JP7628043B2 - Notification system for home power control systems - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a notification system for a home power control system, and more specifically to a system that notifies video equipment within the home power control system of operating information for the home power control system.

2. Description of the Related Art A home power control system is known in which a storage battery is charged with power generated using natural energy, such as a solar power generation device, and with power supplied from a power grid.
There are a number of operating modes depending on how the charging and discharging of the storage battery is controlled, and these operating modes are usually switched according to the user's settings and the natural environment.
These operating modes are classified into, for example, normal operating modes called economical mode and clean mode, and a charging mode to prepare for power outages. There are four operating modes, including an independent operating mode that discharges the storage battery to supply power to indoor power devices in the event of a power outage.
The names of each mode vary slightly depending on the operator.

Regarding the operation modes of a home power control system, the following techniques are known.
When a predetermined warning or the like is issued during normal control, weather information response control is performed to increase the amount of electricity stored in the power storage device. That is, a switch is made from a normal operation mode to a charging mode. Then, the possibility that a sufficient amount of electricity is stored in the power storage device is increased in the event of a power outage. Also, when weather information response control is being performed and weather information indicating that the weather information has been released is received from the outside, the weather information response control (charging mode) is terminated and the operation mode is switched to the normal operation mode.

However, if the control device is unable to obtain weather information from the server due to a communication problem or the like, the control device will continue weather information response control even if the warning or the like has been resolved without being able to obtain the information. Therefore, if the control device is unable to obtain weather information from the server for a predefined period of time after starting weather information response control based on weather information from the server, it will end the weather information response control and switch to normal operation mode. (See, for example, Patent Document 1.)

The following are also known:
In the normal operation mode, during the period when the power storage device is controlled to supply (discharge) power to the electrical appliances, if a predefined type of weather information is obtained from the server, the control device switches to the charging mode. That is, charging is started so that the storage battery is fully charged, and when it is fully charged, the control device controls to maintain that state. If a power outage occurs during the weather information response control, discharging is started (independent operation mode). When the weather information is released, the control device ends the weather information response control and switches to the normal operation mode. That is, the control device switches to the control of supplying (discharging) power to the electrical appliances.
In order to realize the charge/discharge control of the storage battery according to the weather information, it is desirable for the control device to obtain weather information from the server at short time intervals, but doing so increases the amount of communication. Therefore, a level is set in advance according to the type of weather information, and the communication interval is controlled so that the next weather information is obtained from the server at a timing according to the level of the obtained weather information (for example, see Patent Document 2).

JP 2016-220334 A JP 2016-220335 A

As described above, the storage battery is normally controlled to charge and discharge according to the normal operation mode set by the user, but when a weather warning or lightning warning is issued, the mode is switched from the normal mode to the charging mode. Also, during a power outage, the mode is switched to an independent operation mode, and power is supplied to the entire house by discharging the storage battery. Since these switches are made automatically, it is difficult for the user to notice that the operation mode of the storage battery has been switched. However, when these switches are made, it is desirable to reduce power consumption. Therefore, it is desirable to inform the user of the home power control system of the situation and encourage them to take measures to save power.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides a system for notifying a user of switching of an operation mode of a home power control system in a manner that makes it easy for the user to recognize.

This invention provides a notification system for operation information of a home power control system that includes a storage battery and electrical equipment such as video equipment and is connected to a power grid, the home power control system including an operation mode control unit that switches operation modes including charge/discharge control of the storage battery, and a home power management unit that provides information that triggers the switching of the operation mode to the operation mode control unit and acquires operation information of the home power control system including the switched operation mode, the video equipment receiving operation information of the home power control system from the home power management unit via a network and displaying the received operation information on a screen.

In the notification system according to the present invention, the video device receives operation information of the home power control system from the home power management unit via the network and displays the received operation information on the screen, so that the user can be notified that the home power control system has switched to an operation mode that is easy to recognize. For example, if a power outage occurs while the video device is watching a broadcast program and the video device switches to independent operation mode, the video device continues to operate with power supplied from the storage battery, so the screen does not go blank due to the power outage, making it difficult for the user to notice the power outage. According to this invention, the switch to independent operation mode is displayed on the screen of the video device, making it easier for the user to notice the occurrence of a power outage and encouraging the user to take measures to save energy.

