KR101611624B1 - Home appliance and Network system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a network system. A network system according to one aspect includes: a utility network having components operable in conjunction with energy; And a home network capable of communicating with the component and operable in association with energy, wherein the component constituting the utility network or the home network is a home network that includes at least one of a plurality of types of information, And is operated on the basis of the following equation.

Description

Home Appliance and Network System [0002]

The present invention relates to a network system and a home appliance.

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 network system and a home electric appliance capable of effectively managing an energy source and reducing an electric charge and / or energy consumption.

A network system according to one aspect includes: a utility network having components operable in conjunction with energy; And a home network capable of communicating with the component and operable in association with energy, wherein the component constituting the utility network or the home network is a home network that includes at least one of a plurality of types of information, And is operated on the basis of the following equation.

A network system according to another aspect includes a utility network having components operable in conjunction with energy; A home network capable of communicating with the component and having components operable in conjunction with energy; And an energy management unit capable of recognizing a plurality of types of information and controlling the components constituting the utility network or the home network based on at least one of the plurality of types of information.

According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently produce, use, distribute, and store an energy source, thereby effectively managing an energy source.

In addition, since the control unit or the specific component reflects at least one kind of information of a plurality of kinds to control the operation of the appliance (energy consumption unit), there is an advantage that the energy consumption amount and the energy cost are reduced.

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 (a) is a graph showing time of use (TOU) information and critical peak pattern (CPP) information, and FIG. 4 (b) is a graph showing RTP real time pattern) information.
5 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a first application example of a network system according to the present invention;
6 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a second application example of a network system according to the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a third application example of the network system according to the present invention; FIG.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a component of a network system according to the present invention; FIG.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a network system according to the present invention.
10 is a block diagram of a washing machine, which is an example of an energy consuming part constituting the network system of the present invention.
11 is a block diagram of a refrigerator which is an example of an energy consuming part constituting the 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 an appliance, a microcomputer, a heater, a display, a motor, and the like constituting the appliance may be detailed components (collectively referred to as a driving component).

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 consumption 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 may be 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 time of use (TOU) 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.

On the other side, the information includes internal information such as information related to each component (operation or status information (failure) of each component, energy use information of the energy consumption part, consumer habit information using the energy consumption part, etc.) (Energy information, environmental information, program update information, and time 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 generation amount, (operation priority), and energy consumption amount (energy consumption amount). In this embodiment, the charge related to the energy source is an energy charge.

That is, energy related information can be classified into charge information (energy charge) and non-charge information (energy reduction, emergency situation, network safety, power generation, operation priority, energy consumption, 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, so as to reduce the electric charge.

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 at 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 the underfrequency of the AC power supplied to the component is detected (recognized), it is determined that the supplied electricity quantity is small. If an overfrequency higher than the reference frequency of the AC power supply is detected (recognized) Can be judged to be many.

When the specific component recognizes that the amount of electricity is low or the quality of the electricity is poor, the specific component may set the output 0 (stop or stop) depending on the case, as mentioned above, The output can be reduced, the output can be maintained, or the output can be increased.

The electricity generation excess information is information about the state where the electricity consumption of the component consuming energy is smaller than that of the electricity generation and the surplus electricity is generated and can be transmitted or received as a true or false signal such as Boolean.

The output can be increased if the specific component recognizes the generated electricity excess information (eg, when it recognizes grid overfrequency or recognizes an over energy signal). 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 expected time of operation of the heater in the case of a washing machine or a washing machine.

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 application example 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 serving 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 application example of the 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 application example of the 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 block diagram of a component of a network system according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, the specific component 60 constituting the network system includes an energy generating unit, an energy distributing unit, an energy storing unit, an energy managing unit, an energy measuring unit, a central managing unit, Lt; / RTI >

The specific component 60 includes a control unit 61, a communication unit 62, an input unit 63 for inputting operating conditions, and a display 62 on which at least one of operating state, Unit 64, and a memory unit 65 in which information related to its operating information and / or other components can be stored.

The communication means 62 may communicate with other components of the network system. Further, the communication means 62 can communicate with the control unit 61. The control unit 61 can recognize a plurality of kinds of information.

In detail, the control unit 61 can recognize energy related information, environmental information, internal information, and the like. At this time, the control unit 61 may sense information related to the environment or receive information through the communication unit 62. [

The control unit 61 can receive information related to energy through the communication unit 62. [ The control unit 61 can confirm its own operation information, and information related to other components can be received through the communication unit 62.

