Toilet management system and toilet seat device

Abstract

To reduce power consumption without decreasing comfort of a toilet seat device equipped with a heater.SOLUTION: A toilet management system managing a toilet seat device equipped with a heater includes: a person information acquisition part which acquires person information about at least either presence / absence of a person in a building having a toilet provided with a toilet seat device and presence / absence of a person in a prescribed zone including the building; a temperature information acquisition part acquiring temperature information about at least either environmental temperature of the building or environmental temperature of the toilet; and a temperature adjustment control part performing temperature adjustment control of the heater on the basis of preset temperature of the heater, the person information, and the temperature information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a toilet management system and a toilet seat apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, this type of toilet seat device has been proposed to include a toilet seat heater that warms the toilet seat, and controls the temperature during standby and the temperature rise when use begins to reduce the power consumption of the toilet seat heater. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a device that controls the toilet seat heater to rapidly raise the temperature when an entry sensor detects the entry of a user, thereby lowering the temperature during standby and reducing power consumption. Patent Document 2 describes a device that learns the time required from when an entry sensor detects the entry of a user to when a seat sensor detects the user sitting down, and sets the temperature according to the amount of temperature rise during the learned time, thereby reducing power consumption. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5724510 [Patent Document 2] JP 2018-42713 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned toilet seat device, the temperature of the toilet seat heater is raised after the sensor detects a human body or a seated person, so in a low-temperature environment, the temperature may not rise in time and the user may feel cold when sitting on the seat. Therefore, there is room for further improvement in order to prevent a loss of comfort while suppressing power consumption.

[0005] A main object of the present invention is to further reduce power consumption without compromising the comfort of a toilet seat apparatus equipped with a heater. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned main object, the present invention adopts the following means.

[0007] The toilet management system of the present invention includes: A toilet management system for managing a toilet seat device equipped with a heater, a human information acquisition unit that acquires human information relating to at least one of the presence or absence of people in a building having a toilet in which the toilet seat device is installed and the presence or absence of people within a predetermined area including the building; a temperature information acquisition unit that acquires temperature information regarding at least one of an environmental temperature of the building and an environmental temperature of the toilet; a temperature adjustment control unit that executes temperature adjustment control of the heater based on a set temperature of the heater, the human information, and the temperature information; The gist of the project is to provide the following:

[0008] In the toilet management system of the present invention, the heater temperature is controlled based on the heater's set temperature, occupancy information related to the presence or absence of people in the building or within a specified area, and temperature information related to the ambient temperature of the building or toilet, so the heater can be appropriately controlled according to the presence or absence of people and the ambient temperature, thereby making it possible to reduce power consumption without compromising the comfort of a toilet seat device equipped with a heater.

[0009] In the toilet management system of the present invention, the human information acquisition unit acquires, as the human information, the presence or absence of a person in the building including the person's stay time in the building, the temperature information acquisition unit acquires, as the temperature information, the outside air temperature outside the building and the inside air temperature inside the building or the toilet, and the temperature control unit determines the presence or absence of a person in the building based on the human information, and if it is determined that a person is staying in the building, it determines whether a predetermined building stay time has elapsed, and if it is determined that the building stay time has not elapsed, it executes the temperature control using the outside air temperature as the temperature information, and if it is determined that the building stay time has elapsed, it executes the temperature control using the inside air temperature as the temperature information. In this way, if the person has become accustomed to the outside air temperature because their stay time in the building is short, the temperature control is performed according to the outside air temperature, and if the person has become accustomed to the inside air temperature because their stay time in the building is long, the temperature control is performed according to the inside air temperature, so that the temperature control can be appropriately performed to improve comfort.

[0010] In the toilet management system of the present invention, the human information acquisition unit acquires, as the human information, the presence or absence of a person within the predetermined area including the time the person has stayed within the predetermined area, the temperature information acquisition unit acquires, as the temperature information, the outdoor air temperature outside the building and the indoor air temperature inside the building or the toilet, and the temperature control unit determines the presence or absence of a person within the predetermined area based on the human information, and if it is determined that a person is staying within the predetermined area, determines whether a predetermined time spent within the area has elapsed, and if it is determined that the time spent within the area has not elapsed, executes the temperature control using the outdoor air temperature as the temperature information, and if it is determined that the time spent within the area has elapsed, executes the temperature control using the indoor air temperature as the temperature information. In this way, when the time spent within the area is short and therefore it is unlikely that a person is staying in the building, the temperature control is performed according to the outdoor air temperature, and when the time spent within the area is long and therefore it is likely that a person is staying in the building and is accustomed to the indoor air temperature, the temperature control is performed according to the indoor air temperature, so that the temperature control can be appropriately performed to improve comfort.

