Control system, control device, and control method

Abstract

The present invention reduces costs for wiring a control device and a power reception facility, and acquires information for demand control even if the wiring itself is difficult.　The present disclosure is a control system comprising: a first control device 10-1 that communicates with a power reception facility 9 in a wired manner; and one or more second control devices 10-2 that are connected to a device 30 which consumes power. The first control device has a first control unit. The first control unit acquires power consumption information of the device from the power reception facility, and the first control unit transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the second control device(s).

Description

Control system, control device, and control method

[0001] The present invention relates to a control system, a control device, and a control method.

[0002] Demand control is known, which monitors the amount of power consumed by business facilities such as factories and reduces power consumption when an increase in power consumption is predicted. The demand control device periodically calculates the amount of power consumption and suppresses the power consumption of the equipment so that it does not exceed a set target power consumption.

[0003] A technology for controlling the demand for power consumption at multiple bases using a single server is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a management server that monitors the received power at an integrated power receiving point, determines output adjustment amounts for the multiple bases so that the received power is reduced from the baseline power by a requested reduction power, and distributes the output adjustment amounts to each base.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-156132

[0005] However, for example, when the power receiving equipment is on a utility pole, the power receiving equipment and each control device are far away, and underground wiring may be necessary, which increases the installation cost. Also, for example, when the power receiving equipment is shared between service areas on both the inbound and outbound sides of a highway, it may be impossible to lay the wiring because it would require crossing an elevated road.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a technique for reducing the cost of wiring a control device and a power receiving facility, and for the control device to acquire information for demand control even when the wiring itself is difficult.

[0007] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a control system comprising a first control device that communicates with a power receiving facility via a wired connection, and one or more second control devices connected to power consuming devices, wherein the first control device has a first control unit, the first control unit acquires power consumption information of the devices from the power receiving facility, and the first control unit transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the second control device.

[0008] According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the cost of wiring the control device and the power receiving equipment, and also to obtain information for demand control even when the wiring itself is difficult.

[0009] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a control system according to the first aspect, wherein the first control unit determines a demand level, a difference in demand levels, or a margin for a target power consumption amount based on the power consumption information, and transmits the demand level, the difference in demand levels, or the margin for the target power consumption amount to the second control device.

[0010] A third aspect of the present disclosure is a control system according to the first aspect, wherein the first control unit transmits the power consumption information to the second control unit, the second control unit has a second control unit, and the second control unit determines its own demand level, a difference in demand level, or a margin for a target power consumption amount based on the power consumption information.

[0011] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a control system according to the first or second aspect, wherein the second control device has a second control unit, and when communication with the first control device is interrupted, the second control unit determines its own demand level, a difference in demand levels, or a margin for a target power consumption amount based on information obtained before the communication is interrupted or information obtainable after the communication is interrupted.

[0012] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a control system according to the first aspect, wherein the control system has a server device, and the first control unit transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the second control device via the server device.

[0013] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a control system described in the fifth aspect, wherein the third control unit determines, based on information regarding the control devices pre-registered in the server device, the second control device that is in the same control group as the first control device that transmitted the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information, and transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the second control device that is in the same control group as the first control device.

[0014] A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is a control system described in the fifth aspect, wherein the first control unit determines the second control unit in the same control group as the first control unit based on information about the control unit pre-registered in the first control unit, and when transmitting the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the server device, the first control unit instructs the server device to select the second control unit in the same control group as the first control unit as the destination of the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information.

[0015] An eighth aspect of the present disclosure is a control system according to any one of the fifth to seventh aspects, wherein, when communication with the server device is interrupted, the second control unit determines its own demand level, the difference in demand levels, or the margin for a target power consumption amount based on information obtained before the communication is interrupted or information obtainable after the communication is interrupted.

[0016] A ninth aspect of the present disclosure is the control system according to the eighth aspect, wherein, when the second control unit determines that communication with the server device has been interrupted, it determines whether demand control is necessary based on information acquired before the communication was interrupted or information that can be acquired after the communication was interrupted, and when it determines that demand control is necessary, it determines its own demand level, the difference in demand levels, or the margin for a target power consumption amount based on information acquired before the communication was interrupted or information that can be acquired after the communication was interrupted.

[0017] A tenth aspect of the present disclosure is a control system described in any one of the fifth to seventh aspects, wherein the second control device has a second control unit, and when the second control unit determines that communication with the server device has been cut off, the second control unit performs demand control at a maximum demand level.

[0018] An eleventh aspect of the present disclosure is a control device that communicates with a power receiving facility via a wired connection, the control device having a first control unit, the first control unit being capable of communicating with one or more second control devices connected to power consuming devices, the first control unit acquiring power consumption information of the devices from the power receiving facility, and the first control unit transmitting the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the second control device.

[0019] According to the eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, the cost for wiring the control device and the power receiving equipment can be reduced, and information for demand control can be obtained even when the wiring itself is difficult.

[0020] A twelfth aspect of the present disclosure is a control method performed by a control system including a first control device that communicates with a power receiving facility via a wired connection and one or more second control devices connected to power-consuming devices, wherein a first control unit included in the first control device performs a process of acquiring power consumption information of the device from the power receiving facility, and a process of the first control unit transmitting the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the second control device.

[0021] According to the twelfth aspect of the present disclosure, the cost of wiring the control device and the power receiving equipment can be reduced, and information for demand control can be obtained even when the wiring itself is difficult.

[0022] 1 is a diagram illustrating a comparative example of a configuration in which power consumption information is shared between edge devices 10-1 and 10-2. FIG. 1 is an example of a schematic configuration diagram of a control system. FIG. 1 is an example of a schematic configuration diagram of a control system. FIG. 2 is an example of a system configuration diagram of a control system in the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an edge device. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a cloud server. FIG. 4 is an example of a functional block diagram illustrating functions of the edge device 10-1, the edge device 10-2, and the cloud server in the control system, separated into blocks. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a destination determination table stored in a storage unit. FIG. 5 is an example of a functional block diagram illustrating in detail the function of a demand control unit. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a target power consumption management table stored in a storage unit. FIG. 6 is an example of a demand level table stored in a storage unit. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically illustrating a process for determining whether power consumption information is likely to exceed a target power consumption. FIG. 8 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a method for determining a demand level. FIG. 9 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating a process in which the edge device 10-1 transmits a demand level to the edge devices 10-2 and 10-3 via the cloud server. FIG. 10 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a process in which the edge device estimates a demand level. 1 is a diagram illustrating a demand level estimation model. FIG. 2 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating a process in which an edge device 10-1 transmits power consumption information to a cloud server, and the cloud server transmits a demand level to the edge devices 10-1 to 10-3. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the system configuration of a control system. FIG. 4 is an example of a functional block diagram illustrating the functions of the edge device 10-1 and the edge device 10-2 in the control system, divided into blocks. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an edge device management table pre-registered in a storage unit. FIG. 5 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating a process in which the edge device 10-1 transmits a demand level to the edge devices 10-2 and 10-3 without going through a cloud server. FIG. 6 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating a process in which each edge device determines a demand level. FIG. 7 is an example of a schematic configuration diagram of a control system.

