Control system, control device, control method, and program

Abstract

The drainpipe should be heated for only a period of time that allows for the proper removal or reduction of pathogens within it. [Solution] A control device 20 that controls a heater set having one or more heaters that heat a drain pipe 5 includes an acquisition unit 21 that acquires sensing results related to the drain pipe 5 multiple times when the drain pipe is being heated by the heater set, a determination unit 23 that uses the multiple sensing results acquired by the acquisition unit 21 to determine whether a stop condition for stopping heating by the heater set is met, and a control unit 24 that stops heating by the heater set 12 when the determination unit 23 determines that the stop condition is met.

Description

【Technical Field】 【0001】 The present invention relates to a control system for controlling one or more heaters that heat a drain pipe, and the like. 【Background Art】 【0002】 Conventionally, in order to prevent bad odors from entering indoors through a drain pipe, a trap such as a P-trap, an S-trap, or a U-trap has been provided in the drain pipe. However, since pathogens such as bacteria and viruses can move through the water accumulated in the trap, there is a possibility that external pathogens may enter the room through the drain pipe. For example, in facilities such as hospitals and medical care, when pathogens grow in the drain pipe and climb up, there is a problem that when splashing water during handwashing, it may contaminate the surroundings. 【0003】 In order to solve such problems, the drain pipe has been heated for a certain period of time (see, for example, Patent Document 1). By heating such a drain pipe, pathogens in the drain pipe can be removed or reduced, thereby preventing the establishment of pathogens in the drain pipe and suppressing the above-mentioned possibility of contamination. 【Prior Art Documents】 【Patent Documents】 【0004】 【Patent Document 1】 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-130682 【Summary of the Invention】 【Problems to be Solved by the Invention】 【0005】 However, when using a timer to heat a drainpipe for a set period of time, there is a problem in determining what value to set the heating time to. For example, if the heating time is too short, the effect of removing or reducing pathogens will be low. On the other hand, if the heating time is too long, the power consumption will be high. Furthermore, if water flows through the drainpipe while it is being heated, the temperature of the drainpipe will drop accordingly, so a predetermined heating time may be insufficient. 【0006】 The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a control system, etc., that can heat a drainpipe for a period of time sufficient to adequately remove or reduce pathogens in the drainpipe. [Means for solving the problem] 【0007】 To achieve the above objective, a control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a control device for controlling a heater set having one or more heaters for heating a drain pipe, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires multiple sensing results related to the drain pipe when the drain pipe is being heated by the heater set; a determination unit that uses the multiple sensing results acquired by the acquisition unit to determine whether a stop condition for stopping heating by the heater set is met; and a control unit that stops heating by the heater set when the determination unit determines that the stop condition is met. 【0008】 This configuration allows the drainpipe to be heated until the stopping conditions are met. Therefore, by appropriately setting the stopping conditions, the drainpipe can be heated appropriately, and by removing or reducing pathogens in the drainpipe, it becomes possible to prevent pathogens from settling in the drainpipe. 【0009】 Furthermore, in a control device according to one aspect of the present invention, the sensing result may be the temperature of the drain pipe. 【0010】 With this configuration, it is possible to ensure that the drain pipe is properly heated using stop conditions related to the temperature of the drain pipe. 【0011】 Furthermore, in a control device according to one aspect of the present invention, the stop conditions may be conditions relating to temperature, which is a sensing result, and time. 【0012】 With this configuration, for example, the drainpipe can be heated to a temperature and time required to remove or reduce pathogens in the drainpipe, thereby preventing the pathogens from settling in the drainpipe by properly removing or reducing them. 【0013】 Furthermore, in a control device according to one aspect of the present invention, the stop condition may be that the cumulative value over time of temperature, which is a sensing result, exceeds a threshold. 【0014】 With this configuration, for example, the shutdown conditions can be set so that a sufficient amount of heat is applied to the drainpipe to adequately remove or reduce pathogens in the drainpipe. 【0015】 Furthermore, in a control device according to one aspect of the present invention, the cumulative value may be the integral value of the temperature, which is the sensing result, with respect to time. 【0016】 Furthermore, in a control device according to one aspect of the present invention, the sensing result may be information relating to the amount of water flowing through the drainpipe. 【0017】 This configuration allows the drainpipe to be properly heated using stop conditions related to the amount of water flowing through it. 【0018】 Furthermore, in a control device according to one aspect of the present invention, information regarding the amount of water flowing through a drainpipe is associated with a reference time corresponding to the information regarding the amount of water, and the stop condition may be that the heating time of the drainpipe by the heater set exceeds the reference time corresponding to the information regarding the amount of water, which is a sensing result. 【0019】 With such a configuration, for example, when the amount of water flowing through the drain pipe is larger, the drain pipe can be heated for a longer time, and the drain pipe can be appropriately heated. 【0020】 Further, in the control device according to one aspect of the present invention, the control unit may change the time zone for starting the heating by the heater set so that the time from the start of heating to the stop of heating by the heater set becomes shorter. 【0021】 With such a configuration, the drain pipe can be heated so that the power consumption corresponding to the heating of the drain pipe becomes less. 