Environment management system, environment management method, and program

Abstract

To suitably manage an indoor environment.SOLUTION: The environment management system includes the management unit 101 that manages the environmental sensor that measures the environment of each of the plurality of areas constituting the floor and the indoor unit 20 that adjusts the environment of each area in association with each other, the correction unit 102 that corrects the environmental data of each area measured by the environmental sensor based on the operating state data of the indoor unit 20 that adjusts the environment of the area corresponding to the environmental data and the type of the environmental sensor that measures the environmental data, and the presentation unit 103 that presents the indoor environment map indicating the environment of each area to the user based on the floor map data indicating the floor and the plurality of areas and the environmental data corrected by the correction unit 102.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an environmental management system, an environmental management method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, an increasing number of offices have adopted a free address system, a work style in which employees are free to choose where to sit without being assigned a fixed seat. When employees choose their seats, room temperature can be an important factor. For example, if an employee is sensitive to heat, they may prefer to choose a seat in an area with a lower room temperature. Conversely, if an employee is sensitive to cold, they may prefer to choose a seat in an area with a higher room temperature. For this reason, it would be convenient for employees to have a system that measures the room temperature, humidity, and other environmental conditions in each indoor area and presents the indoor environment to employee users.

[0003] To measure the environment in each area, it is necessary to install an environmental sensor in each area. Although installing environmental sensors on the desks in every area would enable the most accurate measurement of the environment, this is often difficult due to issues such as cost and installation location. Therefore, it is possible to measure the environment in each area by utilizing environmental sensors built into indoor units and ventilation equipment installed on the ceiling.

[0004] However, because these environmental sensors measure the environment near the ceiling, there may be discrepancies between the environment and the user's surroundings. For example, because warm air accumulates near the ceiling, the built-in temperature sensor may measure a temperature higher than the actual room temperature. This discrepancy is particularly likely to occur when the indoor unit is operating in heating mode.

[0005] As a technology related to this situation, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which the room temperature measured by the built-in sensor of the indoor unit is corrected according to the operating state of the indoor unit to bring it closer to the room temperature near the user. It is conceivable that this technology could be applied to environmental measurement of each area to improve the accuracy of the environmental measurement of each area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-173779 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 measures the temperature of the air drawn in while the indoor unit is operating, and therefore has the problem of not being able to measure the room temperature accurately while the indoor unit is stopped.

[0008] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an environmental management system and the like that can suitably manage an indoor environment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the environmental management system according to the present disclosure includes: a management means for managing a measurement means for measuring the environment of each of a plurality of areas constituting a floor and an adjustment means for adjusting the environment of each of the areas in association with each other; a correcting means for correcting the environmental data of each of the areas measured by the measuring means based on operating state data of the adjusting means for adjusting the environment of the area corresponding to the environmental data and the type of the measuring means for measuring the environmental data; a presentation means for presenting to a user an indoor environment map showing the environment of each of the areas based on floor map data showing the floor and the plurality of areas and the environment data corrected by the correction means; Equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, the indoor environment can be managed in an optimal manner. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an environmental management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a floor that is a target of management by an environmental management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an environment management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of environmental data stored in an environmental management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a correction rule for environmental data in the environmental management device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an indoor environment map presented by an environment management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an environment management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an indoor environment map presentation process performed by an environment management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an environmental management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0013] (Embodiment) An environmental management system 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The environmental management system 1 manages the environments of areas A1-A6 that make up floor F shown in FIG. 2. In particular, the environmental management system 1 measures the room temperatures of areas A1-A6 and presents the results to a user. The environmental management system 1 includes an environmental management device 10, a plurality of indoor units 20 installed one in each of areas A1-A6, and one environmental sensor 30 installed in area A1. The environmental management device 10 is communicatively connected to each of the indoor units 20 and the environmental sensor 30. The environmental management system 1 is an example of an environmental management system according to the present disclosure.

[0014] In the following, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between areas A1-A6, they will simply be referred to as area A. Furthermore, it is assumed that there are no walls between adjacent areas A, allowing air to move freely between them.