[0011] In the toilet management system of the present invention, the temperature control unit may be configured to execute the temperature control according to the set temperature when the outside air temperature or the inside air temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, and execute the temperature control at a temperature lower than the set temperature when the outside air temperature or the inside air temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature. In this way, when the outside air temperature or the inside air temperature is low, the heating effect of the heater can be reliably exerted to improve comfort, and when the outside air temperature or the inside air temperature is high, power consumption can be suppressed. Note that when the temperature control is executed at a temperature lower than the set temperature, the heater is turned off. The temperature control unit may also be configured to execute the temperature control according to the set temperature when the outside air temperature or the inside air temperature is equal to or lower than a first predetermined temperature (predetermined temperature), execute the temperature control at the lowest temperature in the set range regardless of the set temperature when the outside air temperature or the inside air temperature exceeds a second predetermined temperature higher than the predetermined temperature, and execute the temperature control at a temperature lower than the set temperature when the outside air temperature or the inside air temperature is higher than the first predetermined temperature and equal to or lower than the second predetermined temperature.

[0012] In the toilet management system of the present invention, when the outside air temperature or the inside air temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature, the temperature control unit may execute the temperature control in such a way that the higher the outside air temperature or the inside air temperature is, the lower the temperature in the set range regardless of the set temperature. In this way, power consumption can be further reduced. For example, in the case where the heater is a toilet seat heater that warms the toilet seat, it is possible to prevent a seated user from feeling uncomfortable heat and to reduce power consumption. Note that the temperature control may be executed in such a way that the higher the outside air temperature or the inside air temperature is, the lower the temperature in the set range or the heater is turned off.

[0013] In the toilet management system of the present invention, the human information acquisition unit may acquire the human information including the expected time required for a person to stay in the building when no one is present in the building, and the temperature adjustment control unit may determine the presence or absence of a person in the building based on the human information, and if it determines that a person is absent, determine whether or not a predetermined required time or more is expected, turn off the heater regardless of the set temperature if it determines that the predetermined required time or more is expected, and perform the temperature adjustment control at the lowest temperature in the set range regardless of the set temperature if it determines that the predetermined required time or more is not expected. In this way, temperature adjustment control can be performed appropriately according to the expected required time for a person to stay in the building, making it possible to achieve both improved comfort and reduced power consumption.

[0014] The toilet seat device of the present invention comprises: A toilet seat device equipped with a heater, a human information acquisition unit that acquires human information relating to at least one of the presence or absence of people in a building having a toilet in which the toilet seat device is installed and the presence or absence of people within a predetermined area including the building; a temperature information acquisition unit that acquires temperature information regarding at least one of an environmental temperature of the building and an environmental temperature of the toilet; a temperature adjustment control unit that executes temperature adjustment control of the heater based on a set temperature of the heater, the human information, and the temperature information; The gist of the invention is to provide the following:

[0015] In the toilet seat device of the present invention, as in the toilet management system described above, the heater can be appropriately controlled according to the presence or absence of a person and the environmental temperature. Therefore, it is possible to further reduce power consumption without compromising the comfort of the toilet seat device equipped with a heater. This toilet seat device may be equipped with any of the configurations of the toilet management system described above. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a toilet management system 10 and a toilet 20. FIG. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of a toilet seat device 30. FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the toilet seat device 30. FIG. [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of toilet seat temperature adjustment control. [Diagram 5] 10 is a flowchart showing toilet seat temperature adjustment control in a first modified example. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing toilet seat temperature adjustment control in a second modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a temperature adjustment setting map based on an outside air temperature and a set temperature. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a temperature adjustment temperature setting map based on room temperature and set temperature. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a toilet management system 10 and a toilet 20, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a toilet seat device 30, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the toilet seat device 30. The toilet management system 10 manages the toilet seat device 30 installed in the toilet 20 in the facility 12, and includes a management device 50 connected to a network 5 such as the Internet, an outside air temperature sensor 18, and an indoor air temperature sensor 24, which will be described later. The facility 12 is various commercial facilities and various public facilities, including airports, shopping centers, service areas on expressways, office buildings, factories, hospitals, etc., and the toilet seat device 30 of the toilet 20 is used by many users M. The facility 12 may be provided with a human sensor and an entrance / exit gate (not shown) to detect the entry and exit of the user M. In addition, in a house 14 such as a detached house or an apartment building, a toilet seat device 30 used mainly by residents as the user M is installed in the toilet 20, and a router 16 connected to the network 5 is provided.

[0019] The toilet 20 in the facility 12 includes a plurality of toilet stalls 22. As shown in FIG. 2, each toilet stall 22 includes a Western-style toilet 31, a toilet seat device 30, and a remote control (remote control device) 40 operated by a user of the toilet seat device 30. The toilet seat device 30 and the remote control 40 of each toilet stall 22 are associated (paired) with each other when installed. The toilet 20 in the residence 14 is configured similarly, except that there is only one toilet seat device 30 (Western-style toilet 31). In the following explanation, unless necessary, the components of the toilet seat device 30 and the remote control 40 will be explained without making any particular distinction between those for the facility 12 and those for the residence 14.

[0020] The toilet seat device 30 comprises a toilet seat device main body 32 installed on the rear of the upper surface of a Western-style toilet bowl 31, a toilet seat 33 rotatably supported by the toilet seat device main body 32, and a toilet lid 34 rotatably supported by the toilet seat device main body 32. The toilet seat device 30 also comprises a local cleaning unit 35 that cleans local areas of the human body, a toilet seat heater 37 that heats the toilet seat 33, a control unit 38 that controls the entire toilet seat device 30, and a communication unit 39 that communicates with the remote control 40 and the like. That is, the toilet seat device 30 of this embodiment is configured as a heated toilet seat device equipped with the toilet seat heater 37.

