JP7850005B2 - Circuit breakers and distribution boards - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to circuit breakers and distribution boards, and more particularly to circuit breakers and distribution boards having communication functions.

Patent Document 1 describes a distribution board that detects the occurrence of a power outage and transmits recovery information (including procedural information regarding the power restoration procedure) to an information terminal, including procedures for restoring power from the outage. This distribution board has a backup power supply, including a secondary battery such as a nickel-metal hydride battery, and in the event of a power outage, it can transmit the recovery information using power supplied from the backup power supply.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-72639

Power outages can occur due to various causes, such as overcurrent, electrical leakage, and earthquakes. Users need to perform the necessary operations to restore power (e.g., turning on the circuit breaker) according to the procedure appropriate to the cause of the outage.

Generally, users need power restoration information when they are performing operations to restore power (hereinafter simply referred to as "power restoration time"). Power outages are often caused by overcurrents, and in such cases, operations to restore power are usually performed immediately after the outage (e.g., within a few minutes). However, if the cause of the outage is a short circuit or an earthquake, operations to restore power may not be performed until a considerable amount of time has passed since the outage (e.g., several hours or even several days).

While the above-mentioned distribution board generally allows users to receive necessary recovery information via an information terminal when needed, in cases of prolonged power outages, such as those caused by earthquakes, the backup power supply may run out of capacity, potentially making it difficult to receive recovery information.

The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a circuit breaker and distribution board that enable users to receive necessary information via their terminals with a higher probability, when needed, in the event of a power outage.

A circuit breaker according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises an acquisition unit, a storage unit, a reception unit, a communication unit, and a backup power supply. The acquisition unit acquires power outage information and power restoration information in response to the occurrence of a power outage. The power outage information includes cause information. The cause information is information relating to the cause of the power outage. The power restoration information includes procedure information. The procedure information is information relating to the procedure for restoring power corresponding to the cause. The storage unit stores the power outage information and the power restoration information. The reception unit accepts a predetermined operation. The communication unit, in response to the predetermined operation, starts communication processing for communication with at least a terminal and transmits at least the power outage information to the terminal through the communication processing. The backup power supply supplies power to at least the communication unit among the acquisition unit, storage unit, reception unit, and communication unit during the power outage period from the power outage to the power restoration.

A distribution board according to one aspect of this disclosure comprises the circuit breaker and a box housing the circuit breaker.

The circuit breakers and distribution boards disclosed herein have the effect of enabling users to receive necessary information (power outage information and/or power restoration information) via their terminals with a higher probability at the time needed (for example, immediately after a power outage and/or immediately before power restoration) when a power outage occurs.

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a power supply system including a distribution board according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the circuit breaker installed in the same distribution board. Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating part of the operation of the circuit breaker shown above. Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating another part of the operation of the circuit breaker described above. Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the servers that make up the power supply system described above. Figure 6 is a timing chart illustrating the relationship between the changes in the state of each part of the circuit breaker during a power outage caused by an earthquake, the notification of the cause and procedure by the terminal application, and the user's actions based on that notification. Figure 7 shows an example of a notification of the cause and procedure by a terminal application. Figure 8 is an external view of the same distribution board.

(1) Main parts The circuit breaker 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes, as shown in Figure 2, a storage unit 10a, a receiving unit 11, a processing unit 12, a communication unit 13, and a backup power supply 14. The processing unit 12 includes an acquisition unit 121.

(1-1) Processing Unit The processing unit 12 performs various processes. These processes include, for example, the acquisition process performed by the acquisition unit 121. The processing unit 12 also performs some of the various decisions described in the flowcharts (Figures 3 and 4).

(1-1-1) Acquisition Unit The acquisition unit 121 acquires power outage information and power restoration information in response to the occurrence of a power outage.

In this embodiment, a power outage refers to the cessation of power supply from the distribution board 100 to the load 202. Power outages can be classified into two types: power outages caused by the power system 201 (hereinafter referred to as "system outages") and power outages caused by the operation of the circuit breaker 1 (tripping of the main breaker 10) (hereinafter referred to as "in-house outages"). Furthermore, in-house outages can be subdivided into three types: power outages caused by overcurrent, power outages caused by ground faults, and power outages caused by earthquakes.

(1-1-2) Power Outage Information Power outage information refers to information about a power outage that has occurred. Power outage information includes information about the cause. Power outage information may also include, for example, time information indicating the time the power outage occurred.

(1-1-2a) Cause Information Cause information is information about the cause of a power outage. Cause information may be a term indicating the cause of the power outage, or a sentence containing a term. Examples of terms indicating the cause of a power outage include "system outage,""in-house power outage,""overcurrent,""electricalleakage," and "earthquake." Examples of sentences containing a term include, "The cause of the power outage was a problem with the power system," and "The cause of the power outage was the tripping of the in-house circuit breaker due to an earthquake." Cause information may also be the first cause information or the second cause information described later.