[0015] The indoor units 20 are installed on the ceiling of each area A and are indoor units of air conditioning equipment that air-condition the area A in which they are installed. The indoor units 20 air-condition the area A to adjust the environment of the area A. The indoor units 20 have built-in environmental sensors. The built-in environmental sensors include a temperature sensor. The indoor units 20 measure the environment of the area A in which the indoor units 20 are installed using the built-in environmental sensors. The indoor units 20 transmit environmental data indicating the environment of the area A measured by the built-in environmental sensors to the environmental management device 10. The indoor units 20 transmit operating status data indicating their own operating status to the environmental management device 10. The operating status is a status such as heating operation, cooling operation, or no air conditioning operation and stopped. The indoor units 20 are an example of an adjusting means according to the present disclosure. The environmental sensors built into the indoor units 20 are an example of a measuring means according to the present disclosure.

[0016] The environmental sensor 30 is an environmental sensor installed on a desk (not shown) installed in the area A1. The environmental sensor 30 measures the environment of the area A1. The environmental sensor 30 includes a temperature sensor. The environmental sensor 30 transmits environmental data indicating the environment of the area A1 obtained by the measurement to the environment management device 10. The environmental sensor 30 is an example of a measuring means according to the present disclosure.

[0017] In the following description of the embodiment, the environmental sensor 30 and the environmental sensor built into the indoor unit 20 will be described as measuring the room temperature of area A exclusively.

[0018] Because the environmental sensor 30 is installed on a desk close to the user's activity location, it can accurately measure the room temperature in area A1. On the other hand, the environmental sensor built into the indoor unit 20 is subject to drastic temperature changes and its measurement accuracy is inferior to that of the environmental sensor 30 because the indoor unit 20 itself is installed on the ceiling and the environmental sensor is inside the indoor unit 20. Therefore, the environmental management device 10 corrects the environmental data obtained by the environmental sensor 30 built into the indoor unit 20 and presents the environment of each area A to the user. Because the environmental sensor 30 is an environmental sensor independent of the indoor unit 20, the environmental sensor 30 may be referred to below as an "independent type." In contrast, an environmental sensor built into the indoor unit 20 may be referred to as an "built-in type."

[0019] In addition, an environmental sensor that is attached to the indoor unit 20 but is installed outside the indoor unit 20 is also possible. This environmental sensor is installed on the ceiling near the indoor unit 20. This type of environmental sensor is sometimes referred to as a "detached type." Because a detached type environmental sensor is not built-in, it has better accuracy than a built-in type environmental sensor. However, because it is installed on the ceiling, it is somewhat far from the user's activity area and is less accurate than a stand-alone type environmental sensor.

[0020] The functional configuration of the environment management device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The environment management device 10 is realized by, for example, a tablet terminal provided on floor F. The environment management device 10 includes a communication unit 100, a management unit 101, a correction unit 102, a presentation unit 103, and a display unit 104. The environment management device 10 is an example of an environment management system according to the present disclosure.

[0021] The communication unit 100 communicates with each indoor unit 20 and the environmental sensor 30. In particular, the communication unit 100 receives operating status data from each indoor unit 20 and environmental data from each indoor unit 20 and the environmental sensor 30.

[0022] The management unit 101 associates and manages the environmental sensors and environmental sensors 30 built into each indoor unit 20, which are environmental sensors that measure the environment of each area A, with the indoor units 20 that air-condition that area A. The management unit 101 retains environmental data obtained by the environmental sensors and environmental sensors 30 built into each indoor unit 20, which is received by the communication unit 100. As a result, the management unit 101 retains the environmental data for each area A. However, with regard to area A1, the management unit 101 preferentially retains the environmental data obtained by the environmental sensor 30. The management unit 101 retains operating status data obtained from each indoor unit 20, which is received by the communication unit 100. The management unit 101 retains floor map data indicating floor F and areas A1-A6. The floor map data is retained, for example, by an administrator of the environment management device 10 registering a floor map in the environment management device 10 in advance. The management unit 101 is an example of a management means according to the present disclosure.

[0023] The management unit 101 further holds the reliability of each area A. The reliability indicates how reliable the environmental data of area A is, and is expressed, for example, in three levels: high, medium, and low. How the reliability is calculated will be described later. The management unit 101 may hold the reliability and measurement time as part of the environmental data of each area A, for example, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0024] Referring again to FIG. 3, the correction unit 102 corrects the environmental data held by the management unit 101 based on the driving status data and the type of the environmental sensor. Specifically, the correction unit 102 corrects the environmental data based on the correction rules described below. The "type of environmental sensor" here refers to types such as "standalone type," "built-in type," and "separate type." The correction unit 102 also corrects the reliability of each area based on the driving status data and the type of the environmental sensor. The correction unit 102 is an example of a correction means according to the present disclosure.

