Management System

Abstract

We provide a management system that can improve the accuracy of managing employee clock-out times. [Solution] The management system is a system for managing employee departures and includes an acquisition unit that acquires at least one of the following information: step count information, operation information, or environmental information, which are values ​​measured by a sensor installed on a mobile terminal carried by the employee; and a detection unit that detects when an employee has left the office based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit. The step count information indicates the change in the employee's step count measured after the departure time, the operation information indicates the change in the frequency of operations performed on the mobile terminal after the departure time, and the environmental information indicates at least one of the change in temperature or the change in humidity measured after the departure time. The management system may also generate a threshold for detecting when an employee has left the office by learning the values ​​measured by the sensor during the learning period.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a management system for managing leaving work.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an attendance and leaving work management system. According to the attendance and leaving work management system, an employee takes a photo of a predetermined location with a personally-owned mobile phone and transmits it to a host computer. The host computer can manage the leaving work time of the employee from the transmitted photo and the shooting time of the photo.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the attendance and leaving work management system described in Patent Document 1, an employee needs to perform an operation of taking a photo so that an image of a specific object is captured and an operation of transmitting the photo. However, there is a risk that the employee may forget to perform the operation. Therefore, leaving work cannot be accurately managed.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a management system capable of improving the accuracy of managing an employee's leaving work.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The management system relating to this disclosure is a system for managing employee departures, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires at least one of the following information, which is a value measured by a sensor installed on a mobile terminal carried by the employee: step count information, operation information, or environmental information; and a detection unit that detects when an employee has left the office based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit. The step count information indicates the change in the employee's step count measured after the departure time; the operation information indicates the change in the frequency of operations performed on the mobile terminal after the departure time; and the environmental information indicates at least one of the change in temperature or the change in humidity measured after the departure time.

[0007] The management system described in this disclosure comprises a management device for managing the departure of employees who possess a mobile terminal, and a passage management device that detects when an employee passes through a passage device that demarcates an area and records whether or not the employee is in the area. The management device comprises an acquisition unit that acquires at least one of the following information, which is a value measured by a sensor provided on the mobile terminal: step count information, operation information, or environmental information. Based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, a detection unit detects that an employee has left the office. The step count information indicates the change in the employee's step count measured after the departure time, the operation information indicates the change in the frequency of operations performed on the mobile terminal after the departure time, and the environmental information indicates at least one of the change in temperature or humidity measured after the departure time. The passage management device records that the employee is not in the area when the detection unit detects that the employee has left the office. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, employee departures are detected based on information indicating values ​​measured by sensors installed in mobile devices. This improves the accuracy of managing employee departures. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the management system in Embodiment 1. [Figure 2]This is a functional block diagram of the management system in Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the management system in Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows an example of the operation of the control device in Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows an example of the operation of the control device in Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] This is a functional block diagram of the management system in Embodiment 2. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows an example of the learning process of the management device in Embodiment 2. [Figure 8] This is a hardware configuration diagram of the management device in Embodiments 1 and 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments for implementing this disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. The explanation of such parts will be simplified or omitted as appropriate.

[0011] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the management system in Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of the management system in Embodiment 1.

[0012] The management system 1 shown in Figure 1 is a system for managing various types of information in an office located in building 90. For example, building 90 is an office building. Building 90 has multiple floors. For example, each floor has multiple areas 91, indicated by dashed lines. In this example, the interior of area 91 is divided into multiple rooms. Note that one area 91 may correspond to one room, or multiple areas 91 may be set up inside a single room.

[0013] The management system 1 includes a space system that controls the lighting environment in the office and the space environment that is the lighting environment. The space system includes a plurality of lighting devices 2, a plurality of air conditioning devices 3, and a space control device 4.

[0014] The plurality of lighting devices 2 and the plurality of air conditioning devices 3 are respectively provided in a plurality of areas 91. The plurality of lighting devices 2 and the plurality of air conditioning devices 3 are provided for each of the plurality of rooms. The lighting device 2 can be turned on or off so as to control the lighting environment of the corresponding area 91. The air conditioning device 3 operates so as to control the air conditioning environment of the corresponding area 91. The space control device 4 controls the operations of the lighting device 2 and the air conditioning device 3.

[0015] The management system 1 includes an access system that manages the entry and exit of people to and from the area 91. The access system includes an access device 5, a camera 6, and an access management device 7.

[0016] The access device 5 includes a door and two authentication devices. The access device 5 spatially separates the area 91 or the room. In the following examples, the door spatially separates one area 91 from another area 91. For example, the authentication device is a card reader using an IC tag. One of the two authentication devices is provided near the door on the side of the area 91. The other of the two authentication devices is provided near the door on the side of another area 91.

[0017] The camera 6 photographs the inside of the area 91. The camera 6 may be able to photograph the range including the access device 5. Note that the camera 6 may detect a person who entered the area 91 through the access device 5 and a person who left the area 91 based on the photographed video. Note that a camera system 6s may be constituted by a plurality of cameras 6. In this case, the camera system 6s may be included in the management system 1.

[0018] The access control device 7 controls the locked state of the door based on the authentication result of the authentication device. The access control device 7 manages the people entering the area 91 through the access device 5 based on the authentication result of the authentication device of the access device 5 or the video captured by the camera 6. In addition, the access control device 7 records and manages the presence status of each of the multiple employees P working inside the area 91. That is, the access control device 7 manages whether the employee P is present in the area 91 or absent outside the area 91.

[0019] Specifically, based on the authentication information on the other side of the authentication device, the access control device 7 records that the employee P corresponding to the authentication information enters the area 91 and the employee P is present. Based on the authentication information on one side of the authentication device, the access control device 7 records that the employee P corresponding to the authentication information exits the area 91 and the employee P is absent.

[0020] In addition, the access control device 7 may determine how many people are currently present in the area 91 based on the video captured by the camera 6.

[0021] The management system 1 includes an attendance and departure management system that manages the attendance and departure of multiple employees P working in the area 91 as an office. The attendance and departure management system includes a management device 10. In addition, the attendance and departure management system may further include a mobile terminal 20.