(1-1-3) Power Restoration Information Power restoration information refers to information relating to the restoration of power. In this embodiment, power restoration refers to the resumption of power supply from the distribution board 100 to the load 202. Power restoration information includes procedural information. In addition, the power restoration information provided by the server 30 when a power outage occurs may further include information such as the scheduled time of power restoration.

(1-1-3a) Procedure Information Procedure information is information regarding the procedure for restoring power in response to the cause of the power outage. Procedure information is associated with cause information. For example, the cause information "system outage" is associated with the procedure information "Please wait until power is restored to the power system," and the cause information "earthquake" (or "The cause of the power outage is the tripping of the in-house circuit breaker due to the earthquake.") is associated with the procedure information "Please take the following steps: Check if stoves, etc., have fallen over. Turn off all branch circuit breaker switches..."

(1-1-4) Method for acquiring power outage information For example, the main circuit breaker 10 detects the occurrence of a power outage based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 15 and identifies the cause of the power outage. The main circuit breaker 10 then acquires power outage information including cause information related to the identified cause and passes the acquired cause information to the acquisition unit 121.

However, at least one of the detection of a power outage and the identification of its cause may be performed by an element other than the main breaker 10 within the circuit breaker 1 (or distribution board 100) (e.g., a measurement unit 15). Alternatively, the detection of the power outage and the identification of its cause may be performed outside the distribution board 100 (e.g., on a server 30), and the power outage information acquired externally may be passed to the acquisition unit 121.

(1-1-4a) Modified method for obtaining power outage information Note that if the cause of the power outage is on the power system 201 side, the power outage detection and identification of the cause are not performed on the distribution board 100 side, and the server 30 may transmit the cause information to the distribution board 100. In this case, the communication unit 13 receives the cause information transmitted from the server 30 and passes it on to the acquisition unit 121.

(1-1-5) Method for obtaining power restoration information (1-1-5a) Pair information group For example, a pair information group is pre-stored in the memory of the server 30. A pair information group is a collection of pair information. Pair information is a pair of cause information and procedure information, as described above. Pair information includes, for example, the first pair information {"System failure", "Please wait until power is restored to the power system"} which is the pair of cause information "System failure" and procedure information "Please wait until power is restored to the power system", the second pair information which is the pair of cause information "Earthquake" and procedure information "Please take action using the following procedure. Check if stoves etc. have fallen over. Turn off all branch circuit breaker switches..." and so on.

(1-1-5b) Acquisition by communication with the server The acquisition unit 121 acquires procedure information by communicating with the server 30 via the communication unit 13 using the power outage information acquired as described above. Communication with the server 30 involves sending the acquired power outage information to the server 30 and receiving the procedure information corresponding to the power outage information from the server 30.

For example, the cause information "earthquake" is transmitted to the server 30 via the communication unit 13. The server 30 then acquires the procedural information corresponding to the cause information "earthquake," based on the second pair of information in the paired information group: "Please take action using the following procedure. Check if stoves, etc., have fallen over..." The procedural information acquired by the server 30 is then received via the communication unit 13 and passed to the acquisition unit 121.

(1-1-6) Modification of the method for acquiring power restoration information The pair of information may be stored in the memory of the circuit breaker 1 (for example, the memory of the main breaker 10). The acquisition unit 121 may use the pair of information in the memory to acquire cause information that is paired with the acquired power outage information.

(1-2) Storage Unit The storage unit 10a stores the power outage information and power restoration information acquired by the acquisition unit 121.

In detail, the storage unit 10a first stores power outage information acquired based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 15, and then stores power restoration information acquired from the server 30 based on that power outage information, associated with the power outage information.

(1-3) Reception Section The reception section 11 accepts the prescribed operations. The prescribed operations are usually accepted during the power outage period from the outage to the restoration of power.

(1-3-1) Predetermined Operation The predetermined operation is an operation that serves as a trigger to at least start the communication processing by the communication unit 13. The predetermined operation is, for example, an operation to start and stop the communication processing (for example, a continuous operation or a repetitive operation), but it may also be an operation to simply start the communication processing by the communication unit 13. Details of the predetermined operation will be described later.

(1-4) Communication Unit The communication unit 13 performs communication processing. Communication processing is processing for communication. Communication processing is processing for communication with at least the terminal 40. Communication processing may further include processing for communication with the server 30. In this embodiment, communication processing includes first communication processing and second communication processing.

(1-4-1) First Communication Processing The first communication processing is the processing for communication with the terminal 40. Communication with the terminal 40 is, for example, short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth®, and in this embodiment, it is communication according to the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) method. The first communication processing includes, for example, pairing with the terminal 40, and transmitting various information (power outage information, power restoration information, etc.) to the terminal 40.

(1-4-2) Second Communication Processing The second communication processing is the processing for communication with the server 30. Communication with the server 30 is, for example, wide-area communication via a wide-area network such as the internet or a communication line network.

(1-4-3) Initiation of communication processing in response to a predetermined operation The communication unit 13 initiates communication processing in response to a predetermined operation. In this embodiment, the communication unit 13 initiates first communication processing and second communication processing in response to a predetermined operation.