[0021] The private parts washing unit 35 includes a hot water heater 35a for heating washing water, washing nozzles 35b such as a rear washing nozzle and a bidet washing nozzle for spraying washing water, and a switching valve for switching the output destination of the washing water heated by the hot water heater 35a to one of the washing nozzles 35b. The hot water heater 35a may be configured as an instantaneous heater capable of instantly heating circulating washing water, or as a hot water storage heater capable of heating stored washing water. The toilet seat heater 37 is configured as a heater capable of heating the toilet seat 33 within a predetermined time (several seconds). The toilet seat device 30 allows the administrator or user M to set (adjust) the water temperature and water pressure of the washing water, and the temperature of the toilet seat 33.

[0022] The control unit 38 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, a timer, and input / output ports (not shown). The control unit 38 receives detection signals from a seating detection sensor 36 that detects a user sitting on the toilet seat 33, a temperature sensor (not shown) that detects the temperature of the washing water and the temperature of the toilet seat 33, and a detection signal from an indoor temperature sensor 24 that detects the temperature inside the toilet 20 (toilet cubicle 22). The control unit 38 also receives operation signals from a remote control 40 via a communication unit 39. The toilet cubicle 22 may be provided with a human presence sensor that detects a user, and a detection signal from the human presence sensor may be input to the control unit 38. The control unit 38 outputs a drive signal to the local washing unit 35 (hot water heater 35a and washing nozzle 35b) and a drive signal to the toilet seat heater 37. The communication unit 39 is configured to receive operation signals from the remote control 40 and to be able to communicate with external devices by wire or wirelessly. For example, the communication unit 39 of the toilet seat device 30 in the facility 12 can communicate with the management device 50, and receives various instructions from the management device 50, transmits the toilet indoor temperature (toilet room temperature) detected by the indoor temperature sensor 24, and transmits set temperature information such as the water temperature setting and the toilet seat temperature setting. In addition, the communication unit 39 of the toilet seat device 30 in the house 14 is connected to the network 5 via the router 16, and can input various information from the mobile terminal P of the user M connected to the network 5.

[0023] The remote control 40 has various operation switches such as a posterior cleansing switch 40a for instructing a posterior cleansing, a bidet cleansing switch 40b for instructing a bidet cleansing, a stop switch 40c for instructing the stop of cleaning, a water temperature setting switch 40d for setting (adjusting) the temperature of the cleaning water, a water pressure setting switch 40e for setting the cleaning strength (force) of the cleaning water, and a toilet seat temperature setting switch 40f for setting the temperature of the toilet seat 33. The remote control 40 generates operation signals based on the operations of the user or manager and transmits them to the toilet seat device 30 (toilet seat device main body 32).

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the management device 50 includes a control unit 52 that is configured with a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a timer, an input / output port, etc. and controls the entire device, a storage unit 53 that stores various information, and a communication unit 54 that communicates with external devices. The management device 50 also includes a display unit 56 that displays the management items and various setting values ​​of each toilet seat device 30, and an operation unit 57 that includes a mouse, a keyboard, etc. and accepts input operations by the administrator. The communication unit 54 is connected to external devices such as each toilet seat device 30 in the facility 12 and the network 5 so as to be able to communicate with each device via wired or wireless communication. The control unit 52 inputs set temperature information such as the set temperature of the hot water heater 35a (washing water) and the set temperature of the toilet seat heater 37 (toilet seat 33) from each toilet seat device 30 in the facility 12 via the communication unit 54. The control unit 52 also outputs necessary instructions to each toilet seat device 30 in the facility 12 via the communication unit 54. Furthermore, the control unit 52 can input various information from the mobile terminal P of the user M connected to the network 5, and receives detection signals and the like from an outside air temperature sensor 18 that is connected to the network 5 and detects the outside air temperature near the facility 12 and the outside air temperature near the house 14. The memory unit 53 also stores information regarding the business calendar and business hours of the facility 12.

[0025] Here, the user M uses the toilet seat device 30 in each house 14, and may go out of the house 14 to use the facility 12, and may use the toilet seat device 30 in the facility 12 at that time. Each user M has a mobile terminal P, such as a smartphone, connected to the network 5. The mobile terminal P may have various application software installed thereon and may be equipped with a GPS, an acceleration sensor, an electronic compass, and the like. In this embodiment, for example, if the mobile terminal P is equipped with a GPS, the management device 50 and the toilet seat device 30 in the house 14 can acquire location information acquired by the GPS via the network 5. Note that the location information of the user M is not limited to being acquired from the mobile terminal P, but may be acquired from a device dedicated to location information possessed by the user M, or may be acquired from the usage history of a car or public transportation used by the user M. In addition, the user M can manage his / her schedule using a calendar app or the like on the mobile terminal P, and can register plans for going out, such as business trips and trips, and plans for the departure time when going out and the return time. In this embodiment, the schedule information of the user M registered in the mobile terminal P can be acquired by the management device 50 and the toilet seat device 30 in the house 14 via the network 5.

