Control system, electric apparatus, and control device

Abstract

The present invention provides a technique capable of supplying electric power to electric apparatuses even when a high-priority power request occurs. An electric apparatus 1 is connected to a control device 2, the electric apparatus 1 comprising: a reception unit that receives a set process or a reserved process; and a transmission unit that transmits, to the control device, priority information indicating priority, which is determined on the basis of the process received by the reception unit, and power consumption information indicating electric power required for the process.

Description

Control systems, electrical equipment, and control devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-165479, 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] This type of control device is required to appropriately respond to high-priority power requests from electrical devices.

[0006] An object according to one aspect of the present invention is to provide a technique that can supply power to each electrical device even when a power request with high priority occurs.

[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, priority information indicating a priority determined based on a process set for the first electric device or a process reserved for the first electric device, and power consumption information indicating power required for the process.

[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure is an electrical device connected to a control device, comprising a reception unit that receives a process set by user operation or a process that has been scheduled for execution, and a transmission unit that transmits priority information indicating a priority determined based on the process received by the reception unit and power consumption information indicating the power required for the process to the control device.

[0009] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a control device connected to a plurality of electrical devices including a first electrical device, the control device including: a receiving unit that receives, from the first electrical device, priority information indicating a priority determined based on a process set in the first electrical device by a user operation or a process scheduled for execution in the first electrical device, and power consumption information indicating power required for the process; a determining unit that determines whether the first electrical device can execute the process based on the priority information and the power consumption information; and a transmitting unit that transmits a determination result made by the determining unit to the first electrical device.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technique that can supply power to each electrical device even when a high-priority power request occurs.

[0011] 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of a control system. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of each electrical device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an information set. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the detailed configuration of a control device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing power allocation in a control system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the processing of step S106 shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing power requests and each status. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the detailed processing procedure of step S306 shown in FIG.

[0012] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the control system, electrical equipment, and control device of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and the repeated description of the same or corresponding parts will be avoided.

[0013] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a control system 100 according to each embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated 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 exterior walls 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.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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."

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1 , the control system 100 includes a plurality of electric devices 1 including a first electric device 1, and a control device 2 to which each of the plurality of electric devices 1 is connected.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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).

[0024] 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 will be described later with reference to Fig. 5.

[0025] 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 207 may further include a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN). The server 209 collects, for example, 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] The functional unit 13 performs processing to fulfill the functions of the electrical device 1 .

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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 a 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 for setting the wattage, heating time, and start and end times.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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).

[0044] 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. 7, which will be referred to later.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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."

[0047] 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."

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] The information sets 17A to 17L are also stored in the storage unit 22 of the control device 2.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of power allocation executed by the control system 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the flowchart includes steps S101 to S110.

[0064] In step S101 (see FIG. 5 ), the first electric device 1 transmits priority information 171 indicating a priority determined based on a process set in the first electric device 1 by a user operation or a process scheduled for execution in the first electric device 1, and power consumption information 172 indicating the power required for this process, to the control device 2. That is, the first electric device 1 transmits the priority information 171 and the power consumption information 172 as a power request to the control device 2. This enables the control device 2 to supply power to each electric device 1 when a high-priority power request occurs in the first electric device 1.

[0065] Details of step S101 will be described below. The first electric appliance 1 is one of the multiple electric appliances 1 that the user will use. When the user wants to use a function of the first electric appliance 1, the user operates the operation display unit 14. In response to the user's operation, the operation display unit 14 transmits a command including a process set by the user's operation and a condition for the process to the control unit 15 (see FIG. 2 ). For example, if the first electric appliance 1 is a cooking appliance, the process is, for example, manual heating, and the condition for the process includes at least wattage in the first embodiment.

[0066] In response to receiving the command, the control unit 15 of the cooking appliance identifies information set 17 (see FIG. 3), which is one of various types of information. The communication unit 12 of the cooking appliance transmits information set 17 identified by the control unit 15 to the control device 2 as a power request. When the command includes manual heating, information set 17D is identified. In information set 17D, priority information 171D indicates a priority of "1," and power consumption information 172D indicates the wattage included in the command (hereinafter referred to as "requested wattage").

