Equipment market value diagnostic system and equipment market value diagnostic method

Abstract

To provide a technique for diagnosing a value that a customer can receive when using equipment.SOLUTION: An equipment market value diagnostic system comprises: a first storage unit that stores equipment specification information and operation history information of equipment to be diagnosed; and a second storage unit that stores equipment specification information and lifespan information of market distribution equipment. A processing unit executes: a step for predicting, using the equipment specification information and the operation history information stored in the first storage unit, output and input when the equipment to be diagnosed is used, and identifying first user value information including cumulative output and cumulative input accumulated in a period of use; a step for predicting, using the equipment specification information and the lifespan information of the market distribution equipment stored in the second storage unit, output and input when the market distribution equipment is used, and identifying second user value information including cumulative output and cumulative input accumulated in the period of use; and a step for evaluating, using the first user value information and the second user value information, a market value of the equipment to be diagnosed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an equipment market value diagnosis system and an equipment market value diagnosis method.

Background Art

[0002] With the growing momentum to achieve a sustainable society, there is a demand for a shift from a linear economy of mass production, mass consumption, and mass disposal to a circular economy that efficiently and circularly utilizes resources throughout the entire life cycle of the market. As one of the efforts towards this shift, reuse, which extends the lifespan of products and efficiently utilizes resources, has attracted attention. To expand the reuse of used equipment for promoting reuse, it is necessary to obtain an understanding of the value of used equipment from customers. However, used equipment has different qualities individually, making it difficult to diagnose its value, and customers do not necessarily know the product well and find it difficult to judge its value. As a result, customers fear defective products and excessively demand price cuts for used equipment, and sellers dislike low prices and stop putting high-quality products on the market. Therefore, only defective products tend to circulate in the used equipment market.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a mechanism for ranking vehicles based not only on the mileage of the main diagnostic item but also on other vehicle information for used cars, and adjusting the reference price calculated from the mileage using the rank information.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 sets a price based on the evaluation of the condition of used cars in the past and present, and cannot be said to be a price based on the value that the customer himself / herself will obtain after purchase. The value that the customer himself / herself obtains requires the customer to imagine or predict the usage situation after purchase. The object of the present invention is to diagnose the value that the customer obtains during the use of second-hand products after purchase.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] This application includes a plurality of means for solving at least a part of the above problems. For example, it is as follows. An equipment market value diagnosis system according to one aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems includes a first storage unit that stores equipment specification information and operation history information of equipment to be diagnosed, a second storage unit that stores the equipment specification information and life information of market-circulating equipment, and a processing unit. The processing unit predicts the output during the use of the equipment to be diagnosed and the input required to obtain the output using the equipment specification information and the operation history information stored in the first storage unit, and accumulates the predicted output and input values over a predetermined use period to identify first user value information including the accumulated output and the accumulated input. The processing unit predicts the output during the use of the market-circulating equipment and the input required to obtain the output using the equipment specification information and the life information of the market-circulating equipment stored in the second storage unit, and accumulates the predicted output and input values over the use period to identify second user value information including the accumulated output and the accumulated input. The processing unit evaluates the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed using the first user value information and the second user value information.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to diagnose the value that the customer obtains during the use after purchasing the equipment. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the description of the embodiments for carrying out the following invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

Figure 20

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The examples are illustrative for explaining the present invention, and for the sake of clarity of explanation, appropriate omissions and simplifications have been made. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise particularly limited, each component may be singular or plural.

[0010] The positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. of the respective components shown in the drawings may not represent the actual positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. For this reason, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. disclosed in the drawings.

[0011] As examples of various information, it may be described in expressions such as "table", "list", "queue", etc., but the various information may be represented by data structures other than these. For example, various information such as "XX table", "XX list", "XX queue" may be referred to as "XX information". When explaining identification information, expressions such as "identification information", "identifier", "name", "ID", "number", etc. are used, but these are mutually replaceable. Also, the identification information described in these expressions is represented by symbols, numerical values, natural languages, or combinations thereof in the examples, but the identification information may be in other forms.

[0012] When there are a plurality of components having the same or similar functions, they may be described with the same reference numeral and different subscripts. Also, when it is not necessary to distinguish these plurality of components, the subscripts may be omitted in the description.

[0013] In an embodiment, the processing performed by executing a program may be described. Here, a computer executes a program by a processor (e.g., CPU, GPU), and performs the processing defined by the program while using a storage resource (e.g., memory) and an interface device (e.g., communication port), etc. Therefore, the subject of the processing performed by executing the program may be the processor. Similarly, the subject of the processing performed by executing the program may be a controller, a device, a system, a computer, or a node having a processor. The subject of the processing performed by executing the program may be an arithmetic unit and may include a dedicated circuit for performing a specific processing. Here, the dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), or the like.

[0014] The program may be installed in a computer from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a storage medium readable by a computer. When the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server includes a processor and a storage resource for storing the program to be distributed, and the processor of the program distribution server may distribute the program to be distributed to other computers. Also, in an embodiment, two or more programs may be realized as one program, or one program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0015] Also, although the present invention is typically realized by an information processing apparatus, it may be realized as a platform having the functions of the present invention.

[0016] In this embodiment, the facility market value diagnosis system 10 evaluates the user value (value during the usage period) of the facility to be diagnosed and the market-circulating facilities, and diagnoses the market value of the target facility based on the results. According to this, since the value during the period when the user uses it is evaluated, it becomes possible to evaluate the facility to be diagnosed and the market-circulating facilities based on the same value criterion.

[0017] Here, the facility to be diagnosed refers to a facility with a usage history (for example, industrial facilities such as refrigerators and air compressors). The market-circulating facilities refer to facilities that correspond to at least one of the facilities currently in use and the facilities whose use is predicted.

