Patent ID: 8918224

Claim:
A power management apparatus comprising: a communication unit to receive power rate information from a power provider and receive power consumption information and user-input reservation information from an electric device; and a controller to decide an operation order of the electric device on the basis of the power consumption information and the reservation information, perform scheduling to decide an operation start time on the basis of the power rate information and the operation order, and control an operation time of the electric device on the basis of the scheduling result, wherein each item of the power consumption information and the reservation information is weighted when the operation order is decided, wherein the controller decides the operation order by determining a future power rate based on a past power consumption pattern of the electric device and the power rate information, and wherein the controller further decides the operation order based on an operation mode comprising an operation algorithm function, a power consumption amount, and a power consumption time for the electric device, and the controller selects the operation mode from a plurality of operation modes wherein the electric device comprises an ability to perform more than one operation mode, the plurality of the operation modes comprising different operation algorithm functions, power consumption amounts, and power consumption times.