Control system, control device, and electrical apparatus

Abstract

Provided is a technology that can determine early whether or not it is possible to meet power requirements for an electrical apparatus. This control system comprises: a plurality of electrical apparatuses including a first electrical apparatus; and a control device to which each of the electrical apparatuses is connected. Each time the first electrical apparatus accepts a setting operation for a process, the first electrical apparatus transmits, to the control device, process-related information, including information about the power consumption of the process, held at the time of accepting the setting operation.

Description

Control systems, control devices, and electrical equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-165478, filed on September 27, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] In recent years, there has been an increasing need to control the power demand of multiple electrical appliances installed in a specific space. This need is expected to further increase in the future due to advances in information and communication technology.

[0003] When a control device according to the related art receives a power request from an electrical device that can communicate with the control device, the control device arbitrates power between the sender of the power request and the electrical device that is operating at the time the power request is received based on a predetermined priority, where the predetermined priority is determined in advance for each electrical device (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] International Publication No. 2013 / 008934

[0005] The control device is required to quickly determine whether it can respond to a power request from an electrical device.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique that can quickly determine whether or not a power request from an electrical device can be met.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a control system including a plurality of electric devices including a first electric device, and a control device to which each of the plurality of electric devices is connected, wherein the first electric device transmits, to the control device, process-related information including information on power consumption of the process that is held at the time of receiving the setting operation each time the first electric device receives a setting operation related to the process.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, a technique is provided that can quickly determine whether or not a power request from an electrical device can be met.

[0009] 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of a control system. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of each electrical device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an information set. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the detailed configuration of a control device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the processing of a first electrical device and a control device 2 in power allocation of a control system according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing of a second electrical device in power allocation of a control system according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing of step S108 shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the processing of step S108.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the electrical device, control system, and control device of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals to avoid repetitive description of the same or corresponding parts.

[0011] [Embodiment] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a control system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 1, the control system 100 is provided in a specific space 200. The specific space 200 is a space that is partitioned from the outside by an exterior wall and a roof. The specific space 200 is also typically a space used by a consumer. Note that the specific space 200 is not limited to the entire space within a house or building, and may be a partial space.

[0012] Solar panels 201 and a storage battery 203 may be installed around the specific space 200. The solar panels 201 generate electricity using sunlight. The storage battery 203 typically stores DC power from the solar panels 201. The storage battery 203 is, for example, a stationary storage battery or an electric vehicle.

[0013] The solar panel 201 and the storage battery 203 are connected to a relay unit 207 provided in the specific space 200 via power lines 202, 204. The relay unit 207 relays DC voltage from the solar panel 201 or the storage battery 203. The relay unit 207 converts the DC power transmitted over the power lines 202, 204 into AC power suitable for use by each electrical device 1. The relay unit 207 transmits the converted AC power to a power supply unit 208 provided inside the specific space 200. The relay unit 207 can be realized by a so-called junction box or a power conditioner, or a combination of these.

[0014] A power line 206 from a commercial power source 205 is drawn into the specific space 200. The commercial power source 205 is a facility for delivering power from a power company to the specific space 200. The power line 206 is connected to a power supply unit 208.

[0015] The power supply unit 208 is further electrically connected to a plurality of wire plug connectors 2081 provided in the specific space 200. An electric device 1 can be connected to each of the wire plug connectors 2081. The power supply unit 208 supplies power to each electric device 1 connected to the wire plug connector 2081. Each electric device 1 operates based on the power supplied by the power supply unit 208. Further details of the electric device 1 will be described later.

[0016] The power supply unit 208 can be realized by, for example, a distribution board. The power supply unit 208 can also include a contactless power supply device. The contactless power supply device supplies power to at least one of the plurality of electric appliances 1 in a contactless manner.

[0017] The power supply unit 208 receives power supply from at least one of the solar panel 201, the storage battery 203, and the commercial power supply 205. In particular, even in a disconnected state, the power supply unit 208 can supply AC power supplied by the solar panel 201 and / or the storage battery 203 to the plurality of electrical devices 1. The disconnected state is a state in which the control system 100 is not connected to the commercial power supply 205. Therefore, the plurality of electrical devices 1 can receive power supply even in a disconnected state.

[0018] Hereinafter, the maximum power that the power supply unit 208 can simultaneously supply to all the electrical devices 1 connected to the control system 100 will be referred to as "total power."

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the control system 100 includes a plurality of electric devices 1 including a first electric device 1 and a second electric device 1, and a control device 2 to which each of the plurality of electric devices 1 is connected.

[0020] Each electric appliance 1 can execute a process set by a user operation. The user includes an end user and an operator. The end user actually uses each electric appliance 1 at the end of the distribution network of each electric appliance 1. The operator typically performs maintenance work on the electric appliance 1. Each electric appliance 1 can also execute a special process that is used only during maintenance work.

[0021] Furthermore, each electric appliance 1 may be capable of executing a process that has been reserved for that electric appliance 1. The reservation is set in each electric appliance 1 by the user operating the operation display unit 14 (described later).