[0023] A control system and a control method performed by the control system will be described below as an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] <Comparative Example of a Configuration in which Power Consumption Information is Shared Between Edge Devices 10-1 and 10-2> FIG. 1 shows a comparative example of a configuration in which power consumption information is shared between edge devices 10-1 and 10-2. The comparative example is an example for understanding the features of this embodiment and does not necessarily represent prior art. Edge devices 10-1 and 10-2 are connected to a power receiving facility 9 via wires 35 and 36. The power receiving facility 9 transmits information about power consumption consumed in the facility to the edge devices 10-1 and 10-2. One or more air conditioners 33 are connected to each of the edge devices 10-1 and 10-2, and the edge devices 10-1 and 10-2 perform demand control of the air conditioners 33 in accordance with the power consumption information. Demand control refers to control that reduces power consumption.

[0025] In this way, when there are multiple edge devices 10-1, 10-2, the power receiving equipment 9 transmits power consumption information to each of the edge devices 10-1, 10-2. For this reason, wiring is required to connect each edge device 10-1, 10-2 to the power receiving equipment 9.

[0026] Because wiring is required between each edge device and the power receiving equipment 9, the wiring cost increases depending on the length of the wiring, and furthermore, installation work for laying the wiring is required when installing the air conditioner 33. In addition, because the edge devices 10-1 and 10-2 receive power consumption information, each edge device 10-1 and 10-2 performs demand control according to the power consumption information.

[0027] <System Configuration Example of Embodiment> Therefore, in the following embodiment, only the edge device 10-1 is connected to the power receiving equipment 9 by wire, and the edge device 10-1 transmits power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to one or more other edge devices 10-2. The information based on the power consumption information is at least one of the demand level, the difference between the demand levels, or the margin for the target power consumption. Details of these will be described later.

[0028] FIG. 2A shows a schematic configuration diagram of a control system 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2A, the power receiving facility 9 and an edge device 10-1 (an example of a first control device) are connected via a wire 35, but the edge device 10-2 (an example of a second control device) and the power receiving facility 9 are not connected via a wire. Meanwhile, the control system 100 also includes a cloud server 50. The cloud server 50 and the edge device 10-1 can communicate via a network (wired or wireless). In the configuration of FIG. 2A, the edge devices 10-1 and 10-2 can share power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information as follows: (1) The edge device 10-1 transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information received from the power receiving facility 9 to the cloud server 50, and the cloud server 50 transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the edge device 10-2.

[0029] FIG. 2B also shows a schematic configuration diagram of the control system 100 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 2B, the control system 100 does not include a cloud server 50, but the edge devices 10-1 and 10-2 can communicate wirelessly. In the configuration of FIG. 2B, the edge devices 10-1 and 10-2 can share power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information as follows: (2) The edge device 10-1 transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information received from the power receiving equipment 9 to the edge device 10-2 via wireless communication without going through the cloud server 50.

[0030] In both cases of FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, when the edge device 10-1 transmits the power consumption information itself to the edge device 10-2, the edge device 10-2 determines the demand level according to the power consumption information and performs demand control.

[0031] In this way, since the edge device 10-1 of this embodiment is connected to the power receiving facility 9 by wire, there is a low possibility of communication being interrupted. Also, if the edge device 10-1 transmits the demand level or the difference in the demand level to one or more other edge devices 10-2, etc., the edge device 10-2 does not need to determine the demand level. In this way, the edge device 10-1 can make the edge device 10-2 share the same demand level. Alternatively, the edge device 10-1 can make the edge device 10-2 share different demand levels.

[0032] The system configuration in FIG. 2A will be described in detail below as a first embodiment, and the system configuration in FIG. 2B will be described in detail below as a second embodiment.

[0033] <Terminology> The information based on power consumption information may be any information that allows the edge devices 10-1 and 10-2 to control demand. In this embodiment, the information based on power consumption information is at least one of the demand level, the difference in demand level, and the margin for target power consumption. The demand level is the shut-off level when shutting down the capacity of an air conditioner or the like so as not to exceed the target power consumption (upper limit). The higher the demand level, the higher the shut-off level, and the greater the reduction in power consumption. The difference in demand level is the difference between the current demand level and the newly determined demand level, and is the amount of change in the demand level. The margin for target power consumption is, for example, "(target power consumption - current power consumption) / target power consumption," and indicates how much margin there is for the target power consumption.

[0034] The first control device is a device that communicates with the power receiving equipment 9 via a wired connection, and the second control device is a control device that is connected to the air conditioner 33 or the like that consumes power. The first control device may or may not be connected to the air conditioner 33 or the like. There may be multiple second control devices. Control by the control device refers to demand control and control of the air conditioner 33 or the like.

[0035] First Embodiment In this embodiment, a control system 100 in which edge devices 10-1 and 10-2 communicate with each other via a cloud server 50 will be described.

[0036] <System Configuration of Control System> The system configuration of the control system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a system configuration diagram of the control system 100 in this embodiment.

[0037] The control system 100 provides a variety of IoT-based services to administrators and general users by allowing various devices 30, such as air conditioners and lighting devices, to communicate with a cloud server 50 via edge devices 10-1 to 10-n. As an example, the edge devices 10-1 to 10-n, devices 30-1 to 30-n, sensor switches 31-1 to 31-n, and user terminals 7 are located on the customer side, and the cloud server 50 is located in a cloud such as a data center or the Internet. Note that, hereinafter, any of the edge devices 10-1 to 10-n will be referred to as an "edge device 10," any of the devices 30-1 to 30-n will be referred to as a "device 30," and any of the sensor switches 31-1 to 31-n will be referred to as a "sensor switch 31."

[0038] The devices 30 refer to all devices that consume power, such as air conditioners 33, security equipment, heat source equipment, fire alarms, AHUs (air handling units), watt-hour meters, and lighting. The sensor switches 31 include various sensors, lamps, relays, and the like. The devices 30 and the sensor switches 31 are communicably connected to the edge device 10 via a dedicated cable or a network such as a LAN. The devices 30 and the sensor switches 31 may also be communicably connected to the edge device 10 via wireless communication.

[0039] The device 30 and the sensor switches 31 are controlled by the edge device 10. In other words, the edge device 10 applies required operations to the device 30 and the sensor switches 31 so as to suit the purposes of the device 30 and the sensor switches 31. The content of the control varies depending on the type of the device 30 and the sensor switches 31. For example, if the device 30 is an air conditioner 33, the control may include all control related to the functions of the air conditioner 33, such as the cooling / heating mode, set temperature, air volume, humidity, and air direction that can generally be set in the air conditioner 33. The control also includes demand control, which suppresses power consumption so as not to exceed a target power consumption.

[0040] The device 30 collects operating data appropriate for the device 30 and periodically transmits it to the edge device 10. Periodically means, for example, once per minute, once per 10 minutes, or once per 60 minutes, but this may be set by the user terminal 7 or the cloud server 50. Furthermore, the device 30 can transmit operating data to the edge device 10 in response to a request from the edge device 10 or the user terminal 7. The operating data varies depending on the device 30, but in the case of an air conditioner 33, for example, the operating data may include high-pressure and low-pressure refrigerant, refrigerant temperature, fan rotation speed, and microcomputer CPU temperature.

[0041] Furthermore, if the device 30 detects an abnormality, it transmits an abnormality code to the edge device 10. The device 30 that detects an abnormality stops operation. The edge device 10 transmits the abnormality code to the cloud server 50. The edge device 10 may perform the same processing with respect to the sensor switches 31. The sensor switches 31 mainly periodically transmit information about themselves and transmit abnormality codes to the edge device 10.