The environmental information may include, for example, carbon dioxide emission amount, carbon dioxide concentration in air, temperature, humidity, rainfall amount, solar radiation amount, air volume, and the like.

The control unit 61 may determine an operation method of itself or another component based on at least one of a plurality of types of information. Since many types of information can be varied in real time, the controller 61 determines whether the current operation method is maintained or changed when the washing machine is in operation.

On the other hand, when the washing machine is not started, the controller 61 determines a method of operating the washing machine. At this time, the washing machine operates according to a mode selected by the user, and a part or all of the mode may be varied according to a plurality of types of information.

The operation of one or more of the energy generating unit, the energy distributing unit, the energy storing unit, and the energy consuming unit can be controlled by the control command of the control unit 61. [

At this time, not all kinds of information need to be considered. Depending on the type of component, two types of information from a plurality of types of information can be considered.

A priority order can be set between the above-mentioned types of information. The priority may be set automatically or manually set and changed by the user.

For example, the plurality of kinds of information may be set such that information related to energy is set to a first rank, environment information is set to a second rank, and internal information is set to a third rank. Then, whether information of the next rank is considered or not is determined according to the information state of the specific ranking.

For example, if the energy-related information is on-peak information, then the method of operation of the component can be determined, taking into account only information related to energy. On the other hand, when the energy-related information is the off-peak information, the environment information of the second order can be considered. That is, whether or not the second rank is taken into consideration is determined according to the information of the first rank. In the present embodiment, it is explained that the energy-related information does not affect the determination of the operation method when the information is off-peak.

In the present embodiment, it is noted that there is no limitation on the ranking of the above-mentioned plural types of information. The priority order of the information is stored in the memory unit 65. [

When the state or criterion of each information exceeds the restriction criterion or includes the content of the priority criterion, the information (for example, the emergency information) containing the information or priority content exceeding the limit criterion is judged first can do.

For example, when the environment information is set to the first rank, the information related to the energy recognized by the control unit 61 is the emergency status information in a state that the information related to the energy is selected in the second rank, When the temperature is 40 degrees, the control unit determines the operation method of the component with the energy related information as a top priority. Thus, for example, the component to be controlled by the control unit can be shut down immediately.

Alternatively, the operating method considering all the information in the memory unit 65 may be tabulated and stored. That is, specific information about energy, environmental information, and internal information are all considered, and a method of operation of a specific component in the table can be selected.

On the other hand, by using the input unit 63, it is possible to select the mode for energy reduction as well as the input of the operating condition of the specific component. For example, the priority of the types of information can be set and changed through the input unit 63.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a network system according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9, a specific component recognizes a plurality of kinds of information for driving at least one of itself and other components (S1). When a specific component recognizes a plurality of types of information, an operation method of itself or another component is determined based on the set priority (S2). In contrast, when a specific component recognizes a plurality of types of information, the operating method of the self or another component is determined by comparing the information stored in the memory with the recognized information.

When the operation method is determined by the specific component, the user or the other component operates in the determined operation method (S3). At this time, if the operation method of another component is determined in the specific component, the determined operation method information is transmitted to the other component through the communication means, and the other component receives the operation method information and operates according to the received method .

The operation method of such a component may vary depending on the environment information and the type of the component.

Hereinafter, an operation method of the energy consumption part will be described as an example of the component.

10 is a block diagram of a washing machine, which is an example of an energy consuming part constituting the network system of the present invention.

10, the washing machine 70 includes a control unit 71, a communication unit 72, an input unit 73 for inputting operating conditions, information about the operating state, energy, and additional information A heater 77 for heating the washing water or for heating the space inside the drum, a memory unit 75 for storing the laundry water, May be included.

The heater 77 may operate in a washing process or a drying process.

The control unit 71 may determine the operation method of the washing machine 70 or receive operation method information determined by other components.

In the washing machine 70, the functions of the remaining components except for the drum motor 76 and the heater 77 may be the same as those of the components described in FIG. 8, so a detailed description will be omitted.

The controller 71 or the specific component 60 recognizes a plurality of kinds of information and determines an operation method of the washing machine.

Environmental information that is relevant to the operation of the washing machine may be temperature, humidity, solar radiation, rainfall, and the like.

If the outdoor temperature is high, the solar radiation is high, or the humidity is low, the laundry may dry out. In this case, even if the degree of dehydration of the laundry is low, the laundry can be easily dried. Accordingly, in the dehydration process of the washing machine, the RPM of the motor can be lowered than the steady state, and the time required for the dehydration process can be reduced.

With respect to the above-described environmental information, the case where the energy information is set to the first rank and the environment information is set to the second rank will be described by way of example.