[0026] Next, the processing of the toilet management system 10 and the toilet seat device 30 thus configured, particularly the temperature control of the toilet seat heater 37, will be described. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the toilet seat temperature control. Here, a case where it is executed by the control unit 52 of the management device 50 is illustrated. The control unit 52 executes the toilet seat temperature control for each toilet seat device 30 in the facility 12. The control unit 38 of the toilet seat device 30 in the residence 14 can also execute the same processing. In the toilet seat temperature control, the control unit 52 first acquires various information required for control, such as set temperature information, which is toilet seat temperature setting information set by the manager or user M, building stay information related to the stay (presence or absence) of the user M in a building such as the facility 12 or the residence 14, outside temperature information, which is the temperature outside the building, and toilet room temperature information, which is the temperature in the toilet 20 (S100).

[0027] In S100, the set temperature information is acquired as to which of the four toilet seat temperatures is set, for example, the lowest "low", the highest "high", an intermediate "medium" between the two, and "off" which turns off the toilet seat heater 37. As described above, the building stay information is acquired as information on the presence or absence of a person based on information acquired by a human sensor or an entrance / exit gate installed in a building such as the facility 12. In addition, when entering or leaving the building, the building stay information including the stay time of the user M in the building is acquired by identifying the user M using a user identification card or the mobile terminal P of the user M. Note that, as the building stay information, information on the business calendar and business hours of the facility 12 and schedule information of the user M may be acquired to acquire information on whether or not the stay time period is when the user M is staying in the building and the stay time. The outside temperature information is acquired as the outside temperature detected by the outside temperature sensor 18. The toilet room temperature information is acquired as the toilet room temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor 24. Note that the room temperature information is not limited to the toilet room temperature information, and may be room temperature information in the building.

[0028] When the control unit 52 acquires various information in this manner, the control unit 52 judges whether the setting is "off" based on the set temperature information (S105), and whether it is an absence time period in the building where the user M is absent from the building based on the building stay information (S110). When the control unit 52 judges that the setting is "off" in S105, it controls (turns off) the toilet seat heater 37 to "off" (S115) and ends the toilet seat temperature control. On the other hand, when the control unit 52 judges that the setting is not "off" in S105 and that it is an absence time period in the building (the user M is absent) in S110, it judges whether the expected required time for the user M to stay (be) in the building is equal to or longer than the time T1 (predetermined required time) (S120). For example, the time T1 can be appropriately set to a few minutes, such as 5 minutes. The required time can be acquired as the time until the expected arrival time when the user M plans to go to the building according to the schedule information of the user M. Alternatively, the required time may be obtained by calculating the distance to the building from the position information of the mobile terminal P of the user M and dividing the distance by the moving speed of the user M. The moving speed of the user M may be a speed measured by the mobile terminal P, or a predetermined speed may be used. Moreover, the distance and the required time from the position of the user M to the building may be values ​​input by the user M into the mobile terminal P.

[0029] Then, when the control unit 52 determines that the required time is equal to or longer than the time T1, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 to "off" (S115) and ends the toilet seat temperature control. On the other hand, when the control unit 52 determines that the required time is not equal to or longer than the time T1, that is, that the user M arrives in the building before the time T1 has elapsed, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 to "low" regardless of the set temperature (S125) and ends the toilet seat temperature control. That is, if the set temperature is "low", it is controlled to "low" as it is, and even if the set temperature is "medium" or "high", it is controlled to "low". In this way, when the toilet 20 is not used immediately because the required time is long, the toilet seat heater 37 is turned off to reliably suppress power consumption. In addition, in S125, temperature control according to the outside air temperature (for example, the processing of S135 to S155) may be performed as described later. In addition, by controlling the toilet seat heater 37 to "low" if the required time is short, power consumption can be reduced, and the toilet seat 33 can be appropriately heated to prevent user M from feeling cold even if he or she uses the toilet 20 immediately after arriving at the building.

[0030] Furthermore, when the control unit 52 determines in S110 that the time is a stay time period rather than an absence time period in the building, it determines whether or not it is within time T2 (a predetermined building stay time) since the stay time period began, i.e., whether or not the stay time is equal to or shorter than time T2 (S130). For example, time T2 can be appropriately set to a few minutes, such as 5 minutes. When it determines that it is within time T2, the control unit 52 determines whether or not the outside air temperature is equal to or lower than outside air temperature To1 (S135) based on the outside air temperature information, and whether or not it is equal to or lower than outside air temperature To2 that is higher than outside air temperature To1 (S140). For example, outside air temperature To1 can be appropriately set to 15°C, and outside air temperature To2 can be appropriately set to 28°C, etc.

