Notification method, program, and apparatus system

Abstract

To provide a notification method capable of improving accuracy in a notification related to safety of a user of a facility.SOLUTION: A notification method includes: acquisition step S17 of acquiring a use state of an apparatus by making an inquiry to an apparatus management server 36 for managing the use state of the apparatus to be used in dwelling when the use state of an illumination apparatus 21 satisfies a first condition or when the use state of the illumination apparatus 21 cannot be acquired; and notification step S19 of giving a notification of a possibility that an abnormality occurs in a user of the dwelling when the acquired use state of the apparatus 31 satisfies a second condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a notification method, a program, and a device system. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a safety confirmation system for a family member of an elderly person to confirm the safety of the elderly person. Patent Document 1 discloses a safety confirmation system that uses an external reporting function of an intercom device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-027787 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention provides a notification method and the like that can improve the accuracy of notifications regarding the safety of facility users. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A notification method according to one aspect of the present invention is a notification method executed by a first equipment system that manages usage status of a first equipment used in a facility, and includes an acquisition step of acquiring usage status of a second equipment used in the facility by inquiring of the usage status of the second equipment to a second equipment system when the usage status of the first equipment satisfies a first condition or when the usage status of the first equipment cannot be acquired, and a notification step of notifying a user of the facility that an abnormality may have occurred when the acquired usage status of the second equipment satisfies a second condition, wherein one of the first equipment and the second equipment is a lighting equipment.

[0006] A program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute the notification method.

[0007] An equipment system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires usage status of a second device used in a facility by inquiring of another equipment system about the usage status of the second device when the usage status of the first device satisfies a first condition or when the usage status of the first device cannot be acquired, and a notification unit that notifies a user of the facility that an abnormality may have occurred when the acquired usage status of the second device satisfies a second condition, wherein one of the first device and the second device is a lighting device. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a notification method etc. that can improve the accuracy of notifications regarding the safety of facility users. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a notification system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram of a first operational example of the notification system according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on a display unit of an information terminal. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram of a second operation example of the notification system according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram of a third operation example of the notification system according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram of a fourth operation example of the notification system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component arrangement and connection forms, steps, and order of steps shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in the independent claims will be described as optional components.

[0011] In addition, each drawing is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily a precise illustration. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are used for substantially the same configurations, and duplicated explanations may be omitted or simplified.

[0012] (Embodiment) [composition] First, the configuration of a notification system according to an embodiment will be described below. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the notification system according to an embodiment.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the notification system 10 is a system (in other words, a monitoring system) that notifies a family member (e.g., a family member living far away) of a monitored person (such as an elderly person) residing in a house 60 about the safety of the monitored person when an abnormality is presumed to have occurred in the monitored person based on the usage of the device of the monitored person. The house 60 is an example of a facility, and the monitored person is an example of a user of the facility. Examples of facilities other than the house 60 include nursing care facilities. Note that the house 60 includes detached houses and apartment buildings. The notification system 10 includes a lighting system 20, an equipment system 30, a wireless router 40, and an information terminal 50.

[0014] The lighting system 20 manages the usage status of the lighting devices 21 in the house 60. The lighting system 20 includes the lighting devices 21 and a lighting management server .

[0015] The lighting device 21 is a lighting device used in the house 60. The lighting device 21 is installed on a ceiling or a wall in the house 60, and illuminates the space in the house 60. Specifically, the lighting device 21 is a ceiling light, a base light, a down light, a spot light, or the like, but the form of the lighting device 21 is not particularly limited. The lighting device 21 includes a light source 22 and a wireless communication unit 23.

[0016] The light source 22 emits light using power supplied from a system power supply. The light emitted by the light source 22 is, for example, white light. The light source 22 is realized by, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) element, but may be realized by other light emitting elements such as a semiconductor laser, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence), or an inorganic EL.

[0017] The wireless communication unit 23 is a wireless communication circuit for connecting the lighting device 21 to the wireless router 40. The wireless communication unit 23 connects to the wireless router 40 in accordance with a communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The wireless communication unit 23 can communicate with the device 31 via the wireless router 40. The wireless communication unit 23 can also communicate with the lighting management server 26 via the wireless router 40 and a wide area communication network 70 such as the Internet.