[0067] In the same manner as described above, when the first electric appliance 1 is an air conditioner, a refrigerator, or a washer-dryer, the operation display unit 14 of the first electric appliance 1 transmits a command to the control unit 15 in response to a user operation. The control unit 15 transmits priority information 171D and power consumption information 172D to the control device 2 based on the received command.

[0068] After transmitting the power request, in step S102, the first electric device 1 waits to execute processing until it receives a determination result from the control device 2. This prevents the total power consumption by the electric devices 1 from exceeding the total power. Specifically, in step S102, the control unit 15 of the first electric device 1 determines whether or not it has received a determination result from the control device 2 via the communication unit 12. If it determines that it has not received a determination result (No in step S102), the control unit 15 executes step S102 again. On the other hand, if it determines that it has received a determination result (Yes in step S102), the control unit 15 executes step S108.

[0069] In step S103 (see FIG. 5 ), the control device 2 accepts the power request. Specifically, the communication unit 21 of the control device 2 receives the power request information from the first electric device 1 and transfers it to the control unit 23.

[0070] Next, in step S104, in response to receiving the priority information 171 and the power consumption information 172 from the first electric appliance 1, the control unit 23 of the control device 2 transmits a status request via the communication unit 21 to each of the electric appliances 1 other than the first electric appliance 1 (hereinafter referred to as "second electric appliances 1"). The status request is information for requesting the second electric appliance 1 to return a status to the control device 2. The status includes at least the priority information 171 (see FIG. 3 ) and the power consumption information 172. The priority information 171 in the status 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.

[0071] In step S105, each second electric device 1 accepts the status request. Each second electric device 1 further transmits its own status to the control device 2. Specifically, the communication unit 21 of each second electric device 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 device 1 from a power measurement unit (not shown) provided in the second electric device 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. The control unit 15 transmits priority information 171 indicating the acquired priority and the power consumption information 172 to the control device 2 as status information. In this way, the control device 2 grasps the total power usage status through the status request in response to the power request, thereby enabling effective use of total power.

[0072] 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).

[0073] In step S106 (see FIG. 5 ), the control device 2 determines whether the first electric device 1 can execute processing based on the power request, i.e., the priority information 171 and the power consumption information 172. As a result, even if a high-priority power request occurs in the first electric device 1, the control device 2 determines whether it can supply power to each electric device 1.

[0074] Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the detailed processing procedure of step S106. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the details of the processing of Fig. 6.

[0075] The flowchart of FIG. 6 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 electrical 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 electrical device 1 is incapable of executing the process. The first condition is that the sum of the power consumption indicated by the power consumption information 172 received from the first electrical device 1 and the second electrical device 1 is less than or equal to the total power. The second condition is that the sum of the power consumption when the first condition is not satisfied and the power consumption of the second electrical device 1 is reduced and the power indicated by the power consumption information 172 received from the first electrical device 1 is less than or equal to the total power. This allows the control device 2 to efficiently allocate power to each electrical device 1 even when a high-priority power request is made by the first electrical device 1. Steps S201 to S208 are described in detail below.

[0076] At the start of execution of step S201, the storage unit 22 of the control device 2 stores the power request from the first electric appliance 1 and the status from each second electric appliance 1 (see FIG. 7 ). FIG. 7 illustrates a situation in which the total power consumption of each electric appliance 1 is 2200 watts. In addition, in the power request and status, the priority information 171 of "1" is included only in the power request from the first electric appliance 1 (cooker).

[0077] 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.

[0078] In steps S202 to S204, the control unit 23 identifies the second electric device 1 that satisfies the specific condition. More specifically, in step S202, the control unit 23 selects a "first specific status" from among all the statuses stored in the storage unit 22. The first specific status is a status that satisfies the first specific condition. The first specific condition is that the status includes the maximum power consumption information 172 and the lowest priority information 171. Furthermore, the sender of the "first specific status" is the second electric device 1 that satisfies the specific condition.

[0079] 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 sender matches the first specific status.

[0080] 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 a first identification information set 17 having specific priority information 171. The specific priority information 171 is priority information 171 indicating the lowest priority among priority information 171 indicating a priority higher than the first identification status. 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 indicated by the second specific power consumption information 172 corresponds to the "reduced power consumption."

[0081] 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.

[0082] In any of steps S206 to S208, the control device 2 transmits the determination result.

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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.