[0025] An example of the correction rule will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The correction unit 102 does not correct the environmental data obtained by the stand-alone environmental sensor, but corrects the reliability of area A related to the environmental data to "high." This is because stand-alone environmental sensors have good accuracy.

[0026] The correction unit 102 performs different corrections on the environmental data obtained by the separate environmental sensor, as will be explained below, depending on the operating state of the indoor unit 20 related to the environmental data.

[0027] When the indoor unit 20 is in heating operation, the correction unit 102 corrects the temperature measurement indicated by the environmental data by subtracting 2°C. This is because, during heating operation, a temperature difference is likely to occur between the ceiling and the user's activity area. However, the subtraction value of 2°C is set when the ceiling height is about 2 meters, and the subtraction value should increase as the ceiling height increases.

[0028] When the indoor unit 20 is in cooling operation, the correction unit 102 performs a correction by subtracting 1°C from the measured temperature value indicated by the environmental data. This is because a temperature difference can occur between the ceiling and the user's activity area even during cooling operation. However, since a temperature difference is less likely to occur compared to heating operation, the value to be subtracted is set to 1°C.

[0029] When the operating state of the indoor unit 20 is other than the above, the correction unit 102 does not make any particular correction. Moreover, in either operating state of the indoor unit 20, the correction unit 102 corrects the reliability of area A related to the environmental data to "high." This is because the separate type environmental sensor is installed outside the indoor unit 20 and is therefore reliable in all respects except for the temperature difference from the location where the user is active.

[0030] The correction unit 102 performs different corrections on the environmental data obtained by the built-in environmental sensor, as will be explained below, depending on the operating state of the indoor unit 20 related to the environmental data.

[0031] When the operating state of the indoor unit 20 is other than stopped, the correction unit 102 makes the same correction as in the case of the separate type, and corrects the reliability to "high" as in the case of the separate type.

[0032] When the indoor unit 20 is in a stopped state, if any of the auxiliary areas surrounding the area A has a reliability of "high," the correction unit 102 corrects the environmental data by adopting the average temperature indicated by the environmental data of the auxiliary area with a reliability of "high" as the new environmental data for the area A. An auxiliary area is, for example, an area adjacent to the area A. For example, the auxiliary areas for area A2 are area A1, area A3, and area A5. In addition, at this time, the correction unit 102 corrects the reliability to "medium." This is because the auxiliary areas are different areas from the area A and are likely to have a different environment from the area A.

[0033] If there is no auxiliary area with a reliability of "high," the correction unit 102 does not correct the environmental data. However, if the measurement time of the environmental data is within a predetermined period from the current time, the correction unit 102 corrects the reliability of the area A to "medium." This is because it is assumed that the room temperature will not change suddenly in a short period of time. If the measurement time of the environmental data is not within a predetermined period from the current time, the correction unit 102 corrects the reliability of the area A to "low."

[0034] Referring again to FIG. 3, the presentation unit 103 presents the indoor environment map shown in FIG. 6 to the user by displaying it on the display unit 104 (described later) based on the floor map data and the environmental data of each area A held by the management unit 101. The indoor environment map indicates the room temperature, which is environmental data for each area A. The presentation unit 103 also changes the display mode of the area A according to the reliability of the area A. For an area A with a "high" reliability, the room temperature is displayed against a white background. For an area A with a "medium" reliability, the room temperature is displayed against a shaded background. For an area A with a "low" reliability, the room temperature is not displayed, and a message is displayed indicating that the temperature will not be displayed because the reliability is low. In the embodiment, the "low" reliability serves as a threshold for determining whether or not to display the environmental data. The presentation unit 103 is an example of a presentation means according to the present disclosure.

[0035] Referring again to Fig. 3, the display unit 104 displays the indoor environment map under the control of the presentation unit 103. The display unit 104 is, for example, a liquid crystal display.

[0036] An example of the hardware configuration of the environment management device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The environment management device 10 shown in Fig. 7 is realized by a computer such as a tablet terminal or a microcontroller.

[0037] The environment management device 10 includes a processor 1001, a memory 1002, an interface 1003, and a secondary storage device 1004, which are connected to one another via a bus 1000.

[0038] The processor 1001 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 1001 loads an operating program stored in a secondary storage device 1004 into a memory 1002 and executes the program, thereby realizing each function of the environment management device 10.

[0039] The memory 1002 is a main storage device configured, for example, by RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory 1002 stores the operating program that the processor 1001 reads from the secondary storage device 1004. The memory 1002 also functions as a working memory when the processor 1001 executes the operating program.