【0022】 Further, in the control device according to one aspect of the present invention, the control device may control each of the plurality of heater sets. 【0023】 With such a configuration, a plurality of heater sets can be controlled by one control device. 【0024】 Further, in the control device according to one aspect of the present invention, the acquisition unit may receive a sensing result related to the drain pipe, and the control unit may transmit control information for controlling the heater set to the heater set. 【0025】 With such a configuration, the heater set can be controlled remotely. 【0026】 Further, a control system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a control device and a heater set controlled by the control device. 【0027】 Moreover, a control method according to an aspect of the present invention is a control method for controlling a heater set having one or more heaters that heat a drain pipe, and includes steps of: when the drain pipe is being heated by the heater set, acquiring sensing results related to the drain pipe a plurality of times; using the plurality of sensing results acquired in the step of acquiring the sensing results a plurality of times to determine whether a stop condition for stopping heating by the heater set is satisfied; and when it is determined in the step of determining whether the stop condition is satisfied that the stop condition is satisfied, stopping the heating by the heater set. 【Advantages of the Invention】 【0028】 According to a control system or the like according to an aspect of the present invention, by appropriately setting a stop condition, the drain pipe can be appropriately heated, and by removing or reducing pathogens in the drain pipe, the settlement of pathogens in the drain pipe can be prevented. 【Brief Description of the Drawings】 【0029】 [Figure 1] Schematic diagram showing the configuration of a control system according to an embodiment of the present invention [Figure 2] Schematic diagram showing the configuration of a heater unit according to the embodiment [Figure 3] Flowchart showing the operation of a control device according to the embodiment [Figure 4A] Diagram showing an example of the temporal change in temperature, which is a sensing result in the embodiment [Figure 4B] Diagram showing an example of the temporal change in temperature, which is a sensing result in the embodiment [Figure 5] Block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control system in the embodiment [Figure 6] Perspective view showing an example of a drain pipe integrated with a heater set in the embodiment [Figure 7] Schematic diagram showing an example of the appearance of a computer system in the embodiment [Figure 8]This figure shows an example of the configuration of the computer system in the same embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention] 【0030】 The control system, control device, and control method according to the present invention will be described below using embodiments. In the following embodiments, components and steps denoted by the same reference numerals are the same or equivalent and may not be described again. The control system according to this embodiment acquires sensing results related to the drain pipe multiple times when the drain pipe is being heated by a heater, uses the acquired sensing results to determine whether a stop condition is met, and stops heating the drain pipe if the stop condition is met. 【0031】 Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the control system 1 according to this embodiment, and Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the heater unit 10. The control system 1 according to this embodiment comprises a heater unit 10 and a control device 20. The heater unit 10 comprises a heater set 12 having one or more heaters 11 for heating the drain pipe 5, and may optionally include a temperature sensor 13 and a case 14. The control device 20 controls the heater set 12 and comprises an acquisition unit 21, a storage unit 22, a determination unit 23, and a control unit 24. In this embodiment, the case where the sensing result for the drain pipe 5 is temperature will be mainly described, and cases where the sensing result is something else will be described later. 【0032】 The drainpipe 5 is connected to a device that drains into the drainpipe 5. This embodiment mainly describes the case where this device is a sink 4, but it is not limited to this. The device that drains into the drainpipe 5 can be of any type, such as a bathtub, washing machine, or air conditioner, as long as it drains into the drainpipe 5. This embodiment mainly describes the case where the sink 4 is equipped with an automatic faucet 3, but the sink 4 may also be equipped with a manual faucet. 【0033】 A trap 5a may be provided in the drain pipe 5, as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows the case where trap 5a is a P-trap, but trap 5a is not limited to this, and may be other types of traps such as an S-trap, U-trap, or drum trap. 【0034】 The heater unit 10 may be attached, for example, to the portion of the drain pipe 5 upstream of the trap 5a, for example, to the tailpipe 5b. When the heater unit 10 is attached to the tailpipe 5b, it is preferable that the lower end of the heater unit 10 be located above the water seal surface of the trap 5a, for example, shown by the horizontal dashed line in Figure 1. This is because when the water seal of the trap 5a is heated by the heater unit 10, heat from the heater unit 10 is absorbed by the water seal, which can result in, for example, a longer heating time or the temperature of the drain pipe 5 not rising to the desired temperature. 【0035】 In this embodiment, the case where the heater unit 10 is attached to the tailpipe 5b will be mainly described, but the position of the drainpipe 5 to which the heater unit 10 is attached is not specified. However, it is preferable that the heater unit 10 be attached to the drainpipe 5 upstream of the trap 5a. 【0036】 The heater set 12 may have, for example, one heater 11, or two or more heaters 11. In other words, the number of heaters 11 in the heater set 12 is not limited. In this embodiment, the case in which the heater set 12 has two heaters 11, as shown in Figure 2, will be mainly described. In this case, for example, the two heaters 11 can be attached to the drain pipe 5 with a nut 6 in between. The heater 11 may be, for example, a sheet-shaped heater, an i.e., a planar heater, a cord-shaped heater, or a heater of other shapes. The heater 11 may be, for example, a deformable heater, or it may not be. If the heater 11 is a deformable sheet-shaped or cord-shaped heater, for example, the heater 11 may be attached to the drain pipe 5 by wrapping it around the drain pipe 5. The heater 11 may be, for example, composed of an electric heating wire such as a nichrome wire, a ceramic heater, or another type of heater. One or more heaters 11 may be heated by power supplied from, for example, a commercial power source or a battery. This power may also be supplied to components that consume power in the heater unit 10, such as a temperature sensor 13. 