1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a house power control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an economy mode, which is one of the normal operation modes in this embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a clean mode, which is one of the normal operation modes in this embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen on which operation information of the home power control system is displayed on a mobile communication terminal in this embodiment. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a notification screen related to the issuance of a weather warning being displayed on the mobile communication terminal shown in FIG. 4 . 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which a notification of a lightning warning and a notification related to a device error are displayed on the mobile communication terminal shown in FIG. 4 . FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which a pop-up notification related to the issuance of a weather warning is displayed on the screen of a video device in this embodiment. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a notification screen displayed when [Notification] is operated in accordance with the pop-up notification shown in FIG. 7; 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a details screen that is displayed when a notification icon on the notification screen shown in FIG. 8 is selected; FIG. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which a pop-up notification regarding lifting of a weather warning is displayed on the screen of a video device in this embodiment. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a notification screen that is displayed when [Notification] is operated in accordance with the pop-up notification shown in FIG. 10; 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a details screen that is displayed when a notification icon on the notification screen shown in FIG. 11 is selected. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which a pop-up notification relating to switching to an independent operation mode is displayed on the screen of a video device in this embodiment. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a notification screen displayed when [Notification] is operated in accordance with the pop-up notification shown in FIG. 13; 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a details screen that is displayed when a notification icon on the notification screen shown in FIG. 14 is selected. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which a pop-up notification related to the issuance of a lightning warning is displayed on the screen of a video device in this embodiment. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a notification screen displayed when [Notification] is operated in accordance with the pop-up notification shown in FIG. 16; 18 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a details screen that is displayed when a notification icon on the notification screen shown in FIG. 17 is selected. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which a pop-up notification relating to lifting a lightning warning is displayed on the screen of a video device in this embodiment. FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a notification screen displayed when [Notification] is operated in accordance with the pop-up notification shown in FIG. 19; 21 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a details screen that is displayed when a notification icon on the notification screen shown in FIG. 20 is selected. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which a pop-up notification relating to a device error is displayed on the screen of a video device in this embodiment. FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a notification screen displayed when [Notification] is operated in accordance with the pop-up notification shown in FIG. 22; 24 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a details screen that is displayed when a notification icon on the notification screen shown in FIG. 23 is selected.

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description is illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.
(Embodiment 1)
<Example of a home power control system configuration>
First, the configuration of a house power system according to this embodiment will be described as an example of a house power control system according to the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a home power control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which a home power control system 10 is installed in a detached house, the installation location of the home power control system is not limited thereto. For example, the home power control system may be installed in any building in which people are present, such as an apartment building, a store, a factory, or a warehouse. FIG. 1 also shows a power grid 21, a Home Energy Management System (HEMS), and a server 25, in addition to the home power control system 10. In FIG. 1, the HEMS is composed of an outdoor HEMS server 22 that communicates with an indoor HEMS controller 17 via a network, and the HEMS server, together with a home control server 23 and a home vision server 24, constitutes the server 25.

The home power control system 10 is mainly composed of a solar cell module 11, a power conditioner 12, a storage battery 13, and a power monitor 16. It further includes a distribution board 14 and a smart meter 15.
The power monitor 16 functions integrally with the power conditioner 12, and communicates with a mobile communication terminal 18 indoors to present the configuration related to power generation and storage, as well as the power generation status, etc. to the user. The HEMS acquires information necessary for the operation of the house power control system 10 from the outside, and transmits information of the house power control system to the HEMS server 22.

The solar cell module 11 is a module that converts the light energy of sunlight into electrical energy.
The power conditioner 12 is a device that converts the generated power so that it can be consumed by a load. It includes a DC/DC converter 31 connected to the solar cell module 11, and a bidirectional DC/DC converter 33 connected to the storage battery 13. It also includes a bidirectional inverter 32 connected to the power grid 21 via the distribution board 14 and the power receiving point R. It converts DC power output by the solar cell module 11 and the storage battery 13 into AC power, and converts AC power from the power grid 21 into DC power to charge the storage battery.

The storage battery 13 is a power storage device that stores electric energy, and stores the electric energy generated by the solar cell module 11 or the electric energy supplied from the power grid 21 .
The distribution board 14 distributes the power drawn from the power grid 21 via the smart meter 15 and the power supplied from the solar cell module 11 and the storage battery 13 to indoor electrical equipment 19 .
The smart meter 15 is a digital integrating watt-hour meter that measures the amount of electricity used by a user (contractor) and transmits the amount of electricity used to a power generation company or a grid operator.

The power monitor 16 acquires power information related to power generation by the home power control system 10, and controls the operation of the power conditioner 12 in accordance with the power information.
For example, information indicating whether commercial power is being purchased, information indicating the power generated by the solar cell module 11, and information indicating the charging or discharging power of the storage battery 13, etc. may be included.
The presence or absence of commercial power purchase and the amount of purchased power can be identified from the output value of a sensor connected to the power line connecting the smart meter 15 and the power grid 21. In addition, information indicating the power generated by the solar cell module 11 and the charging/discharging power of the storage battery 13 can be obtained via the power conditioner 12.
Furthermore, since the storage battery 13 is connected to the power conditioner 12 , the power monitor 16 can control switching between charging and discharging the storage battery 13 via the power conditioner 12 .

