Water-related equipment management system

Abstract

To provide a water area equipment management system that can reduce the burden of setting up water area equipment.SOLUTION: Water area equipment comprises an equipment body, a human body detection unit installed in the equipment body to detect a human body, a receiving unit that receives command signals via the network to execute settings related to the equipment body as instructed by an administrator terminal, and a control unit that controls the settings related to the equipment body based on the command signal received by the receiving unit. When the human body detection unit does not detect a human body, the control unit executes the settings related to the equipment body based on the command signal. When the human body detection unit detects a human body, the control unit suspends the execution of the settings related to the equipment body based on the command signal, and after the human body detection unit no longer detects a human body, the suspension is released and the settings related to the equipment body are executed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a plumbing equipment management system that manages plumbing equipment from the outside. [Background technology]

[0002] In restrooms in public facilities, commercial facilities, and the like, many water-related devices (e.g., toilets, urinals, hand washing basins, dryers, etc.) are installed. The settings of such water-related devices (e.g., the temperature of the toilet seat and the temperature of the water for rear washing) are managed by an administrator to ensure the comfort of users. In this case, when changing the settings of each water-related device, the administrator must visit the restroom each time, which is a cumbersome task for the administrator. Therefore, Patent Document 1 proposes that the settings of the water-related devices in each restroom be changed remotely from outside. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-122973 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, changing the settings remotely while the toilet is in use may cause discomfort to the user, so changing the settings remotely is prohibited while the toilet is in use. However, the manager must change the settings multiple times to change the settings of all the toilets, which may reduce the efficiency of the setting change work.

[0005] The present invention has been made based on the recognition of the above problem, and has an object to provide a plumbing equipment management system that can reduce the burden of setting up plumbing equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first invention is a plumbing equipment management system that allows settings related to plumbing equipment to be made from an administrator terminal via a network, the plumbing equipment comprising: an equipment body; a human body detection unit provided in the equipment body for detecting a human body; a receiving unit that receives via the network a command signal to execute settings related to the equipment body as instructed by the administrator terminal; and a control unit that controls the settings related to the equipment body based on the command signal received by the receiving unit, wherein the control unit executes the settings related to the equipment body based on the command signal when the human body detection unit does not detect a human body, and suspends the execution of the settings related to the equipment body based on the command signal when the human body detection unit detects a human body, and releases the suspension and executes the settings related to the equipment body after the human body detection unit no longer detects a human body.This is a plumbing equipment management system characterized in that

[0007] According to this plumbing equipment management system, if a plumbing equipment is in use when a command signal is received, the settings based on the command signal are put on hold, which can prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable. Also, the put on hold settings are automatically made after the user leaves, which can reduce the burden on the administrator.

[0008] A second invention is a plumbing equipment management system according to the first invention, characterized in that the plumbing equipment further includes a transmitting unit that transmits information relating to the equipment body to a network, and the control unit, when executing settings relating to the equipment body, causes the transmitting unit to transmit a setting completion signal to the network, and when executing settings relating to the equipment body is suspended, causes the transmitting unit to transmit a hold signal to the network.

[0009] According to this plumbing equipment management system, at least either a setting completion signal or a hold signal is sent, so the administrator can tell that a command signal has been sent to the plumbing equipment. Also, for the device itself that has held back settings based on a command signal, a setting completion signal is sent when the settings are completed, so the administrator can check whether the settings based on the command signal have been executed.

[0010] A third invention is a plumbing equipment management system that allows settings related to plumbing equipment to be made from an administrator terminal via a network, and includes a management device that is located at a location away from the plumbing equipment having a human body detection unit and manages the settings related to the plumbing equipment via the network, the management device having a receiving unit that receives a command signal to execute the settings related to the plumbing equipment instructed by the administrator terminal and human body detection information transmitted from the plumbing equipment, a transmitting unit that transmits the command signal to the plumbing equipment, and a control unit that controls the transmitting unit based on the human body detection information received by the receiving unit, wherein the control unit, when the receiving unit receives a signal indicating that the human body detection unit of the plumbing equipment has not detected a human body, causes the transmitting unit to transmit the command signal to the plumbing equipment, and when the receiving unit receives a signal indicating that the human body detection unit of the plumbing equipment has detected a human body, suspends transmission of the command signal from the transmitting unit to the plumbing equipment, and releases the hold after the receiving unit receives a signal indicating that no human body has been detected, and transmits the command signal from the transmitting unit to the plumbing equipment.

