KR101799105B1 - Controlling method of a component for Network system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for controlling components for a network system. A method for controlling a component for a network system according to an aspect includes displaying recommendation information related to operation of the component; And determining whether a setting command for setting the displayed recommendation information has been input. If the setting command is input, the component operates to satisfy the recommendation information, and if the setting command is not inputted, And the like can be displayed.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a control method of a component for a network system,

The present invention relates to a method for controlling components for a network system.

Suppliers simply supply energy sources such as electricity, water, and gas, and demanders simply use the supplied energy sources. Therefore, effective management in terms of energy production, distribution, or energy use is difficult to perform.

In other words, energy is a radial structure that is distributed from an energy supplier to a large number of consumers, that is, from the center to the periphery, and is characterized by a one-way supplier center rather than a consumer center.

The price information of electricity can not be known in real time, but it can be seen only through the power exchange, and because the price system is also a fixed price system, incentives such as incentives for consumers through price changes can not be used There was also a problem.

In order to solve these problems, there has been a lot of efforts recently to implement a horizontal, cooperative and distributed network that can efficiently manage energy and enable interaction between a consumer and a supplier.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a control method of a component for a network system for effectively managing an energy source.

A method for controlling a component for a network system according to an aspect includes displaying recommendation information related to operation of the component; And determining whether a setting command for setting the displayed recommendation information has been input. If the setting command is input, the component operates to satisfy the recommendation information, and if the setting command is not inputted, And the like can be displayed.

According to the proposed invention, a component can receive energy information by communicating with other components of the network system, and recommendation information for energy reduction can be displayed on the component by receiving energy information. As a result, when the component is operated in accordance with the displayed recommendation information, the energy can be reduced.

In addition, since the recommendation information is displayed in the component, the user can operate the component in a time zone where energy can be reduced, which is advantageous in that the electric charge is reduced on the user side.

1 schematically shows a network system according to the present invention;
2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a network system according to the present invention;
3 is a block diagram illustrating an information delivery process on a network system according to the present invention;
4 is a graph for explaining a fluctuation pattern of the electric bill.
5 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a first embodiment of a network system according to the present invention;
6 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a second embodiment of a network system according to the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a block diagram schematically showing a third embodiment of a network system according to the present invention; FIG.
8 is a schematic diagram of a home network according to the present invention.
9 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of components for a network system of the present invention;

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a schematic diagram of a network system according to the present invention.

The network system is a system for managing energy sources such as electricity, water, and gas. The energy source means that the generated amount or the used amount can be measured.

Therefore, an energy source not mentioned above can also be included in the management of the present system. Hereinafter, the electricity will be described as an example of the energy source, and the contents of this specification can be similarly applied to other energy sources.

Referring to FIG. 1, the network system of one embodiment includes a power plant that produces electricity. The power plant may include a power plant that generates electricity through thermal power generation or nuclear power generation, and a power plant that uses eco-friendly energy such as hydro, solar, and wind power.

Electricity generated by the power plant is transmitted to a power station through a transmission line, and electricity is transmitted to a substation in a substation so that electricity is distributed to consumers such as a home or an office.

Electricity generated by environmentally friendly energy is also transmitted to the substation and distributed to each customer. Electricity transmitted from the substation is distributed through an electric storage device or directly to the office or each household.

In the home using a home network (HAN, home area network), electric power can be produced, stored, distributed, or distributed through a solar cell or a fuel cell mounted on a PHEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) The remaining electricity can be sent back to the outside (for example, a power company).

In addition, the network system includes a smart meter for real-time monitoring of electricity consumption of a consumer (home or office), an AMI (Advanced Metering infrastructure) for measuring electricity usage of a large number of consumers, May be included. That is, the measurement apparatus can measure the amount of electricity used by receiving information measured by a plurality of smart meters.

In this specification, the measurement includes not only what the smart meter and the measuring apparatus itself measure, but also what the smart meter and the measuring apparatus can recognize by receiving the amount of generated or used amount from other components.

In addition, the network system may further include an energy management system (EMS: Energy Management System) for managing energy. The energy management device can generate information about the operation of one or more components in relation to energy (generation, distribution, use, storage, etc.) of the energy. The energy management device may generate at least instructions related to operation of the component.

The function or solution performed by the energy management apparatus in this specification may be referred to as an energy management function or an energy management solution.

In the network system of the present invention, the energy management device may be included in one or more components in a separate configuration, or may be included as an energy management function or solution in one or more components.

2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a network system according to the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the network system of the present invention is configured by a plurality of components. For example, power plants, substations, power stations, energy management devices, household appliances, smart meters, capacitors, web servers, measuring devices, and home servers are components of the network system.

Further, in the present invention, each component can be constituted by a plurality of detailed components. For example, when one component is a household appliance, the microcomputer, the heater, the display, and the motor constituting the household appliance may be detailed components.

That is, in the present invention, everything that performs a specific function may be a component, and these components constitute the network system of the present invention. And the two components can communicate by communication means.

Further, one network may be a single component or may be composed of a plurality of components.

In this specification, a network system in which communication information is related to an energy source may be referred to as an energy grid.

The network system of one embodiment may be composed of a utility network (UAN) 10 and a home network (HAN) 20. The utility network 10 and the home network 20 can be wired or wirelessly communicated by communication means.

In this specification, assumption means a group of specific components such as a building, a company, and the like, as well as assumptions of a dictionary meaning. A utility is a collection of specific components outside the home.

The utility network 10 includes an energy generation component 11 for generating energy, an energy distribution component 12 for distributing or transferring energy, and an energy storage unit An energy storage component 13 for managing energy, an energy management component 14 for managing energy, and an energy metering component 15 for measuring energy related information.

When one or more components of the utility network 10 consume energy, the energy consuming component may be an energy consuming part. That is, the energy consuming part may be a separate component or included in another component.