[0022] The electric appliances 1 are, for example, a cooking appliance, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, and a washer / dryer. Further details of each electric appliance 1 will be described later with reference to Fig. 2. The first electric appliance 1 and the second electric appliance 1 will be described later with reference to Fig. 5.

[0023] The control device 2 is connected to a server 209 located remotely from the specific space 200 via a network 210 for data communication. The network 210 includes at least one of the Internet, a dedicated line, and a public line. The network 210 may further include a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN). The server 209, for example, collects readings from a smart meter (not shown) remotely from the control system 100. Therefore, the control device 2 differs from a so-called aggregator, which is not connected to the server 209 via the network 210 including at least one of the Internet, a dedicated line, and a public line. Furthermore, when an aggregator receives a command from a power company to save power or control output, the aggregator issues commands such as wattage, time, and method to each consumer and causes the consumer to carry out the command. In this respect, the control device 2 also differs from an aggregator.

[0024] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of each electrical device 1 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, each electrical device 1 includes a power supply unit 11, a communication unit 12, a function unit 13, an operation display unit 14, a control unit 15, and a storage unit 16.

[0025] The power supply unit 11 is connected to any one of the wiring plug connectors 2081 through the power line 111 of the electric device 1. The power supply unit 11 converts AC power supplied through the power line 111 into DC power suitable for the operation of each part of the electric device 1.

[0026] The communication unit 12 receives various information from the control device 2. The communication unit 12 also transmits various information to the control device 2.

[0027] The functional unit 13 performs processing to fulfill the functions of the electrical device 1 .

[0028] Specifically, when the electrical appliance 1 is a cooking appliance, the functional unit 13 performs a process of heating an object inside the cooking chamber using electromagnetic waves generated by a magnetron or the like (hereinafter referred to as a "heating process"). The "heating process" includes "automatic heating" and "manual heating." Automatic heating is a process of heating an object for a heating time and wattage specified by a user's operation via the operation display unit 14 and based on the weight of the object inside the cooking chamber. On the other hand, manual heating is a process of heating an object by the functional unit 13 for a heating time and wattage specified by a user's operation via the operation display unit 14.

[0029] When the electrical appliance 1 is a refrigerator, the functional unit 13 performs a process of preserving objects inside the refrigerator at a low temperature using cold air generated by the refrigeration cycle (hereinafter referred to as "refrigeration process"). In addition, the functional unit 13 performs a process of removing frost from inside the refrigerator (hereinafter referred to as "defrosting process") and a process of preventing the temperature inside the refrigerator from becoming too low (hereinafter referred to as "temperature adjustment"). During temperature adjustment, the power consumption of the functional unit 13 becomes almost zero.

[0030] If the electrical appliance 1 is an air conditioner, the functional unit 13 performs a "heating process" or a "cooling process." The heating process is a process of raising the temperature of the air in the specific space 200 to a target temperature. The cooling process is a process of lowering the temperature of the air to a target temperature. In the heating process or the cooling process, the functional unit 13 performs a process of adjusting the airflow distribution in the specific space 200 using the louvers (not shown) of the air conditioner. In the case of an air conditioner, it is also possible to perform an "on timer process" and an "off timer process" for the cooling process and the heating process, respectively. The on timer process performs either the heating process or the cooling process when the set start time is reached. The off timer process ends the currently running heating process or the cooling process when the set end time is reached.

[0031] When the electrical appliance 1 is a washer / dryer, the functional unit 13 performs at least one process selected from a "washing process," a "rinsing process," a "spin-drying process," and a "drying process" on the clothes stored in the tub (not shown). The functional unit 13 also performs a "forced process." A forced stop is a process for forcibly stopping a process currently being performed. The washer / dryer can also perform an "on timer process." The on timer process performs at least one process selected from a "washing process," a "rinsing process," a "spin-drying process," and a "drying process" when a set start time is reached.

[0032] The operation display unit 14 typically includes an operation panel and a display provided on the electrical appliance 1. The operation panel includes buttons for accepting user operations. The display displays images based on various image data from the control unit 15. The operation display unit 14 transmits to the control unit 15 a command including at least a process set in the electrical appliance 1 by a user operation. The command may further include a condition for the process.

[0033] The operation display unit 14 may be an information processing device carried by the user, other than an operation panel. The information processing device is typically a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The information processing device stores an application program for remote operation in an internal memory. By executing the application program, the information processing device transmits the same commands as those sent by the operation display unit 14 to the control unit 15. In the following, a description will be given of the case where the operation display unit 14 is an operation panel.

[0034] When the electrical appliance 1 is a cooking appliance, the process includes automatic heating and manual heating. In particular, in the case of manual heating, the process condition is one selected from a plurality of different wattages. Another process condition is heating time. The heating time is the time from the start to the end of the heating process. Further other process conditions include a start time and an end time required for reserving the heating process. The start time indicates the time when the heating process starts. The end time indicates the time when the heating process ends. The time is not limited to a 24-hour system, and may be expressed as time relative to the current time. Therefore, the operation and display unit 14 of the cooking appliance includes buttons for starting or stopping the process for each of automatic heating and manual heating. The operation and display unit 14 also includes buttons or knobs for setting the wattage, heating time, and start and end times.

