Occupancy-Based Power Control for Household Electric Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Energy waste occurs due to users frequently forgetting to turn off electric devices, leading to inefficient power distribution in households.
Innovation Solution
A power consumption management method that acquires identification information of electric devices in a monitoring area, determines if a user is present, and automatically powers off devices based on pre-defined type sets and time durations, using sensors or image processing to collect data and control power states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If manual power switch control is used for electric devices, then user operation flexibility is maintained, but energy waste occurs due to user negligence
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables electric devices to automatically power off themselves based on detected user absence, eliminating the need for manual user intervention. The device monitors the monitoring area and autonomously determines when to power off based on user presence/absence detection
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the monitoring area for user presence and provides feedback to the power control unit. When user absence is detected, the system feeds back this information to trigger automatic power off, creating a closed-loop control system that responds to real-time conditions
2Loss of energy
If automatic power off is implemented when user absence is detected, then energy waste is prevented, but system complexity increases due to monitoring and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring device performs multiple functions: it detects user presence/absence, triggers power off control, and can potentially monitor multiple devices simultaneously. The power control unit can manage multiple electric devices through a single centralized control mechanism, reducing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a power control unit as an intermediary between the user and the electric devices. This intermediary automatically executes power off operations based on monitoring data, simplifying the interaction between users and multiple devices while preventing energy waste
3Loss of energy
If timekeeping is implemented for delayed power off, then energy waste is reduced for temporary absences, but control precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-sets time durations for different electric devices in the first type set. When user absence is detected, the system automatically applies these pre-configured time durations to determine when each device should power off, eliminating the need for real-time decision-making and reducing precision requirements
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a power consumption management method for electric devices, a manager and a management system. The power consumption management method may include: acquiring identification information of an electric device in a power-on state in a monitoring area (S101); collecting information of the monitoring area, and determining whether a user exists in the monitoring area or not according to a collection result (S102); when the user does not exist in the monitoring area, determining a type set to which the identification information belongs (S103); when determining that the identification information is comprised in a first type set, powering off the electric device (S104); and when determining that the identification information is comprised in a second type set, beginning timekeeping, and when a timekeeping duration reaches to a preset duration matched with the identification information, powering off the electric device (S105). Therefore, the energy waste due to the fact that a user forgets to turn off an electric device when leaving the monitoring area may be prevented.