KR101671031B1 - A network system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a network system.
A network system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a utility network including an energy generating unit; A home network including an energy consuming unit for consuming energy generated in the energy generating unit; An energy measuring unit provided in the utility network or the home network and recognizing additional information other than energy information or energy information; An energy management unit provided in the utility network or the home network and managing the energy information or the additional information with respect to the energy consuming unit; A display device detachably coupled to the energy consuming unit; And a plurality of sensors for recognizing whether or not the display device is attached to or detached from the energy consuming part.

Description

A network system

The present invention relates to a network system.

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 capable of effectively managing an energy source and reducing electricity bill and / or energy consumption.

A network system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a utility network including an energy generating unit; A home network including an energy consuming unit for consuming energy generated in the energy generating unit; An energy measuring unit provided in the utility network or the home network and recognizing additional information other than energy information or energy information; An energy management unit provided in the utility network or the home network and managing the energy information or the additional information with respect to the energy consuming unit; A display device detachably coupled to the energy consuming unit; And a plurality of sensors for recognizing whether or not the display device is attached to or detached from the energy consuming part.

In addition, the network system according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a utility network including an energy generation unit; A household network including a washing machine or a dryer for consuming energy generated in the energy generating unit; An energy management unit provided in the utility network or the home network and managing the energy information or the additional information with respect to the washing machine or the dryer; A display device detachably coupled to the washer or dryer; And a plurality of vibration sensors for recognizing whether or not the display device is detached from the washing machine or the dryer.

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

In addition, it is possible to drive and control the electric appliances in the home using the energy information transmitted from the supplier, and it is possible to reduce the energy usage fee or power consumption.

1 is a schematic diagram of 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 the network system of the present invention.
4 (a) is a graph showing TOU (Time of use) information and CPP (critical peak pattern) information, and FIG. 4 (b) is a graph showing RTP real time pattern) information.
5 is a block diagram schematically showing a first embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.
6 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a second embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.
7 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a third embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.
8 is a schematic diagram of a home network according to the present invention.
9 is a view showing a combination of an energy consuming part and a display device according to the present invention.
10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an energy consumption unit and a display device according to the present invention.
11 is a flow chart showing an embodiment of a control method for determining whether or not the display device according to the present invention can be used.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of a control method for determining availability of the display device according to the present invention.
13 is a block diagram showing a configuration capable of wireless charging of a display device according to the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an energy consumption unit and a display device according to the present invention.
15 is a flowchart of a control method for determining whether or not a display device is mounted during operation of the energy consuming part according to the present invention.
16 is a flowchart of a control method for determining whether or not the additional function is activated according to availability of the display device according to the present invention.
17 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a secondary display unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
18 is a flowchart showing a control method for the auxiliary display unit according to whether or not the display apparatus according to the present invention is usable.
FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a secondary display unit according to another embodiment 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 a household appliance, the microcomputer, the heater, the display, and the motor constituting the household appliance may be detailed components.

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 may be an article or a material to be used or processed in the operation of the energy consuming unit 26, for example. 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 consuming unit 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 is 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.

In another aspect, the information includes internal information such as information relating to each component (operation or status information (failure) of each component, energy usage information of the energy consumption unit, consumer habits information using the energy consumption unit, etc.) (Energy-related information, environmental information, program update information, and time information), which are 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, if the specific component recognizes an on-peak (for example, a recognition time point), the output can be maintained if the condition is operable. At this time, the operable condition means that the information value of the driving is below a certain standard. The information value of the driving may be information on an electric charge, an amount of power consumption, or an operation time. 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 of recognizing the on-peak, 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 in the case of a washing machine or a washing machine, by driving the heater ahead of the scheduled operation time of the heater. This is to operate in off-peak in advance to be operated at an on-peak to be reached in the future, thereby reducing electric charges.

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 according to an instruction issued from the energy management unit.

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 arriving at 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 judged 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 operation time of the heater in the case of the washing machine or the 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 embodiment 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 acting 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 embodiment of a 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 embodiment of a 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 schematic diagram of a home network according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, the home network 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an energy measuring unit 25 for measuring in real time power and / or electricity rates supplied from the utility network 10 to homes, For example, a smart meter, the energy measurement unit 25, and an energy management unit 24 connected to and controlling the operation of the electric product.

On the other hand, the electricity rate of each household can be charged by the hourly rate, and the electricity rate per hour becomes high in the time interval in which the electric power consumption is rapidly increased, and the electricity rate per hour becomes low when the electric power consumption is relatively low .

