Verification device, verification method, program, and recording medium

Abstract

A verification device (1) according to an embodiment comprises: a connection unit (11) to which a power source device (PS) that has an electricity storage unit (BT) and that outputs electric power stored in the electricity storage unit to the outside is connected in a power-transmittable manner; a simulation unit (13) that is connected to the connection unit in a power-transmittable manner and that simulates a preset load characteristic of a power consuming device; and a measuring unit (12) that measures at least one of a voltage and a current on a power transmission path between the connection unit and the simulation unit in a state in which the power output from the power source device is input to the connection unit.

Description

Confirmation device, confirmation method, program, and recording medium

[0001] The present invention relates to a confirmation device, a confirmation method, a program, and a recording medium.

[0002] A power supply device having a power storage unit is a device that supplies the electric power stored in the power storage unit to the outside as needed. Among such power supply devices, a power supply device called a portable power source is portable and easy to move, and thus is used in various fields. In recent years, power supply devices in which the power storage unit can be replaced have also been realized. The following Patent Document 1 discloses a battery device capable of supplying power from one or more portable storage batteries to various devices including electrical equipment for medical use (medical equipment).

[0003] International Publication No. WO 2022 / 196027

[0004] By the way, in recent years, a wide variety of power supply devices have come to be marketed, the design concepts of these power supply devices vary, and their characteristics are also considered to vary. Therefore, there is a demand for reliably and accurately determining the power supply characteristics of a power supply device having a power storage unit. For example, some medical devices are used by being connected to a power source that requires power supply quality equivalent to that of a commercial power source. Therefore, it is required to reliably and accurately determine whether a power supply device can be safely used as a power source for medical equipment.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a confirmation device, a confirmation method, a program, and a recording medium that can reliably and accurately determine the power supply characteristics of a power supply device having a power storage unit.

[0006] The confirmation device, confirmation method, program, and recording medium according to the present invention employ the following configuration.

[0007] (1): A verification device (1) according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a connection unit (11) to which a power supply device (PS) having a power storage unit (BT) and outputting the power stored in the power storage unit to the outside is connected in a power-transmitting manner; a simulation unit (13) connected to the connection unit in a power-transmitting manner and simulating the load characteristics of a preset power consumption device; and a measurement unit (12) that measures at least one of the voltage and current on the power transmission path between the connection unit and the simulation unit when power output from the power supply device is input to the connection unit.

[0008] (2) The embodiment of (1) above is further comprising a control unit (16) that sets the load characteristics of the power consumption device to the simulation unit.

[0009] (3) In the embodiment of (1) or (2) above, the control unit is provided with a communication unit (14) that is communicatively connected to a server device (SV) that provides the load characteristics of the power consumption device, and the control unit sets the load characteristics of the power consumption device obtained by the communication unit from the server device to the simulation unit.

[0010] (4): In any of the embodiments described in (1) to (3) above, the system is equipped with a determination unit (17) that determines the power characteristics of the power supply device based on the measurement results of the measurement unit.

[0011] (5) In the embodiment of (4) above, the power supply characteristics include a plurality of power supply characteristics, and the determination unit determines that one of the plurality of power supply characteristics belongs to the first criterion, on the condition that at least one of the following conditions is met: one of the plurality of power supply characteristics satisfies the first criterion, and one of the plurality of power supply characteristics does not satisfy the second criterion.

[0012] (6) In the embodiment of (5) above, the first characteristic is the output voltage of the power supply, the first criterion is that the effective voltage is within the range of 100V ± 10%, or the second criterion is that the effective voltage is not outside the range of 100V ± 10%.

[0013] (7) In the embodiment of (5) above, the first characteristic is the frequency of the power output from the power supply device, the first criterion is that the frequency is within the range of 50 Hz ± 1 Hz or 60 Hz ± 1 Hz, or the second criterion is that the frequency is not outside the ranges of 50 Hz ± 1 Hz and 60 Hz ± 1 Hz.

[0014] (8) In the embodiment of (5) above, the first characteristic is the distortion rate of the output voltage of the power supply, the first criterion is that the total harmonic distortion of the output voltage is 8% or less, or the second criterion is that the total harmonic distortion of the output voltage is not higher than 8%.

[0015] (9) In any of the embodiments described in (1) to (8) above, the power consumption device is an electrical device for medical use.

[0016] (10): In any of the embodiments described in (1) to (9) above, the simulation unit comprises a rectifier (22) that rectifies the AC power input from the connection unit, and a variable resistor (23), a variable inductor (24), and a variable capacitor (25) connected in parallel to each other on the output side of the rectifier.

[0017] (11): In any of the embodiments described in (1) to (9) above, the simulation unit comprises a variable resistor (31), a variable inductor (32), and a variable capacitor (33) connected in series with respect to each other.

[0018] (12): In the embodiment of (2) or (3) above, the verification device is capable of connecting to the connection unit in a power-transmitting manner an actual power-consuming device which is the power-consuming device that the simulation unit intends to simulate, instead of the simulation unit, and the control unit acquires the parameters necessary for the simulation unit to simulate the actual power-consuming device based on the measurement results of the measurement unit when power is supplied to the actual power-consuming device from a predetermined power source.

