Work support method and program

Abstract

To provide a work support method capable of providing appropriate work support suitable for workers.SOLUTION: The work support method includes the steps of: receiving a piece of user ID information of a store user U and a work result data D3 that represents the work result of the store user U from a terminal device 10 of the store user; when the user rating of the store user U, which is evaluated based on the work result data D3 and the user ID information, is less than or equal to a predetermined first threshold value, transmitting a first guide for guiding a technique to acquire a piece of information of a part of cooling equipment 4 by a camera 54A of the terminal device 10 of the store user and a second guide for guiding a part of the cooling equipment 4 for acquiring information by the camera 54A the terminal device 10 of the store user as a piece of display information to be displayed on a display 53 of the terminal device 10 of the store user; and when the user rating is greater than the first threshold value, transmitting the second guide to the terminal unit as the display information to be displayed on the display 53 while omitting the first guidance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a task support method and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for assisting a worker in performing work according to a manual. Patent document 1 describes the system as having "a display unit which sequentially displays multiple images constituting a work manual showing work procedures for a work target, a detection unit which detects the timing for switching the image displayed by the display unit to the next image based on the user's actions, a measurement unit which measures the time for the display unit to display the image for each image based on the timing detected by the detection unit, and a generation unit which generates a new work manual with a reduced amount of information by reducing some of the information shown by the multiple images constituting the work manual in accordance with the display time for each image measured by the measurement unit." According to Patent Document 1, a work manual is generated in which the amount of information is reduced depending on the time it takes the worker to switch between each of the multiple images that make up the work manual (display time), so that a manual suitable for each worker is generated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-126292 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the amount of information in the work manual is appropriately reduced depending on the worker, but the work content itself does not change, and work support may not be appropriate for some workers.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a work assistance method and program that can provide appropriate work assistance suited to each worker. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to A work support method used in a work support system that supports a user's work related to maintenance and inspection of equipment, the method comprising the steps of: identifying a check area to be checked by the user when an abnormality is detected in the equipment; displaying a screen on the user's terminal device that instructs the user to take an image of the check area when the user satisfies a first condition; displaying a screen on the user's terminal device that allows the user to determine the state of the check area when the user satisfies a second condition; not displaying the screen on the user's terminal device that instructs the user to take an image of the check area; and transmitting the image taken by the user to a server. , a work support method. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, appropriate work assistance suited to each worker can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a refrigeration equipment management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a support screen G. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence between a user evaluation, a support screen G, and a guided task. [Figure 4] Block diagram showing the functional configuration of the cooling equipment [Diagram 5] Block diagram showing the functional configuration of the in-store device [Figure 6] A block diagram showing the functional configuration of a store user terminal device. [Figure 7] Block diagram showing the functional configuration of the management server [Figure 8] Sequence diagram of the cooling equipment management system when no abnormality occurs in the cooling equipment [Figure 9] Sequence diagram of the cooling equipment management system when an abnormality occurs in the cooling equipment [Figure 10] Flowchart of abnormality target processing [Figure 11] Flowchart of skill determination process [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a correspondence information table; [Figure 13] Flowchart of Cause Identification Process [Figure 14]Flowchart of skill update process DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] A first invention is a work support method used in a work support system that supports a user's work related to maintenance and inspection of a refrigeration equipment using a computer connected via a network to each of a refrigeration equipment having a first sensor that acquires measurement information including at least inside temperature information, and a terminal device that has a second sensor that acquires information different from the inside temperature information from the refrigeration equipment and a display and is operated by a user, the work support method receiving user ID information of the user and work result data indicating the work result of the user from the terminal device, and transmitting to the terminal device, as display information to be displayed on the display, a first guide that guides a method of acquiring information on a part of the refrigeration equipment by the second sensor and a second guide that guides the part of the refrigeration equipment whose information should be acquired by the second sensor, when a user evaluation of the user evaluated based on the work result data and the user ID information is equal to or less than a predetermined first threshold, a first guide is transmitted to the terminal device as display information to be displayed on the display, the first guide being transmitted to the terminal device as display information, and when the user evaluation is greater than the first threshold, the first guide is omitted and the second guide is transmitted to the terminal device as display information to be displayed on the display.

[0010] As a result, when the user evaluation is equal to or less than the first threshold, a user who can perform the work without the first guidance and who can perform the work only with the second guidance is not made to perform the wasteful work of the first guidance. On the other hand, when the user evaluation is greater than the first threshold, among the tasks guided by the work support, unnecessary tasks are not guided to a user who has obtained such a user evaluation, so that the workload related to maintenance and inspection can be reduced and the user can quickly complete the work.

[0011] A second invention is a work support method in which, in the first invention, when the user evaluation is greater than a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value, the first guidance and the second guidance are omitted as display information to be displayed on the display, and a third guidance that allows the user to determine the state of the work target in the refrigeration equipment is transmitted to the terminal device. This allows a user whose user evaluation is greater than the second threshold value to quickly determine the state of the task target by himself or herself, without carrying out the tasks of the first guidance and the second guidance.

[0012] A third invention is a work support method in which, in the second invention, when the user evaluation is greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold, the second guidance, which has simplified content of the guidance, is sent to the terminal device. This makes it possible to present the second guidance to a user who has obtained a user rating that is greater than the first threshold and equal to or less than the second threshold, while eliminating unnecessary information.

[0013] A fourth invention is the task supporting method according to the second or third invention, wherein the user evaluation is based on the number of times the task result data has been transmitted. This allows experience and track record of work performed on refrigeration equipment to be quantified by the number of times work result data has been sent, and this can be reflected in the user evaluation.

[0014] A fifth invention is a work support method according to the fourth invention, in which when the user evaluation becomes greater than the first threshold value or the second threshold value, the time required for the work is greater than a predetermined time, or the degree of agreement between the work result data and reference data is less than a predetermined degree of agreement threshold, the user evaluation is lowered. As a result, even if a user has received a user rating higher than the first or second threshold, if the time required for the task is longer than a predetermined time or the degree of match between the task result data and the reference data is less than a predetermined degree of match threshold, the user rating can be lowered to a level appropriate to the user's response to the task.

[0015] A sixth invention is a task support method according to any one of the first to third inventions, wherein the user evaluation is based on a valid count, which is the number of times a valid task has been performed by the user. This makes it possible to quantify experience and track record of work performed on refrigeration equipment by the number of times work result data was sent or the number of times it was effective, and this can be reflected in the user evaluation.

[0016] A seventh invention is the work supporting method according to the sixth invention, wherein the effective number of times is added according to a time required for the work or a degree of coincidence between the work result of the work result data and reference data. This makes it possible to count a valid number of times that reflects the level of the user's response to the task.

[0017] A tenth invention is a work assistance method according to any one of the first to third inventions, wherein the user evaluation is a proficiency level based on the number of times the work result data was transmitted, or the effective number of times that a valid task was performed by the user. This makes it possible to quantify user evaluation based on proficiency, which reflects experience and track record of work performed on refrigeration equipment.