[0022] The management device 10 records information regarding the attendance and departure status of multiple employees P. For example, when the identification information of the employee P is read into a recording device not shown, the attendance and departure status of the employee P is recorded in the management device 10. For example, the recording device is a card reader. Note that the recording device may be common with the authentication device.

[0023] The mobile device 20 is individually owned by employee P. For example, the mobile device 20 is a communication device such as a smartphone. The mobile device 20 may be a private device for which employee P has a personal line contract, or it may be a company-issued device provided to employee P by the company employing employee P, which has a line contract. Dedicated applications are installed on the mobile device 20. The mobile device 20 may have specific applications installed, such as transportation applications or payment applications.

[0024] The mobile terminal 20 is equipped with various sensors. Hereafter, sensors will include not only devices that measure physical values, but also software or hardware that performs information processing to detect the actions of the person carrying the mobile terminal 20. For example, the mobile terminal 20 is equipped with at least a step count sensor 21, an operation sensor 22, and an environmental sensor 23.

[0025] The step count sensor 21 measures the number of steps taken by the wearer. The step count sensor 21 includes an accelerometer, software for processing the accelerometer's measurements, etc. The step count sensor 21 generates step count information indicating the measured number of steps. Furthermore, the step count information may show the time progression of the number of steps per unit of time. Multiple units of time may be set, such as 10 seconds, 1 minute, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, etc. Furthermore, the step count information may show the amount of change in the number of steps compared at predetermined time intervals.

[0026] The operation sensor 22 measures operations performed on the mobile terminal 20. For example, the operation sensor 22 includes a contact detector for the operation screen of the mobile terminal 20, a measuring instrument for the frequency of operations on the mobile terminal 20, software for acquiring the application startup status on the mobile terminal 20, and so on.

[0027] The operation sensor 22 generates operation information indicating that an operation has been performed on the mobile terminal 20. Furthermore, the operation information indicates the operation frequency, which is the number of times an operation has been performed on the mobile terminal 20 per specified unit time. In addition, the operation information may include information indicating that a specific application has been used since a given time. If a specific application has been used since the given time, the operation sensor 22 may calculate the operation frequency so that it is higher than a specific value.

[0028] The environmental sensor 23 includes at least one of the following: a temperature sensor that measures the air temperature near the mobile terminal 20 and software that processes the measured temperature; or a humidity sensor that measures the humidity of the air near the mobile terminal 20 and software that processes the measured humidity. Hereafter, an example will be described in which the environmental sensor 23 includes both a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor. However, in the following description, it may be appropriately interpreted that only one of the temperature sensor or the humidity sensor is included.

[0029] The environmental sensor 23 generates environmental information. This environmental information shows the change in temperature measured by the temperature sensor from a given time, and the change in temperature measured by the humidity sensor from a given time. The environmental information may also include the time progression of the measured temperature and humidity.

[0030] The spatial control device 4 acquires information recorded by the traffic management device 7 and controls the operation of the lighting device 2 and the air conditioning device 3. For example, if it is after the end of working hours and the lighting device 2 and air conditioning device 3 in area 91 are turned on, and the information managed by the traffic management device 7 indicates that there are no people in area 91, the spatial control device 4 turns off the operation of the lighting device 2 and air conditioning device 3. In this way, it is possible to prevent the lighting device 2 and air conditioning device 3 from continuing to operate after all employees P have left work.

[0031] However, camera 6 and camera system 6s may have difficulty accurately detecting people present in area 91. Also, if tailgating occurs where multiple people pass through passage device 5 due to the authentication action of one person, passage management device 7 may not be able to accurately manage the occupancy status of area 91. In such cases, the space control device 4 may not be able to turn off the lighting device 2 and air conditioning device 3 even though there are actually no people in area 91.

[0032] The traffic management device 7 may update the current occupancy and vacancy status based on the clock-out information managed by the management device 10. That is, if employee P, who is in the occupancy status according to the information managed by the traffic management device 7, is recorded as having already clocked out by the management device 10, the traffic management device 7 will manage employee P as vacant.

[0033] Furthermore, the management device 10 detects whether employee P, who is currently in attendance status, has left work at the designated time when the designated working hours have ended, based on information measured by a sensor installed on the mobile terminal 20 carried by employee P. Specifically, the management device 10 detects whether employee P has left work based on at least one of the following: step count information, operation information, and environmental information, which indicate information measured after the time of departure. In this way, the management system 1 manages employee P's departure and the occupancy status of area 91, which is the office.

[0034] Next, the devices of the management system 1 will be described in more detail based on Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the mobile terminal 20 includes a step count sensor 21, an operation sensor 22, and an environmental sensor 23, as well as a communication unit 24 and an overall control unit 25. Although not shown, the mobile terminal 20 also includes a screen for displaying information and an operation interface such as a touch panel for receiving operations.

[0035] The communication unit 24 is an interface for communicating with external devices, including the management device 10. For example, the communication unit 24 transmits various types of information to the management device 10 at predetermined intervals or upon request. The overall control unit 25, as the operation software for the mobile terminal 20, can control all functions of the mobile terminal 20 overall. For example, the overall control unit 25 executes specific applications, etc.

[0036] The management device 10 includes an acquisition unit 11, a storage unit 12, a detection unit 13, and an update unit 14. The acquisition unit 11 acquires various measured information from the mobile terminal 20 by transmitting an acquisition request to the communication unit 24, etc. In this case, the acquisition unit 11 may selectively acquire various information measured after a base time such as the time of leaving work. The following describes an example in which the acquisition unit 11 acquires various information measured by sensors after the time of leaving work. In this case, the step count information, operation information, and environmental information show various values ​​measured after the time of leaving work. In addition, the change amounts shown in the step count information, operation information, and environmental information may be measured values ​​from the time of leaving work to the time the acquisition request was received.