(1-4-4) Transmission of information to terminal via first communication processing The communication unit 13 transmits at least one of the power outage information and power restoration information stored in the storage unit 10a to the terminal 40 via the initiated first communication processing. In this embodiment, the communication unit 13 transmits both the stored power outage information and power restoration information to the terminal 40.

However, as mentioned above, the storage unit 10a first stores power outage information based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 15, and then stores power restoration information obtained from the server 30 based on that power outage information. Therefore, there may be periods when only power outage information is stored in the storage unit 10a and power restoration information is not stored. During such periods, only power outage information may be transmitted.

(1-4-5) Acquisition of power restoration information from the server via the second communication process The acquisition unit 121 acquires power restoration information including the procedure information by transmitting the cause information included in the power outage information to the server 30 and receiving the procedure information from the server 30 via the second communication process initiated by the communication unit 13. The power restoration information thus acquired is stored in the storage unit 10a in association with the power outage information.

In this way, by having the communication unit 13 initiate a second communication process in response to a predetermined operation, it becomes possible to obtain power restoration information, including procedural information corresponding to the cause information, from the server 30. Furthermore, if the cause of the power outage is outside the circuit breaker 1 (for example, the power system 201), it becomes possible to obtain information related to the power outage and power restoration (for example, the extent of the system outage and the scheduled power restoration time) from the server 30.

(1-4-6) Communication processing immediately after a power outage In this embodiment, the communication unit 13 starts communication processing in response to a power outage and stops communication processing after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start.

In this way, by automatically executing communication processing during the period from the occurrence of a power outage until a predetermined time has elapsed (hereinafter referred to as the "initial communication period"), necessary information (power outage information and power restoration information) can be sent and received without any predetermined operation. Therefore, since the power outage information and power restoration information are stored in the storage unit 10a immediately after the power outage occurs, it becomes possible to quickly transmit the power outage information and power restoration information to the terminal 40 when a predetermined operation is performed.

(1-5) Backup power supply The backup power supply 14 supplies power to at least the communication unit 13 when a power outage occurs. In this embodiment, the backup power supply 14 supplies power to each of the acquisition unit 121, storage unit 10a, reception unit 11, and communication unit 13 for the duration of the power outage, from the time of the power outage until the power is restored.

(1-5-1) Secondary Battery More specifically, the backup power supply 14 includes a secondary battery (not shown). The secondary battery is charged with power from the power system 201 (normal power), and when a power outage occurs, the power stored in the secondary battery (emergency power) is supplied to the acquisition unit 121, the storage unit 10a, the reception unit 11, and the communication unit 13, respectively.

In this embodiment, the secondary battery is, for example, an electric double-layer capacitor. Because electric double-layer capacitors have a small capacitance, the effect of improving reception probability through reduced power consumption is significant.

(1-6) Advantages According to this embodiment, when a power outage occurs, the first communication process and the second communication process are executed over the initial communication period, and power outage information including cause information and power restoration information including procedure information are acquired by the acquisition unit 121 and stored in the storage unit 10a. When a predetermined operation is received by the reception unit 11, at least the first communication process is started by the communication unit 13, and at least one of the power outage information and power restoration information stored in the storage unit 10a is transmitted to the terminal 40 through the first communication process. During the power outage, power for the operation of the communication unit 13, etc., is supplied from the backup power supply 14.

In this way, the execution period of communication processing by the communication unit 13 is limited to the initial communication period described above and after a predetermined operation (for example, the period specified by the predetermined operation: hereinafter referred to as the "specified communication period"), thereby reducing power consumption for communication processing and conserving the remaining capacity of the backup power supply 14. Therefore, in the event of a power outage, the information required by the user (for example, power outage information and power restoration information) can be received via the terminal 40 at the necessary time (for example, immediately after the power outage and immediately before power restoration) with a higher probability.

(2) Details The distribution board 100 according to the embodiment of this disclosure is used, for example, in a power supply system 2 as shown in Figure 1.

(2-1) Power Supply System The power supply system 2 comprises a power grid 201 and a load 202 that receives power from the power grid 201 via a distribution board 100. The power grid 201 supplies power (normal power) to the load 202 via the distribution board 100. The distribution board 100 and the load 202 are located inside the homes (houses) of each of the multiple customers of the power company that manages the power grid 201. Hereinafter, "customer" refers to one of these multiple customers.

(2-2) 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 the second network 302 (described later). However, the load 202 may be an electrical appliance that does not have a function to connect to the second network 302.

(2-3) Circuits The circuits include the first circuit 203a and the second circuit 203b. The first circuit 203a is the circuit on the power system 201 side (the primary side of the main circuit breaker 10) relative to the breaker (main circuit breaker 10). The second circuit 203b is the circuit on the load 202 side (the secondary side of the main circuit breaker 10) relative to the breaker (main circuit breaker 10).

(2-4) Terminal The above customer may use the terminal 40. Use means, for example, viewing information displayed on the display or outputting sound from the speaker, inputting information via an input device such as a touch panel, etc.