[0018] A ninth invention is a work support method according to the eighth invention, wherein the proficiency level is increased each time the number of transmissions or the effective number of times reaches a predetermined number, and is decreased when the time required for the work is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, or the degree of match between the work result data and reference data is less than a predetermined degree of match threshold. This makes it possible to set a proficiency level that reflects the user's experience and track record of work performed on refrigeration equipment and the response level supported by the results of the user's work.

[0019] A tenth invention is the task support method according to the ninth invention, wherein the number of transmissions or the effective number of transmissions is tallied for each level of proficiency of the user when performing the task. This allows the user's work experience and track record to be accurately evaluated for each level of proficiency at the time of the task.

[0020] An eleventh invention is a task support method according to any one of the eighth to tenth inventions, further comprising lowering the skill level of the user when a predetermined period of time has passed since the task result data was obtained. This allows the user's skill level to be lowered accordingly in cases where the user's memory of the task has become hazy.

[0021] A twelfth aspect of the present invention is the work supporting method according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the user evaluation is made for each piece of refrigeration equipment ID information of the refrigeration equipment. This allows for an understanding of user evaluations for each piece of refrigeration equipment, enabling appropriate support to be provided.

[0022] A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is the work supporting method according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the user evaluation is performed for each device type of the refrigeration devices. This allows for an understanding of user evaluations for each type of refrigeration equipment, making it possible to provide appropriate support.

[0023] A fourteenth invention is a work support method according to the first invention, wherein the user evaluation is made for each piece of refrigeration equipment ID information of the refrigeration equipment and for each equipment type of the refrigeration equipment, and even if the user evaluation corresponding to the refrigeration equipment ID information of the refrigeration equipment is equal to or less than the first threshold, if the user evaluation of the refrigeration equipment of the same equipment type but different refrigeration equipment ID information is greater than the first threshold, the first guidance is omitted and the second guidance is sent to the terminal device. As a result, when receiving support for work on not only the same refrigeration equipment but also a group of the same type of refrigeration equipment, the user can receive support that matches his or her own user evaluation.

[0024] A fifteenth invention is a work support method used in a work support system that supports a user's work related to maintenance and inspection of a refrigeration equipment using a computer connected via a network to each of a refrigeration equipment having a first sensor that acquires measurement information including at least inside temperature information, and a terminal device that has a second sensor that acquires information different from the inside temperature information from the refrigeration equipment and a display and is operated by a user, in which the terminal device transmits user ID information of the user and work result data indicating the work result of the user, and when a user evaluation of the user evaluated based on the work result data and the user ID information is equal to or less than a predetermined first threshold, transmits to the terminal device, as display information to be displayed on the display, a first guide that guides a method of acquiring information on a part of the refrigeration equipment by the second sensor and a second guide that guides the part of the refrigeration equipment whose information should be acquired by the second sensor, and when the user evaluation is greater than the first threshold, omits the first guide and transmits the second guide to the terminal device as display information to be displayed on the display. According to the present invention, the same effects as those of the first invention can be obtained.

[0025] A sixteenth invention is a program for causing a computer of a work support system for supporting a user's work related to maintenance and inspection of the refrigeration equipment, the computer being connected via a network to each of a refrigeration equipment having a first sensor that acquires measurement information including at least inside temperature information, and a terminal device having a second sensor that acquires information from the refrigeration equipment other than the inside temperature information and a display and operated by a user, to execute a process of receiving user ID information of the user and work result data indicating the work result of the user from the terminal device, and transmitting to the terminal device, as display information to be displayed on the display, a first guide providing guidance on a method of acquiring information on a part of the refrigeration equipment using the second sensor and a second guide providing guidance on a part of the refrigeration equipment whose information should be acquired using the second sensor, when a user evaluation of the user evaluated based on the work result data and the user ID information is equal to or less than a predetermined first threshold, the first guide providing guidance on a method of acquiring information on a part of the refrigeration equipment using the second sensor and a second guide providing guidance on a part of the refrigeration equipment whose information should be acquired using the second sensor, and, when the user evaluation is greater than the first threshold, omitting the first guide and transmitting the second guide to the terminal device as display information to be displayed on the display. According to the present invention, the same effects as those of the first invention can be obtained.

[0026] A seventeenth invention is a program for executing a process of using a computer connected via a network to a refrigeration equipment having a first sensor that acquires measurement information including at least inside temperature information, and a terminal device having a second sensor that acquires information from the refrigeration equipment other than the inside temperature information and a display and operated by a user, to transmit user ID information of the user and work result data indicating the work result of the user to the terminal device of a work support system that assists the user in work related to maintenance and inspection of the refrigeration equipment, and when a user evaluation of the user evaluated based on the work result data and the user ID information is equal to or less than a predetermined first threshold, transmitting to the terminal device, as display information to be displayed on the display, a first guide that guides the user to a method of acquiring information on a part of the refrigeration equipment using the second sensor and a second guide that guides the part of the refrigeration equipment whose information should be acquired by the second sensor, and when the user evaluation is greater than the first threshold, omitting the first guide and transmitting the second guide to the terminal device as display information to be displayed on the display. According to the present invention, the same effects as those of the first invention can be obtained.

[0027] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a refrigeration equipment management system 1 according to this embodiment. The refrigeration equipment management system 1 is a system that includes a management server 3 and uses the management server 3 to manage refrigeration equipment 4 installed in a store 2 such as a supermarket or a convenience store. Refrigeration equipment 4 is a general term for refrigeration equipment and freezing equipment. In this embodiment, one or more freezer / refrigerated showcases, one or more refrigerators, and one or more freezers are arranged in store 2 as refrigeration equipment. These refrigeration equipment 4 are installed outside store 2, and receive a supply of refrigerant from a refrigeration machine having a compressor via refrigerant piping to cool items such as merchandise stored in each compartment. The refrigeration machine may be installed in a machine room in the store. Also, the refrigeration equipment 4 may include a refrigeration machine.

[0029] The store 2 is also provided with a store device 8 for store users U, such as the store owner or employees, who are users of the refrigeration equipment 4, to manage each refrigeration equipment 4, and the store device 8 is connected to a network 13 for enabling communication with each refrigeration equipment 4 and the management server 3. The store device 8 acquires operation data D1 (see FIG. 8) relating to the operating state from each refrigeration equipment 4 and transmits the data to the management server 3. The management server 3 then performs various management of the refrigeration equipment 4 using the operation data D1.

[0030] Here, the refrigeration equipment management system 1 of the present embodiment also functions as a work support system that supports the store user U in the work of maintaining and inspecting the refrigeration equipment 4. Specifically, the management server 3 of the present embodiment has a checking work support function that supports the store user U in the checking work to be performed on the refrigeration equipment 4 in which an abnormality has occurred.