[0035] If the electrical appliance 1 is a refrigerator, the processes are refrigeration, defrosting, and temperature adjustment. In the case of refrigeration, the process condition is a target temperature inside the refrigerator. Therefore, the operation display unit 14 of the refrigerator has buttons and knobs for setting the target temperature. However, because the defrosting and temperature adjustment are performed automatically, the operation display unit 14 of the refrigerator does not have buttons and knobs for both processes.

[0036] If the electrical appliance 1 is an air conditioner, the process is a cooling process or a heating process. The process conditions are typically the target temperature, wind direction, and wind volume of the air in the specific space 200. Therefore, the operation display unit 14 of the air conditioner has a button for setting whether to perform the heating process or the cooling process. The operation display unit 14 also has buttons for setting each of the target temperature, wind direction, and wind volume.

[0037] The processing conditions further include start times and end times for the on-timer processing and off-timer processing, respectively. Therefore, the operation display unit 14 of the air conditioner has buttons for setting the start times and end times, respectively.

[0038] When the electrical appliance 1 is a washer-dryer, the operation display unit 14 of the washer-dryer includes buttons for specifying a wash-dry operation (standard mode) and a wash-dry operation (energy-saving mode). The operation display unit 14 further includes a button for specifying "forced stop" of the washer-dryer.

[0039] The processing conditions further include a start time for the on-timer processing, and therefore the operation display unit 14 of the washer / dryer has a button for setting the start time.

[0040] The control unit 15 operates in accordance with a control program stored in the storage unit 16. In this way, the control unit 15 controls the operation of each component of the electrical device 1.

[0041] The storage unit 16 is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Specifically, the storage unit 16 includes a random access memory, a read-only memory, and / or a flash memory. The read-only memory stores a control program. The random access memory is used as a working area for the control unit 15. The flash memory stores various types of information. The various types of information include an information set 17 (see FIG. 3).

[0042] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing information sets 17. As shown in Fig. 3, each information set 17 includes at least priority information 171 and power consumption information 172. Note that in Fig. 3, due to space limitations, the priority information 171 is written as "priority 171," the power consumption information 172 is written as "power 172," and the time information 173 is written as "time 173." This also applies to Fig. 8, which will be referred to later.

[0043] The priority information 171 indicates a predetermined priority based on a process that can be set in the electrical appliance 1 by a user operation or a process that can be scheduled for execution in the electrical appliance 1. In the embodiment, the priority is defined as "1" to "5" as an example. The smaller the number indicating the priority, the higher the priority. The power consumption information 172 indicates the power (wattage) required for the corresponding process. A "corresponding process" is a process to which priority information 171 of the same information set 17 is assigned.

[0044] Three information sets 17 are defined for automatic heating of the cooking appliance, and one information set 17 is defined for "manual heating." Suffixes "A" to "C" are added to the first to third information sets 17 for "automatic heating," respectively. Suffix "D" is added to the information set 17 for "manual heating."

[0045] Information sets 17A to 17D are stored in the storage unit 16 of the cooking appliance. Information set 17A includes priority information 171A and power consumption information 172A, and further includes time information 173A. Priority information 171A indicates, for example, a priority of "5." Power consumption information 172A indicates 1000 watts. Time information 173A is information indicating that the "automatic heating" time is "1 minute."

[0046] Information set 17B includes priority information 171B, power consumption information 172B, and time information 173B. Information set 17C includes priority information 171C, power consumption information 172C, and time information 173C. The contents of priority information 171B, 171C, power consumption information 172B, 172C, and time information 173B, 173C are as shown in the figure. Note that in each information set 17, it is preferable that the higher the power, the lower the priority is assigned.

[0047] The information set 17D includes priority information 171D for "manual heating," power consumption information 172D, and time information 173D. In the case of "manual heating," the user specifies "manual heating," "wattage," and "heating time" via the operation display unit 14. Therefore, the user would like the "heating process" by the cooking appliance to begin as soon as possible. Therefore, the priority information 171D indicates the highest priority of "1." The power consumption information 172D and time information 173D indicate the power and time specified by the user's operation.

[0048] Three information sets 17 are defined for the cooling or heating process of the air conditioner. Suffixes "E" to "G" are added to the first to third information sets 17 of the air conditioner, respectively.

[0049] The information sets 17E to 17G are stored in the storage unit 16 of the air conditioner. The information set 17E includes priority information 171E and power consumption information 172E. The priority information 171E indicates a priority of "5," for example. The power consumption information 172E indicates 1500 watts.

[0050] The information set 17F includes priority information 171F and power consumption information 172F. The information set 17G includes priority information 171G and power consumption information 172G. The contents of the priority information 171F, 171G and the power consumption information 172F, 172G are as shown in the figure.

[0051] Information sets 17E to 17G include time information 173E to 173G when the air conditioner executes "on timer processing" or "off timer processing." The time information 173E to 173G is the "start time" or "end time" specified by user operation.

