JP7787657B2 - Power outage cause notification system, breaker, power outage cause notification method and program - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a power outage cause notification system, a breaker, a power outage cause notification method, and a program, and more specifically to a power outage cause notification system, a breaker, a power outage cause notification method, and a program that notify customers of information regarding the cause of a power outage.

Patent Document 1 describes a power outage information notification system that uses a server device to notify customer terminals of power outage information related to power outages that have occurred. The notified power outage information includes the duration and cause of the outage.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-336692

However, there are two types of power outages: widespread power outages caused by the power grid (hereinafter referred to as grid power outages), and in-home power outages caused by the operation of breakers in individual customer homes (hereinafter referred to as in-home power outages). The power outage cause notification system in Patent Document 1 notifies information about the cause of power outages, including in-home power outages, for grid power outages, but does not notify individual customers of information about the cause of power outages, including in-home power outages.

The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a power outage cause notification system, breaker, power outage cause notification method, and program that can easily notify individual customers of information regarding the cause of a power outage, including in-home power outages.

A power outage cause notification system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is used in conjunction with a breaker. The breaker is located in an electric circuit between a power grid and a load in a customer's home. The breaker is communicably connected to a terminal of the customer when a power outage occurs. The power outage cause notification system notifies the customer of the cause of the power outage from the breaker via the terminal. Application software is installed on the terminal. The application software notifies the customer of at least the cause of the power outage. The power outage cause notification system includes a launching unit, an acquisition unit, an output unit , a power supply unit, and a reception unit . The launching unit launches the application software on the terminal when the power outage occurs. The acquisition unit acquires power outage information when the power outage occurs. The power outage information includes at least cause information. The cause information indicates whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage. The grid power outage is a power outage caused by the power grid. The home power outage is a power outage caused by the breaker being tripped. The output unit passes the power outage information acquired by the acquisition unit to the application software launched by the launching unit. The power supply unit supplies power to at least the startup unit, the acquisition unit, and the output unit when the grid power outage occurs. The reception unit receives a connection operation for connecting the breaker to the terminal so that the breaker can communicate with the terminal in response to the connection operation.
A power outage cause notification system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is used in conjunction with a breaker. The breaker is located in an electric circuit between a power grid and a load in a customer's home. The breaker is communicatively connected to a terminal of the customer when a power outage occurs. The power outage cause notification system notifies the customer of the cause of the power outage from the breaker via the terminal. Application software is installed on the terminal. The application software notifies the customer of at least the cause of the power outage. The power outage cause notification system includes a launching unit, an acquisition unit, an output unit, and a power supply unit. The launching unit launches the application software on the terminal when the power outage occurs. The acquisition unit acquires power outage information when the power outage occurs. The power outage information includes at least cause information. The cause information indicates whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage. The grid power outage is a power outage caused by the power grid. The home power outage is a power outage caused by the breaker being tripped. The output unit passes the power outage information acquired by the acquisition unit to the application software launched by the launching unit. The power supply unit supplies power to at least the startup unit, the acquisition unit, and the output unit when the grid power outage occurs. The terminal is connected to a server so as to be able to communicate at all times. The server provides information to the customer through the application software of the terminal. The breaker is connected to the server so as to be able to communicate at all times. The server includes the startup unit, and the startup unit of the server starts the application software of the terminal in response to the connection between the breaker and the server being cut off.

A breaker according to one aspect of the present disclosure is interposed in an electric circuit between a power grid and a load in a customer's home, and is communicatively connected to a customer's terminal at least when a power outage occurs, and notifies the customer of the cause of the power outage via the terminal. Application software is installed on the terminal. The application software notifies the customer of at least the cause of the power outage. The breaker includes a startup unit, an acquisition unit, an output unit , a power supply unit, and a reception unit . The startup unit starts the application software on the terminal when the power outage occurs. The acquisition unit acquires power outage information when the power outage occurs. The power outage information includes at least cause information. The cause information indicates whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage. The grid power outage is a power outage caused by the power grid. The home power outage is a power outage caused by the breaker itself being tripped. The output unit passes the power outage information acquired by the acquisition unit to the application software started by the startup unit. The power supply unit supplies power to at least the startup unit, the acquisition unit, and the output unit when the grid power outage occurs. The receiving unit receives a connection operation for connecting the breaker to the terminal so that the breaker can communicate with the terminal in response to the connection operation.
A breaker according to one aspect of the present disclosure is interposed in an electric circuit between a power grid and a load in a customer's home, and is communicatively connected to a customer's terminal at least when a power outage occurs, and notifies the customer of the cause of the power outage via the terminal. Application software is installed on the terminal. The application software notifies the customer of at least the cause of the power outage. The breaker includes a startup unit, an acquisition unit, an output unit, and a power supply unit. The startup unit starts the application software on the terminal when the power outage occurs. The acquisition unit acquires power outage information when the power outage occurs. The power outage information includes at least cause information. The cause information indicates whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage. The grid power outage is a power outage caused by the power grid. The home power outage is a power outage caused by the breaker itself being tripped. The output unit passes the power outage information acquired by the acquisition unit to the application software started by the startup unit. The power supply unit supplies power to at least the startup unit, the acquisition unit, and the output unit when the grid power outage occurs. The terminal is connected to a server so as to be able to communicate at all times. The server provides information to the customer through the application software of the terminal. The breaker is connected to the server so as to be able to communicate at all times. The server includes the startup unit, and the startup unit of the server starts the application software of the terminal in response to the connection between the breaker and the server being cut off.

A power outage cause notification method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is executed by one or more computers of a power outage cause notification system. The power outage cause notification system is used in conjunction with a breaker. The breaker is located in an electric circuit between a power grid and a load in a customer's premises. The breaker is communicatively connected to a terminal of the customer at least when a power outage occurs. The power outage cause notification method notifies the customer of the cause of the power outage from the breaker via the terminal. Application software is installed on the terminal. The application software notifies at least the cause of the power outage. The power outage cause notification system includes a power supply unit and a reception unit. The power supply unit supplies power to at least the one or more computers when a grid power outage occurs, which is a power outage caused by the power grid. The reception unit receives a connection operation to communicatively connect the breaker to the terminal. The power outage cause notification method includes a startup step, an acquisition step, and an output step. In the startup step, the application software of the terminal is started when the power outage occurs. In the acquisition step, power outage information is acquired when the power outage occurs. The power outage information includes at least cause information. The cause information indicates whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage. The grid power outage is a power outage caused by the power grid. The home power outage is a power outage caused by the breaker being tripped. In the output step, the power outage information acquired in the acquisition step is passed to the application software started in the startup step.
A power outage cause notification method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is executed by one or more computers of a power outage cause notification system. The power outage cause notification system is used in conjunction with a breaker. The breaker is located in an electric circuit between a power grid and a load in a customer's premises. The breaker is communicatively connected to a terminal of the customer at least when a power outage occurs. The power outage cause notification method notifies the customer of the cause of the power outage from the breaker via the terminal. Application software is installed in the terminal. The application software notifies the customer of at least the cause of the power outage. The power outage cause notification system includes a power supply unit. The power supply unit supplies power to at least the one or more computers when a grid power outage occurs, which is a power outage caused by the power grid. The terminal is constantly connected to a server that provides information to the customer through the application software of the terminal so as to be able to communicate with the server. The breaker is constantly connected to the server so as to be able to communicate with the server. The power outage cause notification method includes a startup step, an acquisition step, and an output step. In the startup step, the application software of the terminal is started when the power outage occurs. In the acquisition step, power outage information is acquired when the power outage occurs. The power outage information includes at least cause information. The cause information indicates whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage. The grid power outage is a power outage caused by the power grid. The home power outage is a power outage caused by the breaker being tripped. In the output step, the power outage information acquired in the acquisition step is passed to the application software launched in the startup step. The server executes the startup step, and in the server startup step, the application software on the terminal is launched in response to the connection between the breaker and the server being disconnected.

A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing one or more computers to execute the power outage cause notification method.

The power outage cause notification system, breaker, power outage cause notification method, and program disclosed herein have the advantage of easily notifying individual customers of information regarding the cause of a power outage, including in-home power outages.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a power supply system including a power outage cause notification system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a main breaker constituting the power outage cause notification system. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the power outage cause notification system. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a power supply system including a power outage cause notification system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a server constituting the power outage cause notification system. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a main breaker that constitutes the power outage cause notification system. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the server in the above embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the main breaker. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of power outage information output by the power outage cause notification system. FIG. 10 is an external view of a distribution board including the above-mentioned main breaker.

This disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as the effects of this disclosure can be achieved.

(1) Premise Conditions First, the premise conditions common to the power outage cause notification systems according to the first and second embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10 as appropriate.

As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the power outage cause notification system 1 according to embodiments 1 and 2 of the present disclosure is used in conjunction with a breaker. The breaker is located in an electrical path between the power grid 201 and a load 202 in a customer's home.

Note that being used in conjunction with a breaker includes cases where the breaker is an element that constitutes the power outage cause notification system 1, and cases where it is an element external to the power outage cause notification system 1 (not a component of the power outage cause notification system 1). Furthermore, the breaker being an element that constitutes the power outage cause notification system 1 also includes cases where the power outage cause notification system 1 is composed of a breaker alone.