[0018] Also, the user value is information including the value obtained by accumulating the predicted value of the facility output (for example, refrigeration capacity) during the usage period of the facility and the value obtained by accumulating the predicted value of the input (for example, energy consumption) required to obtain the output during the usage period.

[0019] The market value of the facility to be diagnosed is a value output based on at least one of the value quantitatively evaluated based on an arbitrary market-circulating facility or the value evaluated by classification of the market-circulating facilities and based on that information.

[0020] Also, the user refers to a person who uses the facility to be diagnosed or the market-circulating facilities. The person using the facility market value diagnosis system 10 may be a user, or may be a person responsible for the circulation of the facility to be diagnosed or the market-circulating facilities (for example, a person who benefits from sales or leasing or a leasing company, etc.). Therefore, in this embodiment, the person using the facility market value diagnosis system 10 is referred to as an operator.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the facility market value diagnosis system. The facility market value diagnosis system 10 is configured by, for example, an information processing device. The information processing device includes a storage unit 1000, a processing unit 2000, an external information acquisition unit 3000, an input unit 4000, a market value and other information reporting unit 5000, and a display unit 6000.

[0022] First, the memory unit 1000 stores at least the target equipment information 1100 and the market - circulated equipment information 1200. The target equipment information 1100 includes the equipment specification information 1110 of the diagnostic target equipment, the operation history information 1120 of the diagnostic target equipment, and the user value information 1130 of the diagnostic target equipment. The details of the content of each of the equipment specification information 1110, the operation history information 1120, and the user value information 1130 will be described later.

[0023] The market - circulated equipment information 1200 includes the equipment specification information 1210 of the market - circulated equipment, the lifespan information 1220 of the market - circulated equipment, and the user value information 1230 of the market - circulated equipment. The details of the content of each of the equipment specification information 1210, the lifespan information 1220, and the user value information 1230 will be described later.

[0024] Also, the processing unit 2000 includes a user value prediction unit 2100 and a market value evaluation unit 2200. The user value prediction unit 2100 predicts the equipment output during the use of the diagnostic target equipment or the market - circulated equipment and the input required to obtain the output, and identifies user value information including the cumulative output and cumulative input obtained by accumulating the predicted output and input values over a predetermined usage period. For the sake of convenience, the user value information for the diagnostic target equipment is referred to as the first user value information, and the user value information for the market - circulated equipment is referred to as the second user value information.

[0025] The market value evaluation unit 2200 identifies the market value of the diagnostic target equipment based on at least one of the value obtained by quantitatively evaluating the market value of the diagnostic target equipment based on an arbitrary market - circulated equipment as a reference and the value obtained by classifying the market - circulated equipment and performing a grading evaluation based on the information.

[0026] In addition, the external information acquisition unit 3000 acquires information used for specifying the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed and the equipment in the market circulation via a network or a portable storage medium. The information acquired by the external information acquisition unit 3000 includes, in addition to the target equipment information 1100 and the market circulation equipment information 1200 themselves and a part thereof, information for creating the target equipment information 1100 and the market circulation equipment information 1200 themselves or a part thereof.

[0027] In addition, the input unit 4000 receives input of various instructions from the operator. The input content includes at least the target equipment information 1100 to be diagnosed. For example, the input unit 4000 receives input via an input device such as a mouse or a keyboard.

[0028] In addition, the market value reporting unit 5000 generates a report on the user value prediction result and the market value evaluation result of the equipment to be diagnosed using the evaluation result of the processing unit 2000.

[0029] In addition, the display unit 6000 displays the output via a display device such as various displays. For this reason, the input unit 4000 and the display unit 6000 may be integrally configured like a touch panel. Furthermore, the input unit 4000 and the display unit 6000 may be configured in separate enclosures from the equipment market value diagnosis system 10. In this case, the input unit 4000 and the display unit 6000 may be realized by separate terminal devices, and the input information and the output information may be transferred via a network.

[0030] Note that the network is, for example, any one of a communication network using a part or all of a general public line such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a VPN (Virtual Private Network), the Internet, a mobile phone communication network, or a combined network of these. Note that the network may be a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or 5G (Generation).

[0031] In addition, the information processing device that constitutes the facility market value diagnosis system 10 is not limited to one unit, and there may be more, including for purposes such as redundancy and load distribution. However, in the example of this embodiment, for simplicity of explanation, it is described as one information processing device.

[0032] [Example 1] In Example 1, an example of evaluating the user value of a facility (refrigerator) based on the facility operation capacity as the output during use and the facility consumption energy as the input during use will be described. A configuration example of the facility market value diagnosis system 10 in Example 1 is shown in FIG. 1.

[0033] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of target facility information. The target facility information 1100 includes facility specification information 1110, operation history information 1120, and user value information 1130. The facility specification information 1110 includes dimension information 1111, component information 1112, material information 1113, and performance information 1114. The dimension information 1111 is information for specifying the dimensions of the facility to be diagnosed (for example, outer dimension information or component dimension information). The component information 1112 is information for specifying the components (compressor, air heat exchanger information, display device information, etc. and constituent components) that make up the facility to be diagnosed. The material information 1113 is information for specifying the materials that make up the facility to be diagnosed. The performance information 1114 is information for specifying the performance (refrigeration capacity information, input power information, input current information, noise information, or life information, etc.) exhibited by the facility to be diagnosed. Also, the performance information 1114 includes at least the power consumption information as the input and the performance information for specifying the change over time of the refrigeration capacity as the output. The facility specification information 1110 can be obtained from the facility specification or the media provided by the facility manufacturer.