[0037] The memory unit 12 stores various information for managing the attendance and departure times of multiple employees P. Specifically, the memory unit 12 stores attendance and departure information indicating whether multiple employees P are in attendance or have left work. For each of the multiple employees P, the memory unit 12 stores multiple items that are used in association with each employee.

[0038] The detection unit 13 detects whether employee P has left the office based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 from employee P's mobile terminal 20. The detection unit 13 performs this detection for any employee P among multiple employees P. For example, when the management device 10 receives an update request, the detection unit 13 refers to the attendance information stored in the storage unit 12 and detects whether one or more employees P who are currently in attendance have left the office.

[0039] The update unit 14 updates the attendance information based on the detection results of the detection unit 13. Specifically, if the detection unit 13 detects that employee P, who is currently in attendance status in the attendance information, has left the office, the update unit 14 updates the attendance information so that employee P is now in attendance status.

[0040] Next, an example of the detection processing performed by the detection unit 13 will be described. The detection unit 13 performs at least one of the following: step count processing using step count information, operation processing using operation information, or environment processing using environment information. The detection unit 13 sets a detection flag for the step count item through step count processing. The detection unit 13 sets a detection flag for the operation item through operation processing. The detection unit 13 sets a detection flag for the environment item through environment processing.

[0041] For each item, the detection flag can be in one of three states: "detection flag is set", "detection flag is not set", or "exclusion flag is set".

[0042] A "detection flag set" indicates that the change in information for that item is considered to be the value at which the employee has left work. A "detection flag not set" indicates that the change in information for that item is not considered to be the value at which the employee has left work. Alternatively, a "non-detection flag" may be set instead of a "detection flag not set" state.

[0043] Setting an "exclusion flag" indicates that the information for that item will not be used in the process of detecting whether or not an employee has left work. The detection unit 13 sets an exclusion flag for a certain item for a given employee P, thereby excluding that item. For items with an exclusion flag set, the detection unit 13 excludes the process of setting the detection flag. For example, even if employee P has left work, if the change in the information for a certain item is not a significant value, it is not appropriate to use the information for that item to detect whether or not an employee has left work, so the item is set to have an exclusion flag. The detection unit 13 can set the exclusion flag at any time before the detection process, such as when an external device or other means sets the item to be excluded. Alternatively, the detection unit 13 can set the exclusion flag in the middle of the detection process for that item.

[0044] In step count processing, the detection unit 13 sets a detection flag for the step count item if the change in the number of steps measured after the time of departure indicated in the step count information exceeds a predetermined step count threshold. For example, the step count threshold is set to the number of steps required to leave building 90 where the office is located. Alternatively, the step count threshold may simply be set to the number of steps required to leave building 90.

[0045] Furthermore, if the setting to exclude the step count item has been configured in advance, the detection unit 13 sets an exclusion flag for the step count item before the step count processing is performed. For example, if employee P belongs to a department where employees move around inside and outside the building 90 in the same way as during the day, even after the end of the workday and while still performing work, an exclusion flag may be set for employee P's step count item. This is because even if employee P actually leaves work after the end of the workday, the number of steps taken before and after leaving work may not change significantly.

[0046] In the operation processing, the detection unit 13 sets a detection flag for an operation item based on the result of comparing the change in operation frequency measured after the time of departure indicated in the operation information with a predetermined operation threshold. For example, if the mobile terminal 20 is employee P's personal terminal, the operation threshold is set to an operation frequency that would not be achieved during work hours. In this case, the detection unit 13 sets a detection flag for an operation item if the change in operation frequency indicated in the operation information exceeds the operation threshold. The detection unit 13 does not set a detection flag for an operation item if the change in operation frequency indicated in the operation information is less than or equal to the operation threshold.

[0047] As another example, if the mobile terminal 20 is a company-issued terminal provided by the company where employee P works, the operation threshold is set to an operation frequency that does not fall below a certain level during work. In this case, the detection unit 13 sets a detection flag for the operation item if the change in operation frequency indicated in the operation information is less than the operation threshold. The detection unit 13 does not set a detection flag for the operation item if the change in operation frequency indicated in the operation information is greater than or equal to the operation threshold.

[0048] Furthermore, regardless of the operation frequency indicated in the operation information, if the operation information includes a statement that a specific application was used on the mobile terminal 20 after the end of the workday, the detection unit 13 may set a detection flag for the operation item. The detection unit 13 may also change the operation frequency value to a value higher than the operation threshold if the operation information includes a statement that a specific application was used on the mobile terminal 20 after the end of the workday. In this case, a detection flag for the operation item will be set by a subsequent process. The process of setting the operation frequency value to a value higher than the operation threshold may be performed by the operation sensor 22.

[0049] For example, if a setting to exclude an operation item has been made in advance, the detection unit 13 will perform the operation process. Before the operation is performed, an exclusion flag is set for the operation item. For example, if employee P belongs to a department where they operate a company terminal at a certain frequency even after their scheduled departure time, regardless of whether they have actually left work, an exclusion flag may be set for employee P's operation item. In another example, if employee P is in a work environment where they operate a personal terminal at a certain frequency even if they have not actually left work, an exclusion flag may be set for employee P's operation item. This is because the frequency of operations before and after employee P actually leaves work may not change significantly.

[0050] In environmental processing, when the environmental information includes a change in temperature, the detection unit 13 sets a detection flag for the environmental item if the absolute value of the change in temperature measured after the time of departure indicated in the environmental information exceeds a predetermined temperature threshold. In environmental processing, when the environmental information includes a change in humidity, the detection unit 13 sets a detection flag for the environmental item if the absolute value of the change in humidity measured after the time of departure indicated in the environmental information exceeds a predetermined humidity threshold. The temperature threshold or humidity threshold is set to a value that indicates the temperature change or humidity change that can be detected when leaving area 91. If the setting to exclude environmental items has been made in advance, the detection unit 13 sets an exclusion flag for the environmental items before environmental processing is performed. For example, during the spring or autumn season, the temperature and humidity are not expected to change significantly inside and outside building 90, so an exclusion flag may be set for the environmental items.