(1-1) Breaker The breaker is, for example, a main breaker 10 constituting a distribution board 100 as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 10, the distribution board 100 includes a main breaker 10, multiple branch breakers 50, and a measurement unit 15. The main breaker 10 is provided with a switch (also called a handle) 10A that opens and closes contacts (described below), and the branch breakers 50 are also provided with similar switches. The measurement unit 15 has a connection key 15A that accepts connection operations (described below). The measurement unit 15 may also have a display 15B that displays information such as measurement results.

The master breaker 10 has a detection function for detecting overcurrents, electrical leakage, and earthquakes, a cutoff function for cutting off the current in the circuit (entering a tripped state) when an overcurrent or other condition is detected, and a communication function for communicating with at least the terminal 40. The tripped state refers to a state in which the contacts between the first circuit 203a and the second circuit 203b (both described below) are open.

The main breaker 10 trips when an overcurrent or leakage current occurs in the second electrical circuit 203b, or when an earthquake occurs. When the main breaker 10 trips, the supply of power to the load 202 is stopped.

The main breaker 10 has a processor (CPU, MPU, etc.), memory (semiconductor memory, SSD, etc.), and a communication module (none of which are shown). The memory stores various data and programs, and the processor executes the programs using the various data to achieve the detection and shutdown functions. Note that, below, the processor and memory that achieve the various functions may be referred to as the "computer."

The communication module realizes the above-mentioned communication functions. Communication between the master breaker 10 and the terminal 40 is usually short-range wireless communication, and the communication module of the master breaker 10 realizes at least the short-range wireless communication function.

In embodiment 2, the communication module of the measurement unit 15 (described below) has two types of communication functions: short-range wireless communication and communication via the second network 302. The communication module of the main breaker 10 performs short-range wireless communication with the communication module of the measurement unit 15, thereby further realizing the communication function via the second network 302.

However, the communication module of the main breaker 10 may independently realize the communication function via the second network 302 without going through the communication module of the measurement unit 15. Furthermore, the communication module of the main breaker 10 may independently realize the communication function via the first network 301 (described below) without going through the communication module of the terminal 40.

The main breaker 10 may have input devices such as a touch panel or keyboard. The main breaker 10 may also have output devices such as a display or speaker.

However, the breaker may be, for example, a branch breaker 50 or a limiter (not shown) that constitutes the distribution board 100, or it may not be a component of the distribution board 100. In other words, the type of breaker is not important as long as it is interposed in the electrical circuit (first electrical circuit 203a, second electrical circuit 203b) between the power system 201 and the load 202 and cuts off the electrical circuit in response to the occurrence of an overcurrent or the like.

(1-2) Load The load 202 is a household electrical appliance that operates on power from the power grid 201. The load 202 is preferably an IoT device such as an information appliance. Such a load 202 can be connected to a second network 302 (described later) (see FIG. 4 in the second embodiment). However, the load 202 may also be an electrical appliance that does not have a function for connecting to the second network 302 (see FIG. 1 in the first embodiment).

(1-3) Electrical Path The electrical paths include a first electrical path 203a and a second electrical path 203b. The first electrical path 203a is an electrical path on the power grid 201 side (the primary side of the main breaker 10) relative to the breaker (main breaker 10). The second electrical path 203b is an electrical path on the load 202 side (the secondary side of the main breaker 10) relative to the breaker (main breaker 10).

(1-4) Terminal The customer can use the terminal (40). For example, using the terminal means viewing information displayed on a display or outputted as audio from a speaker, inputting information via an input device such as a touch panel, etc.

The terminal 40 may be, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, or a stationary terminal such as a desktop personal computer (PC). A mobile terminal is carried by the customer. A stationary terminal is installed in the customer's home.

It is preferable that the terminal 40 be capable of communicating with the server 30 (described below) (Embodiment 2). However, the terminal 40 does not have to have the ability to communicate with the server 30, and the server 30 does not have to exist (Embodiment 1).

The terminal 40 has a processor and memory (computer), a communication module, an input device such as a touch panel, and an output device such as a display.

Note that communication between the terminal 40 and the server 30 is via a first network 301 (described below). The communication module of the terminal 40 realizes communication functionality via the first network 301 in addition to the short-range wireless communication with the main breaker 10 (Embodiment 2).

The terminal 40 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, but may also be a stationary terminal such as a desktop PC. A mobile terminal is carried by the customer. A stationary terminal is installed in the customer's home.

(1-5) Server The server 30 provides services to customers via the terminal 40. The services include notifying customers of power outage information regarding a power outage in the power grid 201. The services are provided through application software (service app) installed on the terminal 40.

However, the server 30 is not an essential element for implementing the power outage cause notification system 1 of the present disclosure (Embodiment 1).

(1-6) Network The server 30 is communicably connected to the terminal 40 via a first network 301. The first network 301 is, for example, a wide area network such as the Internet or a communication line network.

On the other hand, the network to which the load 202 is connected is the second network 302. The second network is, for example, a PLC (Power Line Communications) network that communicates via electrical lines within the home. The second network 302 is communicatively connected to the first network 301 via a gateway (GW) 303 (embodiment 2).

In more detail, in embodiment 2, the communication protocol of the first network (Internet) to which the server 30 is connected is different from the communication protocol of the second network (PLC network) to which the main breaker 10 is connected, so a gateway (GW) 303 that converts between the two protocols is interposed between the first network and the second network.

In addition to this protocol conversion, GW303 may also perform processing related to various IoT devices connected to the second network 302. Examples of related processing include collecting device information about various IoT devices and providing the information to server 30.

However, the second network 302 and GW 303 are not essential elements for implementing the power outage cause notification system 1 of the present disclosure (embodiment 1).

(2) Characteristics The following describes characteristics common to the first and second embodiments, as well as characteristics unique to each of the first and second embodiments.

(2-1) Breaker The breaker (master breaker 10) is connected to the customer terminal 40 so as to be able to communicate with it in the event of a power outage.

The connection between the main breaker 10 and the terminal 40 is a timely connection in embodiment 1 and a constant connection in embodiment 2. Also, in embodiment 1, "timely" refers to when a connection operation is accepted.

That is, in embodiment 1, the breaker (main breaker 10) is connected to the terminal 40 in response to a connection operation performed by a customer, for example, when a power outage occurs. After the breaker (main breaker 10) and terminal 40 are connected in response to the connection operation, the power outage cause notification system 1 notifies the customer of the cause of the power outage from the breaker (main breaker 10) via the terminal 40.

In embodiment 2, the connection between the breaker (main breaker 10) and the terminal 40 is a permanent connection.

Note that a constant connection in embodiments 1 and 2 refers to a continuous connection. A continuous connection means, for example, that the connection continues uninterrupted for a certain period of time or longer, but may also be temporarily interrupted for a period shorter than a predetermined threshold. A constant connection also includes, for example, a periodic connection at a cycle shorter than a predetermined threshold, or an irregular connection at time intervals that do not exceed a predetermined threshold.

In addition, in embodiments 1 and 2, "constant communication possible" (described below) means that the devices are constantly connected and continuously capable of communication.

(2-2) Terminal Application software 201 is installed on the terminal 40. The application software 201 (hereinafter, app 401) realizes a notification function that notifies at least the cause of the power outage via the computer, communication module, input device, and output device of the terminal 40. Note that being installed means that the app 401 is stored in the memory of the terminal 40 in an activatable state.

In embodiment 1, app 401 is a notification app dedicated to notifying users of the cause of a power outage. In embodiment 2, app 401 is a service app that provides services to customers, to which a power outage cause notification function has been added.

The app 401 also notifies you of the corrective action to take depending on the cause of the power outage.

(2-3) Power Outage Cause Notification System The power outage cause notification system 1 includes a startup unit 121, an acquisition unit 122, and an output unit 13.

The startup unit 121 starts the app 401 on the terminal 40 when a power outage occurs.

In embodiment 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the main breaker 10 includes a startup unit 121, which starts the app 401 on the terminal 40.

In embodiment 2, as shown in FIG. 4, the server 30 includes a launch unit 121, which launches the app 401 on the terminal 40.

The acquisition unit 122 acquires power outage information when a power outage occurs. Power outage information is information related to the power outage. Power outage information includes at least cause information. Cause information is information related to the cause of the power outage.

The cause information is, for example, first cause information. The first cause information indicates whether the power outage that occurred is a grid power outage or a home power outage. A grid power outage is a power outage caused by the power grid 201. A home power outage is a power outage caused by a breaker (main breaker 10) tripping.

Alternatively, the cause information may be second cause information. The second cause information is information regarding the cause of the in-home power outage. As mentioned above, the cause of an in-home power outage is either an overcurrent, a ground fault, or an earthquake, and the second cause information indicates whether the cause of the in-home power outage is an overcurrent, a ground fault, or an earthquake.

Note that overcurrents include, for example, overcurrents caused by overloads and overcurrents caused by short circuits. In the second cause information, overcurrents may be distinguished into overcurrents caused by overloads and overcurrents caused by short circuits.

When a grid power outage occurs, the acquisition unit 122 acquires power outage information including first cause information indicating a "grid power outage." Note that such power outage information may be, for example, a message (a string of characters in natural language) such as "The cause of the power outage is a problem with the power grid."

Furthermore, when a home power outage occurs, the acquisition unit 122 acquires power outage information including first cause information indicating a "home power outage" and second cause information indicating one of "overcurrent," "earthquake," and "earthquake." Note that such power outage information may be, for example, a message such as "The cause of the power outage is the operation of the home breaker. There is a possibility of a power leak."