[0042] The edge device 10 is a controller that controls the device 30 and the sensor switches 31. The edge device 10 functions as a control device (one of the controls is demand control) that controls the device 30 and the sensor switches 31, an information processing device that processes operating data, etc., and a communication device that communicates with the cloud server 50. The edge device 10 transmits, for example, operating data and abnormality codes received from the device 30 to the cloud server 50 and receives instructions corresponding to the data from the cloud server 50. Alternatively, the edge device 10 may receive instructions from the cloud server 50 without transmitting any information to the cloud server 50 (for example, when an instruction is sent from the user terminal 7 to the cloud server 50). The edge device 10 converts the instructions into appropriate instructions depending on the models of the device 30 and the sensor switches 31 and transmits them to the device 30 and the sensor switches 31.

[0043] The cloud server 50 is one or more information processing devices. While one cloud server 50 is shown in FIG. 3, the cloud server 50 may be divided into several servers each with a different function. Furthermore, the cloud server 50 may have its functions consolidated into a single information processing device. Alternatively, multiple cloud servers 50 with the same functions may be provided, and the multiple cloud servers 50 may communicate with each other and perform processing like a server cluster.

[0044] In this embodiment, the cloud server 50 receives from the edge device 10-1 power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information that the edge device 10-1 has received from the power receiving equipment 9, and shares this information with the edge devices 10-2 to 10-n. Additionally, the cloud server 50 receives operational data and error codes transmitted from the edge device 10 via the network N and generates necessary instructions. For example, in response to an error code, the cloud server 50 instructs the edge device 10 to perform emergency operation regardless of the model of the device 30. The cloud server 50 can also transmit instructions to the edge device 10 for the device 30 in accordance with a schedule or operation set by the user terminal 7.

[0045] The cloud server 50 may have the functionality of a web server. In response to requests from client software (web clients) such as a web browser operated by a user, the web server provides the clients with screen information written in HTML files, XML, CSS files, JavaScript (registered trademark), etc. An application that uses web mechanisms in this way is called a web application.

[0046] The term "cloud" in the cloud server 50 is derived from cloud computing and refers to a usage mode in which resources on a network are used without being aware of specific hardware resources. However, the cloud server 50 in this embodiment may be a conventional standalone server device or a server device that is located on-premise.

[0047] The user terminal 7 is a client terminal that displays various screens provided by the cloud server 50. The user terminal 7 may be used by an administrator or a general user. There are administrators on the customer side and administrators on the control system side, but this disclosure does not distinguish between them. The administrator is also a person who performs maintenance and management that are not performed by general users who use the device 30 on a daily basis.

[0048] The screens displayed by the user terminal 7 are diverse, but examples include a list screen of the equipment 30 and sensor switches 31 connected to the edge device 10 on the customer side, an internal company map showing the locations of the equipment 30 and sensor switches 31, and an operation screen for operating the equipment 30 and sensors.

[0049] The user terminal 7 may be, for example, a personal computer (PC), a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a wearable PC (such as a sunglasses-type or wristwatch-type PC). However, it is sufficient that the user terminal 7 has a communication function and can run a web browser. Furthermore, instead of a web browser, the user terminal 7 may run a native app dedicated to the control system 100.

[0050] The power receiving equipment 9 is installed in facilities that require a relatively large amount of power, and adjusts the voltage to supply electricity suitable for the building or factory that will be used within the facility. The power receiving equipment 9 has an existing configuration. The power receiving equipment 9 may be called, for example, a cubicle or an electrical room. The power receiving equipment 9 transforms the 6600 [V] electricity sent from the power plant into 100 [V] or 200 [V] electricity that can be used within the facility. Therefore, the power receiving equipment 9 also functions as a transformer.

[0051] The power receiving facility 9 has a meter for custody 9a, which receives the voltage and current transformed by a VCT (voltage transformer) and detects the power used at the facility. The meter for custody 9a is mainly installed by the power company at the customer's premises.

[0052] The pulse detector 9b outputs a pulse corresponding to the power detected by the custody transfer instrument 9a. The pulse detector 9b outputs one pulse when a certain amount of power is consumed, for example, one pulse per 1 kW-hour. The power receiving equipment 9 transmits this pulse to the edge device 10-1. The edge device 10-1 generates power consumption information by counting the number of pulses for periods shorter than the demand time (for example, 30 minutes) (for example, 30 seconds to 1 minute). The power receiving equipment 9 may also transmit the number of pulses or power consumption information accumulated for periods shorter than the demand time to the edge device 10-1.

[0053] <Hardware Configuration of Edge Device and Server Device> Next, the hardware configuration of the edge device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the edge device 10. As shown in Fig. 4, the edge device 10 includes a processor 201, a memory 202, an auxiliary storage device 203, an I / F (Interface) device 204, a communication device 205, and a drive device 206. Note that the hardware components of the edge device 10 are connected to each other via a bus 207.

[0054] The processor 201 has various arithmetic devices such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 201 reads and executes various programs on the memory 202. The processor 201 corresponds to the control unit 110 (an example of a first control unit or a second control unit) that controls the entire edge device 10.

[0055] The memory 202 includes a main storage device such as a read-only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM). The processor 201 and the memory 202 form a so-called computer, and the processor 201 executes various programs read onto the memory 202.

[0056] The auxiliary storage device 203 stores various programs and various data used when the processor 201 executes the various programs.

[0057] The I / F device 204 is a connection device that connects the edge device 10 with the equipment 30 and sensor switches 31, which are examples of external devices.

[0058] The communication device 205 is a communication device for communicating with the cloud server 50 via the network N.

[0059] The drive device 206 is a device for loading a recording medium 210. The recording medium 210 here includes media that record information optically, electrically, or magnetically, such as CD-ROMs, flexible disks, and magneto-optical disks. The recording medium 210 may also include semiconductor memories that record information electrically, such as ROMs and flash memories.

[0060] The various programs to be installed in the auxiliary storage device 203 are installed, for example, by setting the distributed recording medium 210 in the drive device 206 and reading the various programs recorded on the recording medium 210 by the drive device 206. Alternatively, the various programs to be installed in the auxiliary storage device 203 may be installed by being downloaded from the network N via the communication device 205.

[0061] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the cloud server 50. Note that the hardware configuration of the cloud server 50 is generally the same as the hardware configuration of the edge device 10, and therefore the following description will focus on the differences from the hardware configuration of the edge device 10.

[0062] The processor 221 reads various programs onto the memory 222 and executes them. The processor 221 corresponds to a control unit 220 (an example of a third control unit) that controls the entire cloud server 50. The I / F device 224 is a connection device that connects a display device 230 and an operation device 240, which are examples of external devices, to the cloud server 50. The display device 230 displays the internal state of the cloud server 50. The operation device 240 is used when an administrator of the cloud server 50 inputs various instructions to the cloud server 50. The communication device 225 is a communication device for communicating with the edge device 10 and the user terminal 7 via the network N.

[0063] <Regarding Functions> Next, the functional configuration of each device included in the control system 100 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is an example of a functional block diagram that explains the functions of the edge device 10-1, the edge device 10-2, and the cloud server 50 in the control system 100 by dividing them into blocks.

[0064] <<Edge Device 10-1>> The edge device 10-1 has a power consumption receiving unit 11, a demand control unit 12, an equipment control unit 13, and a communication unit 14. Each of these units of the edge device 10-1 is a function or means realized by the processor 201 of the edge device 10-1 executing program instructions.

[0065] The power consumption receiving unit 11 receives pulses from the power receiving equipment 9. The power consumption receiving unit 11 may receive an integrated value of pulses instead of pulses, or may receive power consumption information converted from the integrated value of pulses. For example, the power consumption receiving unit 11 integrates the received pulses. The power consumption receiving unit 11 creates power consumption information by integrating the number of pulses periodically (for example, every 30 seconds or 1 minute, which is shorter than the demand time). The power consumption information may also be created irregularly (for example, every time a pulse is received).