[0019] (13): In any of the embodiments of (1) to (11) above, the load characteristics are obtained based on at least one of the measured voltage and current when the actual power consumption device, which is the power consumption device to be used in actual use, is connected to the connection part in a power-transmitting manner, and power is supplied to the actual power consumption device from a predetermined power source.

[0020] (14): In the embodiment of (4) above, the determination unit quantifies the determination results for a plurality of determination items and performs a weighting calculation on the quantified determination results to obtain an evaluation value for the power supply characteristics.

[0021] (15) In the embodiment of (4) above, the verification device stores the judgment result for each individual power supply unit and estimates the degree of deterioration of the power supply unit based on the progression of the degree of deviation of the stored judgment result from the third judgment criterion.

[0022] (16): In the embodiment of (4) relating to (3) above, the communication unit obtains information on an alternative power supply from the server device when the determination unit determines that the power characteristics of the power supply unit do not match the load characteristics.

[0023] (17): In the embodiment of (4) above, the determination unit determines that the power characteristics of the power supply unit are suitable for the load characteristics of the power consumption unit when the determination criteria corresponding to these determination items are met.

[0024] (18): A verification method according to one aspect of the present invention involves connecting a power supply device (PS) having a power storage unit (BT) and outputting power stored in the power storage unit to the outside to a connection unit (11) of a verification device (1) so as to be able to transmit power, and measuring at least one of the voltage and current on the power transmission path between the connection unit and a simulation unit (13) which is connected to the connection unit so as to be able to transmit power and simulates the load characteristics of a predetermined power consumption device.

[0025] (19): A program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to perform a process of measuring at least one of voltage and current on a power transmission path between a power storage unit (PS) having a power storage unit (BT) and outputting power stored in the power storage unit to the outside, a power storage unit (PS) being connected to a connection unit (11) of a verification device (1) in a state in which power output from the power storage unit is input to the connection unit, and power output from the power storage unit is input to the connection unit.

[0026] (20): A recording medium according to one aspect of the present invention is a computer-readable recording medium on which a program according to the aspect of (11) described above is recorded.

[0027] According to embodiments (1), (18) to (20), a power supply device that outputs power stored in the energy storage unit to the outside is connected to the connection part of the verification device in a power-transmitting manner, and with the power output from the power supply device input to the connection part, at least one of the voltage and current in the power transmission path between the connection part and the simulation part that simulates the load characteristics of the power consumption device is measured. This makes it possible to reliably and accurately determine the power characteristics of the power supply device having an energy storage unit.

[0028] According to embodiment (2), the load characteristics of the power consumption device are set in the simulation unit by the control unit. As a result, the load characteristics of the power consumption device can be freely set, and the power characteristics of the power supply unit having an energy storage unit can be reliably and accurately determined while changing the load conditions.

[0029] According to the embodiment of (3), the communication unit can acquire the load characteristics of the power consumption device from the server device, and the control unit can set the load characteristics of the power consumption device acquired by the communication unit in the simulation unit. For example, the load characteristics of various types of power consumption devices can be simulated.

[0030] According to embodiments (4) and (5), the determination unit determines the power characteristics of the power supply unit based on the measurement results of the measurement unit, so the power characteristics of the power supply unit can be determined automatically and in a short time.

[0031] According to embodiments (6) to (9), it is possible to automatically and quickly determine whether or not the electrical equipment conforms to the standards imposed on medical electrical equipment.

[0032] According to embodiments (10) and (11), the simulated part is a physical circuit configuration, making it suitable for simulating a power consumption device.

[0033] According to embodiments (12) and (13), instead of the simulation unit, an actual power consumption device, which is a power consumption device used in the actual operation that the simulation unit is trying to simulate, is connected to the connection unit in a power-transmitting manner, and the parameters or load characteristics of the simulation unit are acquired, thereby improving the simulation accuracy of the simulation unit.

[0034] According to the embodiments of (14) to (16), not only is it determined whether the power supply characteristics meet the criteria, but a weighted evaluation is performed, the degradation of the power supply is estimated using time-series data, and furthermore, information on alternative power supplies in the case of those that do not meet the criteria is obtained, thus providing extremely useful information for handling power supplies.

[0035] According to the embodiment of (17), whether or not the power characteristics of the power supply device are suitable for the load characteristics of the power consumption device is determined comprehensively using multiple indicators, thereby improving the accuracy of the determination.

[0036] This is a circuit diagram showing the main components of a verification device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram showing an example of a simulation unit in a verification device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram showing another example of a simulation unit in a verification device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram showing an example of judgment items and judgment criteria in the judgment unit of a verification device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a flowchart showing an example of a verification method according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a flowchart showing a method for acquiring parameters of a power consumption device simulated by a verification device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Hereinafter, embodiments of the verification device, verification method, program, and recording medium of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0038] <Verification Device> Figure 1 is a circuit diagram showing the main components of a verification device according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the verification device 1 according to this embodiment comprises a connection unit 11, a measurement unit 12, a simulation unit 13, a communication unit 14, a display unit 15, a control unit 16, and a determination unit 17. Such a verification device 1 verifies the power characteristics of a power supply device PS, which is the object to be verified and is connected to the verification device via a connection cable CB in a manner that allows power transmission. In this embodiment, the case in which the connection cable CB is separate from the verification device 1 will be described as an example.