The acquisition unit 122 acquires first cause information indicating whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage, for example, based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 15. Furthermore, if the power outage is a home power outage, the acquisition unit 122 acquires second cause information indicating whether the home power outage was caused by an overcurrent, a ground fault, or an earthquake.

More specifically, in embodiment 1, the power outage cause notification system 1 further includes a monitoring unit 123. The monitoring unit 123 constantly monitors the measurement results of the measurement unit 15 and determines whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage based on the measurement results. The monitoring unit 123 then acquires first cause information indicating the determination result ("grid power outage" or "home power outage") and passes it to the acquisition unit 122.

Furthermore, when first cause information indicating a "household power outage" is acquired, the first monitoring unit 123 determines whether the cause of the household power outage is an overcurrent, a ground fault, or an earthquake based on the measurement results, and further acquires second cause information indicating the determination result (either "overcurrent," "ground fault," or "earthquake") and passes it to the acquisition unit 122.

In embodiment 2, the power outage cause notification system 1 includes a first monitoring unit 123 having the same functions as the monitoring unit 123 in embodiment 1, and a second monitoring unit 124. The second monitoring unit 124 constantly monitors grid power outage information provided by the server 30 and determines whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage. The second monitoring unit 124 then acquires first cause information indicating the determination result ("grid power outage" or "home power outage") and passes it to the acquisition unit 122.

However, in embodiment 2, the power outage cause notification system 1 may not include the first monitoring unit 123 and the measurement unit 15, but may include only the second monitoring unit 124 (a modified example of embodiment 2).

The acquisition unit 122 may acquire power outage information that further includes response information. Response information is information regarding the response method depending on the cause of the power outage. Such power outage information may be, for example, a message such as, "The cause of the power outage is the operation of the in-house breaker. There is a possibility of a power leak. Please take action by following the procedure below..."

In embodiments 1 and 2, for example, a collection (pair information group) of pairs (pair information) of cause information and response information is stored in the memory of the main breaker 10. The pair information constituting the pair information group includes, for example, a pair of first cause information and first response information indicating a "grid power outage" (first pair information), a pair of second cause information and second response information indicating an "overcurrent" (second pair information), a pair of second cause information and third response information indicating a "leakage current" (third pair information), and a pair of second cause information and fourth response information indicating an "earthquake" (fourth pair information).

The first action information may be, for example, "Please wait until power is restored to the power system." The second action information may be, for example, "After turning off the power to some of the equipment, switch on the main breaker." The third action information may be, for example, "Please take action in the following procedure. Switch off all branch breakers. Switch on the main breaker. Switch on the branch breakers in order...." The fourth action information may be, for example, "After making sure that no equipment has fallen or been damaged, switch on the main breaker."

In addition, instead of the second to fourth paired information, the paired information group may include, for example, a pair (fifth paired information) of first cause information indicating "in-house power outage" and fifth response information. The fifth response information may be, for example, "Please check the wiring in your home."

The acquisition unit 122 acquires the cause information as described above, further acquires the response information corresponding to the cause information from the memory, and acquires power outage information including the acquired cause information and the acquired response information.

Power outage information including cause information and response information may be a message such as, "The cause of the power outage is the operation of the breaker in your home. There may be a power leak. Please take action by following the steps below..."

The pair information group may be stored, for example, in the memory of an internal device other than the main breaker 10 of the distribution board 100, or in memory external to the distribution board 100 (for example, in the server 30). The location of the memory in which the pair information group is stored does not matter as long as it is memory accessible by the processor of the main breaker 10.

The various types of information acquired by the acquisition unit 122 (first cause information, second cause information, countermeasure information, and power outage information including these) are stored in the memory of the main breaker 10. However, information such as the first cause information may also be stored in any memory accessible to the processor of the main breaker 10.

In embodiment 2, the power outage cause notification system 1 further includes a second monitoring unit 124.

The second monitoring unit 124 (constantly) monitors the grid power outage information provided to the breaker (main breaker 10) from the server 30, and based on the grid power outage information, determines whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage, and obtains the first cause information.

In more detail, when a power outage occurs, the second monitoring unit 124 determines whether the reception unit 11 (described below) has received grid power outage information. If the reception unit 11 has received grid power outage information, the second monitoring unit 124 determines that the power outage is a grid power outage and acquires first cause information indicating a "grid power outage." On the other hand, if the reception unit 11 has not received grid power outage information even after a predetermined time has passed since the power outage occurred, the second monitoring unit 124 determines that the power outage is an in-house power outage and acquires first cause information indicating a "in-house power outage."

In addition, in embodiment 2, the power outage cause notification system 1 may not include the first monitoring unit 123 and the measurement unit 15, but may include only the second monitoring unit 124 (variant 1 of embodiment 2).

In this way, by constantly monitoring the grid power outage information provided by server 30 during a grid power outage, it is possible to determine whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage and obtain first cause information. Therefore, even if server 30 does not exist or there is no connection between terminal 40 and server 30, grid power outage information can be further included in the power outage information and provided to terminal 40.

The output unit 13 passes the power outage information acquired by the acquisition unit 122 to the app 401 launched by the launch unit 121.

The app 401 notifies the customer of the power outage information thus received from the main breaker 10 via an output device such as a display on the terminal 40.

The power outage cause notification system 1 of embodiment 2 further includes a reception unit 11.

The reception unit 11 receives a connection operation. The connection operation is an operation for connecting the breaker (main breaker 10) to the terminal 40 so that it can communicate with the breaker. In response to the connection operation received by the reception unit 11, the main breaker 10 is connected to the terminal 40 so that it can communicate with the breaker.

In embodiment 1, the startup unit 121 starts the app 401 on the terminal 40 after the main breaker 10 is connected to the terminal 40 in response to a connection operation.

The reception unit 11 may also receive a disconnection operation. A disconnection operation is an operation for severing the connection between the main breaker 10 and the terminal 40. The disconnection operation may be, for example, a re-press of the connection key 15A.

The reception unit 11 receives operations such as connection operations via an input device such as a touch panel or keyboard. The input device for receiving operations is provided, for example, in the main breaker 10, but may also be provided in an internal device other than the main breaker within the distribution board 100. Alternatively, the input device may be provided in the front cover (not shown) of the distribution board 100, or may be separate from the distribution board 100 (such as a remote control: not shown).

The input device for accepting operations such as connection operations is, for example, the connection key 15A (see Figure 10) of the measurement unit 15. A connection operation is performed by pressing the connection key 15A, and a disconnection operation can be performed by pressing the connection key 15A again.

This allows the customer to launch the app on their device at their discretion in the event of a power outage. Furthermore, the main breaker 10 only starts communicating with the terminal 40 when the customer deems it necessary, which helps to reduce communication volume. Furthermore, if the power supply unit 14 is a battery, battery drain can be prevented.

In embodiment 2, the terminal 40 is connected to the server 30 so that it can communicate with the terminal 40 at all times. The server 30 provides information to the customer through the application software 201 of the terminal 40. The information provided is, for example, grid power outage information. The grid power outage information is information related to the grid power outage. The grid power outage information includes, for example, information related to the cause of the grid power outage, the extent of the grid power outage, the time of power restoration, etc. The grid power outage information is obtained from a server (not shown) of the power grid 201.

However, the information provided may also include information other than grid power outage information. Information other than grid power outage information is, for example, device information related to the master breaker 10 and IoT devices other than the master breaker 10. The device information is obtained, for example, from GW303.

In more detail, GW303 collects device information from various IoT devices connected to second network 302 and provides it to server 30 via second network 302. Server 30 passes the device information provided by GW303 to app 401 on terminal 40 via first network 301. App 401 notifies the user of the device information passed from server 30 via an output device such as a display on terminal 40.

In embodiment 2, the server 30 includes a startup unit 121. The startup unit 121 of the server 30 starts the app 401 of the terminal 40 in response to the disconnection of the connection between the main breaker 10 and the server 30.

In the second embodiment, during a grid power outage, the main breaker 10 can operate using power from the power supply unit 14, but the GW 303, which does not receive power from the power supply unit 14, becomes inoperable. Therefore, the startup unit 121 of the server 30 starts the app 401 of the terminal 40 in response to the disconnection of the connection between the server 30 and the GW 303.

As a result, when a power outage occurs, the connection between the main breaker 10 (GW303) and the server 30 is cut off, allowing the server 30 to automatically start the app 401 on the terminal 40.

In embodiment 2, the master breaker 10 is connected to the terminal 40 so that it can communicate with the terminal 40 at all times. During a power outage, each section of the master breaker 10 (11-13, 121, 123, 124) can operate using power from the power supply section 14.

When a grid power outage occurs, the server 30 provides grid power outage information to at least the main breaker 10. In embodiment 2, the grid power outage information is also provided to the customer via the terminal app 401. In embodiment 1, on the other hand, the grid power outage information is provided only to the customer, not to the main breaker 10.

In embodiment 1, the breaker (main breaker 10) is equipped with the above-mentioned units (121, 122, 13). However, the above-mentioned units (121, 122, 13) may also be equipped with internal devices (such as limiters) other than the breaker (main breaker 10) within the distribution board 100.