[0018] A storage unit (not shown) included in the lighting device 21 stores, as an operation log, information such as the control of the lighting device 21 by a remote controller (not shown) and the on / off of the power supply from the system power supply (AC power supply) to the lighting device 21 by the operation of a wall switch. The operation log is information that associates the content of the control of the lighting device 21 with the date and time when the control was performed, and is information indicating the usage status of the lighting device 21.

[0019] The lighting management server 26 is a cloud server that acquires the usage status of the lighting devices 21 from the lighting devices 21 and notifies the information terminal 50 based on the acquired usage status. Specifically, the lighting management server 26 includes a communication unit 27, an information processing unit 28, and a storage unit 29.

[0020] The communication unit 27 is a communication circuit that enables the lighting management server 26 to communicate with each of the lighting devices 21, the device management server 36, and the information terminal 50 through the wide area communication network 70. The communication unit 27 may be a wireless communication circuit that performs wireless communication, or a wired communication circuit that performs wired communication.

[0021] The information processing unit 28 performs information processing regarding notifications to the information terminal 50. The information processing unit 28 is realized, for example, by a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor or a dedicated circuit. The information processing unit 28 includes an acquisition unit 28a and a notification unit 28b as functional components. The functions of the acquisition unit 28a and the notification unit 28b are realized by hardware such as a microcomputer or a processor constituting the information processing unit 28 executing a computer program (software) stored in the storage unit 29.

[0022] The storage unit 29 is a storage device that stores information necessary for the above information processing. The information stored in the storage unit 29 includes computer programs executed by the information processing unit 28. The storage unit 29 is realized by, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), but may also be realized by a semiconductor memory.

[0023] The device system 30 manages the usage status of devices 31 other than the lighting devices 21 in the house 60. The device system 30 includes the devices 31 and a device management server .

[0024] The device 31 is a device used in the house 60. The device 31 is, for example, a home appliance other than the lighting device 21, and more specifically, is an air conditioner, a refrigerator, a microwave oven, an IH cooking heater, a warm water washing toilet seat, etc. The device 31 includes a wireless communication unit 33.

[0025] The wireless communication unit 33 is a wireless communication circuit for connecting the device 31 to the wireless router 40. The wireless communication unit 33 connects to the wireless router 40 in accordance with a communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The wireless communication unit 33 can communicate with the lighting device 21 via the wireless router 40. The wireless communication unit 33 can also communicate with the device management server 36 via the wireless router 40 and the wide area communication network 70.

[0026] Note that a storage unit (not shown) included in the device 31 stores, as an operation log, information about the control of the device 31 by a remote controller (not shown), the control of the device 31 by an operation on a button provided on the device 31, and the on / off of the power supply from the system power supply (AC power supply) to the device 31. The operation log is information that associates the content of the control of the device 31 with the date and time when the control was performed, and is information that indicates the usage status of the device 31.

[0027] The device management server 36 is a cloud server that acquires the usage status of the device 31 from the device 31 and notifies the information terminal 50 based on the acquired usage status. Specifically, the device management server 36 includes a communication unit 37, an information processing unit 38, and a storage unit 39.

[0028] The communication unit 37 is a communication circuit that enables the device management server 36 to communicate with each of the device 31, the lighting management server 26, and the information terminal 50 through the wide area communication network 70. The communication unit 37 may be a wireless communication circuit that performs wireless communication, or may be a wired communication circuit that performs wired communication.

[0029] The information processing unit 38 performs information processing regarding notifications to the information terminal 50. The information processing unit 38 is realized, for example, by a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor or a dedicated circuit. The information processing unit 38 includes an acquisition unit 38a and a notification unit 38b as functional components. The functions of the acquisition unit 38a and the notification unit 38b are realized by hardware such as a microcomputer or a processor constituting the information processing unit 38 executing a computer program (software) stored in a storage unit 39.

[0030] The storage unit 39 is a storage device that stores information necessary for the above information processing. The information stored in the storage unit 39 includes a computer program executed by the information processing unit 38. The storage unit 39 is realized by, for example, a HDD, but may also be realized by a semiconductor memory.

