Granted Patent B2

US 12,603,497 · App. 18/153,100 · Granted Apr 14, 2026

Inventor: Hiroshi Oki (Seto, JP)

Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA

H02J3/003G06T7/20G06T2207/30196H02J2105/12

Abstract

Claims (85)

1 . A control apparatus comprising a controller configured to:

acquire first information indicating a number of people in a target building during a predetermined time period, second information indicating electrical energy consumed in the target building during the predetermined time period, and third information indicating a number of people heading to the target building during the predetermined time period;

estimate, based on the first information, the second information, and the third information, a demand for electrical energy for the building for a future target time period; and

transmit the estimated demand for electrical energy for the building for the future target time period to a server to cause the server to control one or more load apparatuses to reduce usage of electrical energy based on the estimated demand for electrical energy for the future target time period to ensure that sufficient electrical energy is available for the building, wherein

the control apparatus further comprises a communication interface, and

the controller is further configured to:

communicate via the communication interface with a vehicle traveling to the building;

measure a number of people heading to the building based on vehicle position information indicating a position of the vehicle; and

acquire the third information according to the number of people heading to the building based on the vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle.

2 . The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

acquire passage information indicating a record of passage through an entrance gate of the building;

measure a number of people in the building based on the passage information; and

acquire a measurement result as the first information.

3 . The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

communicate via the communication interface with a camera installed in the building;

measure a number of people in the building based on an image captured by the camera; and

acquire a measurement result as the first information.

4 . The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

communicate via the communication interface with a camera installed on a road leading to the building;

measure a number of people heading to the building based on an image captured by the camera; and

acquire the third information according to the number of people heading to the building based on the vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle and the number of people heading to the building based on the image captured by the camera.

5 . The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

communicate via the communication interface with a terminal apparatus held by a person traveling to the building;

measure a number of people heading to the building based on terminal position information indicating a position of the terminal apparatus; and

acquire the third information according to the number of people heading to the building based on the vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle and the number of people heading to the building based on the terminal position information indicating the position of the terminal apparatus.

6 . The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

measure a number of people in the building based on whether people working in the building are telecommuting; and

acquire a measurement result as the first information.

7 . The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

acquire attendance information indicating attendance status of people working in the building;

measure a number of people in the building based on the attendance information; and

acquire a measurement result as the first information.

8 . The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

acquire climate information indicating a climate at a location in which the building is present; and

estimate the demand for electrical energy based on the climate information.

9 . A control method performed by a computer, the control method comprising:

acquiring first information indicating a number of people in a target building during a predetermined time period, second information indicating electrical energy consumed in the target building during the predetermined time period, and third information indicating a number of people heading to the target building during the predetermined time period;

estimating, based on the first information, the second information, and the third information, a demand for electrical energy for the building for a future target time period; and

transmitting the estimated demand for electrical energy for the building for the future target time period to a server to cause the server to control one or more load apparatuses to reduce usage of electrical energy based on the estimated demand for electrical energy for the future target time period to ensure that sufficient electrical energy is available for the building, wherein

the computer includes a communication interface, and

the control method further comprises:

communicating via the communication interface with a vehicle traveling to the building;

measuring a number of people heading to the building based on vehicle position information indicating a position of the vehicle; and

acquiring the third information according to the number of people heading to the building based on the vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle.

10 . The control method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

acquiring passage information indicating a record of passage through an entrance gate of the building;

measuring a number of people in the building based on the passage information; and

acquiring a measurement result as the first information.

11 . The control method according to claim 9 , wherein

the control method further comprises:

communicating via the communication interface with a camera installed in the building;

measuring a number of people in the building based on an image captured by the camera; and

acquiring a measurement result as the first information.

12 . The control method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

communicating via the communication interface with a camera installed on a road leading to the building;

measuring a number of people heading to the building based on an image captured by the camera; and

acquiring the third information according to the number of people heading to the building based on the vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle and the number of people heading to the building based on the image captured by the camera.

13 . The control method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

communicating via the communication interface with a terminal apparatus held by a person traveling to the building;

measuring a number of people heading to the building based on terminal position information indicating a position of the terminal apparatus; and

acquiring the third information according to the number of people heading to the building based on the vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle and the number of people heading to the building based on the terminal position information indicating the position of the terminal apparatus.

14 . The control method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

measuring a number of people in the building based on whether people working in the building are telecommuting; and

acquiring a measurement result as the first information.

15 . The control method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

acquiring attendance information indicating attendance status of people working in the building;

measuring a number of people in the building based on the attendance information; and

acquiring a measurement result as the first information.

16 . The control method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

acquiring climate information indicating a climate at a location in which the building is present; and

estimating the demand for electrical energy based on the climate information.

17 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program configured to cause a computer to execute operations, the operations comprising:

acquiring first information indicating a number of people in a target building during a predetermined time period, second information indicating electrical energy consumed in the target building during the predetermined time period, and third information indicating a number of people heading to the target building during the predetermined time period;

estimating, based on the first information, the second information, and the third information, a demand for electrical energy for the building for a future target time period; and

transmitting the estimated demand for electrical energy for the building for the future target time period to a server to cause the server to control one or more load apparatuses to reduce usage of electrical energy based on the estimated demand for electrical energy for the future target time period to ensure that sufficient electrical energy is available for the building, wherein

the computer includes a communication interface, and

the operations further comprise:

communicating via the communication interface with a vehicle traveling to the building;

measuring a number of people heading to the building based on vehicle position information indicating a position of the vehicle; and

acquiring the third information according to the number of people heading to the building based on the vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17 , wherein

the operations further comprise:

communicating via the communication interface with a camera installed in the building;

measuring a number of people in the building based on an image captured by the camera; and

acquiring a measurement result as the first information.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (19)