Terminal 40 is, for example, a mobile device such as a smartphone, but it may also be a stationary device such as a desktop PC (Personal Computer). Mobile devices are carried by the customer. Stationary devices are installed in the customer's home.

In this embodiment, terminal 40 is capable of communicating (wide-area communication) with server 30 (described later). Terminal 40 comprises a processor and memory (computer), a communication module, an input device such as a touch panel, and an output device such as a display. In addition to the short-range wireless communication with the main circuit breaker 10, the communication module of terminal 40 further enables wide-area communication with server 30.

(2-5) Server The server 30 provides services to customers via the terminal 40. The services may include, for example, notifying customers of power outage information regarding power outages in the power grid 201. The services are provided through application software (hereinafter referred to as "application") 401 installed on the terminal 40.

Server 30 comprises a processor, memory, and a communication module. The memory stores information such as the aforementioned data sets. The communication module of Server 30 enables wide-area communication via a network such as the Internet. The processor operates based on programs in memory (and in cooperation with the communication module), thereby realizing the functions of Server 30 (for example, the processes shown in the flowchart of Figure 5).

(2-6) Network The server 30 is connected to the terminal 40 so as to be able to communicate with it via the 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 load 202 is connected is the second network 302. The second network 302 is, for example, a PLC (Power Line Communications) network that communicates via the electrical circuitry within a home.

The second network 302 is connected to the first network 301 via the gateway (GW) 303, enabling communication.

In detail, because the communication protocol of the first network (a wide-area network such as the Internet) 301 to which the server 30 is connected differs from the communication protocol of the second network (PLC network) 302 to which the main circuit breaker 10 is connected (via the measurement unit 15), a gateway (GW) 303 is interposed between the first network 301 and the second network 302 to convert the protocols between the two.

(2-7) Distribution board The distribution board 100, as shown in Figure 1, includes a main circuit breaker 10, a backup power supply 14, a measurement unit 15, and two or more branch circuit breakers 50. The distribution board 100 further includes a box 100A (see Figure 8) that houses the above elements.

The aforementioned circuit breaker 1 is implemented using the following elements: the main breaker 10, the measurement unit 15, and the backup power supply 14.

(2-7-1) Main breaker The main breaker 10 is electrically connected to the power system 201 on its primary side and to each of the two or more branch breakers 50 on its secondary side.

Furthermore, the main circuit breaker 10 is connected to both the measurement unit 15 and the terminal 40 via short-range wireless communication such as BLE. Note that the connection between the measurement unit 15 and the main circuit breaker 10 may also be a wired connection.

For details, as shown in Figure 8, the main circuit breaker 10 is equipped with a switch (also called a handle) 10A for opening and closing contacts (described later), and the branch circuit breaker 50 is also equipped with a similar switch.

The main circuit breaker 10 has a detection function for detecting overcurrent, leakage current, and earthquakes, a tripping function that interrupts the current in the circuit (enters a tripped state) when an overcurrent or other event is detected, and a communication function for communicating with the measurement unit 15 and the terminal 40, respectively.

The main circuit breaker 10 will trip if an overcurrent or ground fault occurs in the second circuit 203b, or if an earthquake occurs. When the main circuit breaker 10 trips, the power supply to the load 202 is stopped.

The main circuit breaker 10 includes a processor (CPU, MPU, etc.), memory (semiconductor memory, SSD, etc.), and a communication module (none of which are shown in the figure). Various data and programs are stored in the memory, and the processor executes these programs using the data, thereby realizing the detection and shutdown functions described above.

Furthermore, the above communication function is implemented by a communication module. Specifically, the communication module of the main circuit breaker 10 implements short-range wireless communication.

In this embodiment, the communication module of the measurement unit 15 (described later) has two types of communication functions: short-range wireless communication and communication via the second network 302. Therefore, the communication module of the main circuit breaker 10 further realizes the communication function via the second network 302 by performing short-range wireless communication with the communication module of the measurement unit 15.

(2-7-2) Measurement Unit The measurement unit 15 includes a power meter (not shown) connected to the first circuit 203a, an ammeter (not shown) connected to the second circuit 203b, and an accelerometer (not shown).

The measurement unit 15 measures the power of the first circuit 203a using the power meter and obtains the power value as a result of that measurement. The measurement unit 15 also measures the current of the second circuit 203b using the ammeter and obtains the current value as a result of that measurement. Furthermore, the measurement unit 15 measures its own acceleration using the accelerometer and obtains the acceleration value as a result of that measurement.

The aforementioned acquisition unit 121 determines whether the power outage is a system outage or an in-house outage based on the power values measured by the measurement unit 15, and acquires cause information (first cause information) indicating the determination result. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 121 determines whether the cause of the in-house outage is an overcurrent, a ground fault, or an earthquake based on the current and acceleration measured by the measurement unit 15, and acquires cause information (second cause information) indicating the determination result.

In this embodiment, the measurement unit 15 is separate from the main circuit breaker 10, but it may also be a component of the main circuit breaker 10. For example, of the power meter, ammeter, and accelerometer, at least the power meter may be built into the main circuit breaker 10. Furthermore, at least one of the ammeter and accelerometer may be further built into the main circuit breaker 10.