[0051] The detection unit 13 sets a detection flag for at least one item through a detection process, and then determines whether the detection flag for at least one item satisfies the clock-out condition. If the clock-out condition is met, the detection unit 13 detects that the corresponding employee P has left the office. There are several possible settings for the clock-out condition.

[0052] In the first example, the detection unit 13 determines that the conditions for leaving work have been met if a detection flag is set for at least one of the following items: step count, operation, or environment. Specifically, the detection unit 13 detects that employee P has left the office if the change in step count shown in the step count information exceeds the step count threshold. The detection unit 13 detects that employee P has left the office based on the result of comparing the change in operation frequency shown in the operation information with the operation threshold. The detection unit 13 detects that employee P has left the office if at least one of the following conditions is met: the absolute value of the change in temperature shown in the environment information exceeds the temperature threshold, or the absolute value of the change in humidity shown in the environment information exceeds the humidity threshold.

[0053] In the second example, the detection unit 13 determines that the clock-out condition has been met if detection flags are set for two or more of the following items: step count, operation, or environment. In the second example, the acquisition unit 11 must acquire at least two of the following: step count information, operation information, or environment information. In the second example, the detection unit 13 does not include items with an exclusion flag set in the number of items with detection flags set.

[0054] In the third example, the detection unit 13 determines that the clock-out conditions have been met if the detection flags are set for all of the following items: step count, operation, or environment. In the third example, the acquisition unit 11 must acquire all of the step count information, operation information, and environment information. In the third example, the accuracy of detecting that employee P has actually clocked out is higher compared to the second example. In the third example, the detection unit 13 does not include items with the exclusion flag set in the number of items with the detection flag set.

[0055] In the fourth example, the detection unit 13 calculates a detection ratio, which is the ratio of items with a detection flag set among the step count items, operation items, or environment items. Specifically, for the step count items, operation items, or environment items, the detection unit 13 uses the sum of the number of items with neither an exclusion flag nor a detection flag set and the number of items with a detection flag set as the detection ratio, divided by the number of items with a detection flag set. The detection unit 13 determines that the clock-out condition has been met if the detection ratio exceeds a predetermined ratio threshold. In the fourth example, the acquisition unit 11 may acquire at least two of the step count information, operation information, or environment information.

[0056] For example, in the fourth example, if the detection flag for the step count item is set, the detection flag for the operation item is not set, and the exclusion flag for the environment item is set, the detection ratio will be 1 / (1+1)=0.5. In this case, if the detection threshold is set to 0.34, the detection unit 13 will detect that the clock-out condition has been met, that is, that the corresponding employee P has left the office. The larger the detection threshold, the higher the accuracy of detecting that employee P has actually left the office.

[0057] In addition, in the first to fourth examples, if one or more of the step count, operation, and environment items have an exclusion flag set, the detection unit 13 may not detect that the departure conditions are not met for employee P, i.e., that employee P has left the office.

[0058] Next, the overall processing of the management system 1 and the processing of the management device 10 will be explained using Figures 3 to 5. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the management system in Embodiment 1. Figures 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing an example of the operation of the management device in Embodiment 1.

[0059] The flowchart in Figure 3 can be started at any time. For example, this flowchart may be triggered when it is time to leave work. This flowchart shows an example where the space control device 4 controls the lighting device 2. The space control device 4 may also control the air conditioning device 3 in a similar manner.

[0060] In step S001, the spatial control device 4 determines whether it is after the end of the workday. If it is before the end of the workday in step S001, the flowchart operation ends. In this case, the operation of step S001 may be repeated.

[0061] In step S001, if it is after the end of the workday, in step S002, the spatial control device 4 acquires the lighting status of multiple lighting devices 2 in multiple areas 91.

[0062] Subsequently, in step S003, the spatial control device 4 determines whether or not there are any lighting devices 2 that are currently on, i.e., illuminated. If there are no illuminated lighting devices 2 in step S003, the flowchart operation ends.

[0063] In step S003, if there is a lit lighting device 2, in step S004, the spatial control device 4 identifies the area 91 that corresponds to the lit lighting device 2. Based on the information managed by the traffic management device 7, the spatial control device 4 refers to the occupancy status of employees P working in the identified area 91.

[0064] Subsequently, in step S005, the spatial control device 4 determines whether all employees P working in area 91 where the lighting device 2 is lit are in an absent room state.

[0065] In step S005, if all corresponding employees P are absent from the room, the spatial control device 4 turns off the lighting device 2. After that, the flowchart operation ends.

[0066] In step S005, if there is an employee P working in area 91 who is present, the operation in step S007 is performed. In step S007, the spatial control device 4 sends an update request to the management device 10. That is, if the lighting device 2 is on after the end of the workday and it is recorded that there is a person present in area 91 corresponding to the lighting device 2, the spatial control device 4 sends an update request to the management device 10.

[0067] Subsequently, in step S008, the spatial control device 4 waits for a predetermined waiting time. After that, the operations from step S001 onwards are performed. That is, after sending an update request and waiting, the spatial control device 4 checks again whether all lighting devices 2 are turned off or not.

[0068] In this way, the spatial control device 4 turns off the ON-state lighting device 2 corresponding to area 91 when there are no people in area 91, based on the occupancy status of area 91.

[0069] In addition, in steps S004 and S005, the spatial control device 4 may make a determination using whether or not employee P has left work according to the attendance information stored in the management device 10, instead of whether or not the room is unoccupied.

[0070] The flowcharts in Figures 4 and 5 are initiated, for example, when the management device 10 receives an update request from the spatial control device 4, etc. This flowchart may also be initiated as a trigger when the employee clocks out, or when a predetermined start time, such as 10 minutes after clocking out, has elapsed. This flowchart shows an example where the mobile terminal 20 is the employee P's private terminal, and the environmental sensor 23 includes a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor.

[0071] In step S101, the management device 10 determines whether it is after the end of the workday. If it is before the end of the workday in step S101, the operation of step S101 is repeated. Alternatively, if it is before the end of the workday in step S101, the flowchart operation may be terminated.