[0031] The inspection work includes the work of checking the status of the parts, materials, and sections of the refrigeration equipment 4 in order to identify the cause of the abnormality in the refrigeration equipment 4. In the following, the target of the work is referred to as the "inspection section." The work of checking the status of the inspection section is referred to as the "status inspection work," and the "status inspection work" is distinguished from the above inspection work, which is included in the overall work.

[0032] In the status checking work, the store user U captures an image of the check area to obtain a captured image showing the status of the check area, and transmits the captured image as a work result of the status checking work to the management server 3. The management server 3 then determines the status of the check area based on the captured image of the check area, and identifies the cause of the abnormality occurring in the refrigeration equipment 4 based on the result of this status determination.

[0033] In addition, in the refrigeration equipment management system 1, a store user terminal device 10 operated by a store user U is provided in the store 2, and when the management server 3 supports the confirmation work, a support screen G, which is an example of display information, is displayed on the store user terminal device 10, and the support screen G provides guidance on various tasks in the confirmation work.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the support screen G. As shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, at least three support screens G are provided in advance: a confirmation area guidance screen G1, a position guidance screen G2, and a status check work guidance screen G3. Support data 83 for displaying these support screens G on the store user terminal device 10 is pre-stored in a data storage unit 80 (Figure 7) of the management server 3, which will be described later.

[0035] The check part information screen G1 is a information screen that informs the store user U of the check parts of the refrigeration equipment 4. In the illustrated check part information screen G1, the store user U is informed that the check part is a honeycomb (filter) disposed at the cold air outlet of a freezer / refrigerator showcase, which is an example of the refrigeration equipment 4.

[0036] The position guidance screen G2 is displayed after the check area guidance screen G1, and is a guidance screen for informing the store user U of the position of the check area in the refrigeration equipment 4. In this position guidance screen G2, the store user U is guided in an operation for having the store user U recognize the position of the check area by visual confirmation or the like (hereinafter referred to as a "check area recognition operation"). In the position guidance screen G2 shown in FIG. 2, as the check area recognition operation, an operation for photographing the cold air outlet (i.e., the arrangement position of the check area) with the store user terminal device 10 at an angle facing the honeycomb of the cold air outlet of the freezer / refrigerator showcase (in other words, a method of acquiring a captured image of the honeycomb, which is the check area), is guided. By having the store user U perform such confirmation area recognition work, the store user U can visually recognize the honeycomb arranged at the cold air outlet when taking the photograph, and even if the store user U does not know the location of the honeycomb, he or she can recognize that the honeycomb is installed at the cold air outlet.

[0037] The status check work guidance screen G3 is displayed after the position guidance screen G2, and guides the store user U to the status check work for the check area. Furthermore, this status check work guidance screen G3 also includes a graphical guidance display Ga that graphically guides the status check work for the check area. The status check work guidance screen G3 shown in FIG. 2 guides the work of photographing the honeycomb, which is the check area, with a camera 54A (described later) of the store user terminal device 10 as the status check work. Also, the graphical guidance display Ga illustrates the honeycomb of the cold air outlet that should be photographed. In this way, the status check work guidance screen G3 guides the check area (honeycomb) of the cooling equipment 4 that should be photographed by the camera 54A.

[0038] In such confirmation work support, after the store user U is presented with the confirmation area, he / she will carry out at least two tasks: a confirmation area recognition task instructed on the position guidance screen G2, and a status confirmation task instructed on the status confirmation work guidance screen G3.

[0039] However, if the store user U is familiar with the refrigeration equipment 4 to be worked on, for example because he or she has performed maintenance and inspection work many times, and already knows the location of the parts to be checked, it becomes cumbersome for the store user U to perform the work of recognizing the parts to be checked on the location guidance screen G2. Therefore, in the refrigeration equipment management system 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, when the user evaluation of the store user U regarding the proficiency level, etc. of the refrigeration equipment 4 to be worked on is higher than a first threshold value, the display of the location guidance screen G2 is omitted, so that the store user U does not have to perform the work instructed on the support screen G. In addition, by omitting the illustrated guidance display Ga on the status check work guidance screen G3, the guidance on the status check work guidance screen G3 is simplified, unnecessary information is eliminated, and information appropriate for the store user U is not provided.

[0040] Furthermore, when the user evaluation exceeds a second threshold value that is higher than the first threshold value, as shown in FIG. 3, both the position guidance screen G2 and the status confirmation work guidance screen G3 are omitted, and a status determination guidance screen G4 that guides the store user U in the work of determining the status of the pipe confirmation portion is displayed on the store user terminal device 10. This allows a store user U with a high user rating to quickly determine the condition of the area to be checked by himself / herself, without having to carry out the condition checking work normally guided by the checking work support, and to have the management server 3 identify the cause based on the result of that determination.

[0041] The refrigeration equipment management system 1 will be described in more detail below.

[0042] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the refrigeration equipment 4. As shown in FIG. The refrigeration equipment 4 includes a refrigeration equipment control unit 16, a refrigeration equipment sensor unit 17, and a communication unit 18. The refrigeration equipment control unit 16 includes a computer having a processor such as a CPU or an MPU, and memory devices such as a ROM or a RAM, and controls each part of the refrigeration equipment 4. The refrigeration equipment sensor unit 17 has one or more sensors (first sensors) and measures various information used to monitor the operating state of the refrigeration equipment 4. This type of information includes at least inside temperature information. Hereinafter, the various information measured by the refrigeration equipment sensor unit 17 will be referred to as "measurement information." The communication unit 18 transmits and receives information to and from the in-store device 8 via the network 13, and includes a transceiver having a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit.

[0043] The refrigeration equipment control unit 16 functions as a storage unit 21, a measurement information acquisition unit 22, an abnormality detection unit 23, and a data transmission control unit 26 by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory device. The storage unit 21 stores various types of information, and at least stores in advance refrigeration equipment ID information that uniquely identifies its own refrigeration equipment 4. The measurement information acquisition unit 22 periodically acquires the measurement information from the refrigeration equipment sensor unit 17 at an appropriate period. The abnormality detection unit 23 detects an abnormality in the operation of the refrigeration equipment 4 based on the measurement information. Specifically, for the physical quantities, properties, characteristics, etc. indicated by the measurement information, conditions (e.g., thresholds, numerical ranges, etc.) for regarding an abnormality as abnormality determination information are set in advance. Each time measurement information is acquired, the abnormality detection unit 23 detects an abnormality based on the measurement information and the abnormality determination information. Note that the abnormality detection unit 23 may be provided in other devices such as the store equipment 8 and the management server 3, instead of the refrigeration equipment 4.

[0044] Every time the data transmission control unit 26 transmits the measurement information acquired by the measurement information acquisition unit 22 to the store device 8, it adds the refrigeration device ID information and other appropriate information to the measurement information and transmits it as operation data D1 via the communication unit 18 to the store device 8. Furthermore, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit 23, the data transmission control unit 26 adds the refrigeration device ID information and other appropriate information to the abnormality detection result and transmits it as warning data D2 to the store device 8 via the communication unit 18. The abnormality detection result includes at least an error code indicating the abnormality.