【0037】 The temperature sensor 13 measures the temperature of the drain pipe 5, which is heated by the heater set 12. Therefore, it is preferable to place the temperature sensor 13 near the heater set 12. It is preferable that the temperature sensor 13 be positioned to measure the temperature of the drain pipe 5, rather than the temperature of the heater 11. For example, if the temperature sensor 13 is positioned as shown in Figure 2, an insulating material may be placed between the temperature sensor 13 and the heater 11. The temperature sensor 13 may be a contact-type temperature sensor such as a thermocouple, thermistor, or resistance thermometer, or a non-contact-type temperature sensor such as a radiation thermometer. In this embodiment, the case in which a contact-type temperature sensor 13 is placed on the outer surface of the drain pipe 5 for each of the two heaters 11, as shown in Figure 2, will be mainly described. In this case, it is preferable that the drain pipe 5 be made of a material with high thermal conductivity. A material with high thermal conductivity may be, for example, a metal. 【0038】 The case 14 is capable of housing the heater set 12 attached to the drain pipe 5. The case 14 may, for example, be openable and closable. For example, when closed, the case 14 may have a cylindrical shape, such as a cylindrical or rectangular shape, extending in one direction. The top and bottom surfaces of this cylindrical shape may each have holes through which the drain pipe 5 can pass. The case 14 may also have, for example, fasteners to maintain the closed state. The case 14 may, for example, be made of resin. By covering the heater set 12 with the case 14, the heater set 12 can be protected from damage, and it is possible to prevent people from inadvertently touching the heater 11. For example, the control device 20 may also be housed inside the case 14, or it may not be. For example, by placing insulating material on the inner surface of the case 14, heat from the heater set 12 may be less likely to be transferred to the case 14. 【0039】 The acquisition unit 21 of the control device 20 acquires sensing results related to the drain pipe 5 multiple times when the drain pipe 5 is being heated by the heater set 12. In this embodiment, as described above, the acquisition unit 21 acquires the temperature of the drain pipe 5 as the sensing result. That is, this embodiment mainly describes the case where the sensing result is the temperature of the drain pipe 5. The acquisition unit 21 may, for example, perform sensing itself, or it may receive sensing results from a sensor. In the former case, the acquisition unit 21 may have a sensor. In this embodiment, the case where the acquisition unit 21 receives the temperature of the drain pipe 5 measured by the temperature sensor 13 will be mainly described. The acquisition unit 21 may, for example, acquire sensing results periodically or irregularly. In this embodiment, the former case will be mainly described. 【0040】 The acquisition unit 21 may, for example, store the acquired sensing results in the storage unit 22. The acquisition unit 21 may, for example, store the acquired sensing results in the storage unit 22 in chronological order. When storing the sensing results in the storage unit 22 in chronological order, the acquisition unit 21 may, for example, store the sensing results in the storage unit 22 in association with the time at which they were acquired. The acquisition unit 21 may, for example, obtain the time at which the sensing results were acquired from a clock unit (not shown). 【0041】 For example, as shown in Figure 2, if sensing is performed at multiple locations in the drain pipe 5, the results of each sensing may be stored in the storage unit 22, or a representative value of the multiple sensing results may be stored in the storage unit 22. The representative value may be, for example, the average value, median value, maximum value, minimum value, etc. 【0042】 The storage unit 22 may store, for example, the acquired sensing results. Also, as described above, the storage unit 22 may store the sensing results in association with the time at which they were acquired. If the sensing results are acquired irregularly, it is preferable that the sensing results be stored in association with the time at which they were acquired. In addition, information other than the sensing results, such as the stop conditions described later, may also be stored in the storage unit 22. The storage unit 22 is preferably implemented using a non-volatile recording medium, but it may also be implemented using a volatile recording medium. The recording medium may be, for example, a semiconductor memory or a magnetic disk. 【0043】 The determination unit 23 uses multiple sensing results acquired by the acquisition unit 21 to determine whether the stop conditions for stopping heating by the heater set 12 are met. The stop conditions may be, for example, conditions relating to temperature, which is a sensing result, and time. When the stop conditions are met, it is preferable that pathogens are appropriately removed or reduced in the drain pipe 5 being heated by the heater set 12. Therefore, these stop conditions can also be considered as achievement conditions related to the removal or reduction of pathogens. Thus, it is preferable that the stop conditions be determined so that pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa attached to the inner surface of the drain pipe 5 are appropriately removed or reduced. As an example, it may be determined that the stop conditions are met when a predetermined amount of heat is applied to the drain pipe 5. Removing pathogens may mean, for example, sterilizing almost all of the pathogens. Reducing pathogens may mean, for example, sterilizing most of the pathogens. In either case, it is preferable that infection by pathogens through the drain pipe 5 can be prevented by removing or reducing pathogens in the drain pipe 5. 【0044】 The conditions for stopping the heater set 12 may include, for example, when the cumulative value over time of the temperature, which is a sensing result, exceeds a threshold. This cumulative value may be, for example, the integral value of the temperature over time, which is a sensing result. The cumulative value may be accumulated regardless of the temperature value, or it may not. In the latter case, for example, the cumulative value over time of the temperature may be calculated only for temperatures above a predetermined temperature, and when the temperature drops below the predetermined temperature due to water flowing through the drain pipe 5, the accumulated value up to that point may be reset to 0 and accumulation may be restarted. 