Alternatively, the measurement unit 15 may be located within the distribution board 100, in an internal component other than the main circuit breaker 10 (for example, a limiter), or it may be located outside the distribution board 100. The location of the measurement unit 15 is irrelevant as long as the measurement results from the measurement unit 15 can be transmitted to the processing unit 12 of the circuit breaker 1.

(2-7-3) Buttons In this embodiment, the button 15A that accepts a predetermined operation is provided on the measurement unit. However, the button 15A may be provided on the main breaker 10, for example, or anywhere on the circuit breaker 1.

Furthermore, although the measurement unit 15 in this embodiment further includes a display 15B for displaying information such as measurement results, as shown in Figure 8, the display 15B is not required.

(2-8) Details of the predetermined operation The predetermined operation in this embodiment is an operation that indicates the start timing and stop timing of the communication process. As a result, the communication process is performed only during the period from the start timing to the stop timing indicated by the predetermined operation, so that in the event of a power outage, power consumption can be suppressed while necessary information can be sent and received when needed.

Such a predetermined operation is, for example, a sustained operation. A sustained operation is, for example, a sustained press operation of button 15A as shown in Figure 8. A sustained press operation of button 15A is an operation where button 15A is continuously pressed, with the start timing indicated by the beginning of the press and the stop timing indicated by the end of the press.

The communication unit 13 begins communication processing in response to the reception unit 11 beginning to accept a continuous operation, and stops communication processing in response to the reception ending.

This means that communication processing is performed only during the period when a predetermined operation is being held down (for example, while button 15A is pressed), thus enabling the transmission and reception of necessary information only when needed, while suppressing power consumption.

(2-9) Modification of the prescribed operation 1
The predetermined operation in this modified example is a repetitive operation. The repetitive operation is, for example, the repeated pressing of button 15A shown in Figure 8. The repeated pressing of button 15A involves pressing button 15A once and then pressing it again, with the first press indicating the start timing and the second press indicating the stop timing.

The communication unit 13 starts communication processing in response to the reception unit 11 receiving a repetitive operation (first press of button 15A) while communication processing is stopped. Then, the communication unit 13 stops communication processing in response to receiving another repetitive operation (second press of button 15A) while communication processing is in progress.

Button 15A changes from a protruding state to a pressed state in response to a press operation (first press) performed while communication processing is stopped. Furthermore, button 15A changes from a pressed state to a protruding state in response to a press operation (second press) performed while communication processing is in progress.

The communication unit 13 starts communication processing when button 15A changes from an extended state to a pressed state. Then, the communication unit 13 stops communication processing when button 15A changes from a pressed state to an extended state.

According to this modified version, communication processing is performed only during the period between repeated presses of button 15A and subsequent presses, thus enabling the transmission and reception of necessary information only when needed, while suppressing power consumption.

Furthermore, the user can be made aware of whether communication processing is currently underway based on whether button 15A is pressed or unpressed.

(2-10) Modification of the prescribed operation 2
In this modified example, the specified operation is an operation that indicates only the start timing of the communication process. The started communication process is automatically stopped (for example, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start).

In other words, the communication unit 13 starts communication processing in response to the reception unit 11 receiving a predetermined operation, and stops communication processing after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start.

According to this modified version, communication processing is performed only during the period from the acceptance of a predetermined operation until a predetermined time has elapsed. Therefore, power consumption can be reduced while enabling the transmission and reception of necessary information when needed.

(2-11) Operation of the Circuit Breaker The circuit breaker 1 operates, for example, according to the flowcharts in Figures 3 and 4. The processing in these flowcharts is initiated in response to the supply of power. In this embodiment, the supply of power refers to the start of power supply from the distribution board 100 to the load 202. The main breaker 10 also stores a customer identifier in its memory. The customer identifier is information that identifies a customer, such as an ID such as a customer number or a telephone number.

For example, when power is supplied from power system 201, and the main circuit breaker 10's switch 10A (and the branch circuit breaker switches) is turned on, power supply from the distribution board 100 to load 202 begins. Also, when the main circuit breaker 10's switch 10A (and the branch circuit breaker switches) is turned on and the power outage is resolved, power supply from the distribution board 100 to load 202 begins.

The acquisition unit 121 determines whether or not a power outage has occurred based on the measurement results from the measurement unit 15 (step S1). If it is determined that no power outage has occurred, the process proceeds to step S8 (described later).

If a power outage is detected in step S1, the backup power supply 14 begins supplying emergency power to the main circuit breaker 10 and the measurement unit (communication unit 13, etc.) (step S2). The communication unit 13 receives the emergency power supply and begins communication processing (step S3).

The acquisition unit 121 acquires power outage information, including cause information, based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 15 (step S4). The storage unit 10a stores the power outage information acquired in step S4 (step S5).