In this embodiment, the power monitor 16 corresponds to an operation mode control unit, and in terms of hardware configuration, is mainly composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit) and memory. The CPU or MPU (hereinafter collectively referred to as the CPU) executes a processing program stored in the memory to realize functions related to charge and discharge control. In addition, it includes communication circuits for communicating with the power conditioner 12, the HEMS controller 17, the mobile communication terminal 18, etc.

The server 25 acquires weather information via the Internet from a server that provides weather information. The power monitor 16 receives the weather information acquired by the server 25. The weather information is, for example, disaster prevention weather information released by the Japan Meteorological Agency, and types such as special warnings, warnings, and advisories are set for each category such as lightning strikes, heavy rain, and strong winds. However, since it is difficult to predict lightning strikes with a high degree of accuracy, special warnings and warnings are not provided, and only advisories are provided. The weather information is updated from time to time. The server 25 accesses the server that provides the weather information sequentially to acquire updated weather information, and the power monitor 16 accesses the server 25 at intervals of, for example, about 15 minutes to acquire weather information.

The power monitor 16 determines a target holding time for how long from the current time the home power control system 10 continues to supply power to the load when a special warning, warning, or advisory is issued. Even if a power outage occurs in the power grid 21, the operation mode is switched so that power can be continued to be supplied to the load from the energy stored in the storage battery 13 for at least the determined holding time, and the necessary power is stored in the storage battery 13.
On the other hand, if the weather conditions are calm and no special warnings, alerts, or advisories have been issued, the power monitor 16 prioritizes power saving, determining that the probability of a power outage caused by the weather conditions is low, and controls the supply of power stored in the storage battery 13 to the load.

The period during which the storage battery 13 can supply power to the load depends on the magnitude of the load during that period. Therefore, the power monitor 16 derives, based on the history, the amount of power that should be stored in the storage battery 13 from the present time until the elapse of the minimum retention time in response to the issuance of a special warning, a warning, a caution, or the like.
The power monitor 16 may also transmit power information of the home power control system 10 to an information management server (not shown) of the grid power operator, and obtain the above-mentioned information required for operation from the information management server.

The house power control system 10 is connected to loads that consume power, such as air conditioners (such as so-called air conditioners and air purifiers), cooking appliances, and video equipment 19V, as electrical appliances 19. These appliances may be connected to an indoor network (local network) (not shown in FIG. 1). In this case, the HEMS controller 17 can display the operating status of each electrical appliance on the mobile communication terminal 18 via the indoor local area network, and the mobile communication terminal 18 can receive user instructions related to the operation control of each electrical appliance. In addition, a data transmitter that transmits the detected value of the power or current supplied to each electrical appliance, or sensing information such as room temperature, may be connected. In this case, the HEMS controller 17 can display the power consumption of the indoor electrical appliances on the mobile communication terminal 18.

In this embodiment, the mobile communication terminal 18 has a communication function and an information output function. The user of the home power control system 10 can use the mobile communication terminal 18 to check the power generation status of the home power control system 10 and the remaining capacity of the storage battery, and to set the minimum retention time when a weather warning or the like is issued.
More specifically, the mobile communication terminal 18 is preferably a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or the like. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be a stationary terminal device such as a personal computer. The mobile communication terminal 18 communicates with the power monitor 16 and the HEMS controller 17 via a local area network. The mobile communication terminal 18 also communicates with the server 25 via the Internet. In the case of a mobile communication terminal, it is assumed that communication is performed wirelessly, but in the case of a stationary terminal device, wired communication may be used.

In FIG. 1, the server 25 is made up of a HEMS server 22, a home control server 23, and a home vision server 24. However, this configuration is merely an example, and some or all of these may be integrated, or may be further subdivided. Server 25 is a general term for them. The HEMS server 22 communicates with the HEMS controller 17 via the Internet, and exchanges information related to electricity (power information) and information related to the operating status (operation information) with the home power control system 10. Furthermore, the HEMS server 22 communicates with a server (not shown in FIG. 1) that provides meteorological information, acquires meteorological information, and provides it to the home power control system 10.