[0052] Here, the power consumption changes over time in the cooling and heating processes. Specifically, in the cooling and heating processes, when the deviation between the current temperature in the specific space 200 and the target temperature is large, the power consumption is large. On the other hand, when the deviation is small, the power consumption is small. Therefore, it is not appropriate to assign each of the information sets 17E to 17G to each process of the air conditioner.

[0053] Three information sets 17 are defined for refrigerator processing. Suffixes "H" to "J" are added to the first to third information sets 17 for a refrigerator, respectively. Information sets 17H to 17J are stored in storage unit 16 of the refrigerator. Information set 17H includes priority information 171H defined for defrosting processing and power consumption information 172H. Information set 17I includes priority information 171I defined for refrigeration processing and power consumption information 172I. Information set 17J includes priority information 171J defined for temperature adjustment and power consumption information 172J. The contents of priority information 171H to 171J and power consumption information 172H to 172J are as shown in the figure.

[0054] Three information sets 17 are defined for the washer-dryer processes "wash-dry operation (standard mode)," "wash-dry operation (energy-saving mode)," and "forced stop." Suffixes "K" to "M" are added to the first to third information sets 17 for the washer-dryer, respectively. Information sets 17K to 17M are stored in the washer-dryer's storage unit 16. Information set 17K includes priority information 171K defined for the "wash-dry operation (standard mode)" and power consumption information 172K. Information set 17L includes priority information 171L defined for the "wash-dry operation (energy-saving mode)" and power consumption information 172L. Information set 17M includes priority information 171M defined for the "forced stop" and power consumption information 172M. The contents of priority information 171K to 171M and power consumption information 172K to 172M are as shown in the figure.

[0055] The information sets 17K and 17L include time information 173K and 173L when the "on timer process" is executed. The time information 173K and 173L is the "start time" specified by a user operation.

[0056] The information sets 17A to 17L are also stored in the storage unit 22 of the control device 2.

[0057] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of the control device 2 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the control device 2 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a control unit 23. The control device 2 also includes a power supply unit similar to that of each electrical device 1. However, since the power supply unit of the control device 2 is not a main part of this embodiment, its description will be omitted.

[0058] The communication unit 21 is connected to the communication unit 12 of each electric device 1 via a communication link so as to be able to communicate information. The communication unit 21 receives various types of information from each electric device 1. The communication unit 21 also transmits various types of information to the electric device 1.

[0059] The storage unit 22 is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Specifically, the storage unit 22 includes a random access memory, a read-only memory, and / or a flash memory. The read-only memory stores a control program. The random access memory is used as a working area for the control unit 24. The flash memory stores various types of information.

[0060] The control unit 23 operates in accordance with a control program stored in the storage unit 22. In this way, the control unit 23 controls the operation of each component of the control device 2.

[0061] 5 and 6 are flowcharts showing the procedure of power allocation executed in the control system 100 according to the first embodiment. In particular, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure between the first electric device 1 and the control device 2 in the control system 100. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the second electric device 1 in the control system 100. The first electric device 1 is one of the multiple electric devices 1 that the user will use in the future. The second electric device 1 is another of the multiple electric devices 1 other than the first electric device 1.

[0062] 5 and 6, the flowchart includes steps S101A and S101B, steps S102 and S103, steps S104A and S104B, and steps S105 to S111. After the power allocation shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the control unit 23 in the first electrical device 1 performs processing based on a plurality of operations sequentially input to the operation display unit 14.

[0063] In steps S101A, S101B, and S102 (see FIG. 5 ), the control unit 23 of the first electric appliance 1 sequentially transmits power-related information about power consumption by the first electric appliance 1 to the control device 2 each time an operation is performed on the operation display unit 14. As a result, the first electric appliance 1 requests power from the control device 2. Here, the power-related information is transmitted each time an operation is performed. This allows the control device 2 to quickly recognize that a power request has been made by the first electric appliance 1.

[0064] Specifically, when using a function of the first electric appliance 1, the user operates the operation display unit 14 according to a predetermined procedure. Therefore, the user operates the operation display unit 14 multiple times. The multiple operations include at least one of an operation to turn on the first electric appliance 1, an operation to set conditions for processing the first electric appliance 1, and an operation to start the processing. These operations make it possible to identify the details of power consumption by the first electric appliance 1.

[0065] Each time the operation display unit 14 is operated by the user, it sequentially transmits commands indicating the process or process conditions set by the user operation to the control unit 15. For example, if the first electric appliance 1 is a heating cooker and the process is manual heating, an exemplary procedure is for the user to first set the wattage, then set the heating time, and finally start the process through operation of the operation display unit 14. In this case, the control unit 23 sequentially receives commands indicating the wattage, the heating time, and the start of the heating process.

[0066] Specifically, in step S101A, in response to receiving the first command, the control unit 23 transmits first power-related information as the power-related information to the control device 2 via the communication unit 12 .

[0067] In step S101B, in response to receiving each of the second and subsequent commands, the control unit 23 transmits second power-related information as the power-related information to the control device 2 via the communication unit 12 .