[0039] The power supply unit PS has a power storage unit BT and outputs the power stored in the power storage unit BT to the outside. The power storage unit BT is equipped with a battery such as a lithium-ion battery, and stores DC power supplied from the outside and supplies the stored DC power to the outside. The power supply unit PS converts the DC power supplied from the power storage unit BT into AC power and outputs it. The power supply unit PS outputs single-phase AC power to the outside, similar to commercial power. In other words, the power supply unit PS outputs single-phase AC power with a voltage of 100V and a frequency of 50 or 60Hz to the outside. The power supply unit PS may be a portable power supply. Also, the power supply unit PS may be configured so that the power storage unit BT is replaceable.

[0040] In power supply units PS that output AC power externally, it is necessary to convert the DC power supplied from the energy storage unit BT into AC power internally. Therefore, differences in the characteristics of the power output from the power supply unit PS (i.e., the quality of the output AC power) are likely to occur due to differences in the manufacturer, manufacturing process, and components used. For this reason, power supply units PS that output AC power externally require a higher level of verification of the characteristics (quality) of the output power compared to power supply units that output DC power externally.

[0041] The connection part 11 is the part to which the power supply unit PS is connected in a way that allows power to be transmitted. The connection part 11 is, for example, a connector to which the other end of a connection cable CB, one end of which is connected to the power supply unit PS, is connected. If the connection cable CB is integrated with the verification device 1, then one end of the connection cable CB (the end connected to the power supply unit PS) becomes the connection part.

[0042] The measurement unit 12 is provided between the connection unit 11 and the simulation unit 13. The measurement unit 12 measures at least one of voltage and current on the power transmission path between the connection unit 11 and the simulation unit 13 in a state where the power output from the power supply device PS is input to the connection unit 11. The measurement unit 12 may measure only voltage, may measure only current, or may measure both voltage and current. The measurement unit 12 outputs the measurement result to the control unit 16.

[0043] The simulation unit 13 is connected to the connection unit 11 in a power-transmittable manner, and simulates the load characteristics of a preset power consumption device. Here, the power consumption device is a device that consumes AC power output from the power supply device PS, and is, for example, an electrical device for medical use (medical device). Note that "medical use" means intended for use in medical treatment, and "medical treatment" refers to treatment performed based on medicine and medical art.

[0044] The power consumption device is not limited to medical devices, and may be any electric device (load) other than medical devices. The power consumption device may be an electric device having a rectifier that converts alternating current into direct current (rectifier load), or may be an electric device that does not have a rectifier. For example, it may be an electric device such as a spot cooler, an electric drill, an air conditioner, or a hair dryer.

[0045] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a simulation unit in the confirmation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The simulation unit 13 shown in FIG. 2 includes a resistor 21, a rectifier 22, a variable resistor 23, a variable inductor 24, and a variable capacitor 25. The resistor 21 is provided between one of the pair of terminals T1 to which AC power output from the power supply device PS is input and the rectifier 22. The resistor 21 has a fixed resistance value, but may have a variable resistance value.

[0046] The rectifier 22 rectifies AC power input from the pair of terminals T1. The rectifier 22 shown in FIG. 2 is a full-wave rectifier having four diodes, but the rectifier 22 may be a half-wave rectifier. Although not shown in FIG. 2, a smoothing capacitor connected in parallel to the rectifier 22 may be provided on the output side of the rectifier 22. Alternatively, the variable capacitor 25 may be used as the smoothing capacitor.

[0047] The variable resistor 23 is a resistor whose resistance value can be adjusted within a certain range. The variable inductor 24 is an inductor whose inductance can be adjusted within a certain range. The variable capacitor 25 is a capacitor whose capacitance can be adjusted within a certain range. The range of the resistance value adjustable by the variable resistor 23, the range of the inductance adjustable by the variable inductor 24, and the range of the capacitance adjustable by the variable capacitor 25 are set, for example, in accordance with the load characteristics of the plurality of power consumption devices to be simulated.

[0048] The variable resistor 23, the variable inductor 24, and the variable capacitor 25 are connected in parallel to the rectifier 22 on the output side of the rectifier 22. These variable resistor 23, variable inductor 24, and variable capacitor 25 constitute an RLC parallel circuit. The resistance value of the variable resistor 23, the inductance of the variable inductor 24, and the capacitance of the variable capacitor 25 are controlled, for example, by the control unit 16, whereby the load characteristics of the power consumption device are set in the simulation unit 13. Note that the simulation unit 13 shown in FIG. 2 is used, for example, when simulating an electric device including a rectifier.

[0049] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another example of the simulation unit in the confirmation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The simulation unit 13 shown in FIG. 3 includes a variable resistor 31, a variable inductor 32, and a variable capacitor 33. The variable resistor 31 is a resistor whose resistance value can be adjusted within a certain range. The variable inductor 32 is an inductor whose inductance can be adjusted within a certain range. The variable capacitor 33 is a capacitor whose capacitance can be adjusted within a certain range. The range of the resistance value adjustable by the variable resistor 31, the range of the inductance adjustable by the variable inductor 32, and the range of the capacitance adjustable by the variable capacitor 33 are set, for example, in accordance with the load characteristics of the plurality of power consumption devices to be simulated, similarly to the simulation unit 13 shown in FIG. 2.