The home control server 23 is a server that provides information on not only the HEMS but also the home power control system and indoor electrical appliances. That is, it provides a portal site related to home power control. Furthermore, it may provide users with services such as cloud storage.
The home vision server 24 is a server that distributes images over the network to the video devices 19V in the house. In addition to distributing images over the network, the home vision server 24 provides various information to the user in cooperation with an application installed in the video devices 19V. Operation information of the house power control system according to this embodiment is also one of the pieces of information that the home vision server 24 provides to the video devices.

In Fig. 1, the video device 19V is a television. However, this is merely an example, and any device that displays images on a screen, such as a projector device, may be used. The video device 19V may not have a screen itself, but may display images on a device that has a screen. The video device 19V not only displays the received broadcast on the screen, but also displays information provided by the home vision server 24 on the screen. In this embodiment, the video device 19V has a function of displaying notifications from the home vision server 24 on the screen as an application on the operating system (OS).
<Home power control system operation mode>
Next, each operation mode of the home power control system will be briefly described.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of operation in an economical mode, which is one of the normal operation modes. In FIG. 2, the horizontal axis indicates the time of a certain day, from 0:00 to 24:00. The vertical axis indicates the magnitude of power. A curve 41 shown by a solid line indicates the change in power consumed by the electrical appliances 19 of the house power control system 10. A curve 42 shown by a dashed line indicates the change in power generated by the solar cell module 11. A curve 43 shown by a dashed line indicates the power used by the house power control system 10, including the power stored in the storage battery 13, during the nighttime hours when the electricity rate of the power grid is cheaper. Each area surrounded by these three curves is shown divided into patterns according to the power supply source.
As shown in FIG. 2, the economical mode is an operating mode in which the storage battery is charged as much as possible during the nighttime hours when the unit price of grid electricity is cheaper, and the energy stored in the storage battery is discharged during other times when the unit price of grid electricity is higher.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an operation in a clean mode, which is one of the normal operation modes, and corresponds to FIG. 2. In FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the clean mode is an operation mode in which the amount of power supplied from the grid is reduced as much as possible by charging the storage battery with surplus power from photovoltaic power generation and discharging the battery while purchasing power.
Whether the home power control system 10 is operated in the economical mode or the clean mode during normal operation is determined by a user setting. The power monitor 16 receives a setting from the user via the mobile communication terminal 18 as to which operation mode the home power control system 10 is operated in during normal operation.

In addition to these normal operation modes, there is a charging mode. The charging mode is an operation mode that prioritizes charging the storage battery 13 in preparation for a power outage due to a natural disaster or the like. However, the storage battery 13 is not necessarily charged to full capacity, and may be charged until a target amount of stored power is reached that is less than full charge. The target amount of stored power is determined by the power monitor 16 based on a preset minimum retention time and the operation history of the home power control system 10. In this embodiment, the HEMS controller 17 or the HEMS server 22 stores the operation history. The power monitor 16 accepts the setting of the minimum retention time from the user via the mobile communication terminal 18.

The independent operation mode is a mode in which power is supplied from the solar cell module 11 and/or the storage battery 13 to the indoor electrical equipment 19 when power is not supplied from the power grid 21, i.e., during a power outage. When the solar cell module 11 is generating power, the generated power is given priority and supplied to the indoor electrical equipment 19. If there is surplus generated power, the storage battery 13 is charged. If there is no surplus generated power, power from the storage battery 13 is supplied to the indoor electrical equipment 19.

<Power information and operation information for home power control systems>
The power monitor 16 displays power information and operation information of the home power control system 10 on the mobile communication terminal 18 .
The mobile communication terminal 18 directly communicates with the power monitor 16 via an indoor local network, and receives power information and operation information of the home power control system 10 from the power monitor 16. Alternatively, the mobile communication terminal 18 receives the above-mentioned power information and operation information via the HEMS controller 17, the HEMS server 22, and the home control server 23.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen on which the mobile communication terminal 18 displays information related to the HEMS received from the home control server 23 in this embodiment. This is an example of a screen on which an app pre-installed in the mobile communication terminal 18 displays information received from the home control server 23. The screen on the left side shown in FIG. 4 is an example of a HEMS device list screen. A screen selection menu 46 for selecting the screen to be displayed is arranged at the bottom of the screen. Options include "Timeline," "Device List," and "Service List." When the central "Device List" is selected, the app of the mobile communication terminal 18 displays a HEMS device list screen 45 shown at the top of the screen selection menu 46. The HEMS device list screen 45 displays information related to the home power control system 10 and each electrical device 19 registered by the user in the home control server 23. In the example shown in FIG. 4, an overview of the HEMS controller 17 as a registered device and an overview of the power information provided by the HEMS controller 17 are displayed.

