows remote control of the residential equipment 30, and is connected to the residential equipment 30 via a communication cable 31. The transmission of operation commands from the remote control 10 to the residential equipment 30, and the transmission of information indicating the operating status from the residential equipment 30 to the remote control 10, are carried out via this communication cable 31. In the following explanation, for ease of understanding, a water heater 32 will be used as an example of the residential equipment 30.

[0028] The remote control's memory unit 11 sequentially stores quantity information of the water heater 32, associating it with timing information. The quantity information of the water heater 32 refers to information indicating the amount of energy used by the water heater 32 every hour (an example of the "first period"). The amount of energy used by the water heater 32 corresponds to gas consumption (gas usage, electricity usage, and water usage). Timing information is information that allows for the identification of when the energy amount data was recorded. This timing information is kept to a minimum in order to reduce the memory capacity and computational load of the remote control 10.

[0029] In this embodiment, the timing information used is a timestamp of the energy amount stored in the remote control-side storage unit 11. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the timing information does not include calendar information. Not including calendar information means that the timing information simply indicates the date and time when the energy amount was stored, and does not include information such as whether that day is a holiday or a weekday, or whether the year containing that day is a leap year.

[0030] The remote control 10 accumulates the amount of energy from the water heater 32 every hour, and stores the accumulated value for each hour as the amount of energy, associated with a timestamp. Figure 2 shows an example of the amount information and timing information stored in the remote control storage unit 11.

[0031] In the example in Figure 2, "March 4th 5:00-6:00" corresponds to the timestamp, and the gas consumption "130.1" corresponds to the quantity information. In addition, the hot water combustion time, the number of hot water combustion cycles, the amount of hot water consumed, the amount of water consumed, and the amount of electricity used during this time period are also associated with the timestamp and stored as quantity information in the remote control's storage unit 11. Such quantity information is stored in the remote control's storage unit 11 every hour. Note that in Figure 2, the quantity information shows the cumulative value.

[0032] The quantity information transmission unit 12 transmits the quantity information stored in the remote control-side storage unit 11, along with the timing information, to the server 20 via the network. As described above, the quantity information is stored in the remote control-side storage unit 11 in association with the timing information. The network is a communication method in which the remote control 10 and the server 20 are connected to each other, such as an internet connection. Therefore, the quantity information transmission unit 12 transmits the quantity information and timing information, which are stored in the remote control-side storage unit 11 in association with each other, to the server 20 via the internet connection.

[0033] In this embodiment, the quantity information transmission unit 12 transmits quantity information and timing information for two days (an example of the "third period") to the server 20 every hour. In this embodiment, as described above, the remote control side storage unit 11 stores quantity information every hour. Therefore, the quantity information and timing information for two days contains 48 data items. The quantity information transmission unit 12 transmits these 48 data items to the server 20 every hour. For this reason, the 48 data items that the quantity information transmission unit 12 transmits to the server 20 overlap with 47 of the 48 data items that were transmitted to the server 20 immediately before.

[0034] The server-side storage unit 21 stores quantity information from the remote control 10 in association with timing information. As described above, quantity information from the remote control 10, along with timing information, is transmitted from the quantity information transmission unit 12 of the remote control 10 to the server 20 via the internet line. Therefore, the server-side storage unit 21 stores the quantity information and timing information transmitted from the quantity information transmission unit 12 of the remote control 10 to the server 20 via the internet line, in association with each other.

[0035] The calendar information storage unit 22 stores calendar information that represents the calendar. The calendar is date information that includes the day of the week and information that can identify weekdays and holidays, and also includes information that indicates the year. Therefore, according to the calendar information, it is possible to determine whether a day is a holiday or a weekday, and whether the year containing that day is a leap year or not. The calendar information storage unit 22 stores calendar information from the past to the future.

[0036] The calculation unit 23 calculates the amount of energy for each month (an example of the "second period") based on the quantity information and timing information stored in the server-side storage unit 21, and the calendar information. The quantity information and timing information are stored in the server-side storage unit 21 in an associated state. However, while the data stored in the server-side storage unit 21 can be identified as being from a specific period, it cannot be identified as being from a specific period, such as the day of the week. Therefore, the calendar information stored in the calendar information storage unit 22 is used to identify the day of the week and date information of the quantity information associated with the timing information. Date information includes, for example, information about leap years, and information such as the beginning and end of the month. Based on this identified information, the calculation unit 23 calculates the amount of energy for each month. The amount of energy for each month is the amount of energy calculated for each month from the first month (January) to the last month (December) of a given year.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the calculation unit 23 calculates the amount of energy for each month, as well as the amount of energy for each day (an example of the "fourth period"). The amount of energy for each month is, as described above, the amount of energy calculated each month from the first month (January) to the last month (December) of a predetermined year. The amount of energy for each day is the amount of energy calculated each day from the first day (1st) to the last day (final day) of a predetermined month. Therefore, in this embodiment, the calculation unit 23 calculates the amount of energy calculated each month from the first month (January) to the last month (December) of a predetermined year, and the amount of energy calculated each day from the first day (1st) to the last day (final day) of a predetermined month, based on the quantity information and timing information stored in the server-side storage unit 21 in an associated state, and the calendar information stored in the calendar information storage unit 22.