[0034] The operation history information 1120 includes operation history information 1121, maintenance history information 1122, user history information 1123, and usage environment history information 1124. The operation history information 1121 is information that specifies the history of operating the equipment to be diagnosed (such as cumulative operation time information, operation current history information, or power consumption history information, etc.). The maintenance history information 1122 is information that specifies the history of maintenance work performed on the equipment to be diagnosed (such as the timing of regular inspections, the timing of overhauls, the replacement history and replacement timing of worn parts, the timing of regular inspections such as oil changes and filter replacements, the content of overhauls, etc.). The user history information 1123 is information about the user (such as the user's country of origin information or the industry information of the user company). The usage environment history information 1124 is information about the usage environment (such as the usage area, information regarding outdoor or indoor usage, etc.).

[0035] The user value information 1130 includes equipment input information 1131 during the usage period and equipment output information 1135 during the usage period. The equipment input information 1131 during the usage period includes energy consumption information 1132. The equipment output information 1135 during the usage period includes operation capacity information 1136 and operation time information 1137.

[0036] Note that the equipment specification information 1210 of the market-circulated equipment has the same data structure as the equipment specification information 1110 of the equipment to be diagnosed, and the user value information 1230 of the market-circulated equipment has the same data structure as the user value information 1130 of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of equipment specification information. The equipment specification information 1110 includes, for example, an equipment number for identifying the equipment, a model name of the equipment, a manufacturer of the equipment, a refrigerating capacity which is the output of the equipment, power consumption which is the input of the equipment, noise used for screening the equipment, a lifespan for specifying the upper limit of the usage period, information on a degradation model including degradation of the refrigerating capacity and increase in power consumption according to aging deterioration, and the like. Note that the lifespan information may be included in the lifespan information 1220 in the case of market-circulated equipment. Further, FIG. 3 shows an example of the data structure when a refrigerator is treated as the equipment, but it is not limited thereto. For example, when handling an air compressor or other industrial equipment, the equipment specification information 1110 has specification information on the output or input according to the equipment.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a processing unit. The processing unit 2000 includes a user value prediction unit 2100 and a market value evaluation unit 2200. The user value prediction unit 2100 includes a user equipment input prediction unit 2110 and a user equipment output prediction unit 2120. The market value evaluation unit 2200 includes a quantitative evaluation unit 2210 and a rating evaluation unit 2220.

[0039] The user equipment input prediction unit 2110 includes a user power consumption prediction unit 2111. The user power consumption prediction unit 2111 predicts the necessary power consumption according to the user environment of the equipment to be diagnosed and the requirements of the user's usage pattern. Specifically, when predicting the power consumption according to the user environment of the equipment to be diagnosed and the requirements of the user's usage pattern, the user power consumption prediction unit 2111 uses the equipment specification information 1110 (particularly, power consumption and the degradation model according to temporal change) of the equipment to be diagnosed and the operation history information 1120 of the equipment to be diagnosed to predict the energy (input) necessary for obtaining the equipment output during the usage period of the equipment to be diagnosed predicted by the user equipment output prediction unit 2120. Further, the user power consumption prediction unit 2111 accumulates the necessary energy over the usage period to specify the cumulative input of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0040] In addition, the user energy consumption prediction unit 2111 predicts the required energy consumption according to the user environment of the market distribution equipment and the requirements of the user's usage pattern. Specifically, when the user energy consumption prediction unit 2111 predicts the energy consumption according to the user environment of the market distribution equipment and the requirements of the user's usage pattern, it uses the equipment specification information 1210 of the market distribution equipment (especially the power consumption and the degradation model according to the change over time) and the life information 1220 of the market distribution equipment to predict the energy (input) required to obtain the equipment output during the usage period of the market distribution equipment predicted by the user equipment output prediction unit 2120. In addition, the user energy consumption prediction unit 2111 accumulates the required energy over the usage period to identify the cumulative input of the market distribution equipment.

[0041] In the case where the refrigerator is the equipment to be diagnosed or the market distribution equipment, the user energy consumption prediction unit 2111 calculates the value obtained by integrating the power consumption during the usage period over the usage period as the cumulative input of the energy consumption during the usage period.

[0042] The user equipment output prediction unit 2120 includes a usage period operation capacity prediction unit 2121 and a usage period operation time prediction unit 2122. The usage period operation capacity prediction unit 2121 and the usage period operation time prediction unit 2122 predict the output of the equipment to be diagnosed and the market distribution equipment according to the user environment of the equipment to be diagnosed and the requirements of the user's usage pattern.

[0043] Specifically, when the usage period operation capacity prediction unit 2121 predicts the output according to the user environment of the equipment to be diagnosed and the requirements of the user's usage pattern, it uses the equipment specification information 1110 of the equipment to be diagnosed (especially the refrigeration capacity and the degradation model according to the change over time) and the operation history information 1120 of the equipment to be diagnosed to predict the operation capacity (output) of the equipment to be diagnosed during the usage period. In addition, the usage period operation capacity prediction unit 2121 accumulates the operation capacity over a predetermined usage period (for example, the assumed equipment life or the depreciation period, etc.) to identify the cumulative output of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0044] In addition, when the usage period operation time prediction unit 2122 predicts an output according to the user environment of the equipment to be diagnosed and the requirements of the user's usage pattern, it uses the equipment specification information 1110 of the equipment to be diagnosed (in particular, the refrigeration capacity and the degradation model according to changes over time) and the operation history information 1120 of the equipment to be diagnosed to predict the operation time (output) during the usage period of the equipment to be diagnosed. Further, the usage period operation time prediction unit 2122 accumulates the operation time over the usage period (for example, the assumed equipment life, the depreciation period, etc.) to specify the cumulative output of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0045] In addition, when the usage period operation capacity prediction unit 2121 predicts an output according to the user environment of the commercially available equipment and the requirements of the user's usage pattern, it uses the equipment specification information 1210 of the commercially available equipment (in particular, the refrigeration capacity and the degradation model according to changes over time) and the life information 1220 of the commercially available equipment to predict the operation capacity (output) during the usage period of the commercially available equipment. Further, the usage period operation capacity prediction unit 2121 accumulates the operation capacity over the usage period (for example, the assumed equipment life, the depreciation period, etc.) to specify the cumulative output of the commercially available equipment.

