Visit fee management system

Abstract

To provide a visit charge management system capable of motivating repair and inspection workers to visit when they have spare time.SOLUTION: Business place side control means 8 is provided in a business place requiring a plurality of repair and inspection workers. A management server 3 is communicably connected to a plurality of water heater side control means 7 and the business place side control means 8. The management server 3 includes usage data management means 10 for managing use state data of a water heater 1, deterioration degree calculation means 11 for calculating a deterioration degree for an object water heater, busyness degree calculation means 12 for calculating a busyness degree of the repair and inspection worker for each period, visit charge calculation means 13 for calculating a visit charge for each period for the water heater 1 based on the deterioration degree and the busyness degree, and output means 14 capable of outputting the visit charge to an external communication terminal 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a visit fee management system for managing visit fees when inspecting and repairing a water heater. [Background technology]

[0002] When a water heater is used for a long period of time, it may become necessary to repair or inspect the water heater due to a breakdown in a part, etc. When this happens, the user of the water heater will contact the water heater manufacturer's sales outlet, service center, or other business to request repair or inspection.

[0003] There are multiple repair and inspection workers who repair water heaters at the business office in charge of the area where the target water heater is installed. There are many water heaters in the area, so the business office is responsible for all of the water heaters in the area. When a request is received from a water heater user, a repair and inspection worker from one of the business offices will go to the user's home to perform the repair and inspection work.

[0004] When a repair and inspection worker visits a customer to carry out such repairs and inspections, the customer must pay a visit fee as compensation for the repair and inspection. For example, in a district where a business establishment is responsible for multiple water heaters, a flat rate is set for such visit fees.

[0005] However, since water heaters, for example, tend to be used more in winter than in summer and are more likely to break down, there are fewer requests for repairs and inspections in summer and repair and inspection workers have more time, so they can come right away.In contrast, in winter, the frequency of inspections and repairs increases, and repair and inspection workers have to wait in line, resulting in inconsistent responses.

[0006] Therefore, in the past, for example, water heaters were equipped with a discrimination means for determining whether or not maintenance was necessary based on usage conditions, and if it was determined that maintenance was necessary before the water heater broke down, the user of the water heater was notified of this (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-143616 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] With the above-described conventional configuration, it is possible to carry out inspection and repair before a breakdown actually occurs. However, if the timing at which it is determined that maintenance is necessary coincides with a period when repair and inspection workers are busy, there is a risk that the repair and inspection workers will have to wait their turn, which does not necessarily allow for efficient response, and improvement is desired.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a visiting fee management system that can motivate repair and inspection workers to visit when maintenance is thought to be necessary but when they have the time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The characteristic configuration of the visit fee management system according to the present invention is as follows: A plurality of water heaters each equipped with a water heater side control means; A business-side control means provided in a business that requires a plurality of repair and inspection workers in charge of an area in which the plurality of water heaters are installed; A management server is provided that is communicably connected to the hot water heater side control means of each of the plurality of hot water heaters and the business side control means via a communication means, The management server includes: a usage data management means for managing the usage data of the water heater obtained from the plurality of water heater side control means; A deterioration degree calculation means for calculating a deterioration degree of a target water heater based on data on a usage period of the target water heater among the plurality of water heaters and the usage status data of the target water heater; A busyness calculation means for calculating a busyness level of each repair and inspection worker for each period based on data related to the plurality of repair and inspection workers; a visit fee calculation means for calculating a visit fee when a repair and inspection worker visits the target water heater for periodic repair and inspection based on the deterioration degree calculated by the deterioration degree calculation means and the busyness degree calculated by the busyness degree calculation means; and an output means capable of outputting the visit fee to an external communication terminal capable of communicating with the management server via the communication means. R, the external communication terminal is configured to be capable of inputting information and displaying the information on a screen; The visit fee calculation means is configured to calculate the visit fee for the target water heater requested from the external communication terminal, When the external communication terminal inputs the start date of use and identification information of the water heater to be repaired or inspected, the calculated visit fee, which differs depending on the period, is displayed on the screen. It is at the point.

[0011] According to the present invention, the water heater-side control means provided in the water heater acquires usage data relating to the usage of the water heater, data on the period of use of the water heater, etc. as the water heater is used. Then, the usage data management means of the management server manages the data acquired from the water heater-side control means in a state in which each of the multiple water heaters in the area can be identified.

