Facility control system, facility control method, and program

Abstract

To provide a facility control system capable of switching between giving priority to group comfort and individual comfort when controlling a facility installed in a space.SOLUTION: A facility control system 10 comprises: a setting unit 44 for setting requirements for at least one of human information related to a person located in a space 90a in a building 90, environmental information in the space 90a, and facility information related to a facility 70 installed in the space 90a; an acquisition unit 45 for acquiring at least one of the information; and a control unit 46 for switching between controlling the facility 70 in a first mode in which personal control is limited and controlling the facility 70 in a second mode in which the personal control is permitted based on whether the acquired at least one piece of information satisfies the requirements, wherein the personal control controls the facility 70 based on the request of the person located in the space 90a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an equipment control system, an equipment control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Various techniques for controlling facilities have been proposed. Patent Document 1 discloses a control system having a control device that controls devices, an operation terminal, and a log management device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-220114 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention provides an equipment control system etc. that can switch between giving priority to group comfort and giving priority to individual comfort when controlling equipment installed in a space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An equipment control system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a setting unit that sets requirements for at least one piece of information, including human information about people located in a space within a facility, environmental information about the space, and equipment information about equipment installed in the space; an acquisition unit that acquires the at least one piece of information; and a control unit that switches between controlling the equipment in a first mode in which personal control, which is control of the equipment based on the requests of people located in the space, is restricted, and controlling the equipment in a second mode in which the personal control is permitted, based on whether the acquired at least one piece of information satisfies the requirements.

[0006] An equipment control method according to one embodiment of the present invention is an equipment control method executed by a computer, and includes a setting step of setting requirements for at least one piece of information, including human information about people located in a space within a facility, environmental information in the space, and equipment information about equipment installed in the space; an acquisition step of acquiring the at least one piece of information; and a control step of switching between controlling the equipment in a first mode in which personal control, which is control of the equipment based on the wishes of people located in the space, is restricted, and controlling the equipment in a second mode in which the personal control is permitted, based on whether the acquired at least one piece of information satisfies the requirements.

[0007] A program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute the equipment control method. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The facility control system etc. of the present invention can switch between prioritizing the comfort of a group or the comfort of an individual when controlling facility installed in a space. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an equipment control system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a space to which the equipment control system according to the embodiment is applied. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the registration information. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the arrangement information. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram of an operation of estimating a current position of an operating terminal according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram of a first operation example of the equipment control system according to the embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for individual control. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram of a second operation example of the equipment control 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 the equipment control system according to the embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the equipment control system according to the embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a space in a facility to which the equipment control system according to the embodiment is applied.

[0013] The facility control system 10 is a system that controls a plurality of facilities 70 installed in a space 90a (more specifically, an indoor space) in a facility 90. The facility 90 is, for example, an office building. The plurality of facilities 70 include lighting facilities 70a, air conditioning facilities, ventilation facilities, video facilities, audio facilities, sensors, and the like.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, the equipment control system 10 includes a plurality of beacon transmitters 20, a plurality of operation terminals 30, a server device 40, a management terminal 50, a local controller 60, and a plurality of equipment 70. The plurality of beacon transmitters 20, the management terminal 50, the local controller 60, and the plurality of equipment 70 are installed in a facility 90. The plurality of operation terminals 30 are located in the facility 90, and the server device 40 is installed outside the facility 90. Note that the arrangement of each of these devices is merely an example, and the arrangement of each device is not particularly limited. For example, the management terminal 50 may be installed outside the facility 90.

[0015] First, the beacon transmitter 20 will be described. The beacon transmitter 20 is a device that emits a beacon signal (a signal that is periodically transmitted at a predetermined time interval) by radio waves. Specifically, the beacon transmitter 20 performs wireless communication according to a communication standard such as BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The beacon signal may also be called an advertisement signal. The beacon signal includes the ID of the beacon transmitter 20.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the beacon transmitter 20 is detachably connected to a power supply terminal of a lighting equipment 70a installed on the ceiling of the space 90a, for example, and operates by receiving power from the lighting equipment 70a. The power supply terminal is, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) terminal. The beacon transmitter 20 may be fixed directly to the ceiling of the space 90a without using the lighting equipment 70a. The beacon transmitter 20 may also be fixed to a wall or a floor. As shown in FIG. 2, the multiple beacon transmitters 20 are two-dimensionally distributed when viewed from above. The arrangement (installation positions) of the multiple beacon transmitters 20 is stored in advance as arrangement information in the storage unit 43 of the server device 40.

[0017] Next, the operation terminal 30 will be described. The operation terminal 30 is a portable information terminal carried by a user located in the space 90a. Specifically, the operation terminal 30 is a portable terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The operation terminal 30 may also be a dedicated terminal used in the equipment control system 10. Specifically, the operation terminal 30 includes an operation reception unit 31, a display unit 32, a first communication unit 33, a second communication unit 34, an information processing unit 35, and a storage unit 36.

[0018] The operation reception unit 31 receives operations from a user. Specifically, the operation reception unit 31 is realized by a touch panel or the like.

[0019] The display unit 32 is a display that displays images and the like for the user to control the equipment 70. The display unit 32 is realized by, for example, a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel.