[0066] The demand control unit 12 performs demand control based on the power consumption information and the target power consumption amount. In this embodiment, the demand control determines the demand levels of all edge devices 10 in the same control group (details of which will be described later). Therefore, the demand levels of all edge devices 10 in the same control group are the same. Details of the demand control will be described with reference to FIG. 10.

[0067] The device control unit 13 controls the operation of each air conditioner 33 connected to the edge device 10-1 at the demand level determined by the demand control unit 12. In addition to demand control, the device control unit 13 also controls the cooling / heating mode, set temperature, air volume, humidity, air direction, etc. of the device 30, as well as resetting the device 30.

[0068] The communication unit 14 communicates with the cloud server 50 via the network N, and in this embodiment, the communication unit 14 transmits power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the cloud server 50. The communication between the communication unit 14 and the cloud server 50 may be network communication such as the Internet, or may be a line connection provided by a mobile phone carrier. In the case of network communication, the communication unit 14 knows the IP address of the cloud server 50, and in the case of a line connection, the communication unit 14 knows the telephone number of the cloud server 50. In the case of a line connection, the communication unit 14 has a SIM card provided by the mobile phone carrier.

[0069] <<Cloud Server>> The cloud server 50 has a receiving unit 51, a destination determination unit 52, a transmitting unit 53, and a storage unit 54. Each of these units of the cloud server 50 is a function or means realized by the processor 211 of the cloud server 50 executing program instructions.

[0070] The receiving unit 51 receives power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information from the edge device 10-1 via the network N.

[0071] Based on the destination determination table stored in the memory unit 54, the destination determination unit 52 determines that the edge device 10 in the same control group as the edge device 10-1 is the edge device 10 to which power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information is to be sent.

[0072] FIG. 7 shows an example of a destination determination table stored in the storage unit 54. The destination determination table is a table used by the cloud server 50 to determine the edge device 10 to which power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information is to be transmitted. Because the cloud server 50 is shared by multiple facilities, when the cloud server 50 receives power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information, it is unclear to which facility the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information should be transmitted. Therefore, the destination determination table pre-registers edge devices 10 in the same control group. For example, if the building, floor, or space type is the same, the comfort required for the air conditioners 33 is also the same. Therefore, edge devices 10 controlling air conditioners 33 in the same building, floor, or space type are in the same control group. Note that edge devices 10 in the same control group may be demand-controlled with the same target power consumption. In this embodiment, the same control group refers to edge devices 10 in the same facility. Whether the air conditioners 33 belong to the same control group may be determined each time based on the building, floor, or space type in which the air conditioners 33 are installed.

[0073] The destination determination table registers information about the control group and the locations where the air conditioners 33 connected to each edge device 10 condition. These are examples of information about the control device. The locations to be air-conditioned are identified, for example, by the building, floor, and space type. The communication information is information that enables the cloud server 50 to communicate with the edge device 10. The communication information may be, for example, the phone number, IP address, authentication information, etc. of the cloud server 50.

[0074] The transmission destination determination unit 52 determines to transmit the power consumption information or the information based on the power consumption information to an edge device 10 in the same control group as the edge device 10-1 that transmitted the power consumption information or the information based on the power consumption information. Alternatively, the transmission destination determination unit 52 determines to transmit the power consumption information or the information based on the power consumption information to: an edge device 10 connected to an air conditioner 33 that air-conditions the same building as the edge device 10-1 that transmitted the power consumption information or the information based on the power consumption information; an edge device 10 connected to an air conditioner 33 that air-conditions the same building and the same floor as the edge device 10-1 that transmitted the power consumption information or the information based on the power consumption information; or an edge device 10 connected to an air conditioner 33 that air-conditions the same space type as the edge device 10-1 that transmitted the power consumption information or the information based on the power consumption information. In this embodiment, the transmission destination edge devices 10 are determined to be the edge devices 10-2 to 10-n.

[0075] The transmitter 53 transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the edge devices 10-2 to 10-n to which the destination determination unit 52 has determined that the information should be transmitted. When the cloud server 50 and the edge devices 10-2 to 10-n are connected via a line, the cloud server 50 can transmit information to the edge devices 10-2 to 10-n from outside the facility. Furthermore, when the cloud server 50 and the edge devices 10-2 to 10-n communicate over a network, communication may be prevented by a firewall. In this case, the edge devices 10-2 to 10-n may repeatedly poll the cloud server 50 to request communication, so that the cloud server 50 can transmit the amount of power used to the edge devices 10-2 to 10-n inside the firewall. In response to the polling, the transmitter 53 transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the edge devices 10-2 to 10-n. The transmitter 53 may also communicate with the edge devices 10-2 to 10-n using bidirectional communication such as WebSocket.

[0076] The transmitting unit 53 checks, for example, whether communication is possible even if it does not receive a demand level from the edge device 10-1 so that the edge device 10-2 can detect a communication interruption.

[0077] <<Edge Device 10-2>> The edge device 10-2 has a communication unit 21, a determination unit 15, a demand level estimation unit 16, and an equipment control unit 17. The communication unit 21 and the equipment control unit 17 are similar to those of the edge device 10-1, and will be described as necessary.

[0078] The determination unit 15 makes various determinations. The determination unit 15 determines whether communication between the communication unit 21 and the cloud server 50 has been interrupted. For example, if the demand control cycle is one minute, the determination unit 15 determines that communication has been interrupted if the communication unit 21 does not receive power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information from the cloud server 50 for more than one minute. Alternatively, the determination unit 15 may detect a communication interruption when the communication unit 21 periodically initiates communication with the cloud server 50 and there is no response. Furthermore, when communication is interrupted, the determination unit 15 determines whether or not it is necessary to suppress power consumption (whether demand control is necessary) in the edge device 10-2.

[0079] When communication is interrupted and it is determined that power consumption needs to be reduced, the demand level estimation unit 16 estimates the demand level required for the device 30 connected to the edge device 10-2. That is, since the edge device 10-2 cannot receive power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information from the cloud server 50, the edge device 10-2 estimates an appropriate demand level.

[0080] The functional block diagram of the edge devices 10-3 to 10-n is assumed to be similar to that of the edge device 10-2.

[0081] 8 is a functional block diagram illustrating in detail the functions of the demand control unit 12. The demand control unit 12 has a demand determination unit 121, a level determination unit 122, and a storage unit 123. First, various tables stored in the storage unit 123 will be described.

[0082] 9A is an example of a target power consumption management table stored in the storage unit 123. The target power consumption management table defines the target power consumption for the control group. A target power consumption may be set for each control group, or a target power saving may be defined for one facility, and multiple control groups may set demand levels for the target power saving defined for that facility. It is not necessary to have a target power consumption management table for each control group. Since there is only one target power consumption for one control group, each edge device 10 is controlled to the same demand level regardless of the power consumption of the devices 30 connected to the edge device 10.

[0083] 9B is an example of a demand level table stored in the memory unit 123. Because the comfort level required of the air conditioner 33 varies depending on the space, the demand level is determined according to the space to be air-conditioned. For example, demand level 4 in a changing room corresponds to a 1°C shift in the set temperature (increasing the set temperature by 1°C for cooling and decreasing the set temperature by 1°C for heating), while demand level 4 in an office corresponds to a reduction in the capacity of the outdoor unit to 70%. The device control unit 13 reduces the capacity of the air conditioner 33 based on the demand level notified by the level determination unit 122 and the space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioner 33.

