[DESCRIPTION]
[Title of Invention]
FACILITY MANAGEMENT METHOD AND FACILITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
[Technical Field]
5 [0001]
The present invention relates to a technique for managing operations
of a plurality of facilities.
[Background Art]
[0002]
10 In a next generation power network, the power is not unilaterally
provided from the supply side to the demand side as in the current
situation, but the supply side and the demand side both transmit
and receive power. Thus, the system as a whole is optimized, and
the energy saving, peak shift, countermeasure against blackouts,
15 and reduction of environmental load, are achieved.
[0003]
To achieve this, each customer and a power company include demand
management apparatuses such as HEMS (Home Energy Management System)
and CEMS (Community Energy Management System) respectively. The
20 demand management apparatus monitors the states of an electronic
device of the customer and a facility, communicates with an external
device through a communication network, and adjusts the power
supply-demand in the system. The demand management apparatus
enables the smooth power interchange between the customers and the
25 supply side. As a result, the system can be smoothly stabilized.
For example, at the time of peak shift, request, negotiation, and
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execution management for changing the used time zone of the device,
reducing the power consumption for a predetermined period of time,
interchanging power, and the like to the customer are performed
through the demand management apparatus. Thus, the negotiation
between the customers for interchanging power and the execution 5 of
the power interchange can be smoothly conducted. As a result, the
blackout can be prevented and the wasteful power consumption can
be reduced.
[0004]
10 As a technique for achieving the supply-demand adjustment, a power
supply system, in which power stored in a common storage battery
is allocated in accordance with a priority of the customer, is known
(PTL 1 for example).
[Citation List]
15 [Patent Literature]
[0005]
[PTL 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2011-205871
[Summary of Invention]
20 [Technical Problem]
[0006]
However, the priority of the customer described above is set as a
fixed value when a power supply system is set up, by a manager of
the system, and thus cannot be adjusted in accordance with the change
25 in needs due to the change in the lifestyle of the customer in a
community. For example, in a community with a small number of
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electric vehicles (EV) owned by the customers and a large number
of gasoline-powered vehicles owned, it is assumed that the priority
of the EV station is set to be lower than the priority of the gas
station. However, the setting would be inappropriate when more
customers switch to EVs from gasoline-powered vehicles in the 5 future.
As a result, the power might be preferentially supplied to the gas
stations, which are actually almost never used. This leads to
wasteful power consumption.
[0007]
10 Specifically, when a facility, of which an operation is to be limited,
is selected from a plurality of facilities, the change in the usage
of the facilities is not taken into account.
[Solution to Problem]
[0008]
15 To solve the problem, a facility management method as one aspect
of the present invention includes: storing, in each of a plurality
of facilities, a usage amount of a device in the own facility;
specifying, in each of the plurality of facilities, another facility
associated with the device in the own facility; calculating a usage
20 level indicating a usage of the other facility based on the usage
amount; and selecting a facility, of which an operation is to be
limited, from the plurality of facilities, based on the usage levels
of the plurality of facilities.
[Advantageous Effects of Invention]
25 [0009]
Based on a usage amount of a device in a certain facility, whether
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other facilities associated with the device need to be operated can
be determined.
[Brief Description of Drawings]
[0010]
5 [Fig. 1]
Fig. 1 shows the hardware configuration of a power supply-demand
adjustment system.
[Fig. 2]
Fig. 2 shows the functional configuration of the power supply-demand
10 adjustment system.
[Fig. 3]
Fig. 3 shows customer facility management processing.
[Fig. 4]
Fig. 4 shows actual device information in Embodiment 1.
15 [Fig. 5]
Fig. 5 shows link request in Embodiment 1.
[Fig. 6]
Fig. 6 shows virtual device registration processing.
[Fig. 7]
20 Fig. 7 shows device information in Embodiment 1.
[Fig. 8]
Fig. 8 shows linking processing.
[Fig. 9]
Fig. 9 shows linking information in Embodiment 1.
25 [Fig. 10]
Fig. 10 shows device usage amount information in Embodiment 1.
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[Fig. 11]
Fig. 11 shows device priority determination processing.
[Fig. 12]
Fig. 12 shows device priority information in Embodiment 1.
[Fig. 135 ]
Fig. 13 shows customer priority determination processing.
[Fig. 14]
Fig. 14 shows customer priority information in Embodiment 1.
[Fig. 15]
10 Fig. 15 shows actual device information in Embodiment 2.
[Fig. 16]
Fig. 16 shows a link request in Embodiment 2.
[Fig. 17]
Fig. 17 shows device information in Embodiment 2.
15 [Fig. 18]
Fig. 18 shows linking information in Embodiment 2.
[Fig. 19]
Fig. 19 shows device usage amount information in Embodiment 2.
[Fig. 20]
20 Fig. 20 shows device priority information in Embodiment 2.
[Fig. 21]
Fig. 21 shows customer priority information in Embodiment 2.
[Description of Embodiments]
[Embodiment 1]
25 [0011]
A power supply-demand adjustment system as an application example
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of a facility management method and a facility management system
of the present invention is described hereinbelow. Based on a usage
amount of a device of a customer in a community, the power
supply-demand adjustment system determines the priority of a
facility of another customer. The power supply-5 demand adjustment
system prevents the cutting of power to high priority customers,
when the power supply becomes tight in the community.
[0012]
The configuration of the power supply-demand adjustment system is
10 described below.
[0013]
Fig. 1 shows the hardware configuration of the power supply-demand
adjustment system. The power supply-demand adjustment system of
this embodiment is provided in a predetermined community. The power
15 supply-demand adjustment system of this embodiment includes a
community demand management apparatus 110 and a plurality of
customer facilities 130. The community demand management
apparatus 110 is coupled to a plurality of customer demand
management apparatuses 100 through a communication network 120.
20 The customer demand management apparatus 100 is an energy management
system such as HEMS and the like that manages the power supply and
demand in the customer facility 130, and adjusts the power supply
and demand in the customer facility 130. The community demand
management apparatus 110 is an energy management system such as CEMS
25 that manages the power supply and demand in the community, and
adjusts the power supply and demand in the community.
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[0014]
The customer facility 130 is a facility such as a general home, a
gas station, and a supermarket. The customer facility 130 includes
the customer demand management apparatus 100 and some customer
devices 106. The customer devices 106 in the customer 5 facility 130,
as the general home, are devices such as a motorcar, a refrigerator,
a water pump, and an oil stove. The customer devices 106 in the
customer facility 130, as a gas station, are devices such as a fuel
dispenser, a refrigerator, and a water pump. The customer devices
10 106 in the customer facility 130, as a supermarket, are devices such
as an air conditioner, a refrigerator, and a water pump. The
customer device 106 may include an off-grid power source such as
a solar power generation apparatus and a storage battery.
[0015]
15 The customer demand management apparatus 100 manages the customer
devices 106. The customer devices 106 may communicate with the
customer demand management apparatus 100. The customer demand
management apparatus 100 records the usage of the customer device
106. The user of the customer demand management apparatus 100 may
20 input the usage of the customer device 106 to the customer demand
management apparatus 100. The customer demand management
apparatus 100 may receive the usage of the customer device 106, and
store the usage as a log.
[0016]
25 The communication network 120, including the Internet and a
dedicated line, may be in any form as long as the communications
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among a plurality of the customer demand management apparatuses 100,
and between the customer demand management apparatuses 100 and the
community demand management apparatus 110 can be established.
[0017]
5 The customer demand management apparatus 100 includes a
microprocessor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a
communication unit 102, an input/output unit 103, a primary storage
device 104, and a secondary storage device 105. The customer demand
management apparatus 100 is a computer for example. The
10 communication unit 102 communicates with the outside through the
communication network 120. The input/output unit 103 is an
interface that receives an input of information from the user of
the customer demand management apparatus 100, and performs an output
to the user. The primary storage device 104 is a storage device
15 such as a memory. The secondary storage device 105 is a storage
device such as an HDD (Hard disk drive) and an SSD (Solid State Drive).