The energy management unit 24 controls the energy consumption unit 26 such as the refrigerator 81, the washing machine 82, the air conditioner 83, the dryer 84, or the cooking appliance 85, And can be used for bi-directional communication.

Communication in the home can be done through wired such as Zigbee, wifi, or a power line communication (PLC, Power line communication), and one household appliance can be connected to communicate with other household appliances.

FIG. 9 is a view showing a combination of an energy consuming unit and a display device according to the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an energy consuming unit and a display device according to the present invention.

Referring to Figs. 9 and 10, the energy consuming unit 26 according to the present invention includes the first electric product 100 or the second electric product 300. Fig. For example, the first electrical product 100 may be a washing machine, and the second electrical product 300 may be a dryer.

The first electric product 100 or the second electric product 300 may be provided with additional information such as an operating state of the electric product or other information other than the operation state of the first electric product 100 or the second electric product 300 The display device 200 is detachably mounted.

In detail, the display device 200 may be the energy management unit 24, the energy measurement unit 25 or the central management unit 27, or may be a separate control unit. The display device 200 may control the operation of the energy consuming part 24 or display the operating state based on information (energy information or additional information) transmitted from the network system.

The first and second seating parts 110 and 310 are formed on the first and second electrical products 100 and 300, respectively. The first and second seating portions 110 and 310 may be recessed inward from the outer surfaces of the first and second electrical products 100 and 300.

The display device 200 may be selectively mounted on the first electrical product 100 or the second electrical product 300.

When the display device 200 is coupled to the first electrical product 100, the display device 200 can communicate with the first electrical product 100. On the other hand, when the display device 200 is coupled to the second electrical product 300, the display device 200 can communicate with the second electrical product 300.

The display device 200 may receive and display status information of the first electrical product 100 or the second electrical product 300.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the electrical product and the display device will be described. The first electrical product 100 and the second electrical product 300 are similar to each other with reference to the first electrical product 100 and the second electrical product 300 includes the first electrical product 100 ).

The first electrical product 100 includes a first communication unit 130 capable of communicating with the display device 200, a first terminal unit 140 connectable for charging the display device 200, The first control unit 120 is included.

The display device 200 includes a second communication unit 230 capable of communicating with the first communication unit 130, a display unit 250 displaying status information of the first electric product 100, An input unit 210 to which a predetermined command can be inputted for the operation of the controller 200, and a second controller 220 for controlling the configuration.

The second communication unit 230 can receive status information of the first electrical product 100 through the communication with the first communication unit 130. The received status information and the like can be displayed on the display unit 250, Lt; / RTI >

The display device 200 further includes a second terminal unit 240 which can be coupled to the first terminal unit 140 and a charging unit 270 that can be charged using the power transmitted through the second terminal unit 240 .

The first communication unit 130 and the second communication unit 230 may be wirelessly communicated. As described above, the wireless communication method may include zigbee, wi-fi, bluetooth or code division multiple access (CDMA), global system for mobile communications (GSM), or radio frequency (RF)

Therefore, even if the display device 200 is separated from the first electrical product 100, the first communication unit 130 and the second communication unit 230 can communicate with each other, It is possible.

However, the intensity of the communication signal transmitted between the first communication unit 130 and the second communication unit 230 is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. Therefore, when the distance between the display device 200 and the first electrical product 100 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, communication may not be performed smoothly.

Other embodiments are suggested.

When the display device 200 is capable of communicating with both the first electrical product 100 or the second electrical product 300, the display device 200 can communicate with the electrical appliance having a higher signal strength.

As described above, since the signal intensity is inversely proportional to the distance, the display device 200 can communicate with the electric appliance with a shorter distance.

For example, when the display device 200 is positioned closer to the second electrical product than the first electrical product 100, the second communication unit 230 communicates with the communication unit of the second electrical product, Thereby displaying the operating state of the second electrical product 300. [

11 is a flow chart showing an embodiment of a control method for determining whether or not the display device according to the present invention can be used.

The display device 200 according to the present invention can be used under certain conditions. That is, the display device 200 can be used when it can communicate with the first electrical product 100 and can transmit and receive information through the communication signal.

In other words, the display device 200 can be said to be in a usable state when the signal strength is secured to such a degree that information can be included in the communication signal.

On the other hand, if the display device 200 is in a state in which communication with the first electrical product 100 is impossible, or communication is possible but the signal strength is weak and information can not be included in the communication signal, .