Alternatively, the above-mentioned units (121, 122, 13) may be distributed across multiple devices. For example, in embodiment 2, the server 30 includes the startup unit 121, and the breaker (master breaker 10) includes the units (121, 13) other than the startup unit 121.

However, the locations of the above-mentioned parts (121, 122, 13) are not limited to those in embodiments 1 and 2.

(2-4) Measurement Unit More specifically, the power outage cause notification system 1 further includes a measurement unit 15 .

The measurement unit 15 has at least a wattmeter (not shown) connected to the first electrical circuit 203a. In embodiments 1 and 2, the measurement unit 15 further has an ammeter (not shown) and an accelerometer (not shown) connected to the second electrical circuit 203b.

The measurement unit 15 measures at least the power of the first electrical circuit 203a using the power meter and obtains the power value resulting from the measurement.

The measurement unit 15 also measures the current in the second electrical circuit 203b using the ammeter and obtains the current value resulting from the measurement.

Furthermore, the measurement unit 15 measures the acceleration of the measurement unit 15 itself using the accelerometer and obtains the acceleration value that is the measurement result.

The first monitoring unit 123, which will be described later, determines whether the cause of the in-home power outage is an overcurrent, a ground fault, or an earthquake based on the current and acceleration measured by the measurement unit 15, and further obtains second cause information indicating the result of the determination.

This allows for further determination of whether the cause of the in-home power outage is an overcurrent, a power leak, or an earthquake, and allows for quick provision of power outage information that also includes information on the second cause.

In embodiments 1 and 2, the measurement unit 15 is a dedicated unit separate from the main breaker 10 and is connected to the breaker (main breaker 10) so that it can communicate with the breaker at all times. In embodiments 1 and 2, the connection between the measurement unit 15 and the main breaker 10 is via short-range wireless communication, but a wired connection is also possible.

However, the measurement unit 15 may also be a component of the main breaker 10. For example, at least the wattmeter may be built into the main breaker 10. Furthermore, at least one of the ammeter and the accelerometer may also be built into the main breaker 10.

Alternatively, the measurement unit 15 may be provided in an internal device (e.g., a limiter) other than the main breaker 10 within the distribution board 100, or may be provided outside the distribution board 100. The location of the measurement unit 15 is not important as long as the measurement results of the measurement unit 15 can be transferred to the processing unit 12 of the main breaker 10.

(2-5) Main Breaker The main breaker 10 of the first and second embodiments detects the occurrence of an overcurrent, a ground fault, or an earthquake based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 15 as described above, and enters a trip state.

More specifically, the processing unit 12, which will be described later, determines whether an overcurrent or the like has occurred based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 15. If it is determined that an overcurrent or the like has occurred, the processing unit 12 may open the contacts between the first electric circuit 203a and the second electric circuit 203b via a switching mechanism (not shown) that opens and closes the contacts, and a drive circuit (not shown) that drives the switching mechanism, thereby transitioning the main breaker 10 to a tripped state.

However, the main breaker 10 is not limited to the electronic type breaker described above; it may also be a thermal or electromagnetic breaker that uses a bimetal or electromagnetic coil to transition to a tripped state (switch 10A is off). In this case, the main breaker 10 is provided with a sensor that detects the on/off state of switch 10A, and the processing unit 12 determines whether or not the breaker is in a tripped state based on the sensor's detection results.

(2-6) Backup Power Supply The power outage cause notification system 1 further includes a power supply unit 14. During a grid power outage, the power supply unit 14 supplies power to at least the acquisition unit 122, the startup unit 121, and the output unit 13. In the first and second embodiments, the power supply unit 14 also supplies power to the measurement unit 15, the monitoring units (first monitoring unit 123, second monitoring unit 124), and the reception unit 11.

The power supply unit 14 is typically a battery. The battery may be, for example, disposable, but may also be rechargeable. In embodiments 1 and 2, the power supply unit 14 is separate from the main breaker 10 and is provided within the distribution board 100. However, the power supply unit 14 may also be built into the main breaker 10, or may be built into an internal device other than the main breaker 10.

Alternatively, the power supply unit 14 may be, for example, a private power generation system that operates at least during a grid power outage.

(3) Embodiment 1
A power outage cause notification system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is used in, for example, a power supply system 2 as shown in FIG. 1 .

(3-1) Power Supply System The power supply system 2 in Fig. 1 includes a power system 201 and loads 202 that receive power from the power system 201 via a distribution board 100. The distribution board 100 and the loads 202 are located inside (inside) the homes of multiple customers of the power company that manages the power system 201. Hereinafter, a "customer" refers to one of these multiple customers.

The distribution board 100 comprises a main breaker 10 and two or more branch breakers 50. The main breaker 10 has its primary side connected to the power grid 201 and its secondary side connected to each of the two or more branch breakers 50. One or more loads 202 are connected to the branch breakers 50. The loads 202 are electrical devices such as home appliances.

The main breaker 10 is also connected to a terminal 40 that can be used by the customer so that it can communicate with it. The terminal 40 is typically located within the home, but may also be located outside the home. The terminal 40 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, but may also be a fixed terminal such as a desktop PC. Communication between the main breaker 10 and the terminal 40 is, for example, short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or wireless LAN (Local Area Network). However, the communication method is not important as long as the terminal 40 can communicate with the main breaker 10 at least when located within the home.

Note that, like the terminal 40 in embodiment 2, the terminal 40 may be communicably connected to the server 30 via the first network 301 (variant 1 of embodiment 1).

(3-2) Power Outage Cause Notification System As shown in FIG. 1, the power outage cause notification system 1 of this embodiment includes a main breaker 10, a power supply unit 14, a measurement unit 15, and a terminal 40.

As shown in FIG. 2, the main breaker 10 includes a reception unit 11, a processing unit 12, and an output unit 13. The processing unit 12 also includes a startup unit 121, an acquisition unit 122, and a monitoring unit 123.

The components (11-13 and 121-123) that make up the main breaker 10 normally operate on power from the power grid 201. The power supply unit 14 supplies power for the components (11-13 and 121-123) that make up the main breaker 10 to operate during a grid power outage.

The measurement unit 15 is connected to the main breaker 10 so that it can communicate at all times. The connection between the measurement unit 15 and the main breaker 10 is via short-range wireless communication.

The measurement unit 15 measures the power of the circuit 203a on the primary side of the main breaker 10 using a wattmeter. The measurement unit 15 also measures the current of the circuit 203a on the secondary side of the main breaker 10 using an ammeter. Furthermore, the measurement unit 15 measures its own acceleration using an accelerometer. The measurement unit 15 then passes these three measurement results (power value, current value, and acceleration value) to the main breaker 10.

Based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 15, the main breaker 10 detects the occurrence of overcurrent, leakage current, and earthquakes and enters a trip state.

Application software (app) 401 is installed on terminal 40, which notifies the user of the cause of a power outage when it occurs.

(3-2-1) Main Breaker The reception unit 11 included in the main breaker 10 receives various types of information, such as connection operations and measurement results from the measurement unit 15.

The reception unit 11 accepts connection operations. Connection operations are performed by customers when a power outage occurs. The reception unit 11 also accepts measurement results from the measurement unit 15.

The processing unit 12 performs various processes. These processes include, for example, the processes of the acquisition unit 122, the startup unit 121, and the monitoring unit 123.

The processing unit 12 also performs various judgments as explained in the flowchart in Figure 3.

Furthermore, if the processing unit 12 determines, based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 15, that an overcurrent or the like has occurred, it opens the contacts between the first electric circuit 203a and the second electric circuit 203b via a switching mechanism (not shown) that opens and closes the contacts, and a drive circuit (not shown) that drives the switching mechanism, thereby transitioning the main breaker 10 to a tripped state.

The output unit 13 outputs various types of information. Examples of such information include power outage information, power outage cause information (first power outage cause information, second power outage cause information), and response information.

The output of the output unit 13 is typically the transfer of information such as power outage information to the app 401 of the terminal 40. However, the output may also be, for example, a display on a display, audio output from a speaker, a printout by a printer, transmission to another device, or recording on a recording medium. The display is typically the display of the terminal 40, but may also be the display 15B of the measurement unit 15, etc.

The processing unit 12 determines that a power outage has occurred if the reception unit 11 receives a connection operation. If the connection operation has not been received, it determines that a power outage has not occurred.

The startup unit 121, which constitutes the processing unit 12, starts the app 401 on the terminal 40 via short-range wireless communication when a power outage occurs.

When a power outage occurs, the acquisition unit 122 acquires power outage information including cause information (first cause information, second cause information) and response information as follows:

For example, a group of pair information including first to fourth pair information is stored in the memory of the main breaker 10.

The monitoring unit 123 acquires cause information (first cause information, second monitoring information) based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 15 and passes it to the acquisition unit 122. The acquisition unit 122 further acquires from the memory the response information corresponding to the cause information received from the monitoring unit 123, and acquires power outage information including the acquired cause information and the acquired response information.

In more detail, the monitoring unit 123 constantly monitors the measurement results of the measurement unit 15, determines whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage, and acquires first cause information indicating the determination result. For example, if the power outage is determined to be a grid power outage, the monitoring unit 123 acquires first cause information indicating a "grid power outage" and passes it to the acquisition unit 122.

The acquisition unit 122 further acquires from the memory first response information corresponding to the first cause information indicating a "grid power outage" delivered from the monitoring unit 123, and acquires power outage information including the first cause information indicating the "grid power outage" and the acquired first response information.