[0045] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the in-store device 8. As shown in FIG. The in-store device 8 includes an in-store device control unit 30, a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a display unit 33, and is configured by, for example, a personal computer. The in-store device control unit 30 includes a processor such as a CPU or an MPU, and memory devices such as a ROM or a RAM, and controls each unit of the in-store device 8. The communication unit 31 communicates with the refrigeration equipment 4 and the management server 3 via the network 13, and includes a transceiver having a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit. The storage unit 32 includes a data storage device such as an HDD or SSD, and stores various types of information. The display unit 33 includes a display and displays various information.

[0046] The in-store device control unit 30 also functions as a data acquisition unit 35, a storage control unit 36, a data transmission control unit 37, and a display control unit 38 by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory device. The data acquisition unit 35 acquires the operation data D1 and the alarm data D2 transmitted by each of the refrigeration devices 4 via the network 13. The storage control unit 36 ​​stores the driving data D1 and the warning data D2 acquired by the data acquisition unit 35 in the storage unit 32. The data transmission control unit 37 transmits the driving data D1 stored in the storage unit 32 to the management server 3 at an appropriate timing. When the warning data D2 is stored in the storage unit 32, the data transmission control unit 37 transmits the warning data D2 to the management server 3 promptly and without delay from the timing of storage. The display control unit 38 controls the display of the display unit 33. When the alarm data D2 is acquired by the data acquisition unit 35, the display control unit 38 displays the abnormality indicated by the alarm data D2 on the display unit 33, so that the store user U can recognize the abnormality.

[0047] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the store user terminal device 10. As shown in FIG. The store user terminal device 10 is an information communication terminal device operated by a store user U, and for example, a portable terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet PC is used as the store user terminal device 10. As described above, the store user terminal device 10 is a terminal device through which the store user U receives confirmation operation support from the management server 3 when the store user U performs confirmation operation on the refrigeration equipment 4 in which an abnormality has occurred.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 6, the store user terminal device 10 includes a user terminal control unit 50, a communication unit 51, a storage unit 52, a display 53, and a work result detection unit 54. The user terminal control unit 50 has a processor such as a CPU or an MPU, and memory devices such as a ROM or a RAM, and controls each unit of the store user terminal device 10. The communication unit 51 communicates with the management server 3 via the network 13, and includes a transceiver having a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit. The storage unit 52 includes a data storage device such as an HDD or SSD, and stores various types of information. The display 53 displays various information such as the support screen G (FIGS. 2 and 3) acquired from the management server 3. The work result detection unit 54 detects the result of the work instructed by the management server 3 to the store user U on the support screen G. In this embodiment, a captured image is used as information indicating the work result, and a camera is provided in the work result detection unit 54 as a sensor (second sensor) for obtaining the captured image. The captured image by the camera 54A is stored in the storage unit 52.

[0049] Furthermore, the user terminal control unit 50 functions as a user ID information storage unit 57 and a confirmation operation execution control unit 58 by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory device. Such a program is recorded on a recording medium such as an optical disk or a semiconductor memory, or can be distributed via a telecommunications line such as the Internet.

[0050] The user ID information storage unit 57 stores user ID information that is identification information of the store user U. The confirmation work execution control unit 58 controls the reception and display of the support screen G from the management server 3, the acquisition and storage of the work results captured by the camera 54A, and the transmission of work result data D3 (see FIG. 9 ) to the management server 3. The work result data D3 is data that notifies the management server 3 of the work results for the work instructed on the support screen G. When the work result detection unit 54 acquires and stores the work results, the confirmation work execution control unit 58 generates work result data D3 including the work result (captured image) and user ID information of the store user U who performed the work, and transmits it to the management server 3.

[0051] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the management server 3. As shown in FIG. The management server 3 is configured by a server computer equipped with a processor such as a CPU or MPU, a memory device such as a ROM or RAM, a storage device such as an HDD or SSD, an interface circuit for connecting various peripheral devices, and a transmitting / receiving device for communicating with other communication devices via the network 13. The management server 3 functions as a server control unit 70, a communication unit 71, and an accumulation unit 72 as shown in Fig. 7 by the processor executing a program stored in the storage device. Such a program is recorded on a recording medium such as an optical disk or a semiconductor memory, or is made distributable through an electric communication line such as the Internet.

[0052] The server control unit 70 controls each unit of the management server 3, and the communication unit 71 transmits and receives information to and from other communication devices such as the in-store device 8 via the network 13. The storage unit 72 stores various types of information.

[0053] Moreover, the server control unit 70 functions as a data acquisition unit 76, a confirmation work support unit 77, a diagnosis processing unit 78, a maintenance and inspection instruction unit 79, and a data storage unit 80 by executing the above programs.

[0054] The data acquisition unit 76 acquires the operating data D1 and the warning data D2 transmitted by the in-store device 8 via the network 13, and stores them in the storage unit 72. The confirmation operation support unit 77 performs a confirmation operation support process for supporting a store user U in the store 2 to perform a confirmation operation on a refrigeration device 4 in which an abnormality has occurred.

[0055] The data storage unit 80 stores user authentication information 81 , a correspondence information table 82 , and assistance data 83 . The user authentication information is information for authenticating the store user U who is to be assisted in the confirmation work. As this information, appropriate information used for user authentication is used. The corresponding information table 82 is data for evaluating the user evaluation of the store user U. In this evaluation, the store user U's response level to work when an abnormality occurs is evaluated as a user evaluation for each refrigeration equipment 4 and for each model type of refrigeration equipment 4. The response level is also an index of the store user U's ability to understand the information shown on the support screen G (especially the confirmation parts on the confirmation part presentation screen G1) and to appropriately perform the status confirmation work guided on the status confirmation work guide screen G3 and the status determination work guided on the status determination guide screen G4, and increases according to the store user U's knowledge level, skill, proficiency, etc. regarding the refrigeration equipment 4. In this embodiment, the store user U's user evaluation is based on the proficiency of responding to an abnormality. In a response information table 82, which will be described later in detail, the number of times the store user U responded to an abnormality is recorded for each refrigeration device 4 and each model type, and the proficiency is evaluated based on the number of times. The support data 83 is various data such as the support screen G used to support the store user U in the checking operation.

[0056] The diagnostic processing unit 78 executes a diagnostic process to identify the cause of the abnormality occurring in the refrigeration equipment 4 based on the captured image of the checked area obtained by the store user U through the status checking operation, or based on the status of the checked area determined by the store user U. The maintenance and inspection instruction unit 79 transmits an inspection task to the store user terminal device 10 to deal with the cause according to the cause identified by the diagnosis processing unit 78, and instructs the store user U to perform the inspection task. In this case, if the inspection task requires specialized knowledge about the refrigeration equipment 4 having an abnormality and is difficult for the store user U to perform, the maintenance and inspection instruction unit 79 transmits a maintenance and inspection request from the communication unit 71 to the maintenance and inspection service provider 15 shown in FIG. 1 .