【0045】 The integral value of temperature with respect to time may be, for example, the integral value along the time axis of temperature, i.e., the integral value of temperature over time. For example, if the acquisition of temperature T is repeated at predetermined time intervals (Δt), the integral value may be the sum of T × Δt from the start of heating by the heater set 12 to the present time. 【0046】 If the stop condition relates to a cumulative value, the determination unit 23 may calculate a cumulative value, such as an integral value, using the sensing results acquired from the start of heating by the heater set 12 up to the present. If the cumulative value from the start of heating up to the present exceeds a threshold, it may be determined that the stop condition has been met; otherwise, it may be determined that the stop condition has not been met. 【0047】 The above-mentioned stopping conditions are merely examples, and it goes without saying that other stopping conditions may be used. For example, if the temperature of the drain pipe 5 is acquired at regular time intervals (e.g., every 5 minutes or every 10 minutes), the stopping condition could be that the temperature has been confirmed to be above a threshold (e.g., 70°C or higher) for a predetermined number of times (e.g., 5 times or 10 times). 【0048】 Furthermore, when two or more sensors are used and two or more sensing results are obtained from each, and the two or more obtained sensing results are stored in the storage unit 22, for example, the determination unit 23 may make a determination for each sensor, or the determination unit 23 may make a determination for one sensing result that is a representative value of the two or more sensing results. In the former case, for example, when the stop condition is met for the sensing result corresponding to at least one sensor, it may be determined that the stop condition has been met for the heater set 12, or when the stop condition is met for the sensing results corresponding to all sensors. The representative value may be, as described above, for example, the average value, median value, maximum value, minimum value, etc. Also, for example, when the sum of the cumulative values ​​calculated for each of the multiple sensors exceeds a threshold, it may be determined that the stop condition has been met for the heater set 12. 【0049】 The control unit 24 stops heating by the heater set 12 when the determination unit 23 determines that the stop condition has been met. The control unit 24 may also perform control related to the start of heating by the heater set 12, and control related to the number of heating cycles per unit period. For example, the control unit 24 may perform control to start heating by the heater set 12 at a predetermined time (for example, 2 a.m.). The control unit 24 may also control the heater set 12 so that the drain pipe 5 is heated at a predetermined frequency, such as once a day, once every two days, or once every 12 hours. 【0050】 The control unit 24 may, for example, control the start and stop of heating by the heater set 12 by turning the power switch of the heater set 12 on or off, or by transmitting control information regarding the start and stop of heating to the heater unit 10. In the latter case, the power switch of the heater set 12 in the heater unit 10 may be turned on or off according to the control information. As an example, the control unit 24 may also stop heating by the heater set 12 if it determines that the stop condition has not been met even after a predetermined sufficiently long time (for example, 5 hours) has elapsed since the start of heating by the heater set 12, and it determines that an error has occurred. 【0051】 Next, the operation of the control device 20 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 3. 【0052】 (Step S101) The control unit 24 determines whether to start heating the drain pipe 5. If it decides to start heating the drain pipe 5, it proceeds to step S102; otherwise, it repeats the process in step S101 until it decides to start heating the drain pipe 5. The control unit 24 may decide to start heating the drain pipe 5 at a predetermined time, for example, or it may decide to start heating the drain pipe 5 periodically. 【0053】 (Step S102) The control unit 24 starts heating the drain pipe 5 with the heater set 12. 【0054】 (Step S103) The acquisition unit 21 determines whether to acquire sensing results related to the drain pipe 5. If it decides to acquire sensing results, it proceeds to step S104; otherwise, it proceeds to step S105. The acquisition unit 21 may, for example, periodically decide to acquire sensing results. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 21 may, for example, decide to acquire sensing results when sensing results are transmitted from the sensor. 【0055】 (Step S104) The acquisition unit 21 acquires the sensing results and stores them in the storage unit 22. If multiple sensing results are acquired, the acquisition unit 21 may, for example, store each one in the storage unit 22, or it may store a representative value of the multiple sensing results in the storage unit 22. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 21 may store the sensing results in association with the time at which the sensing results were acquired. Then, the process returns to step S103. 【0056】 (Step S105) The determination unit 23 refers to the sensing results stored in the storage unit 22 and determines whether the stop condition is met at that time. For example, if the stop condition is a condition related to the cumulative value, the determination unit 23 may calculate the cumulative value using the sensing results from the start of heating to the present time and determine whether the calculated cumulative value meets the stop condition. If the stop condition is met, the process proceeds to step S106; otherwise, it returns to step S103. 【0057】 (Step S106) The control unit 24 stops heating the drain pipe 5 by the heater set 12. Then, the process returns to step S101. 【0058】 Note that the order of processing in the flowchart in Figure 3 is just one example, and the order of each step may be changed if similar results can be obtained. Also, in the flowchart in Figure 3, processing may be terminated by power off or processing termination interrupt. 