[0020] The first communication unit 33 is a wireless communication circuit for performing wireless communication (more specifically, radio wave communication) through a local communication network. Specifically, the first communication unit 33 performs wireless communication according to a communication standard such as BLE or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The first communication unit 33 receives beacon signals emitted by each of the multiple beacon transmitters 20.

[0021] The second communication unit 34 is a wireless communication circuit for allowing the operation terminal 30 to perform wireless communication with the server device 40 through a wide area communication network. The wide area communication network here includes a mobile communication network, the Internet, and the like.

[0022] The information processing unit 35 performs various information processing such as a position estimation process for estimating the current position of the operation terminal 30 and a display process for displaying an image on the display unit 32. The information processing unit 35 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor or a dedicated circuit. The functions of the information processing unit 35 are realized by hardware such as a microcomputer or a processor constituting the information processing unit 35 executing a computer program (software) stored in the storage unit 36.

[0023] The storage unit 36 ​​is a storage device that stores information necessary for the information processing. The information stored in the storage unit 36 ​​includes computer programs executed by the information processing unit 35. The computer programs stored in the storage unit 36 ​​include predetermined application programs (hereinafter also simply referred to as "predetermined apps") that are installed in advance in the storage unit 36 ​​by the user. The storage unit 36 ​​is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory or the like.

[0024] After the predetermined application is installed in the operation terminal 30, user registration is performed. As a result of the user registration, information about the user who owns the operation terminal 30 is stored as registration information in the storage unit 43 of the server device 40. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the registration information. In the registration information, the ID, name, attribute information, etc. of the installed predetermined application are associated with each other. The attribute information includes gender, age, job title, occupation type, affiliation, preference information, etc.

[0025] Next, the server device 40 will be described. The server device 40 controls a plurality of pieces of equipment 70. The server device 40 is, for example, a cloud computer provided outside a facility 90. The server device 40 includes a communication unit 41, an information processing unit 42, and a storage unit 43.

[0026] The communication unit 41 is a communication module (communication circuit) for the server device 40 to communicate with the operation terminal 30, the management terminal 50, and the local controller 60 through a wide area communication network. The communication performed by the communication unit 41 may be wired communication or wireless communication. There is no particular limitation on the communication standard used for the communication.

[0027] The information processing unit 42 processes information related to the control of the multiple facilities 70. Specifically, the information processing unit 42 is realized by a processor or a microcomputer. The information processing unit 42 includes, as functional components, a setting unit 44, an acquisition unit 45, and a control unit 46. The functions of the setting unit 44, the acquisition unit 45, and the control unit 46 are realized by the processor or microcomputer constituting the information processing unit 42 executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 43.

[0028] The storage unit 43 is a storage device that stores information necessary for the above-mentioned various information processes. The information stored in the storage unit 43 includes computer programs executed by the information processing unit 42. The storage unit 43 also stores the above-mentioned registration information (FIG. 3). Specifically, the storage unit 43 is realized by a semiconductor memory or a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc.

[0029] The storage unit 43 stores arrangement information indicating the arrangement of the multiple beacon transmitters 20 as information to be provided to the operation terminal 30. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement information. As shown in Fig. 4, in the arrangement information, the ID of the beacon transmitter 20 is associated with the installation location of the beacon transmitter 20. The installation location is expressed by, for example, a position and an area.

[0030] The position in the placement information is a three-dimensional coordinate in the space 90a in the facility 90. The area in the placement information means the name of the area in which the beacon transmitter 20 is installed, which corresponds to the space 90a, and is, for example, a conference room, an office, a break room, etc. The area may also be a passageway such as a corridor.

[0031] The above-mentioned placement information is registered in the server device 40, for example, when multiple beacon transmitters 20 are installed (constructed) in the space 90a, and is appropriately updated when the layout is changed and when the placement of the multiple beacon transmitters 20 is changed.

[0032] Next, the management terminal 50 will be described. The management terminal 50 is an information terminal owned by the manager of the facility 90. The management terminal 50 is, for example, a stationary information terminal such as a personal computer, but may also be a portable information terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The management terminal 50 may also be a dedicated terminal used in the equipment control system 10.

[0033] Next, the local controller 60 will be described. The local controller 60 is an edge computer that controls a plurality of facilities 70. The local controller 60 communicates with the server device 40 through a wide area communication network. When the local controller 60 receives a control command for controlling the facilities 70 from the server device 40, the local controller 60 controls the facilities 70 according to the control command.

[0034] Next, the multiple facilities 70 will be described. The multiple facilities 70 include lighting facilities 70a, air conditioning facilities, ventilation facilities, video facilities, audio facilities, and sensors. The sensors include temperature sensors, humidity sensors, and carbon dioxide concentration sensors.

[0035] [Current location estimation operation] When the operation terminal 30 is located in the space 90a, the operation terminal 30 can estimate the current position of the operation terminal 30 in the space 90a and transmit current position information indicating the estimated current position to the server device 40. Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram of the operation of estimating the current position of the operation terminal 30.