[0011] According to this plumbing equipment management system, when a plumbing equipment is in use, the settings based on the command signal are put on hold, which can prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable. Also, the held-up transmission is automatically carried out after the user leaves, which can reduce the burden on the administrator. Also, since there is no need to control whether or not to carry out settings in the plumbing equipment, the control burden on the plumbing equipment can be reduced.

[0012] A fourth invention is a plumbing equipment management system, characterized in that, in the third invention, when the control unit receives a setting completion signal indicating that the receiving unit has performed settings for the plumbing equipment, it displays on the administrator terminal that the setting has been completed, and when it suspends sending the command signal, it displays on the administrator terminal that the setting is suspended.

[0013] According to this plumbing equipment management system, at least either "setting complete" or "on hold" is displayed on the administrator's terminal, so the administrator can distinguish whether the setting of the plumbing equipment is complete or about to be executed. Also, for plumbing equipment that has been on hold for sending a command signal, "setting complete" is displayed when the setting is completed, so the administrator can confirm whether the setting based on the command signal has been executed.

[0014] A fifth invention is a plumbing equipment management system, characterized in that, in any one of the first to fourth inventions, if the hold continues for a predetermined time or longer, an abnormality is displayed on the administrator terminal.

[0015] According to this plumbing equipment management system, if the pending state continues for a long period of time, the manager can be notified that an abnormality may have occurred.

[0016] A sixth invention is a plumbing equipment management system, characterized in that, in any one of the first to fifth inventions, the hold is released when a predetermined time has elapsed since the human body detection unit no longer detects a human body.

[0017] This plumbing equipment management system can prevent settings from being made when the user using the plumbing equipment moves slightly away from the human body detection unit. In other words, by setting the predetermined time to a time that the user can determine as having finished using the plumbing equipment, the hold can be released and settings can be made when the user changes. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to an aspect of the present invention, a plumbing equipment management system is provided that can reduce the burden of setting plumbing equipment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a plumbing equipment management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic diagram of the plumbing equipment and the management device shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart showing a control process performed in a control unit of the plumbing equipment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing a control process performed by a control unit of a management device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, like elements are designated by like reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram that illustrates a plumbing equipment management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the plumbing equipment and management device in FIG. As shown in Fig. 1, the plumbing equipment management system 1 includes plumbing equipment 10 installed in a toilet room TR, a management device 40 connected to the plumbing equipment 10 via a network 30, and an administrator terminal 50 connected to the management device 40 via the network 30. The plumbing equipment management system 1 allows settings related to the plumbing equipment 10 to be made from the administrator terminal 50 via the network 30.

[0021] The plumbing equipment 10 is, for example, equipment installed in facilities used by an unspecified number of people, and is used in association with, for example, public toilet rooms TR, toilet rooms in buildings, unit baths in hotels, and public baths. As an example, the plumbing equipment 10 may be a warm water washing toilet seat, a toilet bowl, a urinal, an automatic faucet, an automatic soap dispenser, an electric water heater, a hand dryer, and a remote control 100, which are installed in the toilet room TR. There may be one or more plumbing equipment 10. Each plumbing equipment 10 transmits information regarding its usage status, the need for maintenance, and the like, to the communication device 20.

[0022] The plumbing device 10 includes a device main body 11, a human body detection unit 12 provided in the device main body 11 for detecting a human body, a communication unit 13 capable of communicating with a communication device 20, and a control unit 14 for controlling settings related to the device main body 11. The device main body 11 is, for example, a toilet seat with a heat retention function, a sanitary washing device for washing the bottom, and an automatic faucet capable of dispensing hot and cold water, and is a device that allows the user to freely set the temperature, amount of water, etc.

[0023] The human body detection unit 12 detects whether or not the plumbing equipment 10 is in use, for example, by using a human body detection sensor installed in the toilet bowl to detect a human body in front of the toilet bowl, a seating sensor installed on the toilet seat to detect a user sitting on the toilet seat, a human body detection sensor that detects the user's hands to discharge hot and cold water from the automatic faucet, and a start switch for the sanitary washing device.

[0024] The communication unit 13 has a receiving unit 13a that receives a command signal for setting a setting value related to the device main body 11, and a transmitting unit 13b that transmits information related to the device main body 11. The receiving unit 13a receives a command signal instructed by the manager terminal 50 via the network 30, the management device 40, and the communication device 20. The transmitting unit 13b transmits information related to the device main body 11 to the manager terminal 50 via the communication device 20, the network 30, and the management device 40.