[0068] Next, in step S102, the control unit 23 determines whether a transmission termination condition is satisfied. The transmission termination condition is that the last piece of second power-related information is transmitted. The last piece of second power-related information is information indicating the start of processing. If the transmission termination condition is not satisfied (No in step S102), step S101B is executed again. If the transmission termination condition is satisfied (Yes in step S102), step S103 is executed.

[0069] Therefore, the plurality of pieces of power-related information include first power-related information and second power-related information. The second power-related information is transmitted after the first power-related information and is different from the first power-related information. As a result, the combination of the first power-related information and the second power-related information makes it possible to more accurately identify the content of power consumption by the first electric appliance 1 compared to the case where only the first power-related information is transmitted. When the first electric appliance 1 is a cooking appliance and the operation is manual heating, a user operates the operation display unit 14 to first set the wattage, then the heating time, and finally the start of the heating process. In this case, the first power-related information is transmitted once, and the second power-related information is transmitted twice. Each of the first power-related information and the second power-related information is information regarding at least one of power, power consumption time, and the start of the process. Specifically, the first power-related information is information indicating wattage. The first piece of second power-related information is information indicating the heating time. The last piece of second power-related information is information indicating the start of the heating process. "Wattage," "heating time," and "start of heating process" are examples of "power," "power consumption time," and "start of process."

[0070] After executing step S102, in step S103, the control unit 15 of the first electric appliance 1 waits to execute the process until it receives a determination result from the control device 2. As a result, the total power consumption by the electric appliances 1 does not exceed the total power. The determination result will be described later. In detail, in step S103, the control unit 15 of the first electric appliance 1 determines whether or not to receive a determination result from the control device 2 through the communication unit 12. If it is determined that the determination result has not been received (No in step S103), the control unit 15 executes step S103 again. On the other hand, if it is determined that the determination result has been received (Yes in step S103), the control unit 15 executes step S109.

[0071] In step S104A (see FIG. 5 ), the control device 2 receives the power-related information, more specifically, the first power-related information. That is, the communication unit 21 of the control device 2 receives the first power-related information from the first electric device 1 and transfers it to the control unit 23.

[0072] Next, in step S105, the control unit 23 of the control device 2 starts inquiring of each of the second electric appliances 1 about their operating statuses in response to receiving the first power-related information from the first electric appliances 1. That is, the control unit 23 starts inquiring of each of the second electric appliances 1 about their operating statuses in response to receiving, among the plurality of pieces of power-related information (more specifically, the first power-related information and the second power-related information) transmitted sequentially, power-related information (more specifically, the first power-related information) transmitted before the last piece of power-related information (more specifically, the last piece of second power-related information). Thus, the control device 2 starts step S105 in response to receiving the first power-related information without waiting for the reception of the second power-related information. As a result, step S109 is executed early.

[0073] After starting the inquiry in step S105, the control unit 23 transmits a status request via the communication unit 21. The status request is information for requesting the second electric appliance 1 to return operating status information to the control device 2. The operating status information is information related to the operating status of the second electric appliance 1 and includes at least priority information 171 (see FIG. 3 ) and power consumption information 172. The priority information 171 in the operating status information indicates a priority corresponding to the power consumption information 172. The power consumption information 172 is information indicating the power consumption required for a process currently being executed by the second electric appliance 1.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 6 , in step S106, each second electric appliance 1 accepts the status request. Each second electric appliance 1 further transmits its own operating status information to the control device 2. Specifically, the communication unit 21 of each second electric appliance 1 receives the status request from the control device 2 and forwards it to the control unit 15. In response to the status request, the control unit 15 acquires the current power consumption of the second electric appliance 1 from a power measurement unit (not shown) provided in the second electric appliance 1. The control unit 15 generates power consumption information 172, which is information indicating the acquired power consumption. The control unit 15 further acquires a priority corresponding to the power consumption information 172 from the information set 17 (see FIG. 3 ) stored in the storage unit 16. The control unit 15 transmits priority information 171 indicating the acquired priority and the power consumption information 172 to the control device 2 as operating status information. In this way, the status request allows the control device 2 to grasp the total power usage status, thereby enabling effective use of total power.

[0075] For example, if the second electric appliance 1 is an air conditioner and its power consumption is 1500 watts, 1000 watts, and 800 watts, the priorities are "5," "3," and "1" (see FIG. 3). If the second electric appliance 1 is a refrigerator and its power consumption is 200 watts, 100 watts, and 0 watts, the priorities are "5," "4," and "1" (see FIG. 3). If the second electric appliance 1 is a washer-dryer and its power consumption is 600 watts, 300 watts, and 0 watts, the priorities are "5," "3," and "1" (see FIG. 3).

[0076] 5 , after step S105 is completed, the control device 2 receives the power-related information, more specifically, the second power-related information, in step S104B. That is, the communication unit 21 of the control device 2 receives the second power-related information from the first electric device 1 and transfers it to the control unit 23.

[0077] Next, in step S107, the control unit 23 determines whether a determination start condition is satisfied. The determination start condition is that the last second power-related information is received. If the determination start condition is not satisfied (No in step S107), step S104B is executed again. If the determination start condition is satisfied (Yes in step S107), step S108 is executed.