[0031] The wireless router 40 is a wireless communication device used for connecting the lighting devices 21 and the devices 31 to the wide area communication network 70. The wireless router 40 performs radio communication (short-range wireless communication) with the lighting devices 21 in accordance with a communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0032] The information terminal 50 is an information terminal used by the family of the subject living in the house 60 to receive a notification when it is estimated that an abnormality has occurred in the subject. The information terminal 50 is, for example, a portable information terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, but may also be a stationary information terminal such as a personal computer.

[0033] [Example 1] The lighting management server 26 of the lighting system 20 acquires an operation log of the lighting devices 21, and can notify the information terminal 50 when the lighting devices 21 have not been used for a predetermined period (e.g., 24 hours) or more. The device management server 36 of the device system 30 acquires an operation log of the devices 31, and can notify the information terminal 50 when the devices 31 have not been used for a predetermined period (e.g., 24 hours) or more. In other words, each of the lighting system 20 and the device system 30 functions as a monitoring system.

[0034] Here, the notification system 10 realizes more accurate notification by linking the lighting system 20 and the equipment system 30. Hereinafter, an operation example 1 of the notification system 10 will be described. Fig. 2 is a sequence diagram of the operation example 1 of the notification system 10. Note that in Fig. 2, the wireless router 40 is omitted from the illustration.

[0035] As described above, the lighting device 21 stores an operation log (information indicating the usage status of the lighting device 21). The acquisition unit 28a of the lighting management server 26 uses the communication unit 27 to transmit a request for the operation log to the lighting device 21 (S11). The communication unit 27 receives the operation log in response to the request (S12), and the acquisition unit 28a acquires the received operation log (S13). The processes of steps S11 to S13 are performed, for example, at predetermined time intervals (periodically). Note that the lighting device 21 may voluntarily transmit the operation log to the lighting management server 26 at predetermined time intervals.

[0036] The acquiring unit 28a judges whether or not the use status of the lighting device 21 of the subject satisfies a first condition based on the acquired operation log (S14). The first condition is, for example, a condition that the lighting device 21 is not controlled for a predetermined period or more (the lighting device 21 remains on or off for a first predetermined period or more), and is a condition that triggers a notification to the information terminal 50 (notification that an abnormality is presumed to have occurred in the subject). The first condition is, for example, empirically or experimentally determined in advance by a designer or manager of the notification system 10, and is stored in the storage unit 29. The first condition may be changeable by a family member of the subject performing a predetermined operation on the information terminal 50.

[0037] If it is determined in step S14 that the use status of the lighting device 21 of the subject does not satisfy the first condition, the processing in and after step S15 is not performed. On the other hand, if the acquisition unit 28a determines that the use status of the lighting device 21 of the subject satisfies the first condition, it uses the communication unit 27 to inquire of the device management server 36 about the operation log (usage status) of the device 31 (S15). Note that the device management server 36 periodically performs the same processes as steps S11 to S13 to acquire the operation log of the device 31 and store it in the storage unit 39, and therefore can provide the most recent operation log of the device 31 to the lighting management server 26.

[0038] The communication unit 27 receives the operation log as a response to the inquiry (S16), and the acquisition unit 28a acquires the received operation log (S17).

[0039] The acquisition unit 28a judges whether the usage status of the device 31 of the subject satisfies a second condition based on the acquired operation log (S18). The second condition is, for example, a condition that the device 31 has not been used (is not operating) within the most recent second predetermined period, which is a condition that triggers a notification to the information terminal 50 (notification that an abnormality is presumed to have occurred in the subject). The second condition is, for example, empirically or experimentally determined in advance by a designer or manager of the notification system 10, and is stored in the storage unit 29. The second condition may be changeable by a family member of the subject performing a predetermined operation on the information terminal 50. The second condition is a condition different from the first condition, but may be the same as the first condition.

[0040] If it is determined in step S18 that the usage status of the device 31 of the subject does not satisfy the second condition, the process of step S19 is not performed. On the other hand, if the notification unit 28b determines that the usage status of the device 31 of the subject satisfies the second condition, it notifies the information terminal 50 using the communication unit 27 (S19). For example, an image is displayed on the display unit of the information terminal 50 by push notification, and the subject's family is notified that an abnormality may have occurred in the subject. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on the display unit of the information terminal 50.