[0036] When the user is located in the space 90a, the user performs a predetermined operation on the operation terminal 30 to instruct execution of a predetermined application, and the operation receiving unit 31 receives such a predetermined operation (S11). The information processing unit 35 executes the predetermined application stored in the storage unit 36 ​​and performs information processing defined in the predetermined application. The information processing unit 35 specifically transmits a request for placement information to the server device 40 (S12). The request for placement information is specifically transmitted to the server device 40 by the second communication unit 34. The request for placement information includes the ID of the predetermined application. The ID of the predetermined application is used to identify the user.

[0037] The communication unit 41 of the server device 40 receives the request for the placement information. The information processing unit 42 reads out the placement information (FIG. 4) stored in the storage unit 43 (S13), and transmits (outputs) the read placement information to the operation terminal 30 (S14). Specifically, the placement information is transmitted to the operation terminal 30 by the communication unit 41.

[0038] The second communication unit 34 of the operation terminal 30 receives the arrangement information. The information processing unit 35 stores the received arrangement information in the storage unit 36 ​​(S15).

[0039] Each of the multiple beacon transmitters 20 installed in the space 90a periodically transmits a beacon signal, and the beacon signal includes an ID of the beacon transmitter 20. The ID is, for example, a MAC (Media Access Control) address, but may be another ID.

[0040] The first communication unit 33 of the operation terminal 30 receives a beacon signal from each of the multiple beacon transmitters 20 (S16), and the information processing unit 35 measures the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the received beacon signal (S17).

[0041] Next, the information processing unit 35 identifies the current position of the operation terminal 30 based on the measured received signal strength and the location information stored in the storage unit 36 ​​in step S15 (S18). The position of the operation terminal 30 is specifically the three-dimensional coordinates of the operation terminal 30 in the space 90a.

[0042] Specifically, the information processing unit 35 can identify the position (three-dimensional coordinates) of the beacon transmitter 20 that is the source of the beacon signal by collating the ID of the beacon transmitter 20 that is included in the beacon signal with the placement information. Here, the received signal strength of the beacon signal measured in step S17 can be regarded as an estimated distance from the beacon transmitter 20 that is the source of the beacon signal to the operation terminal 30. Then, the information processing unit 35 can identify (estimate) the current position of the operation terminal 30 from the positions of each of the multiple beacon transmitters 20 and the estimated distance from the respective positions to the operation terminal 30. Note that any existing algorithm may be used as a method for identifying the position based on the received signal strength.

[0043] Next, the information processing unit 35 transmits current location information indicating the current location of the identified operating terminal 30 to the server device 40 (S19). Specifically, the current location information is transmitted to the server device 40 by the second communication unit 34. The current location information is information including the location (coordinates) of the identified operating terminal 30, the current time, and the ID of a predetermined application.

[0044] The communication unit 41 of the server device 40 receives the current location information, and the information processing unit 42 stores the received current location information in the storage unit 43 (S20).

[0045] In this manner, when the operation terminal 30 is located in the space 90a, the operation terminal 30 can estimate the current position of the operation terminal 30 in the space 90a, and transmit to the server device 40 current position information indicating the estimated current position.

[0046] The processes of steps S16 to S20 are repeated while the operation terminal 30 is executing a predetermined application. As a result, the latest current location information of the users is stored in the storage unit 43 of the server device 40. Since the equipment control system 10 includes a plurality of operation terminals 30 corresponding to a plurality of users, the latest current location information of each of the plurality of users is stored in the storage unit 43 of the server device 40. In other words, the server device 40 can manage (know) the latest current location information of each of the plurality of users.

[0047] [Example 1] In the equipment control system 10, the control unit 46 of the server device 40 can control the equipment 70 provided in the space 90a by transmitting a control command to the local controller 60.

[0048] Here, the control unit 46 prioritizes the comfort of the entire space 90a over that of an individual, and can switch between a first mode in which individual control, which is control of the equipment 70 based on the request of a person located in the space 90a, is restricted, and a second mode in which individual control is possible. An operation example 1 of such an equipment control system 10 will be described below. Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram of the operation example 1 of the equipment control system 10.

[0049] The manager of the facility 90 (space 90a) performs a predetermined setting operation to set the requirements for activating the second mode, and the management terminal 50 accepts the setting operation (S21). Based on the setting operation, the management terminal 50 transmits setting information indicating the settings intended by the manager through the setting operation to the server device 40 (S22).

[0050] The communication unit 41 of the server device 40 receives the setting information. The setting unit 44 acquires the setting information, thereby accepting the setting of the administrator, and stores the acquired setting information in the storage unit 43 (S23). In other words, the setting unit 44 sets the requirements for activating the second mode.

[0051] When the space 90a is a space in an office building, the requirement is, for example, that the attendance rate in the space 90a is equal to or lower than a predetermined value (i.e., that there are few people located in the space 90a). Note that the attendance rate here means the ratio of the actual number of people to the predetermined capacity in the space 90a.