When the "View details" button 47 located on the screen is touched, the app on the mobile communication terminal 18 switches the screen from the HEMS device list screen 45 to a HEMS details screen 48. An example is the screen on the right side shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, the app on the mobile communication terminal 18 displays, in illustrations, on the HEMS details screen 48, the power that the home power control system 10 is receiving from the power grid 21, the power that it is receiving from the solar cell module 11, and the power that it is consuming.

5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen on which the mobile communication terminal 18 displays a notification received from the home control server 23. When "Timeline" is selected from the screen selection menu 46, the application of the mobile communication terminal 18 displays a HEMS notification screen 49 above the screen selection menu 46, as shown in FIG.
5 notifies the user that the power monitor 16 has switched the operation mode to the charging mode as a result of the issuance of a weather warning. The notification is to encourage the user to conserve energy so that the storage battery 13 is quickly charged. Information related to the switching of the operation mode is sent from the power monitor 16 to the mobile communication terminal 18 via the HEMS controller 17, the HEMS server 22, and the home control server 23.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example, different from FIG. 5, in which the portable communication terminal 18 displays a notification received from the home control server 23. In FIG.
6 notifies the user that the power monitor 16 has switched the operation mode to the charging mode as a result of the issuance of a lightning warning, and urges the user to conserve power so that the storage battery 13 can be charged quickly. The second notification notifies the user that communication with the power conditioner 12 is not possible. Since a communication failure between the power monitor 16 and the power conditioner 12 or an operational failure of the power conditioner 12 is suspected, the notification urges the user to check and take action.

The information from the HEMS shown in Figures 4 to 6 is displayed if the user launches an app on the mobile communication terminal 18, but the information is not transmitted unless the user takes such action. It is also possible for the home control server 23 to send a push-type notification to the mobile communication terminal 18. In this way, a ringtone can sound or an icon can be displayed when the mobile communication terminal 18 receives a notification, even if the user does not launch an app on the mobile communication terminal 18. However, if the mobile communication terminal 18 is not nearby, the user may not notice this. Particularly in the case of an ordinary household, it is possible that the mobile communication terminal 18 will be left unattended in a charging stand.

According to this embodiment, a notification is sent via the home vision server 24 to the video device 19V that the user is likely to spend a lot of time using indoors, in addition to the portable communication terminal 18, and the notification is displayed on the screen to provide the user with information. This reduces the possibility that the user will not notice an important notification.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, the information is sent from the power monitor 16 through the HEMS controller 17, the HEMS server 22, and the home vision server 24 to the video device 19V.

Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen on which video device 19V displays a notification received from home vision server 24. Video device 19V has a function of displaying notifications from home vision server 24 on the screen as an application on the operating system (OS). As shown in Figure 7, when the application of video device 19V receives a notification from home vision server 24, it performs a push-type notification that displays a pop-up notification 52 on part of viewing screen 51. Pop-up notification 52 is displayed in a size and manner that does not interfere with the image displayed on viewing screen 51.

The home control server 23 transmits power information and operation information of the home power control system 10 to the mobile communication terminal 18. In comparison, the number of types of notifications that the home vision server 24 causes the video device 19V to display may be reduced.
1, the HEMS server 22 provides all power information and operation information to the home control server 23, which then transmits the information to the mobile communication terminal 18. In contrast, the HEMS server 22 provides the home vision server 24 with only important information among the operation information.

When the user checks information from the home control server 23 on the mobile communication terminal 18, the user launches an application on the mobile information terminal 18. Since the user selects the information he or she needs on the application screen shown in Fig. 5 or 6, it is preferable to provide detailed information and leave the selection up to the user.
On the other hand, notifications that the home vision server 24 causes the video device 19V to display are displayed intrusively on the viewing screen regardless of the user's intention. Therefore, it is considered preferable to narrow down notifications sent to the video device 19V to those with high importance.

The notification shown in FIG. 7 notifies the user that the power monitor 16 has switched its operating mode to the charging mode as a result of the issuance of a weather warning, and corresponds to the notification shown in FIG. 5. However, in the case of pop-up notification 52, which has a limited displayable area, the video device 19V app notifies the user only that a weather warning has been issued in a pop-up, and notifies the user that more details can be displayed by operating the [Notification] button located on the remote control (not shown in FIG. 7) that operates the video device 19V.