[0012] The deterioration degree calculation means calculates the deterioration degree of the target water heater based on the data on the period of use and the usage status data for the target water heater. Since the deterioration degree of the water heater can be estimated based on the past performance data, etc., in terms of the degree of use at which a breakdown may occur, the deterioration degree is calculated according to the actual usage status.

[0013] Meanwhile, the business site control means in the business site transmits data related to a plurality of repair and inspection workers to the management server via the communication means. The data related to the repair and inspection workers includes, for example, data on the number of repair and inspection workers, the number of times repair and inspection work was performed each period, and the work content of the repair and inspection workers.

[0014] The busyness calculation means calculates the busyness of the repair and inspection worker for each period based on the data on the repair and inspection worker. In other words, the means calculates the degree of busyness for each period, such as which periods are busy and which periods are not busy among a plurality of periods.

[0015] The visit fee calculation means calculates a visit fee for a requested repair and inspection of the target water heater based on the degree of deterioration and the busyness level. In other words, the visit fee can be set according to the rate at which inspection and repair are required and the busyness level of the repair and inspection worker.

[0016] Then, when there is a request from the external communication terminal, the output means can output the calculated visit fee to the external communication terminal. For example, by presenting the visit fee to a user, the business can encourage the user to request repair and inspection at a time when the repair and inspection worker has more time.

[0017] Another characteristic configuration of the visit fee management system according to the present invention is as follows: The water heater side control means is configured to transmit usage data about the water heater it is responsible for to the management server via the communication means, and the usage data management means is configured to accumulate and store usage data about the water heater for each period in a state corresponding to the water heater.

[0018] According to this configuration, the water heater control means transmits the water heater usage data to the management server via the communication means, so that, for example, data such as the cumulative value of the time hot water was supplied each day and the amount of fuel used can be transmitted and stored as appropriate. As a result, there is no operational hassle compared to when data is transmitted to the management server based on a manual command from the water heater control means.

[0019] Another characteristic configuration of the visit fee management system according to the present invention is as follows: The busyness calculation means is configured to calculate the busyness for each period based on the number of repair and inspection workers belonging to the business establishment and data on the number of visits by the multiple repair and inspection workers for each period.

[0020] According to this configuration, an appropriate busyness level can be calculated based on the number of repair and inspection workers and the number of visits per period, taking into account differences in the number of visits per worker, etc.

[0021] Another characteristic feature of the visit fee management system of the present invention is that the deterioration degree calculation means is configured to determine the deterioration degree based on a predetermined calculation standard so that the longer the period of use of the target water heater and the greater the amount of hot water usage, the greater the deterioration degree.

[0022] According to this configuration, it is expected that the longer the period of use of the water heater and the greater the amount of hot water used per day, the more the deterioration of the water heater will progress and the higher the rate of component failures will occur. Therefore, by setting the deterioration level to high the longer the period of use and the greater the amount of hot water used, it is possible to set the deterioration level according to the actual usage conditions.

[0023] Another characteristic configuration of the visit fee management system according to the present invention is as follows: The visit fee calculation means is configured to set different visit fees for the target water heater for each period so that the visit fee becomes higher the greater the degree of deterioration of the target water heater and the busier the period.

[0024] According to this configuration, if the degree of deterioration is high, there is a high probability that the water heater will have problems such as component failure, and during busy periods, even if a repair is requested, there is a high probability that the repair and inspection worker will be too busy to visit immediately. Therefore, the user of the water heater can take measures such as making a request in advance at a different time rather than during the period when such a high visit fee is set. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a visit fee management system. [Diagram 2] 13 is a graph showing a change in busyness level over time. [Diagram 3] 13 is a table showing the number of visits by month. [Figure 4] 1 is a table showing the number of repair and inspection workers by month. [Diagram 5] 1 is a table showing the number of visits per repair and inspection worker per month. [Figure 6] This is a table showing the busyness level by month. [Figure 7] 1 is a graph showing changes in deterioration level per number of years of use. [Figure 8] 1 is a table showing the change in the degree of deterioration for each year of use. [Figure 9] 11 is a graph showing the correlation between the degree of deterioration and the correspondence magnification. [Figure 10] This is a graph showing the visit fee, which is set taking into account the response rate, in relation to the difference in the time of visit. [Figure 11] 13 is an input screen of an external communication terminal. [Figure 12] 13 is an output screen of an external communication terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. A visit fee management system according to the present invention is shown in Fig. 1. This visit fee management system is configured so that information can be communicated via an internet line 5 as a communication means among a plurality of water heaters 1 installed separately in a plurality of residences, a service center 2 (an example of a business establishment) of a business that manufactures and sells the water heaters 1 and is responsible for the area in which the plurality of water heaters 1 are installed, a management server 3 managed by the business, and an external communication terminal 4 such as a smartphone or tablet terminal. The external communication terminal 4 is equipped with a touch panel type display, and is capable of inputting information and displaying necessary information on the screen. The external communication terminal 4 can be used, for example, by staff of the service center 2.