【0059】 Next, the operation of the control system 1 according to this embodiment will be explained using a specific example. In this example, the drain pipe 5 is heated every 2:00 AM. That is, the drain pipe 5 is heated once a day. In this example, when the integrated value of the temperature of the drain pipe 5 over time exceeds a predetermined threshold, it is determined that the conditions for stopping heating by the heater set 12 have been met. 【0060】 When the control unit 24 of the control device 20 detects that it is 2:00 a.m. using a clock unit (not shown), it starts heating the drain pipe 5 with the heater set 12 and starts acquiring sensing results with the acquisition unit 21 (steps S101, S102). As a result, the heater set 12 starts heating the drain pipe 5. The acquisition unit 21 also periodically acquires the temperature of the drain pipe 5 from two temperature sensors 13 and stores the average value of the two temperatures in the storage unit 22, associating it with the time at which it was acquired (steps S103, S104). In parallel with the accumulation of temperature data, the determination unit 23 calculates the integral value of the temperature over time up to the present and determines whether the integral value exceeds a predetermined threshold (step S105). 【0061】 For example, if the automatic faucet 3 does not operate even once from the start of heating by the heater set 12, that is, if no water flows into the drain pipe 5, the temperature stored in the memory unit 22 will change as shown in Figure 4A. Then, suppose that at time t1, the integral value of the temperature up to that point exceeds a predetermined threshold. In this case, the determination unit 23 determines at time t1 that the stop condition has been met and passes the determination result to the control unit 24 (step S105). Upon receiving confirmation that the stop condition has been met, the control unit 24 stops heating the drain pipe 5 by the heater set 12 (step S106). In this way, one heating cycle of the drain pipe 5 is completed. 【0062】 On the other hand, suppose, for example, that the automatic faucet 3 operates after heating by the heater set 12 has started, and water flows into the drain pipe 5. Then, the temperature stored in the memory unit 22 will change as shown in Figure 4B. That is, the temperature of the drain pipe 5 will decrease at the time the water flows. Therefore, even at time t1, the integral value of the temperature up to that point will not exceed a predetermined threshold, and at time t2, the integral value will exceed the predetermined threshold. Then, at time t2, the determination unit 23 determines that the stop condition has been met and passes the determination result to the control unit 24 (step S105). Upon receiving confirmation that the stop condition has been met, the control unit 24 stops heating the drain pipe 5 by the heater set 12 (step S106). In this way, if the temperature of the drain pipe 5 decreases due to the flow of water while the drain pipe 5 is being heated, the pathogens in the drain pipe 5 will be appropriately removed or reduced by heating for a longer period of time, and the establishment of pathogens in the drain pipe 5 will be prevented. 【0063】 As described above, the control system 1 according to this embodiment allows the drain pipe 5 to be heated until the stop condition is met. Therefore, if water flows into the drain pipe 5 while it is being heated, the drain pipe 5 will be heated for a longer period of time than if it were not, allowing for more reliable removal or reduction of pathogens in the drain pipe 5 and preventing the pathogens from settling in the drain pipe 5. As a result, the possibility of pathogens that have multiplied in the drain pipe 5 contaminating the surrounding area through splashes of water during handwashing can be reduced. 【0064】 Next, a modified example of the control system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. 【0065】 [Sensing results other than temperature] As mentioned above, the sensing result may be something other than temperature. For example, a sensing result other than temperature may be information about the amount of water flowing through the drain pipe 5. The information about the amount of water may be, for example, the amount of water flowing through the drain pipe 5 itself, or the number of times water has flowed through the drain pipe 5. In the former case, for example, the amount of water, which is the sensing result, may be obtained using a sensor such as a flow meter, and in the latter case, for example, the number of times the automatic faucet 3 has operated, which is the sensing result, may be obtained using a sensor such as an ammeter. The measurement using the flow meter may be performed, for example, in the drain pipe 5 or in the automatic faucet 3. If the information about the amount of water is the number of times water has flowed through the drain pipe 5, for example, a stop condition may be set assuming that the amount of water when water flows through the drain pipe 5 once is constant. 【0066】 When acquiring the amount of water, the acquisition unit 21 may, for example, acquire the amount of water flowing through the drain pipe 5 by integrating the flow rate with respect to time when a flow rate greater than 0 is measured by a flow meter. Alternatively, when acquiring the number of times water has flowed through the drain pipe 5, the acquisition unit 21 may, for example, acquire that the automatic faucet 3 has operated once when it detects the rise in power required to operate the solenoid valve of the automatic faucet 3 using the output of a sensor such as an ammeter. By repeating this process, the acquisition unit 21 can acquire the number of times the automatic faucet 3 has operated, that is, the number of times water has flowed through the drain pipe 5. 【0067】 In this case, information regarding the amount of water flowing through the drainpipe 5 may be associated with a reference time corresponding to that water volume information. For example, if no water flows through the drainpipe 5 at all, and pathogens in the drainpipe 5 can be removed or reduced by heating the drainpipe 5 with the heater set 12 for a predetermined time, then if water flows through the drainpipe 5 during that heating, the drainpipe 5 will need to be heated for a longer period of time in proportion to the decrease in temperature caused by the water flow, in order to remove or reduce the pathogens in the drainpipe 5. Taking this into consideration, it is preferable to set the correspondence information so that, even if water flows through the drainpipe 5 in accordance with the water volume information corresponding to the reference time when the drainpipe 5 is being heated for the reference time, the pathogens in the drainpipe 5 can be appropriately removed or reduced. 