# US 10,311,666 B2 · Control device, control system, control method and program

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- Number: US 10,311,666 B2
- Document ID: US10311666B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/548,809
- Filed: 2015-02-09
- Published: 2018-01-18
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2015-02-09
- Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Inventors: Kaori Sato; Ichiro Maruyama; Satoshi Minezawa; Hirotoshi Yano; Masaaki Yabe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10311666B2

## CPC

- H02J 13/14: the power network being locally controlled, e.g. home energy management systems [HEMS]
- G01R 19/16547: {voltage or current in AC supplies (switching for protection H02H; circuits for emergency power supply H02J9/00)}
- G05B 13/026: {using a predictor}
- G07F 15/006: {dispensed for the electrical charging of other devices than vehicles}
- H02J 3/008: Circuit arrangements for power supply or distribution technologies responsive to energy trading
- H02J 3/14: by switching loads on to, or off from, the networks, e.g. progressively balanced loading
- H02J 3/322: {the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging}
- H02J 7/865: {Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence)}
- H02J 13/333: the equipment forming part of substations
- H02J 2105/12: supplying households or buildings
- H02J 2105/42: Home appliances
- Y02B 70/30: Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
- Y02B 70/3225: Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
- Y02B 90/20: Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector (smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00)
- Y04S 20/12: Energy storage units, uninterruptible power supply [UPS] systems or standby or emergency generators, e.g. in the last power distribution stages
- Y04S 20/222: Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
- Y04S 20/242: Home appliances
- Y04S 50/10: Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## Abstract

A prediction value calculator calculates a prediction value of an electricity fee based on the amount of electric power supplied from a commercial electric power source to electric equipment within an electricity fee calculation period. A selector selects, as a first-stage control, either one control of an electric power saving control for the electric equipment and a charge-discharge control in which the electric power supplied from the commercial electric power source is stored in a storage battery in a first time slot and the electric power stored in the storage battery is supplied to the electric equipment in a second time slot in which the unit cost of the electric power supplied from the commercial electric power source is greater than that in the first time slot. A controller executes the first-stage control selected by the selector when the prediction value calculated by the prediction value calculator is greater than a targeted value of the electricity fee.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control device comprising:
a selector configured to select, as a first-stage control, either one control of an electric power saving control for electric equipment and a charge-discharge control in which electric power supplied from a commercial electric power source is stored in a storage battery in a first time slot and the electric power stored in the storage battery is supplied to the electric equipment in a second time slot in which a unit cost of the electric power supplied from the commercial electric power source is greater than that in the first time slot; and
a controller configured to, in a case in which a prediction value of an electricity fee is greater than a target value of an electricity fee, (i) execute the charge-discharge control when the charge-discharge control is selected as the first-stage control by the selector, and (ii) execute the electric power saving control when the electric power saving control is selected as the first-stage control by the selector.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control device according to claim 1, further comprising an acceptor configured to receive designation information designating either one control of the charge-discharge control and the electric power saving control,
wherein the selector is configured to select the charge-discharge control as the first-stage control when the charge-discharge control is designated by the designation information received by the acceptor, and to select the electric power saving control as the first-stage control when the electric power saving control is designated by the designation information.

### Claim 3

A control device comprising:
a selector configured to select, as a first-stage control, either one control of an electric power saving control for electric equipment and a charge-discharge control in which electric power supplied from a commercial electric power source is stored in a storage battery in a first time slot and the electric power stored in the storage battery is supplied to the electric equipment in a second time slot in which a unit cost of the electric power supplied from the commercial electric power source is greater than that in the first time slot; and
a controller configured to execute the first-stage control selected by the selector, when a prediction value of an electricity fee is greater than a target value of an electricity fee,
wherein
the selector is further configured to select, as a second-stage control, an other control of the electric power saving control and the charge-discharge control, and
the controller is further configured to execute the first-stage control when the prediction value is greater than the target value and a difference between the prediction value and the target value is less than a first threshold, and to execute the second-stage control selected by the selector in addition to the first-stage control when the prediction value is greater than the target value and the difference is greater than the first threshold.