[0046] In addition, when the usage period operation time prediction unit 2122 predicts an output according to the user environment of the commercially available equipment and the requirements of the user's usage pattern, it uses the equipment specification information 1210 of the commercially available equipment (in particular, the refrigeration capacity and the degradation model according to changes over time) and the life information 1220 of the commercially available equipment to predict the operation time (output) during the usage period of the commercially available equipment. Further, the usage period operation time prediction unit 2122 accumulates the operation time over the usage period (for example, the assumed equipment life, the depreciation period, etc.) to specify the cumulative output of the commercially available equipment.

[0047] Note that the usage period operation capacity prediction unit 2121, regardless of whether it is the equipment to be diagnosed or the equipment in the market circulation, when the target is a refrigerator, considering the aging deterioration of the refrigerator, the value obtained by integrating the value of the refrigeration capacity of the refrigerator during use according to the usage time is defined as the usage period operation capacity. The usage period operation time prediction unit 2122, regardless of whether it is the equipment to be diagnosed or the equipment in the market circulation, when the target is a refrigerator, the value obtained by integrating the value of the operation time during which the required refrigeration capacity can be exerted from the user for the refrigerator according to the usage time is defined as the usage period operation time. This is because, especially in the case of a refrigerator, there is rarely a situation where it operates constantly at the maximum power consumption, and the required refrigeration capacity varies according to the desired temperature. Therefore, it is used as a reference for the output (refrigeration capacity) and input (energy consumption) during use.

[0048] The user value prediction unit 2100 identifies the cumulative output and cumulative input specified for the equipment to be diagnosed as the first user value information, and identifies the cumulative output and cumulative input specified for the equipment in the market circulation as the second user value information.

[0049] The quantitative evaluation unit 2210 quantitatively relatively evaluates the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed based on the user value information of any equipment in the market circulation. For example, when the user value of any equipment in the market circulation is set to 100, the quantitative evaluation unit 2210 quantitatively relatively evaluates the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed, and this is defined as the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0050] The grading evaluation unit 2220 groups the equipment in the market circulation based on the user value evaluation results (for example, performs clustering), and identifies the group (class) to which the equipment to be diagnosed belongs in light of the grouping results of the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed. The grading evaluation unit 2220 defines the identified group (class) as the evaluation result of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0051] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart of the diagnosis process. The diagnosis process is started when an operator receives a start instruction via the input unit 4000. Alternatively, the diagnosis process is started periodically (for example, daily, weekly, monthly, etc.).

[0052] First, the user value prediction unit 2100 acquires the equipment specification information 1110 of the equipment to be diagnosed and the operation history information 1120 (step S01). Specifically, the user value prediction unit 2100 identifies the equipment to be diagnosed according to the input operation from the operator using the input unit 4000 or the target equipment information 1100 set in the storage unit 1000 in advance, and acquires the equipment specification information 1110 of the equipment to be diagnosed and the operation history information 1120 via the external information acquisition unit 3000 or the input unit 4000. The information acquired in this step may also be information that selects and specifies the information set in the storage unit 1000 in advance.

[0053] Then, the user value prediction unit 2100 acquires the equipment specification information 1210 of the commercially available equipment and the life information 1220 (step S02). Specifically, the user value prediction unit 2100 acquires the equipment specification information 1210 of the commercially available equipment and the life information 1220 via the external information acquisition unit 3000 or the input unit 4000. The information acquired in this step may also be information that selects and specifies the information set in the storage unit 1000 in advance.

[0054] Then, the user value prediction unit 2100 predicts the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed during a predetermined usage period (step S03). Specifically, the user value prediction unit 2100 uses the equipment specification information 1110 and the operation history information 1120 of the equipment to be diagnosed to identify the cumulative output and the cumulative input of the equipment to be diagnosed during a predetermined usage period (for example, the assumed equipment life or the depreciation period, etc.), and predicts the user value information 1130. Note that the user value prediction unit 2100 identifies the number of years elapsed since the start of use of the equipment to be diagnosed using the maintenance history information 1122, and identifies the cumulative output and the cumulative input according to the number of years elapsed using the performance information 1114.

[0055] Then, the user value prediction unit 2100 predicts the user value of the market-circulated equipment during a predetermined usage period (step S04). Specifically, the user value prediction unit 2100 uses the equipment specification information 1210 and the lifespan information 1220 of the market-circulated equipment to identify the cumulative output and the cumulative input of the market-circulated equipment during a predetermined usage period (for example, the assumed equipment lifespan, the depreciation period, etc.), and predicts the user value information 1230.

[0056] Then, the market value evaluation unit 2200 diagnoses the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed (step S05). Specifically, the quantitative evaluation unit 2210 relatively and quantitatively evaluates the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed based on the user value information of any market-circulated equipment. Then, the rating evaluation unit 2220 groups the market-circulated equipment based on the user value evaluation result (for example, performs clustering), and identifies the group (class) to which the equipment to be diagnosed belongs in light of the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed. The rating evaluation unit 2220 uses the identified group (class) as the evaluation result of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0057] Then, the market value and other information reporting unit 5000 displays the market value and the evaluation result (step S06). Specifically, the market value and other information reporting unit 5000 creates report data using a predetermined format with the equipment to be diagnosed, the prediction result of the user value of the market-circulated equipment, the market value, and the evaluation result, and the display unit 6000 displays the report data.