Referring to FIG. 11, the first communication unit 130 of the first electrical product 100 according to the present invention transmits a predetermined signal to the second communication unit 230 of the display device 200. At this time, the first electrical product 100 may be in the ON state or in the OFF state.

The display device 200 may display that the first electrical product 100 is in an OFF state while the first electrical product 100 is turned off, The power of the product 100 can be turned ON.

Although it is shown that the first communication unit 130 transmits a signal to the second communication unit 230 in the figure, it is needless to say that the second communication unit 230 can transmit a signal to the first communication unit 130.

Hereinafter, the first communication unit 130 first transmits a signal to the second communication unit 230, but the second communication unit 230 may transmit the signal first (S11).

The second communication unit 230 may receive a signal from the first communication unit 130 and may retransmit the signal to the first communication unit 130. [ At this time, it is determined whether the first communication unit 130 has received the response signal from the second communication unit 230 or not.

When the second communication unit 230 fails to receive a signal from the first communication unit 130 from the beginning or when the first communication unit 130 fails to receive the response signal of the second communication unit 230, The first communication unit 130 can recognize that the signal reception is impossible (S12).

When a signal is received from the second communication unit 230, the first communication unit 130 detects the signal strength received from the second communication unit 230 (S13 and S14).

If the signal strength received from the second communication unit 230 is equal to or greater than the preset value, the display device 200 can be determined to be usable. Here, the set value may be set in advance as a signal strength value enabling information transmission / reception by communication (S15, S16).

If it is determined in step S15 that the signal strength received from the second communication unit 230 is less than the set value, it is determined that the display device 200 is unusable.

At this time, the distance between the first communication unit 130 and the second communication unit 230 can be determined according to the ratio of the signal transmitted from the first communication unit 130 to the received signal strength. Of course, as the distance between the first communication unit 130 and the second communication unit 230 increases, the signal strength received from the second communication unit 230 will be weak (S17).

When the distance between the first communication unit 130 and the second communication unit 230 is determined, the first communication unit 130 transmits the signal strength of the second communication unit 230 to the second communication unit 230, It is possible to retransmit the communication signal having the strength corresponding to the second communication unit 230 to the second communication unit 230. [

Thereafter, if the signal received from the second communication unit 230 is recognized to be equal to or greater than the set value, the display device 200 can be recognized as usable.

Although not shown in the drawing, if it is recognized that the signal received from the second communication unit 230 is still below the set value, steps S17 and S18 may be repeated.

On the other hand, if the signal is not received from the second communication unit 230 in step S13, the first communication unit 130 may increase the signal strength and retransmit the signal to the second communication unit 230. [ Until a signal is received from the second communication unit 230, steps S12 and subsequent steps may be performed again (S19).

If it is determined that the display device 200 is usable, the user can check the status information of the first electric product 100 through the display device 200, Lt; / RTI >

On the other hand, if it is determined that the display device 200 is unusable, information indicating that the display device 200 is unavailable can be displayed on the display device 200.

As described above, the distance between the display device 200 and the first electrical product 100 can be determined through the signal strength of the communication between the first communication unit 130 and the second communication unit 230, It is possible to determine whether or not the display device 200 can be used by adjusting the signal strength.

As a result, even if the display device 200 is separated from the first electrical product 100, it is possible to check the status information of the first electrical product 100 and to control the first electrical product 100 do.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of a control method for determining availability of the display device according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12, the first communication unit 130 according to the present invention can transmit a signal to the second communication unit 230 at a minimum strength. Regarding the signal strength, the "minimum intensity" may be defined as the signal strength of the state in which the display device 200 is mounted on the first electrical product 100 (S21).

Then, it is determined whether or not the received signal from the second communication unit 230 is received (S22). It is determined whether the signal strength received from the second communication unit 230 is equal to or greater than a set value. If it is recognized that the received signal strength is equal to or greater than the set value, the display device 200 may be determined to be in a usable state (S23, S24).

On the other hand, when the received signal strength is recognized as being lower than the set value (here, "the intensity lower than the set value" includes the case where the signal strength is 0, i.e., the signal is not received) The second communication unit 130 may increase the signal strength and retransmit the signal to the second communication unit 230. [ Then, the process after step S22 may be performed (S25).

In this way, it is possible to judge whether or not the display device 200 can be used while gradually increasing the signal from the minimum signal strength.