The control unit 71 or the specific component 60 recognizes an on-peak (information related to the reduction of the energy consumption amount or the energy charge) and recognizes that the outdoor temperature is 30 degrees and the humidity is 30%. In this case, the control unit 71 or the specific component 60 generates a command so as to reduce the power or energy charge consumed in the dewatering process of the washing machine in preference to the energy information.

Alternatively, the control unit 71 or the specific component 60 recognizes off-peak as an example, and recognizes that the outdoor temperature is 30 degrees and the humidity is 30%. In this case, since the off-peak information as the first order information does not affect the operation method, the controller 71 or the specific component 60 considers environment information in the second order. Therefore, according to the environmental information, the controller 71 or the specific component 60 generates a command to reduce the electric power or the energy charge consumed in the dewatering process of the washing machine.

On the other hand, a case where the environment information is set to the first rank and the energy information is set to the second rank will be described by way of example.

The control unit 71 or the specific component 60 recognizes an on-peak as an example and recognizes a state where the outdoor temperature is 20 degrees and is currently in a rainy state.

The control unit 71 or the specific component 60 primarily determines the operation method so that dehydration is performed under the normal dehydration condition or the maximum dehydration condition because the laundry environment is not well dried according to the first environmental information . At this time, when the dehydration condition is determined to be the normal dehydration condition or the maximum dehydration condition in a state in which the environmental information is set to the first order, the second order is also taken into consideration. Since the energy information in the second order is on-peak information, the determined normal dewatering condition or the maximum dewatering condition is changed to a saving dewatering condition for reducing the energy, and finally the saving dewatering condition (the dewatering time is reduced, The RPM of the motor is reduced) to produce dehydration.

On the other hand, the controller 71 or the specific component 60 may recognize the on-peak and recognize the outdoor temperature of 30 degrees and the weather clearness.

The control unit 71 or the specific component 60 primarily determines the operation method so that the dehydration is performed under the conservation dehydration condition since the laundry environment depends on the first environment information. At this time, if the dehydration condition is determined as the dehydration condition under the condition that the environmental information is set to the first order, the second order may not be considered.

According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently produce, use, distribute, and store an energy source, thereby effectively managing an energy source.

In addition, since the control unit or the specific component reflects at least one kind of information of a plurality of kinds to control the operation of the appliance (energy consumption unit), there is an advantage that the energy consumption amount and the energy cost are reduced.

11 is a block diagram of a refrigerator which is an example of an energy consuming part constituting the network system of the present invention.

11, the refrigerator 80 includes a control unit 81, a communication unit 82, an input unit 83 for inputting operating conditions, and information about an operating state, energy, and additional information A compressor 86 for compressing the refrigerant, a defrost heater 87 for removing the evaporator from the evaporator, and a condenser 86 for preventing the condensation of the main body due to the difference between the inside temperature and the outside temperature A dew-shrinkage prevention heater 88, and a memory unit 85 may be included.

The internal temperature of the refrigerator can be varied by the operation rate of the compressor (86). The defrost heater 87 can be operated when the defrost condition is satisfied. The foreign-body pants heater 88 may operate periodically or when the difference between the internal temperature and the room temperature reaches a certain value.

The functions of the remaining components of the refrigerator 80 other than the compressor 86 and the heaters 87 and 88 may be the same as those of the components described with reference to FIG. 8, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The controller 81 or the specific component 60 recognizes a plurality of types of information and determines an operating method of the washing machine.

The environmental information related to the operation of the refrigerator may be room temperature or humidity. The components related to the environmental information may be a compressor, a defrost heater, a dew condensation preventing heater, and the like.

If the indoor temperature is high, the operation rate (or on / off cycle, on / off cycle) of the compressor can be increased, and if the room temperature is low, the operation rate of the compressor can be reduced.

When the room temperature is high or the humidity is low, the implantation amount may be reduced, so that the operation time or output of the defrost heater in the defrosting mode may be reduced.

When the room temperature is high, the difference between the room temperature and the inside temperature is large, so that the operating time or output of the anti-fog heater can be increased.

With respect to the above-described environmental information, the case where the energy information is set to the first rank and the environment information is set to the second rank will be described by way of example.

The control unit 81 or the specific component 60 recognizes the on-peak as one example and recognizes that the room temperature is 30 degrees centigrade. In this case, the control unit 81 or the specific component 60 gives priority to the energy information and generates a command to reduce the operation rate of the compressor and / or reduce the operation time or output of the heaters 87 and 88 Method determination).