[0078] In step S108, the control device 2 receives operating status information from each of the second electrical appliances 1, and performs a determination process to determine whether processing can be performed in the first electrical appliance 1 based on the received operating status information and power-related information.

[0079] Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the detailed processing procedure of step S108. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the details of the processing of Fig. 7.

[0080] The flowchart of FIG. 7 includes steps S201 to S208. In steps S201 to S208, the control unit 23 acquires the total power. If either the first condition or the second condition is satisfied, the control unit 23 determines that the first electric device 1 is capable of executing the process. If neither the first condition nor the second condition is satisfied, the control unit 23 determines that the first electric device 1 is incapable of executing the process. The first condition is that the sum of the power consumption planned to be consumed by the first electric device 1 and the power consumption currently consumed by the second electric device 1 is equal to or less than the total power. The second condition is that the first condition is not satisfied, and the sum of the power consumption of the first electric device 1 when the power consumption of the second electric device 1 is reduced is equal to or less than the total power. Steps S201 to S208 will be described in detail below.

[0081] At the start of execution of step S201, the storage unit 22 of the control device 2 stores power-related information from the first electric appliance 1. In step S201, the control unit 23 selects, from all information sets 17 stored in the storage unit 22, an information set 17 corresponding to the power-related information sequentially transmitted from the first electric appliance 1 as a "specific information set 17" (see FIG. 8 ). As shown in FIG. 8 , the storage unit 22 also stores operating status information from the second electric appliance 1. FIG. 8 illustrates an example in which the total current power consumption of the second electric appliance 1 is 2200 watts. In addition, in the specific information set 17 and operating status information of the first electric appliance 1, priority information 171 of "1" is included only in the power request from the first electric appliance 1 (cooker).

[0082] In step S201, the control unit 23 acquires the total power, for example, by communicating with the power supply unit 208. If information indicating the total power is stored in the storage unit 22, the control unit 23 may acquire the total power from the storage unit 22. In step S201, the control unit 23 determines whether or not a first condition is satisfied. If it is determined that the first condition is satisfied (Yes in step S201), step S206 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the first condition is not satisfied (No in step S201), step S202 is executed.

[0083] In steps S202 to S204, the control unit 23 identifies the second electric appliance 1 that satisfies the specific condition. More specifically, in step S202, the control unit 23 selects "first specific driving situation information" from all of the driving situation information stored in the storage unit 22. The first specific driving situation information is driving situation information that satisfies the first specific condition. The first specific condition is that the driving situation information includes the maximum power consumption information 172 and the lowest priority information 171. Furthermore, the sender of the "first specific driving situation information" is the second electric appliance 1 that satisfies the specific condition.

[0084] In step S203, the control unit 23 identifies the "first specific information set 17" from the information sets 17A to 17L (see FIG. 3). The first specific information set 17 is the information set 17 whose transmission source matches that of the first specific driving situation information.

[0085] In step S204, the control unit 23 selects a "second identification information set 17" from the first identification information set 17. The second identification information set 17 is the first identification information set 17 having specific priority information 171. The specific priority information 171 is the priority information 171 indicating the lowest priority among the priority information 171 indicating a higher priority than the first operating status information. In the following, the power consumption information 172 included in the second identification information set 17 will be referred to as "second specific power consumption information 172." The power consumption of the second electrical appliance 1 is reduced by the difference between the power consumption information 172 indicated by the first specific operating status information and the power consumption indicated by the second specific power consumption information 172. The difference corresponds to the "reduced power consumption" in the second condition.

[0086] In step S205, the control unit 23 determines whether the second condition is satisfied. If it is determined that the second condition is satisfied (Yes in step S205), step S207 is executed. If it is determined that the second condition is not satisfied (No in step S205), step S208 is executed.

[0087] In any of steps S206 to S208, the control device 2 transmits the determination result.

[0088] More specifically, in steps S206 and S207, the control device 2 determines to transmit a first determination result, which is one of the determination results, to the first electric device 1. The first determination result indicates that the control device 2 can respond to the power request from the first electric device 1. In other words, the first determination result indicates that the process set in the first electric device 1 by a user operation can be executed.

[0089] In step S208, the control device 2 determines to transmit a second determination result, which is another determination result, to the first electric device 1. The second determination result indicates that it is not possible to respond to the power request from the first electric device 1. In other words, the second determination result indicates that the process set in the first electric device 1 by a user operation cannot be executed.

[0090] After step S207, step S209 is executed. If step S205 returns Yes, it is necessary to change the processing of the second electric appliance 1, which is the sender of the first specified driving situation information. Therefore, in step S209, the control device 2 transmits a change request to the sender of the first specified driving situation information. The change request is a command for instructing the execution of processing defined in the second specified information set 17. The sender of the first specified driving situation information changes its processing in response to receiving the change request.

[0091] When execution of any one of steps S206, S208, and S209 is completed, the control device 2 exits the process in Fig. 7 and executes step S109 in Fig. 5. In step S109, the control device 2 transmits either the first determination result or the second determination result to the first electric device 1. In the first electric device 1, the control unit 15 determines Yes in step S103 in response to receiving either the first determination result or the second determination result via the communication unit 12, and step S110 is executed.