[0027] Each of the multiple water heaters 1 is equipped with a water heating operation unit 6 that manages the water heating operation, and a water heater side control means 7 that controls the operating state of the water heating operation unit 6 and transmits usage data about the water heater 1 to the management server 3 via the Internet line 5.

[0028] Although not shown, the hot water supply operating unit 6 is equipped with a heat exchanger through which tap water flows, a burner that heats the heat exchanger by burning fuel gas, various adjustment valves for adjusting the heating state of the burner and the flow state of water flowing through the heat exchanger, etc. The hot water supply side control means 7 is configured to control the operation of the hot water supply operating unit 6 so that hot water at a preset set temperature is supplied.

[0029] The water heater side control means 7 is configured to acquire usage data regarding the usage of the water heater 1, such as the hot water usage time per day and the burner combustion amount, as well as data on the period of use for the water heater 1, as the water heater 1 is used, and transmit this data to the management server 3.

[0030] The service center 2 has a plurality of repair and inspection workers in charge of an area where a plurality of water heaters 1 are installed. The service center 2 is provided with a business-side control means 8 that is communicatively connected to the management server 3 via an Internet line 5.

[0031] Meanwhile, in response to a request from a user of water heater 1, repair and inspection workers in the area may visit the residence where water heater 1 is installed to repair and inspect water heater 1. The number of visits by such repair and inspection workers tends to be fewer in summer, when there are fewer requests for repair and inspection, and more in winter, when there are more inspections and repairs. Figure 2 shows a simple graph showing the change in the number of monthly visits by repair and inspection workers for multiple areas (areas A, B, and C). Such differences depending on the season are due to the fact that water heater 1 is used more frequently in winter than in summer, and parts are more likely to break down.

[0032] Although not shown, the service center 2 is equipped with a manually operated input device consisting of a keyboard, a monitor device, etc., and data related to a plurality of repair and inspection workers is inputted through the input device. Fig. 3 is a data table showing the number of visits by repair and inspection workers in each area by month in numerical form, and Fig. 4 is a data table showing the number of repair and inspection workers in each area by month. The business establishment side control means 8 is configured to manage the inputted data related to the repair and inspection workers as described above, and to transmit this data to the management server 3.

[0033] The external communication terminal 4 is configured so that an application program for calculating the visit fee (hereinafter referred to as the operation app) can be downloaded from the management server 3 via the Internet line 5. This operation app is provided by the manufacturer of the water heater 1 or the like. By operating in accordance with the operation app, it is possible to obtain information about the visit fee from the management server 3, as will be described later.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1, the management server 3 is equipped with a usage data management means 10 that manages usage data of water heaters 1 obtained from multiple water heater side control means 7, a deterioration degree calculation means 11 that calculates the deterioration degree of a target water heater based on data on the usage period of a target water heater among the multiple water heaters 1 and the usage data for the target water heater, a busyness calculation means 12 that calculates the busyness of repair and inspection workers for each period based on data on multiple repair and inspection workers, a visit fee calculation means 13 that calculates a visit fee when a repair and inspection worker visits the target water heater for each period of repair and inspection based on the deterioration degree calculated by the deterioration degree calculation means 11 and the busyness calculated by the busyness calculation means 12, and an output means 14 that can output the visit fee to an external communication terminal 4 that can communicate with the management server 3 via an Internet line 5.

[0035] The usage data management means 10 manages the usage status data and usage period data of the water heaters 1 obtained by being transmitted from the multiple water heater side control means 7. That is, the usage status data and usage period data for the multiple water heaters 1 are accumulated and stored in an identifiable state.

