# US 10,312,685 B2 · Device control apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,312,685 B2 - Document ID: US10312685B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/329,570 - Filed: 2015-06-16 - Published: 2018-07-26 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2014-07-31 - Assignees: Daikin Industries, Ltd. - Applicants: Daikin Industries, Ltd. - Inventors: Nanae Niikura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312685B2 ## CPC - H02J 3/14: by switching loads on to, or off from, the networks, e.g. progressively balanced loading - G05B 13/024: {in which a parameter or coefficient is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance} - G06Q 30/0206: {Price or cost determination based on market factors} - G06Q 50/06: Energy or water supply - H02J 13/00: Circuit arrangements for providing remote monitoring or remote control of equipment in a power distribution network - H02J 2105/55: according to an economic condition, e.g. tariff-based load management - H02J 2105/57: {according to a pre-established time schedule} - 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 20/00: Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof - Y04S 20/222: Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving - Y04S 50/10: Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid - Y04S 50/14: Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - 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) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - 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 device control apparatus performs demand response control in which an amount of energy consumed in a predetermined time slot by a facility device is adjusted in accordance with an adjustment request. The device control apparatus includes a reception unit that accepts an operation instruction for the facility device, an expense effect presentation unit and a comfort effect projection. The expense effect presentation unit presents an expense effect incurred on a charge in association with the amount of energy consumed by the facility device through an activity based on the operation instruction. The comfort effect projection unit projects an effect on comfort incurred in a space surrounding the facility device in association with the amount of energy consumed by the facility device through the activity based on the operation instruction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device control apparatus configured to perform demand response control in which an amount of energy consumed in a predetermined time slot by a facility device is adjusted in accordance with an adjustment request, the device control apparatus comprising: a reception unit configured to accept an operation instruction for the facility device; and a control unit including a CPU programmed to serve as an expense effect presentation unit configured to present an expense effect incurred on a charge in association with the amount of energy consumed by the facility device through an activity based on the operation instruction, the facility device being adjusted by the demand response control in the predetermined time slot, and a comfort effect projection unit configured to project an effect on comfort incurred in a space surrounding the facility device in association with the amount of energy consumed by the facility device through the activity based on the operation instruction, the facility device being adjusted by the demand response control in the predetermined time slot, the expense effect presentation unit being further configured to present the expense effect and the effect on comfort for each set of contents of the operation instruction accepted by the reception unit when the operation instruction comprises multiple types of contents, and the comfort effect projection unit being further configured to project the effect on comfort by suppressing an output of the facility device, returning the output of the facility device to a state prior to the suppressing, and calculating a change in the space surrounding the facility device between the suppressing and the returning. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive charge computation information useable to compute a charge associated with the amount of energy consumed, the charge computation information being received from a host energy management apparatus that manages energy supplied to the facility device, the CPU being further programmed to serve as a computation unit configured to estimate a power fluctuation amount caused by the activity based on the operation instruction for the facility device, and to compute the expense effect to be presented by the expense effect presentation unit by applying the estimated power fluctuation amount to the charge computation information received by the receiving unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the receiving unit is further configured to receive incentive information from the host energy management apparatus, the incentive information being included in the charge computation information and pertaining to a reward for complying with a request associated with energy consumption from the host energy management apparatus, and the expense effect presentation unit is further configured to present an incentive change as the expense effect, the incentive change being caused in association with the amount of energy consumed by the facility device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the computation unit is further configured to calculate an incentive reduction amount based on the estimated power fluctuation amount, a remaining time in the time slot for which an adjustment of the amount of energy consumed is requested as indicated by the incentive information, and an incentive unit price indicated by the incentive information, and the expense effect presentation unit is further configured to present an incentive reduction amount as the expense effect, the incentive reduction amount being calculated by the computation unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The device control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the receiving unit is further configured to receive penalty information from the host energy management apparatus, the penalty information being included in the charge computation information and pertaining to a penalty that increases the charge when a request associated with energy consumption from the host energy management apparatus is not satisfied, and the expense effect presentation unit is further configured to present a penalty as the expense effect, the penalty being caused in association with the amount of energy consumed by the facility device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the computation unit is further configured to calculate a penalty price based on the estimated power fluctuation amount, a remaining time in the time slot for which an adjustment of the amount of energy consumed is requested as indicated by the penalty information, and a penalty unit price indicated by the penalty information, and the expense effect presentation unit is further configured to present a penalty price as the expense effect, the penalty price being calculated by the computation unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The device control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the computation unit is further configured to calculate a computation result of the expense effect using a numerical value, and the expense effect presentation unit is further configured to present the expense effect calculated by the computation unit using the numerical value. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The device control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the expense effect presentation unit is further configured to present a display indicating that the expense effect will not be affected by at least one of the incentive change and the penalty when there is no occurrence of at least one of the incentive change and the penalty caused by the activity of the facility device based on the operation instruction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a display unit configured to display an effect of device non-activity caused by a situation that the activity is not performed based on the operation instruction for the facility device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The device control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the facility device is an air conditioner that performs temperature adjustment of indoor temperature, and the display unit is further configured to display an effect on the indoor temperature caused by a situation that the temperature adjustment is not performed by the air conditioner. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the expense effect presentation unit is further configured to present the expense effect when the reception unit accepts the operation instruction as a trigger. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The device control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the expense effect presentation unit is further configured to present the expense effect before or after the activity based on the operation instruction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The device control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reception unit is further configured to accept a presentation instruction for the expense effect, and the expense effect presentation unit is further configured to present the expense effect when the reception unit accepts the presentation instruction as a trigger. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The device control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an activity information storage unit configured to store an activity in association with the expense effect and time information when the activity has been performed based on the operation instruction; and an activity extraction unit configured to extract the activity from the activity information storage unit, the activity having been performed in the time slot during which the adjustment of the amount of energy consumed is requested, the expense effect presentation unit being further configured to present the expense effect for the activity extracted by the activity extraction unit.