[0092] In step S110, the control unit 15 of the first electrical appliance 1 determines whether the determination result received from the control device 2 is the first determination result. If it is determined that the determination result is the first determination result (Yes in step S110), step S111 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the determination result is not the first determination result (No in step S110), step S112 is executed.

[0093] In step S111, the first electric appliance 1 executes a process set by a user operation for the first electric appliance 1. For example, in a heating cooker, manual heating is performed at a wattage specified by a user operation. That is, in the first electric appliance 1, the functional unit 13 executes the process under the control of the control unit 15.

[0094] In step S112, the first electric appliance 1 adjusts the content of the process according to the determination result. Specifically, the determination result indicates that the process specified by the user's operation cannot be executed. More specifically, in the first electric appliance 1, the control unit 15 displays a first message on the operation display unit 14 indicating that "the process specified by the user's operation cannot be executed." That is, the control unit 15 adjusts the process conditions to change. For example, as described above, if the first electric appliance 1 is a cooking appliance and the process is manual heating, the process conditions include a wattage lower than that specified by the previous user's operation. In response to this user operation, the control system 100 re-executes the power allocation shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 . As described above, the process of the first electric appliance 1 is automatically retried with the changed conditions, thereby providing a user-friendly control system 100. In step S112, instead of the first message, a second message may be displayed stating, "To execute the process specified by the user's operation, please temporarily suspend the second electric appliance 1 (e.g., washing machine)." Alternatively, in step S112, a third message saying "Please reserve processing of first electrical appliance 1" may be displayed instead of the first message.

[0095] "First Modification" A first modification of the first embodiment will be described below. In the first modification, when a user operation has been performed to reserve the first electric appliance 1 for execution of a process, the first electric appliance 1 further transmits the reservation time of the process as the second power-related information. The reservation time is information that indicates at least the start time of the reservation. When the second power-related information indicating the reservation time is transmitted, the control device 2 executes step S105 when the start time of the reservation arrives.

[0096] The control system according to the present disclosure may include a plurality of electrical devices including a first electrical device, and a control device to which each of the plurality of electrical devices is connected, and the first electrical device may transmit processing-related information to the control device each time it receives a setting operation related to the processing, the information including information regarding the power consumption of the processing that is held at the time the setting operation is received.

[0097] In this case, for example, because the processing-related information is sent to the control device when a setting operation is performed, before an operation to instruct the start of processing is performed, the determination of whether processing is possible can be started early, and the time required for the determination result to be determined can be shortened, thereby shortening the period of time the user has to wait and reducing the burden on the user.

[0098] The control device may be configured by a control unit (e.g., a processor) provided in at least one of the plurality of electrical devices. The "processing" may be, for example, a defrosting process or an automatic ice-making process in a refrigerator.

[0099] The control device may determine whether the electrical device is permitted to perform the process each time it receives the process-related information, transmit the determination result to the first electrical device, and notify the first electrical device of the determination if the process is not permitted. In this case, for example, an accurate determination can be made each time the content of the received process-related information changes.

[0100] The leaving may be performed by the control device itself, or may be performed by a device other than the control device, such as the first electrical device.

[0101] It is preferable to start the judgment before accepting a process confirmation operation as a setting operation. For example, if there is a confirmation operation to confirm the process content and start the process after one or more setting processes for setting conditions, etc., the judgment can be started before the start of the final confirmation operation, which can shorten the time the user has to wait until the judgment result is obtained and reduce the user's stress.

[0102] The notification may, for example, only notify whether the processing is possible or not, but preferably includes, for example, a proposal that will result in a favorable judgment by the control device. Specifically, it preferably includes, for example, a proposal that will result in a favorable judgment of the processing, such as delaying the processing start time to make the processing possible or reducing the power required for the processing. Note that the proposal may, for example, be a proposal directed to the first electronic device, or may be a proposal directed to an electronic device other than the first electronic device among the multiple electronic devices.

[0103] The suggestion may include at least one of putting the process on hold and changing to a process that consumes less power than the current process. The suggestion may include, for example, a request to the user to perform the operation again.

[0104] The proposal may include at least one of putting the processing of an electrical device other than the first electrical device on hold and changing to a processing that consumes less power than the current processing. The holding may include, for example, a reservation setting such as pausing the processing for a predetermined period of time and then resuming the processing. The proposal to be notified does not necessarily have to be one, and multiple proposals may be notified. When multiple proposals are notified, the priorities of the multiple proposals may also be included in the proposals.

[0105] Each process related information may be at least one of power, process execution time, and process determination.

[0106] The first electrical device may sequentially receive a plurality of setting operations, including at least one of an operation to wake up the electrical device, an operation to set conditions related to at least one of the power and time of the processing, and an operation to confirm the processing. The conditions may include, for example, power, time, mode (powerful mode, quiet mode, dehumidification, cooling, heating, etc.), temperature, humidity, rotation speed, brightness, etc.

[0107] It is preferable that the control device determines whether or not the first electrical appliance can be processed based on the operating status including power information for the processing of the second electrical appliance included in the plurality of electrical appliances and the processing-related information for the first electrical appliance.