[0050] The variable resistor 31, variable inductor 32, and variable capacitor 33 are connected in series between a pair of terminals T1 to which AC power output from the power supply PS is input. These variable resistor 31, variable inductor 32, and variable capacitor 33 constitute an RLC series circuit. The resistance value of the variable resistor 31, the inductance of the variable inductor 32, and the capacitance of the variable capacitor 33 are controlled, for example, by the control unit 16, thereby setting the load characteristics of the power consumption device in the simulation unit 13. The simulation unit 13 shown in Figure 3 is used, for example, when simulating electrical equipment that does not have a rectifier.

[0051] The simulated section 13 illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 may generate heat due to the consumption of AC power supplied between the pair of terminals T1. Therefore, it is preferable that the verification device 1 be equipped with a cooling device to enable continuous characteristic verification while preventing burnout due to overheating. The cooling device may be, for example, a heat sink, a high-volume cooling fan, a liquid cooling mechanism, a Peltier element, etc.

[0052] Here, some medical devices that use motor drive have nonlinear and transient load characteristics, such as a large inrush current flowing when starting up immediately after power-on, and then the current value decreasing as the motor speed reaches its rated speed. In order to reproduce such load characteristics, the control unit 16 may have a function (dynamic load simulation function) that rapidly and dynamically changes the parameters of the variable resistors 23, 31, variable inductors 24, 32, and variable capacitors 25, 33 over time.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the verification device 1 can connect an actual power consumption device (a power consumption device used in actual operation) that the simulation unit 13 is trying to simulate to the connection unit 11 in a power-transmitting manner, instead of the simulation unit 13. By connecting the power consumption device to the connection unit 11 in a power-transmitting manner and measuring the current and voltage with the measurement unit 12 when power is supplied to the power consumption device from a predetermined power source (for example, commercial power), information necessary to simulate the power consumption device can be obtained. Here, the information necessary to simulate the power consumption device is, for example, parameters such as the resistance values ​​of the variable resistors 23 and 31 shown in Figures 2 and 3, the inductance of the variable inductors 24 and 32, and the capacitance of the variable capacitors 25 and 33.

[0054] The communication unit 14 is connected to the server device SV in a communication manner and communicates with the server device SV under the control of the control unit 16. The communication between the communication unit 14 and the server device SV may be wired communication or wireless communication. For example, the communication unit 14 communicates with the server device SV via a wide-area network such as the Internet. The server device SV provides information indicating the load characteristics of the power consumption device described above.

[0055] The display unit 15 includes, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display device, and displays the results of the power supply characteristics check of the power supply device PS, the judgment results of the judgment unit 17, etc. The display unit 15 may also include a touch panel type liquid crystal display device that combines display and operation functions.

[0056] The control unit 16 comprehensively controls the operation of the verification device 1. For example, the control unit 16 sets the load characteristics of the power consumption device described above in the simulation unit 13. The load characteristics may be set based on user instructions or according to a predetermined procedure. The control unit 16 also controls the communication unit 14 to obtain the load characteristics of the power consumption device from the server device SV. The control unit 16 sets the load characteristics of the power consumption device obtained from the server device SV in the simulation unit 13. The control unit 16 controls the display content of the display unit 15.

[0057] The determination unit 17 determines the power characteristics of the power supply device PS based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 12. The determination unit 17 determines that one of the power characteristics of the power supply device PS belongs to the first criterion, provided that at least one of the following conditions is met: that one of the characteristics of the power supply device PS meets the first criterion and that one of the characteristics does not meet the second criterion.

[0058] Figure 4 shows an example of judgment items and judgment criteria in the judgment unit of a verification device according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 4, the judgment items of the judgment unit 17 are, for example, "output voltage," "frequency," "distortion rate," and "actual load matching." "Output voltage" is the output voltage of the power supply device PS, "frequency" is the frequency of the power (single-phase AC power) output from the power supply device PS, "distortion rate" is the distortion rate of the output voltage of the power supply device PS, and "actual load matching" is the matching (degree of fit) between the power supply device PS and the load.

[0059] The first criterion item shown in Figure 4, "Output Voltage," has a load condition of "Resistor / Rectifier Load (No Load to Rated)" and a criterion of, for example, "100Vrms ± 10%." Note that "100Vrms ± 10%" means that the effective voltage value is within the range of 100V ± 10%. The second criterion item, "Frequency," has a load condition of "Resistor / Rectifier Load (No Load to Rated)" and a criterion of, for example, "50 / 60Hz ± 1Hz." Note that "50 / 60Hz ± 1Hz" means that the frequency is within the range of 50Hz ± 1Hz or 60Hz ± 1Hz.

[0060] The third evaluation criterion, "distortion rate," is defined as a load condition of "resistive / rectifier load (no load to rated)" and a judgment criterion of, for example, "THD (voltage): 8% or less." Note that "THD (voltage): 8% or less" means that the total harmonic distortion is 8% or less. The fourth evaluation criterion, "actual load matching," is defined as a load condition of, for example, "oxygen concentrator" and a judgment criterion of "operable without errors." Here, in the case of an "oxygen concentrator," "operable without errors" means, for example, that the voltage drop when inrush current occurs is maintained within a predetermined threshold (for example, 20% of the rating) and that no waveform loss occurs. Note that the types and conditions of errors vary from medical device to medical device and are not standardized, so "operable without errors" generally means that it is possible to operate without any arbitrary errors occurring.