### Claim 4

A control device comprising:
a selector configured to select, as a first-stage control, either one control of an electric power saving control for electric equipment and a charge-discharge control in which electric power supplied from a commercial electric power source is stored in a storage battery in a first time slot and the electric power stored in the storage battery is supplied to the electric equipment in a second time slot in which a unit cost of the electric power supplied from the commercial electric power source is greater than that in the first time slot;
a controller configured to execute the first-stage control selected by the selector, when a prediction value of an electricity fee is greater than a target value of an electricity fee; and
a ratio calculator configured to calculate a ratio of an amount of electric power supplied from the commercial electric power source to the electric equipment in the second time slot among the amount of electric power supplied from the commercial electric power source to the electric equipment,
wherein the selector is configured to select the charge-discharge control as the first-stage control when the ratio calculated by the ratio calculator is greater than a second threshold, and to select the electric power saving control as the first-stage control when the ratio is less than the second threshold.

### Claim 5

A control device comprising:
a selector configured to select, as a first-stage control, either one control of an electric power saving control for electric equipment and a charge-discharge control in which electric power supplied from a commercial electric power source is stored in a storage battery mounted on an electric vehicle in a first time slot and the electric power stored in the storage battery is supplied to the electric equipment in a second time slot in which a unit cost of the electric power supplied from the commercial electric power source is greater than that in the first time slot;
a controller configured to execute the first-stage control selected by the selector, when a prediction value of an electricity fee is greater than a target value of an electricity fee; and
an acquirer configured to acquire schedule information indicating a schedule of the electric vehicle,
wherein
the selector is configured to select the charge-discharge control as the first-stage control when the storage battery is indicated to be available by the schedule information acquired by the acquirer, and to select the electric power saving control as the first-stage control when the storage battery is indicated to be not available by the schedule information acquired by the acquirer.

### Claim 6

A control device comprising:
a controller configured to,
when a prediction value of an electricity fee is greater than a target value of an electricity fee and a difference between the prediction value and the target value is less than a first threshold, execute either one control of an electric power saving control for electric equipment and a charge-discharge control in which electric power supplied from a commercial electric power source is stored in a storage battery in a first time slot and the electric power stored in the storage battery is supplied to the electric equipment in a second time slot in which a unit cost of the electric power supplied from the commercial electric power source is greater than that in the first time slot, and
when the prediction value is greater than the target value and the difference is greater than the first threshold, execute the electric power saving control and the charge-discharge control.

### Claim 7

A control system comprising:
a measurer configured to measure an amount of electric power supplied from a commercial electric power source to electric equipment;
a selector configured to select, as a first-stage control, either one control of an electric power saving control for the electric equipment and a charge-discharge control in which the electric power supplied from the commercial electric power source is stored in a storage battery in a first time slot and the electric power stored in the storage battery is supplied to the electric equipment in a second time slot in which a unit cost of the electric power from the commercial electric power source is greater than that in the first time slot; and
a controller configured to, in a case in which a prediction value of an electricity fee based on the amount of electric power measured by the measurer is greater than a target value of an electricity fee, (i) execute the charge-discharge control when the charge-discharge control is selected as the first-stage control by the selector, and (ii) execute the electric power saving control when the electric power saving control is selected as the first-stage control by the selector.

### Claim 8

A control method comprising:
selecting, as a first-stage control, either one control of an electric power saving control for electric equipment and a charge-discharge control in which electric power supplied from a commercial electric power source is stored in a storage battery in a first time slot and the electric power stored in the storage battery is supplied to the electric equipment in a second time slot in which a unit cost of the electric power supplied from the commercial electric power source is greater than that in the first time slot; and
in a case in which a prediction value of an electricity fee is greater than a target value of an electricity fee, (i) executing the charge-discharge control when the charge-discharge control is selected as the first-stage control, and (ii) executing the electric power saving control when the electric power saving control is selected as the first-stage control.

### Claim 9

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as:
a selector configured to select, as a first-stage control, either one control of an electric power saving control for electric equipment and a charge-discharge control in which electric power supplied from a commercial electric power source is stored in a storage battery in a first time slot and the electric power stored in the storage battery is supplied to the electric equipment in a second time slot in which a unit cost of the electric power supplied from the commercial electric power source is greater than that in the first time slot; and
a controller configured to, in a case in which a prediction value of an electricity fee is greater than a target value of an electricity fee, (i) execute the charge-discharge control when the charge-discharge control is selected as the first-stage control by the selector, and (ii) execute the electric power saving control when the electric power saving control is selected as the first-stage control by the selector.