[0084] In FIG. 9B, the demand level of the air conditioner 33 is set, but in the case of lighting, for example, the demand level may also be set according to the space to be air-conditioned.

[0085] Returning to FIG. 8 , the demand determining unit 121 determines whether to adjust the demand level based on the target power consumption management table. The demand determining unit 121 determines whether the power consumption information is likely to exceed the target power consumption. An example of this determination will be described with reference to FIG. 10 . FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating the process of determining whether the power consumption information is likely to exceed the target power consumption. In FIG. 10 , the target power consumption is assumed to be 200 kW. Therefore, a line 301 that starts at 0 kW at the beginning of the demand time and reaches 200 kW 30 minutes later indicates the target power consumption at each time. Therefore, the demand determining unit 121 compares the target power consumption at that time with the target power consumption at each time shorter than the demand time (for example, 30 seconds or 1 minute), and if the power consumption information is greater than the target power consumption, determines to increase the demand level by one.

[0086] Since it is preferable to increase the demand level before the state in which "power consumption information > target power consumption" actually occurs, the demand determining unit 121 predicts power consumption information after a certain time period using the power consumption information. Simply put, if the same power consumption information continues after a certain time period, it is sufficient to determine whether "power consumption information > target power consumption" will occur. Therefore, the level determining unit 122 determines to increase the demand level by one level if "predicted power consumption information > target power consumption" will occur after a certain time period. Other methods for predicting power consumption information may be used. For example, the demand determining unit 121 may use a model in which some recent power consumption information, the set temperature, the indoor temperature, the time, the outdoor temperature, etc. are used as explanatory variables, and the power consumption information after a certain time period is used as a target variable, and predict the power consumption information after a certain time period using this model.

[0087] FIG. 11 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a method for determining a demand level.

[0088] First, the power consumption receiving unit 11 receives power consumption information from the power receiving equipment 9 (S201).

[0089] The demand determining unit 121 predicts power consumption information after a certain time period using, for example, a model (S202).

[0090] The demand determining unit 121 determines whether or not the relationship "predicted power consumption information>target power consumption amount" holds true (S203).

[0091] If the determination in step S203 is Yes, the process proceeds to step S204, and if No, the process in FIG. 11 ends.

[0092] In step S204, the level determination unit 122 increases the current demand level by one (S204).

[0093] In the example of Fig. 10, it is determined that "predicted power consumption information > target power consumption" at times t1, t2, and t3. The demand control unit 12 increases the demand level, and the power consumption information falls within the target power consumption after 30 minutes have passed. Note that if the determination in step S203 of Fig. 11 is No, that is, "power consumption information ≤ target power consumption," the level determination unit 122 may lower the demand level according to the margin for the target power consumption.

[0094] Returning to FIG. 8 , when the level determination unit 122 receives a notification from the demand determination unit 121 that the demand level will be increased by one, the level determination unit 122 increases the current demand level by one. If a certain period of time has elapsed since the demand determination unit 121 received a notification that the demand level will be increased by one, the level determination unit 122 may return the demand level to the target level based on the margin for the target power consumption. This certain period of time is a period for preventing hunting, and is a period of time during which it may be determined that the demand level may be lowered because there is no notification to increase the demand level by one. For example, if the demand level is determined every minute, the certain period of time may be approximately three minutes. If the margin for the power consumption is equal to or greater than a threshold, the level determination unit 122 lowers the demand level by one.

[0095] <Operation or Processing> Next, the flow of processing in which multiple edge devices 10 share a demand level will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a sequence diagram illustrating processing in which the edge device 10-1 transmits a demand level to the edge devices 10-2 and 10-3 via the cloud server 50. Note that although Fig. 12 illustrates the edge devices 10-1 to 10-3, the demand level is shared by all edge devices 10-2 to 10-n in the same control group.

[0096] S11: First, the power receiving equipment 9 transmits a pulse to the edge device 10-1.

[0097] S12: The power consumption receiving unit 11 of the edge device 10-1 receives the pulse. The power consumption receiving unit 11 converts the pulse into power consumption information at intervals shorter than the demand time. The demand control unit 12 determines the demand level at intervals shorter than the demand time. That is, the demand determining unit 121 determines whether the "predicted power consumption information > target power consumption." If the "predicted power consumption information > target power consumption," the level determining unit 122 determines a demand level one level higher than the current level. Furthermore, the device control unit 13 controls the device 30 connected to the edge device 10-1 at the instructed demand level.

[0098] S13: The communication unit 14 of the edge device 10-1 transmits the demand level together with the edge device ID of the edge device 10-1 to the cloud server 50. The edge device ID is used by the destination determination unit 52 of the cloud server 50 to determine the edge devices 10 in the same control group.

[0099] The edge device 10-1 may determine the edge devices 10 in the same control group and instruct the cloud server 50. In this case, the edge device 10-1 has a destination determination unit 52 and a destination determination table, and transmits communication information of the edge devices 10 in the same control group to the cloud server 50.

[0100] Furthermore, the communication unit 14 may transmit power consumption information, rather than the demand level (or together with the demand level), to the cloud server 50. In this case, if the cloud server 50 has the level determination unit 122 and the target power consumption management table, it can determine the demand level in the same way as the edge device 10-1 (the details of this process will be described in FIG. 15).

[0101] Furthermore, the communication unit 14 may transmit a difference from the current demand level, rather than the demand level (or together with the demand level), to the cloud server 50. The difference from the current demand level is not the demand level itself, but information such as increasing or decreasing the demand level by one.

[0102] Furthermore, the communication unit 14 may transmit a margin for the target power consumption amount, rather than a demand level (or together with a demand level), to the cloud server 50. The margin for the target power consumption amount makes it easier for the edge device 10-2 to perform control to lower the demand level.

[0103] S14: The receiving unit 51 of the cloud server 50 receives the edge device ID and the demand level, and the destination determining unit 52 determines the destination edge device 10 based on the destination determination table. The destination determining unit 52 determines the edge device 10 in the same control group as the edge device 10-1. The destination determining unit 52 may determine the edge device 10 that conditions the same building, floor, and space type as the edge device 10-1. In this case, the edge devices 10-2 and 10-3 are determined to be the destination edge devices 10.

[0104] S15, S16: The transmitter 53 of the cloud server 50 transmits the demand level received from the edge device 10-1 to the edge devices 10-2 and 10-3.

[0105] S17, S18: The communication units 21 of the edge devices 10-2, 10-3 receive the demand levels, and the device control unit 17 controls the air conditioners 33 connected to the edge devices 10-2, 10-3 at the instructed demand levels. If the communication units 21 of the edge devices 10-2, 10-3 receive a difference in the demand levels, the device control unit 17 changes (raises or lowers) the demand levels by the difference. If the communication units 21 of the edge devices 10-2, 10-3 receive a margin for the target power consumption, the device control unit 17 raises the demand levels if the margin is less than threshold 1, and lowers the demand levels while avoiding hunting if the margin is greater than threshold 2 (> threshold 1).

[0106] Through the above processing, the demand level calculated by the edge device 10-1 is shared by the edge devices 10-2 to 10-n in the same control group via the cloud server 50, and the devices 30 and the like can be controlled at the same demand level.

[0107] <When communication between the edge devices 10-2 to 10-n and the cloud server 50 is interrupted> A case may occur in which communication between one or more of the edge devices 10-2 to 10-n and the cloud server 50 is interrupted. In this case, the edge device 10 with which communication is interrupted determines the demand level by itself.

[0108] 13 is a flowchart illustrating the process of estimating the demand level by the demand level estimator 16 of the edge device 10-2. The process of FIG. 13 is repeatedly executed.

