Calculation device, control method, and control system

Abstract

To control the environment of a controlled space for each phase.SOLUTION: An arithmetic device includes a communication unit that communicates with an environment control device that controls the environment of a controlled space, a storage unit that stores a phase set, which is a plurality of phases whose transition order is set in advance, and an operation table, which is an operation command to the environmental control device for each phase, a phase management unit that manages phase transitions, and a command unit that outputs an operation command corresponding to the current phase to the environmental control device via the communication unit on the basis of the operation table.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a computing device, a control method, and a control system. [Background technology]

[0002] In spaces where people gather, such as offices, the environment is appropriately controlled so that people can work comfortably. The environment includes temperature, humidity, images, sounds, lighting, CO2 concentration, fragrance, and the like. As a method for appropriately controlling the indoor environment, for example, there is a method described in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses an indoor environment control system that is characterized by having a storage means for storing environmental information corresponding to each individual, a determination means for determining optimal environmental conditions for the room based on the environmental information of the person who has entered the room stored in the storage means, and a control means for controlling the temperature and / or humidity of the room according to the environmental conditions determined by the determination means. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 06-011170 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The invention described in Patent Document 1 does not allow for control of the environment for each phase. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A computing device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a communication unit that communicates with an environmental control device that controls the environment of a controlled space, a memory unit that stores a phase set, which is a plurality of phases whose transition order is set in advance, and an action table that is an action command to the environmental control device for each of the phases, a phase management unit that manages the transition of the phases, and a command unit that outputs an action command corresponding to the current phase to the environmental control device via the communication unit based on the action table. The control system further includes an operation input unit that receives an input operation, and a display control unit that outputs display information indicating the phase set and the current phase to which the phase has been transitioned, the phase management unit transitions the phase based on the input operation, and further includes an information acquisition unit that acquires sensing information from a sensor provided in the controlled space, and a state detection unit that detects a user's state using the sensing information, the storage unit further stores a state countermeasure table that is an operation command to the environmental control device in response to the detected user's state, and the command unit outputs an operation command to the environmental control device based on the state countermeasure table when the state detection unit detects the user's state. . A calculation device according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a communication unit that communicates with an environmental control device that controls an environment of a controlled space, a memory unit that stores a phase set, which is a plurality of phases whose transition order is set in advance, and an action table that is an action command to the environmental control device for each of the phases, a phase management unit that manages the transition of the phases, a command unit that outputs an action command corresponding to the current phase to the environmental control device via the communication unit based on the action table, an operation input unit that accepts an input operation, and a display control unit that outputs display information indicating the phase set and the current phase to which the transition has been made, and the phase management unit transitions the phase based on the input operation, and displays a display information indicating the phase set and the current phase to which the transition has been made in the controlled space. The device further comprises an information acquisition unit that acquires sensing information from a sensor connected to the device, a storage unit that records the sensing information as a sensing history, a status detection unit that detects the user's status based on the sensing information, a status learning unit that identifies a status precursor that is a precursor to the user's status using the sensing history at a time before the status detection unit detects the user's status, and a status precursor detection unit that detects the status precursor from the sensing information, wherein the memory unit further stores a status countermeasure table which is an operation command to the environmental control device to promote concentration, and when the status precursor detection unit detects the status precursor, the command unit outputs an operation command to the environmental control device based on the status countermeasure table. A computing device according to a third aspect of the present invention includes a communication unit that communicates with an environmental control device that controls an environment of a controlled space, a storage unit that stores a phase set, which is a plurality of phases whose transition order is set in advance, and an action table that is an action command to the environmental control device for each of the phases, a phase management unit that manages transitions of the phases, a command unit that outputs an action command corresponding to the current phase to the environmental control device via the communication unit based on the action table, an operation input unit that accepts an input operation, and a display control unit that outputs display information indicating the phase set and the current phase to which the transition has been made, and the phase management unit transitions the phase based on the input operation, and displays the transition of the controlled space. The device further comprises an information acquisition unit that acquires sensing information from a sensor installed between the user and the computer, a storage unit that records the sensing information as a sensing history, a fatigue detection unit that detects fatigue of the user based on