The energy generating unit 11 may be, for example, a power plant. The energy distribution unit 12 distributes or transfers the energy generated by the energy generation unit 11 and / or the energy stored in the energy storage unit 13 to the energy consuming unit. The energy distribution unit 12 may be a power transmission unit, a substation, a power station, or the like.

The energy storage unit 13 may be a battery and the energy management unit 14 may include an energy generation unit 11, an energy distribution unit 12, an energy storage unit 13, an energy consumption unit 26). ≪ / RTI > In one example, the energy management unit 14 may generate commands relating to operation of at least a specific component.

The energy management unit 14 may be an energy management device. The energy measuring unit 15 may measure information related to energy generation, distribution, consumption, storage, and the like, and may be, for example, an AMI. The energy management unit 14 may have a separate configuration or may be included as an energy management function in another component.

The utility network 10 may communicate with the home network 20 by a terminal component (not shown). The terminal component may be, for example, a gateway way. These terminal components may be provided in at least one of the utility network 10 and the home network 20. [

Meanwhile, the home network 20 includes an energy generation component 21 for generating energy, an energy distribution component 22 for distributing energy, an energy storage component for storing energy a storage component 23, an energy management component 24 for managing energy, an energy metering component 25 for measuring energy related information, and an energy consuming part a consumption component 26, a central management component 27 for controlling a number of components, an energy grid assistance component 28, an accessory component 29, a consumable handling component 29, component: 30).

The energy generation component 21 may be a household power generator and the energy storage component 23 may be a battery and the energy management component 24 may be an energy management device. have.

The energy metering component 25 may measure information related to energy generation, distribution, consumption, storage, and the like, for example, a smart meter.

The energy consuming unit 26 may be a heater, a motor, a display, or the like that constitutes a home appliance (a refrigerator, a washing machine, an air conditioner, a cooking appliance, a cleaner, a drier, a dishwasher, a dehumidifier, . It is to be noted that there is no limitation in the kind of the energy consuming section 26 in the present embodiment.

The energy management unit 24 may be an individual component or may be included as an energy management function in another component. The energy management unit 21 may communicate with one or more components to transmit and receive information.

The energy generating unit 21, the energy distributing unit 22, and the energy storing unit 23 may be individual components or a single component.

The central management unit 27 may be, for example, a home server for controlling a plurality of appliances.

The energy network auxiliary unit 28 is a component having an original function while performing an additional function for the energy grid. For example, the energy network auxiliary unit 28 may be a web service providing unit (e.g., a computer), a mobile device, a television, and the like.

The accessory component 29 is a dedicated energy network component that performs an additional function for the energy network. For example, the accessory component 29 may be an energy-network-dedicated weather-receiving antenna.

The Consumable handling component 30 is a component that stores, supplies, and delivers a consumable, and can confirm or recognize information on a consumable. The consumable can be, for example, an article or a material to be used or processed in operation of the energy consuming unit 26. [ The consumable processing unit 30 may be managed by the energy management unit 24 in the energy network.

For example, the consumable may be a food in a washing machine, a cooking appliance in a washing machine, a detergent or a fabric softener for washing laundry in a washing machine, or a seasoning for cooking a food.

The energy distributing units 12 and 22, the energy storing units 13 and 23, the energy managing units 14 and 24, the energy measuring units 15 and 25, The central management unit 26, and the central management unit 27 may exist independently of each other, or two or more may constitute a single component.

For example, the energy management units 14 and 24, the energy measurement units 15 and 25, and the central management unit 27 exist as a single component, and each of the smart meters, the energy management device, Or the energy management units 14 and 24, the energy measurement units 15 and 25, and the central management unit 27 may constitute a single component mechanically.

Further, in performing a single function, the functions may be sequentially performed in a plurality of components and / or communication means. For example, an energy management function may be sequentially performed in a separate energy management unit, an energy measurement unit, and an energy consumption unit.

In addition, a plurality of components of a specific function configuring the utility network and the home network may be provided. For example, the energy generating unit or the energy consuming unit may be plural.

On the other hand, the utility network 10 and the home network 20 can communicate by communication means (first interface). At this time, a plurality of utility networks 10 can communicate with a single home network 20, and a single utility network 10 can communicate with a plurality of home networks 20.

For example, the communication means may be a simple communication line or a power line communication means. Of course, the power line communication means may include a communicator (e.g., a modem or the like) connected to each of the two components. As another example, the communication means may be zigbee, wi-fi, Bluetooth, or the like.

In the present specification, there is no limitation on a method for wired communication or a method for wireless communication.

The two components constituting the utility network 10 can communicate by communication means.

In addition, the two components constituting the home network 20 can be communicated by communication means (second interface). The energy consumption unit 26 may be connected to at least one of the energy management unit 24, the energy measurement unit 25, the central management unit 27, the energy network auxiliary unit 28, As shown in Fig.

The microcomputer of each of the components (for example, the energy consuming unit) can communicate with the communication unit (the second interface) (third interface). For example, when the energy consuming unit is an appliance, the energy consuming unit may receive information from the energy management unit by a communication means (second interface), and the received information is transmitted to the microcomputer Lt; / RTI >

Further, the energy consuming unit 26 can communicate with the accessory component 29 through a communication means (fourth interface). Further, the energy consuming unit 26 can communicate with the consumable processing unit 30 through a communication means (fifth interface).

3 is a block diagram illustrating an information delivery process on the network system of the present invention. 4 (a) is a graph showing TOU (Time of use) information and critical peak pattern (CPP) information, and FIG. 4 (b) is a graph showing RTP (real time pattern) information.

Referring to FIG. 3, in the network system of the present invention, the specific component C can receive information related to energy (hereinafter, "energy information") by communication means. Further, the specific component (C) can be configured to include additional information (environmental information, program update information, time information, operation or status information of each component (failure), and consumer habit information using the energy consumption unit Can be further received.