The customer demand management apparatus 100 may be installed
outside the customer facility 130, as long as the property right
of the customer can be protected. The functions of the customer
20 demand management apparatus 100 may be executed by the CPU 101 in
accordance with a program in the secondary storage device 105, or
by dedicated hardware. The primary storage device 104 and the
secondary storage device 105 may be a single storage device.
[0018]
25 The community demand management apparatus 110 includes a
microprocessor such as a CPU 111, a communication unit 112, an
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input/output unit 113, a primary storage device 114, and a secondary
storage device 115. The customer demand management apparatus 100
is managed by a manager, such as a local government, authorized to
access customer information. The communication unit 112
communicates with the outside through the communication network 5 120.
The input/output unit 113 is an interface that receives an input
of information from the user of the community demand management
apparatus 110, and performs an output to the user. The primary
storage device 114 is a storage device such as a memory. The
10 secondary storage device 115 is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard
disk drive) and an SSD (Solid State Drive). The functions of the
community demand management apparatus 110 may be executed by the
CPU 111 in accordance with a program in the secondary storage device
115, or by dedicated hardware. The primary storage device 114 and
15 the secondary storage device 115 may be a single storage device.
[0019]
Fig. 2 shows the functional configuration of the power supply-demand
adjustment system. The customer demand management apparatus 100
includes a device registration unit 201, a device linking unit 202,
20 a device usage amount monitor unit 203, a device priority
determination unit 204, another customer device linking request
unit 205, and a device failure detection unit 206. In the
description below, the customer facility 130 including a target
customer demand management apparatus 100 is sometimes referred to
25 as own customer facility. The customer device 106 in the host
customer facility and the customer facility 130 other than the own
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customer facility in the community are sometimes respectively
referred to as own customer device and other customer facility. The
customer device 106 in the other customer facility is sometimes
referred to as other customer device.
5 [0020]
The device registration unit 201 registers the own customer device.
The device linking unit 202 links between customer devices 106. The
device usage amount monitor unit 203 monitors and records the usage
amount of the own customer device. The device priority
10 determination unit 204 determines the priorities of the customer
device 106 and the other customer facility. The other customer
device linking request unit 205 performs a request for linking the
own customer device with the other customer facility. The device
failure detection unit 206 detects the failure of the own customer
15 device.
[0021]
The community demand management apparatus110 includes a customer
registration unit 210, a customer priority determination unit 211,
a tight power supply detection unit 212, and a prioritized request
20 unit 213. The customer registration unit 210 registers the customer
facility 130. The customer priority determination unit 211
determines the priority of a customer. The tight power supply
detection unit 212 detects tight power supply in a community. The
prioritized request unit 213 requests the customer facility 130 in
25 the community to adjust power supply and demand. The community
demand management apparatus110 may be managed by an aggregator.
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[0022]
The device registration unit 201, the device linking unit 202, the
device usage amount monitor unit 203, the device priority
determination unit 204, the other customer device linking request
unit 205, 5 , and the device failure detection unit 206 may be
implemented by a program in the secondary storage device 115 of the
customer demand management apparatus 100, or by remotely using the
function implemented by a program installed to another computer in
the community through the communication network 120.
10 [0023]
Customer facility management processing of the customer demand
management apparatus 100 is described below.
[0024]
Fig. 3 shows the customer facility management processing. In the
15 description below, the own customer device actually exists in the
host customer facility, and thus is sometimes referred to as actual
device. The other customer facility is regarded as a virtual own
customer device and thus is sometimes referred to as virtual device.
[0025]
20 In S300, the device registration unit 201 generates actual device
information on the actual device, and registers the information in
the secondary storage device 105. Here, when an actual device is
coupled to the communication unit 102 of the customer demand
management apparatus 100, the device registration unit 201
25 recognizes the coupled actual device. The device registration unit
201 may recognize the actual device, by communicating with the
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coupled actual device, or the user of the customer demand management
apparatus 100 may input information indicating that the actual
device is coupled, to the input/output unit 103. Then, the device
registration unit 201 registers the ID, the name, and the device
type of the coupled actual device in the secondary storage 5 device
105, as the actual device information.
[0026]
In the description below, the type of the actual device is sometimes
referred to as actual device type. The actual device type indicates
10 motorcar, oil stove, refrigerator, and the like. The type obtained
by adding the virtual devices to the actual device type is sometimes
referred to as device type. The type of the customer facility 130
is sometimes referred to as customer facility type. The customer
facility type indicates general home, gas station, supermarket, or
15 the like.
[0027]
Fig. 4 shows the actual device information in Embodiment 1. The
actual device information includes an entry of each actual device.
The entry of a certain actual device includes the ID, the name, and
20 the device type of the actual device. The names of the actual device
are, for example, a motorcar MC, an oil stove ST, and a refrigerator
RF. The device types of the actual devices are, for example,
motorcar, oil stove, and refrigerator. The user of the customer
demand management apparatus 100 may input the actual device
25 information to the input/output unit 103. The coupled actual device
may transmit the actual device information set in advance, to the
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device registration unit 201. The device registration unit 201 may
select and register the actual device information corresponding to
the coupled actual device from actual device information pieces set
in advance.
5 [0028]
Next, in S301, the device registration unit 201 performs virtual
device registration processing, in which virtual device information
indicating a virtual device is generated, and the virtual device
information is registered in the secondary storage device 105.
10 [0029]
Here, for example, the device registration unit 201 may perform the
operation of searching all the other customer facilities in the
community and registering the other customer facility thus found
as the virtual devices, the operation of unconditionally
15 registering the other customer facility issuing a registration
request as the virtual device, the operation of searching the other
customer facility associated with the own customer device and
registering the other customer facility thus found as the virtual
device, and the other like operation. Here, to reduce the
20 calculation amount, prevent the other customer facility hardly
associated with the own customer device from being registered, and
reduce the labor of the customer him or herself, when the actual
device type of the own customer device matches the actual device
type requested by the other customer facility, the device
25 registration unit 201 sets the other customer facility as the
virtual device, and registers the virtual device information on the
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virtual device.
[0030]
The other customer device linking request unit 205 transmits the
link request for linking with the other customer device to the
5 customer demand management apparatus 100 of the other customer
facility. Here, the other customer device linking request unit 205
requests the actual device type of the other customer device, to
which the own customer facility is requested to be linked by the
customer as the owner of the customer demand management apparatus
10 100. The actual device type may be input in advance by the customer
to the customer demand management apparatus 100. A database
indicating association between the customer facility type of the
own customer facility and the actual device type of the other
customer device may be provided, and the other customer device
15 linking request unit 205 may transmit the link request based on the
data base. The other customer device linking request unit 205 may
transmit the link request to the customer demand management
apparatuses 100 of a plurality of the other customer facilities by
multicast.
20 [0031]
Fig. 5 shows the link request in Embodiment 1. The link request
includes some link request destination types, which are actual
device types related to the customer facility 130 as the request
source. In this example, it is assumed that the gas station GS as
25 the other customer facility has transmitted the link request. The
customer facility 130 as the request source is the gas station GS,
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and the link request destination types are motorcar, motorcycle,
and a gas stove, which are supposed to be highly associated with
the gas station GS. The link request may include the customer
facility type of the customer facility 130 as the link request source,
the name of the customer facility 130 as the link request 5 equest source,
and the like. In this example, the customer facility type of the
link request source is gas station, and the name of the customer
facility of the link request source is the gas station GS.