[0057] The maintenance and inspection service provider 15 is a provider that provides a maintenance and inspection service for the refrigeration equipment 4. As shown in Fig. 1, a provider terminal device 12 for receiving a maintenance and inspection request from the management server 3 via the network 13, and an engineer terminal device 11 are provided. The contractor terminal device 12 is a communication terminal capable of communicating with the management server 3 via the network 13 , and receives a maintenance and inspection request from the management server 3 . Furthermore, the maintenance and inspection service provider 15 has many service engineers E. The service engineers E have specialized knowledge about the refrigeration equipment 4 and are workers who perform maintenance and inspection work on the refrigeration equipment 4. The engineer terminal device 11 is an information and communication terminal used by the service engineers E when performing the maintenance and inspection work, and provides the service engineers E with various tools that support the maintenance and inspection work. When a maintenance and inspection request is sent from the management server 3 and received by the contractor terminal device 12, a service engineer E goes to the store 2 and performs maintenance and inspection work on the refrigeration equipment 4 using the engineer terminal device 11 to resolve the abnormality occurring in the refrigeration equipment 4.

[0058] Examples of maintenance and inspection work requiring specialized knowledge of the refrigeration equipment 4 include cleaning work involving disassembly of the refrigeration equipment 4 ("disassembly and cleaning"), part replacement, repair, and the like. On the other hand, examples of maintenance and inspection work that do not require such specialized knowledge include cleaning various parts inside the refrigerator such as the cold air outlet and cold air inlet of the refrigeration equipment 4, cleaning the filters housed in the main body of the refrigeration equipment 4, cleaning various parts inside the refrigerator or the surrounding area including the filters, removing foreign objects that are obstructing the flow of air through the cold air inlet, and removing foreign objects that are present in the surrounding area.

[0059] Next, the operation of the refrigeration equipment management system 1 will be described.

[0060] FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram of the refrigeration equipment management system 1 when no abnormality occurs in the refrigeration equipment 4. In the refrigeration equipment management system 1, the refrigeration equipment 4 periodically generates operation data D1 including measurement information at that time, and transmits the operation data D1 to the store equipment 8 each time the operation data D1 is generated. When the store equipment 8 receives the operation data D1, it accumulates it in the accumulation unit 32. Then, the store equipment 8 collectively transmits the operation data D1 accumulated in the accumulation unit 32 to the management server 3 at an appropriate timing. When the management server 3 receives the operation data D1 from the store equipment 8, it accumulates it in the accumulation unit 72.

[0061] FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram of the refrigeration equipment management system 1 when an abnormality occurs in the refrigeration equipment 4. When the abnormality detection unit 23 detects an abnormality in the refrigeration equipment 4, the refrigeration equipment 4 transmits alarm data D2 indicating the occurrence of the abnormality to the store equipment 8. When the store equipment 8 receives the alarm data D2, it promptly transmits it to the management server 3. When the management server 3 receives the alarm data D2, it executes an abnormality response process. In this abnormality response process, the management server 3 assists the store user U in the confirmation work, identifies the cause of the abnormality, and instructs maintenance and inspection work to deal with the cause.

[0062] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of such anomaly handling process. As shown in the figure, when the management server 3 detects an abnormality in the refrigeration equipment 4 by receiving alarm data D2 or the like (step Sa1: YES), it identifies candidates presumed to be the cause of the abnormality (hereinafter referred to as "potential cause") based on the operation data D1 of the refrigeration equipment 4 in which the abnormality is occurring (step Sa2). Any suitable publicly known or well-known technology can be used to identify the potential cause. Note that in step Sa1, the management server 3 may detect the occurrence of the abnormality through a report from the store user U via telephone, chat, or the like.

[0063] A location where the state should be checked to determine whether the candidate cause is the cause of the abnormality is associated with each candidate cause, and the location is set as the confirmation location. For example, when an abnormality in the temperature inside the refrigerator 4 is detected, frosting of the evaporator of the refrigerator 4 is listed as a candidate cause. In this case, the evaporator is associated as the confirmation location.

[0064] When the cause candidate is identified, the management server 3 performs the following confirmation work support process to support the store user U in checking the state of the check portion. That is, in the confirmation work support process, the management server 3 communicates with the store user terminal device 10, acquires the above-mentioned user ID information of the store user U who is going to perform the confirmation work, and authenticates the user based on the user authentication information 81 (step Sa3). Next, the management server 3 executes a proficiency determination process described later to determine the proficiency of the store user U corresponding to the user ID information (step Sa4), and then executes a cause confirmation process (step Sa5). In this cause confirmation process, with support from the management server 3 according to the store user U's proficiency, the store user U performs a state confirmation work or a state judgment work of the confirmation part, and the cause candidate is determined to be the cause of the abnormality based on the captured image of the confirmation part acquired in the state confirmation work or the result of the state judgment by the store user U.

[0065] The management server 3 determines the content of the maintenance and inspection work to address the identified cause (step Sa6), and instructs the store user U to perform the maintenance and inspection work by transmitting the maintenance and inspection work to the store user terminal device 10 (step Sa7). When the store user U performs the maintenance and inspection work, the work result of the maintenance and inspection work is transmitted from the store user terminal device 10 to the management server 3. The management server 3 diagnoses whether the maintenance and inspection work was performed normally or not based on the work result (step Sa8). If the maintenance and inspection work was not performed normally, an instruction to perform the maintenance and inspection work again is transmitted to the store user terminal device 10 together with information for supporting the maintenance and inspection work by the store user U. The store user U then performs the maintenance and inspection work again according to this instruction. The instruction to perform the maintenance and inspection work is repeated until the maintenance and inspection work is performed normally. Then, when the maintenance and inspection work is normally performed and the abnormality is resolved, the management server 3 performs a proficiency update process described later and updates the proficiency of the store user U (step Sa9). As a result, every time an abnormality in the refrigeration equipment 4 is dealt with, the proficiency of the store user U who has dealt with the abnormality is updated.

[0066] Next, the proficiency level determination process, the cause confirmation process, and the proficiency level update process in the abnormality response process described above will be described in detail.

[0067] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the skill level determination process, and FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the corresponding information table 82 referred to in the skill level determination process. As shown in FIG. 12, in one record 90 of the correspondence information table 82, user ID information, corresponding device information, skill level information, correspondence count information, and last correspondence date are recorded in association with each other. The corresponding device information records information on the refrigeration equipment 4 whose abnormality the store user U responded to, and here, the refrigeration equipment ID information of the refrigeration equipment 4 whose status was checked by the store user U and the device type of the refrigeration equipment 4 are recorded. The device type records identification information that identifies "equipment of the same type." "Equipment of the same type" refers to each refrigeration equipment 4 that can share the experience of checking the refrigeration equipment 4. For example, a group of refrigeration equipment 4 belonging to the same series, or each refrigeration equipment 4 having approximately the same structure and parts arrangement, are considered to be equipment of the same type. Also, for example, if the position of the checking part and the content of the status checking work of the checking part are common between two refrigeration equipment 4, those refrigeration equipment 4 can be said to be equipment of the same type.