[0025] The control unit 14 controls the setting values ​​related to the device body 11 of the plumbing device 10. The setting values ​​related to the device body 11 are those that the user can set to his / her preference when using the plumbing device 10, such as the temperature of the toilet seat, the temperature of the rear wash water, the amount of rear wash water, and the water temperature of the automatic faucet. When the user operates the remote control 100 or the like, the control unit 14 receives the operation signal via the receiving unit 13a of the communication unit 13. The control unit 14 then executes the setting of the device body 11 based on the operation signal. The control unit 14 also controls the setting values ​​related to the device body 11 based on a command signal instructed by the manager terminal 50 and received by the receiving unit 13a. The case where the setting is executed based on a command signal will be described later.

[0026] The storage unit 15 is a memory that stores command signals, operation signals, and the like received by the receiving unit 13a. The storage unit 15 also stores a control program executed by the control unit 14. The storage unit 15 may be provided within the control unit 14.

[0027] The communication device 20 transmits a plurality of pieces of device information relating to, for example, the usage status and the need for maintenance of the plumbing devices 10 to the management device 40 via the network 30. In this manner, the communication device 20 transmits a plurality of pieces of device information of the plumbing devices 10 to an external device such as the management device 40. The communication device 20 also receives a command signal transmitted from the management device 40 and transmits it to each plumbing device 10.

[0028] The communication device 20 wirelessly communicates with the management device 40 via the network 30, and also wirelessly communicates with each of the plumbing devices 10. The communication device 20 is, for example, a gateway that converts between the protocol of the network 30 on the management device 40 side and the protocol of the wireless communication of the plumbing devices 10. Note that the communication device 20 is not limited to a gateway, and may be any communication device that is capable of communicating with the outside. The communication between the communication device 20 and the plumbing devices 10 is bidirectional. Also, the communication between the communication device 20 and the management device 40 is bidirectional.

[0029] The network 30 is, for example, the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network), and connects the communication devices 20 and the administrator terminal 50 via the management device 40. The network 30 may connect the management device 40 and the administrator terminal 50 with a wire, may connect the management device 40 and the communication devices 20 with a wireless connection, or may be a combination of a wire and a wireless connection. The network 30 may be any network that enables communication between the communication devices 20, the management device 40, and the administrator terminal 50.

[0030] The management device 40 is provided at a location away from the plumbing device 10 having the human body detection unit 12. The management device 40 is, for example, a cloud server, and is connected to the plumbing device 10 and an administrator terminal 50 via a network 30, and manages settings related to the plumbing device 10. The management device 40 has a communication unit 41, a control unit 42, and a storage unit 43.

[0031] The communication unit 41 has a receiving unit 41a and a transmitting unit 41b. The receiving unit 41a receives information on the plumbing device 10 transmitted from the communication device 20 and a command signal transmitted from the manager terminal 50. On the other hand, the transmitting unit 41b transmits a command signal to the communication device 20 and transmits information on the plumbing device 10 to the manager terminal 50.

[0032] The control unit 42 controls information about the plumbing device 10 and command signals transmitted to the plumbing device 10. The control unit 42 stores, for example, the information about the plumbing device 10 received by the receiving unit 41a and command signals transmitted from the manager terminal 50 in the memory unit 43. The control unit 42 also transmits, for example, the information and command signals stored in the memory unit 43 from the transmitting unit 41b to the communication device 20 and the manager terminal 50. The control unit 42 operates according to a control program stored in the memory unit 43.

[0033] The storage unit 43 is a memory that stores the command signal received by the receiving unit 41a and information on the plumbing device 10. The storage unit 43 also stores various command signals for executing settings of the plumbing device 10 and a control program for the control unit 42.

[0034] The manager terminal 50 is a terminal owned by a manager who manages the toilet room TR, and is, for example, a mobile terminal 50a or a PC terminal 50b. The manager terminal 50 is connected to the management device 40 via the network 30. The manager can, for example, connect to the management device 40 and obtain (view) various information on the bathroom equipment 10 installed in the toilet room TR. In addition, the manager can operate the manager terminal 50 to output a command signal from the management device 40 to the bathroom equipment 10 to execute settings.