[0072] In step S101, if it is after the clock-out time, in step S102, the management device 10 extracts from the clock-in / clock-out information stored in the storage unit 12 one or more employees P who are not clocked out, i.e., employees who are clocked in.

[0073] Subsequently, in step S103, the management device 10 starts a processing loop. In step S103, the management device 10 designates one of the employees P who are in attendance status as the target. The processing loop is executed sequentially for each employee P selected in step S102. Within the subsequent processing loop, the target is employee P who is in attendance status, and each process is executed in relation to that employee P.

[0074] Following step S103, in step S104, the acquisition unit 11 acquires at least one set piece of information from the mobile terminal 20 held by the employee P, which includes step count information, operation information, or environmental information. This information represents values ​​measured after the employee's departure time.

[0075] Subsequently, in step S105, the detection unit 13 determines whether or not the exclusion flag is set for the step count item of employee P.

[0076] If, in step S105, the exclusion flag is not set for the step count item of employee P, then in step S106, the detection unit 13 determines whether the change in the step count of employee P shown in the step count information exceeds the step count threshold.

[0077] If, in step S106, the change in the number of steps exceeds the step threshold, in step S107, the detection unit 13 sets a detection flag for the step count item of the employee P.

[0078] If, in step S106, the change in the number of steps is less than or equal to the step threshold, in step S108, the detection unit 13 does not set a detection flag for the step count item of employee P.

[0079] If the exclusion flag is set for the step count item of employee P in step S105, or after step S107 or S108, in step S109, the detection unit 13 determines whether the exclusion flag is set for the operation item of employee P.

[0080] If, in step S109, the exclusion flag is not set for the employee P's operation item, then in step S110, the detection unit 13 determines whether or not the operation information includes information that a specific application was used after the employee's departure time.

[0081] If the operation information does not include information that a specific application was used in step S110, in step S111, the detection unit 13 determines whether the change in the operation frequency of employee P indicated in the operation information exceeds the operation threshold.

[0082] If the operation information in step S110 indicates that a specific application was used, or if the change in operation frequency in step S111 exceeds the operation threshold, in step S112, the detection unit 13 sets a detection flag for the operation item of employee P.

[0083] If, in step S111, the amount of change in the operation is less than or equal to the operation threshold, in step S113, the detection unit 13 does not set a detection flag for the operation item of employee P.

[0084] If the exclusion flag is set for the employee P's operation item in step S109, or if, after step S112 or step S113, in step S114, the detection unit 13 determines whether the exclusion flag is set for the employee P's environment item.

[0085] If, in step S114, the exclusion flag is not set for the employee P's environment item, then in step S115, the detection unit 13 determines whether at least one of the following is true: the absolute value of the change in temperature shown in the environmental information exceeds the temperature threshold, or the absolute value of the change in humidity shown in the environmental information exceeds the humidity threshold.

[0086] In step S115, if the absolute value of the change in temperature shown in the environmental information exceeds the temperature threshold, or if the absolute value of the change in humidity shown in the environmental information exceeds the humidity threshold, in step S116, the detection unit 13 sets a detection flag for the environmental item of the employee P.

[0087] In step S115, if the absolute value of the temperature change shown in the environmental information is less than or equal to the temperature threshold, and the absolute value of the humidity change shown in the environmental information is less than or equal to the humidity threshold, then in step S117, the detection unit 13 does not set a detection flag for the environmental item of employee P.

[0088] If the exclusion flag is set for the employee P's environment item in step S114, or if, after step S116 or S117, in step S118, the detection unit 13 determines whether the clock-out conditions for employee P have been met based on the detection flags of the three items.

[0089] If the conditions for leaving work are met in step S118, then in step S119, the detection unit 13 detects that employee P has left the office.

[0090] Subsequently, in step S120, the update unit 14 updates the status of employee P in the attendance information from attendance status to attendance status.

[0091] If the conditions for leaving work are not met in step S118, the employee P will remain in the attendance status in the attendance information.

[0092] If the clock-out conditions are not met in step S118, or if the operation in step S120 is performed, the loop processing for employee P ends in step S121. If there are employees P who have been identified as being in attendance but have not yet undergone loop processing, the loop processing operations from step S103 onwards are repeated.

[0093] If a loop process is performed for all employees P extracted as being in attendance status in step S121, then in step S122, the update unit 14 records each acquired piece of information as history for each employee P. After that, the flowchart operation ends.

[0094] The loop processing from step S103 to step S121 may be performed for all of the corresponding employees P, regardless of whether they are in attendance or not.

[0095] According to Embodiment 1 described above, the management system 1 includes an acquisition unit 11 and a detection unit 13 as its functions. The detection unit 13 detects that employee P has left work based on information indicating values ​​measured after the time of departure by a sensor provided on the mobile terminal 20. In this case, employee P does not need to take any action to indicate that they have left work. As a result, the accuracy of managing employee P's departure can be improved. Furthermore, even if employee P forgets to register their departure in the registration device, the management system 1 can still detect that employee P has left work. In this way, the management system 1 can also play a supplementary role to existing attendance management systems.

[0096] It is also conceivable to detect departure from work based on changes in the location of the mobile device 20. However, the accuracy of the location measurement may not be high. Furthermore, there may be problems with transmitting and managing individual location information to the company's equipment. According to this embodiment, the management system 1 uses the results of measurements taken by the sensor of the mobile device 20, which are not location information but are values ​​that are expected to change when an employee leaves work, for the departure detection process. Therefore, the management system 1 can suppress the occurrence of the above-mentioned problems.

[0097] Furthermore, the management system 1 is further equipped with a traffic management device 7. When the management device 10 detects that employee P has left work, the traffic management device 7 records that employee P is not present in area 91. In this way, attendance management and presence management are coordinated within the management system 1. As a result, the management system 1 can improve the accuracy of presence management.

[0098] Furthermore, the management system 1 is further equipped with a spatial control device 4. The spatial control device 4 controls the on and off of the lighting devices 2 in areas 91 where there are no people present. As a result, the management system 1 can improve the accuracy of lighting control.

