Load estimating device and power supply device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11255888-B2
Application number	US-202017023643-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2020
Priority date	Mar 20, 2018
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

A load estimating device measures a voltage and a current supplied to a plurality of loads connected with a power supply, and obtains feature amounts of the plurality of loads from measurement values of the voltage and the current. A storage device stores a feature amount of each combination of two or more loads in advance. The load estimating device estimates what the plurality of loads connected with the power supply device are, on the basis of the obtained feature amounts and the feature amounts stored in the storage device. The feature amount includes a combination of an apparent power and a power factor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A load estimating device, comprising:
a measuring circuit configured to measure a voltage and a current supplied to a plurality of loads connected with a power supply device;
a calculating unit configured to calculate feature amounts of the plurality of loads from measurement values of the voltage and the current measured by the measuring circuit;
a storage device configured to store a feature amount of each combination of two or more loads in advance; and
a load estimating unit configured to estimate what the plurality of loads connected with the power supply device are, on the basis of the feature amounts calculated by the calculating unit and the feature amounts stored in the storage device,
wherein the feature amount includes a combination of an apparent power and a power factor.

2. The load estimating device according to claim 1 , comprising:
a gauging unit configured to gauge a power amount available from the power supply device;
a determining unit configured to determine a time during which the plurality of loads estimated by the load estimating unit are continuously operable, on the basis of power consumptions of the plurality of loads, and the power amount; and
an output device configured to output the time during which the plurality of loads are continuously operable.

3. The load estimating device according to claim 1 , wherein
the power supply device is a power generator, a storage battery, or a power generator including a storage battery.

4. The load estimating device according to claim 2 , wherein
the power supply device is a power generator,
the gauging unit is configured to gauge a remaining amount of fuel contained in a fuel tank for the power generator, and
the determining unit is configured to determine a time during which the plurality of loads estimated by the load estimating unit are continuously operable, on the basis of power consumptions of the plurality of loads, and the remaining amount of fuel.

5. The load estimating device according to claim 4 , wherein
the power generator further includes a storage battery that is chargeable with the power generator and supplies power to the plurality of loads, and
the determining unit is configured to determine a time during which the plurality of loads estimated by the load estimating unit are continuously operable, on the basis of the power consumptions of the loads, the remaining amount of fuel, and the charge level of the storage battery.

6. The load estimating device according to claim 1 , wherein
the storage device stores a feature amount of a load, and feature amounts of combinations of two or more loads, and
if a features amount of a load close to the feature amounts calculated by the calculating unit is not stored in the storage device, the load estimating unit estimates the plurality of loads by searching for the feature amount of a combination of two or more loads close to the feature amounts calculated by the calculating unit.

7. The load estimating device according to claim 1 , comprising
an obtaining unit configured to obtain the number of loads connected with the power supply device,
wherein the load estimating unit estimates the plurality of loads after narrowing down comparison candidates to be compared with the feature amounts calculated by the calculating unit to the feature amounts of combinations of the number of loads obtained by the obtaining unit among the features of the combinations of two or more loads stored in the storage device.

8. A power generator system provided with a load estimating device, the load estimating device comprising:
a measuring circuit configured to measure a voltage and a current supplied to a plurality of loads connected with a power supply device;
a calculating unit configured to calculate feature amounts of the plurality of loads from measurement values of the voltage and the current measured by the measuring circuit;
a storage device configured to store a feature amount of each combination of two or more loads in advance; and
a load estimating unit configured to estimate what the plurality of loads connected with the power supply device are, on the basis of the feature amounts calculated by the calculating unit and the feature amounts stored in the storage device,
wherein the feature amount includes a combination of an apparent power and a power factor.

9. A load estimating device, comprising:
a measuring circuit configured to measure a voltage and a current supplied to a plurality of loads connected with a power supply device;
one or more processors configured to obtain feature amounts of the plurality of loads from measurement values of the voltage and the current measured by the measuring circuit; and
a storage device configured to store a feature amount of each combination of two or more loads in advance,
wherein the one or more processors is further configured to estimate what the plurality of loads connected with the power supply device are, on the basis of the obtained feature amounts and the feature amounts stored in the storage device, and
wherein the feature amount includes a combination of an apparent power and a power factor.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Oshima Mio
• Eguchi Hiroyuki

Classifications

• G01R31/382

  Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC · CPC title

• G01F23/00

  Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm · CPC title

• G01R21/133 Primary

  by using digital technique · CPC title

• G01R21/06 Primary

  by measuring current and voltage (G01R21/08 - G01R21/133 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01D2204/24

  Identification of individual loads, e.g. by analysing current/voltage waveforms · CPC title