KR20160003517A - Smart plug and socket, and smart power consumption control system for using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a smart plug and receptacle and a smart power management system using the same, which can easily set a product type and a use position of an electric device connected to an outlet and manage power consumption remotely based on the set.
The smart plug and the socket according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a body part, a plug coupling part formed to insert a plug into one side of the body part, a device setting part configured to select a product type of the electric device inserted into the plug coupling part, And a communication unit for transmitting information of the electric device to the outside according to a control signal of the control unit and receiving a control signal from the outside according to a control signal of the control unit.
A smart power management system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a smart plug, an outlet, a smart plug, and a power management unit for receiving, classifying, and displaying information on an electric device transmitted from the outlet.

Description

The present invention relates to a smart plug and socket and a smart power management system using the same,

The present invention relates to a smart plug and an outlet, and a smart power management system using the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a smart plug or receptacle capable of recognizing a product type, a use position and a consumed electric power of an electric device plugged into an outlet, To a smart power management system capable of managing and controlling power usage information.

Generally, a conventional smart outlet or plug can not automatically input the device information and the usage position connected to the outlet or the plug remotely from the plug or the outlet, and the manager can not easily input the information of the device, I had to enter it every time. This has caused a great inconvenience in the case of a large number of smart plugs or outlets, such as a building or a large workplace. Especially, when the type of appliance plugged into the outlet and the usage position are changed, Resulting in a decrease.

In addition, for the purpose of solving the energy and electric power problems around the world, and for the purpose of saving electric power in buildings and households and enabling efficient electricity usage, smart plug and outlet and smart There is a growing demand for electrical management systems.

An object of the present invention is to provide a smart plug and a receptacle capable of easily setting a product type and a use position of an electric apparatus connected to an outlet and managing power consumption remotely on the basis of the set, and a smart power management system using the same.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a smart plug and a receptacle including a body portion, a plug coupling portion formed at one side of the body portion to insert the plug, A control unit for identifying information on the electric device, and a communication unit for transmitting information of the electric device to the outside according to a control signal of the control unit and receiving a control signal from the outside.

Further, the smart plug and the receptacle according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a position setting unit configured to allow a user to select a use position of the electric device.

Further, the smart plug and the receptacle according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a current sensor for measuring current consumption of the device connected to the plug coupling portion.

In addition, the smart plug and the receptacle according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a light emitting unit emitting light in a predetermined color according to a control signal of the control unit.

In addition, the smart plug and the receptacle according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a power cutoff unit for cutting off the power supplied to the plug coupling unit according to the control signal of the control unit.

In addition, the device setting unit may be constituted of a smart plug and a cylindrical rotary knob rotatably mounted on the outside of the socket, a contact type rotary switch coupled to the rotary knob in unison with the rotary knob and mounted on the printed circuit board.

In addition, the device setting unit may include a rotary switch formed in a ring shape having a plurality of product icons and a transparent window displayed at regular intervals on the outer circumferential surface of the body and rotatably coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the body, As one rotates, one of the product icons may be visible through the transparent window.

The smart power management system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a smart plug, a smart plug, a smart plug, and a power management unit for receiving, classifying and displaying information about an electric device transmitted from the outlet.

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily set the product type and the use position of the electric device plugged into the outlet, and to manage the amount of power consumption remotely based on this.

In addition, since the operation state of the electric devices in use can be grasped at a glance, electricity consumption can be reduced by cutting off electricity to devices that are unnecessarily in operation or consuming standby power.

Further, by grasping the use position of the electric devices at a glance and appropriately distributing the electric devices appropriately, it is possible to prevent an accident such as a fire due to an excessive load being applied to a part of the use position.

1 is a block diagram of a smart plug and receptacle according to an embodiment of the invention;
2 is a perspective view of a smart plug and a receptacle according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a perspective view of a smart plug and a receptacle according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view of a smart plug and a receptacle according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
5 is a perspective view of a smart plug and a receptacle according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;
6 is a configuration diagram of a smart power management system according to an embodiment of the present invention;
7 is a configuration diagram of a smart power management system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

The objects, particular advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and examples taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, in the present specification, the reference numerals are added to the constituent elements of the drawings, and the same constituent elements are assigned the same number as much as possible even if they are displayed on different drawings. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram of a smart plug and a receptacle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 includes a body portion 405, a plug coupling portion 410, a device setting portion 430, a position setting portion 440, a control portion 450, a current measuring portion 480 A power shutoff unit 470, a communication unit 420, and a light emitting unit 460.