the sensing information, a learning unit that identifies signs of fatigue that are signs of fatigue of the user using the sensing history from a time before the fatigue detection unit detects the user's fatigue, and a sign detection unit that detects the signs of fatigue from the sensing information, wherein the memory unit further stores a fatigue countermeasure table which is an operation command to the environmental control device to promote concentration, and when the sign detection unit detects the sign of fatigue, the command unit outputs an operation command to the environmental control device based on the fatigue countermeasure table. A calculation device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention comprises a communication unit that communicates with an environmental control device that controls the environment of a space to be controlled, a memory unit that stores a phase set, which is a plurality of phases whose transition order is preset, and an action table, which is an action command to the environmental control device for each of the phases, a phase management unit that manages the transition of the phases, a command unit that outputs an action command corresponding to the current phase to the environmental control device via the communication unit based on the action table, an operation input unit that accepts input operations, and a display control unit that outputs display information indicating the phase set and the current phase to which the transition has been made, wherein the phase management unit transitions the phase based on the input operation, the communication unit also communicates with a training device operated by a user, and the training device notifies the communication unit of an event ID based on the user's operation, the memory unit further stores an event table, which is an action command to the environmental control device for each of the event IDs, and the command unit outputs an action command by referring to the event table based on the event ID received by the communication unit. The present invention 5 The control method according to the aspect includes a communication unit that communicates with an environmental control device that controls an environment of a controlled space, a phase set that is a plurality of phases whose transition order is set in advance, before an operation table which is an operation command to the environmental control device for each phase; and a status countermeasure table which is an operation command to the environment control device in response to the detected user status. A storage unit for storing the an operation input unit that accepts an input operation; a control method executed by a computing device including: managing a transition of the phase; and outputting an operation command corresponding to the current phase to the environmental control device via the communication unit based on the operation table; outputting display information indicating the phase set and the current phase to which the transition has been made; transitioning the phase based on the input operation; acquiring sensing information from a sensor provided in the controlled space; detecting a user's state using the sensing information; and, when the user's state is detected, outputting an operation command to the environmental control device based on the state countermeasure table; Includes. The present invention 6 The control system according to the aspect includes an environmental control device that controls the environment of a controlled space, and a calculation device that controls the environmental control device, the calculation device including a communication unit that communicates with the environmental control device, a memory unit that stores a phase set, which is a plurality of phases whose transition order is set in advance, and an action table that is an action command to the environmental control device for each of the phases, a phase management unit that manages the transition of the phases, and a command unit that outputs an action command corresponding to the current phase to the environmental control device via the communication unit based on the action table. and an operation input unit that receives an input operation, and a display control unit that outputs display information indicating the phase set and the current phase to which the phase has been transitioned, the phase management unit transitions the phase based on the input operation, the arithmetic device further comprises an information acquisition unit that acquires sensing information from a sensor provided in the controlled space, and a state detection unit that detects a user's state using the sensing information, the storage unit further stores a state countermeasure table that is an operation command to the environmental control device in response to the detected user's state, and the command unit outputs an operation command to the environmental control device based on the state countermeasure table when the state detection unit detects the user's state. . Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, the environment of the controlled space can be controlled for each phase. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] A functional configuration diagram of a computing device and peripheral devices according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] Hardware configuration diagram of the computing device [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 shows an example of an operation table. [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example of a fatigue countermeasures table [Diagram 5] A diagram showing an example of a phase set [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of information displayed on a display device; [Figure 7] 1 is a flow chart showing the processing of a computing device during a conference. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart showing a learning process performed by a learning unit; [Figure 9] Functional configuration diagram of the arithmetic device and peripheral devices in Modification 7 [Figure 10] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a state countermeasure table in Modification 7. [Figure 11] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of an operation table in Modification 9. [Figure 12] Functional configuration diagram of a computing device according to a second embodiment [Figure 13] Training equipment configuration diagram [Figure 14] An example of an event table [Figure 15] 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the arithmetic device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an event table in a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] --First embodiment-- A first embodiment of a control device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 8. In this embodiment, the space to be controlled by the control device is a room, for example, a conference room.