The environmental information may include carbon dioxide emission amount, carbon dioxide concentration in air, temperature, humidity, rainfall amount, rainfall amount, insolation amount, air amount, and the like.

In another aspect, the information includes internal information such as information relating to each component (operation or status information (failure) of each component, energy usage information of the energy consumption unit, consumer habits information using the energy consumption unit, etc.) (Energy-related information, environmental information, program update information, and time information), which are information.

At this time, the information can be received from other components. That is, the received information includes at least energy information.

The specific component may be one component that constitutes the utility network 10 or one component that constitutes the home network 20.

The energy information I may be one of electricity, water, gas, and the like as described above.

For example, the types of information related to electricity include time-based pricing, energy curtailment, grid emergency, grid reliability, energy increment, generation Amount, operation priority, and energy consumption amount. In this embodiment, the charge related to the energy source is an energy charge.

In other words, information related to energy can be classified into charge information (energy charge) and out-of-charge information (energy reduction, emergency situation, network safety, generation amount, energy increase, operation priority, energy consumption amount, etc.).

Such information can be divided into scheduled information generated in advance based on previous information and real time information that varies in real time. The schedule information and the real-time information can be classified according to the prediction of the information after the present time (future).

The energy information I may be divided into time of use (TOU) information, critical peak pattern (CPP) information, or real time pattern (RTP) information according to a change pattern of data over time. The energy information I may vary with time.

Referring to FIG. 4 (a), according to the TOU information, data is changed stepwise according to time. According to the CPP information, the data changes stepwise or real-time with time, and emphasis is displayed at a specific time point. That is, in the case of the CPP pattern, the general charge is cheaper than the charge of the TOU pattern, but the charge at the specific point in time is significantly more expensive than the charge in the TOU pattern.

Referring to FIG. 4 (b), according to the RTP information, data changes in real time according to time.

On the other hand, the energy information I may be transmitted or received as true or false signals such as Boolean on the network system, actual price information may be transmitted or received, or a plurality of levels may be transmitted and received. Hereinafter, an example of information related to electricity will be described.

When the specific component C receives a true or false signal such as a Boolean signal, it recognizes one of the signals as an on-peak signal and the other signal as an off-peak ) Signal.

Alternatively, a particular component may recognize information about at least one drive that includes an electricity bill, and the particular component may compare on-peak and off-peak values by comparing the recognized information value with a reference information value off-peak.

For example, when a specific component recognizes leveled information or actual price information, the specific component compares the recognized information value with the reference information value to determine on-peak and off-peak values, Lt; / RTI >

At this time, the information value about the driving may be at least one of an electricity rate, a power rate, a rate of change of the electricity rate, a rate of change of the electric power rate, an average value of the electricity rate and an average value of the electric power amount. The reference information value may be at least one of an average value, an average value of a minimum value and a maximum value of power information during a predetermined section, and a reference change rate of power information during a predetermined section (for example, a slope of power consumption amount per unit time).

The reference information value may be set in real time or set in advance. The reference information value may be set in a utility network or set in a home network (input by a consumer direct input, energy management unit, central management unit, etc.).

If the specific component (for example, the energy consuming unit) recognizes an on-peak (for example, a recognition time point), the output may be set to 0 (stop or stop) and the output may be reduced. The specific component may determine the driving method in advance before starting the operation, and may change the driving method when the on-peak is recognized after the operation starts.

And, if a particular component recognizes off-peak, it can recover or increase its output when needed. That is, when a particular component that recognizes an on-peak recognizes an off-peak, the output can be restored to its previous state or increased further than the previous output.

At this time, the total consumed power and / or the total electricity use charge during the entire driving time of the specific component is reduced, even when the output of the specific component is recovered or the output is increased after recognizing the off-peak.

Alternatively, when the specific component recognizes an on-peak (for example, a recognition time point), the output can be maintained if it is an operable condition. At this time, the operable condition means that the information value of the driving is below a certain standard. The information value regarding the driving may be information about an electric charge, an amount of power consumption or operation time, and the like. The constant criterion may be a relative value or an absolute value.

The predetermined criteria may be set in real time or may be set in advance. The predetermined criteria may be set in the utility network or in a home network (input by a consumer direct input, energy management unit, central management unit, etc.).

Alternatively, the output may be increased if the particular component recognizes an on-peak (for example, a point-in-time). However, even when the output is increased at the time when the on-peak is recognized, the total output amount during the entire driving period of the specific component can be reduced or maintained to be less than the total output amount when the specific component operates at the normal output.

Alternatively, the total power consumption or total electricity charge during the entire drive period of a particular component, even when the output increases at the time when it recognizes the on-peak, is the total power consumed or total It can be reduced than the electricity rate.

If the specific component recognizes an off-peak (for example, a recognition time point), the output can be increased. For example, when the operation reservation is set, a component whose operation starts before a setting time or a component having a large output among a plurality of components can be driven first.

Further, in the case of a refrigerator, it is possible to store the hot water in the hot water tank by supercooling the output by increasing the output from the existing output, or by driving the heater before the expected operation time of the heater in the case of the washing machine or the washing machine. This is to operate the off-peak in advance to be operated at an on-peak to be reached in the future, thereby reducing the electricity bill.

Or when a particular component recognizes an off-peak (for example, when it is recognized).

In the present invention, the particular component (e.g., the energy consuming unit) may maintain, reduce or increase the output. Thus, a particular component may include a power changing component. Since the power can be defined by current and voltage, the power variable component may include a current regulator and / or a voltage regulator. The power variable component may, for example, be operated in response to an instruction issued from the energy manager.

