Waste analysis equipment and waste analysis method

Abstract

The present invention provides a waste analysis device and a waste analysis method that make it easier to determine the amount of waste discharged from facilities such as buildings, compared to cases that do not have the configuration of the present invention. [Solution] A waste analysis device 40 comprising a data acquisition unit 41 that acquires the amount of waste discharged by each predetermined waste generator, and a data calculation and setting unit 42 that performs an analysis on the amount of waste based on the acquired amount of waste and creates display information for displaying the results of the analysis.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a waste analysis device and a waste analysis method. In particular, the present invention relates to a waste analysis device and a waste analysis method that can be suitably used for managing waste in facilities such as buildings.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, smart buildings that centrally manage and visualize equipment and data in facilities such as buildings to reduce energy consumption and improve convenience and comfort have attracted attention. When a smart building is introduced into a building, it is expected that quantitative information can be acquired and disclosed to tenants who occupy the building, leading to an improvement in the added value of the building.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a building environment support method for performing energy-saving management for each small section of a building using a system including a terminal provided for each small section of a building and a management server connected to the terminal via a network. In this building environment support method, the management server inputs measurement data including the usage amounts of energy media including electricity, gas, and water, the amount of waste, and the amount of heat used from each terminal, calculates performance values including the amount of energy used, the amount of CO2 emissions, and the amount of waste emissions, compares the performance values with the reference values of the amount of energy used, the amount of CO2 emissions, and the amount of waste emissions set for each tenant, obtains the achievement rate, which is the ratio of the performance values of the amount of energy consumption, the amount of CO2 emissions, and the amount of waste to the reference values, and distributes it to the terminal.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, when managing waste generated in facilities such as buildings, there are problems such as the difficulty in measuring the amount of waste and the difficulty in determining the amount of waste generated by each tenant. The present invention aims to provide a waste analysis device and a waste analysis method that make it easier to grasp the amount of waste discharged from facilities such as buildings, compared to cases that do not have the configuration of the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a waste analysis device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires the amount of waste discharged by each predetermined waste generator; an analysis unit that performs an analysis on the amount of waste based on the acquired amount of waste; and a display information creation unit that creates display information for displaying the results of the analysis.

[0007] Furthermore, the present invention is a waste analysis method in which a processor executes a program stored in memory to obtain the amount of waste discharged by each predetermined waste generator, performs an analysis on the amount of waste based on the obtained amount of waste, and creates display information for displaying the results of the analysis. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a waste analysis device and a waste analysis method that make it easier to grasp the amount of waste discharged from facilities such as buildings, compared to cases where the configuration of the present invention is not provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the waste analysis system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart explaining the operation of the waste analysis system. [Figure 3A] Figures (a) to (c) show the data structure of various tables stored in the data storage unit. [Figure 3B] Figures (d) to (f) show the data structure of the various tables stored in the data storage unit. [Figure 4] Figure 2, section S203, shows the visualization indicators used by the data calculation and setting unit when performing analysis on the amount of waste. [Figure 5] This diagram shows an example of how supplementary information is calculated. [Figure 6] Figure 2, segment S204, shows the display screen for the analysis results shown in the data display unit. [Figure 7] This is a diagram illustrating an example of behavioral change. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. <Overall description of Waste Analysis System 1> Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the waste analysis system 1 according to this embodiment. The illustrated waste analysis system 1 analyzes and manages waste discharged from facilities such as buildings. In this case, facilities include not only buildings but also commercial facilities such as shopping centers, entertainment facilities, public facilities, hospitals, and complex facilities that combine multiple facilities such as commercial facilities and apartment buildings. The number of facilities managed by waste analysis system 1 may be any number. The following explanation will focus on the case where the facility is a building. The waste analysis system 1 comprises a waste management system 10, a wireless sensor system 20, a statistical information database 30, and a waste analysis device 40.