[0009] (Functional configuration) 1 is a functional configuration diagram of a calculation device 1 and peripheral devices. An environmental control device 80, a sensor group 70, a display device 61, and an input device 62 are connected to the calculation device 1. The calculation device 1, the environmental control device 80, the sensor group 70, the display device 61, and the input device 62 are arranged in the same room. In this embodiment, a person who operates the calculation device 1 is called an "operator", and a person in the room is called a "user". However, a person in the room excluding the operator may be called a "user".

[0010] The display device 61 is a device, such as a liquid crystal display, that displays the video signal output by the arithmetic device 1. The input device 62 is a device, such as a mouse, a keyboard, and a button, that inputs an operation command to the arithmetic device 1. The operator looks at the display device 61, decides on an operation command to be given to the arithmetic device 1, and inputs the operation command to the arithmetic device 1 via the input device 62.

[0011] The sensor group 70 is a plurality of sensors including a microphone 71 and a camera 72. Sensing information obtained by the sensor group 70 is output to the arithmetic device 1. The microphone 71 acquires audio information in the room and outputs it as sensing information. The camera 72 outputs an image obtained by photographing the room as sensing information. The image photographed by the camera 72 may be a still image or a video.

[0012] The environmental control device 80 is a plurality of devices that control the indoor environment. The environmental control device 80 includes an image control device 81 that controls images displayed in the room, an audio control device 82 that emits sound in the room, and a lighting control device 83 that controls the lighting in the room. The image control device 81 includes, for example, a large liquid crystal display, an image playback device, and an image storage device.

[0013] Based on an operation command from the arithmetic unit 1, the video control device 81 reads out the video information stored in the video storage device, plays it on the video playback device, and displays it on the large liquid crystal display. The video playback device is, for example, a general-purpose computer, and the video storage device is, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). Note that multiple large liquid crystal displays may be installed in the room, and in this case, the same video may be displayed on each display, or different videos may be displayed on each display.

[0014] The sound control device 82 includes, for example, a speaker, a sound reproduction device, and a sound storage device. Based on an operation command from the arithmetic device 1, the sound control device 82 reads out sound information stored in the sound storage device, reproduces it with the sound reproduction device, and outputs it to the speaker. The sound reproduction device is, for example, a general-purpose computer, and the sound storage device is, for example, a HDD. The lighting control device 83 includes, for example, a light source and a controller. Based on an operation command from the arithmetic device 1, the lighting control device 83 has the controller set the light source to a specified color temperature and illuminance.

[0015] The arithmetic device 1 includes a communication unit 101, a phase management unit 102, a command unit 103, a voice information input unit 104, an operation input unit 105, a display control unit 106, an information acquisition unit 107, an accumulation unit 108, a fatigue detection unit 109, a sign detection unit 110, a learning unit 111, and a storage unit 14. The storage unit 14 stores an action table 141, a fatigue countermeasure table 142, a sensing history 145, a sign of fatigue 146, a first phase set 151, a second phase set 152, and a third phase set 153. The sensing history 145 and the sign of fatigue 146 are created by the processing of this embodiment, and the rest are stored in the storage unit 14 in advance.

[0016] The communication unit 101 communicates with the environmental control device 80 installed in the same room as the arithmetic device 1, by wire or wirelessly. The phase management unit 102 manages the transition of "phases," which are preset situations. For example, the phases may be three: "before the start of the meeting," "during the meeting," and "after the end of the meeting." The "during the meeting" may be further divided into "introduction," "detailed explanation," "discussion," and "summary." The phase management unit 102 transitions the phase based on at least one of the detection of a predetermined voice from the voice information in the room and the passage of time. The phase management unit 102 outputs a phase ID that identifies the current phase to the command unit 103. The command unit 103 outputs an operation command to the environmental control device 80 via the communication unit 101 based on a predetermined condition. The details of the processing by the command unit 103 will be described later.

[0017] The audio information input unit 104 acquires audio information in the room from a microphone 71 connected to the arithmetic device 1. The operation input unit 105 accepts input from an operator via the input device 62. The display control unit 106 outputs video information to be presented to the operator to the display device 61. The information acquisition unit 107 acquires sensing information from a group of sensors 70 installed in the room. The accumulation unit 108 accumulates the sensing information acquired by the information acquisition unit 107 in the memory unit 14 as a sensing history 145.

[0018] The fatigue detection unit 109 detects the user's fatigue based on the sensing information. In this embodiment, fatigue also includes a break in concentration. For example, the fatigue detection unit 109 may detect the user's fatigue state by analyzing the video image, which is the sensing information of the camera 72, to detect the user's yawning or dozing. If the sensor group 70 includes a vital sensor that measures the user's vital information, the vital information may be used to detect dozing. Furthermore, the fatigue detection unit 109 may detect fatigue based on the user's body movements, speech volume, and facial expressions.

[0019] The learning unit 111 identifies a sign of fatigue of the user using the sensing history 145 and records it in the storage unit 14 as a fatigue sign 146. The sign detection unit 110 detects a sign of fatigue of the user by detecting a feature matching the fatigue sign 146 from the sensing information. That is, the fatigue detection unit 109 detects the fatigue of the user by using known general fatigue features, whereas the sign detection unit 110 detects a sign of fatigue obtained from the sensing history 145. Note that the sign detection unit 110 may detect the fatigue sign 146 by limiting it to a user whose fatigue has been detected in the sensing history 145, or may detect the fatigue sign 146 without limiting the user.