[0036] When requested by the external communication terminal 4, the deterioration level calculation means 11 calculates the deterioration level of the target water heater based on data on the usage period of the target water heater among the multiple water heaters 1 and usage status data for the target water heater.

[0037] The degree of deterioration is calculated as follows. The relationship of the deterioration degree to the change in the period of use of the water heater 1 is set in advance based on past performance data, and the deterioration degree corresponding to the actual use time of the target water heater 1 is obtained. Regarding the relationship of the deterioration degree to the period of use, the relationship of the deterioration degree to the change in the period of use is set in advance based on past performance data, etc., on the assumption that the usage conditions for the coming year will be similar to those for the past year, based on the usage status data and usage period data of the water heater 1 for the relevant water heater 1 managed by the usage data management means 10. For example, FIG. 7 is a graph showing the change in the deterioration degree to the change in the period of use. FIG. 8 is a table showing the change in the deterioration degree to the change in the period of use in numerical values. In the example shown in this figure, it is assumed that after about 10 years have passed since the start of use, the deterioration degree will be "70", and the probability of failure will increase.

[0038] The above-mentioned relationship between the deterioration degree and the period of use is updated and set every year after the installation of the water heater 1. In this way, the deterioration degree is set in accordance with the actual usage conditions.

[0039] The busyness calculation means 12 calculates the busyness of the repair and inspection workers for each period based on the data on the multiple repair and inspection workers transmitted from the business establishment control means 8. From the data in the table showing the number of visits by the repair and inspection workers in each area per month as shown in FIG. 3 and the data in the table showing the number of repair and inspection workers in each area per month as shown in FIG. 4, for example, the number of visits per repair and inspection worker in each area per month is calculated as shown in FIG. 5. Next, the busyness of the repair and inspection workers in each area per month is calculated as shown in FIG. 6. The busyness is the number of visits per repair and inspection worker per month divided by the average number of visits in all areas per year. For example, in April in area A, the number of visits per repair and inspection worker per month is "6", and the average number of visits in all areas per year is "3.17", so the busyness is "1.9".

[0040] The visit fee calculation means 13 calculates a visit fee for when a repair and inspection worker visits the target water heater at a specified time, based on the deterioration level and the busyness level, for the target water heater requested from the external communication terminal 4. That is, a new visit fee is calculated by multiplying the deterioration level corresponding magnification calculated from the deterioration level by the busyness level, in contrast to the visit fee that was previously set uniformly.

[0041] The new visit fee "Q" is calculated by multiplying the previous flat visit fee by the deterioration degree corresponding magnification calculated from the deterioration degree and the busyness degree. In other words, if the previous visit fee is "X", the deterioration degree corresponding magnification calculated from the deterioration degree is "Y", and the busyness degree is "Z", the new visit fee "Q" is Q=X×Y×Z.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 9, a correlation is set in advance to show the correlation between the deterioration degree and the deterioration degree corresponding magnification corresponding to the deterioration degree. Since the higher the deterioration degree, the higher the probability of failure, the higher the deterioration degree, the more likely the repair and inspection work will be complicated, so the magnification is set so that the fee will be higher. Then, the visit fee calculation means 13 calculates the deterioration degree corresponding magnification for weighting the visit fee according to the deterioration degree based on the correlation data shown in FIG. 9 and the deterioration degree calculated by the deterioration degree calculation means 11. FIG. 10 shows a fluctuation graph showing the visit fee set in consideration of the deterioration degree corresponding magnification in a state corresponding to the difference in the visit time for a water heater 1 in the A district that has been in use for 10 years. Such a calculation result is output from the output means 14 to the external communication terminal 4 via the Internet line 5, and the information can be displayed on the display unit of the external communication terminal 4.

[0043] From the examples shown in Figs. 5 to 9, a case will be described in which, with the operation app running, a request is made from the external communication terminal 4 to present the visit fee for March of the 10th year of use in area A. From the description in Fig. 8, the deterioration level is "70", and from the description in Fig. 9, the deterioration level corresponding magnification is "0.8". And from the description in Fig. 6, the busyness level is "2.5". Therefore, if the previous visit fee is "X1", the new visit fee "Q1" is Q1 = X1 x 0.8 x 2.5 = X1 x 2.0.