[0041] As described above, when the usage status of the lighting device 21 satisfies the first condition, the notification system 10 (lighting system 20) acquires the usage status of the device 31 by making an inquiry to the device system 30 managing the usage status of the device 31 used in the house 60, and when the acquired usage status of the device 31 satisfies the second condition, the notification system 10 notifies the target person that an abnormality may have occurred. The acquisition of the usage status of the device 31 is executed when the lighting management server 26 inquires of the device management server 36 about the usage status of the device 31.

[0042] Assuming that the lighting system 20 does not cooperate with the equipment system 30, if it is determined in step S14 that the usage status of the lighting devices 21 of the target person satisfies the first condition, the notification in step S18 is performed. In this case, when the target person is living safely with the lighting devices 21 turned on, or when the supply of AC power to the lighting devices 21 is turned off (the wall switch is turned off) and the most recent operation log cannot be obtained, the notification in step S19 may be performed even though the target person is safe.

[0043] In contrast, in the notification system 10, a notification is issued when the target person's usage of the lighting device 21 satisfies the first condition and the target person's usage of the device 31 satisfies the second condition. In other words, the notification system 10 can realize highly accurate notification.

[0044] [Example 2] In operation example 1, the lighting management server 26 and the device management server 36 communicate with each other so that the lighting system 20 obtains an operation log of the device 31. In operation example 2, an example will be described in which the lighting device 21 and the device 31 communicate with each other so that the lighting system 20 obtains an operation log of the device 31. Fig. 4 is a sequence diagram of operation example 2 of the notification system 10.

[0045] The processes in steps S11 to S14 are the same as those in operation example 1. When the acquisition unit 28a determines that the usage status of the lighting device 21 of the subject person satisfies the first condition, it issues a command to the lighting device 21, using the communication unit 27, to inquire about the operation log of the device 31 (S21).

[0046] When the lighting device 21 receives the inquiry command, it inquires about the operation log of the device 31 (S22), receives the operation log of the device 31 in response to the inquiry (S23), and transmits the received operation log of the device 31 to the lighting management server 26 (S24).

[0047] As a result, the communication unit 27 of the lighting management server 26 receives the operation log of the device 31 as a response to the inquiry command, and the acquisition unit 28a acquires the operation log of the device 31 (S17). The processes after step S17 are the same as those in the first operation example.

[0048] As described above, the lighting device 21 may acquire the usage status of the device 31 by inquiring about the usage status of the device 31 to the device 31. As in the first operation example, the second operation example also enables the notification system 10 to realize highly accurate notification.

[0049] The processes of steps S22 and S23 are realized by the lighting device 21 (wireless communication unit 23) and the device 31 (wireless communication unit 33) performing wireless communication based on Wi-Fi via the wireless router 40. If the lighting device 21 and the device 31 can communicate based on BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), the processes of steps S22 and S23 may be realized by the lighting device 21 and the device 31 performing wireless communication based on BLE without going through the wireless router 40.

[0050] In addition, when the communication protocol of the physical layer of the lighting device 21 is different from the communication protocol of the physical layer of the device 31, the processing of steps S22 and S23 may be realized by communication based on a communication standard in which the application layer protocol is standardized, such as Matter.

[0051] [Example 3] In the first operation example, the lighting system 20 acquires the operation log of the lighting device 21, and then acquires the operation log of the device 31 to issue a notification, but if the operation log of the lighting device 21 cannot be acquired, the lighting system 20 may acquire the operation log of the device 31 to issue a notification. Such an operation example 3 will be described below. Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram of the third operation example of the notification system 10.

[0052] The acquisition unit 28a of the lighting management server 26 transmits a request for an operation log to the lighting device 21 using the communication unit 27 (S31). If an operation log is not obtained even after a certain period of time has elapsed since the request for the operation log was transmitted, the acquisition unit 28a determines that acquisition of the operation log has failed (S32). Possible cases in which acquisition of the operation log may fail include when the supply of AC power to the lighting device 21 is turned off (the wall switch is turned off) and when there is a problem with the communication network.

[0053] If the acquisition unit 28a determines that acquisition of the operation log has failed, it uses the communication unit 27 to inquire of the device management server 36 about the operation log (usage status) of the device 31 (S15). The process after step S15 is the same as in the first operation example.

[0054] As described above, when the lighting management server 26 cannot acquire the usage status of the lighting device 21, the usage status of the device 31 may be acquired by inquiring about the usage status of the device 31 to the device management server 36. According to the third operation example, even when the operation log of the lighting device 21 cannot be acquired, the notification system 10 can acquire the operation log of the device 31 instead of the operation log of the lighting device 21, thereby realizing the notification of the target person that an abnormality may have occurred.

