Device registration apparatus and device registration method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9874916-B2
Application number	US-201414900399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2014
Priority date	Jun 27, 2013
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

A device registration apparatus includes: a transmitting unit that transmits, to an electric device, a state shift command for shifting the electric device to a specific state; a receiving unit that receives, from a power feed tap, tap identification information, electric-power information that indicates an electric power measured at each outlet, and outlet identification information for identifying an outlet that corresponds to each piece of the electric-power information; a determining unit that, when, in the electric-power information that is received during a predetermined time period after the state shift command is transmitted, electric power information of only one outlet indicates a change in an electric power when the electric device shifts to the specific state, determines that the electric device is connected to the outlet; and an associating unit that stores device identification information in association with outlet identification information on the outlet and the tap identification information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device registration apparatus that communicates with an electric device and a power feed tap that measures, with respect to each of outlets to which the electric device is to be connected, an electric power that is fed to the electric device from the outlet, the device registration apparatus comprising:
circuitry configured to
transmit, to the electric device, a state shift command for shifting the electric device to a specific state;
receive, from the power feed tap, tap identification information for identifying the power feed tap, electric-power information that indicates an electric power that is measured at each of the outlets, and outlet identification information for identifying an outlet that corresponds to each piece of the electric-power information;
determine, when, in the electric-power information that is on each of the outlets and that is received from the power feed tap during a predetermined time period after the state shift command is transmitted, electric-power information of only one outlet indicates a pattern of a change in an electric power that corresponds to the state shift command for shifting the electric device to the specific state, that the electric device is connected to the outlet that corresponds to the electric-power information; and
store, in a storage unit, device identification information for identifying the electric device in association with outlet identification information on an outlet to which the electric device is determined to be connected and the tap identification information that is received together with the outlet identification information, wherein
the circuitry is configured to broadcast the state shift command with the device identification information attached thereto to control the electric device to shift to the specific state in accordance with the state shift command when the device identification information attached to the state shift command indicates its own electric device, and
the circuitry is configured, when the electric-power information of more than one outlet indicates the change in the electric power, to transmit the state shift command again.

2. The device registration apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to
transmit, to the electric device, a device-information requirement command that causes the electric device to transmit device information,
receive the device information that is transmitted from the electric device in accordance with the device-information requirement command, and
store, in the storage unit, the device information received from the electric device in association with the device identification information.

3. The device registration apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the circuitry is configured to broadcast the device-information requirement command with the device identification information attached thereto to control the electric device to transmit the device information in accordance with the device-information requirement command when the device identification information attached to the device-information requirement command indicates its own electric device.

4. The device registration apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured such that the device identification information is previously acquired from the electric device and is stored in the storage unit.

5. The device registration apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the circuitry is configured such that code information that indicates the state shift command is previously acquired from the electric device and is stored in the storage unit,
the circuitry is configured to transmit the code information as the state shift command to the electric device to control the electric device to receive the code information and shift to the specific state.

6. A device registration method performed by a device registration apparatus that communicates with an electric device and a power feed tap that measures, with respect to each of outlets to which the electric device is to be connected, an electric power that is fed to the electric device from the outlet, the device registration method comprising:
transmitting, to the electric device, a state shift command for shifting the electric device to a specific state;
receiving, from the power feed tap, tap identification information for identifying the power feed tap, electric-power information that indicates an electric power that is measured at each of the outlets, and outlet identification information for identifying an outlet that corresponds to each piece of the electric-power information;
determining, when, in the electric-power information that is on each of the outlets and that is received from the power feed tap during a predetermined time period after the state shift command is transmitted, electric-power information of only one outlet indicates a pattern of a change in an electric power that corresponds to the state shift command for shifting the electric device to the specific state, that the electric device is connected to the outlet that corresponds to the electric-power information; and
storing, in a storage unit, device identification information for identifying the electric device in association with outlet identification information on an outlet to which the electric device is determined to be connected and the tap identification information that is received together with the outlet identification information, wherein
the transmitting includes broadcasting the state shift command with the device identification information attached thereto to control the electric device to shift to the specific state in accordance with the state shift command when the device identification information attached to the state shift command indicates its own electric device, and
the transmitting includes, when the electric-power information of more than one outlet indicates the change in the electric power, transmitting the state shift command again.

Assignees

• Fujiwara Yukio
• Tomono Hidenori
• Aratani Hideaki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fujiwara Yukio
• Tomono Hidenori
• Aratani Hideaki

Classifications

• H02J13/00

  Circuit arrangements for providing remote monitoring or remote control of equipment in a power distribution network · CPC title

• G06F2200/261

  PC controlled powerstrip · CPC title

• G06F1/266

  Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips · CPC title

• Y04S40/12

  characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment · CPC title

• Y04S20/242

  Home appliances · CPC title