[0068] The proficiency information is information on the proficiency level indicating the level of the user evaluation of the store user U. In this embodiment, the proficiency level is divided into three levels from "1" to "3," and the higher the value, the higher the proficiency level. The response count information is information that counts the number of times the store user U responded to the confirmation work for the cause of the abnormality for each proficiency level of the store user U at the time of the response. In this embodiment, the number of times is counted as the number of times that the store user U transmitted the work result data D3 of the work result. This response count information is updated and recorded in a proficiency level update process described later each time the store user U responds to a confirmation work, and the proficiency level, which is a user evaluation value, is also updated based on the result of the update record. The last response date is information on the date on which the store user U last performed a checking operation.

[0069] In the proficiency determination process, as shown in Fig. 11, the management server 3 determines whether or not there is a record in the corresponding information table 82 in which the user ID information of the store user U corresponds to the refrigeration equipment ID information of the refrigeration equipment 4 having an abnormality (step Sb1). If there is no record (step Sb1: NO), the management server 3 adds a new record in which the user ID information and the refrigeration equipment ID information correspond to each other to the corresponding information table 82 (step Sb2). In this case, according to the records in the corresponding information table 82, this is the first time that the store user U works on the refrigeration equipment 4 having an abnormality, so the management server 3 sets the proficiency level of the store user U to "1" (step Sb3).

[0070] On the other hand, if the determination in step Sb1 indicates that a record is found (step Sb1: YES), the management server 3 determines whether the last response date recorded in the record is within a predetermined period (step Sb4). If the predetermined period has passed since the last response date (step Sb4: NO), the management server 3 initializes (clears) the proficiency level and response count information (step Sb5), and sets the proficiency level to "1" (step Sb3). This allows the proficiency level to be initialized accordingly when time has passed since the last response date and it is highly likely that the store user U has forgotten about the confirmation work performed at that time.

[0071] If it is still within a predetermined period from the last correspondence date (step Sb4: YES), the management server 3 provisionally determines the proficiency level of the proficiency information as the proficiency level of the store user U (step Sb6). Next, the management server 3 determines whether or not a proficiency confirmation test (described later) is necessary (step Sb7), and if the provisionally determined proficiency level is the maximum (step Sb8: YES), it determines the provisionally determined proficiency level as the proficiency level of the store user U (step Sb9).

[0072] On the other hand, if the provisionally determined proficiency level is not the maximum (step Sb8: NO), the management server 3 acquires the maximum proficiency level (hereinafter referred to as the "maximum proficiency level for the same model") from among the records whose equipment type matches and whose last response date is within a predetermined period from the current date (step Sb10), and compares the provisionally determined proficiency level with the same model proficiency level (step Sb11). If the same model proficiency level is higher (step Sb11: YES), the management server 3 determines the store user U's proficiency level to be the same model proficiency level (step Sb12), and if the same model proficiency level is lower (step Sb11: NO), the management server 3 determines the store user U's proficiency level to be the provisionally determined proficiency level (step Sb9). As a result, the proficiency level of the store user U is determined to be a proficiency level that reflects the experience and track record of confirmation work performed on refrigeration equipment 4 of the same model type.

[0073] Through the above-described proficiency level determination process, the proficiency level of the store user U is appropriately determined based on the refrigeration equipment 4 experiencing an abnormality, the proficiency levels associated with each of the equipment types, and the period of time that has elapsed since the last response date.

[0074] FIG. 13 is a flowchart of the cause confirmation process. In the cause confirmation process, the management server 3 determines the guidance items to be provided to the store user U from the time the store user U is presented with the area to be confirmed to the time the store user U confirms the condition of the area to be confirmed, based on the level of proficiency of the store user U (step Sc1). As described above in Figures 2 and 3, in this embodiment, guidance by each of the support screens G, namely, the confirmation area guidance screen G1, the position guidance screen G2, the status confirmation work guidance screen G3, and the status determination guidance screen G4, are pre-set as guidance items. Then, in step Sb1, when the proficiency level of the store user U is "1" (corresponding to the case where the user evaluation in FIG. 3 is equal to or lower than the first threshold), guidance is determined to be provided by the check part guidance screen G1, the position guidance screen G2, and the status check work guidance screen G3. Furthermore, when the proficiency level is "2" (corresponding to the case where the user evaluation in FIG. 3 is greater than the first threshold value and less than or equal to the second threshold value), guidance using the position guidance screen G2 is omitted, and guidance using the confirmation part guidance screen G1 and the status confirmation work guidance screen G3 is decided. Furthermore, when the proficiency level is "3" (corresponding to the case where the user evaluation in FIG. 3 is greater than the second threshold value), the guidance provided by the position guidance screen G2 and the condition confirmation work guidance screen G3 is omitted, and guidance provided by the confirmation part guidance screen G1 and the condition determination guidance screen G4 is determined.

[0075] Next, while there are still guidance items that have not been presented to the shop user U (step Sc2: YES), the management server 3 transmits data of the support screen G corresponding to the guidance items to the shop user terminal device 10 (step Sc3).

[0076] As shown in FIG. 9, when the store user terminal device 10 receives the data of the support screen G from the management server 3, the store user terminal device 10 displays the support screen G on the display 53 and guides the store user U to the work instructed on the support screen G. This allows the store user U to understand the work that he or she should do. When the store user U finishes performing the work, the work result is captured by the camera 54A of the store user terminal device 10. Then, the store user terminal device 10 generates work result data D3 including the captured image of the work result and user ID information, and transmits it to the management server 3.

[0077] Returning to FIG. 13, when the management server 3 receives the work result data D3 from the store user terminal device 10 (step Sc4), it diagnoses the result of the work performed by the store user U based on the work result data D3 (step Sc5). In the example of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the work result of the confirmation part recognition work using the position guidance screen G2 or the status check work using the status check work guidance screen G3 is diagnosed in step Sc5. In this diagnosis, the management server 3 judges whether the work was performed appropriately, and if the work result is inappropriate, instructs the user to perform the work again until the work is performed appropriately. In this case, the management server 3 may support the store user U to perform the work appropriately by transmitting a support screen G that provides more detailed information about the work to the store user terminal device 10. It should be noted that, in step Sc3, when a support screen G that does not include a work instruction (for example, the confirmation part display screen G1) is displayed, the processes in steps Sc4 and Sc5 are skipped.

[0078] Next, if the cause can be determined based on the work results by the store user U (step Sc6: YES), the management server 3 ends the process as is, and if the cause cannot be determined (step Sc6: NO), the management server 3 returns to step Sc2 to present the next guide item and have the store user U continue the checking work. In the examples of Figs. 2 and 3, it is determined whether the cause has been determined based on the captured image of the checked area (honeycomb) acquired as a result of the work to check the condition of the checked area, or the result of the condition judgment (degree of dust accumulation on the honeycomb) made by the store user U in response to the condition judgment work.