[0052] The control unit 46 of the server device 40 basically operates in the first mode (S24). In the first mode, the control unit 46 controls the equipment 70 based on a predetermined algorithm, and setting changes related to the control of the equipment 70 are permitted only by an administrator's operation on the management terminal 50. In the first mode, general users located in the space 90a are not permitted to change the control contents of the equipment 70 (personal control, which will be described later, is not permitted), but may be permitted to change the control contents to a more limited range than that of the administrator or to a more limited range than that of the personal control. That is, in the first mode, personal control is limited. If the equipment 70 is an air conditioning equipment, changes in the control contents include changes in the on / off of the operation, changes in the wind direction, changes in the wind volume, changes in the operation mode, and changes in the set temperature, and if the equipment 70 is a lighting equipment 70a, changes in the control contents include changes in the on / off of the light, changes in the dimming rate, and changes in the color temperature.

[0053] Next, the acquisition unit 45 acquires (calculates) the attendance rate in the space 90a based on the latest current position information of the multiple users stored in the storage unit 43 by the position estimation operation of Fig. 5 (S25). Note that the storage unit 43 stores a coordinate range of the space 90a (such as a room) in the facility 90, and when the position (coordinates) indicated by the current position information is within the coordinate range, the acquisition unit 45 can determine that the user is located in the space 90a and calculate the attendance rate for the space 90a.

[0054] Next, the control unit 46 determines whether the attendance rate acquired in step S25 satisfies the requirement set in step S23 (being equal to or less than a predetermined value) (S26). If the control unit 46 determines that the attendance rate acquired does not satisfy the requirement, it continues the operation in the first mode. On the other hand, if the control unit 46 determines that the attendance rate satisfies the requirement, it performs the operation in the second mode (S27).

[0055] During operation in the second mode, a user located in the space 90a is permitted to perform personal control of the equipment 70 based on the user's request. Personal control is control of the equipment 70 based on a control signal transmitted from the operation terminal 30 by the user operating the operation terminal 30, for example. In other words, the user can freely change the control content of the equipment 70 using the operation terminal 30 as a remote controller for the equipment 70.

[0056] In order to allow individual control, when the operation in the second mode is started, the control unit 46 transmits authority information for granting control authority for the equipment 70 to the operation terminal 30 (S28). Specifically, the authority information is transmitted to the operation terminal 30 by the communication unit 41.

[0057] The second communication unit 34 of the operation terminal 30 receives the notification information. The information processing unit 35 displays a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for controlling the equipment 70 on the display unit 32 based on the received authority information (S29). Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI for individual control.

[0058] 7 shows, as an example, a GUI (control screen) for controlling the lighting equipment 70a. The user can control the lighting equipment 70a by selecting one of three lighting modes (in other words, lighting conditions configured by brightness, color temperature, light distribution state, etc.) of solo work, remote, and team work. In the adjustment area at the bottom of the GUI, a check mark is added to the position corresponding to the currently selected lighting mode (current lighting state), and the user can fine-tune the lighting state by moving the check mark.

[0059] 7 is displayed on the display unit 32 of the operation terminal 30, the operation receiving unit 31 receives a control instruction operation (e.g., an operation to select a lighting mode) to instruct control of the equipment 70 (S30). The information processing unit 35 transmits a control request to control the equipment 70 to the server device 40 in response to the control instruction operation (S31). The control request is specifically transmitted to the server device 40 by the second communication unit 34. The control request includes the ID of a predetermined application.

[0060] The communication unit 41 of the server device 40 receives the control request. The control unit 46 transmits a control command to the local controller 60 based on the received control request (S32). Specifically, the control command is transmitted to the local controller 60 by the communication unit 41.

[0061] The local controller 60 controls the equipment 70 based on the received control command (S33). In steps S32 to S33, the control unit 46 transmits the control command to the local controller 60, thereby performing personalized control based on the control request transmitted by the operation terminal 30 in step S31.

[0062] Although not shown, a determination similar to that in step S26 is made during operation in the second mode, and if the control unit 46 determines that the acquired attendance rate does not satisfy the set requirements, it switches operation from the second mode to operation in the first mode.

[0063] Thus, the equipment control system 10 includes a setting unit 44 that sets requirements for the attendance rate in space 90a within facility 90, an acquisition unit 45 that acquires the current attendance rate, and a control unit 46 that controls the equipment 70 in a first mode in which personal control, which is control of the equipment 70 based on the requests of people located in space 90a, is restricted, and, if the acquired attendance rate satisfies the requirements, controls the equipment 70 in a second mode in which personal control is allowed.

[0064] In the equipment control system 10, during operation in the first mode, the administrator mainly has the control authority for the equipment 70, and during operation in the second mode, the user mainly has the control authority for the equipment 70. In other words, the equipment control system 10 can transfer the control authority for the equipment 70 installed in the space 90a depending on the state of people in the space 90a (e.g., the attendance rate). For example, if the administrator is the owner of the facility 90 and the user is an employee of a company that occupies the space 90a as a tenant in the facility 90, in the equipment control system 10, the control authority for the equipment 70 is transferred between the owner and the tenant depending on the state of people in the space 90a.

[0065] In the first operational example, the control unit 46 executes the second mode operation when the requirement regarding the attendance rate is satisfied based on the first mode operation, but the control unit 46 may execute the first mode operation when the requirement regarding the attendance rate is satisfied based on the second mode operation. In this case, the requirement regarding the attendance rate is, for example, that the attendance rate exceeds a predetermined value (that there are many people positioned in the space 90a).