[0035] In this way, the bathroom equipment management system 1 enables the administrator to centrally manage the usage status and the need for maintenance of each bathroom equipment 10 by utilizing the Internet of Things (IoT) in the toilet room TR. This allows the administrator to grasp the breakdowns, maintenance, and usage status of the bathroom equipment 10 from a location away from the toilet room TR. In addition, the administrator can set the operating status of the bathroom equipment 10 by operating the administrator terminal 50. Therefore, the administrator can manage the toilet room TR without having to go to a public toilet room TR.

[0036] The plumbing equipment management system 1 according to the embodiment has the configuration as described above. Next, the work of an administrator setting the setting values ​​of the plumbing equipment 10 using the administrator terminal 50 will be described.

[0037] The administrator, for example, inputs a user ID, a password, and the like from the PC terminal 50b to connect to the management device 40. Then, the administrator issues instructions to set the setting values ​​of the plumbing equipment 10 from the PC terminal 50b. As an example, the administrator sets the temperature of the toilet seat in the toilet room TR to "medium" from the PC terminal 50b. As a result, the management device 40 transmits a command signal for setting the toilet seat temperature to "medium" from the transmission unit 41b to the communication device 20 in the toilet room TR.

[0038] Then, a command signal (toilet seat temperature "medium") is transmitted from the communication device 20 to the receiving unit 13a of each toilet seat (bathroom equipment 10). The control unit 14 of each bathroom equipment 10 sets the setting value based on the command signal. For example, the toilet seat control unit 14 sets the toilet seat temperature to "medium" based on the command signal for a toilet seat temperature of "medium". This allows the manager to set the setting value of the bathroom equipment 10 in the toilet room TR without having to go to the toilet room TR.

[0039] However, if a setting value is set while a user is using the plumbing device 10, the setting may be unintended by the user, which may cause discomfort to the user. Therefore, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, setting of a setting value is prohibited when a human body detector provided on the device body detects a human body. However, the administrator must then change the settings of the devices many times to set all the devices, which may reduce the efficiency of the setting work.

[0040] Therefore, in this embodiment, the settings are suspended while the user is using the plumbing device 10, and are automatically set when the use of the plumbing device 10 is finished. Specifically, the control unit 14 executes settings related to the device main body 11 based on a command signal when the human body detection unit 12 does not detect a human body, and suspends execution of settings related to the device main body 11 based on a command signal when the human body detection unit 12 detects a human body, and releases the suspension and executes settings related to the device main body 11 after the human body detection unit 12 no longer detects a human body. This makes it possible to prevent settings from being changed while the user is using the plumbing device 10, and improves the operability of the administrator in setting the setting values.

[0041] Furthermore, when the control unit 14 has executed the setting of the device main body 11, it causes the transmission unit 13b to transmit a setting completion signal to the management device 40 via the network 30, and when the control unit 14 has put the execution of the setting of the device main body 11 on hold, it causes the transmission unit 13b to transmit a hold signal to the management device 40 via the network 30. This allows the administrator to access the management device 40 and confirm that the setting of the device main body 11 has been executed and that the execution of the setting is on hold.

[0042] An example of a control process performed by the plumbing device 10 will be described below with reference to FIG. Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing the control process performed by the control unit of the plumbing device. The control process shown in Fig. 3 is stored in advance in the storage unit 15. In Fig. 3, each step is indicated by "S", for example, "step 1" is indicated by "S1".

[0043] First, in S1, it is determined whether or not a command signal has been received. That is, the control unit 14 determines whether or not the receiving unit 13a has received a command signal. Then, if it is determined in S1 that the command signal has been received, "YES", the process proceeds to S2. On the other hand, if it is determined in S1 that the command signal has not been received, "NO", the process ends.

[0044] In S2, the command signal is stored in the storage unit 15. That is, the control unit 14 causes the storage unit 15 to store the command signal received by the receiving unit 13a.

[0045] In the next step S3, it is determined whether a human body has been detected. That is, the control unit 14 determines whether the plumbing device 10 is being used or not, based on the detection of a human body (user) by the human body detection unit 12. Then, if it is determined that "YES" in S3, that is, that a human body has not been detected (the plumbing device 10 is not being used), the process proceeds to S4. On the other hand, if it is determined that "NO" in S3, that is, that a human body has been detected (the plumbing device 10 is being used), the process proceeds to S6.