[0061] The criteria for the first judgment item, "output voltage," and the second judgment item, "frequency," shown in Figure 4, are based on "JIS T 0601-1." These criteria are used to confirm that the output voltage is equivalent to that of commercial power supply under normal use.

[0062] The third judgment item, "distortion rate," shown in Figure 4, is based on "JIS C 4411-3." This judgment criterion is used because harmonics affect the stability and lifespan of equipment operation, and "JIS T 0601-1" does not specify a distortion rate. Therefore, it is necessary to confirm that the distortion rate is equivalent to that specified in "JIS C 4411-3."

[0063] The fourth criterion shown in Figure 4, "actual load matching," is used because there is a high possibility that some power supply units may not be able to start up in power consumption devices that draw large currents instantaneously, and this criterion is used to confirm this.

[0064] The determination unit 17 uses the measurement results from the measurement unit 12 to determine whether the prescribed determination criteria are met for each of the determination items shown in Figure 4. For example, if the determination criteria are met for all of the determination items shown in Figure 4, the determination unit 17 determines that the power characteristics of the power supply unit PS are suitable for the load characteristics of the power consumption device. In other words, it determines that the power quality of the power supply unit PS is equivalent to that of the commercial power supply (belongs to the first criterion).

[0065] The determination in the determination unit 17 may be in the form of "determining and evaluating". For example, the determination results for the four determination items described above may be quantified, an evaluation value may be obtained by performing a weighting calculation on the quantified determination results, and an evaluation may be performed based on that evaluation value. Although Figure 1 illustrates a configuration in which the determination unit 17 is provided within the control unit 16, the determination unit 17 may be provided separately from the control unit 16.

[0066] Among the components provided in the verification device 1, the control unit 16 and the determination unit 17 are realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). In other words, the functions of the control unit 16 and the determination unit 17 are realized through the cooperation of software and hardware resources.

[0067] Some or all of the components provided in the verification device 1 may be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or by the cooperation of software and hardware.

[0068] The program may be stored in advance on a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory (a storage device equipped with a non-transient storage medium). Alternatively, it may be stored on a removable storage medium such as a DVD (registered trademark) or CD-ROM (a non-transient storage medium), and installed when the storage medium is inserted into a drive device.

[0069] <Verification Method> Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a verification method according to one embodiment of the present invention. When verifying the power characteristics of the power supply unit PS, first, the verification device 1 is connected to the power supply unit PS (step S11). For example, one end of the connecting cable CB is connected to the power supply unit PS, and the other end is connected to the connection part 11 of the verification device 1, thereby connecting the verification device 1 and the power supply unit PS in a power transmission manner.

[0070] Next, the load characteristics of the power consumption device are set in the simulation unit 13 (step S12). For example, the control unit 16 sets the load characteristics of the power consumption device instructed by the user in the simulation unit 13. Alternatively, the control unit 16 sets the load characteristics of the power consumption device in the simulation unit 13 according to a predetermined procedure. The control unit 16 may also set the load characteristics of the power consumption device obtained from the server device SV by controlling the communication unit 14 in the simulation unit 13.

[0071] Next, the power supply unit PS is started, and power is output from the power supply unit PS to the verification device 1 (step S13). As a result, the power output from the power supply unit PS is input to the connection part 11 of the verification device 1 and supplied to the simulation unit 13. Alternatively, the power supply unit PS may be started in advance, the load characteristics of the power consumption device may be set in the simulation unit 13, and then the verification device 1 may be connected to the power supply unit PS. In other words, the flowchart shown in Figure 5 may be performed in the order of steps S13, S12, and S11.

[0072] Next, the measurement unit 12 measures the voltage and current (step S14). That is, with the power output from the power supply unit PS input to the connection unit 11, the voltage and current on the power transmission path between the connection unit 11 and the simulation unit 13 are measured. Note that only the voltage may be measured, only the current may be measured, or both voltage and current may be measured. The measurement results from the measurement unit 12 are output to the control unit 16.

[0073] Next, the determination unit 17 determines the power characteristics of the power supply device PS based on the measurement results from the measurement unit 12 (step S15). Specifically, based on the measurement results from the measurement unit 12, it is determined whether each of the determination items explained using Figure 4 satisfies the determination criteria. For example, the following is determined.

[0074] - Whether the RMS voltage of the output voltage of the power supply unit PS is within the range of, for example, 100V ± 10% - Whether the frequency of the power (single-phase AC power) output from the power supply unit PS is within the range of, for example, 50Hz ± 1Hz or 60Hz ± 1Hz - Whether the total harmonic distortion, which is the distortion rate of the output voltage of the power supply unit PS, is 8% or less - Whether the power supply unit PS can operate without errors

[0075] The determination unit 17 determines, for example, that the power characteristics of the power supply unit PS are suitable for the load characteristics of the power consumption device if it determines that all of the above determination criteria are met. Alternatively, the determination unit 17 may quantify the determination results of the above determination criteria, perform a weighting calculation on the quantified determination results to obtain an evaluation value, and perform an evaluation based on that evaluation value. Once the above processing is completed, the determination result of the determination unit 17 is displayed on the display unit 15 (step S16).