[0066] Also, in the operation example 1, the GUI is displayed on each of the multiple operation terminals 30 corresponding to the multiple users located in the space 90a while the second mode is being executed, but may be displayed only on the operation terminal 30 held by the user located near the equipment 70 to be controlled. For example, if the arrangement information (FIG. 4) stored in the storage unit 43 of the server device 40 includes the arrangement of the equipment 70 in addition to the arrangement of the beacon transmitters 20, the control unit 46 can display the GUI only on the operation terminals 30 held by the users located near the equipment 70 by transmitting authority information only to the operation terminals 30 of the users located within a predetermined distance from the equipment 70.

[0067] In addition, in the operation example 1, the equipment 70 that can be controlled by operating the GUI may be limited to the equipment 70 that is not in operation at the time of step S28 among the equipment 70 installed in the space 90a. This makes it possible to realize individual control using the equipment 70 that is not in operation while maintaining the same control as in the first mode for the equipment 70 that is in operation.

[0068] When the equipment 70 that can be controlled by operating the GUI is limited to equipment 70 that is not in operation, the transmission of the authority information in step S28 and the display of the GUI in step S29 have the effect of informing the user that the user can personally use shared equipment 70 that is not in operation.

[0069] [Example 2] In the operation example 1, the individual control has been described as the control of the equipment 70 using the operation terminal 30 as a remote controller, but the individual control may be automatic control of the equipment 70 based on attribute information of a user located in the space 90a (hereinafter, also referred to as individual control based on attribute information). Hereinafter, an operation example 2 of such an equipment control system 10 will be described. FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram of the operation example 2 of the equipment control system 10.

[0070] The processing in steps S41 to S46 is similar to the processing in steps S21 to S26, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0071] When the control unit 46 determines in step S46 that the attendance rate satisfies the set requirements, it performs the operation in the second mode (S47). During the operation in the second mode, the user located in the space 90a is allowed to perform the personalized control, which is the control of the equipment 70 based on the user's request. As described above, in the operation example 2, the personalized control is the automatic control of the equipment 70 according to the attribute information of the user.

[0072] The control unit 46 determines whether or not the user has approached within a predetermined distance range from the target facility 70 (S48). For example, if the location information (FIG. 4) stored in the storage unit 43 includes the location of the facility 70 in addition to the location of the beacon transmitter 20, the control unit 46 can determine whether or not the user has approached within a predetermined distance range from the target facility 70 based on the location of the facility 70 determined by the location information and the latest current location information of multiple users stored in the storage unit 43 by the location estimation operation in FIG. 5.

[0073] When the control unit 46 determines that the user has approached within a predetermined distance range from the target facility 70, it identifies attribute information of the user (S49). As described above, in the registration information (FIG. 3), the ID of a predetermined application is associated with the attribute information of the user, so that the control unit 46 can identify the attribute information of the user who has entered within a predetermined distance range from the target facility 70 by comparing the ID of the predetermined application in the registration information with the ID of the predetermined application in the current location information.

[0074] The control unit 46 transmits a control command for controlling the equipment 70 to the local controller 60 based on the identified attribute information (S50). The control command is specifically transmitted to the local controller 60 by the communication unit 41.

[0075] The local controller 60 controls the equipment 70 based on the received control command (S51). In steps S50 to S51, the control unit 46 transmits the control command to the local controller 60, thereby executing individual control based on the attribute information identified in step S49.

[0076] For example, if the equipment 70 is an air conditioning equipment and the identified attribute information specifies that the user is sensitive to the cold, in step S51, the local controller 60 sets the set temperature of the air conditioning equipment to a temperature higher than that during operation in the first mode (a set temperature higher than the standard set temperature) and controls the air conditioning equipment.

[0077] The above-mentioned individual control based on attribute information can be realized, for example, by referring to control information pre-stored in the storage unit 43. The control information is information that associates requirements related to the user's attribute information (e.g., being sensitive to cold) with how to change the control content when the requirements are met (e.g., raising the set temperature).

[0078] Furthermore, when the user's preferred control content is specified as preference information included in the attribute information, the control unit 46 may control the equipment 70 according to the user's preferred control content. In this case, the control unit 46 can realize individual control based on the attribute information by referring to the preference information instead of the control information.

[0079] In this way, the equipment control system 10 can execute automatic control of the equipment 70 based on attribute information of the person located in the space 90a as personalized control.

[0080] In the second operation example, the control unit 46 executes the operation of the second mode when the requirement regarding the attendance rate is satisfied based on the operation of the first mode, but the control unit 46 may execute the operation of the first mode when the requirement regarding the attendance rate is satisfied based on the operation of the second mode. In this case, the requirement regarding the attendance rate is, for example, that the attendance rate exceeds a predetermined value (that there are many people positioned in the space 90a).

[0081] In addition, in the operation example 2, among the pieces of equipment 70 installed in the space 90a, individual control based on the attribute information may be performed on the pieces of equipment 70 that are not in operation. That is, the pieces of equipment 70 that are targets in step S48 may be limited to the pieces of equipment 70 that are not in operation at the time of step S48.

[0082] This makes it possible to realize individual control using equipment 70 that is not in operation, while maintaining control similar to that in the first mode for equipment 70 that is in operation.