On the other hand, the energy curtailment information is information related to a mode in which the component is stopped or the electricity fee is reduced. The energy reduction information may be transmitted or received as a true or false signal, such as a Boolean on a network system. That is, a stop signal (turn off signal) or a reduction signal (lower power signal) can be transmitted and received.

When the specific component recognizes the energy reduction information, it can reduce the output (when the lower power signal is recognized) or to zero the output as described above (if the stop or stop state is maintained) have.

The emergency information (Grid emergency) is information related to a power failure or the like, and can be transmitted and received as a true or false signal, for example, as a Boolean. The information related to the power failure or the like is related to the reliability of components using energy.

If the particular component recognizes the emergency information, it may be immediately shut down.

When the specific component receives the emergency information as the schedule information, the specific component may increase the output before the arrival of the emergency time point and perform the same operation as the operation in the off-peak of the specific component described above . And, at the time of the emergency, the specific component can be shut down.

The grid reliability information is information about the amount of electricity supplied or the amount of electricity supplied or information about the quality of electric power. The grid reliability information is transmitted or received as a true or false signal such as a Boolean or supplied to a component (for example, The component may determine the frequency of the AC power source.

That is, when an underfrequency lower than the reference frequency of the AC power supplied to the component is detected (recognized), it is judged that the supplied electricity quantity is low (lack of supplied electricity quantity), and an overfrequency higher than the reference frequency of the AC power supply If it is sensed (recognized), it can be judged that there is a large amount of electricity supplied (excessive amount of electricity supplied).

In the case where the specific component recognizes that the electricity quantity is small in the network safety information or recognizes that the electricity quality is not good (insufficient supply electricity quantity information), as mentioned above, the specific component may output 0 Or remain stationary), reduce output, maintain output, or increase output.

On the other hand, when the amount of electricity supply excess information is recognized, the specific component can be switched from an off state to an on state.

The energy increase information is information about a state in which electricity consumed by a component consuming energy is smaller than a generation amount and surplus electricity is generated. For example, the energy increase information can be transmitted or received as a true or false signal such as a Boolean.

When the specific component recognizes the energy increase information, the output can be increased. For example, when the operation reservation is set, a component whose operation starts before a setting time or a component having a large output among a plurality of components can be driven first. Further, in the case of a refrigerator, it is possible to store the hot water by supercooling the output by increasing the output from the existing output, or by driving the heater in advance of the scheduled operation time of the heater in the case of a washing machine or a washing machine.

The on-peak information, the energy reduction information, and the electricity shortage information among the energy-related information described above can be recognized as high-price information, which is understood to be relatively expensive. In this case, the period in which the high-cost information is recognized may be referred to as low-cost period information.

On the other hand, off-peak information, energy increase information, and excess electricity supply information among the energy-related information can be regarded as low-price information that is relatively low in energy charge. In this case, the period in which the low-cost information is recognized may be referred to as a low-cost period.

Specifically, each type of information related to the energy includes first information (I1) that is not processed, second information (I2) that is information processed in the first information, And third information (I3), which is information for performing a function of the component. That is, the first information is raw data, the second information is refined data, and the third information is a command for performing a function of a specific component.

And, energy related information is included in the signal and transmitted. At this time, at least one of the first to third information may be converted only the signal, but the content may be transmitted a plurality of times without being converted.

For example, as shown in the figure, a component receiving a signal including the first information I1 may simply convert a signal and transmit a new signal including the first information I1 to another component.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the conversion of the signal and the conversion of the information are described as different concepts. At this time, it can be easily understood that the signals are also converted when the first information is converted to the second information.

However, the third information may be transmitted a plurality of times in a state in which the contents are converted, or may be transmitted a plurality of times in a state in which signals are converted while maintaining the same contents.

In detail, when the first information is unprocessed electricity rate information, the second information may be processed electricity rate information. The processed electricity bill information is information or analytical information in which electric bill is divided into multiple levels. The third information is an instruction generated based on the first information or the second information.

The specific component may generate, transmit, or receive one or more of the first to third information. The first to third pieces of information are not necessarily sequentially transmitted and received.

For example, a plurality of third information can be transmitted and received in sequence or in parallel without first and second information. Alternatively, the first and third information may be transmitted or received together, the second and third information may be transmitted or received together, or the first and second information may be transmitted or received together.

In one example, when a particular component receives the first information, the particular component may transmit the second information, transmit the second information and the third information, or transmit only the third information.

When a specific component receives only the third information, the specific component can generate and transmit new third information.

On the other hand, in the relationship between two pieces of information, one piece of information is a message and the other piece of information is a response to a message. Accordingly, each component constituting the network system can transmit or receive a message, and can respond to a received message when receiving a message. Therefore, the transmission and correspondence of a message is a relative concept for individual components.

The message may comprise data (first information or second information) and / or instructions (third information).

The command (third information) includes at least one of a data storage command, a data generation command, a data processing command (including generating additional data), an additional command generation command, a further generated command transmission command, Command, and the like.

In this specification, responding to a received message means that it is necessary to store data, to process data (including generating additional data), to generate a new command, to send a newly created command, ), Operation, transmission of stored information, transmission of an acknowledge character or negative acknowledge character, etc.

For example, if the message is first information, the component that received the first information may generate a second information by processing the first information, generate second information, and generate new third information, Only the third information can be generated.

Specifically, when the energy management unit 24 receives the first information (internal information and / or external information), the energy management unit 24 generates the second information and / or the third information, And may be transmitted to one or more constituent components (e.g., an energy consuming unit). The energy consuming unit 26 may operate according to the third information received from the energy managing unit 24. [

5 is a block diagram schematically showing a first embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the first component 31 of the home network 20 may communicate directly with the utility network 10. The first component 31 may communicate with a plurality of components 32, 33, 34 (second to fourth components) of the home network. It is noted that there is no limit to the number of components of the home network that communicate with the first component 31 at this time.