[0085] After step S207, step S209 is executed. If step S205 returns Yes, it is necessary to change the processing of the second electrical appliance 1, which is the sender of the first specific status. Therefore, in step S209, the control device 2 sends a change request to the sender of the first specific status. The change request is a command for instructing the execution of processing defined in the second specific information set 17. The sender of the first specific status changes its processing in response to receiving the change request.

[0086] When execution of any one of steps S206, S208, and S209 is completed, the control device 2 exits the process in Fig. 6 and executes step S107 in Fig. 5. In step S107, 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, in response to receiving either the first determination result or the second determination result via the communication unit 12, the control unit 15 determines Yes in step S102, and executes step S108.

[0087] In step S108, 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 S108), step S109 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the determination result is not the first determination result (No in step S108), step S110 is executed.

[0088] In step S109, the first electric appliance 1 executes the process set for the first electric appliance 1 by the user's operation. For example, in a heating cooker, manual heating is performed at a wattage specified by the user's operation. That is, in the first electric appliance 1, the functional unit 13 executes the process under the control of the control unit 15. This allows the first electric appliance 1 to execute the process even if a high-priority power request occurs in the first electric appliance 1.

[0089] In step S110, 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 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 be changed. 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 FIG. 5 . 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.

[0090] "First Modification" A first modification of the first embodiment will be described below. In the first modification, when a process execution reservation is made for the first electric device 1 by a user operation, the first electric device 1 further transmits time information 173 in addition to the priority information 171 and the power consumption information 172. The time information 173 is information indicating the start time of the reservation. In other words, the time information 173 indicates the time during which power is required. When the power request includes the time information 173, the control device 2 executes step S104 when the start time indicated by the time information 173 arrives. Including the time information 173 allows the first electric device 1 to receive power at an appropriate timing.

[0091] "Second Modification" A second modification of the first embodiment will be described below. In the first electrical appliance 1, the power consumption may change after the execution of a process set by a user operation starts. Specifically, the power consumption changes over time in the cooling process and heating process of an air conditioner. As a result, the process priority information 171 and / or the power consumption information 172 change.

[0092] In the second variant, when the priority information 171 and / or the power consumption information 172 change during the execution of processing, the first electrical device 1 transmits a power request to the control device 2, the power request including the priority information 172 indicating the changed priority and / or the power consumption information 172 indicating the changed power.

[0093] Specifically, in step S101, the first electric device 1 periodically obtains power consumption information from a power measurement unit (not shown) after starting execution of a process set by a user operation. In response to a change in power consumption over time, the first electric device 1 transmits a power request including changed priority information 171 and / or changed power consumption information 172 to the control device 2. In response to receiving the power request, the control device 2 executes steps S103 to S107. As a result, the first electric device 1 receives a first determination result or a second determination result from the control device 2.

[0094] When the first electric device 1 receives the second determination result, it adjusts the content of the processing in step S110. In this case, it is conceivable that the priority information 171 and / or the power consumption information 172 of the first electric device 1 may further change. Therefore, in the second modification, when the content of the processing is adjusted based on the second determination result, the first electric device 1 preferably transmits a power request to the control device 2 including the priority information 172 indicating the changed priority and / or the power consumption information 172 indicating the changed power. In the second modification, the first electric device 1 transmits a power request to the control device 2 in accordance with a change in its own power consumption, and the control device 2 transmits a determination result to the first electric device 1 based on the power request. Therefore, total power is used efficiently.

[0095] Second Embodiment Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a procedure for power allocation executed by a control system 100 according to a second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, the flowchart includes steps S301 to S311.

[0096] In step S301, the first electric device 1 transmits multiple sets of priority information 171 and power consumption information 172 as a power request to the control device 2. In the first embodiment, the power request included only one set of priority information 171 and power consumption information 172. Therefore, when the first electric device 1 received the second determination result from the control device 2, it was necessary for the first electric device 1 to retransmit the power request. However, in the second embodiment, the power request includes multiple sets of priority information 171 and power consumption information 172. Therefore, the time from the power request to the execution of processing is shortened in the first electric device 1.

[0097] Step S301 will be described in detail below. In response to a user operation, the operation display unit 14 transmits a command including a process set by the user operation to the control unit 15 (see FIG. 2). For example, if the first electric appliance 1 is a heating cooker, the process may be, for example, automatic heating.