[0011] The waste management system 10 is installed, for example, in the waste disposal area of ​​each building, and measures and digitizes the weight of the waste at the disposal area. In this case, the waste generator is distinguished by the label on the container (trash can) that holds the waste. Alternatively, the waste generator can be distinguished by reading IC tags or RF tags attached to the trash can with an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) reader. In this case, the waste generator is, for example, a tenant occupying the building. A tenant refers to an office or store that occupies the building under a lease agreement. Furthermore, in the case of waste generated from common areas, the waste generator is, for example, a user of the common space. Meanwhile, the wireless sensor system 20 measures and digitizes the weight of waste in each trash can installed within the building. The waste is not particularly limited and can include combustible and non-combustible materials, but it is usually solid.

[0012] The weight of waste measured by the waste management system 10 and the wireless sensor system 20 is transmitted wirelessly to the waste analysis device 40. The method of these wireless transmissions is not particularly limited, and Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity, registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), UWB (Ultra-Wide Band), etc., can be used. In addition, transmission is not limited to wireless, and wired transmission is also possible. Examples of wired transmission methods include wired LAN (Local Area Network), USB (Universal Serial Bus), RS-232C, etc.

[0013] The statistical information DB30 stores statistical information. This statistical information includes, for example, statistics published by the government and other organizations, such as statistics on waste disposal and energy consumption.

[0014] The waste analysis device 40 acquires the measured amount of waste and performs management of the waste based on the acquired amount of waste. The waste analysis device 40 is a computer device and includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) which is an arithmetic means, a main memory which is a storage means, and a storage. The processor executes various software such as an OS (basic software) and an application program (application software). Also, the main memory is a storage area for storing various software and data used for its execution. Further, the storage is a storage area for storing input data for various software and output data from various software. The waste analysis device 40 can be, for example, a management server that analyzes and manages the waste of a plurality of buildings. In this case, the waste analysis device 40 can also be a cloud server that provides a service for analyzing and managing waste on the cloud.

[0015] The waste analysis device 40 includes a data acquisition unit 41, a data calculation / setting unit 42, a data storage unit 43, and a data display unit 44. The data acquisition unit 41 is an example of an acquisition unit and acquires the amount of waste discharged by each of the predetermined emitters. That is, the data acquisition unit 41 acquires, for example, the amount of waste discharged by each tenant living in a building. Hereinafter, the amount of waste may sometimes be simply referred to as "waste amount". The data calculation / setting unit 42 is an example of an analysis unit and performs analysis on the waste amount based on the waste amount acquired by the data acquisition unit 41. Also, the data calculation / setting unit 42 is an example of a display information creation unit and creates display information for displaying the result of the analysis. The data storage unit 43 stores the history of the waste amount acquired by the data acquisition unit 41, the analysis results analyzed by the data calculation / setting unit 42, and the like. The data display unit 44 displays the display information created by the data calculation / setting unit 42. The data display unit 44 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

[0016] The information displayed on the data display unit 44 is viewed by the user. In this embodiment, the user is a building manager, building owner, tenant company, tenant manager / employee, etc. Figure 1 illustrates the case where the user is a building owner or tenant manager / employee. As will be described in more detail later, the displayed information is the result of analysis by the data calculation / setting unit 42 and is created separately for each user to ensure that the information is useful to them.

[0017] <Explanation of the operation of waste analysis system 1> Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of waste analysis system 1. First, the data acquisition unit 41 of the waste analysis device 40 acquires the amount of waste from the waste management system 10 and the wireless sensor system 20. The data acquisition unit 41 also acquires statistical information from the statistical information DB 30 (S201). In this case, as described above, the generators are distinguished by the labels on the containers (trash cans) that contain the waste. In this case, the labels function as identification information to identify the generators. Therefore, it can also be said that the data acquisition unit 41 acquires the amount of waste generated by each generator, which is determined based on the identification information associated with the containers (trash cans) that contain the waste. This makes it possible to identify the generators who generated the waste. In this case, since the generators are tenants of the building, it can also be said that the identification information on the labels is information that identifies the tenants of the facility where the waste analysis device 40 manages the waste. This makes it possible to grasp the amount of waste for each tenant in the building.

