# US 12,603,497 B2 · Control apparatus, control method, and non-transitory computer readable medium for occupant-based energy prediction > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,603,497 B2 - Document ID: US12603497B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/153,100 - Filed: 2023-01-11 - Published: 2023-07-13 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2022-01-11 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Hiroshi Oki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12603497B2 ## CPC - H02J 3/003: {Load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand} - G06T 7/20: Analysis of motion (motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51) - G06V 20/52: Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69) - G06T 2207/30196: Human being; Person - H02J 2105/12: supplying households or buildings - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A control apparatus includes a controller configured to: acquire first information indicating the number of people in a target building during a predetermined time period, second information indicating electrical energy consumed in the target building during the predetermined time period, and/or third information indicating the number of people heading to the target building during the predetermined time period; and estimate, based on the first information, the second information, or the third information, a demand for electrical energy for the building during a future target time period. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control apparatus comprising a controller configured to: acquire first information indicating a number of people in a target building during a predetermined time period, second information indicating electrical energy consumed in the target building during the predetermined time period, and third information indicating a number of people heading to the target building during the predetermined time period; estimate, based on the first information, the second information, and the third information, a demand for electrical energy for the building for a future target time period; and transmit the estimated demand for electrical energy for the building for the future target time period to a server to cause the server to control one or more load apparatuses to reduce usage of electrical energy based on the estimated demand for electrical energy for the future target time period to ensure that sufficient electrical energy is available for the building, wherein the control apparatus further comprises a communication interface, and the controller is further configured to: communicate via the communication interface with a vehicle traveling to the building; measure a number of people heading to the building based on vehicle position information indicating a position of the vehicle; and acquire the third information according to the number of people heading to the building based on the vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: acquire passage information indicating a record of passage through an entrance gate of the building; measure a number of people in the building based on the passage information; and acquire a measurement result as the first information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: communicate via the communication interface with a camera installed in the building; measure a number of people in the building based on an image captured by the camera; and acquire a measurement result as the first information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: communicate via the communication interface with a camera installed on a road leading to the building; measure a number of people heading to the building based on an image captured by the camera; and acquire the third information according to the number of people heading to the building based on the vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle and the number of people heading to the building based on the image captured by the camera. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: communicate via the communication interface with a terminal apparatus held by a person traveling to the building; measure a number of people heading to the building based on terminal position information indicating a position of the terminal apparatus; and acquire the third information according to the number of people heading to the building based on the vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle and the number of people heading to the building based on the terminal position information indicating the position of the terminal apparatus. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: measure a number of people in the building based on whether people working in the building are telecommuting; and acquire a measurement result as the first information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: acquire attendance information indicating attendance status of people working in the building; measure a number of people in the building based on the attendance information; and acquire a measurement result as the first information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: acquire climate information indicating a climate at a location in which the building is present; and estimate the demand for electrical energy based on the climate information. ### Claim 9 A control method performed by a computer, the control method comprising: acquiring first information indicating a number of people in a target building during a predetermined time period, second information indicating electrical energy consumed in the target building during the predetermined time period, and third information indicating a number of people heading to the target building during the predetermined time period; estimating, based on the first information, the second information, and the third information, a demand for electrical energy for the building for a future target time period; and transmitting the estimated demand for electrical energy for the building for the future target time period to a server to cause the server to control one or more load apparatuses to reduce usage of electrical energy based on the estimated demand for electrical energy for the future target time period to ensure that sufficient electrical energy is available for the building, wherein the computer includes a communication interface, and the control method further comprises: communicating via the communication interface with a vehicle traveling to the building; measuring a number of people heading to the building based on vehicle position information indicating a position of the vehicle; and acquiring the third information according to the number of people heading to the building based on the vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The control method according to claim 9, further comprising: acquiring passage information indicating a record of passage through an entrance gate of the building; measuring a number of people in the building based on the passage information; and acquiring a measurement result as the first information. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The control method according to claim 9, wherein the control method further comprises: communicating via the communication interface with a camera installed in the building; measuring a number of people in the building based on an image captured by the camera; and acquiring a measurement result as the first information. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The control method according to claim 11, further comprising: communicating via the communication interface with a camera installed on a road leading to the building; measuring a number of people heading to the building based on an image captured by the camera; and acquiring the third information according to the number of people heading to the building based on the vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle and the number of people heading to the building based on the image captured by the camera. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The control method according to claim 11, further comprising: communicating via the communication interface with a terminal apparatus held by a person traveling to the building; measuring a number of people heading to the building based on terminal position information indicating a position of the terminal apparatus; and acquiring the third information according to the number of people heading to the building based on the vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle and the number of people heading to the building based on the terminal position information indicating the position of the terminal apparatus. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The control method according to claim 9, further comprising: measuring a number of people in the building based on whether people working in the building are telecommuting; and acquiring a measurement result as the first information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The control method according to claim 9, further comprising: acquiring attendance information indicating attendance status of people working in the building; measuring a number of people in the building based on the attendance information; and acquiring a measurement result as the first information. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The control method according to claim 9, further comprising: acquiring climate information indicating a climate at a location in which the building is present; and estimating the demand for electrical energy based on the climate information. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program configured to cause a computer to execute operations, the operations comprising: acquiring first information indicating a number of people in a target building during a predetermined time period, second information indicating electrical energy consumed in the target building during the predetermined time period, and third information indicating a number of people heading to the target building during the predetermined time period; estimating, based on the first information, the second information, and the third information, a demand for electrical energy for the building for a future target time period; and transmitting the estimated demand for electrical energy for the building for the future target time period to a server to cause the server to control one or more load apparatuses to reduce usage of electrical energy based on the estimated demand for electrical energy for the future target time period to ensure that sufficient electrical energy is available for the building, wherein the computer includes a communication interface, and the operations further comprise: communicating via the communication interface with a vehicle traveling to the building; measuring a number of people heading to the building based on vehicle position information indicating a position of the vehicle; and acquiring the third information according to the number of people heading to the building based on the vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise: communicating via the communication interface with a camera installed in the building; measuring a number of people in the building based on an image captured by the camera; and acquiring a measurement result as the first information.