[0032]
10 Virtual device registration processing in S301 is described below
in detail.
[0033]
Fig. 6 shows the virtual device registration processing.
[0034]
15 In S400, the device registration unit 201 recognizes the customer
demand management apparatus 100 of the other customer facility.
Here, the device registration unit 201 recognizes the customer
demand management apparatus 100 of the other customer facility
through the communication network 120. For example, the device
20 registration unit 201 uses a device having a GPS function such as
a mobile phone of the customer as the owner of the device registration
unit 201, and a car navigation apparatus of a motorcar of the customer,
for the recognizing. Here, the device registration unit 201
receives a travel history of the customer from the device having
25 the GPS function, through a communication network such as a LAN
(Local Area Network). Then, the device registration unit 201
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collates the history with the map information stored in a storage
device in advance to specify the other customer facility visited
by the customer. Thus, the device registration unit 201 may
recognize the customer demand management apparatus 100 of the other
customer facility thus specified, through the communication 5 ation network
120. Furthermore, the customer may designate the customer demand
management apparatus 100 of the other customer facility through the
input/output unit 103.
[0035]
10 In S401, the device registration unit 201 receives the link request
from the customer demand management apparatus 100 of the other
customer facility through the communication network 120, and stores
the link request in the secondary storage device 105.
[0036]
15 Next, in S402, the device registration unit 201 selects as the target
actual device, a single unselected actual device, from the actual
device information in the secondary storage device 105, and reads
the actual device information of the target actual device from the
secondary storage device 105.
20 [0037]
Next, in S403, the device registration unit 201 compares the actual
device type in the actual device information of the target actual
device with the link request destination type of the received link
request, and records the comparison result in the primary storage
25 device 104.
[0038]
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Next, in S404, the device registration unit 201 determines whether
the processing in S402 is performed on all the actual devices.
[0039]
When the result in S404 is No, the device registration unit 201 moves
5 the processing to S402.
[0040]
When the result in S404 is Yes, the device registration unit 201
moves the processing to S405.
[0041]
10 Then, in S405, the device registration unit 201 determines whether
the actual device type of at least one actual device matches the
link request destination type, based on the comparison result.
[0042]
When the result in S405 is No, the device registration unit 201
15 terminates the flow.
[0043]
When the result in S405 is Yes, the device registration unit 201
moves the processing to S406.
[0044]
20 Then, in S406, the device registration unit 201 requests the user
of the customer demand management apparatus 100 to input the
permission to register the other customer facility indicated in the
link request as the virtual device. Here, for example, the
input/output unit 103 displays the screen for requesting the
25 permission.
[0045]
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Then, in S407, the device registration unit 201 determines whether
the user permission is obtained, based on the input to the
input/output unit 103.
[0046]
5 When the result in S407 is No, the device registration unit 201
terminates the flow.
[0047]
When the result in S407 is Yes, the device registration unit 201
moves the processing to S408.
10 [0048]
Then, in S408, the device registration unit 201 sets as the virtual
device, the other customer facility, which is the link request
source, and registers the virtual device information, indicating
the virtual device, in the secondary storage device 105. The actual
15 device information and the virtual device information in the
secondary storage device 105 are collectively referred to as device
information. The virtual device information includes the customer
facility type of the request source of the link request. Here, the
configuration is employed, in which the user, of the customer demand
20 management apparatus 100, inputs the permission for each customer
registration permission check, however, if the customer permits the
registration of the virtual device in advance, for example, such
an input operation is not required.
[0049]
25 The flow of the virtual device registration processing is as
described above.
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[0050]
Fig. 7 shows the device information in Embodiment 1. The device
information includes an entry of each device. The device is any
one of the actual device and the virtual device. The entry of the
actual 5 device is similar to the actual device information. The
entry of a certain virtual device is in the same format as the entry
of an actual device, and includes the ID of the virtual device in
the device information, the name of the other customer facility
corresponding to the virtual device, and the device type of the
10 device, which is virtual device herein. The device information in
this example includes the entry of the gas station GS as the virtual
device, in addition to the same entries as in the actual device
information.
[0051]
15 Now, the description returns to the flow of the customer facility
management processing.
[0052]
Next, in S302, the device linking unit 202 performs linking
processing in which devices are linked, linking information
20 indicating the linking is generated, and the linking information
is stored in the secondary storage device 105. Here, the device
linking unit 202 links between the actual device and the virtual
device registered in the customer demand management apparatus 100.
[0053]
25 Here, the device linking unit 202 may unconditionally link the
virtual device of the other customer facility, issuing the link
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request designating the actual device type of the own customer
device, with the own customer device, select and link the virtual
device associated with the own customer device, or perform the like
operation. Here, when the actual device type of the own customer
device and the actual device type requested by the other 5 customer
facility match, the device linking unit 202 links the own customer
device with the other customer facility to prevent the other
customer facility hardly associated with the own customer device
from being registered, reduce the labor of the customer him or
10 herself, and the like.
[0054]
The linking processing in S302 is described below in detail.
[0055]
Fig. 8 shows the linking processing.
15 [0056]
In S501, the device linking unit 202 reads the link request received
in S401 from the secondary storage device 105.
[0057]
Then, in S502, the device linking unit 202 selects as the target
20 actual device, a single unselected actual device, from the actual
device information in the secondary storage device 105, and reads
the actual device information on the target actual device from the
secondary storage device 105.
[0058]
25 Then, in S503, the device linking unit 202 determines whether the
actual device type of the selected actual device is included in the
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link request destination type of the received link request.
[0059]
When the result in S503 is No, the device linking unit 202 moves
the processing to S507.
5 [0060]
When the result in S503 is Yes, the device linking unit 202 moves
the processing to S504.
[0061]
Next, in S504, the device linking unit 202 requests the customer
10 to input the permission to link the selected actual device with the
other customer facility indicated by the link request. Here, for
example, the input/output unit 103 displays the screen for inputting
the permission or rejection.
[0062]
15 Next, in S505, the device linking unit 202 determines whether the
customer permission is obtained, based on the input to the
input/output unit 103.
[0063]
When the result in S505 is No, the device linking unit 202 moves
20 the processing to S507.
[0064]
When the result in S505 is Yes, the device linking unit 202 moves
the processing to S506.
[0065]
25 Next, in S506, the device linking unit 202 links the selected actual
device with the other customer facility as the link request source,
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and stores linking information indicating the linking in the
secondary storage device 105. Here, the configuration is employed,
in which the customer inputs the permission for each customer
registration permission check, however, if the customer permits the
linking with the other customer facility in advance, for 5 example,
such an input operation is not required.
[0066]
Then, in S507, the device linking unit 202 determines whether the
processing in S502 is performed on all the actual devices.
10 [0067]
When the result in S507 is No, the device linking unit 202 moves
the processing to S502.
[0068]
When the result in S507 is Yes, the device linking unit 202 terminates
15 the flow.
[0069]
The flow of the lining processing is as described above.
[0070]
The other customer facility required for the operation of the own
20 customer device can be selectively linked by linking the own
customer device with the other customer facility when the actual
device type of the own customer device matches the actual device
type indicated by the link request from the other customer facility,
and the user permission is obtained. Thus, the level of dependence
25 of the user to the other customer facility and the intention of the
user can be reflected in the selection of the customer facility 130
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for maintaining the power supply.
[0071]
Fig. 9 shows the linking information in Embodiment 1. The linking
information includes an entry of each actual device. The entry of
a certain actual device includes the ID of the actual device, 5 the
name of the actual device, and the link destination as the virtual
device linked to the actual device. In this example, a case is
illustrated, in which the motorcar as the link request destination
type in the link request matches the motorcar as the actual device
10 type in the device information, and the oil stove as the link request
destination type in the link request matches the oil stove as the
actual device type in the device information. Thus, the motorcar
MC as the actual device is linked with the gas station GS as the
virtual device, and the oil stove ST as the actual device is linked
15 with the gas station GS as the virtual device. Furthermore, the
refrigerator RF as the actual device is linked to the supermarket
SM and a fish store FS as the virtual devices.