A plug of the electric device is plugged into the plug coupling portion 410 and electrically connected to the smart plug and the socket. The plug engagement portion 410 is the same as the plug engagement portion of a general outlet. Accordingly, the plug coupling portion 410 includes a pair of terminal holes into which a pair of plug pins formed so as to protrude are inserted.

The device setting unit 430 and the position setting unit 440 are provided for the user to select the product type and the use position of the electric device electrically connected to the plug coupling unit 410. [ Therefore, the device setting unit 430 and the position setting unit 440 are provided with a smart plug and a cylindrical rotary knob rotatably installed outside the socket, a rotary knob and a rotary knob for allowing the user to select the product type and the usage position of the electric device And may be constituted by respective contact type rotary switches which are combined to be rotated integrally and mounted on a printed circuit board. In addition, icons of the device type and the use position are arranged around the rotary knob to improve the aesthetics, and the user can easily select the product type and the usage position of the electric device.

The control unit 450 identifies the product type and the usage position of the electric device selected by the user and applies a control signal to the power cutoff unit 470 and the light emitting unit 460 to be described below, The power supplied to the coupling part 410 is cut off or the light emitting element emits light. It also receives a signal from the communication unit or transmits a signal to the communication unit. As a method for identifying the product type and the use position of the electric device selected by the user by the controller 450, a switch having a variable resistor is used to store the type and use position of the device according to the resistance value in the memory, A method of stopping at the use position and having a specific resistance value may be used, in which a value is called from the memory register to identify the type and use position of the device.

The communication unit 420 transmits information on the product type and the usage position of the electric device to the power management unit. The communication unit 420 may include a communication module for performing Wi-Fi, Zigbee, WiBro, and other 2G / 3G / 4G communication for wirelessly transmitting information. In addition, the communication unit 420 may include wired communication terminals to transmit information to the wired network.

The light emitting unit 460 emits light according to the control signal of the controller 450. Therefore, the light emitting portion 460 is formed including the light emitting element. The light emitting device may be a light emitting diode (LED). Further, the light emitting element may be an element emitting light of various colors. Thus, it can be designed to emit light of various colors according to the product type, use position, and current consumption of the electric device connected to the plug coupling part 410. Thus, the user can intuitively check the power consumption of the device and take necessary measures. If the consumed electric power of the apparatus is equal to or more than the threshold value, the light emitting element may be designed to blink.

The current measuring unit 480 measures the consumed current of the device plugged into the plug coupling unit 410 and transmits it to the control unit 450. The current measuring unit 480 may include a general current sensor and an analog to digital converter (ADC) that converts an analog signal recognized by the current sensor into a digital signal.

The power cutoff unit 470 cuts off the power supplied to the plug coupling unit 410 according to the control signal of the control unit 450. The power cutoff unit 470 may be a power semiconductor device such as an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) or a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).

FIGS. 2 to 5 show smart plugs and outlets having various types of device setting units and position setting units.

2 is formed in a ring shape having a plurality of product icons 160 and a transparent window which are displayed at regular intervals on the outer circumferential surface of the body part 180, And a rotary switch 130 rotatably coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the rotary shaft 180. Accordingly, when the user rotates the rotary switch, one of the product icons is displayed to the outside through the transparent window, so that the user can set a desired device.

2 is also formed in a ring shape having a plurality of use position icons 170 and a transparent window that are displayed at regular intervals on the outer circumferential surface of the body portion 180 and is rotatably attached to the outer circumferential surface of the body portion 180 And a rotation switch 140 that is coupled as far as possible. Accordingly, when the user rotates the rotary switch, one of the use position icons is displayed outside through the transparent window, so that the user can set a desired use position.

The smart plug and the receptacle 100 of FIG. 2 further include a circular power switch 150 below the position setting unit. The user can turn on and off the power switch 150 by pressing the power switch 150 so that the plug coupling unit 110 is powered or shut off. In addition, the light emitting unit may be disposed on the power switch 150 so that the user can intuitively check whether the power is turned on or off and the amount of power consumed by the electric device connected to the plug coupling unit 110.

The smart plug and the receptacle 100 of FIG. 2 are different from the other embodiments in that a pair of plugs 120, which are inserted into another socket and electrically connected to each other, are provided directly on the main body.