The power outage information obtained here may be a message such as, "A power outage has occurred. The cause of the power outage is a problem with the power system. Please wait until power is restored to the power system."

On the other hand, if the power outage is determined to be an in-house power outage, the monitoring unit 123 acquires first cause information indicating an "in-house power outage." The monitoring unit 123 then further determines, based on the measurement results, whether the cause of the in-house power outage is an overcurrent, a ground fault, or an earthquake, and acquires second power outage information indicating the determination result. The first monitoring unit 123 then passes the first cause information indicating an "in-house power outage" and the second cause information indicating either an "overcurrent," "ground fault," or "earthquake" to the acquisition unit 122.

The acquisition unit 122 further acquires from the memory the response information (any of the second to fourth response information) corresponding to the second cause information (any of "overcurrent," "earthquake," or "earthquake") delivered from the monitoring unit 123, and acquires power outage information including the first cause information indicating the "in-home power outage" and the acquired response information.

For example, if the monitoring unit 123 delivers first cause information indicating an "in-house power outage" and second cause information indicating a "power leakage," the acquisition unit 122 acquires from memory third response information corresponding to the second cause information indicating the "power leakage." The monitoring unit 123 then acquires power outage information including the delivered first cause information indicating the "in-house power outage," the acquired second cause information indicating the "power leakage," and the acquired third response information.

The power outage information obtained here may be a message such as, "A power outage has occurred. The cause of the power outage is the operation of a breaker in the house. There may be a power leak. Please take action by following the steps below. Turn off all branch breakers. Turn on the main breaker. Turn on the branch breakers in order..."

The acquisition unit 122 passes the power outage information acquired by the monitoring unit 123 to the output unit 13, and the output unit 13 further passes the power outage information to the app 401 of the terminal 40. The app 401 displays the passed power outage information on the display of the terminal 40. As a result, a screen such as that shown in FIG. 9 is displayed on the display of the terminal 40.

The screen in Figure 9 includes the following information about the power outage: "A power outage has occurred. The cause of the power outage is the operation of a breaker in your home. There may be a power leak. Please take the following steps to resolve the issue. Switch off all branch breakers. Switch on the main breaker. Switch on the branch breakers in order..."

Customers can refer to this power outage information and take appropriate measures to address the power leakage that is causing the outage.

(3-2-2) Operation of Power Outage Cause Notification System The power outage cause notification system 1 in this embodiment operates according to the flowchart of FIG.

The processing unit 12 that constitutes the main breaker 10 determines whether a power outage has occurred (step S11).

In this embodiment, the processing unit 12 determines that a power outage has occurred if the reception unit 11 receives a startup operation. If a startup operation has not been received, it determines that a power outage has not occurred. If it is determined that a power outage has occurred, the process proceeds to step S12. If it is determined that a power outage has not occurred, the process proceeds to step S18.

The processing unit 12 connects the master breaker 10 to the terminal 40 so that they can communicate with each other (step S12). Specifically, in response to the startup operation received in step S11, the communication module of the master breaker 10 starts short-range wireless communication with the communication module of the terminal 40.

The startup unit 121 of the main breaker 10 starts the app 401 of the terminal 40 (step S13). More specifically, the startup unit 121 transmits a startup command for the app 401 to the terminal 40 via short-range wireless communication, and the terminal 40 receives the startup command and starts the app 401.

The acquisition unit 122 acquires cause information (step S14). Specifically, the acquisition unit 122 acquires first cause information based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 15, and if the first cause information is "in-home power outage," it further acquires second cause information.

For example, the monitoring results of the measurement unit 15 include the power value of the first electrical circuit 203a, the current value of the second electrical circuit 203b, and the acceleration value, and the acquisition unit 122 determines that a power outage has occurred when the power value is equal to or less than a first threshold value (e.g., power value = 0) or when the current value is equal to or less than a second threshold value (e.g., current value = 0).

If it is determined that a power outage has occurred, the acquisition unit 122 further determines whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage. More specifically, if the power value is equal to or less than a first threshold (e.g., power value = 0), the acquisition unit 122 determines that a grid power outage has occurred. On the other hand, if the power value is greater than the first threshold (e.g., power value > 0) and the current value is equal to or less than a second threshold (e.g., current value = 0), the acquisition unit 122 determines that a home power outage has occurred. Then, based on the above determination result, the acquisition unit 122 acquires first cause information indicating a "grid power outage" or a "home power outage."

If it is determined that a home power outage has occurred, the acquisition unit 122 further determines whether the cause of the home power outage is an overcurrent, a ground fault, or an earthquake, based on the current value and acceleration value included in the measurement results. In more detail, for example, if the current value exceeds the third threshold, it is determined to be an overcurrent. Furthermore, the current value includes two current values (the current value of the L1 phase or L2 phase power line, and the current value of the neutral line) for the outbound and return currents in the second electrical circuit 203b, and if the difference between these two current values exceeds the fourth threshold, it is determined to be a ground fault. Furthermore, if the acceleration value exceeds the fifth threshold, it is determined to be an earthquake.

Then, based on the above determination result, the acquisition unit 122 acquires second cause information indicating either "overcurrent," "electric leakage," or "earthquake."

Next, the acquisition unit 122 acquires countermeasure information corresponding to the cause information acquired in step S14 (step S15). More specifically, a set of pairs of cause information and countermeasure information is stored in memory, and the acquisition unit 122 acquires countermeasure information that pairs with the acquired cause information from memory.

The acquisition unit 121 acquires power outage information including the cause information acquired in step S14 and the countermeasure information acquired in step S15 (step S16).

The output unit 13 passes the power outage information acquired in step S16 to the app 401 of the terminal 40 (step S17). Specifically, the output unit 13 transmits the power outage information to the terminal 40 via short-range wireless communication, and the terminal 40 receives the power outage information and passes it to the app 401. Then, processing returns to step S11.

The processing unit 12 determines whether the disconnection conditions are met (step S18). The disconnection conditions are conditions for severing the connection between the main breaker 10 and the terminal 40. Examples of disconnection conditions include "a disconnection operation has been accepted" or "a no-operation state in which no operation is accepted has continued for a predetermined period of time or longer." If the disconnection conditions are met, processing proceeds to step S19. If the disconnection conditions are not met, processing returns to step S11.

The processing unit 12 disconnects the connection between the main breaker 10 and the terminal 40 (step S19). In more detail, for example, in response to receiving the disconnection operation, the communication module of the main breaker 10 terminates communication with the communication module of the terminal 40. Then, processing returns to step S11.

(3-3) Modification 1 of the First Embodiment
The power outage cause notification system 1 according to variant 1 of embodiment 1 is the power outage cause notification system 1 of embodiment 1, in which the terminal 40 is provided with a communication function with a server 30 that provides grid power outage information when a grid power outage occurs.

In this variant, in addition to the same notifications as in embodiment 1, in the event of a grid power outage, customers can also be notified of grid power outage information provided by server 30.

(3-4) Modification 2 of Embodiment 1
The power outage cause notification system 1 according to the second modification of the first embodiment is the power outage cause notification system 1 of the first embodiment from which the measurement unit 15 and the monitoring unit 123 have been removed.

Even in this variant, when a power outage occurs, it is possible to determine whether the power outage is a power grid power outage or a home power outage based on the power grid power outage information from server 30, and notify the customer of the first cause information indicating the determination result ("power grid power outage" or "home power outage").

(3-5) Modification 3 of Embodiment 1
The power outage cause notification system 1 according to the third modification of the first embodiment is the power outage cause notification system 1 of the first embodiment, except that the measurement unit 15, the monitoring unit 123, and the power supply unit 14 are removed.

Even with this variant, if a power outage occurs within the home, the customer can be notified of the first cause information indicating "power outage within the home."

(4) Embodiment 2
The power outage cause notification system 1 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure is used in, for example, a power supply system 2 as shown in FIG. 4 .

(4-1) Power Supply System The power supply system 2 of FIG. 4 is the power supply system 2 of FIG. 1, and further includes a server 30 connected to the first network 301 and a GW 303 connected to each of the first network 301 and the second network 302.

The load 202 is connected to the second network 302.

(4-2) Power Outage Cause Notification System As shown in Fig. 4, the power outage cause notification system 1 of this embodiment includes a main breaker 10, a power supply unit 14, a measurement unit 15, and a terminal 40. That is, the power outage cause notification system 1 of this embodiment is configured in the same manner as the power outage cause notification system 1 of the first embodiment (see Fig. 1).

However, in the power outage cause notification system 1 of this embodiment, the measurement unit 15 is connected to the second network 302. In addition, the server 30 is equipped with a startup unit 121.

The main breaker 10 is communicatively connected to the server 30 via the measurement unit 15, the second network 302, the GW 303, and the first network 301. The connection between the main breaker 10 and the server 30 is always connected.

When a grid power outage occurs, the server 30 provides grid power outage information to the main breaker 10 via the first network 301, GW 303, second network 302, and measurement unit 15. Furthermore, when a grid power outage occurs, the server 30 notifies the customer of the grid power outage information via the first network 301 and the app 401 on the terminal 40.

5, the server 30 of this embodiment includes a receiving unit 31, a processing unit 32, and an output unit 33. The processing unit 32 includes a starting unit 121.