[0038] The image data generation unit 24 generates image data to be displayed on the display unit 13 based on the calculated monthly energy amount. The calculated monthly energy amount is calculated by the calculation unit 23 described above. In this embodiment, the display unit 13 is the display screen of the remote control 10. Furthermore, as described above, in this embodiment, the calculation unit 23 also calculates the daily energy amount. Therefore, the image data generation unit 24 generates image data to be displayed on the display unit 13 based on the daily energy amount.

[0039] The image data transmission unit 25 transmits image data to the display unit 13 of the remote control 10 via the internet line (network). The image data transmission unit 25 may transmit image data when the remote control 10 requests image data, or it may transmit image data to the remote control 10 each time the image data generation unit 24 generates image data.

[0040] When sending image data to the remote control 10 in response to a request from the remote control 10, the remote control 10 should request at least one of the following from the server 20: image data relating to monthly energy consumption and image data relating to daily energy consumption.

[0041] Furthermore, if the image data generation unit 24 transmits image data to the remote control 10 each time it generates image data, it is preferable to temporarily store the image data in the remote control 10 and read out the temporarily stored image data when displaying the energy amount on the display unit 13.

[0042] Figure 3 shows an example of image data generated based on monthly energy consumption displayed on the display unit 13 of the remote control 10. Figure 4 shows an example of image data generated based on daily energy consumption displayed on the display unit 13 of the remote control 10. In the example in Figure 3, monthly gas consumption for 2024 is displayed. In the example in Figure 4, daily gas consumption for February is displayed.

[0043] Thus, in the energy data processing system 100 of this embodiment, even though the remote control 10 does not store any information regarding energy amounts other than the amount of energy shown every hour, it is possible to display the amount of energy per month and the amount of energy per day on the display unit 13 of the remote control 10. Furthermore, since the calculation of the amount of energy per month and the amount of energy per day is performed on the server 20 rather than the remote control 10, the data capacity (storage capacity) of the remote control 10 can be reduced, and the calculation processing related to the calculation of energy amounts can be avoided in the remote control 10.

[0044] [Other Embodiments] In the above embodiment, the timing information was described as information that does not include the calendar. However, the timing information may include, for example, only the day of the week from the calendar, or it may include information indicating whether or not it is a leap year.

[0045] In the above embodiment, timing information was described as a timestamp in which the amount of energy is stored. However, timing information may also be information that indicates timing relative to a predetermined reference time. Quantitative information using such timing information is shown in Figure 5. In the example in Figure 5, the reference time is "March 4th, 5:00-6:00". The information indicating relative timing is "Data 1", "Data 2", and "Data 3". Since the remote control-side storage unit 11 stores quantitative information every hour, "Data 1" is "March 4th, 6:00-7:00", one hour after "March 4th, 5:00-6:00", "Data 2" is "March 4th, 7:00-8:00", two hours after "March 4th, 5:00-6:00", and "Data 3" is "March 4th, 8:00-9:00", three hours after "March 4th, 5:00-6:00". Even when using timing information like this, it is possible to reduce the amount of data related to quantitative information. Note that in Figure 5, the quantitative information also shows the cumulative value.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the quantity information transmission unit 12 was described as transmitting two days' worth of quantity information and timing information to the server 20 every hour. However, the quantity information transmission unit 12 may be configured to transmit the most recent quantity information and timing information to the server 20 every hour, as well as two days' worth of quantity information and timing information to the server 20 every day (an example of the "fourth period"). In this case, the calculation unit 23 calculates the daily energy amount along with the monthly energy amount, and the image data generation unit 24 can further generate image data based on the daily energy amount. Figure 6 shows an example of displaying image data generated based on the daily energy amount on the display unit 13 of the remote control 10. In the example in Figure 6, the hourly gas usage for two days is displayed. By displaying such daily energy amounts on the display unit 13, it is possible to visually demonstrate the changes in energy amount over a day.

