Power Control Apparatus Using Equipment Start Time Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing power control systems lack the ability to accurately determine the start and completion times of equipment processing, leading to inefficient energy management and potential misoperations due to the inability to grasp the detailed state of equipment execution.

Innovation Solution

A power control apparatus and method that includes a transceiver unit to transmit commands and a control unit to acquire start and completion time information from equipment, allowing for detailed state monitoring and scheduling based on this information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the power control apparatus transmits commands to equipment without detailed state information, then the control system is simple, but the equipment cannot execute processing at appropriate timing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveequipment execution timing accuracyVSAvoidequipment processing state information
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The equipment provides feedback information to the power control apparatus, including start time information indicating when processing begins and completion time information indicating when processing ends. This feedback mechanism enables the power control apparatus to accurately grasp the detailed state of equipment processing and transmit subsequent commands at appropriate timing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If the power control apparatus monitors detailed equipment state, then processing timing accuracy improves, but command transmission frequency increases causing energy waste

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveequipment state monitoring accuracyVSAvoidenergy consumed by command transmission
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The equipment pre-calculates and provides start time information and completion time information to the power control apparatus before processing begins and ends. This preliminary action allows the power control apparatus to plan command transmissions in advance, avoiding unnecessary frequent transmissions and reducing energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The equipment autonomously generates and transmits its own state information (start time and completion time) to the power control apparatus. This self-service approach eliminates the need for continuous polling by the power control apparatus, reducing communication overhead and energy consumption while maintaining precise state monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If the power control apparatus uses only completion time information, then the control system is simple, but it cannot optimize energy management effectively

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy management efficiencyVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The equipment provides both start time information (when processing begins) and completion time information (when processing ends) to the power control apparatus. Having both timestamps available in advance enables the power control apparatus to calculate processing duration and optimize energy management strategies, such as scheduling power generation or storage operations, without increasing control system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3355439B1Power control apparatus, power control system, and power control method
Publication Date: 2020.04.29 KYOCERA CORP
  • EP3355439B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3355439B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3355439B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

THE HEMS 500 controls equipment provided in a consumer 10. The HEMS 500 comprises a transceiver unit 510 that transmits a command to instruct processing executed by the equipment and a control unit 530 that acquires start time information indicating a time from when the equipment receives the command to when the equipment starts processing according to the command from the equipment and controls the equipment based on the acquired start time information.