[0079] In such a cause confirmation process, if the store user U performing the confirmation work has a high level of proficiency, some of the guidance provided by the support screen G (in the example of Figure 2, guidance on the location of the confirmation area provided by the location guidance screen G2) is omitted, so that the store user U does not have to perform the work according to that guidance. As a result, even when the store user U proceeds with the work with the assistance of the management server 3 for confirmation work, the store user U can only perform work that matches his / her own level of proficiency, and there is no need for the store user U to perform work that is unnecessary.

[0080] FIG. 14 is a flowchart of the skill level update process. In the proficiency update process, the management server 3 extracts the record of the store user U from the response information table 82, and updates the response count information and the last response date linked to the refrigeration equipment 4 on which the store user U performed work (step Sd1). Specifically, the number of transmissions linked to the current proficiency level of the store user U is added. As described above, in the present embodiment, in the anomaly response process, the number of transmissions of the work result data D3 transmitted from the store user terminal device 10 is added to the response count information.

[0081] Next, if the proficiency level of the store user U is not the maximum ("3" in this embodiment) (step Sd2: NO), the management server 3 determines whether the number of transmissions after the incremental update has exceeded a predetermined number (e.g., "5 times") in order to reflect the updated response count information in the proficiency level (step Sd3). Note that the predetermined number may be set to a different value for each proficiency level. If the number of transmissions exceeds the predetermined number (step Sd3: YES), the management server 3 increases the proficiency level of the store user U by one level (step Sd4), and updates the record of the store user U with that proficiency level (step Sd5). This allows the store user U to increase his / her skill level according to the number of times he / she performs a task. Even if the proficiency level is increased in step Sd4, the number of transmissions associated with the original proficiency level is not cleared but is maintained.

[0082] In the skill level update process, the appropriateness of maintaining the current skill level is judged, and if it is not appropriate, the skill level is lowered. In detail, when the store user U has the highest proficiency (step Sd2: YES), the management server 3 judges whether or not a proficiency confirmation test is required (step Sd6). The proficiency confirmation test is a test for confirming the appropriateness of the store user U's current proficiency. In this embodiment, the proficiency confirmation test is performed by evaluating the store user U's response to the task presented by the support screen G based on the task result in the task result data D3. Specifically, the management server 3 evaluates the store user U's response by comparing the task result of the store user U with reference data previously set for the task. The reference data is data indicating an appropriate task result, and appropriate data is set according to the content and type of the task. Then, when the degree of agreement between the reference data and the task result of the store user U falls below a predetermined agreement threshold (step Sd7: NO), the management server 3 lowers the proficiency by one level (step Sd8) and updates the record of the store user U with the proficiency (step Sd5).

[0083] However, when the proficiency level is lowered in step Sd8, the number of transmissions associated with the original proficiency level is not cleared but maintained. As described above, even when the proficiency level is raised in step Sd4, the number of transmissions associated with the original proficiency level is not cleared but maintained. Therefore, the next time the store user U finishes the work on the abnormality, the proficiency level is updated to a state where it is one level higher by the processing of steps Sd3 and Sd4, and the store user U can immediately return to the higher proficiency level. In addition, when the store user U returns to the higher proficiency level, a proficiency confirmation test is conducted based on the work result of the first work on the abnormality performed after the return. Therefore, if the store user U's response level does not match the higher proficiency level, the store user U will be promptly returned to a lower proficiency level that matches the response level at that time.

[0084] In the proficiency check test, the work time required by the store user U to perform the work may be measured, and the proficiency may be lowered if the work time is a predetermined time. The work time is measured based on the time from when the work is presented on the support screen G to when the work result data D3 is transmitted, for example.

[0085] Through the above proficiency update process, the proficiency level increases according to the number of times the store user U performs the task, and through the proficiency confirmation test, the proficiency level is maintained at a level appropriate for the store user U at that time. Therefore, in the task confirmation support by the management server 3, appropriate guidance appropriate for the store user U at that time is provided.

[0086] According to this embodiment, the following effects are obtained.

[0087] In this embodiment, when the proficiency level, which is the user evaluation of the store user U evaluated based on the work result data D3 and the user ID information, is greater than "1", the management server 3 displays the support screen G on the display 53 of the store user terminal device 10 and omits some of the multiple tasks to be guided (more precisely, the confirmation area recognition task: Figure 2). As a result, when the proficiency level is greater than "1," the store user U does not have to perform tasks guided by the inspection work support that are not necessary for the store user U's own proficiency level. This reduces the workload related to maintenance inspections when an abnormality occurs, and also enables the inspection work of the inspection area to be completed quickly.

[0088] In this embodiment, when the proficiency level, which is a user evaluation, is "1", the management server 3 transmits to the store user terminal device 10 a position guidance screen G2 (first guidance) that guides the check part recognition task (first task) for making the store user U recognize the position of the check part in the refrigeration equipment 4, and a status check work guidance screen G3 (second guidance) that guides the status check work (second task) for the check part. On the other hand, when the proficiency level is "2", the management server 3 omits the position guidance screen G2 (first guidance) and transmits the status check work guidance screen G3 (second guidance) to the store user terminal device 10. This prevents a store user U who is skilled enough to perform the work using only the status check work guidance screen G3 (second guidance) without being guided to the position guidance screen G2 (first guidance) from performing unnecessary work.

[0089] In this embodiment, when the proficiency level is greater than "2", the management server 3 omits both the position guidance screen G2 (first guidance) and the status check work guidance screen G3 (second guidance), and transmits to the store user terminal device 10 a status determination guidance screen G4 (third guidance) that allows the store user U to determine the status of the check area of ​​the refrigeration equipment 4. As a result, when an abnormality occurs in the refrigeration equipment 4, a store user U with a proficiency level higher than "2" can quickly determine the condition of the checked part by himself / herself without performing the work according to the normal guidance of the inspection work support, and can have the management server 3 identify the cause based on the determination result.

[0090] In this embodiment, when the proficiency level is "2", the management server 3 transmits to the store user terminal device 10 a status check work guidance screen G3 (second guidance) in which the guidance is simplified by omitting the illustrated guidance display Ga. This makes it possible to eliminate unnecessary information from the status check operation guidance screen G3 and provide information suited to the store user U.

[0091] In this embodiment, the management server 3 evaluates the proficiency level based on the number of times the work result data D3 is sent, so that the experience and track record of the confirmation work performed on the refrigeration equipment 4 can be quantified by the number of times the work result data D3 is sent, and this can be reflected in the proficiency level.

[0092] In this embodiment, when the proficiency level becomes "3" (greater than the second threshold), if the degree of match between the work result indicated by the work result data D3 and the reference data is less than a predetermined degree of match threshold, the management server 3 lowers the proficiency level by one level (Figure 14: steps Sd7, Sd8). As a result, even if the store user U receives a user evaluation of proficiency level "3," the user evaluation can be lowered to a level that matches the level of the store user's response to the work.