[0044] As shown in Figure 11, an employee (customer management officer) of the service center 2 operates the external communication terminal 4 to input the start date of use (date of installation) and model number, etc., of the target water heater 1. As shown in Figure 12, the display unit of the external communication terminal 4 displays the newly calculated visit fee Q1, which varies depending on the period, and the details can be confirmed.

[0045] By calculating the visit fee, the visit fee for each period can be confirmed for the water heater 1 that the user is in charge of, so it is possible to encourage the user of the water heater 1 to have the inspection work done when the fee is cheaper, rather than in the winter. In other words, it is possible to motivate the repair and inspection worker to visit when they have more time.

[0046] [Another embodiment] (1) In the above embodiment, the busyness calculation means 12 calculates the busyness for each period based on the number of repair and inspection workers attached to the business establishment and data on the number of visits by the multiple repair and inspection workers for each period. However, instead of this configuration, for example, the busyness may be calculated by counting the number of malfunction calls from multiple water heaters 1 notifying of abnormalities in the equipment for each period.

[0047] (2) In the above embodiment, the deterioration level calculation means 11 determines the deterioration level based on the period of use and the amount of hot water usage for the target water heater. However, instead of this configuration, the deterioration level may be determined based only on the period of use, or the deterioration level may be determined based on the cumulative amount of hot water usage, and the deterioration level can be implemented in various forms.

[0048] (3) In the above embodiment, communication is performed via the Internet line 5 as a communication means, but communication may also be performed using a dedicated communication line.

[0049] Furthermore, the configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies below) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, provided that no contradiction arises. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and can be appropriately modified within the scope that does not deviate from the purpose of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0050] The present invention can be applied to a visit fee management system for managing visit fees when inspecting and repairing water heaters. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1. Water heater 2 Service Center (office) 3 Management Server 4 External communication terminal 5. Internet line (communication line) 7. Water heater side control means 8. Business-side control measures 10. Measures for managing data used 11. Deterioration degree calculation method 12 Busyness calculation method 13. Visit fee calculation method 14 Output Method

Claims

1. A plurality of water heaters each equipped with a water heater side control means; A business-side control means provided in a business that requires a plurality of repair and inspection workers in charge of an area in which the plurality of water heaters are installed; A management server is provided that is communicably connected to the hot water heater side control means of each of the plurality of hot water heaters and the business side control means via a communication means, The management server includes: a usage data management means for managing the usage data of the water heater obtained from the plurality of water heater side control means; A deterioration degree calculation means for calculating a deterioration degree of a target water heater based on data on a usage period of the target water heater among the plurality of water heaters and the usage status data of the target water heater; A busyness calculation means for calculating a busyness level of each repair and inspection worker for each period based on data related to the plurality of repair and inspection workers; a visit fee calculation means for calculating a visit fee when a repair and inspection worker visits the target water heater for periodic repair and inspection based on the deterioration degree calculated by the deterioration degree calculation means and the busyness degree calculated by the busyness degree calculation means; an output means for outputting the visit fee to an external communication terminal capable of communicating with the management server via the communication means; the external communication terminal is configured to be capable of inputting information and displaying the information on a screen; The visit fee calculation means is configured to calculate the visit fee for the target water heater requested from the external communication terminal, The external communication terminal is a visit fee management system that displays on the screen a visit fee that differs depending on the calculated period when the date of use start and identification information of the water heater to be repaired or inspected are input.

2. The water heater side control means is configured to transmit usage status data about the water heater it is responsible for to the management server via the communication means, The visit fee management system according to claim 1, wherein the usage data management means is configured to accumulate and store usage data about the water heater for each period in association with the water heater.

3. The visit fee management system described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the busyness calculation means is configured to calculate the busyness for each period based on the number of repair and inspection workers belonging to the business establishment and the number of visits by the multiple repair and inspection workers for each period.

4. A visit fee management system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the deterioration degree calculation means is configured to determine the deterioration degree based on a predetermined calculation standard so that the longer the period of use of the target water heater and the greater the amount of hot water usage, the greater the deterioration degree.

5. A visit fee management system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the visit fee calculation means is configured to set different visit fees for the target water heater for each period so that the visit fee becomes higher the greater the degree of deterioration of the target water heater and the busier the period.

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