When the user operates the remote control according to the displayed pop-up notification 52, the application responds by switching the viewing screen 51 of the video device 19V to the home screen 53. The home screen 53 has a menu icon area 54 at the left end. In the area to the right of the home menu icon area 54, category columns such as "Notice", "Favorites", and "List Title" are vertically separated and arranged. The top row is the "Notice" category, and icons of contents belonging to that category are displayed horizontally from the left end to the right in order of most recent date and time. The "Favorites" category is arranged in the row below, and the "List Title" category is arranged further below that. In each category column, thumbnails of contents belonging to that category are displayed horizontally. The user can operate the remote control (not shown) to move the cursor to a thumbnail of any of the contents and select the content. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the notification icon 55 of "Weather Information Announcement (Start Charging)" at the leftmost position in the "Notice" category is selected. When a content icon is selected and the user presses the "Enter" button on a remote control (not shown), the application of the video device 19V responds to the operation by switching the home screen 53 to a notification details screen 56 that displays details of the selected notification icon.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a notification details screen 56 for a notification related to the issuance of a weather warning. The notification details screen 56 describes a detailed explanation of the notification. That is, the explanation "Weather information has been issued. Charging of the storage battery will start in preparation for a power outage" is explained with an illustration. The content notifies that the operation mode has been switched to the charging mode. In addition, a two-dimensional code 57 is displayed below the explanation. The two-dimensional code 57 has embedded therein link information to an operation screen (not shown) for setting the power monitor 16. When the two-dimensional code is photographed with the mobile communication terminal 18, the aforementioned operation screen is displayed on the mobile communication terminal 18, and, for example, the operation mode can be manually switched (returned) from the charging mode to which the operation mode has been switched to the normal mode.
When the user presses the "Back" button on the remote control (not shown), in response to the operation, the application of the video device 19V returns the notification details screen 56 to the original home screen 53. When the user presses the "Back" button again or presses the button for the channel of the broadcast that was being viewed in Figure 7, the display returns to the viewing screen 51 shown in Figure 7.

When the issued weather warning is lifted, the power monitor 16 returns the operation mode to the normal mode, that is, the economy mode or the clean mode according to the setting. Figures 10 to 12 are explanatory diagrams showing examples of notifications displayed on the video device 19V at that time, and correspond to Figures 7 to 9 when a weather warning is issued, respectively. As shown in Figure 10, when the application of the video device 19V receives a notification of the lifting of a weather warning from the home vision server 24, it displays a pop-up notification 52 on the viewing screen 51. When the user operates the [Notification] button on the remote control, the application of the video device 19V switches the viewing screen 51 to the home screen 53 shown in Figure 11. A notification icon 55 related to the lifting of a recently received weather warning is displayed at the left end of the "Notification" column. When the user selects it and performs an operation to display details, the application of the video device 19V switches the home screen 53 to a notification details screen 56 shown in Figure 12.

Furthermore, if a power outage occurs in the power grid 21 while a weather warning is being issued or at any other time, the power monitor 16 switches the operation mode that had been in effect up until that point to the isolated operation mode.
13 to 15 are explanatory diagrams showing examples of notifications displayed on the video device 19V at that time, and correspond to FIGS. 7 to 9 when a weather warning is issued. As shown in FIG. 13, when the application of the video device 19V receives a notification of the start of independent operation from the home vision server 24, it displays a pop-up notification 52 on the viewing screen 51. When the user operates the [Notification] button on the remote control, the application of the video device 19V switches the viewing screen 51 to the home screen 53 shown in FIG. 14. A notification icon 55 related to the start of independent operation recently received is displayed at the left end of the "Notification" column. When the user selects it and performs an operation to display details, the application of the video device 19V switches the home screen 53 to a notification details screen 56 shown in FIG. 15. In the notification details screen 56 shown in FIG. 15, an explanation is given with an illustration, saying, "The battery storage system has switched to independent operation. There may be a power outage. Please check the condition of your home." Under the explanation, a two-dimensional code 57 is placed in which link information to an operation screen (not shown) for setting the power monitor 16 is embedded.

(Embodiment 2)
In this embodiment, an example of notifications accompanying the issuance and cancellation of a lightning warning will be described.
When a lightning warning is issued, the power monitor 16 switches the normal operation mode to a charging mode, charges the storage battery 13 until the stored power amount based on the minimum holding time is reached, and controls to maintain the stored power amount. When the lightning warning is lifted, the power monitor 16 returns the operation mode to the normal operation mode.
16 to 21 are explanatory diagrams showing examples of notifications displayed on the video device 19V when a lightning warning is issued and lifted, and correspond to FIGS. 7 to 12 when a weather warning is issued.
As shown in FIG. 16, when the application of the video device 19V receives a notification of a lightning warning from the home vision server 24, it displays a pop-up notification 52 on the viewing screen 51. When the user operates the [Notification] button on the remote control, the application of the video device 19V switches the viewing screen 51 to a home screen 53 shown in FIG. 17. A notification icon 55 related to the recently received lightning warning is displayed at the left end of the "Notification" column. When the user selects it and performs an operation to display details, the application of the video device 19V switches the home screen 53 to a notification details screen 56 shown in FIG. 18. The notification details screen 56 shown in FIG. 18 includes an explanation with an illustration that says, "Because a lightning warning is in effect, the remaining battery power will be maintained in preparation for a power outage. This operation will end when the lightning warning is lifted." Under the explanation, a two-dimensional code 57 is placed in which link information to an operation screen (not shown) for setting the power monitor 16 is embedded.