[0040] The interface 1003 is an I / O (Input / Output) interface such as a serial port, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, or a network interface.

[0041] The secondary storage device 1004 is, for example, a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), or a solid state drive (SSD). The secondary storage device 1004 stores the operating programs executed by the processor 1001.

[0042] An example of an indoor environment map presentation process by the environment management device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The process shown in Fig. 8 is executed at regular intervals, for example, every 10 seconds or every minute. It is also assumed that the management unit 101 of the environment management device 10 already holds floor map data for floor F.

[0043] The management unit 101 of the environmental management device 10 holds the environmental data of each area A obtained by each environmental sensor and received by the communication unit 100 (step S1). The environmental sensor here includes both the environmental sensor built into the indoor unit 20 and the environmental sensor 30.

[0044] The management unit 101 holds the operating state data obtained from each indoor unit 20 and received by the communication unit 100 (step S2).

[0045] The correction unit 102 of the environmental management device 10 corrects the environmental data stored in step S1 for each area A based on the operating status data of the indoor unit 20 corresponding to that area A stored in step S2 and the type of environmental sensor that measures the environment of that area (step S3).

[0046] The correction unit 102 corrects the reliability of each area A based on the operating state data of the indoor unit 20 corresponding to that area A that was held in step S2 and the type of environmental sensor that measures the environment of that area (step S4).

[0047] The presentation unit 103 of the environment management device 10 changes the display mode of the environmental data of each area A according to the reliability of that area A, and presents the indoor environment map to the user (step S5). Then, the environment management device 10 ends the indoor environment map presentation process.

[0048] The above describes the environment management system 1 according to the embodiment. The environment management device 10 of the environment management system 1 corrects the environmental data when the accuracy of the environmental sensor corresponding to area A is poor. The environment management device 10 presents the user with an indoor environment map including the corrected environmental data. Therefore, the environment management device 10 can optimally manage the indoor environment.

[0049] (Variation) In the embodiment, the environmental sensor mainly measures temperature, and the environmental data mainly relates to temperature. In addition to this, or instead of this, the environmental sensor may measure humidity, and the environmental data may relate to humidity. In this case, the rule for correcting the environmental data by the corrector 102 may be, for example, as follows:

[0050] If the environmental sensor is an "independent type" or a "separate type," the correction unit 102 does not correct any environmental data and sets the reliability to "high." Unlike the case of temperature, no correction is made for the "separate type" because humidity is less susceptible to the effects of elevation changes.

[0051] If the environmental sensor is of the "built-in type," the correction unit 102 does not make any corrections and sets the reliability to "high" when the indoor unit 20 is operating, and makes the same corrections as in the embodiment when the indoor unit 20 is not operating. In other words, the correction unit 102 corrects the environmental data based on the auxiliary area and corrects the reliability based on the measurement date and time.

[0052] In the embodiment, one indoor unit 20 adjusts the environment of one area A, but there does not have to be a one-to-one correspondence between indoor units 20 and areas A. For example, one indoor unit 20 may air-condition multiple areas A, or one area A may be air-conditioned by multiple indoor units 20. Furthermore, instead of the indoor unit 20, the environment of area A may be adjusted by air-conditioning equipment such as a humidifier or ventilation equipment.

[0053] In the embodiment, the environmental control system 1 is provided with the "standalone" environmental sensor 30, but the system may not include any "standalone" environmental sensors. For example, all the environmental sensors may be "built-in."

[0054] Some of the functions of the environment management device 10 in the embodiment may be implemented by another device. For example, the environment management device 10 may include only the communication unit 100, the management unit 101, and the correction unit 102, and the presentation unit 103 and the display unit 104 may be provided by another device. For example, the functions of the presentation unit 103 and the display unit 104 may be realized by a smartphone carried by a user, and the smartphone may communicate with the environment management device 10 via the Internet.

[0055] 7, the environment management device 10 is equipped with a secondary storage device 1004. However, this is not limiting, and the secondary storage device 1004 may be provided outside the environment management device 10, and the environment management device 10 and the secondary storage device 1004 may be connected via an interface 1003. In this configuration, removable media such as a USB flash drive or memory card can also be used as the secondary storage device 1004.

[0056] 7, the environment management device 10 may be configured with a dedicated circuit using an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. In the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 7, some of the functions of the environment management device 10 may be realized by a dedicated circuit connected to the interface 1003, for example.