[0072]
Furthermore, through the linking processing, the customer demand
20 management apparatus 100 can specify the other customer facility
associated with the own customer device.
[0073]
The customer demand management apparatus 100 may perform the
processing as a combination of the virtual device registration
25 processing and the linking processing. Specifically, the customer
demand management apparatus 100 may link the own customer device
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with the other customer facility, when registering the virtual
device.
[0074]
The customer demand management apparatus 100 may transmit the link
request including the customer facility type 5 of the customer
facility 130 required for the operation of the own customer device,
to the other customer facility. Here, the customer demand
management apparatus 100 may transmit the link request to the
transmission destination specified from the usage history of the
10 own customer device. Alternatively, the customer demand
management apparatus 100 may transmit the link request to a
plurality of the customer demand management apparatuses 100 in the
community by multicast. The customer demand management apparatus
100 in the other customer facility that has received the link request
15 may transmit the permission for the linking to the transmission
source of the link request, when the customer facility type of the
other customer facility matches the customer facility type of the
customer facility 130 indicated by the link request. The customer
demand management apparatus 100 of the transmission source of the
20 link request registers the permitted other customer facility as the
virtual device, when the permission is received, and links the own
customer device with the virtual device.
[0075]
Now, the description returns to the flow of the customer facility
25 management processing.
[0076]
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Next, in S303, the device usage amount monitor unit 203 records the
device usage amount information indicating the usage amount of the
actual device, in the secondary storage device 105. The device
usage amount monitor unit 203 may acquire the usage history from
the coupled own customer device and generate the device usage 5 amount
information based on the usage history. The usage history of an
own customer device may be generated by the own customer device,
may be generated by a device that operates in conjunction with the
own customer device, or may be generated by the device usage amount
10 monitor unit 203 of the customer demand management apparatus 100
coupled to the own customer device. The device usage amount monitor
unit 203 may acquire the usage history of an uncoupled own customer
device through an input from a user of the customer demand management
apparatus 100, and generate the device usage amount information
15 based on the usage history. The usage history of the own customer
device may indicate the use start time point and the use end time
point, indicate the used number of times, and indicate the other
customer facility used for the operation of the own customer device.
[0077]
20 Fig. 10 shows device usage amount information in Embodiment 1. The
device usage amount information may be the used time of the actual
device or the number of times the actual device is turned ON and
OFF. The device usage amount information herein includes a device
operation time (h/day) as the operation time of the actual device
25 during the past 24 hours. The device usage amount information
includes a normalized device operation time as the value obtained
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by normalizing the device operation time by an average device
operation time of each actual device type in the community. The
device usage amount information may not include a device virtual
time or average device operation time.
5 [0078]
For example, the community demand management apparatus 110 collects
the device operation time from each customer facility 130 and
calculates the average value for each actual device type to obtain
the average device operation time, and notifies each customer demand
10 management apparatus 100 of the average device operation time. In
response to this operation, the customer demand management
apparatus 100 stores the notified average device operation time in
the device usage amount information in the secondary storage device
105. The average device operation time may be input to the customer
15 demand management apparatus 100 in advance. A usage amount serving
as a standard such as the average value of the use frequency may
be used, instead of the average device operation time. The device
usage amount monitor unit 203 divides the device operation time of
each actual device by the average device operation time to obtain
20 the normalized device operation time.
[0079]
In this example, the device operation time of the motorcar MC is
2.00 hours, and the average device operation time of the motorcar
MC is 1.20 hours. Thus ,the normalized device operation time of
25 the motorcar MC is (average device operation time) / (normalized
device operation time) = 1.60. When the usage amount of an actual
PHT120036
28
device of a certain actual device type is larger than the average
usage amount of the actual device type, the normalized device
operation time of the actual device is larger than 1. When the usage
amount is smaller than the average usage amount of the actual device
type, the normalized device operation time of the actual device 5 is
smaller than 1. Thus, the normalized device operation time
expresses the average usage amount in the community by 1, regardless
of the actual device type.
[0080]
10 When the actual device is the refrigerator, and the refrigerator
detects the number of times the door is opened/closed, the device
usage amount information may indicate the number of times or how
often the door is opened/closed and the like. When the actual device
is a motorcar, the customer demand management apparatus 100 may
15 receive the travel history by communicating with the car navigation
apparatus installed in the motorcar or the mobile terminal apparatus.
Here, the device usage amount information may indicate the travel
history, position information, a travel distance, used frequency,
used number of times, and the like. When the actual device is a
20 pump such as a water pump and an oil pump, the device usage amount
information may indicate, for example, the number of times or how
often the pumps are used.
[0081]
In S304, the device priority determination unit 204 performs device
25 priority determination processing, in which the device priority
information indicating the priority of the device is determined and
PHT120036
29
stored in the secondary storage device 105. Here, the device is
any one of the actual device and the virtual device. The device
priority information includes device priority including the actual
device priority as the priority of the actual device. When the
5 virtual device is registered, the device priority information
includes virtual device priority as the priority of the virtual
device. The device priority determination unit 204 performs the
device priority determination processing periodically, for example,
once every 30 minutes, to update the device priority information.
10 The initial value of the virtual device priority, before the device
priority determination processing is performed, is 0.
[0082]
The flow of the customer facility management processing is as
described above.
15 [0083]
The device priority determination processing in S304 is described
below in detail.
[0084]
Fig. 11 shows the device priority determination processing. The
20 device priority determination unit 204 periodically performs the
priority update processing. The device priority determination
unit 204 may perform the device priority determination upon
receiving information indicating that the state of the actual device
has changed including cases where a new actual device is coupled
25 to the customer demand management apparatus 100, the actual device
fails, or the like.
PHT120036
30
[0085]
In S600, the device priority determination unit 204 selects as the
target actual device, one unselected actual device from the actual
devices and determines whether the target actual device has failed.
The failure includes a case where the target actual device that 5 has
been coupled to the customer demand management apparatus 100 is
separated from the customer demand management apparatus 100 and thus
is not managed by the customer demand management apparatus 100. For
example, the target actual device transmits an existing signal to
10 the customer demand management apparatus 100 once every
predetermined period. In this case, the device failure detection
unit 206 determines that the target actual device has failed when
the existing signal is not received within the predetermined period,
and notifies the device priority determination unit 204 of the
15 failure.
[0086]
When the result in S600 is No, that is, when the target actual device
is registered in the customer demand management apparatus 100 to
be managed by the customer demand management apparatus 100, the
20 device priority determination unit 204 moves the processing to S601.
[0087]
Next, in S601, the device priority determination unit 204 calculates
the actual device priority of the target actual device based on the
device usage amount information of the target actual device stored
25 in the secondary storage device 105, and rewrites the actual device
priority in the secondary storage device 105 by the calculation
PHT120036
31
result. For example, the actual device priority is a value obtained
by multiplying the normalized device operation time of a certain
actual device by an actual device weight coefficient of the actual
device. The actual device weight coefficient is a weight
coefficient set in advance for each actual device type for example5 .
The user of the customer demand management apparatus 100 can set
the actual device weight coefficient, set to the actual device type,
requested to have a high actual device priority, to be higher than
the actual device weight coefficient set to the other actual device
10 type, so that the actual device of a particular actual device type
has a higher chance of being available.
[0088]
Next, in S602, the device priority determination unit 204 reads the
linking information of the target actual device from the secondary
15 storage device 105.