[0098] In response to receiving the command, the control unit 15 of the cooking appliance identifies information set 17 (see FIG. 3), which is one of various types of information. The communication unit 12 of the cooking appliance transmits information set 17 identified by the control unit 15 to the control device 2 as a power request. When the command includes automatic heating, information sets 17A to 17C (see FIG. 3) are identified. In this case, the first electric appliance 1 transmits to the control device 2 a set of priority information 171A and power consumption information 172A, a set of priority information 171B and power consumption information 172B, and a set of priority information 171C and power consumption information 172C.

[0099] After transmitting the power request, in step S302, the first electric device 1 waits for execution of processing, similarly to step S102 (see FIG. 5).

[0100] In step S303, the control device 2 receives a power request in the same manner as in step S103. That is, the control device 2 receives a plurality of sets of priority information 171 and power consumption information 172 transmitted by the first electric appliance 1.

[0101] Steps S304 and S305 are similar to steps S104 and S105.

[0102] In step S306, the control device 2 determines whether the first electric device 1 can execute a process based on the power request. Specifically, whether the first electric device 1 can execute a process is determined based on the power consumption information 172 in descending order of priority indicated by the priority information 171 included in the power request. Therefore, a determination result can be obtained quickly for a process with a high priority, thereby providing a user-friendly control system 100.

[0103] 9 is a flowchart showing the detailed processing procedure of step S306. The flowchart in FIG. 9 includes steps S401 to S411.

[0104] In step S401, the control unit 23 selects the priority information 171 indicating the highest priority from the unselected priority information 171 included in the power request, and selects the power consumption information 172 (hereinafter referred to as the "third specific power consumption information 172") in the same set as the selected priority information 171.

[0105] In step S402, the control unit 23 determines whether the first condition is satisfied, similarly to step S201 (see FIG. 6 ). If it is determined that the first condition is satisfied (Yes in step S402), step S407 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the first condition is not satisfied (No in step S402), step S403 is executed.

[0106] Next, the control unit 23 executes steps S403, S404, and S405 in this order. Steps S403 to S405 are similar to steps S202 to S204.

[0107] Next, in step S406, the control unit 23 determines whether the second condition is satisfied, as in step S205 (see FIG. 6 ). If it is determined that the second condition is satisfied (Yes in step S406), step S408 is executed. If it is determined that the second condition is not satisfied (No in step S406), step S409 is executed.

[0108] In any of steps S407 to S409, the control unit 23 of the control device 2 stores the determination result in the storage unit 22.

[0109] In detail, in steps S407 and S408, the control unit 23 stores the first judgment result, which is one of the judgment results, in the memory unit 22 in association with the priority information 171 and power consumption information 172 selected in step S401.

[0110] In step S409, the control unit 23 stores a second determination result, which is another one of the determination results, in the storage unit 22 in association with the priority information 171 and the power consumption information 172 selected in step S401.

[0111] After step S408, the control unit 23 executes step S410, which is the same as step S209.

[0112] When the execution of any of steps S407 to S409 is completed, the control unit 23 executes step S411. In step S411, the control unit 23 determines whether or not any unselected priority information 171 remains among the plurality of priority information 171 included in the power request. If it is determined that any unselected priority information 171 remains (Yes in step S411), step S401 is executed again. If it is determined that any unselected priority information 171 remains (No in step S411), the control device 2 exits the process of FIG. 9 and executes step S307 of FIG. 8.

[0113] In step S307, the control unit 23 transmits the combination of each determination result stored in the storage unit 22 and the priority information 171 and power consumption information 172 selected in step S401 to the first electric device 1 via the communication unit 21. In the first electric device 1, the control unit 15 determines Yes in step S302 in response to receiving the determination result via the communication unit 12, and step S308 is executed.

[0114] In step S308, the control unit 15 of the first electrical appliance 1 determines whether the determination result received from the control device 2 includes the first determination result. If it is determined that the first determination result is included (Yes in step S308), step S309 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the first determination result is not included (No in step S308), step S310 is executed.

[0115] In step S309, the first electric appliance 1 executes the process set in the first electric appliance 1 by the 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. For example, automatic heating is executed in a cooking appliance.

[0116] In step S310, the first electric appliance 1 displays a message indicating that "the process (automatic heating) specified by the user's operation cannot be executed."