[0076] <Parameter Acquisition Method> Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a method for acquiring parameters of a power consumption device simulated by a verification device according to one embodiment of the present invention. When acquiring parameters of a power consumption device (information necessary to simulate a power consumption device), first, the actual power consumption device whose parameters are to be acquired is connected to the verification device 1 (step S21). Specifically, instead of the simulation unit 13 which is connected to the connection unit 11 of the verification device 1 in a power-transmitting manner, the actual power consumption device is connected to the connection unit 11 in a power-transmitting manner.

[0077] Next, the verification device 1 is connected to a predetermined power source (for example, a commercial power source) (step S22). For example, one end of the connection cable CB is connected to the predetermined power source, and the other end is connected to the connection part 11 of the verification device 1, thereby connecting the verification device 1 and the predetermined power source in a power-transmission manner. Here, the predetermined power source may be an emergency power source or an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) that supplies power to a medical outlet used in a hospital.

[0078] Next, power is output from the predetermined power source to the verification device 1 (step S23). As a result, the power output from the predetermined power source is input to the connection part 11 of the verification device 1 and supplied to the actual power consumption device. Subsequently, the measurement unit 12 measures the voltage and current (step S24). That is, with the power output from the predetermined power source input to the connection part 11, the voltage and current on the power transmission path between the connection part 11 and the actual power consumption device are measured. Note that only the voltage may be measured, only the current may be measured, or both voltage and current may be measured. The measurement results from the measurement unit 12 are output to the control unit 16.

[0079] Next, the control unit 16 acquires the parameters of the actual power consumption device based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 12 (step S25). For example, the control unit 16 acquires the resistance values ​​to be set in the variable resistors 23 and 31, the inductances to be set in the variable inductors 24 and 32, and the capacitances to be set in the variable capacitors 25 and 33, assuming that the actual power consumption device is equivalent to the simulation unit 13 shown in Figures 2 and 3. The control unit 16 may store the acquired parameters or control the communication unit 14 to transmit them to the server device SV.

[0080] As described above, in this embodiment, a power supply device PS that outputs power stored in the energy storage unit BT to the outside is connected to the connection part 11 of the verification device 1 in a manner that allows power to be transmitted. With the power output from the power supply device PS input to the connection part 11, at least one of the voltage and current in the power transmission path between the connection part 11 and the simulation unit 13 that simulates the load characteristics of the power consumption device is measured. This makes it possible to reliably and accurately determine the power characteristics of the power supply device PS having the energy storage unit BT.

[0081] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the load characteristics of the power consumption device are set in the simulation unit 13 by the control unit 16. This allows the load characteristics of the power consumption device to be freely set, making it possible to reliably and accurately determine the power characteristics of the power supply device PS having the energy storage unit BT while changing the load conditions.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 16 controls the communication unit 14 to acquire the load characteristics of the power consumption device from the server device SV, and sets the acquired load characteristics of the power consumption device in the simulation unit 13. Therefore, for example, the load characteristics of various types of power consumption devices can be simulated.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the determination unit 17 determines the power characteristics of the power supply unit PS based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 12, so the power characteristics of the power supply unit PS can be determined automatically and quickly. In addition, in this embodiment, the determination criteria for determining the power characteristics of the power supply unit PS are defined based on standards imposed on electrical equipment for medical use ("JIS C 4411-3", "JIS T 0601-1", etc.), so it can be determined automatically and quickly whether or not it conforms to the standards imposed on electrical equipment for medical use.

[0084] <How the Verification Device is Used> The Verification Device 1 described above can be used by, for example, power supply vendors or rental companies, hospital medical equipment managers or medical professionals, individuals (end users), etc. Situations in which the Verification Device 1 may be used include, for example, determining whether a power supply to be purchased can be used for medical equipment, determining whether multiple power supplies can be used for multiple medical devices using the Verification Device 1 without actually using the multiple medical devices, and when certification (seal of approval) that a power supply can be used for medical equipment is required. In addition, for example, a power supply vendor or rental company may use the Verification Device 1 to determine and present to a user that the power supply can be used for medical purposes before handing it over.

[0085] As shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3, the verification device 1 includes a rectifier, variable resistor, variable inductor, variable capacitor, etc., and its size is, for example, about the height of a person's waist, and its weight is not light enough for a person to easily carry. For this reason, the verification device 1 is configured to be transportable, for example, by casters. Furthermore, it is desirable that the verification device 1 be able to connect wirelessly to an external device (for example, a personal computer) using a wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and that it be able to output parameters or logs to the external device.

[0086] 《First Example of Use of the Verification Device》 When a power supply seller or rental company uses the verification device 1, they first prepare the verification device 1, connect external equipment to the verification device 1, and set parameters for the simulation unit 13, the model and lot number of the power supply to be judged, etc. Next, the power supply seller or rental company prepares the power supply to be judged and connects it to the connection unit 11 of the verification device 1. For example, if the verification device 1 is equipped with a commercial power supply (AC 100V) cable plug, it is connected to the outlet (wall outlet) of the power supply to be judged.

[0087] In cases where the power supply has multiple outlets, there are configurations where a different inverter is connected to each outlet. For this reason, it is preferable to use the verification device 1 to determine all outlets of the power supply. Since the time required for determination using the verification device 1 is only a few seconds, the verification device 1 may or may not be equipped with a function to determine multiple outlets simultaneously.