The reception unit 31 receives various types of information. Examples of such information include grid power outage information. For example, the reception unit 31 receives grid power outage information provided by a power company's server (not shown) when a grid power outage occurs.

The processing unit 32 performs various processes. For example, these processes are the processes of the startup unit 121. The processing unit 32 also performs various determinations, which are explained in the flowchart of FIG. 7. For example, these determinations include determining whether the connection between the server 30 and the main breaker 10 has been disconnected, and determining whether grid power outage information has been acquired.

The startup unit 121, which constitutes the processing unit 32, starts the app on the terminal 40 via the first network 301 when the connection between the server 30 and the main breaker 10 (GW303) is disconnected.

The output unit 33 outputs various information. Examples of such information include grid power outage information.

The output of the output unit 33 typically involves sending information to the main breaker 10 and passing information to the app 401 on the terminal 40.

6, the main breaker 10 of this embodiment includes a reception unit 11, a processing unit 12, and an output unit 13. The processing unit 12 includes an acquisition unit 122, a first monitoring unit 123, and a second monitoring unit 124.

In other words, the main breaker 1 of this embodiment is the main breaker 10 of embodiment 1, except that it is equipped with a first monitoring unit 123 and a second monitoring unit 124 instead of the starting unit 121.

The reception unit 11 receives the measurement results from the measurement unit 15 and grid power outage information from the server 30.

In other words, the reception unit 11 of this embodiment receives grid power outage information from the server 30 instead of the connection operation by the customer, as in the reception unit 11 of embodiment 1.

The processing unit 12 performs, for example, the processing of the acquisition unit 122, the first monitoring unit 123, and the second monitoring unit 124.

The processing unit 12 also performs various determinations, as explained in the flowchart of Figure 8. Furthermore, similar to the processing unit 12 in embodiment 1, if the processing unit 12 determines that an overcurrent or the like has occurred based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 15, it transitions the main breaker 10 to a trip state.

The output unit 13 outputs information such as power outage information, similar to the output unit 13 in embodiment 1.

The first monitoring unit 123 that constitutes the processing unit 12 is the same as the monitoring unit 123 in embodiment 1.

The second monitoring unit 124 constantly monitors the grid power outage information provided by the server 30, determines whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage, and acquires first cause information indicating the determination result. The second monitoring unit 124 then passes the acquired first cause information to the acquisition unit 122.

Similar to the acquisition unit 122 in embodiment 1, when a power outage occurs, the acquisition unit 122 acquires power outage information including cause information (first cause information, second cause information) and response information.

However, in this embodiment, when the first monitoring unit 123 or the second monitoring unit 124 acquires first cause information indicating a "grid power outage," the acquisition unit 122 acquires power outage information including the first cause information indicating the "grid power outage" and first response information corresponding to the first cause information.

Furthermore, when the first monitoring unit 123 acquires first cause information indicating an "in-home power outage" and second cause information (any of "overcurrent," "earthquake," or "earthquake"), the acquisition unit 122 acquires power outage information including the first cause information indicating the "in-home power outage," the second cause information, and handling information corresponding to the second cause information (any of the second to fourth cause information).

(4-2-3) Operation of the Power Outage Cause Notification System In this embodiment, the server 30 operates according to the flowchart in Fig. 7. Note that, if the number of customers is two or more, the processes of steps S31, S13, S32, and S33 in Fig. 7 are executed sequentially or in parallel for each of two or more customer identifiers corresponding to two or more customers.

The processing unit 32 that constitutes the server 30 determines whether the connection between the main breaker 10 (or GW301) and the server 30 itself has been disconnected (step S31).

In this embodiment, if the connection between the main breaker 10 (or GW301) and the server 30 itself is disconnected, it is determined that a power outage has occurred; if the connection is not disconnected, it is determined that a power outage has not occurred. If the connection is disconnected, processing proceeds to step S13. If the connection is not disconnected, processing proceeds to step S33.

The launch unit 121 of the server 30 launches the app 401 on the terminal 40 (step S13). Specifically, the launch unit 121 sends a launch command for the app 401 to the terminal 40 via the first network 301, and the terminal 40 receives the launch command and launches the app 401. Then, the process returns to step S31.

The processing unit 32 determines whether grid power outage information has been acquired (step S32). More specifically, when a grid power outage occurs, the server (not shown) of the power grid 201 acquires the grid power outage information, and the server of the power grid 201 provides the grid power outage information to the server 30. When the reception unit 31 of the server 30 receives the grid power outage information, the processing unit 32 determines that the grid power outage information has been acquired. If the grid power outage information has not been received, the processing unit 32 determines that the grid power outage information has not been acquired.

If grid power outage information has been acquired, processing proceeds to step S33. If grid power outage information has not been acquired, processing returns to step S11.

The output unit 33 passes the grid power outage information acquired in step S32 to the app on the terminal 40 (step S33). Specifically, the output unit 33 transmits the grid power outage information to the terminal 40 via the first network 301, and the terminal 40 receives the grid power outage information and passes it to the app 401. Then, processing returns to step S11.

The power outage cause notification system 1 of this embodiment operates according to the flowchart in Figure 8.

The flowchart in Figure 8 is the same as the flowchart in Figure 3, except that the five steps S11 to S13, S18, and S19 have been replaced with the following two steps S41 and S42.

If there are two or more customers, each of the two or more power outage cause notification systems 1 corresponding to the two or more customers executes the processes of steps S41, S42, and S14 to S17 in FIG. 8.

The processing unit 12 constituting the main breaker 10 monitors the measurement results of the measurement unit 15 and the grid power outage information from the server 30 (step S41). Specifically, the measurement results of the measurement unit 15 are handed over to the processing unit 12 of the main breaker 10, and the first monitoring unit 123 constituting the processing unit 12 monitors the measurement results. In addition, the receiving unit 31 receives the grid power outage information from the server 30, and the second monitoring unit 124 constituting the processing unit 12 monitors the grid power outage information.

The processing unit 12 determines whether a power outage has occurred (step S42). In this embodiment, the processing unit 12 determines whether a power outage has occurred based on the monitoring results of step S41. The determination made by the processing unit 12 here is the same as the determination made by the acquisition unit 122 in step S14 of FIG. 3. That is, the processing unit 12 determines that a power outage has occurred if the power value included in the monitoring results is equal to or less than the first threshold value, or if the current value included in the monitoring results is equal to or less than the second threshold value. Then, the processing proceeds to step S14.

The processing in steps S14 to S17 is the same as in embodiment 1, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

(4-3) Modification 1 of Embodiment 2
The power outage cause notification system 1 according to the first modification of the second embodiment is the power outage cause notification system 1 according to the second embodiment, except that the measurement unit 15 and the first monitoring unit 123 are removed.

Even in this variant, when a power outage occurs, it is possible to determine whether the power outage is a power grid power outage or a home power outage based on the power grid power outage information from server 30, and notify the customer of the first cause information indicating the determination result ("power grid power outage" or "home power outage").

(4-4) Modification 2 of Embodiment 2
The power outage cause notification system 1 according to the second modification of the second embodiment is the power outage cause notification system 1 of the second embodiment without the power supply unit 14 .

Even with this variant, if a power outage occurs within the home, the customer can be notified of first cause information indicating "power outage within the home" and second cause information regarding the cause of the power outage within the home.

(4-5) Modification 3 of Embodiment 2
The power outage cause notification system 1 according to the third modification of the second embodiment is the power outage cause notification system 1 of the second embodiment, except that the measurement unit 15, the first monitoring unit 123, and the power supply unit 14 are removed.

Even with this variant, if a power outage occurs within the home, the customer can be notified of the first cause information indicating "power outage within the home."

Functions similar to those of the power outage cause notification system 1 according to the first and second embodiments may be embodied in a power outage cause notification method, a (computer) program, or a non-transitory recording medium on which a program is recorded. The power outage cause notification method is a method that includes at least step S13 (startup step), step S16 (acquisition step), and step S17 (output step) of the various steps described above. The program is a program for causing one or more computers to execute the power outage cause notification method.

(5) Summary The power outage cause notification system (1) according to the first aspect is used in association with a breaker (master breaker 10). The breaker (master breaker 10) is interposed in an electric circuit (first electric circuit 203a, second electric circuit 203b) between a power system (201) and a load (202) in a customer's premises. When a power outage occurs, the breaker (master breaker 10) is communicably connected to the customer's terminal (40). The power outage cause notification system (1) notifies the customer of the cause of the power outage from the breaker (10) via the terminal (40).

Application software (401) is installed on the terminal (40). The application software (401) notifies the user of at least the cause of the power outage.

The power outage cause notification system (1) comprises a startup unit (121), an acquisition unit (122), and an output unit (13). The startup unit (121) starts application software (401) of the terminal (40) when the power outage occurs. The acquisition unit (122) acquires power outage information when the power outage occurs. The power outage information includes at least cause information. The cause information indicates whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage. The grid power outage is a power outage caused by the power grid (201). The home power outage is a power outage caused by a breaker (main breaker 10) being tripped. The output unit (13) passes the power outage information acquired by the acquisition unit (122) to the application software (401) started by the startup unit (121).

This aspect corresponds to embodiments 1 and 2. In this aspect, when a power outage occurs, power outage information is obtained, including information on the cause of the power outage that indicates at least whether it is a grid power outage or a power outage within the home, a notification app on the customer's device is launched, and the power outage information is passed to the notification app.