[0117] According to the above embodiment and variant examples, the first electrical device 1 transmits priority information 171 and power consumption information 172 to the control device 2, so that the control device 2 can distribute the total power to each electrical device 1 even when a high-priority power request occurs.

[0118] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a control system may include a plurality of electric devices including a first electric device, and a control device connected to each of the plurality of electric devices, wherein the first electric device transmits, to the control device, priority information indicating a priority determined based on a process set for the first electric device or a process reserved for the first electric device, and power consumption information indicating power required for the process.

[0119] The electrical device connected to the control device may include a reception unit that receives a process set by user operation or a process that has been scheduled for execution, and a transmission unit that transmits priority information indicating a priority determined based on the process received by the reception unit and power consumption information indicating the power required for the process to the control device.

[0120] A control device connected to a plurality of electrical devices including a first electrical device may include a receiving unit that receives, from the first electrical device, priority information indicating a priority determined based on a process set in the first electrical device by user operation or a process scheduled for execution in the first electrical device, and power consumption information indicating the power required for the process; a determining unit that determines whether the first electrical device is able to execute the process based on the priority information and the power consumption information; and a transmitting unit that transmits the determination result made by the determining unit to the first electrical device.

[0121] In these cases, for example, the power supply to multiple electrical devices can be appropriately adjusted by taking into consideration both priority information and power consumption information, so that even in a tight power supply situation, it is possible to obtain an appropriate power supply to multiple electrical devices.

[0122] Note that the process including the reservation may be set by a user operation, or may be set by a control device or the like without a user operation.

[0123] The control device may be configured by a control unit (such as a processor) provided in at least one of the plurality of electrical devices.

[0124] The process may be, for example, a defrosting process in a refrigerator (including a freezer), an automatic ice making process, or the like.

[0125] The control device may be configured to, when the total power consumption of the multiple electrical devices exceeds the allowable power amount, determine whether or not a process can be executed by referring to the priority information and power consumption information of the first electrical device and transmit the determination result to the first electrical device. In this way, the control device may be configured to, for example, determine whether or not a process can be executed by referring to the allowable power amount of a house, building, etc. in which the multiple electrical devices are installed, in addition to the information transmitted from the electrical device. In this case, it is possible to prevent the amount of power used from exceeding the allowable power amount.

[0126] The "allowable power amount" refers to the amount of power that can be used under the control of 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.

[0127] The control device may compare the priority information and power consumption information of the first electrical device and the other electrical devices when determining whether the process can be executed. By determining the power supply mode by comprehensively taking into account the priority information and power consumption information transmitted from the multiple electrical devices, more optimal power supply becomes possible.

[0128] The first electric device may transmit the priority information and the power consumption information to the control device and then wait for the execution of a process. For example, the first electric device may immediately execute a process after transmitting the priority information and the power consumption information to the control device, or may wait for the execution of a process. In this case, for example, when the control device determines that the execution of a process is difficult or impossible, the execution of the process in the first electric device may be more effectively suppressed.

[0129] It is preferable that the execution of the process wait until, for example, a determination result is received from the control device. For example, if the determination result is not received from the control device even after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, it may be determined that a timeout has occurred and the waiting for execution of the process may be canceled.

[0130] After the priority information and power consumption information are transmitted from the plurality of electrical devices to the control device, the process with the highest priority or the process with the lowest power consumption may be executed without waiting. If the power consumption is below the allowable power amount after the execution of the process starts, the process to be executed may be changed to a process with a lower priority and a higher power consumption.

[0131] It is preferable that the electrical device attaches identification information to the priority information and the power consumption information as related information, and transmits the information as an information group including the priority information, the power consumption information, and the identification information.

[0132] The first electrical device preferably transmits a plurality of sets of information, and in this case, the plurality of sets of information to be transmitted are preferably sets of information in which at least one of priority information and power consumption information is different from one another.

[0133] It is preferable that the control device receives multiple groups of information, and determines whether processing can be executed by referring to the priority information, power consumption information, and a specified amount of power, in order of the priority indicated by the priority information among the multiple groups of information.

[0134] It is preferable that the first electric device transmits information about the time required for processing by including it in the information set. In this case, the power supply mode can be more appropriately determined taking into account the time required for processing.