【0068】 The correspondence information that associates information about the amount of water flowing through the drainpipe 5 with a reference time corresponding to that amount of water may be, for example, a table that associates the two, a function for calculating the reference time that takes the information about the amount of water as an argument, or other information. For example, the correspondence information, such as a table or a function, may be stored in the storage unit 22. In the correspondence information, for example, the two are associated such that the reference time becomes longer as the amount of water or the number of times the water has flowed increases. For example, if the correspondence information is a function, that function may be, for example, an incrementing function whose argument is the information about the amount of water. 【0069】 If the sensing result is information about the amount of water, the stop condition may be that the heating time of the drain pipe 5 by the heater set 12 exceeds the reference time corresponding to the sensing result of the amount of water. The determination unit 23 may, for example, use the above-mentioned correspondence information to identify the reference time corresponding to the sensing result of the amount of water acquired by the acquisition unit 21. The determination unit 23 may then determine that the stop condition has been met if, for example, the heating time from the start of heating of the drain pipe 5 by the heater set 12 to the present time exceeds the reference time, and determine that the stop condition has not been met otherwise. 【0070】 In this way, even if sensing results other than temperature are obtained, the establishment of pathogens in the drain pipe 5 can be prevented by appropriately removing or reducing pathogens in the drain pipe 5 by setting appropriate stop conditions accordingly. For example, by using the heating time of the drain pipe 5 by the heater set 12 exceeding a reference time corresponding to the acquired water volume information as a stop condition, the drain pipe 5 can be appropriately heated to remove or reduce pathogens in the pipe. 【0071】 Furthermore, the sensing results may include both temperature and information other than temperature. For example, the sensing results may include the temperature of the drain pipe 5 and information regarding the amount of water flowing through the drain pipe 5. With such a configuration, the drain pipe 5 can be properly heated using stop conditions related to the temperature of the drain pipe 5 and the amount of water flowing through the drain pipe 5. In this case, the stop conditions may be, for example, the satisfaction of both a stop condition related to the sensed temperature and a stop condition related to the sensed water volume information, or other stop conditions. 【0072】 [Change heating time] While heating the drainpipe 5 until the stopping conditions are met can effectively remove or reduce pathogens inside the pipe, repeated flow of water through the heated drainpipe 5 can increase the heating time and potentially increase power consumption. Furthermore, the time of day when water flows through the drainpipe 5 is usually determined by factors such as the lifestyle patterns of users utilizing upstream appliances like the sink 4. Therefore, from an energy-saving perspective, the start time of heating may be changed to shorten the heating time. In this case, the control unit 24 may, for example, change the start time of heating by the heater set 12 so that the time from the start of heating by the heater set 12 to the stop of heating is shortened. 【0073】 The time frame for starting this heating may be changed, for example, as follows. The control unit 24 may store history correspondence information in the storage unit 22 each time the heater set 12 heats the drain pipe 5, for example, by associating the start time of heating the drain pipe 5 by the heater set 12 with the heating time by the heater set 12, that is, the time from the start of heating to the stop of heating. The control unit 24 may also change the start time of heating the drain pipe 5 by the heater set 12, for example, according to a predetermined rule or randomly. The rule may be, for example, to delay the start time of heating by one hour each day, or to advance it by one hour. The control unit 24 may then refer to the multiple history correspondence information stored in the storage unit 22, identify the start time of heating corresponding to the shortest heating time, and thereafter control the heater set 12 so that heating of the drain pipe 5 starts at the identified start time of heating. If multiple heating times are associated with one start time in the multiple history correspondence information, the above processing may be performed using a representative value such as the average or median of the multiple heating times. Furthermore, the control unit 24 may periodically perform a process to change the time of day when heating starts, for example, once every few months. The control unit 24 may also change the time of day when heating by the heater set 12 starts, by a method other than the one described above, so that the time from the start of heating by the heater set 12 to the stop of heating is shortened. In this way, by changing the time of day when heating starts so that the heating time of the drain pipe 5 by the heater set 12 is shortened, it becomes possible to prevent pathogens from settling in the drain pipe 5 by appropriately removing or reducing pathogens in the drain pipe 5 with less power consumption. 【0074】 [Controlling multiple heater sets] In this embodiment, the case where the control device 20 controls one heater unit 10, i.e., one heater set 12, has been mainly described, but this is not required. The control device 20 may, for example, control multiple heater units 10, i.e., multiple heater sets 12. For example, if multiple sinks 4 are arranged side by side in a bathroom, one control device 20 may control multiple heater units 10, each located in the drain pipe 5 of the multiple sinks 4. In this case, the control unit 24 may, for example, execute the control shown in the flowchart of Figure 3 in parallel for each of the multiple heater sets 12, or it may execute the control shown in the flowchart of Figure 3 sequentially for each of the multiple heater sets 12. In the latter case, the heating times of two heater sets 12 can be prevented from overlapping among the multiple heater sets 12 controlled by the control device 20. 