[0018] Next, the waste analysis device 40 stores the acquired data into the tables of the data storage unit 43 (S202). Then, the data calculation and setting unit 42 of the waste analysis device 40 performs predetermined calculation processing (S203). Specifically, as will be described later, the data calculation and setting unit 42 performs an analysis on the amount of waste based on the acquired amount of waste. As will be described in more detail later, the data calculation and setting unit 42 performs an analysis on the amount of waste using predetermined visualization indicators. The analysis results are stored in various tables of the data storage unit 43. Furthermore, the data calculation and setting unit 42 of the waste analysis device 40 refers to various tables in the data storage unit 43 and creates display information for displaying the analysis results. The created display information is displayed in the data display unit 44 (S204).

[0019] <Explanation of various tables in the data storage unit 43> Figures 3A(a) to (c) and 3B(d) to (f) show the data structure of various tables stored in the data storage unit 43. Figure 3A(a) shows a diagram of a building table. A building table is a table that stores information to identify each of multiple buildings. The building table shown stores information such as # (building number), building ID, and total floor area of ​​the building.

[0020] Figure 3A(b) shows an area (partition) table. The area (partition) table is a table that stores information about areas (partitions) partitioned within a building. The area (partition) table stores information such as # (partition number), floor, partition ID, and partition name. Here, an area may be a part of a region within a single floor, the entire region of a single floor, or a region that spans multiple floors.

[0021] Figure 3A(c) shows a tenant table. The tenant table is a table that stores information about the tenants occupying a building. The tenant table shown stores information such as # (tenant number), tenant ID, tenant name, industry, and contracted area.

[0022] Figure 3B(d) shows the waste volume display table. The waste volume display table stores the basic information used when displaying the analysis results in S204 of Figure 5. The waste volume display table stores the waste volume acquired in S201 of Figure 2 and stored in the data storage unit 43 in S202, and the analysis results calculated in S203 of Figure 2 and stored in the data storage unit 43. The waste volume display table stores the following information: # (data No.), date the analysis results were calculated, tenant ID, waste volume, human flow (in units of people), and waste volume forecast (in units of kg).

[0023] Figures 3B(e) to 3B(f) show the tables for supplementary information on waste volume. These tables are supplementary information used when displaying the analysis results in S204 of Figure 5, and two such tables are shown here. Table 1 of supplementary information on waste volume in Figure 3B(e) stores information such as # (supplementary information No.), tenant ID, target value for waste volume, and baseline value for waste volume. In other words, a target value and baseline value are determined for each tenant, and this information is stored here. Table 2 of supplementary information on waste volume in Figure 3B(f) stores information such as # (supplementary information No.), total floor area, and average waste volume. In other words, the average waste volume for each total floor area is defined here.

[0024] <Explanation of Visualization Indicators> Figure 4 shows the visualization indicators used by the data calculation and setting unit 42 when performing analysis on the amount of waste in step S203 of Figure 2. As mentioned above, the data calculation and setting unit 42 performs analysis on waste volume using predetermined visualization indicators. The visualization indicators shown are: #1 Waste volume by building, #2 Waste volume by tenant, #3 Waste volume by area (section), and #4 Waste volume by industry. These visualization indicators are targeted to specific users: building owners, building owners and tenant companies, building owners and tenant companies, and building owners, respectively. In other words, the visualization indicators are determined to suit the users who will view the information displayed on the data display unit 44, and can be said to be indicators that provide these users with the necessary information about waste when viewing the waste analysis results on the data display unit 44. This allows for the provision of more accurate waste analysis results according to the visualization indicators. Specifically, the visualization indicators are at least one of the following: by facility (in this case, by building), by tenant, by section, and by tenant industry. This makes the waste analysis results easier for users to understand.