[0046] In S4, settings are made based on the command signal. That is, the control unit 14 sets the set value of the device main body 11 based on the command signal. For example, if the command signal is to set the toilet seat temperature to "medium", the control unit 14 changes the toilet seat temperature, which is set to "high" or "low", to "medium". The toilet seat temperature, which is set to "medium", is maintained at "medium". If the command signal is to set the water temperature of the automatic faucet to "low", the control unit 14 changes the water temperature of the automatic faucet, which is set to "high" or "medium", to "low". The water temperature of the automatic faucet, which is set to "low", is maintained at "low". Note that the command signal is not limited to "high", "medium", "low", etc., but may be a specific numerical value such as a specific temperature (for example, a toilet seat temperature of 30°C).

[0047] In the next step S5, a setting completion signal is transmitted. That is, when the setting value of the device main body 11 is set to a value based on the command signal, the control unit 14 transmits a setting completion signal from the transmission unit 13b to the communication device 20. Then, the communication device 20 transmits a setting completion signal to the management device 40. This allows the administrator to access the management device 40 from the administrator terminal 50 and confirm that the setting has been completed. Then, when S5 ends, the process ends.

[0048] In S6, the setting based on the command signal is put on hold. That is, since the plumbing device 10 is in use, the control unit 14 puts the setting on hold without making the setting based on the command signal, and proceeds to the next step S7. In S7, a hold signal is transmitted. That is, the control unit 14 transmits a hold signal indicating that the setting has been put on hold from the transmission unit 13b to the communication device 20. Then, the communication device 20 transmits a hold signal to the management device 40. This allows the administrator to access the management device 40 from the administrator terminal 50 and confirm that the setting has been put on hold.

[0049] In the next step S8, it is determined whether or not a human body has been detected. That is, the control unit 14 determines whether or not use of the bathroom equipment 10 has ended based on the detection of a human body (user) by the human body detection unit 12. Then, if it is determined that "YES" in S8, that is, that a human body has not been detected, the process proceeds to S9. On the other hand, if it is determined that "NO" in S8, that is, that a human body has been detected, the process proceeds to S11.

[0050] In S9, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed. That is, the control unit 14 measures the time from when the human body detection unit 12 of the plumbing device 10 has stopped detecting a human body. The predetermined time is set to confirm that the use of the plumbing device 10 has ended. That is, the predetermined time is a time to exclude a case where a user who is using the plumbing device 10 temporarily leaves the plumbing device 10. This predetermined time is set by experiment and simulation depending on the usage status and installation location of each plumbing device 10, and is set to, for example, about 40 to 60 seconds. Then, if it is determined that "YES" in S9, that is, that the predetermined time has elapsed, proceed to S10. On the other hand, if it is determined that "NO" in S9, that is, that the predetermined time has not elapsed, return to S8 and monitor whether a human body has been detected.

[0051] In S10, the hold is released. That is, the hold of the setting based on the command signal is released when a predetermined time has elapsed since the human body detection unit 12 stopped detecting a human body. The control unit 14 releases the setting that was held in S6. Then, the process proceeds to S4, where the setting based on the command signal is performed, and a setting completion signal is transmitted in S5. In this way, since the hold is released when a predetermined time has elapsed since the human body detection stopped in S9, the setting can be performed when the user of the plumbing device 10 changes.

[0052] In S11, it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed. That is, the control unit 14 determines whether a state in which a human body is detected (a state in which the plumbing device 10 is being used) continues for a long period of time. This predetermined time is set to indicate the possibility that some abnormality may have occurred due to the plumbing device 10 being in use for a long period of time. This predetermined time can be measured, for example, from the human body detection in S3. The predetermined time is set by experiment and simulation depending on the usage status and installation location of each plumbing device 10, and is set, for example, to about 30 minutes to 2 hours. Then, if it is determined that "YES" is determined in S11, that is, that the predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to S12. On the other hand, if it is determined that "NO" is determined in S11, that is, that the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to S8 and monitors the human body detection.

[0053] In the next step S12, an abnormality signal is transmitted. That is, the control unit 14 transmits an abnormality signal indicating that the plumbing device 10 has been in use for a long period of time from the transmission unit 13b to the communication device 20, and the process ends. The communication device 20 then transmits the abnormality signal to the management device 40. The administrator can access the management device 40 from the administrator terminal 50 and confirm that the abnormality signal has been sent from the plumbing device 10. That is, if the hold continues for a predetermined time or longer, an abnormality in the plumbing device 10 is displayed on the administrator terminal 50. This allows the administrator to know that some kind of abnormality has occurred in the plumbing device 10.