[0031] When the control unit 52 determines in S135 that the temperature is equal to or lower than the outside air temperature To1, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 to the set temperature (S145) and ends the toilet seat temperature control. When the control unit 52 determines in S135 and S140 that the temperature is higher than the outside air temperature To1 and equal to or lower than the outside air temperature To2, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 to a temperature equal to or lower than the set temperature (S150) and ends the toilet seat temperature control. For example, if the set temperature is "low", it is controlled to "low", if the set temperature is "medium", it is controlled to a lower temperature "low", and if the set temperature is "high", it is controlled to a lower temperature "medium". Therefore, except for the lowest "low", the toilet seat heater 37 is controlled to a temperature lower than the set temperature. When the control unit 52 determines in S140 that the temperature is higher than the outside air temperature To2, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 to "low" regardless of the set temperature (S155) in the same manner as in S125, and ends the toilet seat temperature control. Therefore, when the outside temperature is below To1, the toilet seat heater 37 is controlled to adjust the temperature according to the set temperature, thereby preventing the user M seated on the toilet seat 33 from feeling cold. On the other hand, when the outside temperature is higher than To1, the higher the outside temperature is (S155 is more effective than S150), the lower the temperature control tends to be, so that it is possible to prevent the user M seated on the toilet seat 33 from feeling uncomfortable heat when the outside temperature is high and to reduce power consumption. Also, when the staying time period is within time T2, it is considered that the user M is accustomed to the outside temperature, so comfort can be improved by controlling the temperature according to the outside temperature.

[0032] On the other hand, when the control unit 52 determines in S130 that the stay time period will not be within time T2 but will exceed time T2, it determines whether the toilet room temperature is equal to or lower than room temperature Ti1 (S160) and whether the toilet room temperature is equal to or lower than room temperature Ti2 higher than room temperature Ti1 (S165) based on the toilet room temperature information. Note that room temperature Ti1 can be appropriately set to 10°C, and room temperature Ti2 can be set to 20°C, for example.

[0033] If the control unit 52 determines in S160 that the temperature is equal to or lower than room temperature Ti1, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 to the set temperature (S170) and ends the toilet seat temperature control. If the control unit 52 determines in S160 or S165 that the temperature is higher than room temperature Ti1 and equal to or lower than room temperature Ti2, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 to a temperature equal to or lower than the set temperature (S175) and ends the toilet seat temperature control. For example, as in S150, if the set temperature is "low", it controls it to "low", if the set temperature is "medium", it controls it to a lower temperature "low", and if the set temperature is "high", it controls it to a lower temperature "medium". If the control unit 52 determines in S165 that the temperature is higher than room temperature Ti2, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 to "low" across the board (S180) as in S125 and S155 and ends the toilet seat temperature control. Therefore, when the room temperature is below Ti1, the toilet seat heater 37 is controlled to adjust the temperature according to the set temperature, thereby preventing the user M seated on the toilet seat 33 from feeling cold. On the other hand, when the room temperature is higher than Ti1, the higher the toilet room temperature is (S180 is more favorable than S175), the lower the temperature control tends to be to "low", which prevents the user M seated on the toilet seat 33 from feeling uncomfortable heat when the toilet room temperature is high, and reduces power consumption. Also, when the staying time period has begun and time T2 has passed, it is considered that the user M is accustomed to the toilet room temperature (room temperature inside the building), so comfort can be improved by controlling the temperature according to the toilet room temperature.

[0034] The toilet management system 10 described above performs temperature control of the toilet seat heater 37 based on the set temperature of the toilet seat heater 37, building occupancy information of the facility 12, the house 14, etc. (person information related to the presence or absence of user M), and outside temperature information and toilet room temperature information (temperature information related to the environmental temperature). Therefore, the toilet seat heater 37 can be appropriately controlled according to whether or not user M is staying in the building, the time required until he or she stays, the outside temperature, and the toilet room temperature, making it possible to further reduce power consumption without compromising the comfort of the toilet seat device 30.

[0035] In addition, if the stay time is within time T2, temperature control is performed using the outside air temperature, and if it is beyond time T2, temperature control is performed using the toilet room temperature (inside air temperature), so that temperature control can be appropriately performed according to the temperature environment to which user M is accustomed, improving comfort.

[0036] Furthermore, when the outside air temperature is below To1 or the room temperature is below Ti1, the temperature is controlled to the set temperature, thereby preventing the user M seated on the toilet seat 33 from feeling uncomfortably cold. On the other hand, when the outside air temperature is higher than To1 or the room temperature is higher than Ti1, the temperature is controlled to a temperature below the set temperature and tends to be set to "low" the higher the temperature is, so that it is possible to prevent the user M seated on the toilet seat 33 from feeling uncomfortably hot while suppressing power consumption.

[0037] Also, if the time until the stay time period is T1 or more, the toilet seat heater 37 is turned off to reliably reduce power consumption. On the other hand, if the time until the stay time period is not T1 or more, the toilet seat heater 37 is controlled to "low", so that the toilet seat 33 can be appropriately heated while reducing power consumption.

[0038] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the temperature of the toilet seat heater 37 is controlled based on the set temperature information, the building occupancy information, the outside air temperature information, and the toilet room temperature information, but this is not limited to this. Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing the toilet seat temperature control of the first modified example. Note that in the following modified examples, the description of the process contents and effects of the same processes as those in Fig. 4 will be omitted.