[0109] First, the determination unit 15 determines whether communication with the cloud server 50 has been interrupted (S101). The determination unit 15 can determine that communication has been interrupted when it does not receive new power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information from the cloud server 50 for a certain period of time (it may also be the case that it does not receive "no change in demand level"), or when it is unable to communicate with the cloud server 50 despite attempts to do so. Furthermore, even if communication between the edge device 10-2 and the cloud server 50 has not been interrupted, if communication between the edge device 10-1 and the cloud server 50 has been interrupted, the cloud server 50 notifies the edge device 10-2 of this, and the determination unit 15 determines that communication has been interrupted.

[0110] If the determination in step S101 is Yes, the process proceeds to step S102, and if No, the process of FIG. 13 ends.

[0111] In step S102, the determination unit 15 determines whether or not power consumption needs to be reduced in the edge device 10-2 (S102). The determination unit 15 determines whether or not to reduce its own power consumption based on information such as the outside temperature, the set temperature, the room temperature, the current time, or past demand levels. During cooling, if the outside temperature is very high (above a threshold), power consumption is high, so the determination unit 15 determines to reduce power consumption. During heating, if the outside temperature is very low (below a threshold), power consumption is high, so the determination unit 15 determines to reduce power consumption. Furthermore, if there is a large difference between the set temperature and the room temperature, power consumption is high, so the determination unit 15 determines to reduce power consumption. Furthermore, during cooling, power consumption is high between 10:00 and 17:00, so the determination unit 15 determines to reduce power consumption. During heating, power consumption is high between 8:00 and 10:00 and after 15:00, so the determination unit 15 determines to reduce power consumption. Furthermore, if the demand level previously transmitted from the cloud server 50 has increased over time, the determination unit 15 determines that power consumption should be suppressed. If the demand level previously transmitted from the cloud server 50 has not changed, the determination unit 15 determines that power consumption should not be suppressed. The determination unit 15 may ultimately determine whether or not to suppress power consumption based on whether or not it has been determined that power consumption should be suppressed for a number of these determination factors equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0112] If the determination in step S102 is Yes, the process proceeds to step S103, and if No, the process of FIG. 13 ends.

[0113] In step S103, the demand level estimation unit 16 estimates an appropriate demand level in the edge device 10-2 (S103). For example, the demand level estimation unit 16 estimates the demand level using a pre-trained demand level estimation model 60. The processing of step S103 will be described with reference to FIG. 14.

[0114] The device control unit 17 controls the operation of each air conditioner 33 connected to the edge device 10-2 at the demand level estimated by the demand level estimation unit 16 (S104).

[0115] Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating the demand level estimation model 60. The demand level estimation model 60 learns the correspondence between factors that affect power consumption and demand levels. Fig. 14 shows the factors that affect power consumption, such as the outside air temperature, the set temperature, the room temperature, the time, and the past demand level. Furthermore, what the demand level estimation model 60 infers is the demand level.

[0116] The demand level (demand level determined by the edge device 10-1) transmitted from the cloud server 50 to the edge device 10-2 can be used as training data during learning. During learning, any information processing device can learn the correspondence between the outside temperature, set temperature, indoor temperature, and past demand levels and the demand level received from the cloud server 50. Known learning methods include multiple regression and deep learning. The edge device 10-2 can acquire information necessary for learning in real time, and therefore can generate and update the demand level estimation model 60 while communication is not interrupted.

[0117] In this way, the demand level estimation unit 16 can estimate the demand level from information acquired before the communication is interrupted (past demand level) or information that can be acquired after the communication is interrupted (outdoor temperature, set temperature, indoor temperature, time). Note that the demand level estimation unit 16 may simply determine to perform demand control on the device 30 at the maximum demand level without using the demand level estimation model 60.

[0118] Furthermore, the demand level estimation model 60 may be a model that outputs not the demand level but a difference between the demand levels or a margin for the target power consumption amount.

[0119] <When the Cloud Server Determines the Demand Level> Next, a case where the cloud server 50 determines the demand level will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a sequence diagram illustrating a process in which the edge device 10-1 transmits power consumption information to the cloud server 50, and the cloud server 50 transmits the demand level to the edge devices 10-1 to 10-3. Note that the description of Fig. 15 will mainly focus on the differences from Fig. 12. Since the cloud server 50 determines the demand level, it is assumed that the cloud server 50 has a demand control unit 12.

[0120] S21: First, the power receiving equipment 9 transmits a pulse to the edge device 10-1.

[0121] S22: The power consumption receiving unit 11 of the edge device 10-1 receives the pulses. The power consumption receiving unit 11 converts the pulses into power consumption information at intervals shorter than the demand time. The communication unit 14 of the edge device 10-1 transmits the power consumption information together with its own edge device ID to the cloud server 50. Note that the edge device 10-1 may also determine the demand level in FIG. 15 .

[0122] S23: The receiving unit 51 of the cloud server 50 receives the power consumption information. The demand control unit 12 of the cloud server 50 determines the demand level for each time period shorter than the demand time. This process may be the same as step S12 in FIG. 12.

[0123] S24: The destination determination unit 52 of the cloud server 50 determines the destination edge device 10 based on the destination determination table. This process may be the same as step S14 in FIG.

[0124] S25 to S27: The transmitter 53 of the cloud server 50 transmits the demand levels to the edge devices 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3. At least one of the difference in the demand levels or the margin for the target power consumption may be transmitted instead of (or together with) the demand levels.

[0125] S28-1 to S28-3: The communication unit 14 of the edge device 10-1 and the communication units 21 of the edge devices 10-2 and 10-3 receive the demand level, and the device control units 13 and 17 control the devices 30 connected to the edge devices 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 at the instructed demand level.

[0126] In this way, even if the cloud server 50 determines the demand level, the edge devices 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 can share the demand level.

[0127] <Supplementary Information on System Configuration> FIG. 16 shows a modified system configuration of the control system 100. In FIG. 16, the edge device 10-1 is not connected to the device 30 or the sensor switches 31. In this case, the edge device 10-1 serves as a repeater that relays power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the cloud server 50. The functions of the edge device 10-1 may be the same as those shown in FIG. 3 except that the edge device 10-1 does not control the device 30 or the sensor switches 31. This configuration is effective, for example, when the edge device 10 is not located near the power receiving equipment 9. In other words, since laying wiring to connect the edge device 10-2, which is far from the power receiving equipment 9, increases costs, costs can be reduced by locating the relaying edge device 10-1 near the power receiving equipment 9.

[0128] <Major Effects> The edge device 10-1 of this embodiment is connected to the power receiving facility 9 by wire, so there is a low possibility of communication being interrupted. In addition, the edge device 10-1 transmits power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to one or more other edge devices 10-2, etc., so the edge device 10-2 does not need to determine the demand level. In this way, multiple edge devices 10 can share the same demand level.

[0129] Second Embodiment In this embodiment, a control system 100 in which an edge device 10-1 can communicate with an edge device 10-2 without going through a cloud server 50 will be described.

[0130] In this embodiment, components with the same reference numerals as those in the previous figures perform the same functions, and therefore, the description of components that have already been described may be omitted or only differences may be described.

[0131] 17 is an example of a functional block diagram illustrating the functions of the edge device 10-1 and the edge device 10-2 in the control system 100. In this embodiment, there is no cloud server 50, and the edge devices 10-1 and 10-2 have inter-device communication units 19 and 42. The edge device 10-1 also has a storage unit 41 and a destination determination unit 20.