[0088] Once the connection of the verification device 1 to the power supply is complete, and for example, the user of the verification device 1 operates an external device to give a predetermined instruction, the verification device 1 starts the judgment process. When the judgment process by the verification device 1 is completed successfully, for example, a buzzer sound is emitted from the verification device 1 and the external device, and the judgment result is displayed on the verification device 1 and the external device. The contents displayed on the verification device 1 and the external device include, for example, the measurement result and judgment result (for example, "OK" or "NG") for each judgment item. If the judgment result is "NG", the power supply seller or rental company will have no choice but to provide another power supply.

[0089] The judgment result of the verification device 1 is output to an external device for recording, for example. Preferably, the judgment result of the verification device 1 is output in a predetermined format such as PDF (Portable Document Format). Furthermore, in order to make it easier to manage the judgment results for each power supply, it is desirable to record the judgment result in association with the power supply model, lot number, etc.

[0090] Furthermore, it is possible that the connection between the power supply and the verification device 1 may be lost during the judgment process, for example, by unplugging the cable from the power supply. In such cases, a buzzer sound indicating an error will be emitted from the verification device 1 and the external device, and a message indicating a judgment failure will be displayed on the verification device 1 and the external device.

[0091] In this case, if the manufacturer and distributor of the verification device 1 and the manufacturer and distributor of the power supply are the same, and the power supply is judged as "NG" using the verification device 1, a replacement may be arranged, for example, based on the information uploaded to the server device SV. Such a situation may occur because, although the power supply specifications should be "OK," individual differences may be the cause.

[0092] If the user of the verification device 1 is a rental company, for example, the device 1 is used to check the condition of a power supply when lending a power supply returned by one customer to another customer. Each time a power supply is returned and lent out, the judgment results for the same unit are accumulated. The verification device 1 may also estimate the degree of power supply degradation using the progression of deviations from the judgment criteria (third judgment criteria).

[0093] 《Second Example of Use of the Verification Device》 When a power supply manufacturer uses the verification device 1, for example, in the factory shipment inspection process, the manufactured power supply is connected to the verification device 1, and parameters for the simulation unit 13, the type of power supply to be judged, lot number, etc. are set using an external device. Then, as in the first example of use described above, when the user of the verification device 1 operates the external device and gives a predetermined instruction, the judgment process by the verification device 1 is started.

[0094] The power supply judgment results, along with the power supply's lot number, are uploaded to and stored on the server device SV. This makes it easier to submit the power supply judgment results as evidence later. Alternatively, each power supply may be assigned individual identification information (e.g., a two-dimensional code), and this individual identification information can be read using a reader attached to the verification device 1 and used in the verification device 1 to manage the power supply information (model, lot number, etc.) in association with the judgment results. This eliminates the need to manually enter power supply information.

[0095] Alternatively, the printer attached to the verification device 1 can be used to immediately print the results and include them as a shipping inspection sheet. This allows the power supply seller or rental company to receive the inspection sheet for the delivered power supply at the time of delivery (when unpacking).

[0096] Although embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above using examples, the present invention is not limited in any way to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the embodiments described above, the case in which the power consumption device is a medical device was mainly described, but the power consumption device may be any electrical device (load) other than a medical device.

[0097] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the determination unit 17 determined that the power quality of the power supply PS was equivalent to that of the commercial power supply (belonging to the first criterion) when, for example, the effective voltage value of the output voltage of the power supply PS was within the range of 100V ± 10% (satisfying the first determination criterion). However, the determination unit 17 may also determine that the power quality of the power supply PS is equivalent to that of the commercial power supply (belonging to the first criterion) when, for example, the effective voltage value of the output voltage of the power supply PS is not outside the range of 100V ± 10% (not satisfying the second determination criterion). The second determination criterion may be the same value as the first determination criterion, or it may be a different value that is more optimized for determining "not outside the range".

[0098] In the example above, "the effective voltage is within the range of 100V ± 10%" corresponds to the first criterion, and "the effective voltage is outside the range of 100V ± 10%" corresponds to the second criterion. However, the ranges of each criterion (the range of the effective voltage being within the range of 100V ± 10%) may be different.

[0099] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the determination unit 17 determined that the power quality of the power supply unit PS was equivalent to that of the commercial power supply (belonging to the first criterion) when, for example, the frequency of the power output from the power supply unit PS was within the range of 50 Hz ± 1 Hz or 60 Hz ± 1 Hz (satisfying the first determination criterion). However, the determination unit 17 may also determine that the power quality of the power supply unit PS is equivalent to that of the commercial power supply (belonging to the first criterion) when, for example, the frequency of the power output from the power supply unit PS is not outside the range of 50 Hz ± 1 Hz and 60 Hz ± 1 Hz (not satisfying the second determination criterion).

[0100] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the determination unit 17 determined that the power quality of the power supply PS was equivalent to that of the commercial power supply (belonging to the first criterion) when, for example, the total harmonic distortion rate, which is the distortion rate of the output voltage of the power supply PS, was 8% or less (satisfying the first determination criterion). However, the determination unit 17 may also determine that the power quality of the power supply PS is equivalent to that of the commercial power supply (belonging to the first criterion) when, for example, the total harmonic distortion rate, which is the distortion rate of the output voltage of the power supply PS, is not higher than 8% (not satisfying the second determination criterion).