[0055] [Example 4] The notification system 10 includes a plurality of device systems 30 that manage operation logs of different devices, and the lighting system 20 (lighting management server 26) may select a device system 30 for which to make an inquiry about an operation log from among the plurality of device systems 30. Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram of an operation example 4 of the notification system 10.

[0056] 6, a process (S41) of selecting one equipment system 30 from the multiple equipment systems 30 is added after the process of step S14 in Operation Example 1. The process of step S41 may be added after the process of step S14 in Operation Example 2 (FIG. 4), or may be added after step S32 in Operation Example 3 (FIG. 5).

[0057] For example, the acquisition unit 28a of the lighting management server 26 initially randomly inquires of the multiple equipment systems 30 about their operation logs, and accumulates the operation logs obtained as a result of the inquiries in the storage unit 29. In step S41, the acquisition unit 28a analyzes the accumulated operation logs to determine the trustworthiness of each of the multiple equipment systems 30, and selects the equipment system 30 with the highest trustworthiness based on the determined trustworthiness. Note that the trustworthiness may be determined in advance before step S41, and only the selection of the equipment system 30 may be performed in step S41.

[0058] For example, from the accumulated operation logs, the acquisition unit 28a can determine that among multiple equipment systems 30, the equipment system 30 in which the equipment 31 is turned on for a longer period of time per unit time (e.g., one day) is the more trustworthy the equipment system 30.

[0059] Furthermore, when a frequently used device 31 identified by the accumulated operation log is no longer used, there is a high possibility that an abnormality has occurred in the subject. In that case, it is considered that the accuracy of notification can be improved by using the operation log of such a frequently used device 31. Therefore, the acquisition unit 28a may determine the frequency of use from the operation log, and may determine that the more frequently used the device 31 is managed by the device system 30, the more reliable the device system 30 is. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 28a may analyze the regularity of the use of the device 31, and determine the reliability based on the regularity.

[0060] Furthermore, in the case where attribute information of the subject is registered in advance in the storage unit 29 of the lighting management server 26, the acquisition unit 28a may determine the trustworthiness based on the attribute information of the subject instead of the operation log.

[0061] For example, if the attribute information specifies a device 31 that is frequently used by the subject, when the device 31 is no longer used, there is a high possibility that an abnormality has occurred in the subject. In this case, it is considered that the accuracy of notification can be improved by using the operation log of such a device 31. Therefore, the acquisition unit 28a can determine that the device system 30 that manages the operation log of the frequently used device 31 is a device system 30 with high reliability.

[0062] In addition, when the attribute information specifies the age and sex of the subject, it is possible to estimate the device that the subject frequently uses from the subject's lifestyle. In this case, the acquisition unit 28a can also determine that the device system 30 that manages the operation log of the device 31 that is estimated to be frequently used is the device system 30 with high reliability.

[0063] Furthermore, in cases where the attributes (genre) of the devices 31 are registered in advance in the storage unit 29 of the lighting management server 26, the acquisition unit 28a may determine the trustworthiness based on the attributes of the devices 31. For example, in cases where the devices 31 are classified into devices shared by multiple people and devices for personal use, there is a concern that the accuracy of notifications may decrease if the operation log of a device shared by multiple people is used. Thus, the acquisition unit 28a can determine that the device system 30 that manages a device for personal use is a device system 30 with high trustworthiness.

[0064] In this way, the lighting system 20 (lighting management server 26) can improve the accuracy of notifying the target person that a possible abnormality has occurred by selecting the equipment system 30 to inquire about the operation log based on the trustworthiness.

[0065] [Variations] In the above operation examples 1 to 3, the notification of the possibility that an abnormality has occurred to the target person is performed by the lighting system 20, but may be performed by the equipment system 30. That is, the equipment system 30 may inquire of the lighting system 20 about the operation log of the lighting equipment 21. In the explanation of the operation examples 1 to 3, the lighting equipment 21, the wireless communication unit 23, the lighting management server 26, the communication unit 27, the information processing unit 28, the acquisition unit 28a, the notification unit 28b, and the storage unit 29 may be read as the equipment 31, the wireless communication unit 33, the equipment management server 36, the communication unit 37, the information processing unit 38, the acquisition unit 38a, the notification unit 38b, and the storage unit 39.