[0025] As illustrated in the calculation method section, the amount of waste per building can be calculated as the sum of the waste amounts for each tenant (including common areas). This allows the building owner, who is the target user, to understand the total amount of waste in the entire building. The amount of waste generated by each tenant can be calculated by aggregating the amount of waste generated by each area for each tenant (including distinguishing between common areas and private areas). This allows the target users, such as building owners and tenant companies, to understand the amount of waste generated by each tenant. The amount of waste per area (section) can be calculated as the sum of the waste amounts for each area. This allows the target users, such as building owners and tenant companies, to understand the amount of waste in each area. The amount of waste generated by each industry can be calculated by aggregating the amount of waste generated by each tenant for each industry. This allows the building owner, who is the target user, to understand the amount of waste generated by each tenant's industry.

[0026] In addition to these, supplementary information includes the amount of waste per person and 1 m³. 2 The system may also display the amount of waste per unit, the target value relative to the standard value and the current amount of waste, the predicted amount of waste for the current month, past performance information, and statistical information.

[0027] Figure 5 shows an example of a method for calculating supplementary information. The amount of waste per person can be calculated by "amount of waste per tenant / foot traffic per tenant." This makes it possible to set target values ​​for waste volume based on the number of employees and visitors using the tenant space, or the area size. 2 The amount of waste per unit area can be calculated by "amount of waste / area." Furthermore, the predicted amount of waste for the current month can be calculated by "amount of waste up to today + average daily amount of waste × number of days remaining in the current month." Note that the predicted amount of waste can be calculated based on the tenant's industry, per person, and per cubic meter. 2 It is also acceptable to calculate and display the values ​​based on approximate values. This allows for, for example, setting target values ​​based on predicted values ​​according to tenant industry, number of tenants, and tenant area, as well as displaying messages that encourage behavioral change, as described later.

[0028] Furthermore, target values ​​may be weighted according to the tenant's industry, foot traffic for each tenant, and area size. For example, for tenants that tend to generate a lot of waste, such as restaurants, setting target values ​​that take waste generation into account would allow for the setting of target values ​​tailored to each tenant's industry and for the comparison of target values ​​across different tenant industries.

[0029] <Explanation of the analysis results display screen> Figure 6 shows the display screen for the analysis results shown in the data display unit 44 at S204 in Figure 2. The display screen shown in the illustration uses the amount of waste per building as the visualization indicator. Here, the amount of waste for today is displayed on the left side of the screen for Building A, Building B, and Building C. Additionally, as supplementary information, the amount of waste per person and per cubic meter for each of Buildings A, B, and C. 2 The amount of waste per unit, the current waste rate / target rate relative to the baseline, and the projected amount of waste for the current month are displayed.

[0030] Additionally, a graph showing the monthly changes in waste volume for Building A, general data, and year-on-year comparisons is displayed on the lower right side of the screen. The general data, for example, is the waste volume of buildings of similar size and can be obtained from statistical information acquired from the statistical information DB30. In this case, the data calculation / setting unit 42 creates display information showing the amount of waste discharged and the amount of waste expected to be discharged, and the data display unit 44 displays it. This makes it possible to present analysis results of waste not only in the present but also in the future.

[0031] Furthermore, the data calculation and setting unit 42 creates messages to encourage behavioral change, which are then displayed by the data display unit 44. In this case, the message is displayed in the upper right corner of the screen. This allows the user to obtain methods and suggestions for reducing the amount of waste. Behavioral change is a message that makes recommendations to the user regarding waste generation. In the illustrated example, the messages displayed as behavioral change are: "Building B's projected waste volume for this month is XXX [kg], which is expected to exceed the target value. Please cooperate in reducing the amount of waste." and "Actual waste volume for month X is more than ○% compared to the previous year."

[0032] <Explanation of behavioral change> Figure 7 shows an example of behavioral change. This section illustrates the conditional expressions and messages used to display behavioral change. For example, if "Target value < Current month forecast value," the message "The forecast value for this month is expected to exceed the target value. Please cooperate in reducing waste volume." will be displayed. Furthermore, if the amount of waste exceeds the previous year's figure for three consecutive months, the message "The amount of waste is increasing compared to the previous year. Please cooperate in reducing the amount of waste." will be displayed. Furthermore, if the amount of waste per person is greater than the average for other buildings, the message "Building X has a higher amount of waste per person than other buildings. Therefore, it is possible that a large amount of waste was disposed of. Please check the situation." will be displayed.