[0083] In addition, when the target equipment 70 is limited to equipment 70 that is not in operation, the information processing unit 42 may notify the operation terminal 30 (user) that there is shared equipment 70 that is not in operation (equipment that can be used for individual control based on attribute information).

[0084] [Variations of information used for mode switching] In the above-mentioned operation example 1 and operation example 2, the attendance rate in the space 90a is used as information for switching between the first mode operation and the second mode operation. However, the information for switching between the first mode operation and the second mode operation may be information other than the attendance rate.

[0085] For example, the information for switching between the first mode operation and the second mode operation may be a congestion degree. The acquisition unit 45 can acquire (calculate) the congestion degree by, for example, dividing the number of people located in the space 90a by the area (total floor area) of the space 90a.

[0086] In this case, the requirement set by the setting unit 44 for switching from the first mode operation to the second mode operation is, for example, that the congestion degree is equal to or less than a predetermined value (i.e., the space 90a is not crowded). The requirement set by the setting unit 44 for switching from the second mode operation to the first mode operation is, for example, that the congestion degree is greater than a predetermined value (i.e., the space 90a is crowded).

[0087] In addition, since the attendance rate and the congestion degree are determined by the number of people located in the space 90a, they can be considered as human information related to the people located in the space 90a. The information for switching between the first mode operation and the second mode operation is not limited to such human information. For example, the information for switching between the first mode operation and the second mode operation may be environmental information in the space 90a.

[0088] The environmental information is, for example, information indicating the carbon dioxide concentration sensed by a carbon dioxide concentration sensor included in the equipment 70. In this case, a requirement set by the setting unit 44 for switching from the first mode operation to the second mode operation is, for example, that the carbon dioxide concentration is equal to or lower than a predetermined value (i.e., the number of people (carbon dioxide emission sources) in the space 90a is estimated to be small). A requirement set by the setting unit 44 for switching from the second mode operation to the first mode operation is, for example, that the carbon dioxide concentration is greater than a predetermined value (i.e., the number of people in the space 90a is estimated to be large).

[0089] Furthermore, the information for switching between the operation in the first mode and the operation in the second mode may be equipment information related to the equipment 70 installed in the space 90a. The equipment information is, for example, information indicating the amount of power consumed by the equipment 70. The amount of power consumed by the equipment 70 is measured, for example, by a power measuring equipment or a local controller 60 included in the equipment 70. The acquisition unit 45 can acquire the amount of power consumed by the equipment 70 by making an inquiry to the power measuring equipment or the local controller 60 using the communication unit 41.

[0090] In this case, the requirement set by the setting unit 44 for switching from the first mode operation to the second mode operation is, for example, that the total power consumption of the equipment 70 installed in the space 90a is equal to or less than a predetermined value (i.e., the power demand in the space 90a is low and an increase in power consumption due to personal control is acceptable). The requirement set by the setting unit 44 for switching from the second mode operation to the first mode operation is, for example, that the total power consumption of the equipment 70 installed in the space 90a is greater than a predetermined value (i.e., the power demand in the space 90a is high and an increase in power consumption due to personal control is unacceptable).

[0091] Furthermore, the equipment information may be information indicating an operation rate of the equipment 70 installed in the space 90a. When m pieces of equipment 70 are installed and n pieces of the equipment 70 are operating, the operation rate of the equipment 70 is expressed as n / m. The acquisition unit 45 can acquire the operation rate of the equipment 70 by making an inquiry to the local controller 60 using the communication unit 41.

[0092] In this case, a requirement set by the setting unit 44 for switching from the first mode operation to the second mode operation is, for example, that the operation rate of the equipment 70 installed in the space 90a is equal to or lower than a predetermined value (i.e., the equipment 70 that is not operating can be used for personal control). A requirement set by the setting unit 44 for switching from the second mode operation to the first mode operation is, for example, that the operation rate of the equipment 70 installed in the space 90a is greater than a predetermined value (i.e., it is difficult to use the equipment 70 that is not operating for personal control).

[0093] In this way, human information, environmental information, or facility information may be used as information for switching between the first mode operation and the second mode operation.

[0094] Furthermore, as information for switching between the first mode operation and the second mode operation, two or more of the human information, the environmental information, and the facility information may be used in combination.

[0095] For example, assuming that a requirement for switching from the first mode operation to the second mode operation is requirement A, the control unit 46 switches the first mode operation to the second mode operation when, for example, all of two or more pieces of information among the human information, the environmental information, and the equipment information satisfy requirement A. The control unit 46 may switch the first mode operation to the second mode operation when, for example, at least a part of two or more pieces of information among the human information, the environmental information, and the equipment information satisfies requirement A.

[0096] Similarly, assuming that a requirement for switching from the second mode operation to the first mode operation is requirement B, the control unit 46 switches the second mode operation to the first mode operation when, for example, at least a part of two or more pieces of information among the human information, the environmental information, and the facility information satisfies requirement B. The control unit 46 may switch the second mode operation to the first mode operation when, for example, all of two or more pieces of information among the human information, the environmental information, and the facility information satisfies requirement B.