[0135] Preferably, the first electrical device is configured to retransmit the changed information group when at least one piece of information included in the information group changes. Priority information and power consumption information of a process that the electrical device is about to perform or has been reserved for may change over time. In such a case, for example, it is preferable that the electrical device be configured to retransmit the information group.

[0136] It is preferable that the first electrical device retransmits the priority information and the power consumption information when it receives a determination from the control device that the process is not executable. For example, when an information group is transmitted from the electrical device, it may be determined that the process is not executable due to factors such as the allowable power amount. In such a case, it is preferable that the electrical device is configured to, for example, increase the priority or decrease the power consumption, and then retransmit (re-request) the priority information and the power consumption information.

[0137] In this case, it is preferable that at least one of the priority information and the power consumption information to be retransmitted is different from the priority information and the power consumption information that have already been transmitted.

[0138] The first electrical device may be configured to retransmit the priority information and the power consumption information at a different processing start time from the previous transmission, because changing the processing start time may change a determination result that the processing is not possible before the change to a determination result that the processing is possible.

[0139] The information on different conditions preferably includes at least one of priority information higher than the transmitted priority information and power consumption information lower than the transmitted power consumption information.

[0140] The control device may be configured to request priority information and power consumption information of current or reserved processes from a plurality of electric devices other than the first electric device.

[0141] The control device may compare a plurality of sets of information including priority information and power consumption information input from each of the plurality of devices, and determine whether or not each of the plurality of devices is capable of executing a process.

[0142] 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.

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 to the control device priority information indicating a priority determined based on a process set in the first electrical device or a process reserved in the first electrical device, and power consumption information indicating the power required for the process.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein when the total power consumption of the multiple electrical devices exceeds the allowable power amount, the control device determines whether the process is executable by referring to the priority information and the power consumption information of the first electrical device, and transmits the determination result to the first electrical device.

3. The control system according to claim 2, wherein the control device compares the priority information and the power consumption information of the first electrical device with those of other electrical devices when determining whether the process is executable.

4. The control system according to claim 2, wherein the first electrical device waits for execution of the process after transmitting the priority information and the power consumption information to the control device.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein the first electrical device adds identification information as associated information between the priority information and the power consumption information, and transmits the priority information, the power consumption information, and the identification information as an information group.

6. The control system according to claim 5, wherein the first electrical device transmits a plurality of sets of information.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein the control device receives the plurality of groups of information, and determines whether the process is executable by referring to the priority information, the power consumption information, and a predetermined amount of power in order of the priority indicated by the priority information among the plurality of groups of information.

8. The control system according to claim 6, wherein the first electrical device transmits information indicating the time required for the processing in the group of information.

9. The control system according to claim 6, wherein the first electrical device retransmits the changed information group when at least one piece of information included in the information group changes.

10. The control system according to claim 2, wherein the first electrical device retransmits the priority information and the power consumption information when it receives a determination from the control device that the process is not to be executed.

11. The control system according to claim 10, wherein the priority information and the power consumption information to be retransmitted are different from the priority information and the power consumption information that have already been transmitted.

12. A control system according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the first electrical device retransmits the priority information and the power consumption information by changing the start time of the processing from the time of the previous transmission.

13. The control system according to claim 11, wherein the information on different conditions includes at least one of priority information higher than the transmitted priority information and power consumption information lower than the transmitted power consumption information.

14. A control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control device requests the priority information and the power consumption information of current or scheduled processing from the plurality of electrical devices other than the first electrical device.

15. A control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control device compares multiple sets of information including the priority information and the power consumption information input from each of the multiple devices, and determines whether or not processing for each of the multiple devices is executable.

16. An electrical device connected to a control device, comprising: a reception unit that receives a process set by user operation or a process whose execution has been scheduled; and a transmission unit that transmits to the control device priority information indicating a priority determined based on the process received by the reception unit and power consumption information indicating the power required for the process.

17. A control device connected to a plurality of electrical devices including a first electrical device, comprising: a receiving unit that receives from the first electrical device priority information indicating a priority determined based on a process set in the first electrical device by a user operation or a process scheduled for execution in the first electrical device, and power consumption information indicating the power required for the process; a determination unit that determines whether the first electrical device is capable of executing the process based on the priority information and the power consumption information; and a transmitting unit that transmits the determination result made by the determination unit to the first electrical device.

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