【0075】 [Control of the heater set via a communication line] The control device 20 may control the heater unit 10, i.e., the heater set 12, via a wired or wireless communication line, for example. The communication line may be, for example, the Internet, an intranet, or a public telephone network. In this case, the acquisition unit 21 may receive sensing results related to the drain pipe 5, and the control unit 24 may transmit control information to the heater set 12 for controlling the heater set 12. The control information may be, for example, control information for starting heating of the drain pipe 5 by the heater set 12, or control information for stopping heating of the drain pipe 5 by the heater set 12. The communication line may, for example, include at least a portion of a wireless communication line via a SIM card, or a short-range wireless communication line such as Wi-Fi® or Bluetooth®. 【0076】 In this case, the control device 20 may, for example, control one heater unit 10 via P2P (Peer to Peer), or it may control multiple heater units 10 as a server device in a server-client system. In the latter case, for example, as shown in Figure 5, the control device 20 may control multiple heater units 10 via a wired or wireless communication line 500. 【0077】 [Drainpipe integrated with heater] In this embodiment, the case in which the heater 11 is attached to the drain pipe 5 has been mainly described, but this is not required. A drain pipe 5 with the heater 11 integrated into it may be used. Figure 6 shows an example of a part of a drain pipe 5 with the heater 11 integrated into it. In the drain pipe 5 shown in Figure 6, one cylindrical heater 11 concentric with the drain pipe 5 is embedded in the side surface of the drain pipe 5. In Figure 6, the heater set 12 has one heater 11, and the case in which the heater 11 and the heater set 12 are the same is shown, but two or more heaters 11 may be embedded in the side surface of the drain pipe 5. Even in this case, except that the heater 11 is integrated with the drain pipe 5, heating of the drain pipe 5 by the heater set 12 can be performed in the same manner as the heater unit 10 of this embodiment. For example, if the drain pipe 5 in which the heater 11 is embedded is made of resin, the temperature sensor 13 may be placed on the inner circumferential surface of the drain pipe 5. 【0078】 Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each process or function may be implemented by centralized processing by a single device or a single system, or by distributed processing by multiple devices or multiple systems. 【0079】 Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the exchange of information between each component may, for example, be performed by outputting information from one component and receiving information from the other component if the two components performing the information exchange are physically different, or by moving from the processing phase corresponding to one component to the processing phase corresponding to the other component if the two components performing the information exchange are physically the same. 【0080】 Furthermore, in the above embodiment, information related to the processing performed by each component, such as information received, acquired, selected, generated, transmitted, or received by each component, as well as information such as thresholds, formulas, and addresses used by each component in processing, may be temporarily or for a long period of time stored in a recording medium (not shown), even if not explicitly stated in the above description. The storage of information in the recording medium (not shown) may be performed by each component or a storage unit (not shown). The reading of information from the recording medium (not shown) may be performed by each component or a reading unit (not shown). 【0081】 Furthermore, in the above embodiment, if the information used in each component, such as thresholds, addresses, and various setting values ​​used by each component in processing, can be changed by the user, then even if not explicitly stated in the above description, the user may be allowed to change such information as appropriate, or not. If the user can change such information, the change may be implemented, for example, by a receiving unit (not shown) that receives change instructions from the user and a changing unit (not shown) that changes the information in response to those change instructions. The receiving unit (not shown) may receive change instructions from an input device, receive information transmitted via a communication line, or receive information read from a predetermined recording medium. 【0082】 Furthermore, in the above embodiment, if two or more components included in the control device 20 have communication devices, input devices, etc., the two or more components may have a single physical device, or they may have separate devices. 【0083】 Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each component may be made up of dedicated hardware, or, in the case of components that can be realized by software, they may be realized by executing a program. For example, each component can be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory. During execution, the program execution unit may execute the program while accessing a storage unit or recording medium. The software that realizes the control device 20 in the above embodiment is a program as follows. In other words, this program is a program that causes a computer to execute a process to control a heater set having one or more heaters that heat a drain pipe, and may be a program that causes the computer to execute the following steps: acquiring sensing results related to the drain pipe multiple times when the drain pipe is being heated by the heater set; using the multiple sensing results acquired in the step of acquiring sensing results multiple times, determining whether a stop condition for stopping heating by the heater set is met; and if it is determined that the stop condition is met in the step of determining whether the stop condition is met, stopping heating by the heater set. 【0084】 Furthermore, in the above program, steps such as acquiring information and controlling the heater set do not include processes that can only be performed by hardware, such as processes performed by modems or interface cards in the steps of acquiring information or controlling the heater set. 【0085】 Furthermore, this program may be executed by being downloaded from a server or the like, or by being read from a predetermined recording medium (for example, an optical disc such as a CD-ROM, a magnetic disc, or a semiconductor memory). This program may also be used as a program constituting a program product. 【0086】 Furthermore, the computer running this program may be a single computer or multiple computers. That is, it may perform centralized processing or distributed processing. 