That is, in this embodiment, the first component 31 serves as a gateway. The first component 31 may be, for example, one of an energy management unit, an energy measurement unit, a central management unit, an energy network auxiliary unit, an energy consumption unit, and the like.

A component acting as a gateway in the present invention not only enables communication between components communicating using different communication protocols, but also enables communication between components communicating using the same communication protocol.

Each of the second to fourth components 32, 33 and 34 may be one of an energy generating unit, an energy distributing unit, an energy managing unit, an energy storing unit, an energy measuring unit, a central managing unit, have.

The first component 31 may receive information from the utility network 10 or one or more components that make up the utility network 10 and may forward or process the received information so that the second component- (32, 34). For example, when the first component 31 is an energy measurement unit, the first component may receive electric bill information and transmit it to an energy management unit, an energy consumption unit, and the like.

And each of the second to fourth components can communicate with another component. For example, the first component 31 may be an energy measurement unit, the second component may be an energy management unit, and the energy management unit may communicate with one or more energy consumption units.

6 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a second embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, a plurality of components constituting the home network 20 of the present invention can communicate with the utility network 10 directly.

That is, in the present invention, a plurality of components (first and second components 41 and 42) serving as a gateway are included. The first and second components may be homogeneous components or other types of components.

The first component 41 may communicate with one or more components (e.g., the third and fourth components 43 and 44), and the second component 42 may communicate with one or more components And the sixth component 45, 46).

For example, each of the first and second components may be one of an energy management unit, an energy measurement unit, a central management unit, an energy network auxiliary unit, an energy consumption unit, and the like.

Each of the third to sixth components may be one of an energy generation unit, an energy distribution unit, an energy management unit, an energy measurement unit, a central management unit, an energy network auxiliary unit, and an energy consumption unit.

7 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a third embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, each of the components 51, 52, 53 constituting the home network of the present embodiment can directly communicate with the utility network 20. [ That is, there is no component acting as a gateway as in the first and second embodiments, and each of the components 51, 52 and 53 can communicate with the utility network.

8 is a schematic diagram of a home network according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, the home network 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an energy measuring unit 25 for measuring in real time power and / or electricity rates supplied to the homes from the utility network 10 For example, a smart meter, the energy measurement unit 25, and an energy management unit 24 connected to and controlling the operation of the electric product.

On the other hand, the electricity rate of each household can be charged by the hourly rate, and the electricity rate per hour becomes high in the time interval in which the electric power consumption is rapidly increased, and the electricity rate per hour becomes low when the electric power consumption is relatively low .

The energy management unit 24 is connected to the electric appliance such as the refrigerator 61, the washing machine 62, the air conditioner 63, the dryer 64 or the cooking appliance 65 as the energy consuming unit 26 through the network inside the home. And can be used for bi-directional communication.

Communication in the home can be done through a wire such as Zigbee, wifi, or a wired such as a power line communication (PLC), and one electric appliance can be connected to communicate with other appliances.

9 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a component for a network system of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a washing machine, which is one of energy consumption parts, will be described as a component for a network system. It goes without saying that the description of the washing machine is equally applicable to other energy consuming parts. In addition, it should be noted that the description of the energy consumption section can be applied to components other than the energy consumption section.

Referring to FIG. 9, a washing machine 62 for a network system according to the present invention includes communication means 71 for performing communication with other components constituting the network system.

The washing machine 62 includes an input unit 72 for inputting a predetermined command, a display unit 73 for displaying information about the driving information thereof or the information recognized by the communication unit 71, (Not shown). The control unit 70 may control the entire operation of the washing machine 62. [

Through the input unit 72, the operating condition of the washing machine 62 or the operating condition of other components can be input. The input unit 72 may include at least a power button and a start / stop button. In the case where the display unit 73 includes a touch screen capable of inputting a command by a touch method, at least a power button and a start / stop button may be provided separately from the display unit 73. As another example, at least a power button and a start / stop button may be implemented on the display unit 73. [

The washing machine 62 may be configured to perform a power saving function or a general function. The general function can be understood as allowing the washing machine to perform its own function without the basis of energy information. On the other hand, it can be understood that the power saving function allows the self-function of the washing machine to be performed based on the energy information in order to save energy costs. For example, the power saving function or the general function may be selected and changed by the input unit 72 or the display unit 73. [ As another example, either the power saving function or the general function can be automatically set according to whether the washing machine 62 can communicate with other components. Either the power saving function or the general function may be automatically changed to another function automatically or may be changed to another function by the function switching button.

10 is a view illustrating an example of a display unit of a component according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 shows a screen displayed on the display unit of the washing machine, for example.

9 and 10, any one of the screens that can be displayed on the display unit 73 is an operation time setting screen. The operation time setting screen includes a first screen 100 and a second screen 200.

The screen of Fig. 10 can be displayed, for example, when the start button is selected after a specific course is selected. Alternatively, if a time selection button (not shown) is selected before or after the course selection, the screen of FIG. 10 can be displayed. Alternatively, after the component is turned on, the screen of Fig. 10 may be displayed. It is to be noted that there is no limitation in the timing of displaying the screen of Fig. 10 in the present invention. Hereinafter, an operation time setting screen is displayed after a course is selected, for example.

On the first screen 100, at least one of date information, time information, and power saving function on / off information 101 may be displayed. The power-saving function on / off information may be different on and off. For example, the color, brightness, saturation, etc. of the displayed power saving function information may be different between on and off.

On the second screen 200, a power information confirmation screen 210 may be displayed. In the second screen 200, one or more selection units 220, 221, and 222 for setting the operation time may be displayed.

In detail, the power information confirmation screen 210 may display at least one of the power bill information screen 211, the time information 212 related to the operation, and the power information 213 related to the operation. In FIG. 10, for example, the power information setting screen 210 displays the power charge information screen 211, the time information 212 related to the operation, and the charge information 213 related to the operation together.