The communication unit 13 transmits the cause information obtained in step S4 (along with the customer identifier stored in the main circuit breaker 10's memory) to the server 30 (step S6). The communication unit 13 also transmits the power outage information obtained in step S4 to the terminal 40 (step S7). The process then returns to step S1.

If it is determined in step S1 that no power outage has occurred, the processing unit 12 determines whether the communication unit 13 has received power restoration information from the server 30 (step S8). If the communication unit 13 determines that it has not received power restoration information from the server 30, the process proceeds to step S11 (described later).

If the communication unit 13 determines in step S8 that it has received power restoration information from the server 30, the storage unit 10a stores the received power restoration information (step S9). The communication unit 13 transmits the received power restoration information to the terminal 40 (step S10). The process then returns to step S1.

If the communication unit 13 determines in step S8 that it has not received power restoration information from the server 30, the processing unit 12 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of communication processing in step S3 (step S11). If it determines that a predetermined time has not elapsed since the start of communication processing (i.e., the elapsed time since the start of communication is still less than the predetermined time), the process returns to step S1.

If it is determined in step S11 that a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the communication process, the communication unit 13 stops the communication process (step S12). The process then proceeds to step S13.

The processing unit 12 determines whether the receiving unit 11 has received a predetermined operation (step S13). If it is determined that the receiving unit 11 has not received the predetermined operation, the process proceeds to step S16 (described later).

If the reception unit 11 determines in step S13 that it has received a predetermined operation, the communication unit 13 starts communication processing (step S14) and transmits the power outage information and power restoration information stored in the storage unit 10a to the terminal 40 (step S15). After that, the process returns to step S13.

If the reception unit 11 determines in step S13 that it has not received the predetermined operation, the communication unit 13 determines whether the conditions have been met (step S16). The conditions are, for example, "the predetermined operation has been completed" if the predetermined operation is a continuous operation, and "the predetermined operation has been performed again" if the predetermined operation is a repetitive operation. Furthermore, if the predetermined operation indicates a start timing, the condition is "a predetermined time has elapsed since the predetermined operation." If it is determined that the conditions have not been met, the process proceeds to step S18 (described later).

If the conditions are determined to be met in step S16, the communication unit 13 stops the communication process (step S17). The process then returns to step S13.

If it is determined in step S16 that the conditions are not met, the processing unit 12 determines whether power has been restored (step S18). If it is determined that power has not yet been restored, the process returns to step S13.

If it is determined in step S18 that power has been restored, the backup power supply 14 stops supplying emergency power (step S19). The process then returns to step S1.

(2-12) Server Operation Server 30 operates, for example, according to the flowchart in Figure 5. The processing in this flowchart is performed for each customer (for example, for each of two or more customer identifiers). The processing in this flowchart is started when Server 30 is started. The memory of Server 30 stores the paired information group (described above).

The server 30 determines whether or not it has received cause information (along with the customer identifier) from the circuit breaker 1 (distribution board 100) (step S31). If cause information has not been received, the process returns to step S31.

When the server 30 receives cause information from the distribution panel 100, it uses the group of paired information stored in memory to obtain procedure information corresponding to the cause information received in step S31, and then obtains power restoration information including the obtained procedure information (step S32).

Next, the server 30 transmits the power restoration information acquired in step S32 to the circuit breaker 1 (the circuit breaker 1 corresponding to the customer identifier received in step S31 along with the cause information) (step S33). After that, the process returns to step S31.

(2-13) Example of Distribution Board Operation For example, when an earthquake occurs, the state of each part of the circuit breaker 1 changes as shown in Figure 6. That is, in response to the earthquake, the main breaker 10 changes from the ON state to the OFF state (trip state) (trips). The OFF state of the main breaker 10 will continue until the user turns on the switch 10A of the main breaker 10 (on operation).

In response to the tripping of the main circuit breaker 10, the backup power supply 14 changes from the off state (charged by power from the power system 201) to the on state (supplying power to the communication unit 13, etc.). The backup power supply 14 remains on until the tripped main circuit breaker 10 is reset by an on operation.

In response to the tripping of the main circuit breaker 10, the communication unit 13 begins communication processing. This communication processing (i.e., communication processing immediately after the earthquake) continues for a time Δt. For example, if the time of the earthquake is t1, the communication processing immediately after the earthquake is executed over the initial communication period from time t1 to time "t1 + Δt". Note that while Δt is, for example, 5 minutes, it may be changed to an appropriate value considering the capacity of the secondary battery, etc.

During the initial communication period (from time t1 to time "t1 + Δt"), notification regarding the cause of the power outage and the procedure for restoring power is sent via application 401 on terminal 40. Specifically, a notification screen 40A, such as the one shown in Figure 7, is displayed on the terminal 40's display.

Notification screen 40A includes messages such as, "A power outage has occurred. The cause of the power outage is the tripping of the circuit breaker inside the house due to the earthquake. Please restore power by following these steps: Check if stoves, etc., have fallen over. Turn off all branch circuit breaker switches. Turn on the main circuit breaker switch. Turn on the branch circuit breaker switches one by one..."

The user is assumed to have evacuated without taking any action to restore power at the time of notification during the initial communication period, and to have returned home several hours after the evacuation.