[0039] In the toilet seat temperature control of FIG. 5, the control unit 52 first acquires set temperature information, user location information related to the location of the user M, outside temperature information, room temperature information, and the like (S200). The user location information is acquired from the mobile terminal P of the user M. In addition, the acquired user location information is acquired including whether the location of the user M is within a predetermined range (within a predetermined distance, for example, within 1 km) including the building as the center, and the user M's stay time within the predetermined range. That is, the user location information is information regarding the presence or absence of the user M within the predetermined range. Note that, if the building is in a relatively large management area such as a large park, the management area may be set as the predetermined range, and the presence or absence within the predetermined range may be determined based on whether the user has passed through the entrance / exit gate of the management area. Next, the control unit 52 determines whether the setting is "off" (S205) and whether all of the users M are outside the predetermined range (S210). When the control unit 52 determines that the setting is "off" or that all users M are outside the specified range, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 to "off" (S215) and ends the toilet seat temperature adjustment control. This makes it possible to reliably reduce power consumption when all users M are outside the specified range and therefore will not use the toilet 20 immediately.

[0040] On the other hand, if the control unit 52 determines that the setting is not "off" and if it cannot be determined that all users M are outside the predetermined range, such as if at least one user M is within the predetermined range or if there is an unknown location, the control unit 52 determines whether or not it is within time T3 (time spent within the predetermined range) since the user M entered the predetermined range (S220). For example, the time T3 can be appropriately set to several tens of minutes, such as 20 minutes. Note that if there is a user M whose location is unknown due to a communication interruption (fault) of the mobile terminal P, the control unit 52 may determine that the user M is outside the predetermined range if the location before the communication interruption was outside the predetermined range. If the control unit 52 determines that at least one user M is within time T3 since the user M entered the predetermined range, the control unit 52 executes the processes of S225 to S245 in the same manner as the processes of S135 to S155 in FIG. 4. That is, if the control unit 52 determines in S225 that the outside air temperature is below To1, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 to the set temperature (S235), if it determines in S225 or S230 that the outside air temperature is higher than To1 and below To2, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 to a temperature below the set temperature (S240), and if it determines in S230 that the outside air temperature is higher than To2, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 uniformly to "low" (S245), and ends the toilet seat temperature control.

[0041] In addition, when the control unit 52 determines in S220 that all the people within the predetermined range have been there for longer than time T3 after it is no longer possible to determine that all the people are outside the predetermined range, it executes the processes of S250 to S270 in the same manner as the processes of S160 to S180 in Fig. 4. Note that, even if there is a person whose location is unknown or a person whose stay time within the predetermined range is unknown, the control unit 52 determines in S220 that the time is not within T3 and executes the processes of S250 to S270. When the control unit 52 determines in S250 that the temperature is below room temperature Ti1, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 to the set temperature (S260), when it determines in S250 and S255 that the temperature is higher than room temperature Ti1 and below room temperature Ti2, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 at a temperature below the set temperature (S265), and when it determines in S255 that the temperature is higher than room temperature Ti2, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 uniformly to "low" (S270) and ends the toilet seat temperature control.

[0042] In this way, in the first modified example, the temperature of the toilet seat heater 37 is adjusted based on the set temperature information, user position information, outside temperature information, and toilet room temperature information, so that the toilet seat heater 37 can be appropriately controlled based on the person information on the presence or absence of the user M and the temperature information on the environmental temperature, as in the embodiment. Also, when the time spent within the range is short and therefore the possibility that the user M is not staying in the building is low, the temperature is adjusted according to the outside temperature, and when the time spent within the range is long and therefore the possibility that the user M is staying in the building or is accustomed to the inside temperature is high, the temperature is adjusted according to the inside temperature, so that the temperature can be appropriately controlled to improve comfort.

[0043] Next, the second modified example will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the toilet seat temperature control of the second modified example. In the toilet seat temperature control of FIG. 6, the control unit 52 first acquires the set temperature information, building occupancy information or user position information, outside temperature information, and toilet room temperature information (S300). It is sufficient to acquire either the building occupancy information or the user position information for each user M, and if both can be acquired, both can be acquired. Next, the control unit 52 determines whether the setting is "off" (S305) and whether the user position information of all users M can be acquired (S310). If the control unit 52 determines in S310 that the position information of all users can be acquired, it further determines whether all users are outside the predetermined range (S315). If the control unit 52 determines that the setting is "off" or that all users M are outside the predetermined range, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 to "off" (S320) and ends the toilet seat temperature control.

[0044] On the other hand, if the control unit 52 determines in S305 that the setting is not "OFF" and determines in S310 that the location information of all the users cannot be acquired or determines in S315 that all the users are outside the predetermined range, it determines whether or not it is an unoccupied time zone (S325) and whether or not the time required until the time zone becomes a staying time zone is equal to or longer than time T1 (S330). If the control unit 52 determines that it is an unoccupied time zone and that it will take equal to or longer than time T1 until the time zone becomes a staying time zone, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 to "OFF" (S320) and ends the toilet seat temperature control. If the control unit 52 determines that it is an unoccupied time zone and that it will take less than time T1 until the time zone becomes a staying time zone, it controls the toilet seat heater 37 to "LOW" across the board (S335) and ends the toilet seat temperature control.

[0045] Furthermore, if the control unit 52 determines in S325 that it is not within the building unoccupied time period, it determines whether it is within time T2 since the stay time period began (S340). If the control unit 52 determines that it is within time T2, it executes temperature control based on the outside air temperature and the set temperature (S345) and ends the toilet seat temperature control. On the other hand, if the control unit 52 determines that it is not within time T2, it executes temperature control based on the room temperature and the set temperature (S350) and ends the toilet seat temperature control.