This allows individual customers to easily be notified of information regarding the cause of power outages, including in-home power outages.

In the power outage cause notification system (1) according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, the cause information is first cause information. When the in-home power outage occurs, the acquisition unit (122) acquires power outage information including second cause information. The second cause information is information regarding the cause of the in-home power outage.

This aspect corresponds to embodiments 1 and 2. In this aspect, when a power outage occurs within the home, the cause of the breaker tripping is also notified.

According to this aspect, in addition to the first cause information indicating whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage, second cause information indicating whether the home power outage is caused by an overcurrent, a ground fault, or an earthquake can also be notified.

In the power outage cause notification system (1) according to the third aspect, in the second aspect, the acquisition unit (122) acquires power outage information that further includes response information. The response information is information regarding a response method according to the cause of the power outage.

This aspect corresponds to embodiments 1 and 2. In this aspect, the system also notifies the user of the corrective action to be taken depending on the cause of the power outage.

This allows individual customers to easily be notified of the countermeasure information corresponding to the cause information.

The power outage cause notification system (1) according to the fourth aspect is the second or third aspect, further including a power supply unit (14). The power supply unit (14) supplies power to at least the start-up unit (121), acquisition unit (122), and output unit (13) when the grid power outage occurs.

This aspect corresponds to embodiments 1 and 2. This aspect has a backup power supply.

This allows notifications to be sent even during a power outage in the power grid.

The power outage cause notification system (1) according to the fifth aspect is the fourth aspect, and further includes a reception unit (11). The reception unit (11) receives a connection operation. The connection operation is an operation for connecting the breaker (main breaker 10) so that it can communicate with the terminal (40). In response to the connection operation, the breaker (main breaker 10) is connected so that it can communicate with the terminal (40).

This aspect corresponds to embodiment 1. In this aspect, the breaker and terminal are normally disconnected, and communication becomes possible depending on the connection operation (timely connection). Note that in this aspect, the server (30) is not required.

According to this aspect, in the event of a power outage, the customer can decide to launch the app on the terminal. Furthermore, the breaker only starts communication with the terminal when the customer deems it necessary, which reduces communication volume. Furthermore, if the power supply unit (14) is a battery, battery drain can be prevented.

In the power outage cause notification system (1) according to the sixth aspect, in the fourth aspect, the terminal (40) is connected to the server (30) so that it can communicate with the terminal (40). The server (30) provides information to the customer through application software (401) on the terminal (40). The breaker (master breaker 10) is connected to the server (30) so that it can communicate with the server (30), and the server (30) has a startup unit (121). The startup unit (121) of the server (30) starts the application software (401) on the terminal (40) in response to the disconnection of the connection between the breaker (master breaker 10) and the server (30).

This aspect corresponds to embodiment 2. In this aspect, a server (30) is required, and there is a constant connection between the breaker and the server, and between the breaker and the terminal. The breaker is connected to the terminal (directly) so that it can communicate at all times, and the breaker is connected to the server (via a gateway) so that it can communicate at all times, and in response to the connection between the breaker (or gateway) and the server being disconnected, the server launches a notification app on the terminal.

In this case, when a power outage occurs, the server can automatically start the device's app by taking advantage of the fact that the connection between the breaker and the server is cut off.

In the seventh aspect of the power outage cause notification system (1), in the fifth aspect, the terminal (40) is connected to the server (30) so that it can communicate with the server at all times. When the power outage occurs, the server (30) notifies the customer of power outage information related to the power outage via the application software (401) of the terminal (40).

This aspect corresponds to Variation 1 of Embodiment 1. In this aspect, the terminal (40) has a communication function with the server (30), and the server (30) provides grid power outage information to the terminal (40) when a grid power outage occurs.

According to this embodiment, in addition to notifying the customer of the second cause information when a power outage occurs within the home, the customer can also be notified of grid power outage information provided by the server (30) when a grid power outage occurs.

The power outage cause notification system (1) according to the eighth aspect is any one of the fifth to seventh aspects, and further includes a measurement unit (15). The measurement unit (15) measures at least the power of the first electric circuit (203a). The first electric circuit (203a) is an electric circuit on the power grid (201) side of the breaker (master breaker 10). The measurement unit (15) is connected to the breaker (master breaker 10) so that it can communicate with the breaker. The power outage cause notification system (1) includes a monitoring unit (first monitoring unit 123). The monitoring unit (first monitoring unit 123) constantly monitors the measurement results of the measurement unit (15), and based on the measurement results, determines whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage, and acquires the first cause information.

This aspect corresponds to embodiments 1 and 2. In this aspect, a measurement unit (15) is provided that measures at least the power on the primary side of the breaker (10), the measurement unit (15) is connected to the breaker (10), and the breaker (10) is connected to a terminal (40) so that they can communicate at all times, and the breaker (10) constantly monitors the measurement results of the measurement unit (15) to obtain first cause information.

According to this aspect, by constantly monitoring the measurement results of the measurement unit (15), it is possible to determine whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage and obtain first cause information. Compared to constantly monitoring grid power outage information (aspect 10), first cause information can be obtained more quickly, allowing power outage information to be provided more quickly.

In the power outage cause notification system (1) according to the ninth aspect, in the eighth aspect, the measurement unit (15) further measures the current of the second electric circuit (203b) and the acceleration of the measurement unit (15) itself. The second electric circuit (203b) is the electric circuit on the load (202) side of the breaker (main breaker 10). The monitoring unit (first monitoring unit 123) determines whether the cause of the in-home power outage is an overcurrent, a ground fault, or an earthquake based on the current and the acceleration, and further acquires second cause information indicating the result of the determination.

This aspect corresponds to embodiments 1 and 2. In this aspect, the measurement unit (15) further measures the current and acceleration of the second electrical circuit (203b), and the breaker (main breaker 10) constantly monitors the measurement results to obtain second cause information.

This aspect further determines whether the cause of the in-home power outage is an overcurrent, a power leak, or an earthquake, and allows for quick provision of power outage information that also includes information on the second cause.

In the power outage cause notification system (1) according to the tenth aspect, in the sixth aspect, the breaker (main breaker 10) is connected to a terminal (40) so that it can communicate with the terminal at all times. When the power outage occurs, the server (30) provides at least the breaker (main breaker 10) with power outage information relating to the power outage. The power outage cause notification system (1) further includes a second monitoring unit (124). The second monitoring unit (124) constantly monitors the power outage information provided to the breaker from the server (30), and determines whether the power outage is a power outage on the main breaker or a power outage within the home based on the power outage information, thereby acquiring the first cause information.

This aspect corresponds to embodiment 2. In this aspect, the breaker (main breaker 10) constantly monitors grid power outage information from the server and acquires first cause information.

According to this aspect, by constantly monitoring grid power outage information, it is possible to determine whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage and obtain first cause information.

The breaker (main breaker 10) according to the eleventh aspect is interposed in an electric circuit (first electric circuit 203a, second electric circuit 203b) between the power system (201) and a load (202) in a customer's premises, and is communicatively connected to a customer's terminal (40) at least when a power outage occurs, and notifies the customer of the cause of the power outage via the terminal (40). Application software (401) is installed in the terminal (40). The application software (401) notifies the customer of at least the cause of the power outage. The breaker (main breaker 10) comprises a startup unit (121), an acquisition unit (122), and an output unit (13). The startup unit (121) starts the application software (401) of the terminal (40) when the power outage occurs. The acquisition unit (122) acquires power outage information when the power outage occurs. The power outage information includes at least cause information. The cause information indicates whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage. The grid power outage is a power outage caused by the power grid (201). The home power outage is a power outage caused by the breaker (main breaker 10) itself tripping. The output unit (13) passes the power outage information acquired by the acquisition unit (122) to the application software (401) launched by the startup unit (121).

This aspect corresponds to embodiments 1 and 2. In this aspect, when a power outage occurs, power outage information is obtained, including information on the cause of the power outage that indicates at least whether it is a grid power outage or a power outage within the home, a notification app on the customer's device is launched, and the power outage information is passed to the notification app.

This allows individual customers to easily be notified of information regarding the cause of power outages, including in-home power outages.

The power outage cause notification method according to the twelfth aspect is executed by one or more computers of a power outage cause notification system (1). The power outage cause notification system (1) is used in conjunction with a breaker (main breaker 10). The breaker (10) is located in an electric circuit (first electric circuit 203a, second electric circuit 203b) between the power grid (201) and a load (202) in a customer's premises. The breaker (10) is connected to the customer's terminal (40) so that it can communicate with the customer at least when a power outage occurs. This power outage cause notification method notifies the customer of the cause of the power outage from the breaker (10) via the terminal (40). Application software (401) that notifies the customer of at least the cause of the power outage is installed in the terminal (40). This power outage cause notification method includes a startup step (S13), an acquisition step (S14), and an output step (S17). In the activation step (S13), the application software (401) of the terminal (40) is activated when the power outage occurs. In the acquisition step (S14), power outage information including at least cause information is acquired when the power outage occurs. The cause information indicates whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage. The grid power outage is a power outage caused by the power grid (201). The home power outage is a power outage caused by a breaker (main breaker 10) being tripped. In the output step (S17), the power outage information acquired in the acquisition step (S14) is passed to the application software (401) activated in the activation step (S13).