[0099] Furthermore, if it is recorded that there are people in area 91 after the scheduled end time, the spatial control device 4 sends an update request to the management device 10. The management device 10 performs detection processing based on the update request. As a result, the management system 1 can detect whether or not there are employees P who have left work at a time convenient for lighting control and update the attendance information appropriately.

[0100] Furthermore, the detection unit 13 may detect that employee P has left work by comparing the change in the number of steps indicated in the step count information with a step count threshold. The detection unit 13 may also detect that employee P has left work by comparing the change in the operation frequency indicated in the operation information with an operation threshold. The detection unit 13 may also detect that employee P has left work by comparing the absolute value of the change in temperature indicated in the environmental information with a temperature threshold. The detection unit 13 may also detect that employee P has left work by comparing the absolute value of the change in humidity indicated in the environmental information with a humidity threshold. In this way, the detection unit 13 detects that employee P has left work based on a value that is automatically measured by a sensor provided in the mobile terminal 20 when employee P leaves work, and which reflects the act of leaving work. Therefore, even if employee P forgets to complete the procedure for leaving work, the management system 1 can easily detect that employee P has left work without requiring employee P to perform any operation for work departure management.

[0101] Furthermore, the detection unit 13 may detect that employee P has left work if detection flags are set for two or more of the step count item, operation item, and environment item. Alternatively, the detection unit 13 may detect that employee P has left work if the detection ratio exceeds the detection threshold. In either case, the management system 1 can improve the accuracy of detecting that employee P has left work compared to when attendance is detected by access control or when departure is detected based on a detection flag for only one item.

[0102] Furthermore, the detection unit 13 detects that employee P has left work if the operation information includes a record of the use of a specific application after the scheduled departure time. For example, if employee P uses a transportation application installed on their mobile terminal 20 to board a train for their commute, the use of that transportation application is strongly associated with employee P leaving work. Therefore, the management system 1 can improve the accuracy of detecting that employee P has left work.

[0103] In addition, the management device 10 may set an exclusion flag for a specific item for all of the multiple employees P. In this case, the detection unit 13 may omit the detection process for items for which an exclusion flag has been set for all employees from the beginning, within the loop processing of steps S103 to S124 in the flowcharts of Figures 4 and 5. For example, if an exclusion flag has been set for the step count item for all of the multiple employees P, the detection unit 13 may perform the processing in step S109 after step S104 without performing the processing in steps S105 to S108. In this case, the computational load on the detection unit 13 can be reduced.

[0104] Note that the management system 1 may include only the management device 10 and not the mobile terminal 20. In this case, the management system 1 may manage employee P's departure solely by detecting departure using a sensor installed on the mobile terminal 20.

[0105] Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the management device 10 may be provided in one of the devices of the management system 1, such as the mobile terminal 20. For example, functions of the management device 10 other than the storage unit 12 may be provided in the mobile terminal 20. In this case, the mobile terminal 20 may detect that employee P has left work based on the information measured by the mobile terminal 20.

[0106] Embodiment 2. Figure 6 is a functional block diagram of the management system in Embodiment 2. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the learning process of the management device in Embodiment 2. Note that parts identical or equivalent to those in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Descriptions of these parts are omitted.

[0107] In Embodiment 2, the management device 10 includes a learning unit 15 as a function. The learning unit 15 includes the functions of a collection unit 16 and a generation unit 17. For each employee P, the learning unit 15 generates corrected thresholds by correcting each threshold based on the learning information collected during the learning period.

[0108] The collection unit 16 collects learning information during the learning period. The learning period can be set to any number of days. For example, one week can be set as the learning period. As an example, in the management system 1, a learning period may be specially set, and during that learning period, only the collection of learning information may be performed, and the detection process for detecting departure by the detection unit 13, etc., may not be performed. As another example, the collection unit 16 may collect information for the number of days included in the learning period from the history of information stored daily as learning information.

[0109] The learning information includes representative change amounts calculated from values ​​measured by each sensor installed on the mobile terminal 20 after the end of work each day during the learning period. The representative change amounts included in the learning information are values ​​calculated by the data collection unit 16 from each measurement value during the learning period. For example, the data collection unit 16 calculates the average, median, etc., of the change amounts measured after the end of work each day during the learning period as a single value, and uses these as representative change amounts.

[0110] Specifically, the learning information may include a representative value of the change in the number of steps taken by employee P measured by the step count sensor 21 after the time of departure during the learning period. In this case, for example, the collection unit 16 calculates the change in the number of steps taken each day during the learning period, and then calculates the average value of the multiple change in the number of steps as a representative value.

[0111] Furthermore, the learning information may include a representative value of the change in the operation frequency of the mobile terminal 20 measured by the operation sensor 22 after the end of the workday during the learning period. The learning information may also include a representative value of the change in temperature measured by the temperature sensor of the environmental sensor 23 after the end of the workday during the learning period. The learning information may also include a representative value of the change in humidity measured by the humidity sensor of the environmental sensor 23 after the end of the workday during the learning period.

[0112] The generation unit 17 corrects at least one of the step count threshold, operation threshold, temperature threshold, or humidity threshold according to the representative value included in the learning information. Specifically, the generation unit 17 corrects the current value of the step count threshold based on the representative value of the change in the number of steps included in the learning information, and generates the corrected step count threshold. For example, the learning information includes, as a representative value, the number of steps taken by an employee P from leaving area 91 to the nearest station to building 90 on the commuter line they use. In this case, the generation unit 17 generates the corrected step count threshold as the representative value, or a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined percentage from the representative value.

[0113] Similarly, the generation unit 17 corrects the current value of the operation threshold based on the representative value of the change in operation frequency included in the learning information and generates the corrected operation threshold. The generation unit 17 corrects the current value of the temperature threshold based on the representative value of the change in temperature included in the learning information and generates the corrected temperature threshold. The generation unit 17 corrects the current value of the humidity threshold based on the representative value of the change in humidity frequency included in the learning information and generates the corrected humidity threshold.