[0046] The temperature control in S345 is performed using a temperature control temperature setting map based on the outside air temperature and the set temperature shown in Fig. 7, and the temperature control in S350 is performed using a temperature control temperature setting map based on the room temperature and the set temperature shown in Fig. 8. In both Figs. 7 and 8, the set temperature can be set to five levels: "medium-low" between "low" and "medium" and "medium-high" between "medium" and "high", in addition to "low", "medium", and "high" in the embodiment.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 7, when the outside air temperature is 5° C. or lower (a predetermined temperature or lower), temperature control is performed at the set temperature. When the set temperature is "low", temperature control is performed at "low" regardless of the outside air temperature. When the outside air temperature is higher than 5° C. and lower than 15° C., temperature control is performed at "low" when the set temperature is "medium-low", at "medium-low" when the set temperature is "medium", at "medium" when the set temperature is "medium-high", and at "medium-high" when the set temperature is "high". That is, temperature control is performed at temperatures lowered by one step from the set temperature except for "low". When the outside air temperature is higher than 15° C. and lower than 28° C., temperature control is performed at "low" when the set temperature is "medium-low" and "medium", at "medium-low" when the set temperature is "medium-high", and at "medium" when the set temperature is "high". That is, temperature control is performed at temperatures lowered by two steps from the set temperature except for "low" and "medium-low". If the outside temperature is higher than 28°C, temperature control is performed at "low" when the set temperature is "medium-low," "medium," or "medium-high," and at "medium-low" when the set temperature is "high." In other words, temperature control is performed at temperatures three steps lower than the set temperature for settings other than "low," "medium-low," and "medium." In this way, the higher the outside temperature, the wider the range in which temperature control is performed at "low" (the range surrounded by the thick line in the figure).

[0048] In addition, in Fig. 8, the temperature for temperature control is set based on the set temperature and the room temperature in the same manner as in Fig. 7, except that the room temperature threshold is different from the outside air temperature threshold in Fig. 7. That is, the higher the room temperature, the wider the range in which the temperature is controlled at "low" (the range surrounded by the thick line in the figure).

[0049] In the embodiment and the modified example, the outdoor air temperature detected by the outdoor air temperature sensor 18 is acquired as the outdoor air temperature outside the building, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the predicted temperature in the weather forecast or the outdoor air temperature provided on a website, etc. may be acquired by communication via the network 5, or if the mobile terminal P of the user M is equipped with a temperature sensor, the outdoor air temperature detected by the mobile terminal P may be acquired. In addition, the toilet room temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor 24 is acquired as the indoor air temperature inside the building or the toilet, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the indoor air temperature detected by a temperature sensor installed in the facility 12, the house 14, etc. may be acquired. In addition, both the outdoor air temperature and the toilet room temperature (indoor air temperature) are acquired to perform the temperature control, but this is not limited thereto, and only one of them may be acquired and the temperature control may be performed based on that temperature.

[0050] In the embodiment and the modified example, when the outside air temperature To2 or the inside air temperature Ti2 is higher than the outside air temperature To2 or the inside air temperature Ti2, the temperature control is uniformly set to "low", but this is not limited thereto, and the toilet seat heater 37 may be set to "off". Similarly, in the maps of Figures 7 and 8, the toilet seat heater 37 may be set to "off" instead of "low".

[0051] In the embodiment, the outside air temperature is used, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a sensible temperature calculated based on the outside air temperature, humidity, and wind speed may be used. The same applies to the inside air temperature.

[0052] In the embodiment, the contents of managing the toilet seat device 30 (heated toilet seat device) equipped with the toilet seat heater 37 are exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be applied to any toilet seat device equipped with a heater. For example, any of the above-mentioned temperature control may be applied to the hot water heater 35a that heats the cleaning water. Alternatively, in the case of a configuration equipped with a drying heater and fan for performing hot air drying after local washing, the above-mentioned temperature control may be applied to the drying heater. Also, the temperature control is not limited to being performed for each heater, but may be different for each heater. Also, it may be possible for the administrator or user M to set which temperature control is to be executed.

[0053] In the embodiment, the management system 10 (management device 50) that manages the toilet seat device 30 in the facility 12 and the control unit 38 that manages the toilet seat device 30 in the residence 14 are exemplified, but either one of them may be used. That is, the present invention may be applied to a management system that manages the toilet seat device 30 in the facility 12, or to a toilet seat device that manages the toilet seat device 30 in the residence 14 by itself. Furthermore, the toilet seat device 30 in the facility 12 is not limited to being managed by a management system, and each toilet seat device 30 may be configured to manage itself, similar to the toilet seat device 30 in the residence 14.