[0058] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the predicted user value with the usage period being the equipment's entire life. On the display screen 6100 of the predicted user value, with the usage period being the equipment's entire life, the result of evaluating the user value using the lifetime operating ability and the lifetime energy consumption is shown. In the case of the result shown on the display screen 6100 of the predicted user value, new products tend to be plotted at the upper part of the graph because the integral value of the operating ability output by the equipment during the usage period is larger, and new models tend to be plotted at the left part of the graph because the energy consumption per unit operating ability is smaller. Note that the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed is subject to a grading evaluation as to which class it belongs to as indicated by the dotted line on the graph, or a quantitative evaluation by comparison with any equipment to be diagnosed.

[0059] The above is the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Embodiment 1. According to the equipment market value diagnosis system 10, it is possible to quantitatively or relatively evaluate the user value of the equipment (refrigerator) by the equipment operating ability as the output during use and the equipment energy consumption as the input during use. Therefore, it can be said that it is possible to diagnose the value that the customer can obtain during use after purchasing the equipment.

[0060] [Embodiment 2] The equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Embodiment 2 is basically the same as the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Embodiment 1, but there are some differences. Hereinafter, the differences will be mainly described. In the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Embodiment 2, there are differences from the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Embodiment 1 in the following points. · Equipment usage condition information is used when predicting the user value information of the equipment. · The prediction of the user value and the evaluation of the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed are carried out by case division into the case of directly reusing the diagnostic equipment as it is, the case of reusing it after maintenance (including inspection and repair, etc.), and the case of reusing it after remanufacturing. · The presence or absence of market demand is evaluated based on the predicted result of the user value and the evaluated result of the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0061] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the equipment market value diagnosis system according to Example 2. The configuration example of the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 2 is basically the same as that shown in FIG. 1, but is different in the following points.

[0062] The storage unit 1000 includes equipment usage condition information 1300. The processing unit 2000 includes a reproduction method evaluation unit 2300 and a market demand evaluation unit 2400.

[0063] Note that there is not a strict difference between remanufacturing and maintenance. For example, the replacement of consumables replaced during regular inspections etc. is regarded as maintenance, and relatively large-scale maintenance such as the replacement of main components is distinguished as remanufacturing, but it is not limited to this. When the cost for maintenance becomes relatively high, it may be regarded as remanufacturing.

[0064] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the equipment usage condition information. The equipment usage condition information 1300 includes standard equipment usage condition information 1310 and customer equipment usage condition information 1320. The standard equipment usage condition information 1310 includes standard usage period information 1311 and standard usage pattern information 1312. The customer equipment usage condition information 1320 includes customer usage period information 1321, customer usage pattern information 1322, required equipment performance information 1323, and equipment required time information 1324.

[0065] In the case of a refrigerator, the standard usage period information 1311 is general replacement frequency information of the refrigerator and general life information of the refrigerator. The standard usage pattern information 1312 is general operating time pattern information of the refrigerator, general power consumption pattern information of the refrigerator, or general deterioration transition information of the refrigerator.

[0066] The customer usage period information 1321 is the replacement frequency information of the user's refrigerator and the usage period information of the refrigerator required by the user. The customer usage pattern information 1322 is the operating time pattern information of the user's refrigerator, the power consumption pattern information of the user's refrigerator, or the deterioration transition information of the user's refrigerator. The required equipment performance information 1323 is the refrigeration capacity information of the refrigerator required by the user and the power consumption information of the refrigerator required by the user. The equipment requirement timing information 1324 is the replacement timing information of the user's refrigerator.

[0067] Figure 9 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the processing unit. The reproduction method evaluation unit 2300 includes an in-kind reuse evaluation unit 2310, a replacement part reuse evaluation unit 2320, and a remanufactured product reuse evaluation unit 2330. The in-kind reuse evaluation unit 2310 evaluates the remaining performance information when the equipment to be diagnosed is reused as it is, and the cost and environmental load incurred when the equipment to be diagnosed is reused as it is. The replacement part reuse evaluation unit 2320 evaluates the remaining performance information when the equipment to be diagnosed is repaired and reused, and the cost and environmental load incurred when the equipment to be diagnosed is repaired and reused. The remanufactured product reuse evaluation unit 2330 evaluates the remaining performance information when the equipment to be diagnosed is remanufactured and reused, and the cost and environmental load incurred when the equipment to be diagnosed is remanufactured and reused.

[0068] The market demand evaluation unit 2400 uses the user value information 1230 of the market distribution equipment to determine the upper and lower limits of the user value required in the market, and specifies it as the market required equipment value standard. When the predicted result of the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed is lower than the lower limit of the market required equipment value standard, the market demand evaluation unit 2400 evaluates that there is no demand in the market.

[0069] Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart of the diagnostic process. The diagnostic process according to the second embodiment is basically the same as the diagnostic process according to the first embodiment, but there are some differences. The differences will be described below.

[0070] First, after step S02, the external information acquisition unit 3000 or the input unit 4000 acquires the equipment usage condition information 1300 (step S11). The information acquired by the external information acquisition unit 3000 or the input unit 4000 in this step may be to select and specify the usage conditions desired by the user set in the storage unit 1000 in advance, or the input unit 4000 may accept the input of the usage conditions desired by the user, or the external information acquisition unit 3000 may acquire the usage conditions desired by the user via a network or a portable storage medium.