[0066] In addition, operation example 4 may also be interpreted as a certain equipment system 30 selecting one other equipment system 30 from among a plurality of other equipment systems 30 (in this case, the other plurality of equipment systems 30 may include the lighting system 20).

[0067] [Effects, etc.] Hereinafter, examples of inventions that can be obtained from the disclosure of this specification will be given, and the effects and the like that can be obtained from the inventions will be described.

[0068] Invention 1 is a notification method executed by a first equipment system that manages the usage status of a first equipment used in a facility, and includes an acquisition step S17 of acquiring the usage status of a second equipment used in the facility by inquiring the second equipment system about the usage status of the second equipment when the usage status of the first equipment satisfies a first condition or when the usage status of the first equipment cannot be acquired, and a notification step S19 of notifying a user of the facility that an abnormality may have occurred when the acquired usage status of the second equipment satisfies a second condition, and one of the first equipment and the second equipment is a lighting equipment 21. One of the first equipment system and the second equipment system is, for example, the lighting system 20 of the above embodiment, and the other of the first equipment system and the second equipment system is, for example, the equipment system 30 of the above embodiment. One of the first equipment and the second equipment is, for example, the lighting equipment 21 of the above embodiment, and the other of the first equipment and the second equipment is, for example, the equipment 31 of the above embodiment. The user of the facility is, for example, a person to be watched over in the above embodiment.

[0069] This type of notification method can improve the accuracy of notifications regarding the safety of facility users by taking into account the usage status of the second device in addition to the usage status of the first device.

[0070] Invention 2 is the notification method of Invention 1, in which the first device system includes a first server that manages the usage status of the first device, the second device system includes a second server that manages the usage status of the second device, and the acquisition step S17 is executed by the first server inquiring of the usage status of the second device to the second server when the usage status of the first device acquired by the first server satisfies a first condition. One of the first server and the second server is, for example, the lighting management server 26 of the above embodiment, and the other of the first server and the second server is, for example, the device management server 36 of the above embodiment.

[0071] In this type of notification method, the usage status of the second device can be obtained through communication between servers.

[0072] Invention 3 is the notification method of Invention 1, in which the first equipment system includes a first equipment, and the second equipment system includes a second equipment, and the acquisition step S17 is executed by the first equipment inquiring of the second equipment about the usage status of the second equipment when the usage status of the first equipment acquired by the first equipment satisfies a first condition.

[0073] In this notification method, the usage status of the second device can be obtained through communication between the devices.

[0074] Invention 4 is a notification method of Invention 1, in which the first equipment system includes a first server that manages the usage status of the first equipment, and the second equipment system includes a second server that manages the usage status of the second equipment, and the acquisition step S17 is executed by inquiring of the usage status of the second equipment to the second server when the first server cannot acquire the usage status of the first equipment.

[0075] With this type of notification method, even if the usage status of the first device cannot be obtained, by obtaining the usage status of the second device instead of the usage status of the first device, it is possible to notify the safety of facility users.

[0076] Invention 5 is a notification method according to any one of Inventions 1 to 4, further comprising a selection step of selecting a most trustworthy equipment system from a plurality of equipment systems managing the usage status of mutually different equipment, the second equipment system being the most trustworthy equipment system selected from the plurality of equipment systems, and the trustworthiness of each of the plurality of equipment systems being determined by the usage status of equipment managed by the equipment system or user attribute information.

[0077] This type of notification method can improve the accuracy of notifications regarding the safety of facility users by selecting the device system to inquire about its usage status based on its trustworthiness.

[0078] Invention 6 is the notification method according to any one of Inventions 1 to 5, in which the first device is a lighting device 21.

[0079] Such a notification method can improve the accuracy of notifications regarding the safety of facility users by taking into consideration the usage status of other devices in addition to the usage status of lighting device 21.

[0080] Invention 7 is a program for causing a computer to execute any one of the notification methods of Inventions 1 to 6.

[0081] According to such a program, a computer (first equipment system) can improve the accuracy of notifications regarding the safety of facility users by taking into account the usage status of the second equipment in addition to the usage status of the first equipment.