Hereinafter, a further embodiment relating to a display device or an electrical product will be described. However, differences from the previous embodiments will be mainly described, and the same portions will be described with reference to the previous embodiments.

13 is a block diagram showing a configuration capable of wireless charging of a display device according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 13, the first electrical product 100 according to the present invention includes a primary coil 180 provided for charging the display device 200. The display device 200 includes a secondary coil 280 that works with the primary coil 180.

The primary coil 180 and the secondary coil 280 are located close to each other in a state where the display device 200 is mounted on the first seating part 110. [

When a magnetic force line is increased or decreased according to a change in the current flowing through the primary coil 180, a current is induced in the secondary coil 280. The charging unit 270 of the display device 200 can be charged by the current induced in the secondary coil 280.

As such, the display device 200 is advantageously capable of being inductively charged from the first electrical product 100 in a state of being mounted on the first electrical product 100.

Other embodiments are suggested.

A separate charging bar for charging the display device 200 may be provided in place of the first and second terminal portions or the first and second coils described in the previous embodiments.

When the display device 200 is discharged, the display device 200 may be mounted on the charging stand and charged. The charging method in the charging stand may include an induction charging method using the first and second terminal portions or the first and second coils as described above.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an energy consumption unit and a display device according to the present invention.

14, the first electrical product 100 according to the present invention includes a first communication unit 130 for communicating with the display device 200, And a first controller 120 for controlling these components.

The display device 200 includes a second communication unit 230 capable of communicating with the first communication unit 130 and a second sensor 260 sensing a value comparable to the value sensed by the first sensor 160. [ And a second control unit 220 for controlling these configurations.

It is possible to determine whether the display device 200 is detached or not by comparing the sensed values of the first sensor 160 and the second sensor 260. That is, whether or not the display device 200 is separated from the first electrical product 100 can be recognized.

The first sensor 160 and the second sensor 260 may be the same type of sensor. In this case, the values sensed by the first sensor 160 and the second sensor 260 may exhibit the same property values, so that the sensed values of the respective sensors can be easily compared.

For example, the first electrical product 100 may be a washing machine or a dryer as an energy consuming part, and the first sensor 160 and the second sensor 260 may be a "vibration sensor ".

During the operation of the washing machine, a predetermined vibration may occur due to the rotation of the drum which receives the laundry amount. In order to detect or control such vibration, the washing machine may be provided with a vibration sensor. The vibration sensor may correspond to the first sensor 160.

Meanwhile, when the display device 200 is mounted on the washing machine or within a predetermined distance from the washing machine, the display device 200 may be vibrated by the vibration of the washing machine. The second sensor 260 may detect vibration or vibration of the washing machine.

The first control unit 120 may obtain predetermined vibration value information sensed by the first sensor 160 during operation of the washing machine. The second controller 220 can acquire predetermined vibration value information sensed by the second sensor 260 in this process.

For convenience, the vibration value detected by the first sensor 160 is referred to as a "first vibration value", and the vibration value sensed by the second sensor 260 is referred to as a "second vibration value".

The second vibration value may be transmitted to the first communication unit 130 through the second communication unit 230. [ The first controller 120 may compare the first vibration value and the second vibration value.

The second control unit 220 may transmit the first vibration value to the second communication unit 230 through the first communication unit 130. In this case, Can be compared.

Of course, when the display device 200 is separated from the first electrical product 100 and located at a remote location, the vibration value may not be sensed from the second sensor 260.

However, when the display device 200 is placed at a position on the first electric product 100, even if the display device 200 is not mounted on the first seating part 110, A predetermined vibration value may be sensed.

The difference between the first vibration value and the second vibration value may be smallest in a state where the display device 200 is mounted on the first seating part 110. [ If the display device 200 is detached and mounted on the washing machine during operation of the washing machine, the difference between the first vibration value and the second vibration value may decrease.

If the first vibration value and the second vibration value are equal to or similar to each other, the display device 200 may be recognized as being installed in the washing machine. The difference value of the first and second vibration values for recognizing that the display device 200 is mounted on the washing machine can be set in advance.

That is, if it is recognized that the difference between the first vibration value and the second vibration value is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value, it can be determined that the display device 200 is installed in the washing machine.

Other embodiments are suggested.

The first sensor 160 and the second sensor 260 may be a "temperature sensor ". The first electrical product 100 may be a washing machine, a dryer, a refrigerator, a cooking device, or a water purifier.