Upon returning home, the user performs a predetermined operation (in this example, the predetermined operation described in "Modification Example 2 of the Predetermined Operation") on button 15A of the distribution panel 100, prior to performing the operation to restore power. In response to this predetermined operation, the communication unit 13 resumes communication processing. This communication processing (i.e., the communication processing immediately following the predetermined operation) is assumed to continue for a time Δt.

In other words, during the specified communication period (time t2 to time "t2 + Δt") determined by a predetermined operation, notification regarding the cause of the power outage and the power restoration procedure will be sent again. Note that in this example, the length of the specified communication period is the same as the length of the initial communication period (= Δt), but it may be a different length (for example, 2 × Δt).

The notification screen 40A shown in Figure 7 will be displayed again on the terminal 40's display. The user will then perform the necessary operations to restore power (such as turning on the main circuit breaker 10) according to the instructions displayed on the notification screen 40A.

In response to the ON operation, the main circuit breaker 10 changes from the OFF state to the ON state (i.e., the trip of the main circuit breaker 10 is manually released). Consequently, the backup power supply 14 changes from the ON state to the OFF state (charging of the secondary battery resumes).

(2-14) Advantages of the distribution board As described above, with the distribution board 100 of this embodiment, when a power outage occurs, the information that the user needs (power outage information and/or power restoration information) can be received via the terminal 40 at the time needed (for example, immediately after the power outage and/or immediately before power is restored) with a higher probability.

(3) Summary The circuit breaker (1) according to the first aspect of the present disclosure comprises an acquisition unit (121), a storage unit (10a), a reception unit (11), a communication unit (13), and a backup power supply (14). The acquisition unit (121) acquires power outage information and power restoration information in response to the occurrence of a power outage. The power outage information includes cause information. The cause information is information relating to the cause of the power outage. The power restoration information includes procedure information. The procedure information is information relating to the procedure for restoring power corresponding to the cause. The storage unit (10a) stores the power outage information and the power restoration information. The reception unit (11) accepts a predetermined operation. The communication unit (13), in response to the predetermined operation, starts communication processing for communication with at least a terminal (40), and transmits at least one of the power outage information and the power restoration information to the terminal (40) through the communication processing. The backup power supply (14) supplies power to at least the communication unit (13) among the acquisition unit (121), storage unit (10a), reception unit (11), and communication unit (13) during the power outage period from the power outage to the power restoration.

According to this configuration, when a power outage occurs, the information the user needs (power outage information and/or power restoration information) can be received via the terminal (40) at the necessary time (for example, immediately after the power outage and/or immediately before power restoration) with a higher probability.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the second embodiment, the predetermined operation in the first embodiment is an operation that indicates the start timing and stop timing of the communication processing.

According to this configuration, communication processing is performed only during the period from the start timing to the stop timing indicated by the predetermined operation. Therefore, in the event of a power outage, power consumption can be reduced while enabling the transmission and reception of necessary information when needed.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the third embodiment, the predetermined operation is a continuous operation, as in the second embodiment. The communication unit (13) starts the communication processing in response to the reception unit (11) starting to accept the predetermined operation, and stops in response to the reception ending.

According to this configuration, communication processing is performed only during the period in which a predetermined operation is being performed (for example, while button 15A is pressed), thus enabling the transmission and reception of necessary information only when needed, while suppressing power consumption.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the fourth embodiment, the predetermined operation is a repetitive operation, as in the second embodiment. The communication unit (13) starts the communication process in response to the reception unit (11) receiving the predetermined operation while the communication process is stopped. Then, the communication unit (13) stops the communication process in response to the reception unit (11) receiving the predetermined operation again while the communication process is running.

According to this configuration, communication processing is performed only during the period between the acceptance of a predetermined operation and subsequent acceptance, thereby enabling the transmission and reception of necessary information when needed while suppressing power consumption.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the fifth embodiment, in the fourth embodiment, the predetermined operation is a repeated pressing operation of the button (15A). The button (15A) changes from a protruding state to a pressed state in response to a pressing operation performed while the communication process is stopped. Furthermore, the button (15A) changes from the pressed state to the protruding state in response to a pressing operation performed while the communication process is running. The communication unit (13) starts the communication process in response to the button (15A) changing from the protruding state to the pressed state. Then, the communication unit (13) stops the communication process in response to the button (15A) changing from the pressed state to the protruding state.

According to this embodiment, the user can be made aware of whether or not communication processing is in progress based on whether the button (15A) is pressed or unpressed.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the sixth embodiment, in the first embodiment, the predetermined operation is an operation indicating the start timing of the communication process. The communication unit (13) starts the communication process in response to the reception unit (11) receiving the predetermined operation, and stops the communication process after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start.

According to this configuration, communication processing is performed only during the period from the acceptance of a predetermined operation until a predetermined time has elapsed. Therefore, power consumption can be reduced while enabling the transmission and reception of necessary information when needed.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the seventh embodiment, in any of the first to sixth embodiments, the communication unit (13) starts the communication processing in response to the occurrence of the power outage, and stops the communication processing after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start.