[0101] Furthermore, while the above embodiments exemplified "JIS C 4411-3" and "JIS T 0601-1" as standards imposed on electrical equipment for medical use, the present invention is not limited to these standards. Standards imposed on electrical equipment for medical use include international standards such as IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) standards, and equivalent technical standards specified in future revisions or successor standards thereof.

Claims

1. A verification device (1) comprising: a connection section (11) to which a power supply device (PS) having a power storage section (BT) and outputting the power stored in the power storage section to the outside is connected in a power-transmitting manner; a simulation section (13) connected to the connection section in a power-transmitting manner and simulating the load characteristics of a preset power consumption device; and a measurement section (12) that measures at least one of the voltage and current on the power transmission path between the connection section and the simulation section when power output from the power supply device is input to the connection section.

2. The verification device according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit (16) for setting the load characteristics of the power consumption device to the simulation unit.

3. The verification device according to claim 2, comprising a communication unit (14) that is communicably connected to a server device (SV) that provides the load characteristics of the power consumption device, wherein the control unit sets the load characteristics of the power consumption device obtained by the communication unit from the server device to the simulation unit.

4. The verification device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a determination unit (17) that determines the power characteristics of the power supply device based on the measurement results of the measurement unit.

5. The verification device according to claim 4, wherein the power supply characteristics include a plurality of power supply characteristics, and the determination unit determines that one characteristic among the plurality of power supply characteristics belongs to the first criterion, on the condition that at least one of the following conditions is met: one characteristic among the plurality of power supply characteristics satisfies the first determination criterion, and one characteristic among the plurality of power supply characteristics does not satisfy the second determination criterion.

6. The verification device according to claim 5, wherein the first characteristic is the output voltage of the power supply, the first criterion is that the effective voltage is within the range of 100V ± 10%, or the second criterion is that the effective voltage is not outside the range of 100V ± 10%.

7. The verification device according to claim 5, wherein the first characteristic is the frequency of the power output from the power supply, the first determination criterion is that the frequency is within the range of 50 Hz ± 1 Hz or 60 Hz ± 1 Hz, or the second determination criterion is that the frequency is not outside the range of 50 Hz ± 1 Hz and 60 Hz ± 1 Hz.

8. The verification device according to claim 5, wherein the first characteristic is the distortion rate of the output voltage of the power supply, the first criterion is that the total harmonic distortion of the output voltage is 8% or less, or the second criterion is that the total harmonic distortion of the output voltage is not higher than 8%.

9. The power consumption device is an electrical device for medical use, according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The verification device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the simulation unit comprises a rectifier (22) for rectifying AC power input from the connection unit, and a variable resistor (23), a variable inductor (24), and a variable capacitor (25) connected in parallel to each other on the output side of the rectifier.

11. The verification device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the simulation unit comprises a variable resistor (31), a variable inductor (32), and a variable capacitor (33) connected in series with respect to each other.

12. The verification device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, in place of the simulation unit, the verification device is capable of connecting to the connection unit a real power consumption device, which is the power consumption device used in actual use that the simulation unit is trying to simulate, in a power-transmitting manner, and the control unit acquires parameters necessary for the simulation unit to simulate the real power consumption device based on the measurement results of the measurement unit when power is supplied to the real power consumption device from a predetermined power source.

13. The verification device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the load characteristics are obtained based on at least one of the measured voltage and current when the actual power consumption device, which is the power consumption device to be used in actual operation, is connected to the connection part in a power-transmitting manner, and power is supplied to the actual power consumption device from a predetermined power source.

14. The verification device according to claim 4, wherein the determination unit quantifies the determination results for a plurality of determination items and performs a weighting calculation on the quantified determination results to obtain an evaluation value for the power supply characteristics.

15. The verification device according to claim 4, wherein the verification device accumulates the judgment result for each individual power supply unit and estimates the degree of deterioration of the power supply unit based on the progression of the degree of deviation of the accumulated judgment result from the third judgment criterion.

16. The confirmation device according to claim 4, referencing claim 3, wherein the communication unit obtains information on an alternative power supply from the server device when the determination unit determines that the power characteristics of the power supply device do not match the load characteristics.

17. The verification device according to claim 4, wherein the determination unit determines that the power characteristics of the power supply device are suitable for the load characteristics of the power consumption device when the determination criteria corresponding to these determination items are met.

18. A verification method comprising: connecting a power supply device (PS) having a power storage unit (BT) and outputting the power stored in the power storage unit to the outside to a connection unit (11) of a verification device (1) in a manner that allows power to be transmitted; and measuring at least one of the voltage and current in the power transmission path between the connection unit and a simulation unit (13) that is power-transmittingly connected to the connection unit and simulates the load characteristics of a preset power consumption device, while the power output from the power supply device is input to the connection unit.

19. A program for causing a computer to perform a process of measuring at least one of the voltage and current on a power transmission path between a power supply unit (PS) having a power storage unit (BT) and outputting the power stored in the power storage unit to the outside, a power supply unit (PS) being connected to a connection unit (11) of a verification device (1) in a state in which power output from the power supply unit is input to the connection unit.

20. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program described in claim 19 is recorded.

Images