[0054] The correspondence between the main elements of this embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the section on means for solving the problems will be described. In this embodiment, the control unit 52 (control unit 38 of the toilet seat device 30 of the house 14) of the management device 50 that acquires building occupancy information and user position information in S100 (S200, S300) of the toilet seat temperature control corresponds to the "person information acquisition unit", the outside air temperature sensor 18, the indoor temperature sensor 24, and the control unit 52 (control unit 38 of the toilet seat device 30 of the house 14) of the management device 50 that acquires outside air temperature information and toilet room temperature information in S100 (S200, S300) of the toilet seat temperature control correspond to the "temperature information acquisition unit", and the control unit 52 (control unit 38 of the toilet seat device 30 of the house 14) of the management device 50 that executes processes other than S100 (S200, S300) of the toilet seat temperature control corresponds to the "temperature adjustment control unit".

[0055] Note that the correspondence between the main elements of this embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column does not limit the elements of the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column, since this embodiment is an example for specifically explaining the mode for implementing the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column. In other words, the interpretation of the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column should be made based on the description in that column, and this embodiment is merely a specific example of the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column.

[0056] Although the above describes the form for carrying out the present invention, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and it is of course possible to carry out the present invention in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0057] The present invention can be used for managing a toilet seat device equipped with a heater, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 5 network, 10 toilet management system, 12 facility, 14 residence, 16 outdoor temperature sensor, 20 toilet, 22 toilet stall, 24 indoor temperature sensor, 30 toilet seat device, 31 Western-style toilet, 32 toilet seat device main body, 33 toilet seat, 34 toilet lid, 35 private parts washing unit, 35a hot water heater, 35b washing nozzle, 36 seating detection sensor, 37 toilet seat heater, 38 control unit, 39 communication unit, 40 operation remote control, 40a rear washing switch, 40b bidet washing switch, 40c stop switch, 40d water temperature setting switch, 40e water pressure setting switch, 40f toilet seat temperature setting switch, 50 management device, 52 control unit, 53 memory unit, 54 communication unit, 56 display unit, 57 input unit, M user, P mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A toilet management system for managing a toilet seat device equipped with a heater, a human information acquisition unit that acquires human information relating to at least one of the presence or absence of people in a building having a toilet in which the toilet seat device is installed and the presence or absence of people within a predetermined area including the building; a temperature information acquisition unit that acquires temperature information regarding at least one of an environmental temperature of the building and an environmental temperature of the toilet; a temperature adjustment control unit that executes temperature adjustment control of the heater based on a set temperature of the heater, the human information, and the temperature information; A toilet management system comprising:

2. The toilet management system according to claim 1, The human information acquisition unit acquires, as the human information, information on the presence or absence of people in the building including the time the people stay in the building, The temperature information acquisition unit acquires, as the temperature information, an outside air temperature outside the building and an inside air temperature inside the building or the toilet, The temperature adjustment control unit determines whether a person is present in the building based on the human information, and when it is determined that a person is present, determines whether a predetermined building stay time has elapsed, and when it is determined that the building stay time has not elapsed, executes the temperature adjustment control using the outside air temperature as the temperature information, and when it is determined that the building stay time has elapsed, executes the temperature adjustment control using the inside air temperature as the temperature information. Toilet management system.

3. The toilet management system according to claim 1, The person information acquisition unit acquires, as the person information, information on the presence or absence of people within the specified area including a stay time within the specified area, The temperature information acquisition unit acquires, as the temperature information, an outside air temperature outside the building and an inside air temperature inside the building or the toilet, The temperature adjustment control unit determines whether a person is present within the specified area based on the human information, and when it is determined that a person is present, determines whether a specified time spent within the area has elapsed, and when it is determined that the time spent within the area has not elapsed, executes the temperature adjustment control using the outside air temperature as the temperature information, and when it is determined that the time spent within the area has elapsed, executes the temperature adjustment control using the inside air temperature as the temperature information. Toilet management system.

4. The toilet management system according to claim 2 or 3, The temperature control unit is capable of executing the temperature control at the set temperature when the outside air temperature or the inside air temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, and executing the temperature control at a temperature lower than the set temperature when the outside air temperature or the inside air temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature. Toilet management system.

5. The toilet management system according to claim 4, When the outside air temperature or the inside air temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature, the temperature adjustment control unit executes the temperature adjustment control in such a manner that the higher the outside air temperature or the inside air temperature is, the lower the temperature in the set range is set, regardless of the set temperature. Toilet management system.

6. The toilet management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The human information acquisition unit may acquire, as the human information, a person who is present in the building when there is no person in the building. Obtained including the expected time required for people to stay, The temperature adjustment control unit determines whether or not a person is present in the building based on the human information, and when it determines that a person is absent, determines whether or not a predetermined required time or more is expected, turns off the heater regardless of the set temperature when it determines that the predetermined required time or more is expected, and performs the temperature adjustment control at the lowest temperature in a set range regardless of the set temperature when it determines that the predetermined required time or more is not expected. Toilet management system.

7. A toilet seat device equipped with a heater, a human information acquisition unit that acquires human information regarding at least one of the presence or absence of a person in a building having a toilet in which the toilet seat device is installed and the presence or absence of a person within a predetermined area including the building, based on location information acquired from a mobile terminal carried by a person; a temperature information acquisition unit that acquires temperature information regarding at least one of an environmental temperature of the building and an environmental temperature of the toilet; a temperature adjustment control unit that executes temperature adjustment control of the heater based on a set temperature of the heater, the human information, and the temperature information; A toilet seat device comprising:

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