In detail, the first sensor 160 may be a temperature sensor that senses a temperature value to perform a specific function of the first electrical product 100. The second sensor 260 may be disposed within a predetermined distance from the first sensor 160.

That is, the display device 200 may be disposed at a location that is susceptible to the sensed temperature environment of the first electrical product 100.

When the difference between the value sensed by the first sensor 160 and the sensed value sensed by the second sensor 260 decreases or the difference decreases to a certain reference value or less (if the same or similar) The device 200 may be determined to be mounted on the first electrical product 100. [

Other embodiments are suggested.

In the above-described embodiment, the first sensor 160 is defined as a sensor provided for performing a specific function of the electrical product.

However, the first sensor 160 may be provided as a separate sensor for determining whether the display device 200 is detached or not. That is, the first electric appliance 100 may include an intrinsic sensor for driving the electric appliance and the first sensor 160.

15 is a flowchart of a control method for determining whether or not a display device is mounted during operation of the energy consuming part according to the present invention.

A control method of determining whether the display device 200 is detached or not using the first sensor 160 and the second sensor 260 will be described.

The power supply of the first electrical product 100 according to the present invention is turned on and driven according to a specific method (course) (S31).

During operation of the first electrical product 100, predetermined physical properties are sensed by the first sensor 160 and the second sensor 260. As described above, the property value may be a vibration value or a temperature value (S32).

Communication is established between the first electrical product 100 and the display device 200 and the detection results of the first sensor 160 and the second sensor 260 are compared at step S33.

If the difference between the value of the first sensor 160 and the value of the second sensor 260 is less than a preset reference value, the display device 200 may be determined to be coupled (S36). On the other hand, when the difference between the first sensor 160 value and the second sensor 260 value exceeds a predetermined reference value, the display device 200 determines that the first electric appliance 100 is separated from the first electric appliance 100 (S37).

If it is determined that the display device 200 is mounted on the first electrical product 100, it can be recognized that the user is located near the first electrical product 100. In this case, the first electrical product 100 can be controlled so that less vibration or noise is generated.

For example, when the first electric product 100 is a washing machine or a dryer, the number of revolutions of the drum in which the quantity of the laundry is accommodated can be reduced. If the first electric product 100 is a refrigerator, .

On the other hand, if it is determined that the display device 200 is detached from the first electric product 100, the user can recognize that the first electric product 100 is located at a distance from the first electric product 100. In this case, the first electrical product 100 can be controlled so as to enhance its inherent performance.

For example, it is possible to improve the washing or drying performance of the washing machine or the dryer or to improve the cooling performance of the refrigerator.

When the display device 200 is removed from the first electrical product 100, the auxiliary display unit provided in the first electrical product 100 may be operated, or a locking function may be provided to prevent children from operating the electronic product. May be performed.

As described above, depending on whether the display device 200 is attached or detached, the control method of the electrical product can be changed, and convenience for the user can be increased.

16 is a flowchart of a control method for determining whether or not the additional function is activated according to availability of the display device according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 16, a control method for selectively activating an additional function of the electronic product according to the availability of the display device will be described. The availability of the display device 200 may be determined by recognizing the distance between the display device 200 and the first electrical product 100.

The determination of the distance may be performed by attaching / detaching the display device 200 or determining the strength of a communication signal performed between the display device 200 and the first electrical product 100.

In detail, whether the display device 200 is detached or not can be determined by the method described in the previous embodiment. When the display device 200 is mounted on the first electrical product 100, the display device 200 can be determined to be in a usable state (S41).

On the other hand, if it is determined that the display device 200 is disconnected, the availability of the display device 200 is determined.

The availability of the display device 200 can be determined by recognizing the communication signal strength or the separation distance between the display device 200 and the first electrical product 100 as described above.

That is, when a sufficient communication signal is transmitted between the display device 200 and the first electrical product 100, it can be determined that the display device 200 can be used. On the other hand, if the strength of the communication signal is weak, it can be judged that the use of the display device 200 is impossible. (S43).

If it is determined that the display device 200 can be used, the additional function of the first electrical product 100 may be deactivated. That is, the additional function may not be performed (S44, S45).

On the other hand, if it is determined that the use of the display device 200 is impossible, the additional function of the first electrical product 100 can be activated. That is, the additional function may be performed.

Said additional function may include a safe mode or an energy saving mode.

The safe mode includes a child lock.

If the display device 200 is unavailable, it can be determined that the user is out of the range capable of easily controlling the operation of the first electric product 100. Accordingly, a lock mode is performed for safe use of the electric appliance.