[0057] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0058] (Appendix 1) a management means for managing a measurement means for measuring the environment of each of a plurality of areas constituting a floor and an adjustment means for adjusting the environment of each of the areas in association with each other; a correcting means for correcting the environmental data of each of the areas measured by the measuring means based on operating state data of the adjusting means for adjusting the environment of the area corresponding to the environmental data and the type of the measuring means for measuring the environmental data; a presentation means for presenting to a user an indoor environment map showing the environment of each of the areas based on floor map data showing the floor and the plurality of areas and the environment data corrected by the correction means; Environmental management system equipped with: (Appendix 2) the correction means further corrects the environmental data based on environmental data of an auxiliary area surrounding the area corresponding to the environmental data; The environmental management system described in Appendix 1. (Appendix 3) The management means further holds a reliability for each of the areas, the presentation means changes a display mode of the indoor environment map for each of the areas based on a reliability corresponding to the area. An environmental management system as described in Appendix 1 or 2. (Appendix 4) the presentation means does not present the environmental data for an area where the reliability is equal to or less than a threshold. Environmental management system as described in Appendix 3. (Appendix 5) a measuring means for measuring the environment of each of a plurality of areas constituting a floor and an adjusting means for adjusting the environment of each of the areas in association with each other; correcting the measured environmental data of each area based on operating state data of the adjustment means that adjusts the environment of the area corresponding to the environmental data and the type of the measurement means that measures the environmental data; presenting to the user an indoor environment map showing the environment of each of the areas based on floor map data showing the floor and the plurality of areas and the corrected environment data; Environmental management methods. (Appendix 6) Computer, a management means for managing a measurement means for measuring the environment of each of a plurality of areas constituting a floor and an adjustment means for adjusting the environment of each of the areas in association with each other; a correcting means for correcting the environmental data of each of the areas measured by the measuring means based on operating state data of the adjusting means for adjusting the environment of the area corresponding to the environmental data and the type of the measuring means for measuring the environmental data; a presentation means for presenting to a user an indoor environment map showing the environment of each of the areas based on floor map data showing the floor and the plurality of areas and the environment data corrected by the correction means; A program that functions as a [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1 Environmental control system, 10 Environmental control device, 20 Indoor unit, 30 Environmental sensor, 100 Communication unit, 101 Management unit, 102 Correction unit, 103 Presentation unit, 104 Display unit, 1000 Bus, 1001 Processor, 1002 Memory, 1003 Interface, 1004 Secondary storage device, A, A1-A6 Area, F Floor.

Claims

1. a management means for managing a measuring means for measuring the environment of each of a plurality of areas constituting a floor and an adjusting means for adjusting the environment of each of the areas in association with each other; a correcting means for correcting the environmental data of each of the areas measured by the measuring means based on operating state data of the adjusting means for adjusting the environment of the area corresponding to the environmental data and the type of the measuring means for measuring the environmental data; a presentation means for presenting to a user an indoor environment map showing the environment of each of the areas based on floor map data showing the floor and the plurality of areas and the environment data corrected by the correction means; Environmental management system equipped with:

2. the correction means further corrects the environmental data based on environmental data of an auxiliary area surrounding the area corresponding to the environmental data; The environmental management system of claim 1 .

3. The management means further holds a reliability for each of the areas, the presentation means changes a display mode of the indoor environment map for each of the areas based on a reliability corresponding to the area. The environmental management system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the presentation means does not present the environmental data for an area where the reliability is equal to or less than a threshold. The environmental management system of claim 3 .

5. a measuring means for measuring the environment of each of a plurality of areas constituting a floor and an adjusting means for adjusting the environment of each of the areas in association with each other; correcting the measured environmental data of each area based on operating state data of the adjustment means that adjusts the environment of the area corresponding to the environmental data and the type of the measurement means that measures the environmental data; presenting to the user an indoor environment map showing the environment of each of the areas based on floor map data showing the floor and the plurality of areas and the corrected environment data; Environmental management methods.

6. Computer, a management means for managing a measurement means for measuring the environment of each of a plurality of areas constituting a floor and an adjustment means for adjusting the environment of each of the areas in association with each other; a correcting means for correcting the environmental data of each of the areas measured by the measuring means based on operating state data of the adjusting means for adjusting the environment of the area corresponding to the environmental data and the type of the measuring means for measuring the environmental data; a presentation means for presenting to a user an indoor environment map showing the environment of each of the areas based on floor map data showing the floor and the plurality of areas and the environment data corrected by the correction means; A program that functions as a

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