[0089]
Next, in S603, the device priority determination unit 204 sets as
the target virtual device, the virtual device linked with the target
actual device, and calculates the increased amount of the virtual
20 device priority of the target virtual device due to the coupling
of the target actual device. Here, the device priority
determination unit 204 calculates the virtual device priority of
the target virtual device by using the actual device priority of
the target actual device stored in the secondary storage device 105.
25 The virtual device priority is, for example, the sum of values
obtained by multiplying the actual device priorities of all the
PHT120036
32
actual devices linked to the target virtual device by the virtual
device weight coefficient of the target virtual device. The virtual
device weight coefficient is, for example, a weight coefficient set
in advance for each customer facility type. Thus, the increased
amount is, for example, a value obtained by multiplying 5 ying the actual
device priority of the added actual device by the weight coefficient
of the virtual device. The user of the customer demand management
apparatus 100 can set the virtual device weight coefficient, set
to the customer facility type, requested to have a high virtual
10 device priority, to be higher than the virtual device weight
coefficient set to the other customer facility type, so that the
other customer facility of a particular customer facility type has
a higher chance of being operable.
[0090]
15 Next, in S604, the device priority determination unit 204 adds the
increased amount to the virtual device priority in the device
priority information in the secondary storage device 105 to rewrite
the virtual device priority in the secondary storage device 105 by
the calculation result.
20 [0091]
Next, in S605, the device priority determination unit 204 determines
whether the processing in S600 is performed on all the actual
devices.
[0092]
25 When the result in S605 is No, the device priority determination
unit 204 moves the processing to S602.
PHT120036
33
[0093]
When the result in S605 is Yes, the device priority determination
unit 204 terminates the flow.
[0094]
When the result in S600 is Yes, that is, when the target actual 5 device
is determined to have failed, the device priority determination unit
204 moves the processing to S606.
[0095]
Next, in S606, the device priority determination unit 204 calculates
10 the actual device priority of the target actual device based on the
device usage amount information of the target actual device, and
rewrites the actual device priority in the secondary storage device
105 by the calculation result. The actual device priority of the
target actual device herein is 0 for example, because generally,
15 it is considered that supplying power to the failed actual device
is pointless.
[0096]
Next, in S607, the device priority determination unit 204 reads the
linking information of the target actual device from the secondary
20 storage device 105.
[0097]
Next, in S608, the device priority determination unit 204 sets as
the target virtual device, the virtual device linked to the target
actual device, and calculates the decreased amount of the virtual
25 device priority of the target virtual device due to the separation
of the target actual device. The decreased amount is, for example,
PHT120036
34
a value obtained by multiplying the actual device priority of the
failed target actual device by the weight coefficient of the target
virtual device.
[0098]
Next, in S609, the device priority determination unit 204 5 subtracts
the decreased amount from the virtual device priority in the device
priority information in the secondary storage device 105, to update
the virtual device priority in the secondary storage device 105,
and then moves the processing to S605 described above.
10 [0099]
The flow of the device priority determination processing is as
described above.
[0100]
Fig. 12 shows the device priority information in Embodiment 1. The
15 device priority information includes an entry of each device. The
entry of a certain entry includes the ID of the device, the name
of the device, the device type of the device, an actual device weight
coefficient CA set to the actual device type of the device, a virtual
device weight coefficient CB set to the customer facility type of
20 the device, and the device priority of the device. The device
priority is an actual device priority or a virtual device priority.
The actual device priority is obtained by CA × (normalized device
operation time). It is assumed in this example that the normalized
device operation time of the motorcar MC is 1.60, the normalized
25 device operation time of the oil stove ST is 0.33, and the actual
device weight coefficient CA for the motorcar MC, the oil stove ST,
PHT120036
35
and the refrigerator RF is 10. Thus, the actual device priority
of the motorcar MC is 16 and the actual device priority of the oil
stove ST is 3.3.
[0101]
The virtual device priority is obtained by the sum of (CB × 5 actual
device priority of the actual device linked to the virtual device).
It is assumed in this example that the gas station GS is linked with
the motorcar MC and the oil stove ST, and the virtual device weight
coefficient CB set to the gas station is 5. Here, the virtual device
10 priority of the gas station GS is CA × (the actual device priority
of the motorcar MC) + CB × (the actual device priority of the oil
stove ST) = 5 × 16 + 5 × 3.3 = 96.5.
[0102]
The processing performed by the community demand management
15 apparatus 110 is described below.
[0103]
The community demand management apparatus 110 registers the
customer facility 130 in the community, determines the priority of
the customer facility 130, detects the tight power supply in the
20 community, requests power saving/power cutting to the customer
facility 130, and performs the other like processing.
[0104]
The customer registration unit 210 registers the customer facility
130 in the community. Here, when a new customer demand management
25 apparatus 100 is coupled to the community demand management
apparatus 110 through the communication network 120, the customer
PHT120036
36
registration unit 210 registers the customer facility information
indicating the customer demand management apparatus 100 in the
secondary storage device 115. Here, the customer registration unit
210 recognizes the name of the coupled customer demand management
apparatus 100 or the customer name, which is the identifier. 5 . For
example, the manager of the community demand management apparatus
110 may input the name through the input/output unit 113, or the
customer demand management apparatus 100 or the customer
registration unit 210 may include in advance the data base for
10 determining the customer name, and the customer name may be
determined based on the database.
[0105]
The customer priority determination unit 211 performs customer
priority determination processing in which the customer priority
15 as the priority of a customer is determined. Here, the customer
priority determination unit 211 acquires the virtual device
priority information of the customer demand management apparatus
100 through the communication network 120 to determine the customer
priority as the priority of the customer, and updates the customer
20 priority information in the secondary storage device 115. The
customer priority information includes customer priorities of a
plurality of customers. Here, the customer priority determination
unit 211 may transmit the virtual device priority request to the
customer demand management apparatus 100. Here, the communication
25 unit 102 of the customer demand management apparatus 100 transmits
the virtual device priority to the community demand management
PHT120036
37
apparatus 110 in response to the virtual device priority request,
and the communication unit 112 of the community demand management
apparatus 110 receives the virtual device priority.
[0106]
The customer priority determination processing is described 5 escribed below
in detail.
[0107]
Fig. 13 shows the customer priority determination processing. The
customer priority determination processing is periodically
10 performed in a cycle of once an hour for example, to update the
customer priority information.
[0108]
In S700, the customer priority determination unit 211 receives the
virtual device priorities from the customer demand management
15 apparatuses 100 of all the customer facilities 130 managed by the
community demand management apparatus 110. Here, the customer
demand management apparatus 100 may transmit the entire device
information or transmit only the entry of the virtual device in the
device information. The device information may be divided into the
20 information on the actual device and the information on the virtual
device.
[0109]
Next, in S710, the customer priority determination unit 211 selects
as the target customer facility, one unselected customer facility
25 130 from all the customer facilities 130.
[0110]
PHT120036
38
Next, in S711, the customer priority determination unit 211
determines the customer priority of the target customer facility
based on the acquired virtual device priority. Here, the customer
priority determination unit 211 sets, as the customer priority of
the 5 target customer facility, the sum of values obtained by
multiplying a plurality of virtual device priorities corresponding
to the target customer facility by the customer facility weight
coefficient, for example. The customer facility weight
coefficient is a weight coefficient set in advance to each customer
10 facility type. The manager of the community demand management
apparatus 110 can set the customer facility weight coefficient, set
to the customer facility type, desired to have a high customer
priority, to be higher than the customer facility weight coefficient
set to the other customer facility type, so that the customer
15 facility 130 of a particular customer facility type has a higher
chance of being operable. With the method for calculating the
customer priority, the virtual device priorities collected from a
plurality of customer facilities 130 are reflected in the customer
priority of the corresponding customer facility 130. The method
20 for calculating the customer priority is not limited to that in this
embodiment.