The time information 212 related to the operation may include at least one of course required time information, operation start time information, and operation end time information. The power information 213 related to the operation may include at least one of power usage charge information and power usage information at the time of performing the course. The course time may be predetermined for each course.

The power charge information screen 211 may include graph information (for example, a line graph) related to the power charge, and course execution time information 215. The graph information relating to the power charge may be time-based charge graph information. In the graph information, the horizontal axis indicates time and the vertical axis indicates charge. The first time (reference time) on the horizontal axis is the current time, and the last time is the time after the predetermined time (24 hours in one example) from the current time. That is, the time range may be 24 hours in the graph information, and the graph information may include power charge information for 24 hours. In the present invention, the time range may be changed or set automatically or manually, and the time range is not limited. The initial time is located on the left side of the screen on which the graph information is displayed (the initial time is 3:30 pm, so it is positioned to correspond at 3:30), and the last time may be located on the right side. Of course, it is also possible that the initial time is located on the right side of the electric power charge information screen 211, and the last time is located on the left side.

The course execution time information 215 may have a bar shape and may be displayed at a specific position on the graph of the electricity charge information screen 211. Accordingly, the user can easily confirm at which portion of the fee graph the course execution time is located.

Before the operation time setting screen, the user can set the operation time (operation start time or operation end time) in advance. If the operation time is not set before the operation time setting screen is displayed, the course execution time information 215 may be located on the graph corresponding to the current time. That is, the wash start time of the course execution time information 215 is located corresponding to the current time (for example, 3:30 pm), and the wash end time is a time at which the wash is finished (for example, . At this time, the left and right lengths of the course execution time information 215 displayed on the power charge information screen 211 correspond to the course execution time. When the operation time is set before the operation time setting screen is displayed, for example, when the operation start time is set after the current time, the course execution time information is located corresponding to the set time. For example, if the current time is 3:30 pm and the user sets the operation start time to 4:30 and the required time for the set course is 1 hour, the start time of the course execution time information 215 is And 4:30 pm, and the end time corresponds to 5:30 pm.

The one or more selection units 220, 221, and 222 may display the current time selection unit 220 and one or more recommended selection units for setting the operation time to a recommended time. The one or more recommendation selection units may include a recommendation time selection unit 221 (which may be referred to as a first recommendation selection unit) and a lowest fare time selection unit 222 (which may be referred to as a second recommendation selection unit).

In the screen of FIG. 10, the user can select the start button or the current time selection unit 220 in order to operate the washing machine at the current time. On the other hand, when it is desired to check the recommended time, the recommendation time selector 221 or the lowest rate selector 222 can be selected.

11 is a screen displayed when the recommendation time selection unit is selected on the screen of Fig.

10 and 11, when the recommendation time selector 221 is selected on the screen of FIG. 10, the user selects the recommendation time selector 221 from the current time to the first reference time, The course execution time information 215 can be moved. In this case, the first reference time may be four hours, for example. The first reference time may be changed.

For example, when the current time is 3:30 pm, if the recommendation time selection unit 221 is selected, the user selects the recommendation time selection unit 221 from the current time to 7:30 pm, Information 215 may be moved. At this time, the time information 212 related to the operation and the power information 213 related to the operation can be varied corresponding to the position (delay time) of the course execution time information 215. [

Referring to FIG. 11, the start time of the course execution time information 215 may be located corresponding to 6:00 pm since the electricity fee at 6:00 pm is cheaper than the current time charge. At this time, at least one of the start time and the end time of the course execution time information 215 may be located in the time zone with the lowest rate within the first time range. In the case of FIG. 11, since the power charge is low from 6 pm, the start time of the course execution time information 215 may be located corresponding to 6 pm. If the fare of the current time is the lowest, the course execution time information 285 may not move.

In the state that the screen of FIG. 11 is displayed, the user can select the current time selection unit 220 or the lowest rate selection unit 222. When the current time selection unit 220 is selected, the screen is switched to the screen of FIG. 10, and when the lowest rate selection unit 222 is selected, the screen of FIG. In addition, the user can select the start button in the state that the screen of Fig. 11 is displayed.

As another example, the screen of Fig. 11 is displayed, and when a predetermined time elapses, a confirmation screen (not shown) for confirming whether to set a recommended time can be displayed. In the confirmation screen, a first selection unit (for example, a "YES" selection unit) for inputting a start command and a second selection unit (for example, a "NO" selection unit) for entering a start command may be displayed. When the user selects the first selection unit on the confirmation screen, the recommended time is set as the operation time. On the other hand, if the second selection unit is selected, the confirmation screen disappears and the screen shown in FIG. 10 is displayed or only the confirmation screen disappears.

FIG. 12 is a screen displayed when the lowest rate time selector is selected on the screen of FIG. 10 or FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 10 to 11, when the lowest fare time selector 222 is selected on the screen of FIG. 10 or FIG. 11, within the second time range from the current time to the second reference time, The course execution time information 215 can be moved in a low time zone. In this case, the first reference time may be 24 hours, for example. The second reference time may be changed.

For example, if the current time is 3:30 pm, if the lowest rate selection unit 222 is selected, the lowest rate is selected within the range from the present time to 3:30 pm the next day, The course execution time information 215 can be moved.

Referring to FIG. 12, the start time of the course execution time information 215 may be located corresponding to 7:00 pm on the following day, since the electricity fee at 7:00 pm on the following day is the cheapest within the second time range. At this time, at least one of the start time and the end time of the course execution time information 215 may be located in a time zone with the lowest rate within the second time range. In the case of FIG. 12, since the electric power charge is low from 7:00 pm the next day, the start time of the course execution time information 215 may correspond to 7:00 pm. If the fare of the current time is the lowest, the course execution time information 215 may not be moved.