Alternatively, the control unit 81 or the specific component 60 recognizes the off-peak as an example, and recognizes that the outdoor temperature is 30 degrees.

In this case, since the off-peak information as the first order information does not affect the operation method, the controller 81 or the specific component 60 considers environment information of the second rank. The control unit 81 or the specific component 60 generates an instruction such that the operation rate of the compressor 86 is increased or the operation time of the heaters 87 and 88 or the output of the heater is increased.

In the above example, the control of the heaters 87 and 88 is performed when the heaters 87 and 88 are operating at the time when the control unit 81 or the specific component 60 recognizes the ON / OFF peaks, When the heater is in a stopped state, the heater may not be controlled.

On the other hand, a case where the environment information is set to the first rank and the energy information is set to the second rank will be described by way of example.

The controller 81 or the specific component 60 recognizes the on-peak as an example and recognizes the state where the outdoor temperature is 30 degrees.

According to the first environment information, the controller 81 or the specific component 60 needs to increase the operation rate of the compressor, the output or the operation time of the heater more than the current state, Or the operating method of the heater is determined primarily.

In this case, if the operation time or output of the component is to be increased in the state where the environment information is set to the first rank, the second rank is taken into consideration. Since the energy information in the second order is on-peak information, the operating condition of the determined component is changed to a saving condition (reduction in compressor operation rate, heater operation time or output reduction, etc.) for reducing energy consumption or energy charge.

On the other hand, the controller 81 or the specific component 60 recognizes an on-peak and recognizes a state where the outdoor temperature is 15 degrees.

The controller 81 or the specific component 60 determines that the saving condition is satisfied so as to operate the component so that the component is operated so as to reduce the operation rate of the compressor or reduce the operation time or output of the heater according to the first environmental information Determine the method. In this case, if the operating condition of the component is determined as the saving condition in a state where the environment information is set to the first rank, the second rank may not be considered.

Although the washing machine and the refrigerator have been described above as examples, the concept of the present invention can be applied to household appliances that are affected by environmental information. For example, it can be applied to an air conditioner, a dryer, and the like.

In the above example, the determination of the operation method of the energy consuming portion has been described. However, depending on many types of information, the energy generation amount of the energy generation portion, the energy amount of the energy distribution portion, the energy storage amount of the energy storage portion, Can be determined.

10: utility network 20: home network

Claims (20)

A communication unit capable of receiving information from outside;
A control unit connected to the communication unit; And
And a drive component that can be controlled by the controller,
The control unit may control the driving component based on at least one of energy information and additional information other than energy information,
If the energy information is in a rank order and the additional information is in a rank order,
Wherein the control unit controls the driving component based on only the energy information when the energy information includes information on energy consumption or reduction of energy charges. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the additional information includes environmental information, operation or status information of each component, and user habits using the specific component. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the environmental information includes at least one of a carbon dioxide emission amount, a carbon dioxide concentration in the air, a temperature, a humidity, a rainfall amount, an irradiation amount, and an air amount. The method according to claim 1,
And the additional information can be received through the communication unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control unit can detect the additional information by itself. The method according to claim 1,
The ranking among the above information items can be automatically set or manually set and changed. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the information of the next ranking is determined according to the information status of the specific ranking. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the driving component is operated based on the energy information and the additional information when the energy information includes information related to the reduction of the energy consumption amount or the energy charge. The method according to claim 1,
If the additional information is in a prioritized order and the energy information is in a later order,
Wherein the control unit operates the driving component in consideration of the energy information when the output or operation time of the component is increased as a result of determining the additional information. The method according to claim 1,
Where the status or criterion of each information exceeds or exceeds the limit criteria, the information containing the information exceeding the limit or the content of the priority is changed to the highest priority. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the component further includes a memory in which an operation method reflecting a plurality of types of information is determined,
Wherein when one of the plurality of types of information is recognized by the component, one of the operation methods stored in the memory is selected. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the drive component comprises at least one of a compressor, a motor, and a heater. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the operation rate, the operation time, the output, the number of on / off times, and the on / off period of at least one of the compressor, the motor, and the heater can be varied according to the at least one information. A communication unit capable of receiving information from outside;
A control unit connected to the communication unit; And
And a drive component that can be controlled by the controller,
The control unit may control the driving component based on at least one of energy information and additional information other than energy information,
If the energy information is in a lower order and the additional information is in a higher order,
Wherein the control unit operates the driving component in consideration of the energy information when the output or operation time of the component is increased as a result of determining the additional information. delete delete delete delete delete delete

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