[0132] The inter-device communication unit 19 communicates directly and wirelessly with the edge device 10-2. Known communication methods for the edge device 10-1 to wirelessly communicate directly with the edge device 10-2 include a method of communication via a line connection provided by a mobile phone carrier, wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. In the case of a wireless LAN, the inter-device communication unit 19 may communicate via an access point, or may communicate one-to-one as with Direct Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The inter-device communication unit 19 transmits information based on the power usage information to the edge device 10-2.

[0133] FIG. 18 shows an example of an edge device management table pre-registered in the storage unit 41. The edge device management table contains information about edge devices 10 in the same control group as the edge device 10-1. The edge device management table contains information used by the edge device 10-1 to transmit power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the other edge devices 10-2 to 10-n in the same control group. The edge device ID is identification information used to identify the edge device 10. A-1 is the edge device 10-1 in control group A that receives pulses from the power receiving equipment 9. The edge device 10-1 with the edge device ID A-1 shares power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information with the edge devices 10-2, 10-3, and 10-4 with the edge device IDs A-2, A-3, and A-4. The communication information is information used by the device-to-device communication unit 19 of the edge device 10-1 to communicate with other edge devices 10. When communication is via a line connection, the communication information is a telephone number. When communicating via a wireless LAN, the communication information may be, for example, an SSID, a password, and an IP address.

[0134] 17 , the destination determination unit 20 determines the destination edge device 10 based on the destination determination table stored in the storage unit 41. The destination determination table may be the same as that shown in FIG. 7 . The inter-device communication unit 19 transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the edge devices 10 in the same control group determined by the destination determination unit 20.

[0135] With this configuration, the edge device 10-1 can transmit power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the edge device 10-2 without going through the cloud server 50.

[0136] <Operation or Processing> Next, the flow of processing in which multiple edge devices 10 share a demand level will be described with reference to Fig. 19. Fig. 19 is a sequence diagram illustrating processing in which the edge device 10-1 transmits a demand level to the edge devices 10-2 and 10-3 without going through the cloud server 50. Note that the description of Fig. 19 may include explanations of differences from Fig. 12.

[0137] S31, S32: The processing in steps S31 and S32 may be the same as that in steps S11 and S12.

[0138] S33: The destination determination unit 20 of the edge device 10-1 determines the destination edge device 10 based on the destination determination table. The destination determination unit 20 determines the edge devices 10 in the same control group as the edge device 10-1. The destination determination unit 20 may determine the edge device 10 that conditions the same building, floor, and space type as the edge device 10-1. In this example, the edge devices 10-2 and 10-3 are determined to be the destination edge devices 10.

[0139] S34, S35: The inter-device communication unit 19 of the edge device 10-1 transmits the demand level together with the edge device ID of the edge device 10-1 to the edge devices 10-2, 10-3. The edge device ID is used by the edge devices 10-2, 10-3 to confirm whether the edge device 10-1 that sent the request is an edge device 10 in the same control group. The edge devices 10-2, 10-3 have a destination determination table and verify the edge device 10-1 that sent the request. This reduces the risk that the edge devices 10-2, 10-3 will receive an incorrect demand level.

[0140] The inter-device communication unit 19 may transmit power consumption information to the edge devices 10-2 and 10-3 instead of (or together with) the demand level. In this case, the edge device 10-2 can determine the demand level in the same way as the edge device 10-1, as long as it has the level determination unit 122 and the target power consumption management table. The inter-device communication unit 19 may also transmit at least one of the difference in demand level or the margin for the target power consumption to the edge devices 10-2 and 10-3.

[0141] S36, S37: The inter-device communication units 42 of the edge devices 10-2, 10-3 receive the demand levels, and the device control units 17 control the devices 30 connected to the edge devices 10-2, 10-3 at the instructed demand levels.

[0142] Through the above processing, the demand level calculated by the edge device 10-1 is shared by the edge devices 10-2 to 10-n in the same control group without going through the cloud server 50, and the connected devices 30 and the like can be controlled.

[0143] The processing when communication between the edge device 10-1 and the edge device 10-2 or 10-3 is interrupted may be the same as that shown in Figures 13 and 14 in the first embodiment. The edge device 10-2 or 10-3 detects communication interruption when it does not receive a demand level from the edge device 10-1 for a certain period of time (it may also be when it does not receive "no change in demand level"), or when it attempts to communicate with the edge device 10-1 but is unable to do so. After detecting communication interruption, the edge device 10-2 or 10-3 performs the processing shown in Figure 13.

[0144] <When each edge device determines the demand level> Fig. 20 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process of each edge device 10 determining the demand level. Note that the explanation of Fig. 20 will mainly focus on the differences from Fig. 19. Since each edge device 10 determines the demand level, it is assumed that each edge device 10 has a demand control unit 12.

[0145] S41 to S43: The processing in steps S41 to S43 may be the same as that in steps S31 to S33.

[0146] S44, S45: The inter-device communication unit 19 of the edge device 10-1 transmits the power consumption information together with its own edge device ID to the edge devices 10-2 and 10-3. The edge device ID is used by the edge devices 10-2 and 10-3 to confirm whether the edge device 10-1, which is the sender, is an edge device 10 in the same control group.

[0147] S46, S47: The inter-device communication units 42 of the edge devices 10-2 and 10-3 receive the power consumption information, and the demand control unit 12 determines the demand level as described with reference to FIG.

[0148] S48, S49: The device control units 17 of the edge devices 10-2, 10-3 control the devices 30 connected to the edge devices 10-2, 10-3 at the determined demand level.

[0149] According to this process, since each edge device 10 originally has a function for determining the demand level, it is possible to reduce the need to change the function of the edge device 10.

[0150] In this embodiment, the edge device 10-1 may not be connected to the device 30 or the sensor switches 31.

[0151] <Major Effects> The edge device 10-1 of this embodiment can achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment even without the cloud server 50.

[0152] Third Embodiment In this embodiment, a control system 100 will be described in which an edge device 10 can communicate with a cloud server 50 and can also communicate with other edge devices 10 .

[0153] FIG. 21 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a control system 100 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 21, the control system 100 is a combination of the configurations shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. Specifically, the power receiving equipment 9 and the edge device 10-1 are connected by wire, and the control system 100 includes a cloud server 50. The edge devices 10-1 and 10-2 can communicate wirelessly. Therefore, the following communications are possible: (1) The edge device 10-1 transmits power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information acquired from the power receiving equipment 9 to the cloud server 50, and the cloud server 50 transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the edge device 10-2. (2) The edge device 10-1 transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information acquired from the power receiving equipment 9 to the edge device 10-2 via wireless communication without going through the cloud server 50.

[0154] With this configuration, the edge device 10-1 can transmit power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the edge device 10-2 via the cloud server 50, or can transmit power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the edge device 10-2 without passing through the cloud server 50. For example, the edge device 10-1 can be thought of as selectively using two types of communication as follows.

[0155] A. As in the first embodiment, the edge device 10-1 prioritizes communication with the cloud server 50. When the edge device 10-1 receives a notification from the cloud server 50 that communication with the edge device 10-2 has been interrupted, the inter-device communication unit 19 of the edge device 10-1 transmits power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the edge device 10-2.

[0156] B. As in the first embodiment, the edge device 10-1 prioritizes communication with the cloud server 50. When the edge device 10-1 receives a notification from the edge device 10-2 that communication with the cloud server 50 has been interrupted, the inter-device communication unit 19 of the edge device 10-1 transmits power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the edge device 10-2.