[0082] Invention 8 is an equipment system including: an acquisition unit that acquires the usage status of a second equipment used in the facility by inquiring of another equipment system about the usage status of a second equipment used in the facility when the usage status of a first equipment used in the facility satisfies a first condition or when the usage status of the first equipment cannot be acquired; and a notification unit that notifies a user of the facility that an abnormality may have occurred when the acquired usage status of the second equipment satisfies a second condition, wherein one of the first equipment and the second equipment is a lighting equipment. One of the equipment system and the other equipment system is, for example, the lighting system 20 of the above embodiment, and the other of the equipment system and the other equipment system is, for example, the equipment system 30 of the above embodiment.

[0083] Such an equipment system can improve the accuracy of notifications regarding the safety of facility users by taking into account the usage status of the second device in addition to the usage status of the first device.

[0084] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0085] For example, the method of communication between the devices in the above-described embodiment is not particularly limited. Also, a relay device (not shown) may be involved in the communication between the devices.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the processes executed by a specific processing unit may be executed by another processing unit. The order of multiple processes may be changed, or multiple processes may be executed in parallel.

[0087] In the above embodiment, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory.

[0088] Furthermore, each component may be realized by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or an integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or each may be a separate circuit. Furthermore, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit, or a dedicated circuit.

[0089] Furthermore, the general or specific aspects of the present invention may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be realized as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0090] For example, the present invention may be realized as the notification system, lighting system, lighting device, lighting management server, device system, device, device management server, or information terminal of the above-mentioned embodiments. The present invention may be realized as a method executed by a computer. The present invention may be realized as a program for causing a computer to execute such a method, or as a non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded. Such a program includes an application program for causing a general-purpose information terminal (computer) to function as the information terminal (information terminal for receiving a notification) of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0091] In addition, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art may think of, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment within the scope that does not deviate from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 10. Notification System 20 Lighting System 21 Lighting equipment 22 Light source 23, 33 Wireless Communication Department 26 Lighting Management Server 27, 37 Communications Department 28, 38 Information Processing Section 28a, 38a acquisition part 28b, 38b Notification section 29, 39 Memory section 30 Equipment Systems 31 Equipment 36 Device management server 40 Wireless Router 50 Information terminal 60 Housing 70 Wide Area Communication Network

Claims

1. A notification method executed by a first device system that manages a usage status of a first device used in a facility, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring a usage status of a second device by inquiring about the usage status of a second device used in the facility to a second device system when the usage status of the first device satisfies a first condition or when the usage status of the first device cannot be acquired; and a notification step of notifying a user of the facility that an abnormality may have occurred when the acquired usage status of the second device satisfies a second condition, One of the first device and the second device is a lighting device. Notification method.

2. the first device system includes a first server that manages a usage status of the first device; the second device system includes a second server that manages a usage status of the second device, The acquiring step is executed by the first server inquiring of the second server about the usage status of the second device when the usage status of the first device acquired by the first server satisfies the first condition. The notification method according to claim 1 .

3. the first equipment system includes the first equipment; the second instrument system includes the second instrument; The acquiring step is executed by the first device inquiring of the second device about the usage status of the second device when the usage status of the first device acquired by the first device satisfies the first condition. The notification method according to claim 1 .

4. the first device system includes a first server that manages a usage status of the first device; the second device system includes a second server that manages a usage status of the second device, The acquiring step is executed by inquiring of the second server about the usage status of the second device when the first server cannot acquire the usage status of the first device. The notification method according to claim 1 .

5. The notification method further includes a selection step of selecting a most reliable device system from among a plurality of device systems that manage usage statuses of different devices; the second equipment system is the most reliable equipment system selected from the plurality of equipment systems; The trustworthiness of each of the plurality of equipment systems is determined based on the usage status of the equipment managed by the equipment system or the attribute information of the user. The notification method according to claim 1 .

6. The first device is the lighting device. The notification method according to claim 1 .

7. A program for causing a computer to execute the notification method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. an acquisition unit that acquires a usage status of a second device by inquiring of a usage status of a second device used in the facility to another device system when a usage status of a first device used in the facility satisfies a first condition or when the usage status of the first device cannot be acquired; a notification unit that notifies a user of the facility that an abnormality may have occurred when the acquired usage status of the second device satisfies a second condition, One of the first device and the second device is a lighting device. Equipment systems.

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