【0087】 Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the appearance of a computer that executes the above program to realize the control device 20 according to the above embodiment. The above embodiment can be realized by computer hardware and a computer program executed thereon. 【0088】 In Figure 7, the computer system 900 includes a computer 901 with a CD-ROM drive 905, a keyboard 902, a mouse 903, and a monitor 904. 【0089】 Figure 8 shows the internal configuration of the computer system 900. In Figure 8, the computer 901 includes, in addition to the CD-ROM drive 905, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) 911, a ROM 912 for storing programs such as boot-up programs, a RAM 913 connected to the MPU 911 for temporarily storing instructions for application programs and providing temporary storage space, a hard disk 914 for storing application programs, system programs, and data, and a bus 915 that interconnects the MPU 911, ROM 912, etc. The computer 901 may also include a network card (not shown) that provides connectivity to a LAN or WAN. 【0090】 The program that causes the computer system 900 to execute the functions of the control device 20 according to the above embodiment may be stored on a CD-ROM 921, inserted into a CD-ROM drive 905, and transferred to the hard disk 914. Alternatively, the program may be transmitted to a computer 901 via a network (not shown) and stored on the hard disk 914. The program is loaded into RAM 913 when executed. The program may also be loaded directly from the CD-ROM 921 or the network. Furthermore, the program may be loaded into the computer system 900 via another recording medium (e.g., a DVD) instead of the CD-ROM 921. 【0091】 The program does not necessarily include an operating system (OS) or third-party program that causes the computer 901 to execute the functions of the control device 20 according to the above embodiment. The program may include only the instruction portion that calls appropriate functions or modules in a controlled manner to obtain the desired result. How the computer system 900 operates is well known, so a detailed explanation is omitted. 【0092】 Furthermore, the embodiments described above are illustrative examples for specifically carrying out the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. The technical scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the description of the embodiments, and modifications within the literal scope and equivalent meaning of the claims are intended. [Explanation of Symbols] 【0093】 1. Control System 5 Drain pipe 11 Heater 12 Heater Set 13 Temperature sensor 20 Control device 21 Acquisition Department 22 Memory section 23 Judgment Department 24 Control Unit

Claims

[Claim 1] A control device for controlling a heater set having one or more heaters for heating a drain pipe, An acquisition unit that acquires sensing results related to the drain pipe multiple times while the drain pipe is being heated by the heater set, A determination unit that uses a plurality of sensing results acquired by the acquisition unit to determine whether the stop conditions for stopping heating by the heater set are met, A control device comprising: a control unit that stops heating by the heater set when the determination unit determines that the stop condition has been met. [Claim 2] The control device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing result is the temperature of the drain pipe. [Claim 3] The control device according to claim 2, wherein the stop condition is a condition relating to the temperature, which is the sensing result, and time. [Claim 4] The control device according to claim 3, wherein the stop condition is that the cumulative value over time of the temperature, which is the sensing result, exceeds a threshold. [Claim 5] The control device according to claim 4, wherein the cumulative value is the integral value of the temperature, which is the sensing result, with respect to time. [Claim 6] The control device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing result is information relating to the amount of water flowing through the drain pipe. [Claim 7] Information regarding the amount of water flowing through the drainpipe is associated with a reference time corresponding to that amount of water. The control device according to claim 6, wherein the stop condition is that the heating time of the drain pipe by the heater set exceeds a reference time corresponding to the water volume information which is the sensing result. [Claim 8] The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control unit changes the time period for starting heating by the heater set so that the time from the start of heating by the heater set to the stop of heating is shortened. [Claim 9] The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control device controls each of the plurality of heater sets. [Claim 10] The acquisition unit receives the sensing results related to the drain pipe, The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control unit transmits control information for controlling the heater set to the heater set. [Claim 11] A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, A control system comprising the heater set controlled by the control device. [Claim 12] A control method for controlling a heater set having one or more heaters for heating a drain pipe, The steps include acquiring sensing results related to the drain pipe multiple times while the drain pipe is being heated by the heater set, The step of acquiring the sensing results multiple times involves using the multiple sensing results acquired to determine whether the stop condition for stopping heating by the heater set is met, A control method comprising: a step of determining whether the aforementioned stop condition is met, and if it is determined that the aforementioned stop condition is met, stopping the heating by the heater set. [Claim 13] A program for causing a computer to perform a process to control a heater set having one or more heaters for heating a drainpipe, On the computer, The steps include acquiring sensing results related to the drain pipe multiple times while the drain pipe is being heated by the heater set, The step of acquiring the sensing results multiple times involves using the multiple sensing results acquired to determine whether the stop condition for stopping heating by the heater set is met, A program for executing the steps of: stopping heating by the heater set if it is determined that the stop condition is met by the step of determining whether the stop condition is met.

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