[0054] Next, a plumbing equipment management system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The second embodiment is characterized in that the setting control of the plumbing equipment is performed by a management device 40. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0055] The management device 40 is provided at a position away from the plumbing device 10 having the human body detection unit 12, and manages the settings related to the plumbing device 10 via the network 30. The receiving unit 41a of the management device 40 receives a command signal for executing the settings related to the plumbing device 10 instructed by the manager terminal 50 and human body detection information transmitted from the plumbing device 10. The transmitting unit 41b of the management device 40 transmits a command signal to the plumbing device 10. The control unit 42 controls the transmitting unit 41b based on the human body detection information received by the receiving unit 41a. In this embodiment, both the signal transmitted from the manager terminal 50 to the management device 40 and the signal transmitted from the management device 40 to the plumbing device 10 are regarded as command signals, but this command signal is used in a broad sense as a signal for setting the setting value of the plumbing device 10. In other words, the command signal is a signal for setting the setting value of the plumbing device 10.

[0056] Then, when the receiving unit 41a receives a signal indicating that the human body detection unit 12 of the plumbing device 10 has not detected a human body, the control unit 42 causes the transmitting unit 41b to transmit a command signal to the plumbing device 10. On the other hand, when the receiving unit 41a receives a signal indicating that the human body detection unit 12 of the plumbing device 10 has detected a human body, the control unit 42 suspends transmission of the command signal from the transmitting unit 41b to the plumbing device 10. Then, after the receiving unit 41a receives the signal indicating that no human body has been detected, the control unit 42 releases the suspension and transmits the command signal from the transmitting unit 41b to the plumbing device 10.

[0057] As a result, when the plumbing device 10 is in use, the setting based on the command signal is put on hold, which makes it possible to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable. Also, the held-up transmission is automatically carried out after the user leaves, which reduces the burden on the administrator. Also, since there is no need to control whether or not to carry out the setting in the plumbing device 10, the control burden on the plumbing device 10 can be reduced.

[0058] Furthermore, when the receiver 41a receives a setting completion signal indicating that the setting related to the plumbing device 10 has been executed, the control unit 42 causes the manager terminal 50 to display that the setting has been completed. On the other hand, when the control unit 42 has suspended transmission of a command signal, the control unit 42 causes the manager terminal 50 to display that the setting has been suspended.

[0059] As a result, at least either "setting complete" or "on hold" is displayed on the manager terminal 50, allowing the manager to distinguish whether the setting of the plumbing device 10 has been completed or whether the setting is about to be executed. Also, for the plumbing device 10 for which transmission of a command signal was on hold, "setting complete" is displayed when the setting is completed, allowing the manager to confirm whether the setting based on the command signal has been executed.

[0060] Furthermore, if the hold continues for a predetermined time or longer, an abnormality is displayed on the manager's terminal 50. This predetermined time is, for example, about 30 minutes to 2 hours. This allows the manager to confirm that some abnormality has occurred due to the plumbing device 10 being in use for a long period of time.

[0061] The hold is released when a predetermined time has elapsed since the human body detection unit 12 stopped detecting a human body. This predetermined time is set to, for example, about 40 to 60 seconds. This allows the setting of the bathroom equipment 10 to be performed when the user of the bathroom equipment 10 is changed.

[0062] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a control process performed by the control unit of the management device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The control process shown in Fig. 4 is stored in advance in the storage unit 43. In Fig. 4, each step is indicated by "S", for example, "step 21" is indicated by "S21".

[0063] First, in S21, the presence or absence of human body detection is received and stored. That is, the control unit 42 monitors the usage state of each plumbing device 10. The control unit 42 receives the detection result of the human body detection sensor 12 of each plumbing device 10 transmitted from the communication device 20 at the receiving unit 41a and stores it in the memory unit 43.

[0064] In the next S22, it is determined whether or not a command signal from the manager terminal 50 has been received. That is, the control unit 42 determines whether or not the manager has operated the manager terminal 50 to transmit a command signal for executing settings related to the plumbing device 10 to the management device 40. Then, if it is determined that "YES" in S22, that is, that a command signal has been received, the process proceeds to S23. On the other hand, if it is determined that "NO" in S22, that is, that a command signal has not been received, the process ends. Note that the order of S21 and S22 may be reversed. That is, when a command signal from the management terminal 50 is received, the control unit 42 may obtain the usage state of the plumbing device 10. Then, in the next S23, the command signal is stored in the storage unit 43. That is, the control unit 42 stores the command signal received by the receiving unit 13a in the storage unit 43.