The lock mode is for preventing children from tampering with the appliance, and it is possible to prevent the appliance from being powered on or off, or from opening the appliance door.

The energy saving mode includes a power saving mode or a standby power mode.

If the display device 200 can not be used, a mode for minimizing power consumed by the first electrical product 100 may be performed.

For example, it is possible to leave the power source of the communication device (modem) required for communication in the network system and turn off the power. It is also possible to turn off the power while maintaining only the memory function for storing the status information of the electrical product.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a secondary display unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a control method for a secondary display unit according to whether the display apparatus according to the present invention is usable or not.

17 and 18, a first electrical product 100 according to the present invention includes a first seating part 110 on which a display device 200 is mounted. In addition, the first seating unit 110 is provided with the auxiliary display unit 400.

The auxiliary display unit 400 may include an input unit (not shown) for inputting an operation command of the first electrical product 100.

In a state where the display device 200 is mounted on the first seating part 110, the auxiliary display part 400 is hidden. When the display device 200 is separated from the first seating part 110, the auxiliary display part 400 may be exposed to the outside.

A method of controlling the secondary display according to availability of the display device 200 will be described with reference to FIG.

It is determined whether or not the display device 200 is detached by the plurality of sensors provided in the first electrical product 100 and the display device 200 (S51).

If the display device 200 is recognized as being mounted on the first electrical product 100, it is determined that the display device 200 is in a usable state.

On the other hand, if it is recognized that the display device 200 is disconnected, it is determined whether or not the display device 200 is usable according to the strength of a communication signal transmitted between the first electrical product 100 and the display device 200 (S52, S53).

If the intensity of the communication signal is equal to or greater than a preset reference value and the display device 200 is recognized as being usable, the auxiliary display unit 400 may be turned off or additional information may be displayed.

In detail, when the display device 200 is usable and it is determined that the first electrical product 100 is within the controllable range of the user, the auxiliary display unit 400 can be turned off.

Alternatively, the auxiliary display unit 400 may display additional information other than the status information of the first electrical product 100, for example, energy information or additional information (environmental information, program update information, time information , Consumer habit information, etc.) may be displayed (S54, S55).

On the other hand, when the display device 200 can not be used, the auxiliary display 400 may be turned on. The user can confirm the operation state of the first electric product 100 by using the auxiliary display unit 400 or perform the operation of the first electric product 100 (S56).

With the above-described configuration, there is an effect that the convenience of the user can be increased.

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a secondary display unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

19, the first electrical product 110 according to the present invention includes a first seating part 110 on which the display device 200 is mounted and a second seating part 110 separately provided from the first seating part 110 The auxiliary display unit 500 is included.

The auxiliary display unit 500 is provided outside the first seating unit 110. The operation state of the auxiliary display unit 500 can be checked regardless of whether the display device 200 is mounted or not.

In a state where the display device 200 is mounted on the first seating part 110, the auxiliary display part 500 may be turned off or display the additional information.

On the other hand, in a state where the display device 200 is separated from the first seating part 110, the auxiliary display part 500 is turned on to display the operating state of the first electric appliance 100 have.

In this case, there is an advantage that the power consumption can be reduced or the user's convenience can be increased.

10: utility network 20: home network
30: Component 40: Information
100: first electric appliance 200: display device
300: Second electrical product 400: Secondary display unit

Claims (20)

An energy consuming section, which is supplied from a utility network including an energy generating section, consumes energy and senses a first sensor value;
A display device detachably coupled to the energy consuming part and including a second sensor for sensing a second sensor value; And
And a control unit for recognizing whether or not the display device is attached to or detached from the energy consuming unit based on the first sensor value and the second sensor value,
Wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are any one of a vibration sensor and a temperature sensor,
Wherein,
When the difference between the first sensor value and the second sensor value is less than a reference value as a result of comparing the first sensor value and the second sensor value, it is determined that the display device is mounted on the energy consuming unit,
Wherein the display device determines that the display device is separated from the energy consuming part if the difference between the first sensor value and the second sensor value is equal to or greater than a reference value. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the energy consuming portion includes a washing machine or a dryer. 16. The method of claim 15,
Wherein the first sensor comprises:
During the operation of the washing machine or the dryer, the vibration of the drum, the washing machine body or the dryer body,
Wherein the second sensor comprises:
And detects vibration of the display device during operation of the washing machine or the dryer. delete delete delete delete

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