[0114] Furthermore, the collection unit 16 may collect information included in the operation information that indicates applications used after the end of the workday as learning information. In this case, the generation unit 17 may decide which application to set as a specific application based on the learning information. Specifically, the generation unit 17 may decide that the application used for the most days during the learning period is the specific application from among the applications included in the learning information.

[0115] Furthermore, the generation unit 17 may set the system to exclude items corresponding to values ​​included in the learning information from the detection process. If a valid threshold cannot be set using the representative value included in the learning information, the generation unit 17 will set the system to exclude the item corresponding to that representative value. Specifically, the generation unit 17 sets the system to set an exclusion flag for an item if the representative value of that item included in the learning information is smaller than a predetermined exclusion threshold corresponding to that item. In this case, the detection unit 13 sets the exclusion flag for the item at any time. Note that the generation unit 17, rather than the detection unit 13, may also set the exclusion flag for the item.

[0116] The exclusion threshold can be set to any value that allows the exclusion flag to be set effectively. For example, the exclusion threshold may be set to a representative value that was included in the training information in the most recent training process. In this case, training can be performed while reflecting the characteristics of the representative value, which may fluctuate depending on the training period, timing, etc. As another example, the exclusion threshold may be set to 0. In this case, the training process may be configured so that the exclusion flag is not set.

[0117] Specifically, the generation unit 17 sets the step count item to be excluded if the representative value of the change in step count included in the learning information is smaller than the step count exclusion threshold. The generation unit 17 sets the operation item to be excluded if the representative value of the change in operation frequency included in the learning information is smaller than the operation frequency exclusion threshold. The generation unit 17 sets the temperature item to be excluded if the absolute value of the representative value of the change in temperature included in the learning information is smaller than the temperature exclusion threshold. The generation unit 17 sets the humidity item to be excluded if the absolute value of the representative value of the change in humidity included in the learning information is smaller than the humidity exclusion threshold.

[0118] In Embodiment 2, the corrected threshold generated by the learning unit 15 is used in the detection process.

[0119] The flowchart for the learning process shown in Figure 7 can be started at any time. This flowchart shows an example of updating the step count threshold. Note that the operation threshold, temperature threshold, and humidity threshold can also be corrected using a similar learning process.

[0120] In step S201, the collection unit 16 collects learning information, including a representative value of the change in the number of steps measured by the step count sensor 21 after the time of leaving work during the learning period.

[0121] Subsequently, in step S202, the generation unit 17 determines whether the representative value of the change in the number of steps is smaller than the step exclusion threshold.

[0122] In step S202, if the representative value of the change in the number of steps is smaller than the step exclusion threshold, in step S203, the generation unit 17 sets the step count item to be excluded in the step count processing. The detection unit 13 sets the step count item to be excluded.

[0123] If, in step S202, the representative value of the change in the number of steps is greater than or equal to the step exclusion threshold, or after the operation in step S203, in step S204, the generation unit 17 generates a corrected step threshold by correcting the step threshold based on the representative value of the change in the number of steps.

[0124] After that, the flowchart operation ends.

[0125] Furthermore, even if the exclusion flag is set in step S203, the flowchart may terminate without the operation in step S204 being performed. That is, if the exclusion flag is set for a certain item, the process may be performed so that the corrected step threshold is not generated for that item.

[0126] According to Embodiment 2 described above, the learning unit 15 generates at least one of the following based on the learned information: a corrected step count threshold, a corrected operation threshold, a corrected temperature threshold, or a corrected humidity threshold. As a result, an optimal threshold corresponding to each employee P can be generated. Consequently, the management system 1 can improve the accuracy of detecting when an employee P has left work.

[0127] Next, an example of the hardware that makes up the management device 10 will be explained using Figure 8. Figure 8 is a hardware configuration diagram of the management device in Embodiments 1 and 2.

[0128] Each function of the management device 10 can be realized by a processing circuit. For example, the processing circuit comprises at least one processor 100a and at least one memory 100b. For example, the processing circuit comprises at least one dedicated hardware 200.

[0129] When the processing circuit comprises at least one processor 100a and at least one memory 100b, each function of the management device 10 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. At least one of the software and firmware is written as a program. At least one of the software and firmware is stored in at least one memory 100b. At least one processor 100a realizes each function of the management device 10 by reading and executing the program stored in at least one memory 100b.

[0130] If the processing circuit includes at least one dedicated hardware 200, the processing circuit may be implemented as, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof. For example, each function of the management device 10 may be implemented by a processing circuit. For example, each function of the management device 10 may be implemented together by a processing circuit.

[0131] For each function of the management device 10, some may be implemented by dedicated hardware 200, and others by software or firmware. For example, the functions of the detection unit 13 may be implemented by a processing circuit as dedicated hardware 200, while functions other than those of the detection unit 13 may be implemented by at least one processor 100a reading and executing a program stored in at least one memory 100b.

[0132] In this way, the processing circuit implements each function of the management device 10 using hardware 200, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.

[0133] Although not shown in the diagram, each function of the mobile terminal 20 is also implemented by processing circuits equivalent to those that implement each function of the management device 10.

[0134] Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the management device 10 may be implemented on a cloud server. In this case, the processing circuit is composed of multiple sub-circuits. Each of the multiple sub-processing circuits is provided on one of the multiple devices that make up the cloud server. Each of the multiple devices that make up the cloud server may be located in a different building. In this case, the functions of the management device 10 that are implemented on the cloud server are involved in the control of the management system 1 by communicating with other devices of the management system 1 via the network. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0135] 1 Management system, 2 Lighting device, 3 Air conditioning device, 4 Space control device, 5 Traffic control device, 6 Camera, 6s Camera system, 7 Traffic control device, 10 Management device, 11 Acquisition unit, 12 Storage unit, 13 Detection unit, 14 Update unit, 15 Learning unit, 16 Collection unit, 17 Generation unit, 20 Mobile terminal, 21 Step count sensor, 22 Operation sensor, 23 Environmental sensor, 24 Communication unit, 25 Overall control unit, 90 Building, 91 Area, 100a Processor, 100b Memory, 200 Hardware, P Employee

Claims

1. It is a system for managing employee clock-out times. An acquisition unit that acquires at least one of the following information, which is a value measured by a sensor installed in a mobile terminal owned by the employee: step count information, operation information, or environmental information. A detection unit that detects when an employee leaves the office based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, Equipped with, The step count information indicates the change in the number of steps taken by the employee measured after the time of leaving work. The aforementioned operation information indicates the change in the frequency of operations performed on the mobile terminal after the end of the workday. The aforementioned environmental information indicates at least one of the changes in temperature or humidity measured after the aforementioned end-of-work time. Management system.