[0047] Alternatively, the quantity information transmission unit 12 may be configured to transmit the most recent quantity information and timing information to the server 20 every hour, transmit two days' worth of quantity information and timing information to the server 20 every day (an example of the "fourth period"), and then transmit 14 days' worth of quantity information and timing information to the server 20 every day. In this case, the calculation unit 23 only needs to calculate the amount of energy for each month. Note that the fifth period does not have to be 14 days; it can be longer than the third period (2 days) and shorter than the second period (1 month).

[0048] In the above embodiment, the display unit 13 was described as being provided on the remote control 10. However, the display unit 13 may be provided on a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet PC, or on another PC.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the first period was described as 1 hour, the second period as 1 month, the third period as 2 days, and the fourth period as 1 day. However, these are merely examples, and the second period may be longer than the first period, the third period may be longer than the first period and shorter than the second period, and the fourth period may be longer than the first period and shorter than the third period.

[0050] In the above embodiment, Figure 3 shows image data relating to gas usage from January to December 2024, but it is also possible to configure the system to display gas usage from June 2023 to May 2024, for example, spanning across the year. Similarly, Figure 4 shows image data relating to gas usage from February 1 to 28, but it is also possible to configure the system to display gas usage from January 15 to February 14, for example, spanning across the month. Furthermore, Figure 6 shows gas usage from 0:00 to 23:00 on the 2nd, but it is also possible to configure the system to display image data relating to gas usage from 10:00 on the 1st to 9:00 on the 2nd, for example, spanning across the day. Even in such cases, the energy data processing system 100 generates image data to be displayed on the display unit 13 in the server 20 based on the calendar information stored in the server 20, making it possible to appropriately display each gas usage on the display unit 13.

[0051] Furthermore, the configurations disclosed in each of the embodiments described above can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no inconsistencies arise. Regarding other configurations, the embodiments disclosed herein are merely illustrative in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate, without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. [Industrial applicability]

[0052] This invention can be used in an energy data processing system that processes energy data related to the energy used in a house where residential equipment is installed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 10: Remote control 11: Remote control memory unit 12: Quantitative Information Transmission Unit 13: Display section 20: Server 21: Server-side storage 22: Calendar Information Storage Unit 23: Calculation Department 24: Image Data Generation Unit 25: Image data transmission unit 30: Housing equipment 100: Energy data processing system

Claims

1. An energy data processing system that processes energy data relating to energy used or generated in a house where residential equipment is installed, A remote control unit is provided in the remote control that can remotely operate the aforementioned residential equipment, and the remote control unit sequentially stores quantity information indicating the amount of energy used in the residential equipment for each first period, associated with timing information indicating the timing at which the energy amount was stored. The remote control includes a quantity information transmission unit that transmits the quantity information stored in the remote control's storage unit, along with the timing information, to a server via a network. The server includes a server-side storage unit that stores the quantity information from the remote control in association with the timing information, The server includes a calendar information storage unit that stores calendar information indicating the calendar, A calculation unit is provided in the server and calculates the amount of energy for each second period which is longer than the first period, based on the amount information and timing information stored in the server-side storage unit and the calendar information. The server is provided with an image data generation unit that generates image data to be displayed on the display unit based on the calculated energy amount for each of the second periods, An image data transmission unit provided on the server transmits the image data to the display unit via the network, An energy data processing system equipped with the following features.

2. The energy data processing system according to claim 1, wherein the timing information is information that does not include the calendar.

3. The energy data processing system according to claim 2, wherein the timing information is information indicating timing relative to a predetermined reference time.

4. The energy data processing system according to claim 2, wherein the timing information is a timestamp on which the amount of energy is stored.

5. The quantity information transmission unit transmits the quantity information and timing information for a third period that is longer than the first period and shorter than the second period to the server for each first period. The calculation unit calculates the amount of energy for each second period, as well as the amount of energy for each fourth period which is longer than the first period and shorter than the third period. The energy data processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the image data generation unit further generates the image data based on the amount of energy for each of the fourth periods.

6. The quantity information transmission unit transmits the most recent quantity information and timing information to the server every first period, and transmits the quantity information and timing information for a third period that is longer than the first period and shorter than the second period to the server every fourth period that is longer than the first period and shorter than the third period. The calculation unit calculates the amount of energy for each of the second periods, along with the amount of energy for each of the fourth periods. The energy data processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the image data generation unit further generates the image data based on the amount of energy for each of the fourth periods.

7. The quantity information transmission unit transmits the most recent quantity information and timing information to the server every first period, and transmits the quantity information and timing information for a third period that is longer than the first period and shorter than the second period to the server every fourth period that is longer than the first period and shorter than the third period, and further transmits the quantity information and timing information for a fifth period that is longer than the third period and shorter than the second period to the server every fourth period. The calculation unit calculates the amount of energy for each of the second periods in the energy data processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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