This aspect corresponds to embodiments 1 and 2. In this aspect, when a power outage occurs, power outage information is obtained, including information on the cause of the power outage that indicates at least whether it is a grid power outage or a power outage within the home, a notification app on the customer's device is launched, and the power outage information is passed to the notification app.

This allows individual customers to easily be notified of information regarding the cause of power outages, including in-home power outages.

A program according to a thirteenth aspect is a program for causing one or more computers to execute the power outage cause notification method according to the twelfth aspect.

This aspect corresponds to embodiments 1 and 2. In this aspect, when a power outage occurs, power outage information is obtained, including information on the cause of the power outage that indicates at least whether it is a grid power outage or a power outage within the home, a notification app on the customer's device is launched, and the power outage information is passed to the notification app.

This allows individual customers to easily be notified of information regarding the cause of power outages, including in-home power outages.

1 Power outage cause notification system 10 Main breaker (breaker)
100 Distribution board 11 Reception unit 12 Processing unit 121 Startup unit 122 Acquisition unit 123 First monitoring unit (monitoring unit)
124 Second monitoring unit 13 Output unit 14 Power supply unit 15 Measurement unit 30 Server 40 Terminal 401 Application software (app)
2 Power supply system 201 Power system 202 Load 203a First electric circuit (electric circuit)
203b Second electrical circuit (electrical circuit)

Claims (13)

A power outage cause notification system that is used in conjunction with a breaker that is interposed in an electric circuit between a power system and a load in a customer's home and is connected to a terminal of the customer so as to be able to communicate with the customer when a power outage occurs, and that notifies the customer of the cause of the power outage from the breaker via the terminal,
application software that notifies the user of at least the cause of the power outage is installed on the terminal;
a startup unit that starts the application software of the terminal when the power outage occurs;
An acquisition unit that acquires power outage information including at least cause information indicating whether the power outage is a system power outage caused by the power system or an in-home power outage caused by the breaker being tripped when the power outage occurs;
An output unit that transfers the power outage information acquired by the acquisition unit to the application software started by the startup unit;
A power supply unit that supplies power to at least the startup unit, the acquisition unit, and the output unit when the grid power outage occurs;
a reception unit that receives a connection operation for connecting the breaker to the terminal so that the breaker can communicate with the terminal,
the breaker is communicably connected to the terminal in response to the connection operation;
Power outage cause notification system. A power outage cause notification system that is used in conjunction with a breaker that is interposed in an electric circuit between a power system and a load in a customer's home and is connected to a terminal of the customer so as to be able to communicate with the customer when a power outage occurs, and that notifies the customer of the cause of the power outage from the breaker via the terminal,
application software that notifies the user of at least the cause of the power outage is installed on the terminal;
a startup unit that starts the application software of the terminal when the power outage occurs;
An acquisition unit that acquires power outage information including at least cause information indicating whether the power outage is a system power outage caused by the power system or an in-home power outage caused by the breaker being tripped when the power outage occurs;
An output unit that transfers the power outage information acquired by the acquisition unit to the application software started by the startup unit;
a power supply unit that supplies power to at least the startup unit, the acquisition unit, and the output unit when the grid power outage occurs;
the terminal is constantly connected to a server that provides information to the customer through the application software of the terminal so as to be able to communicate with the server;
the breaker is connected to the server so as to be able to communicate with the server at all times;
the server includes the launch unit,
the starting unit of the server starts the application software of the terminal in response to the disconnection of the connection between the breaker and the server;
Power outage cause notification system. The terminal is constantly connected to a server that notifies the customer of grid power outage information regarding the grid power outage through the application software of the terminal when the grid power outage occurs,
The power outage cause notification system according to claim 1. Further, a measurement unit is provided to measure at least the power of a first electric circuit which is an electric circuit on the power grid side with respect to the breaker,
the measurement unit is connected to the breaker so as to be able to communicate with it at all times;
The power supply unit further includes a monitoring unit that constantly monitors the measurement results of the measurement unit, determines whether the power outage is a grid power outage or a home power outage based on the measurement results, and acquires the cause information.
The power outage cause notification system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the cause information is first cause information,
The measurement unit further measures a current in a second electric circuit, which is an electric circuit on the load side of the breaker, and an acceleration of the measurement unit itself;
The monitoring unit determines whether the cause of the in-home power outage is an overcurrent, a ground fault, or an earthquake based on the current and the acceleration, and further acquires second cause information indicating the result of the determination.
The power outage cause notification system according to claim 4. the breaker is connected to the terminal so as to be able to communicate with the terminal at all times;
The server provides grid power outage information regarding the grid power outage to at least the breaker when the grid power outage occurs;
A second monitoring unit constantly monitors the grid power outage information provided from the server to the breaker, determines whether the power outage is the grid power outage or the in-home power outage based on the grid power outage information, and acquires the cause information.
The power outage cause notification system according to claim 2. the cause information is first cause information,
When the in-home power outage occurs, the acquisition unit acquires the power outage information further including second cause information related to a cause of the in-home power outage.
The power outage cause notification system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and 6. The acquisition unit acquires the power outage information further including response information regarding a response method according to a cause of the power outage.
The power outage cause notification system according to any one of claims 1 to 7. A breaker that is interposed in an electric path between a power grid and a load in a customer's home, that is communicably connected to a terminal of the customer at least when a power outage occurs, and that notifies the customer of the cause of the power outage via the terminal,
application software that notifies the user of at least the cause of the power outage is installed on the terminal;
a startup unit that starts the application software of the terminal when the power outage occurs;
An acquisition unit that acquires power outage information including at least cause information indicating whether the power outage is a system power outage caused by the power system or an in-home power outage caused by the breaker itself being tripped, when the power outage occurs;
An output unit that transfers the power outage information acquired by the acquisition unit to the application software started by the startup unit;
A power supply unit that supplies power to at least the startup unit, the acquisition unit, and the output unit when the grid power outage occurs;
a reception unit that receives a connection operation for connecting the breaker to the terminal so that the breaker can communicate with the terminal,
A communication connection is established with the terminal in response to the connection operation.
breaker. A breaker that is interposed in an electric path between a power grid and a load in a customer's home, that is communicably connected to a terminal of the customer at least when a power outage occurs, and that notifies the customer of the cause of the power outage via the terminal,
application software that notifies the user of at least the cause of the power outage is installed on the terminal;
a startup unit that starts the application software of the terminal when the power outage occurs;
An acquisition unit that acquires power outage information including at least cause information indicating whether the power outage is a system power outage caused by the power system or an in-home power outage caused by the breaker itself being tripped, when the power outage occurs;
An output unit that transfers the power outage information acquired by the acquisition unit to the application software started by the startup unit;
a power supply unit that supplies power to at least the startup unit, the acquisition unit, and the output unit when the grid power outage occurs;
the terminal is constantly connected to a server that provides information to the customer through the application software of the terminal so as to be able to communicate with the server;
the breaker is connected to the server so as to be able to communicate with the server at all times;
the launching unit launches the application software of the terminal in response to the disconnection of the connection between the breaker and the server.
breaker. A power outage cause notification method executed by one or more computers in a power outage cause notification system used in conjunction with a breaker that is interposed in an electric path between a power grid and a load in a customer's home and is connected to be able to communicate with a terminal of the customer at least when a power outage occurs, and that notifies the customer of the cause of the power outage from the breaker via the terminal,
application software that notifies the user of at least the cause of the power outage is installed on the terminal;
The power outage cause notification system is
a power supply unit that supplies power to at least the one or more computers when a grid power outage occurs, the power outage being caused by the power grid;
a reception unit that receives a connection operation for connecting the breaker to the terminal so that the breaker can communicate with the terminal,
the breaker is connected to the terminal in a manner that allows communication with the terminal in response to the connection operation;
a startup step of starting the application software of the terminal when the power outage occurs;
An acquisition step of acquiring power outage information including at least cause information indicating whether the power outage is a system power outage caused by the power system or an in-home power outage caused by the breaker being tripped, when the power outage occurs;
An output step of transferring the power outage information acquired in the acquisition step to the application software started in the start step,
How to notify the cause of power outage. A power outage cause notification method executed by one or more computers in a power outage cause notification system used in conjunction with a breaker that is interposed in an electric path between a power grid and a load in a customer's home and is connected to be able to communicate with a terminal of the customer at least when a power outage occurs, and that notifies the customer of the cause of the power outage from the breaker via the terminal,
application software that notifies the user of at least the cause of the power outage is installed on the terminal;
The power outage cause notification system includes a power supply unit that supplies power to at least the one or more computers when a grid power outage occurs, the power outage being caused by the power grid;
the terminal is constantly connected to a server that provides information to the customer through the application software of the terminal so as to be able to communicate with the server;
the breaker is connected to the server so as to be able to communicate with the server at all times;
a startup step of starting the application software of the terminal when the power outage occurs;
An acquisition step of acquiring power outage information including at least cause information indicating whether the power outage is a system power outage caused by the power system or an in-home power outage caused by the breaker being tripped, when the power outage occurs;
An output step of transferring the power outage information acquired in the acquisition step to the application software started in the start-up step,
The server performs the initiating step;
In the step of starting the server, the application software of the terminal is started in response to the disconnection of the connection between the breaker and the server.
How to notify the cause of power outage. A method for causing one or more computers to execute the power outage cause notification method according to claim 11 or 12,
program.