The smart plug and the receptacle shown in FIG. 3 are provided with one plug coupling part 410 at the center, and the cylindrical coupling rotary part is provided on the right and left sides of the plug coupling part 410, respectively, . Around the rotary knob is a set of electronics such as TV, refrigerator, washing machine, air conditioner, electric port, audio, and other devices. And the like are displayed. A light emitting portion 460 is provided on the upper side of the plug coupling portion 410 so that the user can intuitively check the amount of power consumed by the device.

The smart plug and the receptacle shown in Fig. 4 are integrated with a switch for setting the device and setting the usage position. By integrating the switch for setting the device and setting the position of use, it is possible to reduce the size of the smart plug and the outlet by reducing the space occupied by the switch.

The smart plug shown in FIG. 5 and the switch for setting the appliance and the use position of the outlet are made of a sliding type so that the type of the appliance and the use position of the appliance can be selected by adjusting the slide bar to the left and right.

6 is a block diagram of a smart power management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The smart power management system of FIG. 6 includes a plurality of smart plugs, a socket 400, a smart plug, and a power management unit 500 that collects, classifies and manages information transmitted by the outlet.

The power management unit 500 receives information on the type, use position, and power consumption of the electronic product transmitted from the smart plug and the communication unit of the outlet, automatically classifies and displays the information on the use of the electronic product, give. The power management unit 500 may include a smart plug and a computer having a communication module for communicating with the outlet, and an application for driving the computer. The power management unit 500 may transmit a control signal to the smart plug and the outlet through the input means provided therein to cut off the power of the smart plug and the outlet. Since the smart power management system configured as described above can grasp at a glance the operating states of the electric devices in use, it transmits control signals to smart plugs and outlets of devices that are unnecessarily operating or consuming standby power, Consumption can be reduced. Further, by grasping the use position of the electric devices at a glance and appropriately distributing the electric devices appropriately, it is possible to prevent an accident such as a fire due to an excessive load being applied to a part of the use position.

7 is a block diagram of a smart power management system according to another embodiment of the present invention. The smart power management system of FIG. 7 amplifies signals transmitted from a plurality of smart plugs and receptacles 100, a plurality of smart plugs and an outlet 100 so that communication between the smart plugs and the receptacle 100 and the power management unit 300 And a communication repeater 200 for facilitating the communication. Since the communication repeater 200 is a well-known technology, a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

The power management unit 300 may include a smart phone and a driving application as shown in FIG. In this case, the user can install the app on the smartphone to check power usage information and manage power usage anytime and anywhere.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It will be apparent that modifications and improvements can be made by those skilled in the art. Thus, for example, a smart plug according to the present invention and a smart plug and socket in the form of a multi-tab combining several outlets are also possible. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

100, 400, 500, 600: Smart plug and outlet
110, 410, 510, 610:
130, 430, 530, 630:
140, 440, 540, 640:
200: communication repeater
300, 500: Power management unit
420:
450:
460:
470: Power cut-
480: Current measuring unit

Claims (9)

A body portion;
A plug engaging portion formed at one side of the body portion so as to be inserted into the plug;
A device setting unit configured to allow a user to select a product type of the electric device inserted in the plug coupling portion;
A control unit for identifying information on the electric device; And
A communication unit for transmitting information of the electric device to the outside according to a control signal of the control unit and receiving a control signal from the outside;
Smart plug and receptacle containing.
The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a position setting unit configured to allow a user to select a use position of the electric device.
3. The method of claim 2,
Further comprising a current sensor for measuring current consumption of the device connected to the plug coupling portion.
The method of claim 3,
And a light emitting unit emitting light in a predetermined color according to a control signal of the control unit.
5. The method of claim 4,
Further comprising a power cutoff unit for cutting off a power supplied to the plug coupling unit according to a control signal of the control unit.
The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a pair of plugs formed on one side of the body portion so as to be inserted into the other receptacle.
The method according to claim 1,
The device setting unit,
A smart plug and a cylindrical rotary knob rotatably mounted on the outside of the socket, and a contact type rotary switch connected to the rotary knob to be integrally rotated and mounted on a printed circuit board.
The method according to claim 1,
The device setting unit,
And a rotary switch rotatably coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the body part, the rotary switch being formed in a ring shape having a plurality of product icons and a transparent window that are arranged at regular intervals on the outer circumferential surface of the body part, Wherein one of the product icons is visible through the window.
9. A smart plug and socket according to any one of claims 1 to 8;
A power manager for receiving, classifying, and displaying information on the electric device transmitted from the smart plug and the outlet;
The smart power management system comprising:

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