According to this configuration, communication processing is automatically performed for a predetermined period of time following a power outage, allowing necessary information to be sent and received without any specific operation.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the eighth embodiment, in any of the first to seventh embodiments, communication with the terminal (40) is communication according to the BLE method.

In this configuration, because BLE communication consumes less power, the effect of improving reception probability based on reduced power consumption becomes significant.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the ninth embodiment, in any of the first to eighth embodiments, the backup power supply (14) includes an electric double-layer capacitor.

In this embodiment, because the electric double-layer capacitor has a small capacitance, the effect of improving reception probability based on reduced power consumption is significant.

In the circuit breaker (1) according to the tenth embodiment, in any of the first to ninth embodiments, the communication process includes a first communication process and a second communication process. The first communication process is for communication with the terminal (40). The second communication process is for communication with the server (30). The communication unit (13) starts the first and second communication processes in response to the predetermined operation. The communication unit (13) then transmits the power outage information to the terminal (40) through the first communication process. The acquisition unit (121) acquires the power restoration information by transmitting the cause information to the server (30) and receiving the procedure information from the server (30) through the second communication process.

According to this embodiment, it becomes possible to obtain power restoration information, including procedural information corresponding to the cause information, from the server (30). Furthermore, if the cause of the power outage is outside the circuit breaker (1) (for example, the power system 201), it becomes possible to obtain information related to the power outage and power restoration (for example, the extent of the system outage and the scheduled time of power restoration) from the server (30).

The distribution board (100) according to the eleventh embodiment comprises a circuit breaker (1) according to any of the first to tenth embodiments, and a box (100A) housing the circuit breaker (1).

According to this configuration, when a power outage occurs, the information the user needs (power outage information and/or power restoration information) can be received via the terminal (40) at the necessary time (for example, immediately after the power outage and/or immediately before power restoration) with a higher probability.

1 Circuit breaker 100 Distribution board 10a Storage unit 11 Reception unit 12 Processing unit 121 Acquisition unit 13 Communication unit 14 Backup power supply 15A Button 30 Server 40 Terminal

Claims (11)

An acquisition unit that, in response to the occurrence of a power outage, acquires power outage information including cause information regarding the cause of the power outage, and power restoration information including procedure information regarding the procedure for restoring power corresponding to the cause,
A storage unit that stores the aforementioned power outage information and the aforementioned power restoration information,
A reception desk that accepts the prescribed operations,
A communication unit that, in response to the predetermined operation, initiates communication processing for communication with a terminal, and through the communication processing transmits at least the power outage information, of the power outage information and the power restoration information, to the terminal.
During the power outage period from the aforementioned power outage to the aforementioned power restoration, the system includes a backup power supply that supplies power to at least the communication unit among the acquisition unit, storage unit, reception unit, and communication unit.
Circuit breaker. The aforementioned predetermined operation is an operation that indicates the start timing and stop timing of the communication process.
The circuit breaker according to claim 1. The aforementioned predetermined operation is a continuous operation,
The communication unit starts the communication processing in response to the reception unit starting to accept the predetermined operation, and stops it in response to the reception unit ending the operation.
The circuit breaker according to claim 2. The aforementioned predetermined operation is a repetitive operation,
The communication unit starts the communication process when the receiving unit receives the predetermined operation while the communication process is stopped, and stops the communication process when the receiving unit receives the predetermined operation again while the communication process is in progress.
The circuit breaker according to claim 2. The aforementioned predetermined operation is a repeated pressing operation of a button,
The aforementioned button is,
In response to a pressing operation performed while the aforementioned communication processing is stopped, the state changes from protruding to pressed.
In response to a pressing operation performed during the execution of the aforementioned communication process, the state changes from the pressed state to the protruding state.
The communication unit starts the communication process when the button changes from the protruding state to the pressed state, and stops the communication process when the button changes from the pressed state to the protruding state.
The circuit breaker according to claim 4. The aforementioned predetermined operation is an operation that indicates the start timing of the communication process,
The communication unit starts the communication process in response to the reception unit receiving the predetermined operation, and stops the communication process after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start.
The circuit breaker according to claim 1. The communication unit starts the communication process in response to the occurrence of the power outage, and stops the communication process after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start.
The circuit breaker according to claim 1. Communication with the aforementioned terminal is conducted according to the BLE protocol.
The circuit breaker according to claim 1. The aforementioned backup power supply includes an electric double-layer capacitor,
The circuit breaker according to claim 1. The aforementioned communication process includes a first communication process for communication with the terminal and a second communication process for communication with the server.
The communication unit initiates the first communication process and the second communication process in response to the predetermined operation, and transmits the power outage information to the terminal through the first communication process.
The acquisition unit is,
By transmitting the cause information to the server and receiving the procedure information from the server through the second communication process, the power restoration information is obtained.
The circuit breaker according to claim 1. The circuit breaker according to claim 1,
The system comprises a box housing the circuit breaker,
Distribution board.