In the state that the screen of FIG. 12 is displayed, the user can select the current time selection unit 220 or the recommended time selection unit 221. When the current time selection unit 220 is selected, the screen shown in FIG. 10 is selected. When the recommended time selection unit 221 is selected, the screen shown in FIG. In addition, the user can select the start button while the screen of Fig. 12 is displayed.

As another example, a screen of FIG. 12 is displayed, and when a predetermined time elapses, a confirmation screen (not shown) for confirming whether to set a recommended time can be displayed. In the confirmation screen, a first selection unit (for example, a "yes" selection unit) for inputting a start command and a second selection unit (for example, a "no" selection unit) for not recommending the recommended information may be displayed. When the user selects the first selection unit on the confirmation screen, the recommended time is set as the operation time. On the other hand, if the second selection unit is selected, the confirmation screen disappears and the screen shown in FIG. 10 is displayed or only the confirmation screen disappears.

In summary, with the recommendation information displayed, the user can choose to activate the component based on the recommended information. For example, if another selection unit is selected while the recommendation information is displayed, the display state of the currently displayed recommendation information is released, and information corresponding to the selected selection unit can be displayed. As another example, when a recommended information screen is displayed and a second selection unit for unselecting the recommended information is selected on the confirmation screen displayed after a predetermined time elapses, the display status of the currently displayed recommendation information is released and other information Recommendation information or current time information) may be displayed.

In the above description, the recommendation information is one example of time information. However, the recommendation information may be the course information to be performed by the component, the predicted energy usage amount of the component, or the predicted energy usage charge information of the component.

13 is a view showing an example of a screen displayed when a start command is input on the screen of FIG.

13, when the start command is input on the screen of FIG. 10 (for example, when the start button is selected or the current time selection unit is selected), the power rate of the current time is changed from the current time to the average power rate The power saving course selection screen 230 may be displayed on the second screen 200. [ At this time, the predetermined time may be 24 hours in one example. In the present invention, there is no limitation on the predetermined time, and it can be changed or set manually or automatically.

The power saving course selection screen 230 displays the changed washing end time, changed time content information, estimated power usage amount, reduced power amount, estimated fee information, user selected course and time One or more of the reduced power charges may be displayed.

In the present invention, the power saving course may be a course whose operating condition is changed in the selected course. For example, when the user selects a standard course and inputs an operation condition using the operation condition input unit, the power saving course means a course in which the selected operation condition is changed. As another example, the power saving course may be one of a plurality of courses other than the selected course.

The user can select whether or not the power saving course is performed (or whether or not the power saving operation is performed) on the power saving course selection screen. That is, in the power saving course selection screen 230, a first selection unit 231 for selecting a power saving course and a power saving course are not selected. On the other hand, when the power saving course is not selected, , The component may operate based on information set by the user.

14 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 14, the component (for example, the washing machine) determines whether the recommendation information display condition is satisfied (S1). If the recommendation information display condition is satisfied, the display unit 73 may display recommendation information (referred to as first recommendation information) related to the operation of the component (S2). The recommendation information is information determined based on at least energy information.

When the recommendation information display condition is satisfied, when the component is turned on (when the power button is selected), when the communication means is in a communicable state, when a specific condition is input, The case where the first recommendation selection unit or the second recommendation selection unit is selected in Fig. 10), the power saving function is set, and the like. For example, when the power button is selected and the component is turned on, recommendation information can be automatically displayed even if no additional command is input. As another example, when the power button is selected and the communication means becomes in a communicable state, recommendation information can be automatically displayed.

If the recommendation information display condition is not satisfied, the non-recommendation information may be displayed. For example, the screen of FIG. 10 may be displayed.

The recommendation information includes at least one of course information to be performed by the component, operation time information of the component (including at least one of an operation start time and an operation end time), predicted energy usage amount of the component, Or more. One or more of the course information and the operation time information may be referred to as driving method information of the component.

In one example, if the component is turned on or the component is in a communicable state, an optimal time within the range from the current time to a specific time in the current time can be recommended. The optimum time may be a time point at which the energy charge is lowest within a range from the present time to a specific time. At this time, the user can change the specific time.

The specific condition may be at least one of a course to be performed by the component, an operation time of the component, power information, and the like. The power information may be power usage charge information and power usage information. The information recommended when the specific condition is input can be displayed with the same kind of information as the input condition or with other kinds of information.

For example, if a particular course is entered, a course may be recommended that reduces energy usage fees or energy usage over the course of entering the particular course entered. At this time, the recommended course may be a course changed in the entered course. For example, if a strong course is entered in the washing machine, a standard course may be recommended for power saving.

As another example, when the time information related to the operation of the component is input, the driving time of the component capable of at least power saving based on the energy information and the input time information can be recommended. At this time, the recommended operation time may be a time that is changed from the input time. And, the recommended drive time may include an operation start time or an operation end time.

As another example, when the energy usage fee or the energy usage amount of the component is input, the driving method (including the time or the course) of the component is recommended so as to satisfy the value lower than the input information value based on the energy information and the input information .

If the recommendation information is course information, a recommendable course type is set in advance or can be set by the user. If the recommendation information is the operation time information, the operation time information may be selected within the reference time range. The reference time range refers to a range from a current time to a specific time, and a specific time may be set in advance or may be set by a user.

After the recommendation information is displayed, it is determined whether a recommendation information setting command is input (S3). When the recommendation information setting command is input, it means that the user inputs an operation command for operating the component based on the recommendation information. For example, after the recommendation information is displayed, a confirmation screen for confirming whether the component is to be operated based on the recommendation information may be displayed. In the confirmation screen, a first selection unit for inputting a start command and a second selection unit for entering a start command may be displayed. If the first selector is selected, it can be determined that the recommendation information setting command is input. As another example, when the start button provided separately is displayed after the recommendation information is displayed, it can be determined that the recommendation information setting command has been input.