[0111]
Next, in S712, the customer priority determination unit 211 stores
the calculation result of the customer priority in the secondary
25 storage device 115.
[0112]
PHT120036
39
Next, in S713, the customer priority determination unit 211
determines whether the processing in S710 is performed on all the
customer facilities 130.
[0113]
When the result in S713 is No, the customer priority 5 determination
unit 211 moves the processing to S710.
[0114]
When the result in S713 is Yes, the customer priority determination
unit 211 terminates the flow.
10 [0115]
The flow of the customer priority determination processing is as
described above.
[0116]
Fig. 14 shows the customer priority information in Embodiment 1.
15 The customer priority information includes an entry of each customer
facility 130 in the community. The entry of a certain customer
facility 130 includes the ID of the customer facility 130, the name
of the customer facility 130, a customer facility weight coefficient
CC of the customer facility 130, and the customer priority of the
20 customer facility 130. The name of a customer facility 130 may
indicate the name of the customer corresponding to the customer
facility 130. For example, when the customer facility type is a
general home, since the general home is less likely to be registered
as the virtual device by the other customer facility, the customer
25 priority is lower than the other customer facility 130 or is 0.
[0117]
PHT120036
40
When the power demand is likely to exceed the power supply in the
community, the tight power supply detection unit 212 detects such
a situation. The tight power supply detection unit 212 receives
power supply information and power demand information of each
customer facility 130 in the community from the 5 customer demand
management apparatus 100 through the communication network 120.
The power detection unit 212 receives power supply information and
power demand information of an entity outside the community such
as a power company. Next, the tight power supply detection unit
10 212 adds the sum of the power demand amounts of the customer
facilities 130 in the community to the power demand amount to the
entity outside the community to calculate a total power demand
amount. The tight power supply detection unit 212 adds the sum of
the power supply amounts of the customer facilities 130 in the
15 community to the power supply amount to the entity outside the
community to calculate a total power supply amount. Next, the tight
power supply detection unit 212 determines that the power in the
community is tight, when the value obtained by subtracting the total
power demand amount from the total power request amount falls below
20 a predetermined value.
[0118]
When the tight power supply in the community is detected, the
prioritized request unit 213 selects the customer, to which a power
consumption reduction request is issued with a high priority, and
25 transmits the power consumption reduction request to the selected
customer. The power consumption reduction request is a power saving
PHT120036
41
request or a power cutting request.
[0119]
Here, when the tight power supply detection unit 212 detects the
tight power supply, the prioritized request unit 213 acquires the
customer priority from the secondary storage 5 device 115, and
transmits the power consumption reduction request to the customer
demand management apparatus 100 of the customer facility 130
corresponding to the customer priority satisfying a customer
priority condition. For example, the prioritized request unit 213
10 transmits the power consumption reduction request to the customer
demand management apparatus 100 of the customer facility 130 having
the customer priority equal to or smaller than a priority threshold
set in advance. The prioritized request unit 213 may calculate the
power consumption reduction amount required for avoiding the tight
15 power supply based on the total power request amount and the total
power demand amount, and may select the customer facilities 130,
to which the power consumption reduction request is transmitted,
in the ascending order of the customer priority until the power
consumption reduction amount is achieved. With this method for
20 transmitting the power consumption reduction request, the power
consumption reduction request can be transmitted to the customer
facility 130 having a lower customer priority than the other
customer facilities 130, with higher priority. The method for
transmitting the power consumption reduction request is not limited
25 to that in this embodiment.
[0120]
PHT120036
42
For example, when the customer demand management apparatuses 100
of many customer facilities 130 in the facility register the gas
station GS as the virtual device, in the case where motorcars and
gas stoves linked to the gas station GS are in the community or in
the like cases, the customer priority of the gas station GS is 5 high,
and thus the power supply to the gas station GS is likely to be
maintained even when the power supply is tight.
[0121]
The own customer device may be linked to the other customer facility
10 that supplies a resource required for using the own customer device.
When the own customer device is a motorcar, for example, the resource
is gasoline, and the other customer facility that supplies the
resource is a gas station. When the own customer device is an oil
stove, for example, the resource is a lamp oil, and the other customer
15 facility that supplies the resource is a gas station. When the own
customer device is a refrigerator, for example, the resource is food,
and the other customer facility that supplies the resource is a
supermarket.
[0122]
20 When the customer device 106 includes an off-grid power source, the
customer demand management apparatus 100 that has received the power
consumption reduction request may reduce the power consumption of
the customer facility 130 by using the off-grid power source.
[0123]
25 In conventional techniques, how frequently the other customer
facility is used by the customer is difficult to measure. On the
PHT120036
43
other hand, in this embodiment, the customer priority of a customer
facility 130 is determined based on a value representing the usage
rate of the customer device 106 in the other customer facility 130
associated with the customer facility 130. The actual device
priority of the customer device 106 is associated with 5 h the customer
priority of the other customer facility in the community. For
example, when the gas station stops functioning, gasoline-powered
vehicles cannot get gasoline supply, and thus stop functioning.
Thus, it can be regarded that the actual device priority of the
10 gasoline-powered vehicle is associated with the customer priority
of the gas station. This is because the gas station as the other
customer facility is indirectly used by the customer through the
gasoline-powered vehicle as the own customer device.
[0124]
15 In this embodiment, the virtual device priorities of a plurality
of customer facilities 130 in a community are acquired and summed.
Thus, the priority of each customer facility 130 in the community
can be determined in accordance with the lifestyles of many
customers. Thus, when the peak shift of the power demand is
20 performed for example, power cutting of a customer facility 130 used
by many customers can be prevented in accordance with the situation,
and thus the influence on the daily life of the customer in the
community can be reduced as much as possible. The customer demand
management apparatus 100 needs not to calculate the virtual device
25 priority for the customer facilities 130 other than the customer
facility 130 highly associated with the customer demand management
PHT120036
44
apparatus 100. Thus, the calculation load on the customer demand
management apparatus 100 can be reduced. The facility associated
with the device used on ordinary basis by the customer can have a
higher priority, so that the facility used by many customers can
be prevented from stopping due to power suppression. In other 5 words,
the facility to which the power supply is maintained can be
determined under the consensus of the customers in the community.
Specifically, the power supply to the other customer facility that
is associated with the own customer device and has a larger usage
10 amount is more likely to be maintained.
[Embodiment 2]
[0125]
In this embodiment, a case where the customer facility 130 in the
power demand and supply adjustment system of Embodiment 1 is a
15 factory or a related facility thereof.
[0126]
The power demand and supply adjustment system of this embodiment
has a configuration that is similar to the configuration of the power
supply-demand adjustment system of Embodiment 1. In this
20 embodiment, the customer facility 130 is a factory or a related
facility thereof, and thus the customer demand management apparatus
100 is FEMS (Factory Energy Management System). The customer demand
management apparatus 100 and the customer devices 106 are disposed
in the customer facility 130. The customer facility 130 in this
25 embodiment is for example, a factory, a logistics center, an oil
factory, a filter plant, a port, a train station, and the like. The
PHT120036
45
customer device 106 is for example, a motorcar, a food processing
device, a cooler, a generator, or the like.
[0127]
In this embodiment, the operations of the customer demand management
apparatus 100 and the community demand management apparatus 110 5 are
similar to the counterparts in Embodiment 1, but the device type,
the customer facility type, and the like are different from
Embodiment 1.
[0128]
10 Fig. 15 shows actual device information in Embodiment 2. The device
registration unit 201 generates the actual device information
through S300 that is similar to that in Embodiment 1. In the actual
device information in this embodiment, the actual device is motorcar
MC, food FA processing device PA, generator GN, cooler CL, and the
15 like. The actual device types of the actual devices are
respectively motorcar, food FA processing device, generator, cooler,
and the like.