[0108] When the total power consumption of the multiple electrical devices exceeds the limit, the control device may refer to the priority information and power consumption information of the first electrical device to determine whether processing can be executed, and transmit the determination result to the first electrical device.

[0109] The "allowable power amount" refers to the amount of power that can be used by the control system at the time of judgment, and may be determined in advance or, for example, based on information that the control system can obtain from a power supply source, etc.

[0110] The control device preferably starts the process for the determination before receiving the latest power-related information.

[0111] The control device is connected to a first electrical appliance and a second electrical appliance, and the first electrical appliance performs processing based on a plurality of operations including a first operation and a second operation performed after the first operation, and is equipped with a receiving unit that sequentially receives power-related information regarding power consumption from the first electrical appliance, an inquiry processing unit that inquires about the operating status of the second electrical appliance, and a determination process that receives operating status information regarding the operating status from each of the second electrical appliances and determines whether processing is possible based on the received operating status information and the power-related information, and it is preferable that the inquiry processing unit begins inquiring about the operating status in response to receiving power-related information that was sent before the last power-related information to be sent out of the plurality of power-related information that is sent sequentially.

[0112] It is preferable that the electrical device is an electrical device connected to a control device of a control system having a control device to which multiple electrical devices are connected, and that each time a setting operation related to a process is accepted, the electrical device transmits processing-related information including information regarding the power consumption of the process that is held at the time the setting operation is accepted to the control device.

[0113] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, various disclosures can be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above-described embodiments. For example, some components may be omitted from all components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined. The drawings mainly show each component in a schematic manner to facilitate understanding, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each illustrated component may differ from the actual components due to the convenience of drawing. Furthermore, the materials, shapes, dimensions, etc. of each component shown in the above-described embodiments are merely examples and are not particularly limited. Various modifications are possible within a scope that does not substantially deviate from the effects of the present disclosure.

[0114] In the embodiment, in step S105, the control unit 23 of the control device 2 starts inquiring about the operating status of each of the second electric appliances 1 in response to receiving the first power-related information from the first electric appliance 1. However, this is not limiting, and the control unit 23 may start inquiring about the operating status of each of the second electric appliances 1 in response to receiving second power-related information that was transmitted before the last second power-related information among the plurality of pieces of power-related information that are transmitted sequentially.

[0115] In the embodiment, the first electric device 1 transmits the first power-related information and the second power-related information in steps S101A, S101B, and S102. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The first electric device 1 may transmit the maximum power consumption and the longest power consumption time of the first electric device 1 as the power-related information in response to an ON operation of the first electric device 1.

Claims

1. A control system comprising: a plurality of electrical devices including a first electrical device; and a control device to which each of the plurality of electrical devices is connected, wherein the first electrical device transmits processing-related information to the control device each time it receives a setting operation related to a process, the information including information regarding the power consumption of the process that is held at the time the setting operation is received.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the control device makes a determination as to whether or not the electrical device is permitted to perform the processing each time the control device receives the processing-related information, transmits the determination result to the first electrical device, and notifies the first electrical device if the determination is no.

3. The control system according to claim 2, wherein the determination is started before a confirmation operation for the process is accepted as the setting operation.

4. The control system according to claim 2, wherein the notification includes a suggestion that will improve the judgment made by the control device.

5. The control system of claim 4, wherein the suggestion includes at least one of waiting for the process and changing to a process that consumes less power than the process.

6. The control system of claim 4, wherein the suggestion includes at least one of: waiting for processing of an electrical device other than the first electrical device; and changing to a processing that consumes less power than the current processing.

7. The control system of claim 4, wherein each of the process related information is at least one of power, process execution time, and process determination.

8. The control system of claim 1, wherein the first electrical device sequentially accepts a plurality of setting operations including at least one of an operation for waking up the electrical device, an operation for setting conditions related to at least one of the power and time of the processing, and an operation for finalizing the processing.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein the control device determines whether or not the first electrical appliance can perform the processing based on an operating status including power information of the processing of a second electrical appliance included in the plurality of electrical appliances and the processing-related information of the first electrical appliance.

10. The control system according to claim 9, wherein the control device starts processing related to the determination before receiving the latest power-related information.

11. A control device connected to a first electric appliance and a second electric appliance, in which the first electric appliance performs processing based on a plurality of operations including a first operation and a second operation performed after the first operation, comprising: a receiving unit that sequentially receives power-related information on power consumption from the first electric appliance; an inquiry processing unit that inquires of the second electric appliance about an operating status; and a determination process that receives operating status information on the operating status from each of the second electric appliances, and determines whether or not the processing can be performed based on the received operating status information and the power-related information, wherein the inquiry processing unit begins an inquiry about the operating status in response to receiving power-related information transmitted before the last of the power-related information to be transmitted, among the plurality of power-related information transmitted sequentially.

12. An electrical device connected to a control device of a control system having a control device to which multiple electrical devices are connected, the electrical device transmitting processing-related information to the control device each time it receives a setting operation related to the processing, the information including information regarding the power consumption of the processing that is held at the time the setting operation is received.

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