[0065] In S24, it is determined whether a human body has been detected. That is, the control unit 42 determines whether the plumbing device 10 is being used or not, based on the presence or absence of a human body detection by the human body detection unit 12 stored in the memory unit 43. Then, if it is determined that "YES" in S24, that is, that a human body has not been detected (the plumbing device 10 is not being used), the process proceeds to S25. On the other hand, if it is determined that "NO" in S24, that is, that a human body has been detected (the plumbing device 10 is being used), the process proceeds to S28.

[0066] In S25, a command signal is transmitted to the plumbing device 10. That is, the control unit 42 transmits a command signal for executing the setting instructed by the manager terminal 50 to the communication device 20 of the plumbing device 10. The plumbing device 10 receives the command signal from the communication device 20 and sets the setting value based on the command signal.

[0067] In the next S26, the setting completion signal is received and stored. That is, the receiver 41a of the management device 40 receives the setting completion signal transmitted from the plumbing device 10 via the communication device 20 and the network 30 as a result of the setting of the plumbing device 10 being executed. Then, the control unit 42 causes the memory unit 43 to store the received setting completion signal.

[0068] In S27, a setting completion signal is transmitted. That is, the control unit 42 causes the setting completion signal stored in the storage unit 43 to be transmitted to the manager terminal 50 via the network 30, and the process ends. This allows the manager to confirm from the management terminal 50 that the setting value of the plumbing device 10 has been set to the specified setting value.

[0069] In S28, the transmission of the command signal is suspended. That is, since the plumbing device 10 is in use, the control unit 42 suspends the transmission of the command signal from the transmission unit 41b to the plumbing device 10, and proceeds to S29.

[0070] In S29, a hold signal is transmitted. That is, the control unit 42 transmits the hold signal to the manager terminal 50 via the network 30. This enables the manager to understand that the plumbing device 10 is in use and therefore the execution of the setting is on hold.

[0071] In the next step S30, it is determined whether or not a human body has been detected. That is, the control unit 42 determines whether or not use of the plumbing device 10 has ended based on the detection of a human body (user) by the human body detection unit 12. Then, if it is determined that "YES" in S30, that is, that a human body has not been detected, the process proceeds to S31. On the other hand, if it is determined that "NO" in S30, that is, that a human body has been detected, the process proceeds to S33.

[0072] In S31, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed. That is, the control unit 42 measures the time from when the human body detection unit 12 of the plumbing device 10 has stopped detecting a human body. The predetermined time is set to confirm that the use of the plumbing device 10 has ended. That is, the predetermined time is a time to exclude a case where a user who is using the plumbing device 10 temporarily leaves the plumbing device 10. This predetermined time is set by experiment and simulation depending on the usage status and installation location of each plumbing device 10, and is set to, for example, about 40 to 60 seconds. Then, if it is determined that "YES" in S31, that is, that the predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to S32. On the other hand, if it is determined that "NO" in S31, that is, that the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to S30 and monitors whether a human body has been detected.

[0073] In S32, the hold is released. That is, the hold on the transmission of the command signal to each plumbing device 10 is released when a predetermined time has elapsed since the human body detection unit 12 stopped detecting a human body. The control unit 42 releases the transmission of the command signal that was held in S28. Then, the process proceeds to S25, where a command signal is transmitted to the plumbing device 10. This causes the plumbing device 10 whose setting was held to be set up. Then, in S26, a setting completion signal transmitted from the plumbing device 10 is received and stored. In this way, the hold is released when a predetermined time has elapsed since the human body detection stopped in S30, so that setting can be performed when the user of the plumbing device 10 changes.

[0074] In S33, it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed. That is, the control unit 42 determines whether a state in which a human body is detected (a state in which the plumbing device 10 is being used) continues for a long period of time. This predetermined time is set to indicate the possibility that some abnormality has occurred due to the plumbing device 10 being in a use state for a long period of time. This predetermined time can be measured, for example, from the human body detection in S24. The predetermined time is set by experiment and simulation depending on the usage status and installation location of each plumbing device 10, and is set, for example, to about 30 minutes to 2 hours. Then, if it is determined that "YES" is determined in S33, that is, that the predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to S34. On the other hand, if it is determined that "NO" is determined in S33, that is, that the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to S30 and monitors the human body detection.