[0097] As described above, in the equipment control system 10, the setting unit 44 sets requirements for at least one of the human information, the environmental information, and the equipment information, and the acquisition unit 45 acquires the at least one piece of information. The control unit 46 switches between controlling the equipment 70 in the first mode or the second mode, based on whether the acquired at least one piece of information satisfies the requirements.

[0098] [Other variations] In the above embodiment, the facility 90 has been described as an office building, but it may be a commercial facility, a social education facility (such as a library, a museum, or an art gallery), a medical facility (such as a hospital), a factory, a research facility, a lodging facility, or a public facility. For example, if the facility 90 is a lodging facility (hotel), when a guest is not in the guest room, the equipment 70 installed in the guest room is controlled in the first mode, and when a guest is in the guest room, the equipment 70 installed in the guest room is controlled in the second mode. In other words, the control authority for the equipment 70 in the guest room is transferred between the guest and the manager.

[0099] In the above embodiment, in order to acquire human information, a positioning system including a plurality of beacon transmitters 20 and an operation terminal 30 is used. However, instead of such a first positioning system, a second positioning system including a plurality of beacon receivers and an operation terminal 30 that emits a beacon signal may be used.

[0100] Also, it is not essential to use a positioning system such as the first positioning system or the second positioning system. For example, assume that an entrance / exit management system is provided in the facility 90, and authentication using an authentication medium such as an IC card or biometric authentication is required to enter the space 90a. Since the entrance / exit management system manages which users are in the space 90a based on the result of authentication, the server device 40 can also acquire human information or information for acquiring (calculating) human information from the entrance / exit management system instead of a positioning system.

[0101] Furthermore, if a high-performance camera capable of acquiring human information based on an image of the space 90a is provided in the space 90a, the server device 40 can also acquire the human information from the high-performance camera.

[0102] [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.

[0103] Invention 1 is an equipment control system 10 including a setting unit 44 that sets requirements for at least one piece of information among human information about a person located in a space 90a in a facility 90, environmental information in the space 90a, and equipment information about equipment 70 installed in the space 90a, an acquisition unit 45 that acquires the at least one piece of information, and a control unit 46 that switches between controlling the equipment 70 in a first mode in which personal control, which is control of the equipment 70 based on the request of a person located in the space 90a, is limited, and controlling the equipment 70 in a second mode in which personal control is permitted, based on whether the at least one piece of acquired information satisfies the requirements. Here, "personal control is limited" means that personal control is not permitted at all, or that personal control is permitted partially.

[0104] When controlling equipment 70 installed in space 90a, such an equipment control system 10 can switch between prioritizing group comfort and restricting individual control, or prioritizing individual comfort and allowing individual control.

[0105] Invention 2 is the equipment control system 10 of Invention 1, in which the personal control is control of the equipment 70 based on a control request transmitted from the operation terminal 30 by a person located in the space 90a operating the operation terminal 30.

[0106] Such an equipment control system 10 can give the operation terminal 30 (user) the authority to freely control the equipment 70 installed in the space 90a by operating the operation terminal 30.

[0107] Invention 3 is the equipment control system 10 of Invention 2, in which the control unit 46 switches from the first mode to the second mode when at least one of the acquired information satisfies the requirements, and transmits authority information to the operation terminal 30 to grant control authority for the equipment 70, and a GUI for performing personal control is displayed on the display unit 32 of the operation terminal 30 that has received the authority information, and the operation terminal 30 transmits a control request in response to an operation on the GUI by a person located in the space 90a.

[0108] Such an equipment control system 10 can notify the user by displaying a GUI that the user has been given the authority to freely control the equipment 70 installed in the space 90a by operating the operation terminal 30.

[0109] Invention 4 is the equipment control system 10 of Invention 1, in which the personalized control is automatic control of the equipment 70 based on attribute information of a person located in the space 90a.

[0110] Such an equipment control system 10 can execute automatic control of the equipment 70 based on attribute information of people located in the space 90a as personal control.

[0111] Invention 5 is an equipment control system 10 of any of Inventions 1 to 4, wherein at least one of the information includes person information, the person information indicating the degree of congestion of the space 90a or the ratio of the actual number of people to a specified capacity in the space 90a, and the setting unit 44 sets a requirement for the degree of congestion of the space 90a or the ratio of the actual number of people to a specified capacity in the space 90a.

[0112] Such a facility control system 10 can switch between allowing and restricting personalized control based on the number of people in the space 90a.

[0113] Invention 6 is an equipment control system 10 of any of Inventions 1 to 5, wherein at least one of the information includes equipment information, the equipment information indicating the amount of power consumption of the equipment 70, and the setting unit 44 sets requirements for the amount of power consumption of the equipment 70.

[0114] Such a facility control system 10 can switch between allowing and restricting personal control, taking into account energy conservation in the space 90a.

[0115] Invention 7 is an equipment control system 10 described in any of Inventions 1 to 6, in which the at least one information includes two or more of human information, environmental information, and equipment information, and the control unit 46 switches between controlling the equipment 70 in the first mode and controlling the equipment 70 in the second mode based on whether each of the two or more information satisfies a requirement.

[0116] Such an equipment control system 10 can take into account two or more pieces of information from among human information, environmental information, and equipment information, and can switch between prioritizing group comfort and restricting individual control, and prioritizing individual comfort and allowing individual control.