2. The acquisition unit acquires at least two of the following: the step count information, the operation information, or the environmental information. The detection unit is If the change in the number of steps shown in the aforementioned step count information exceeds a predetermined step count threshold, a detection flag is set for the step count item. Based on the result of comparing the change in the operation frequency of the mobile terminal shown in the operation information with a predetermined operation threshold, a detection flag is set for the operation item. If the absolute value of the temperature change shown in the environmental information exceeds a specified temperature threshold, or if the absolute value of the humidity change shown in the environmental information exceeds a specified humidity threshold, a detection flag for the environmental item is set in at least one of these cases. If detection flags are set for two or more of the items mentioned above (steps), the operation, and the environment, it is detected that the employee has left the office. The management system according to claim 1.

3. The acquisition unit acquires at least two of the following: the step count information, the operation information, or the environmental information. The detection unit is If the change in the number of steps shown in the aforementioned step count information exceeds a predetermined step count threshold, a detection flag is set for the step count item. Based on the result of comparing the change in the operation frequency of the mobile terminal shown in the operation information with a predetermined operation threshold, a detection flag is set for the operation item. If the absolute value of the temperature change shown in the environmental information exceeds a specified temperature threshold, or if the absolute value of the humidity change shown in the environmental information exceeds a specified humidity threshold, a detection flag for the environmental item is set in at least one of these cases. An exclusion flag is set for at least one of the step count item, the operation item, or the environment item, which excludes the process of setting the detection flag. In the step count item, the operation item, and the environment item, if the detection ratio obtained by dividing the number of items with the detection flag set by the sum of the number of items with neither the exclusion flag nor the detection flag set by the number of items with the detection flag set exceeds a predetermined ratio threshold, then it is detected that the employee has left the office. The management system according to claim 1.

4. The acquisition unit acquires the step count information from the sensor provided in the mobile terminal. The detection unit detects that the employee has left the office when the amount of change in the number of steps indicated in the step count information exceeds a predetermined step count threshold. The management system according to claim 1.

5. A learning unit generates a corrected step threshold by correcting the step threshold using learning information including the change in the employee's step count measured by a sensor installed on the mobile terminal after the employee's departure time during the learning period. The management system according to claim 4, further comprising the above.

6. The acquisition unit acquires the operation information from a sensor provided in the mobile terminal. The detection unit detects that the employee has left the office based on the result of comparing the change in the operation frequency of the mobile terminal indicated in the operation information with a predetermined operation threshold. The management system according to claim 1.

7. The detection unit detects that the employee has left the office when the amount of change in the operation frequency of the mobile terminal indicated in the operation information exceeds the operation threshold. The management system according to claim 6.

8. A learning unit generates a corrected operation threshold by correcting the operation threshold using learning information including the change in the frequency of operation of the mobile terminal measured by a sensor provided on the mobile terminal after the time of departure during the learning period. The management system according to claim 6 or claim 7, further comprising the above.

9. The acquisition unit acquires the operation information from a sensor provided in the mobile terminal. The detection unit detects that the employee has left the office when the operation information includes information indicating that a specific application stored on the mobile terminal has been used. The management system according to claim 1 or claim 6.

10. The acquisition unit acquires the environmental information from the sensor provided in the mobile terminal. The detection unit detects that an employee has left the office when the absolute value of the change in temperature indicated in the environmental information exceeds a specified temperature threshold, or when the change in humidity indicated in the environmental information exceeds a specified humidity threshold. The management system according to claim 1.

11. A learning unit generates a corrected temperature threshold by correcting the temperature threshold using learning information including the amount of temperature change measured by a sensor installed on the mobile terminal after the time of departure during the learning period. The management system according to claim 10, further comprising the above.

12. A learning unit generates a corrected humidity threshold by correcting the humidity threshold using learning information including the amount of change in humidity measured by a sensor installed on the mobile terminal after the time of departure during the learning period. The management system according to claim 10 or claim 11, further comprising the above.

13. A management device for managing the clock-out of employees who possess mobile devices, A traffic management device that detects when the employee passes through a traffic device that demarcates an area and records whether or not the employee is in the area, Equipped with, The aforementioned control device is An acquisition unit that acquires at least one of the following information, which is a value measured by a sensor provided in the mobile terminal: step count information, operation information, or environmental information. A detection unit that detects when an employee leaves the office based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, Equipped with, The step count information indicates the change in the number of steps taken by the employee measured after the time of leaving work. The aforementioned operation information indicates the change in the frequency of operations performed on the mobile terminal after the end of the workday. The aforementioned environmental information indicates at least one of the changes in temperature or humidity measured after the aforementioned end-of-work time. The traffic management device records that the employee is not in the area when the detection unit detects that the employee has left work. Management system.

14. A spatial control device that controls the lighting devices in the area and, based on the occupancy status of the area recorded by the traffic management device, turns off the lighting devices when they are on when there are no people in the area. It also has the following features: The management system according to claim 13.

15. If the lighting device remains on after the aforementioned closing time and the traffic management device records that there are people in the area, the space control device transmits an update request to the management device. When the management device receives the update request, the acquisition unit acquires at least one of the step count information, the operation information, or the environmental information, and the detection unit detects whether or not the employee has left the office based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit. The management system according to claim 14.

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