When the issued lightning warning is lifted, the power monitor 16 returns the operation mode to the normal mode, that is, the economical mode or the clean mode according to the setting.
As shown in Fig. 19, when the application of the video device 19V receives a notification that a weather warning has been lifted from the home vision server 24, it displays a pop-up notification 52 on the viewing screen 51. When the user operates the [Notification] button on the remote control, the application of the video device 19V switches the viewing screen 51 to a home screen 53 shown in Fig. 20. A notification icon 55 related to the recently received lifting of a weather warning is displayed at the left end of the "Notification" column. When the user selects it and performs an operation to display details, the application of the video device 19V switches the home screen 53 to a notification details screen 56 shown in Fig. 21.

(Embodiment 3)
The notification related to switching of the operation mode has been described in the first and second embodiments. In this embodiment, a notification displayed on the video device 19V when a communication failure or an operational failure occurs in the home power control system 10 will be described.
22 to 24 are explanatory diagrams showing examples of notifications displayed on the video device 19V when communication with the power conditioner 12 is interrupted in this embodiment.
As shown in Fig. 22, when the application of the video device 19V receives a notification of a device error from the home vision server 24, it displays a pop-up notification 52 on the viewing screen 51. When the user operates the [Notification] button on the remote control, the application of the video device 19V switches the viewing screen 51 to the home screen 53 shown in Fig. 23. A notification icon 55 related to the most recently received device error is displayed at the left end of the "Notification" column.

When the user selects it and performs an operation to display the details, the app of the video device 19V switches the home screen 53 to a notification details screen 56 shown in FIG. 24. The notification details screen 56 shown in FIG. 24 contains an explanation with an illustration: "Launch the HEMS app on your smartphone from the two incident codes below, press the notification mark in the bottom right of the home screen, and check the error content." Below the explanation is a two-dimensional code 58 with embedded link information to the home screen (not shown) of the app that displays information about the home power control system 10. The app is an app that displays the screens shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 on the mobile communication terminal 18.

As mentioned above,
(i) A notification system for operation information of a home power control system according to the present invention is a notification system for operation information of a home power control system which is equipped with a storage battery and electrical equipment including video equipment and is connected to a power grid, the home power control system comprising an operation mode control unit which switches operation modes including charge and discharge control of the storage battery, and a home power management unit which provides information that triggers the switching of the operation mode to the operation mode control unit and obtains operation information of the home power control system including the switched operation mode, the video equipment receiving operation information of the home power control system from the home power management unit via a network and displaying the received operation information on a screen.

In this invention, a house broadly refers to a building where people live, and includes a residence, a store, a factory, a warehouse, and other buildings.
The home power control system preferably includes a private power generation device that generates power using natural energy, such as a solar power generation device, but may be a system that does not include a private power generation device. For example, a home power control system also includes a system that has a storage battery as an emergency power source in preparation for a power outage and charges the storage battery with power from the power grid.
The operation information of the home power control system includes information related to switching of the operation mode, and may also include information related to malfunctions of devices constituting the home power control system.

The home power management unit is also called a Home Energy Management System (HEMS), and is an information system that visualizes the amount of energy used in the home and the operating status so that the user can understand and appropriately manage the power. As a specific example of the home power management unit, as described in the embodiment, there is a control device (HEMS controller) that communicates with the power conditioner to monitor and control the power usage status of a power grid, a storage battery, preferably a private power generation device such as a solar power generation device, and indoor electrical equipment. However, the home power management unit is not limited to the above.
A video device is a device that displays video on a screen. A typical example of a video device is a television. However, other examples include projectors and video playback devices. In recent years, devices that not only display broadcasts but also have the function of acquiring and playing video data stored in a storage device via a network have become widespread. Some devices are specialized in playing videos distributed via a network, while others are capable of both receiving broadcasts and receiving videos distributed over a network. All of these are included in the category of video devices.