[0033] <Explanation of effects> The waste analysis device 40 described above makes it easier to grasp the amount of waste discharged from facilities such as buildings compared to cases without the configuration of the present invention. In other words, the conventional problem of difficulty in measuring the amount of waste can be solved by transmitting the amount of waste from the waste management system 10 and the wireless sensor system 20, and the problem of difficulty in grasping the amount of waste by tenant can be solved by distinguishing the generators using identification information such as labels. In addition, there is also the conventional problem of difficulty in grasping the amount of waste by common area / private area, but this can also be solved by distinguishing the generators using identification information such as labels. Furthermore, there is no need to calculate actual waste amounts from terminals for each small section, as in the conventional technology. Furthermore, by visualizing analysis results in various formats based on user-specific visualization metrics, it is possible to create more easily understandable display information, leading to a reduction in waste generation. In this case, tenants can encourage their employees to voluntarily reduce waste. Also, building owners can contribute to improving environmental added value by reducing the amount of waste, leading to an increase in the value of the building and other facilities.

[0034] <Explanation of waste analysis methods> The processing performed by the waste analysis device 40 is realized through the cooperation of software and hardware resources. Specifically, a processor such as a CPU installed in the waste analysis device 40 loads programs that realize each function of the waste analysis device 40 into the main memory and executes them, thereby realizing each of these functions. Therefore, the processing performed by the waste analysis device 40 described above can be understood as a waste analysis method in which the processor executes a program stored in memory to acquire the amount of waste (waste volume) discharged by each predetermined waste generator, performs an analysis on the amount of waste based on the acquired amount of waste, and creates display information to show the results of the analysis. This makes it possible to provide a waste analysis method that makes it easy to grasp the amount of waste discharged from facilities such as buildings.

[0035] Furthermore, the program that implements this embodiment can be provided not only by means of communication, but also by being stored on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

[0036] Although this embodiment has been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. It is clear from the claims that various modifications or improvements made to the above embodiment are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0037] 1...Waste analysis system, 10...Waste management system, 20...Wireless sensor system, 30...Statistical information database, 40...Waste analysis device, 41...Data acquisition unit, 42...Data calculation / setting unit, 43...Data storage unit, 44...Data display unit

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires the amount of waste generated by each predetermined waste generator, Based on the amount of waste obtained, the analysis department conducts an analysis on the amount of waste, A display information creation unit creates display information to show the results of the analysis, A waste analysis device equipped with the following features.

2. The waste analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the amount of waste discharged by each generator, determined based on identification information associated with a container for holding waste.

3. The waste analysis apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the identification information is information that identifies tenants of a facility where the waste analysis apparatus manages waste.

4. The waste analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the analysis unit performs an analysis on the amount of waste using a predetermined visualization index.

5. The waste analysis apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the visualization index is determined in accordance with the user who is to view the displayed information.

6. The waste analysis apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the visualization indicator is at least one of facility-specific, tenant-specific, section-specific, and tenant-specific industry-specific.

7. The waste analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display information creation unit creates the display information that displays the amount of waste that has been discharged and the amount of waste that is expected to be discharged.

8. The waste analysis apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the display information creation unit creates a message that encourages behavioral change as the display.

9. The aforementioned analysis unit performs an analysis of the amount of waste for multiple buildings subject to waste management, based on the amount of waste obtained for each tenant, for at least one of the following: by building, by tenant, by section of each building, and by type of tenant business. The waste analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display information creation unit creates a message to encourage behavioral change, along with the amount of waste discharged and the amount of waste expected to be discharged, as the display information.

10. The processor executes the program stored in memory, For each predetermined waste generator, the amount of waste generated by that generator is obtained. Based on the amount of waste obtained, an analysis of the amount of waste will be conducted. Create display information to show the results of the analysis. Methods for analyzing waste materials.

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