[0129]
Fig. 16 shows the link request in Embodiment 2. The device
20 registration unit 201 receives the link request from the community
demand management apparatus 110 through S301 that is similar to that
in Embodiment 1. The link request is received from the logistics
center LC as the other customer facility. According to the link
request, the logistics center LC is requesting to be linked with
25 the food FA processing device, a food FB processing device, a food
FC processing device, and the like as the actual device types
PHT120036
46
associated with the logistics center LC.
[0130]
Fig. 17 shows device information in Embodiment 2. The device
registration unit 201 generates the device information through S301
that is similar to that in Embodiment 1. The device 5 information
is generated by adding virtual device information to the actual
device information. In the virtual device information, the
logistics center LC as the other customer facility is set as the
virtual device.
10 [0131]
The method of recognizing the customer demand management apparatus
100 of the other customer facility by the device registration unit
201 in S400 of the virtual device registration processing may be
different from that in Embodiment 1. As a method for recognizing
15 the other customer facility, that is, the other factory, for example,
when a contract on energy supply is signed with the other factory,
the device registration unit 201 may recognize the customer demand
management apparatus 100 of the factory.
[0132]
20 Fig. 18 shows linking information in Embodiment 2. The device
linking unit 202 generates the linking information through S302 that
is similar to that in Embodiment 1. In the linking information,
the motorcar MC as the own customer device is linked to the oil
factory OF and the logistics center LC as the other customer
25 facilities. The food FA processing device PA as the own customer
device is linked to the logistics center LC as the other customer
PHT120036
47
facility. The generator GN as the own customer device is linked
to the oil factory OF and the port PT as the other customer facilities.
The cooler CL as the own customer device is linked to the filter
plant FP as the other customer facility.
5 [0133]
Fig. 19 shows device usage amount information in Embodiment 2. The
device usage amount monitor unit 203 generates the device usage
amount information through S303 that is similar to that in
Embodiment 1. As in Embodiment 1, the device usage amount
10 information includes the normalized device operation time of each
actual device.
[0134]
Fig. 20 shows device priority information in Embodiment 2. The
device priority determination unit 204 generates the device
15 priority information through S304 that is similar to that in
Embodiment 1. According to the device priority information, CA is
10 and CB is 5. The actual device priority of the motorcar MC is
CA × (the normalized device operation time of the motorcar MC) =
10 × 1.60 = 16. The actual device priority of the food FA processing
20 device PA is CA × (the normalized device operation time of the food
FA processing device PA) = 10 × 0.33 = 3.3. The logistics center
LC is linked with the motorcar MC and the food FA processing device
PA, and thus the virtual device priority of the logistics center
LC is CB × (the actual device priority of the motorcar MC) + CB ×
25 (the actual device priority of the food FA processing device PA)
= 5 × 16 + 5 × 3.3 = 96.5.
PHT120036
48
[0135]
The community demand management apparatus 110 registers the
customer facility 130 in the community, determines the customer
priority, detects the tight power supply in the community, and
requests power saving/power cutting to the customer facility 5 130
in a manner that is similar to that in Embodiment 1.
[0136]
Fig. 21 shows customer priority information in Embodiment 2. The
customer priority determination unit 211 of the community demand
10 management apparatus 110 generates the customer priority
information through the customer priority determination processing
that is similar to that in Embodiment 1. The customer priority
information includes a customer priority of each customer facility
130.
15 [0137]
With this embodiment, the factory and the related facility of
thereof can be managed. Thus, based on the usage amount of the
device in the factory, the priority of the other factory and the
related facility can be determined.
20 [0138]
Other modifications are described below.
[0139]
A road management system as an application example of the facility
management method and the facility management system of the present
25 invention is described hereinbelow.
[0140]
PHT120036
49
The management system has a configuration that is similar to the
configuration of the power supply-demand adjustment system of
Embodiment 1. The community demand management apparatus 110 in this
embodiment manages a plurality of roads. The customer facility 130
is the road, and the customer device 106 is the device such as 5 a
motorcar and a motorcycle that uses the road. Thus, the customer
priority is the priority of the road.
[0141]
Based on the usage amount of the device and the association between
10 the device and the road, the customer demand management apparatus
100 registers the road as the virtual device, and calculates the
virtual device priority thereof. When some roads need to be blocked
during tight power supplies, disasters, and the like, the community
demand management apparatus 110 acquires the virtual device
15 priorities from all the customer demand management apparatuses 100,
and calculates the priority of the roads based on the virtual device
priorities. Next, the community demand management apparatus 110
selects the roads to be blocked based on the priorities of the roads.
Thus, the road with a higher priority has a higher chance of being
20 available.
[0142]
A railroad management system as an application example of the
facility management method and the facility management system of
the present invention is described hereinbelow.
25 [0143]
The railroad management system has a configuration that is similar
PHT120036
50
to the configuration of the power supply-demand adjustment system
of Embodiment 1. The community demand management apparatus 110 in
this embodiment manages a plurality of train lines. The customer
facility 130 is the train line, and the customer device 106 is the
device such as a train and a train station that uses the train line5 .
Thus, the customer priority is the priority of the train line.
[0144]
Based on the usage amount of the device and the association between
the device and the train line, the customer demand management
10 apparatus 100 registers the train line as the virtual device, and
calculates the virtual device priority thereof. When some train
lines need to be stopped during tight power supplies, disasters,
and the like, the community demand management apparatus 110 acquires
the virtual device priorities from all the customer demand
15 management apparatuses 100, and calculates the priorities of the
train lines based on the virtual device priorities. Next, the
community demand management apparatus 110 selects the train line
to be stopped based on the priories of the train lines. Thus, the
train line with a higher priority has a higher chance of being
20 available.
[0145]
According to the embodiments described above, based on the usage
amount of the device in the own facility of the user, a usage level
indicating a usage of the other facility associated with the device
25 in the own facility is calculated. Thus, a dependence level of each
user to other facilities can be indicated. A facility, of which
PHT120036
51
an operation is to be limited, is selected from a plurality of
facilities, based on the usage levels of the plurality of facilities.
Thus, a facility important to each user can have a higher chance
of being operable.
5 [0146]
The actual device priority of a certain actual device may be
described as an influence level indicating a level of influence of
the actual device on the virtual device priority of the other
customer facility. The virtual device priority of a certain virtual
10 device may be described as a usage level indicating how frequently
the host customer facility that has registered the virtual device
uses the virtual device, the level of dependence to the virtual
device in the host customer facility that has registered the virtual
device, or the like. The customer priority of a certain customer
15 facility 130 may be expressed as an importance level indicating how
much the customer facility 130 in the community need to be operated.
[0147]
The technique indicated by the embodiments describe above can be
described as follows.
20 (Description 1)
A facility management method including:
storing, in each of a plurality of facilities, a usage amount of
a device in the own facility;
specifying, in each of the plurality of facilities, another facility
25 associated with the device in the own facility;
calculating a usage level indicating a usage of the other facility
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based on the usage amount; and
selecting a facility, of which an operation is to be limited, from
the plurality of facilities, based on the usage levels of the
plurality of facilities.
5 [0148]
The technique indicated by the embodiments describe above can be
described as follows.
(Expression 2)
A facility management apparatus including:
10 a storage unit that stores a usage amount of a device in an own
facility;
a specification unit that specifies another facility associated
with the device in the own facility;
a calculation unit that calculates a usage level indicating a usage
15 of the other facility, based on the usage amount; and
a transmission unit that transmits the usage level to a facility
group management apparatus that selects a facility, of which an
operation is to be limited, from a plurality of facilities based
on the usage level.