As a result of the determination in step S3, if a recommendation information setting command is not input, it is determined whether another recommendation information display command is input (S4). If another recommendation information display command is input, other recommendation information (second recommendation information) related to the operation of the component may be displayed (S5). In the case where another recommendation information display command is input, for example, the lowest rate time selection section may be selected on the screen of FIG. 11 or the recommendation time selection section may be selected on the screen of FIG.

At this time, only the second recommendation information may be displayed on the display unit 73, or the first recommendation information and the second recommendation information may be displayed together.

The first recommendation information and the second recommendation information may be the same kind or different kinds. If the first recommendation information and the second recommendation information are of the same kind, the first recommendation information and the second recommendation information may be determined based on different criteria. That is, the first recommendation range of the first recommendation information may be different from the second recommendation range of the second recommendation information partly or completely.

For example, when each of the recommendation information is the operation time information, the first recommendation information may be selected within the first time range, and the second recommendation information may be selected within the second time range. Since the first time range and the second time range are the same as those described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

According to the present invention, the recommendation range (time range, energy usage fee range, energy usage range, course range, etc.) for recommending specific information can be limited, and the recommendation range is limited to predetermined contents, Lt; / RTI > For example, for a time range, one or more of the start time and the end time can be limited. For energy use rate ranges and energy use ranges, one or more of the minimum and maximum values may be limited. Course range may be limited.

The above description can be applied equally to the case where the recommendation information is course information, energy use amount or energy use charge information. For example, when the recommendation information is course information, the types of courses that can be included in the first recommendation information and the types of courses that can be included in the second recommendation information may be different. For example, a course that can be included in the second recommendation information is less robust than a course that can be included in the first recommendation information, but the energy use fee may be cheaper.

After the other recommendation information is displayed, it is determined whether a recommendation information setting command has been input (S6). At this time, the criterion or method for judging whether or not the recommendation information setting command is inputted is the same as that described in step S3.

As a result of the determination in steps S3 and S6, when the recommendation information setting command is input, the component is operated so as to satisfy the recommended information (S7). For example, if a start time is recommended, the component will work at the recommended time. Alternatively, if the course is recommended, the component will perform the recommended course. Alternatively, if the energy usage fee or energy usage is recommended, the component may be operated to meet the recommended energy usage fee or energy usage. However, since the component may be affected by an external factor during operation of the component, the actual energy use charge and energy usage of the component may be equal to or not the same as the recommended energy usage charge and energy usage.

In the present invention, a mode that operates to satisfy the first recommendation information may be referred to as a first power saving mode, and a mode that operates to satisfy the second recommendation information may be referred to as a second power saving mode. The mode that operates to satisfy the information set by the user can be referred to as a normal mode. A plurality of power saving modes can be performed with the power saving function selected. Alternatively, a plurality of power saving modes may be performed by the user in a state in which the general function is performed.

In the above description, it is understood that the display unit displays information related to the general mode or information related to a plurality of power saving modes. At this time, the information related to the normal mode may be referred to as the non-recommended information.

In the above description, the first recommendation information and the second recommendation information are displayed, but the third recommendation information and the like may be further displayed. That is, in the case of the present invention, a plurality of recommendation information that can be selected from different recommended ranges can be displayed.

According to the present invention, a component can communicate with other components of a network system to receive energy information, and energy information can be received, and recommendation information for energy reduction can be displayed on the component. As a result, when the component is operated in accordance with the displayed recommendation information, the energy can be reduced.

In addition, since the recommendation information is displayed in the component, the user can operate the component in a time zone where energy can be reduced, which is advantageous in that the electric charge is reduced on the user side.

In addition, since the power saving function and the general function can be switched to each other, there is an advantage that it can meet the user's preference.

Claims (14)

A method for controlling a component for a network system capable of communicating with another component,
Displaying recommendation information related to the operation of the component;
Determining whether a setting command for setting the displayed recommendation information is input;
When the setting command is input, the component operates to satisfy the recommendation information,
Determining whether a display command of other recommendation information related to the operation of the component is input if the setup command is not input; And
And when the display instruction of the other recommendation information is input, the other recommendation information is displayed,
The recommendation information is the lowest rate within the range from the current time to the first reference time and the other recommendation information is the lowest rate within the range from the current time to the second reference time,
Wherein the first reference time is different from the second reference time. The method according to claim 1,
And when the setting command is not inputted, the other recommendation information selection command is input, or when the non-recommendation information selection command is inputted. The method according to claim 1,
After the recommendation information is displayed, a confirmation screen for confirming whether to set the recommendation information is displayed,
Wherein the confirmation screen displays a first selection unit for inputting a start command and a second selection unit for entering a start command. The method of claim 3,
If the first selector is selected, the component operates to satisfy the recommendation information,
And if the second selector is selected, the other recommendation information or the non-recommendation information is displayed. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the recommendation information related to the operation of the component can be displayed when the recommendation information display condition is satisfied. 6. The method of claim 5,
And when the recommendation information display condition is satisfied, a recommendation information display command is input. 6. The method of claim 5,
And when the recommendation information display condition is not satisfied, the non-recommendation information is displayed. 8. The method of claim 7,
And the non-recommendation information is current time information. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein when the start command is input while the non-recommendation information is displayed, a confirmation screen for selecting a power saving operation can be displayed. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the confirmation screen for selecting the power save operation can be displayed when the power rate of the current time is higher than the average power rate for a predetermined time from the current time. 10. The method of claim 9,
When the power save operation is selected, the component is powered off,
Wherein when the power save operation is unselected, the component operates based on information set by the user. delete delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the recommendation information is at least one of course information to be performed by the component, operation time information of the component, predicted energy usage amount of the component, or predicted energy usage fee information of the component.

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