[0093] In this embodiment, the management server 3 adds proficiency each time the work result data D3 is transmitted a predetermined number of times, and decreases proficiency when the time required for the work is equal to or longer than a predetermined time or when the degree of match between the work result indicated by the work result data D3 and the reference data is less than a predetermined degree of match threshold. This allows a skill level to be set that reflects the experience and track record of the work performed by the store user U on the refrigeration equipment 4 and the response level supported by the results of the work.

[0094] In this embodiment, the management server 3 counts the number of times the work result data D3 is sent for each level of proficiency of the store user U at the time of performing the work, so that the experience and track record of the work can be accurately evaluated for each level of proficiency at the time of the work.

[0095] In this embodiment, the management server 3 lowers the proficiency level of the store user U by initialization when a predetermined period of time has passed since the last response date when the work result data D3 was last obtained. Therefore, when there is a high probability that the user has forgotten about the work, the proficiency level can be lowered accordingly.

[0096] In this embodiment, the management server 3 evaluates the proficiency level for each piece of refrigeration equipment ID information of the refrigeration equipment 4, and can therefore appropriately support the work according to the proficiency level of the store user U for each piece of refrigeration equipment.

[0097] In this embodiment, the management server 3 evaluates the proficiency level for each equipment type of refrigeration equipment 4. Even if the proficiency level corresponding to the refrigeration equipment ID information of the refrigeration equipment 4 is "1", if the proficiency level for refrigeration equipment 4 of the same equipment type but different refrigeration equipment ID information is "2", the location guidance screen G2 (first guidance) is omitted and a status confirmation work guidance screen G3 (second guidance) is sent to the store user terminal device 10. As a result, when receiving confirmation work support not only for the same refrigeration equipment 4 but also for a group of refrigeration equipment 4 of the same type, the store user U can receive support that matches his / her own work experience and track record.

[0098] The above-described embodiment is merely an example of one aspect of the present invention, and any modifications and applications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0099] (Variation 1) In the above-described embodiment, the proficiency level was evaluated based on the number of times the work result data D3 was sent, but this is not limited to the above. Instead of the number of times of sending, the proficiency level may also be evaluated based on the effective number of times indicating the number of times that the store user U performed effective work. This allows the store user U's level of ability to handle the work to be reflected in determining the proficiency level. In this case, the management server 3 may add the effective number of times according to the time required for the store user U to perform the task, or the degree of agreement between the task result of the task result data D3 and the reference data. This makes it possible to accurately quantify the store user U's level of ability to perform a task and reflect this in determining the proficiency level.

[0100] (Variation 2) In the above-described embodiment, when supporting the confirmation work, the management server 3 is configured to transmit data related to the display of the support screen G to the store user terminal device 10, but this is not limited to the above, and the data required to display the support screen G may be stored in advance in the memory or data storage of the store user terminal device 10. In this case, when supporting the confirmation work, the management server 3 sends information indicating the support screen G to the store user terminal device 10 instead of the data required to display the support screen G, and the store user terminal device 10 displays the support screen G on the display 53 based on this information.

[0101] (Variation 3) In the above-described embodiment, an example is given of a case where, when an abnormality occurs in the refrigeration equipment 4, the management server 3 is used to assist the store user U in checking the parts of the refrigeration equipment 4 related to the cause of the abnormality in order to identify the cause of the abnormality. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the management server 3 can be used to support appropriate maintenance and inspection work performed by the store user U.

[0102] (Variation 4) In the above embodiment, the case where the work of a store user U who is a user belonging to the store 2 is supported using the management server 3 has been exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the work of any user, such as a service engineer E, can be supported. For example, when supporting the work of the service engineer E, a support screen G is displayed on the display of the engineer terminal device 11 in accordance with a user evaluation of the service engineer E's proficiency, etc.

[0103] (Other variations) The functional blocks shown in Figures 1 to 7 are schematic diagrams in which components are classified according to the main processing contents in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and the components can be further classified into more components according to the processing contents. Also, one component can be classified to perform more processes.

[0104] 1 to 7 may be executed by one piece of hardware or by multiple pieces of hardware. Furthermore, the processing of each component may be realized by one program or by multiple programs.

[0105] The management server 3 may be configured as a computer system made up of a plurality of server computers, each of which may cooperate to realize the various functions shown in FIG. [Industrial Applicability]

[0106] As described above, the work support method and program according to the present invention can provide appropriate support suited to the worker, and can therefore be applied to various applications involving user work on refrigeration equipment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 1 Refrigeration equipment management system (work support system) 3 Management Server (Computer) 4 Refrigeration equipment 10. Store user terminal device 11 Engineer terminal equipment 13 Network 17 Refrigeration equipment sensor section (first sensor) 22 Measurement information acquisition unit 23 Anomaly detection section 53 Display 54 Work result detection unit 54A Camera (second sensor) 77 Verification Work Support Department 82 Support Information Table 83 Support Data D3 Work result data E Service engineer (user) U Store User (User) G Support screen G1 Confirmation area information screen G2 Location Guidance Screen G3 Status Check Operation Guide Screen G4 Status Judgment Guide Screen

Claims

1. A work support method for use in a work support system that supports a user's work related to the maintenance and inspection of equipment, comprising: When an abnormality in the device is detected, a check portion that the user should check is identified; When the user satisfies a first condition, a screen instructing the user to take an image of the confirmation region is displayed on the terminal device of the user; When the user satisfies a second condition, a screen for allowing the user to judge the state of the confirmation region is displayed on the terminal device of the user, and a screen for instructing the user to take an image of the confirmation region is not displayed on the terminal device of the user; The image captured by the user is transmitted to a server.

2. The work assistance method described in claim 1, wherein it is determined whether the user satisfies the first condition or the second condition based on the user's level of proficiency.

3. A work assistance system that assists a user in performing work related to the maintenance and inspection of equipment, comprising: When an abnormality in the device is detected, a check portion that the user should check is identified; When the user satisfies a first condition, a screen instructing the user to take an image of the confirmation region is displayed on the terminal device of the user; When the user satisfies a second condition, a screen for allowing the user to judge the state of the confirmation region is displayed on the terminal device of the user, and a screen for instructing the user to take an image of the confirmation region is not displayed on the terminal device of the user; The image taken by the user is transmitted to a server.

4. The work assistance system described in claim 3, wherein it is determined whether the user satisfies the first condition or the second condition based on the user's level of proficiency.

5. A program executed by a computer to assist a user in performing maintenance and inspection of equipment, comprising: When an abnormality in the device is detected, a check portion that the user should check is identified; displaying a screen instructing the user to take an image of the confirmation region when the user satisfies a first condition; When the user satisfies a second condition, a screen for allowing the user to judge the state of the confirmation region is displayed, and a screen for instructing the user to take an image of the confirmation region is not displayed; The image captured by the user is transmitted to a server.

6. The program described in claim 5, further comprising: determining whether the user satisfies the first condition or the second condition based on the user's level of proficiency.

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