20 [0149]
The technique described in the embodiments described above can be
described as follows.
(Description 3)
A facility group management apparatus including:
25 a reception unit that receives, when a facility management apparatus
in each of a plurality of facilities calculates, based on a usage
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amount of a device in the own facility, a usage level indicating
a usage of another facility associated with the device and transmits
the usage level, the usage levels from the plurality of facilities;
and
a selection unit that selects a facility, of which an operation 5 is
to be limited, from the plurality of facilities based on the received
usage levels.
[0150]
In the descriptions, the facility corresponds to the customer
10 facility 130 for example. The own facility corresponds to the own
customer facility for example. The device in the own facility
corresponds to the own customer device for example. The other
facility corresponds to the other customer facility for example.
Limiting the operation of the facility corresponds to limiting the
15 power consumption of the customer facility 130, transmitting the
power consumption reduction request to the customer facility 130,
blocking the road, stopping the train line, and the like, for
example.
[0151]
20 The facility management apparatus corresponds to the customer
demand management apparatus 100 for example. The facility group
management apparatus corresponds to the community demand management
apparatus 110 for example. The association information
corresponds to the linking information for example. The request
25 corresponds to the link request. The device type information
corresponds to the actual device type for example. The standard
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usage amount corresponds to the average device operation time for
example. The normalized usage amount corresponds to the normalized
device operation time for example. The device coefficient
corresponds to the actual device weight coefficient for example.
5 The facility coefficient corresponds to the customer facility
weight coefficient for example.
[0152]
The storage unit corresponds to the device usage amount monitor unit
203 for example. The specification unit corresponds to the device
10 linking unit 202 for example. The calculation unit corresponds to
the device priority determination unit 204 for example. The
transmission unit corresponds to the communication unit 102 for
example. The reception unit corresponds to the communication unit
112 for example. The selection unit corresponds to the customer
15 priority determination unit 211 and the prioritized request unit
213 for example.
[Reference Signs List]
[0153]
100 Customer demand management apparatus
20 101 CPU (Central Processing Unit)
102 Communication unit
103 Input/output unit
104 Primary storage device
105 Secondary storage device
25 106 Customer device
110 Community demand management apparatus
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111 CPU
112 Communication unit
113 Input/output unit
114 Primary storage device
115 Secondary 5 storage device
120 Communication network
130 Customer facility
201 Device registration unit
202 Device linking unit
10 203 Device usage amount monitor unit
204 Device priority determination unit
205 Other customer device linking request unit
206 Device failure detection unit
210 Customer registration unit
15 211 Customer priority determination unit
212 Tight power supply detection unit
213 Prioritized request unit
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WE CLAIM:
[Claim 1]
A facility management method comprising:
storing, in each of a plurality of facilities, a usage amount of
a device in the 5 own facility;
specifying, in each of the plurality of facilities, another facility
associated with the device in the own facility;
calculating a usage level indicating a usage of the other facility
based on the usage amount; and
10 selecting a facility, of which an operation is to be limited, from
the plurality of facilities, based on the usage levels of the
plurality of facilities.
[Claim 2]
The facility management method according to claim 1, wherein a
15 facility, of which power consumption is to be limited, is selected
from the plurality of facilities, based on the usage levels of the
plurality of facilities.
[Claim 3]
The facility management method according to claim 2, wherein
20 the plurality of facilities respectively include a plurality of
facility management apparatuses,
the plurality of facility management apparatuses each store the
usage amount of the device in the own facility,
the plurality of facility management apparatuses each store
25 association information indicating association between the device
in the own facility and the other facility,
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the plurality of facility management apparatuses each calculate the
usage level of the other facility, based on the usage amount of the
device in the own facility and the association information,
a facility group management apparatus that manages the plurality
of facilities receives the usage levels 5 from the plurality of
facility management apparatuses, and
the facility group management apparatus selects a facility, to which
a power consumption reduction request is sent, from the plurality
of facilities, based on the received usage levels.
10 [Claim 4]
The facility management method according to claim 3, wherein each
of the plurality of facility management apparatuses generates, when
a request for associating the device in the own facility with the
other facility is received from the other facility, the association
15 information based on the request.
[Claim 5]
The facility management method according to claim 3, wherein
the plurality of facility management apparatuses each store device
type information indicating a type of the device in the own facility,
20 the request indicates the type of a device associated with the other
facility, and
when the request is received, the plurality of facility management
apparatuses each generate the association information based on a
comparison between the type indicated by the device type information
25 and the type indicated by the request.
[Claim 6]
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The facility management method according to claim 5, wherein the
plurality of facility management apparatuses each generate the
association information when the request is received and the type
indicated by the device type information matches the type indicated
5 by the request.
[Claim 7]
The facility management method according to claim 3, wherein the
plurality of facility management apparatuses each store type
information indicating a type of the device in the own facility,
10 and calculate an influence level indicating an influence of the
device in the own facility on the usage level of the other facility
based on the type information and the usage amount of the device
in the own facility, and
the plurality of facility management apparatuses each calculate the
15 usage level of the other facility based on the influence level of
the device in the own facility and the association information.
[Claim 8]
The facility management method according to claim 7, wherein the
plurality of facility management apparatuses each store a standard
20 usage amount as a standard of the usage amount for the type of the
device in the own facility, calculate a normalized usage amount by
normalizing the usage amount of the device in the own facility by
the standard usage amount, and calculate the influence level of the
device in the own facility based on the normalized usage amount of
25 the device in the own facility.
[Claim 9]
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The facility management method according to claim 7, wherein the
plurality of facility management apparatuses each store a device
coefficient as a weight coefficient set in advance for each type
of the device, and
the plurality of facility management apparatuses each multiply 5 the
normalized usage amount of the device in the own facility by the
device coefficient to obtain the influence level of the device in
the own facility.
[Claim 10]
10 The facility management method according to claim 7, wherein the
plurality of facility management apparatuses each set the influence
level of the device in the own facility to 0, upon detecting that
the device in the own facility has failed.
[Claim 11]
15 The facility management method according to claim 3, wherein the
facility group management apparatus sets each of the plurality of
facilities as a target facility, selects the usage level of the
target facility from the received usage levels, and calculates an
importance level of the target facility in the plurality of
20 facilities based on the selected usage level, and
the facility group management apparatus selects a facility, to which
the power consumption reduction request is transmitted, from the
plurality of facilities, based on the importance levels of the
plurality of facilities.
25 [Claim 12]
The facility management method according to claim 11, wherein the
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facility group management apparatus stores a facility coefficient
as a weight coefficient set in advance for each type of the facility,
and
the facility group management apparatus multiplies the selected
usage amount by the facility coefficient corresponding to 5 o the target
facility to obtain the importance level of the target facility.
[Claim 13]
A facility management system comprising:
a plurality of facility management apparatuses respectively
10 disposed in a plurality of facilities; and
a facility group management apparatus that manages the plurality
of facilities, wherein
the plurality of facility management apparatuses each store a usage
amount of a device in an own facility, specify another facility
15 associated with the device in the own facility, and calculate a usage
level indicating a usage of the other facility based on the usage
amount, and
the facility group management apparatus receives the usage levels
from the plurality of facility management apparatuses, and selects
20 a facility, of which an operation is to be limited, from the plurality
of facilities, based on the usage levels of the plurality of
facilities.
[Claim 14]
The facility management system according to claim 13, wherein a
25 facility, of which power consumption is to be limited, is selected
from the plurality of facilities, based on the usage levels of the
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plurality of facilities.
[Claim 15]
The facility management system according to claim 14, wherein the
facility group management apparatus selects a facility, to which
a power consumption reduction request is transmitted, from 5 the
plurality of facilities, based on the received usage levels.