[0157] C. As in the second embodiment, the edge device 10-1 prioritizes direct communication between the edge devices 10. When the edge device 10-1 detects a disruption of communication with the edge device 10-2, the edge device 10-1 transmits power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the cloud server 50.

[0158] D. When the communication unit 14 of the edge device 10-1 transmits power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the cloud server 50, the inter-device communication unit 19 also always transmits power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the edge device 10-2. In this case, the edge device 10-2 receives the same power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information via two systems within a certain period of time, so it can use either one. Alternatively, the edge device 10-1 assigns an ID to the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information, and the edge device 10-2 discards power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information with the same ID that it receives later.

[0159] <Major Effects> According to this embodiment, the edge device 10-2 can acquire power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information as long as communication with both the edge device 10-1 and the cloud server 50 is not interrupted.

[0160] <Other Application Examples> Although the best mode for carrying out the present disclosure has been described above using examples, the present disclosure is not limited to these examples in any way, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0161] For example, the configuration example in FIG. 6 and the like is divided according to main functions to facilitate understanding of the processing by the edge device 10 and the cloud server 50. The technique of the present disclosure is not limited by the way in which the processing units are divided or the names of the processing units. The processing by the edge device 10 and the cloud server 50 can be divided into even more processing units depending on the processing content. Furthermore, the processing can be divided so that one processing unit includes even more processes.

[0162] Additionally, the devices described in the examples represent only one of several computing environments for implementing the embodiments disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the cloud server 50 includes multiple computing devices, such as a server cluster, configured to communicate with each other via any type of communication link, including a network, shared memory, etc., and to perform the processes disclosed herein.

[0163] The functions of the present disclosure described above can be realized not only by software processing through the execution of a program, but also by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to perform each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, as well as devices such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and a conventional circuit module designed to perform each of the functions described above.

[0164] <Reasons for the effect> The first aspect of the present disclosure has a "first control device that communicates with the power receiving equipment via a wired connection," and "the first control unit acquires power consumption information of the device from the power receiving equipment, and the first control unit reduces the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioner when transmitting the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the second control device," so the first control unit can reliably receive power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information with priority, and multiple control devices can acquire information for more reliably controlling demand.

[0165] - In a second aspect of the present disclosure, "the first control unit determines the demand level, the difference in demand level, or the margin for the target power consumption amount based on the power consumption information, and transmits these to the second control device," so that the second control device can share these with the first control device without determining the demand level, the difference in demand level, or the margin for the target power consumption amount.

[0166] - In the third aspect of the present disclosure, "the first control unit transmits the power consumption information to the second control unit," and "the second control unit determines its own demand level, the difference in demand level, or the margin for the target power consumption amount based on the power consumption information," so the second control unit can determine the demand level, the difference in demand level, or the margin for the target power consumption amount using its existing functions.

[0167] - A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is that "when communication with the first control device is interrupted, the second control unit determines its own demand level, the difference in demand levels, or the margin for the target power consumption based on information obtained before the communication is interrupted or information obtainable after the communication is interrupted," so that the second control device can control demand even if communication is interrupted.

[0168] - In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, "the first control unit transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the second control device via the server device," so that the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information can be transmitted to the second control device more reliably than when not via the server device.

[0169] - A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is that "the server device" "determines the second control device in the same control group as the first control device that transmitted the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information, and transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the second control device in the same control group as the first control device," so that the server device can transmit power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the second control device in the same control group, such as the same facility.

[0170] - In a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, "the first control unit" "determines the second control unit in the same control group as the first control unit, and when transmitting the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the server device, the first control unit instructs the server device to select the second control unit in the same control group as the first control unit as the destination of the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information," so that power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information can be transmitted to the second control unit in the same control group that is located in the same facility as the first control unit.

[0171] - In the eighth aspect of the present disclosure, "when communication with the server device is interrupted, the second control device determines its own demand level, the difference in demand levels, or the margin for the target power consumption amount based on information obtained before communication was interrupted or information obtainable after communication was interrupted," so that even if communication with the server device is interrupted, the second control device can control demand.

[0172] - In the ninth aspect of the present disclosure, "when the second control unit determines that communication with the server device has been interrupted, it determines whether or not demand control is necessary based on information obtained before communication was interrupted or information that can be obtained after communication was interrupted," so that if communication with the server device is interrupted, the second control unit can perform demand control only if demand control is necessary.

[0173] - In the tenth aspect of the present disclosure, "the second control device performs demand control at the maximum demand level when it determines that communication with the server device has been interrupted," thereby more reliably suppressing power consumption when communication with the server device is interrupted.

[0174] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-072988, filed with the Japan Patent Office on April 26, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0175] 10 Edge device 50 Cloud server

Claims

1. A control system comprising a first control device that communicates with a power receiving facility via a wired connection, and one or more second control devices connected to power consuming devices, wherein the first control device has a first control unit, the first control unit acquires power consumption information of the devices from the power receiving facility, and the first control unit transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the second control device.

2. The control system described in claim 1, wherein the first control unit determines the demand level, the difference in demand level, or the margin for the target power consumption amount based on the power consumption information, and transmits the demand level, the difference in demand level, or the margin for the target power consumption amount to the second control device as information based on the power consumption information.

3. The control system described in claim 1, wherein the first control unit transmits the power consumption information to the second control unit, the second control unit has a second control unit, and the second control unit determines its own demand level, a difference in demand level, or a margin for a target power consumption amount based on the power consumption information.

4. The control system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second control device has a second control unit, and when communication with the first control device is interrupted, the second control unit determines its own demand level, the difference in demand level, or the margin for the target power consumption amount based on information obtained before the communication is interrupted or information obtainable after the communication is interrupted.

5. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the control system has a server device, and the first control unit transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the second control device via the server device.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein the server device has a third control unit, and the third control unit determines the second control device in the same control group as the first control device that transmitted the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information based on information about the control devices pre-registered in the server device, and transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the second control device in the same control group as the first control device.

7. The control system described in claim 5, wherein the first control unit determines the second control unit in the same control group as the first control unit based on information about the control unit pre-registered in the first control unit, and when transmitting the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the server device, the first control unit instructs the server device to select the second control unit in the same control group as the first control unit as the destination of the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information.

8. A control system according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the second control device has a second control unit, and when communication with the server device is interrupted, the second control unit determines its own demand level, the difference in demand level, or the margin for target power consumption based on information obtained before the communication is interrupted or information obtainable after the communication is interrupted.

9. The control system of claim 8, wherein, when the second control unit determines that communication with the server device has been interrupted, it determines whether or not demand control is necessary based on information obtained before the communication was interrupted or information that can be obtained after the communication was interrupted, and when it determines that demand control is necessary, it determines its own demand level, the difference in demand level, or the margin for target power consumption based on information obtained before the communication was interrupted or information that can be obtained after the communication was interrupted.

10. A control system according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the second control device has a second control unit, and when the second control unit determines that communication with the server device has been cut off, it performs demand control at the maximum demand level.

11. A control device that communicates with a power receiving facility via a wired connection, the control device having a first control unit, the first control unit being capable of communicating with one or more second control units connected to power consuming devices, the first control unit acquiring power consumption information of the devices from the power receiving facility, and the first control unit transmitting the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the second control device.

12. A control method performed by a control system comprising a first control device that communicates with a power receiving facility via a wired connection and one or more second control devices connected to power consuming devices, the control method comprising: a process in which a first control unit of the first control device acquires power consumption information of the device from the power receiving facility; and a process in which the first control unit transmits the power consumption information or information based on the power consumption information to the second control device.

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