[0075] In the next step S34, an abnormality signal is transmitted. That is, the control unit 42 transmits an abnormality signal indicating that the plumbing device 10 has been in use for a long period of time from the transmission unit 41b to the manager terminal 50, and the process ends. The manager can access the management device 40 from the manager terminal 50 to confirm that the abnormality signal has been transmitted. That is, if the hold continues for a predetermined time or longer, an abnormality in the plumbing device 10 is displayed on the manager terminal 50. This allows the manager to know that some kind of abnormality has occurred in the plumbing device 10.

[0076] In the second embodiment configured as described above, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to suppress discomfort to users of the plumbing equipment 10, and to enable the manager to efficiently set the setting values ​​of the plumbing equipment 10. Particularly in the second embodiment, since the management device 40 manages the usage state of the plumbing equipment 10, it is possible to reduce the control burden of each plumbing equipment 10.

[0077] In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the plumbing device 10 is described as a device installed in a public toilet TR. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the plumbing device may be a device installed in a public bath or the bathroom of each room in a hotel. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0078] In the above-described first embodiment, the management device 40 is described as a cloud server. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the control process performed by the management device 40 may be performed by the administrator terminal 50. That is, the administrator terminal 50 may have a control function for the management device 40. In other words, the administrator terminal 50 may directly manage the plumbing devices 10. In this case, the administrator terminal 50 is directly connected to each plumbing device 10 via the network 30. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0079] In the above-described first embodiment, when it is determined that a human body has been detected in S3, the hold signal is sent only once in S7. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the state in which the setting based on the command signal is held continues, and when the state in which it is determined that a human body has been detected in S8 continues, the control unit 14 may send the hold signal multiple times at a predetermined time interval. In this case, when the hold signal is not received for a certain period of time even though the setting completion signal has not arrived at the management device 40, the administrator can know that some kind of abnormality has occurred. This is also true for the second embodiment.

[0080] The above describes the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions. Any design changes made by a person skilled in the art to the above-mentioned embodiments are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they include the features of the present invention. For example, the shape, dimensions, materials, arrangement, etc. of each element of the water-related equipment management system 1 are not limited to those exemplified, and can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, each element of each of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined to the extent technically possible, and such combinations are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they include the features of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Water-related equipment management system, 10 Water-related equipment, 11 Equipment body, 12 Human body detection unit, 13 Communication unit, 13a Receiving unit, 13b Transmitting unit, 14 Control unit, 15 Memory unit, 20 Communication equipment, 30 Network, 40 Management device, 41 Communication unit, 41a Receiving unit, 41b Transmitting unit, 42 Control unit, 43 Memory unit, 50 Administrator terminal, 50a Mobile terminal, 50b PC terminal, 100 Remote control, TR Toilet room

Claims

1. A plumbing equipment management system that allows a manager terminal to configure settings related to plumbing equipment via a network, a management device that is an external device that is provided at a location away from the water-related equipment having a human body detection unit and that centrally manages settings related to a plurality of the water-related equipment via a network; The management device includes: a receiving unit that receives a command signal for executing settings related to the water-related device instructed by the manager terminal and human body detection information transmitted from the water-related device; A transmitter that transmits the command signal to the plumbing device; a control unit that controls the transmission unit based on the human body detection information received by the reception unit, The control unit is determining whether the plumbing device is being used based on the presence or absence of a human body detection by the human body detection unit of the plumbing device, and determining whether to transmit or withhold the command signal based on the result of the determination; When the receiving unit receives a signal that the human body detection unit of the plumbing device has not detected a human body, the transmitting unit transmits the command signal to the plumbing device, A plumbing equipment management system characterized in that, when the receiving unit receives a signal indicating that the human body detection unit of the plumbing equipment has detected a human body, the transmitting unit suspends transmission of the command signal to the plumbing equipment, and after the receiving unit receives a signal indicating that no human body has been detected, the suspension is released and the command signal is transmitted from the transmitting unit to the plumbing equipment.

2. The control unit is When the receiving unit receives a setting completion signal indicating that the setting related to the water-related device has been executed, the receiving unit displays on the manager terminal that the setting has been completed; 2. The plumbing equipment management system according to claim 1, wherein, when the transmission of the command signal is suspended, a message is displayed on the manager terminal indicating that the setting is suspended.

3. 3. The plumbing equipment management system according to claim 1, wherein if the hold continues for a predetermined time or longer, an abnormality is displayed on the manager terminal.

4. 4. The plumbing equipment management system according to claim 1, wherein the hold is released when a predetermined time has elapsed since the human body detection unit stopped detecting a human body.

Images