[0071] Then, the playback method evaluation unit 2300 evaluates the remaining performance information, cost, and environmental load according to the playback method of the equipment to be diagnosed (step S12). Specifically, the playback method evaluation unit 2300 acquires the target equipment information 1100 from the storage unit 1000, and for the in-kind reuse evaluation unit 2310, the refurbished parts reuse evaluation unit 2320, and the remanufactured parts reuse evaluation unit 2330, respectively, calculates the performance, cost, and environmental load when the equipment to be diagnosed is reused as it is, when it is refurbished and reused, and when it is remanufactured and reused.

[0072] Then, the user value prediction unit 2100 predicts the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed during a predetermined usage period for each playback method (step S13). Specifically, the user value prediction unit 2100 uses the equipment specification information 1110 and the operation history information 1120 of the equipment to be diagnosed to identify the respective cumulative outputs and cumulative inputs when the equipment to be diagnosed is reused as it is, when it is refurbished and reused, and when it is remanufactured and reused during a predetermined usage period (for example, the assumed equipment life or the depreciation period, etc.), and predicts the user value information 1130. This is because the output per input changes according to the playback method, so there is a difference in the user value that can be obtained even if the usage period is the same.

[0073] After the process of step S04, the market value evaluation unit 2200 diagnoses the market value for each regeneration method of the equipment to be diagnosed (step S14). Specifically, the quantitative evaluation unit 2210 relatively and quantitatively evaluates the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed when the equipment to be diagnosed is reused as it is, when it is repaired and then reused, and when it is remanufactured and then reused, based on the user value information of any commercially available equipment.

[0074] Then, the rating evaluation unit 2220 groups the commercially available equipment based on the user value evaluation results (for example, performs clustering), and identifies the group (class) to which the equipment to be diagnosed belongs by comparing the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed when it is reused as it is, when it is repaired and then reused, and when it is remanufactured and then reused with the grouping results. The rating evaluation unit 2220 uses the identified group (class) as the evaluation result for each regeneration method of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0075] Then, the market demand evaluation unit 2400 evaluates the presence or absence of market demand for each regeneration method of the equipment to be diagnosed (step S15). Specifically, when the predicted user value result of the equipment to be diagnosed is lower than the lower limit of the market required equipment value reference information, the market demand evaluation unit 2400 evaluates that there is no demand in the market.

[0076] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the market value diagnosis result in a predetermined usage period. In the display screen 6200 of the market value diagnosis result, the market value is shown as the result of evaluation using the operation ability during the usage period and the energy consumption during the usage period, with the usage period being the period according to the customer equipment usage condition information 1320.

[0077] In the case of the results shown on the display screen 6200 of the market value diagnosis, new products tend to be plotted at the upper part of the graph because the integrated value of the operating capacity output by the equipment during the usage period is larger for newer products, and new models tend to be plotted at the left part of the graph because the energy consumption per unit of operating capacity is smaller for new models. Since the equipment to be diagnosed tends to consume more power to obtain the same output due to performance degradation, the equipment to be diagnosed is plotted on the right part of the graph (with a lower market value) compared to the non-degraded state.

[0078] Figure 12 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen (no demand) of the market value diagnosis results during a predetermined usage period. In the display screen 6300 of the market value diagnosis results, with the usage period being the period according to the customer equipment usage condition information 1320, the results of evaluating the market value using the usage period operating capacity and the usage period energy consumption are shown. In the case of the results shown on the display screen 6300 of the market value diagnosis, it is shown that the equipment to be diagnosed deviates from the range of the market required equipment value standard, and the target equipment is evaluated as having no market demand.

[0079] Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the market value diagnosis results during a predetermined usage period when the equipment to be diagnosed is reused. In the display screen 6400 of the market value diagnosis results, it is an example of the results of evaluating the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed when reused as-is, when repaired and reused, and when remanufactured and reused, respectively. In the case of the example of the display screen 6400 of the market value diagnosis results, it is shown that the repaired product has a higher market value than the as-is product, and the remanufactured product has a higher market value than the repaired product.

[0080] The above is the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Embodiment 2. According to the equipment market value diagnosis system 10, when predicting the user value information of the equipment, the prediction of the user value and the evaluation of the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed are carried out by classifying according to the case of directly reusing the diagnostic equipment as it is, the case of reusing it after maintenance (including inspection and repair, etc.), and the case of reusing it after remanufacturing, using the equipment usage conditions required by the user. In addition, it is possible to evaluate the presence or absence of market demand based on the prediction result of the user value and the evaluation result of the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed. Therefore, it can be said that it is possible to diagnose more specifically the value that the customer can obtain during the use after purchasing the equipment.

[0081] [Embodiment 3] The equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Embodiment 3 is basically the same as the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Embodiment 2, but there are some differences. Also, it is possible to combine not only with the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Embodiment 2 but also with the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Embodiment 1. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the differences. The equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Embodiment 3 is different from the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Embodiment 2 in the following points. · Evaluate the user value of the equipment by including not only the equipment operation ability and equipment energy consumption but also the cost during the usage period and the environmental load during the usage period.

[0082] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the target equipment information according to Embodiment 3. The configuration example of the target equipment information according to Embodiment 3 is basically the same as that shown in FIG. 2, but is different in the following points. · The usage period equipment input information 1131 includes cost information 1133 and environmental load information 1134.

[0083] The cost information 1133 includes information on running costs such as equipment maintenance costs and equipment operation costs of the target equipment. The environmental load information 1134 includes information on the CO2 emissions during the operation of the target equipment calculated by a known method such as LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) (not limited to only CO2, but widely includes the emissions of various greenhouse gases or the emissions converted into the emissions of greenhouse gases).

[0084] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the processing unit. The configuration example of the processing unit 2000 according to the third embodiment is basically the same as that shown in FIG. 9, but is different in the following points. · The user facility input prediction unit 2110 includes a usage period cost prediction unit 2112 and a usage period environmental load prediction unit 2113.