Further, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described.
(ii) The home power management system may further include a server connected to the home power management unit via a network, the server receiving the operation information from the home power management unit and transmitting the received operation information to the video device, the video device being connected to the home power management unit via the server and displaying the operation information transmitted from the server on a screen.
The function of playing video distributed over a network is similar to the function of displaying on a screen the operation information provided via the server. In this way, it is possible to realize a function of displaying on a screen the operation information provided via the server in a configuration that is compatible with the function of playing video distributed over a network.

(iii) Further comprising a mobile communication terminal communicatively connected to the home power control system with or without going through the server and having a user interface unit, wherein the mobile communication terminal receives the operation information and provides the received operation information to the user interface unit, the user interface unit presents an operation screen related to the received operation information to a user to accept instructions from the user related to switching the operation mode, and transmits the accepted instructions to the home power control system with or without going through the server, and the video equipment may display a link for displaying the operation screen on the mobile communication terminal together with the screen displaying the operation information.
In this way, by using a link displayed in conjunction with the screen displaying the operation information, it is possible to easily display on the mobile communication terminal an operation screen that accepts instructions from the user regarding switching of operation modes.

(iv) The server may transmit to the video device an operation information item of high importance among the operation information received from the home power management unit.
For users who watch video equipment, the main object of their viewing is broadcast or network-distributed video, with the acquisition of operational information being considered incidental. In this manner, only important information can be presented, urging the user to take action.

(v) When the video device receives operation information of the home power control system from the server, it may display the received operation information on a part of the screen and accept an operation to switch to a detailed screen, and when an operation to switch to the detailed screen is accepted, it may switch to a screen that displays details related to the operation information.
In this way, the fact that the operation information has been received can be notified to the user by displaying it on a portion of the screen, and detailed information can be displayed in response to the user's operation to switch to the detailed screen.

(vi) The operation information may include information related to switching of the operation mode.

The aspects of the present invention include any combination of the above-mentioned aspects.
In addition to the above-mentioned embodiment, various modifications of the present invention are possible. These modifications should not be interpreted as not falling within the scope of the present invention. The present invention should include all modifications within the scope of the claims and the equivalent meanings.

10: Home power control system, 11: Solar cell module, 12: Power conditioner, 13: Storage battery, 14: Distribution board, 15: Smart meter, 16: Power monitor, 17: HEMS controller, 18: Mobile communication terminal, 19: Electrical equipment, 19V: Video equipment, 21: Power grid, 22: HEMS server, 23: Home control server, 24: Home vision server, 25: Server, 31: DC/DC converter, 32: Bidirectional inverter, 33: Bidirectional DC/DC converter 41, 42, 43: Curve, 45: HEMS equipment list screen, 46: Screen selection menu, 47: [View details] button, 48: HEMS details screen, 49: HEMS notification screen, 51: Viewing screen, 52: Pop-up notification, 53: Home screen, 54: Menu icon area, 55: Notification icon, 56: Notification details screen, 57, 58: Two-dimensional code

Claims (7)

A notification system for operation information of a home power control system that includes a storage battery and electrical equipment including a video device and is connected to a power grid, comprising:
The home power control system includes:
an operation mode control unit that switches an operation mode including charge/discharge control of the storage battery;
a home power management unit that provides information that triggers the switching of the operation mode to the operation mode control unit and acquires operation information of the home power control system including the switched operation mode;
The video device is a television, and the television receives operation information of the home power control system from the home power management unit via a network, and displays the received operation information on the television screen. A mobile communication terminal having a user interface unit, communicatively connected to the operation mode control unit, receiving the operation information, and presenting the received operation information to a user,
The notification system according to claim 1 , wherein the operation information is displayed on a screen of the television in addition to being presented by the mobile communication terminal . A server connected to the home power management unit via a network is further provided.
The server receives the operation information from the home power management unit and transmits the received operation information to the television ;
The notification system according to claim 1 , wherein the television is connected to the house power management unit via the server, and displays the operation information transmitted from the server on a screen of the television. A mobile communication terminal is communicatively connected to the home power control system with or without the server, and has a user interface unit.
the mobile communication terminal receives the operation information, presents an operation screen related to the received operation information to a user, receives an instruction from the user related to switching of the operation mode, and transmits the received instruction to the home power control system via or without the server;
The notification system according to claim 3 , wherein the television displays a link for causing the mobile communication terminal to display the operation screen together with the screen displaying the operation information. The notification system according to claim 3 , wherein the server transmits to the television an operation information item having a high degree of importance among the operation information received from the home power management unit. The notification system according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein, when the television receives operation information of the home power control system from the server, the television displays the received operation information in a part of the screen and accepts an operation to switch to a detailed screen, and when the operation to switch to the detailed screen is accepted, the television switches to a screen displaying details related to the operation information. The notification system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the operation information includes information related to switching of the operation mode.