Patent ID: 7376490

Claim:
An operational control device for a plurality of power consumption systems in a power supply system which is adapted to supply electric power from an electric power equipment to the plurality of power consumption systems in which whether or not to start the operation is decided depending on an external signal, the device comprising: a main control unit for controlling the operation of the entire body of the device; a power consumption pattern storage unit for storing in advance a power consumption pattern showing changes in the power consumption with respect to time elapsing after starting operation for each of the power consumption systems; an expected operational start time decision unit which (1) obtains a combined expected power consumption pattern by adding together power consumption patterns of operating power consumption systems based on an operational start time of each operating power consumption system in response to a request for starting operation from an idling power consumption system, (2) obtains a combined assumed power consumption pattern by adding a power consumption pattern, obtained based on a temporary operational start time, of the idling power consumption system which has made the request for starting operation to the combined expected power consumption pattern, (3) compares an electric power value represented in the combined assumed power consumption pattern to a preset allowable power of the power supply equipment, (4) delays the temporary operational start time of the power consumption pattern of the idling power consumption system which has made the request for starting operation along an axis of time until each of the power values represented in the combined assumed power consumption pattern is no longer above the preset allowable power, and (5) decides an expected operational start time based on the temporary operational start time at which all power values represented in the combined assumed power consumption pattern are smaller than the preset allowable power; and a permission signal output unit which outputs an operational permission signal to the idling power consumption system which has made the request for starting operation through the main control unit when the current time reaches the expected operational start time which was decided by the expected operational start time decision unit.