[0085] The usage period cost prediction unit 2112 predicts the usage period cost in the process of predicting the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed and the equipment in the market circulation (for example, steps S13 and S04 of the diagnosis process in the second embodiment). For example, the usage period cost prediction unit 2112 calculates the running cost of energy, equipment maintenance cost, etc. using the cost information 1133 based on the equipment consumption energy during the usage period.

[0086] The usage period environmental load prediction unit 2113 predicts the usage period environmental load in the process of predicting the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed and the equipment in the market circulation (for example, steps S13 and S04 of the diagnosis process in the second embodiment). For example, the usage period environmental load prediction unit 2113 calculates the emission amount of greenhouse gas corresponding to the equipment consumption energy during the usage period using the environmental load information 1134.

[0087] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen of the user value prediction result. On the display screen 7000 of the market value diagnosis result, the market value is evaluated using the usage period operating ability and the usage period cost or the usage period environmental load, with the usage period being the period according to the customer equipment usage condition information 1320.

[0088] The above is the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to the third embodiment. According to the equipment market value diagnosis system 10, it is possible to predict the usage period cost and the usage period environmental load using the cost information and the environmental load information. Therefore, it can be said that it is possible to more specifically diagnose the value that the customer can obtain during the usage after purchasing the equipment.

[0089] [Example 4] The equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 4 is basically the same as the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 2, but there are some differences. Also, it can be combined not only with the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 2 but also with the equipment market value diagnosis systems 10 according to Example 1 and Example 3. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the differences. The equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 4 is different from the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 2 in the following points. · In addition to the market value evaluation result of the equipment to be diagnosed, collect the market price information of the market-circulating equipment and diagnose the price of the target equipment.

[0090] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the equipment market value diagnosis system according to Example 4. Compared with Example 2, the market-circulating equipment information 1200 in the storage unit 1000 is different in that it includes equipment price information 1240. Also, the processing unit 2000 is different in that it includes an equipment price evaluation unit 2500.

[0091] The equipment price information 1240 includes information on the initial introduction cost (initial cost) of the market-circulating equipment. Also, the equipment price evaluation unit 2500 performs price evaluation for each regeneration method of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0092] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart of the diagnosis process. The equipment price evaluation unit 2500 performs price evaluation of the equipment to be diagnosed. For example, when the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed is rated, after step S15 of the diagnosis process in Example 2, the equipment price evaluation unit 2500 evaluates the price according to the rating (step S21). Alternatively, when the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed is quantitatively evaluated, after step S15 of the diagnosis process in Example 2, the equipment price information of the equipment to be diagnosed is set by establishing a predetermined correlation with the equipment price information of the market-circulating equipment used for the quantitative evaluation. For example, as the predetermined correlation, various correlations such as a simple positive correlation or a correlation according to the market value can be included.

[0093] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the market value diagnosis result (price) during a predetermined usage period. In the display screen 7100 of the market value diagnosis result (price), the usage period is set as the period according to the customer equipment usage condition information 1320, and the result of evaluating the market value using the usage period operating ability and the usage period energy consumption is shown. Below each plot of the market distribution equipment, the equipment price based on the equipment price information 1240 of the market distribution equipment is shown respectively. Also, when the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed is rated, the price band information 7110 for each rating is diagnosed and shown.

[0094] The above is the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Embodiment 4. According to the equipment market value diagnosis system 10, in addition to the market value evaluation result of the equipment to be diagnosed, the price information of the market distribution equipment can be collected, and the price of the target equipment can be diagnosed. Therefore, it can be said that it is possible to more specifically diagnose the value obtained by the customer not only during the use after the equipment purchase but also at the time of introduction.

[0095] [Embodiment 5] The equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Embodiment 5 is basically the same as the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Embodiments 1 to 4, but is an example when the equipment to be diagnosed is an air compressor.

[0096] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the equipment specification information according to Embodiment 5. Since the equipment specification information 1110' according to Embodiment 5 is an example where the equipment to be diagnosed is an air compressor, unlike the refrigerator which is the equipment to be diagnosed according to Embodiment 1, the usage period operating ability is evaluated by the discharged air volume. However, by using the equipment specification information 1110' shown in FIG. 20, it is possible to appropriately evaluate the usage period operating ability. Also, by changing the usage period operating ability and the type of energy used, it is applicable to various industrial equipment (including elevators, machine tools, etc.).

[0097] [Description of Hardware Configuration] The information processing device that constitutes the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 includes a processor (for example, CPU: Central Processing Unit or GPU: Graphics Processing Unit), a memory of hardware such as RAM (Random Access Memory), storage such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or SSD (Solid State Drive), a reading device that reads information from a portable storage medium such as a CD (Compact Disk) or DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), an input device such as a keyboard, mouse, barcode reader, or touch panel, an output device such as a display, and a communication device that communicates with other computers via a communication network such as a LAN or the Internet. It can be realized by a general computer equipped with these components, or a network system equipped with a plurality of such computers. Note that the reading device may be capable of not only reading but also writing to a portable storage medium.

[0098] The processor executes various processes by executing various predetermined programs loaded from the storage to the memory. The program is, for example, an application program that can be executed on an OS (Operating System) program. The program may be installed from a portable storage medium via the reading device to the storage, or may be downloaded from the network via the communication device and executed by the processor.

[0099] For example, the processing unit 2000, the user value prediction unit 2100, the market value evaluation unit 2200, the reproduction method evaluation unit 2300, the market demand evaluation unit 2400, the equipment price evaluation unit 2500, and the market value reporting unit 5000 can be realized by loading the program stored in the storage into the memory and executing it with the processor. The input unit 4000 and the external information acquisition unit 3000 can be realized by the processor using the input device, the output device, and the communication device. The storage unit 1000 can be realized by the processor using the memory or the storage. The display unit 6000 can be realized by using a display.