[0117] Invention 8 is an equipment control method executed by a computer, and includes a setting step S23 (or S43) for setting requirements for at least one piece of information among human information about a person located in a space 90a in a facility 90, environmental information in the space 90a, and equipment information about equipment 70 installed in the space 90a, an acquisition step S25 (or S45) for acquiring at least one piece of information, and a control step S27 (or S47) for switching between controlling the equipment 70 in a first mode in which personal control, which is control of the equipment 70 based on the request of a person located in the space 90a, is limited, and controlling the equipment 70 in a second mode in which personal control is permitted, based on whether the acquired at least one piece of information satisfies the requirements. Here, "personal control is limited" means that personal control is not permitted at all, or that personal control is permitted partially.

[0118] When controlling equipment 70 installed in space 90a, such an equipment control method can switch between prioritizing group comfort and restricting individual control, or prioritizing individual comfort and allowing individual control.

[0119] Invention 9 is a program for causing a computer to execute the equipment control method of Invention 8.

[0120] According to such a program, when controlling equipment 70 installed in space 90a, the computer can switch between prioritizing group comfort and restricting individual control, or prioritizing individual comfort and allowing individual control.

[0121] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0122] For example, in the above embodiment, the equipment control system is realized by a plurality of devices. When the equipment control system is realized by a plurality of devices in this way, the components (particularly, functional components) of the equipment control system may be distributed in any manner among the plurality of devices. For example, some or all of the functions of the information processing unit of the server device may be provided by the information processing unit of the information terminal, or may be provided by the local controller.

[0123] The equipment control system may be realized as a single device. For example, the equipment control system may be realized as a single device corresponding to a server device, or as a single device corresponding to an information terminal. The equipment control system may be realized as a local controller having the same functions (functional components) as the server device of the above embodiment.

[0124] For example, the method of communication between the devices in the above-described embodiment is not particularly limited. In addition, a relay device (such as a broadband router) (not shown) may be involved in the communication between the devices.

[0125] 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.

[0126] 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.

[0127] 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.

[0128] 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.

[0129] For example, the present invention may be realized as the equipment control system of the above embodiment, or as an equipment control method executed by a computer such as the equipment control system. The present invention may be realized as a program for causing a computer to execute such an equipment control method, or as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded. Furthermore, the present invention may be realized as a predetermined application program installed in an information terminal, or as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such an application program is recorded.

[0130] 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]

[0131] 10 Equipment Control System 20 Beacon transmitter 30 Operation terminal 31 Operation reception section 32 Display section 33 First Communications Department 34 2nd Communications Department 35, 42 Information Processing Section 36, 43 Storage section 40 Server device 41 Communications Department 44 Setting section 45 Acquisition Department 46 Control Unit 50 Management terminal 60 Local Controller 70 Equipment 70a lighting equipment 90 Facilities 90a space

Claims

1. a setting unit that sets requirements for at least one of human information related to people located in a space within a facility, environmental information in the space, and equipment information related to equipment installed in the space; An acquisition unit that acquires the at least one piece of information; and a control unit that switches between controlling the equipment in a first mode in which personal control, which is control of the equipment based on a request of a person located in the space, is limited, and controlling the equipment in a second mode in which the personal control is permitted, based on whether the at least one piece of acquired information satisfies the requirement. Equipment control system.

2. The personal control is control of the equipment based on a control request transmitted from an operation terminal by a person located in the space operating the operation terminal. The equipment control system according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit switches the first mode to a second mode when the acquired at least one piece of information satisfies the requirement, and transmits authority information for granting control authority of the equipment to the operation terminal, a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for executing the individual control is displayed on a display unit of the operation terminal that has received the authority information; The operation terminal transmits the control request in response to an operation on the GUI by a person located in the space. The equipment control system according to claim 2 .

4. The personalized control is automatic control of the equipment based on attribute information of people located in the space. The equipment control system according to claim 1 .

5. The at least one piece of information includes the person information, The person information indicates the degree of congestion in the space or the ratio of the actual number of people to a predetermined capacity in the space, The setting unit sets the requirement with respect to the degree of congestion of the space or the ratio of the actual number of people to a predetermined capacity in the space. The facility control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The at least one piece of information includes the equipment information; The facility information indicates a power consumption amount of the facility, The setting unit sets the requirement for the amount of power consumption of the facility. The facility control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. The at least one information includes two or more of the person information, the environmental information, and the facility information, The control unit switches between controlling the equipment in the first mode and controlling the equipment in the second mode based on whether each of the two or more pieces of information satisfies the requirement. The facility control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. 1. A computer-implemented method for controlling equipment, comprising: A setting step of setting requirements for at least one of human information related to people located in a space in the facility, environmental information in the space, and equipment information related to equipment installed in the space; acquiring the at least one piece of information; and a control step of switching between controlling the equipment in a first mode in which personal control, which is control of the equipment based on a request of a person located in the space, is limited, and controlling the equipment in a second mode in which the personal control is permitted, based on whether the at least one piece of acquired information satisfies the requirement. Equipment control methods.

9. A program for causing a computer to execute the equipment control method according to claim 8.

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