[0100] The above is an example of the equipment market value diagnosis system according to the embodiment of the present invention. According to the above embodiment, it becomes possible to diagnose the value obtained by the customer during use after purchasing the equipment.

[0101] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to the one having all the configurations described. It is possible to replace a part of the configuration of the embodiment with another configuration, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of the embodiment. Further, it is possible to delete a part of the configuration of the embodiment.

[0102] Each of the above units, configurations, functions, processing units, etc. may be realized in hardware by designing a part or all of them, for example, by an integrated circuit. Further, each of the above units, configurations, functions, etc. may be realized in software by the processor interpreting and executing a program for realizing each function. Information such as a program, a table, and a file for realizing each function can be placed in a memory, a recording device such as a hard disk, or a recording medium such as an IC card, an SD card, or a DVD.

[0103] Note that the control lines and information lines according to the above-described embodiments show those considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines on the product. In reality, it may be considered that almost all components are interconnected. The present invention has been described mainly with reference to the embodiments above.

Explanation of Signs

[0104] 10: Equipment Market Value Diagnosis System, 1000: Memory Unit, 1100: Target Equipment Information, 1110: Equipment Specification Information, 1120: Operation History Information, 1130: User Value Information, 1200: Market Circulation Equipment Information, 1210: Equipment Specification Information, 1220: Life Information, 1230: User Value Information, 2000: Processing Unit, 2100: User Value Prediction Unit, 2200: Market Value Evaluation Unit, 3000: External Information Acquisition Unit, 4000: Input Unit, 5000: Market Value Report Unit, 6000: Display Unit.

Claims

1. A first storage unit that stores equipment specification information and operation history information of the equipment to be diagnosed; A second storage unit that stores the equipment specification information and lifespan information of the market-circulated equipment; A processing unit, and the processing unit predicts the output during use of the equipment to be diagnosed and the input required to obtain the output by using the equipment specification information and operation history information stored in the first storage unit, and accumulates the predicted output and input values over a predetermined usage period to obtain cumulative output and cumulative input, and identifies first user value information including the cumulative output and cumulative input; predicts the output during use of the market-circulated equipment and the input required to obtain the output by using the equipment specification information and lifespan information of the market-circulated equipment stored in the second storage unit, and accumulates the predicted output and input values over the usage period to obtain cumulative output and cumulative input, and identifies second user value information including the cumulative output and cumulative input; evaluates the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed by using the first user value information and the second user value information; An equipment market value diagnosis system characterized by performing the above.

2. The equipment market value diagnosis system according to Claim 1, wherein the processing unit receives an input of usage conditions desired by a user for the equipment to be diagnosed, specifies the first user value information according to the lifespan and usage conditions of the equipment to be diagnosed, specifies the second user value information according to the lifespan and usage conditions of the market-circulated equipment, predicts the output during use based on at least the operating ability or operating time of the equipment during the usage period included in the usage conditions, predicts the input during use based on at least any one of the energy consumption, cost, or environmental load of the equipment during the usage period; An equipment market value diagnosis system characterized by the above.

3. The equipment market value diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit in the step of evaluating the market value, a market demand equipment value standard is specified according to the second user value information about a plurality of the market-circulating equipment, and the presence or absence of demand in the market for the equipment to be diagnosed is diagnosed using the market demand equipment value standard. The equipment market value diagnosis system characterized by the above.

4. The equipment market value diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit in the step of evaluating the market value, the market value is diagnosed using either a quantitative evaluation or a relative evaluation about a plurality of the market-circulating equipment. The equipment market value diagnosis system characterized by the above.

5. The equipment market value diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit in the step of evaluating the market value, at least the market values in the case of reusing the equipment to be diagnosed and the case of repairing and then reusing it are diagnosed. The equipment market value diagnosis system characterized by the above.

6. The equipment market value diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit in the step of evaluating the market value, at least the market price information of the market-circulating equipment is obtained to diagnose the market value. The equipment market value diagnosis system characterized by the above.

7. The equipment market value diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein the equipment specification information includes at least any one of material information, component information, dimension information, and performance information. The operation history information includes at least any one of operation history information, maintenance history information, user history information, and usage environment history information. An equipment market value diagnosis system characterized by this.

8. The equipment market value diagnosis system according to claim 1, The equipment specification information includes performance information for specifying at least the changes over time in the input and output. The operation history information includes maintenance history information including at least the replacement history of worn parts of the equipment to be diagnosed. In the step of specifying the first user value information, the processing unit specifies the number of years elapsed since the start of use of the equipment to be diagnosed using the maintenance history information, and uses the performance information to specify the cumulative output and the cumulative input corresponding to the number of years elapsed. An equipment market value diagnosis system characterized by this.

9. An equipment market value diagnosis method using an information processing device, The information processing device, A first storage unit for storing equipment specification information and operation history information of the equipment to be diagnosed, A second storage unit for storing the equipment specification information and life information of the market-circulated equipment, A processing unit, and is provided with, The processing unit, Using the equipment specification information and the operation history information stored in the first storage unit, predict the output during use of the equipment to be diagnosed and the input required to obtain the output, and accumulate the predicted output and input values over a predetermined use period. A step of specifying first user value information including cumulative output and cumulative input; Using the equipment specification information and the life information of the market-circulated equipment stored in the second storage unit, predict the output during use of the market-circulated equipment and the input required to obtain the output, and accumulate the predicted output and input values over the use period. A step of specifying second user value information including cumulative output and cumulative input; A step of evaluating the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed by using the first user value information and the second user value information; An equipment market value diagnosis method characterized by performing the above.

Images