[0020] The operation table 141 describes an operation command to the environment control device 80 that is predetermined for each phase. Specifically, a plurality of sets of a phase identifier, a command content to the video control device 81, a command content to the sound control device 82, and a command content to the lighting control device 83 are stored. The fatigue countermeasure table 142 describes an operation command to the environment control device 80 for taking measures against fatigue. The countermeasure against fatigue is to promote concentration, awakening, calming, and the like, and a command specified in advance is stored in the fatigue countermeasure table 142. The sensing history 145 is an accumulation of sensing information collected by the sensor group 70. The fatigue precursor 146 is information on the precursor of fatigue identified by the learning unit 111. The first phase set 151, the second phase set 152, and the third phase set 153 are recorded with a plurality of phases whose transition order is set in advance, and each has different contents.

[0021] (Hardware configuration) 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the arithmetic device 1. The arithmetic device 1 includes a CPU 11 which is a central processing unit, a ROM 12 which is a read-only storage device, a RAM 13 which is a readable and writable storage device, a storage unit 14 which is a non-volatile storage device, and an interface 15 which transmits and receives information to and from other devices.

[0022] The CPU 11 performs a calculation, which will be described later, by expanding a program stored in the ROM 12 into the RAM 13 and executing it. The calculation device 1 may be realized by a field programmable gate array (FPGA), which is a rewritable logic circuit, or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which is an integrated circuit for a specific application, instead of the combination of the CPU 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13. Furthermore, the calculation device 1 may be realized by a combination of different configurations, for example, a combination of the CPU 11, ROM 12, RAM 13, and an FPGA, instead of the combination of the CPU 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13.

[0023] The storage unit 14 is, for example, a HDD. The interface 15 is an interface for communicating with the sensor group 70 and the environmental control device 80. The interface 15 is a communication interface compatible with a communication protocol supported by the sensor group 70 and the environmental control device 80, and includes a communication module compatible with at least one of IEEE802.3, IEEE802.11, and IEEE 802.15.1, for example. The interface 15 may include an AD converter and a DA converter.

[0024] (Data Composition) Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the operation table 141. The operation table 141 is made up of a plurality of records, and each record includes a phase ID, video information, audio information, and lighting information. In the example shown in Fig. 3, the phase ID is expressed as a combination of "F" and a three-digit number. The video information, audio information, and lighting information each have their respective identifiers written therein, but the specific contents of the operation command, for example, in the case of video information, the name of a file in which the video information to be played is stored, may also be written.

[0025] 4 is a diagram showing an example of fatigue countermeasure table 142. Fatigue countermeasure table 142 includes video information, audio information, and lighting information. The information included in fatigue countermeasure table 142 is the information included in one record of action table 141 excluding phase ID information.

[0026] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a phase set, in which FIG. 5(a) shows the first phase set 151, FIG. 5(b) shows the second phase set 152, and FIG. 5(c) shows the third phase set 153. The first phase set 151 to the third phase set 153 have the same format, so the format will be explained using the first phase set 151. The first phase set 151 is composed of multiple records, and each record includes an order, a phase ID, and a transition condition. The order indicates the order of transition. However, the order information may be deleted in the first phase set 151, and transitions may be made in the order from the top shown in the figure. The phase ID corresponds to the phase ID described in the operation table 141. The transition condition indicates the condition for transitioning to the corresponding record. The first record is described as "-" because there is no transition condition.

[0027] In the example of the first phase set 151, there are three phases in total, and the first phase ID is "F001." It is also shown that when the time passes 10:00 a.m., the phase transitions to phase ID "F002," and when the time passes 11:00 a.m., the phase transitions to phase ID "F006." In other words, in the first phase set 151, the phase transitions occur only with the passage of time.

[0028] In the example of the second phase set 152, there are six phases in total, and the first phase ID is also "F001". It is also shown that if the time passes 10:00 a.m. or if the voice saying "The meeting will begin" is recognized, then the phase will transition to phase ID "F002", and if the voice saying "The break will begin" is recognized, then the phase will transition to phase ID "F003". It is also shown that if 15 minutes have passed since the transition to phase ID "F003", then the phase will transition to phase ID "F004", if the time passes noon or if the voice saying "The meeting will end" is recognized, then the phase will transition to phase ID "F005", and if the time passes 1:00 p.m. then the phase will transition to phase ID "F006".

[0029] In the example of the third phase set 153, the phase configuration is the same as that of the first phase set 151, but the transition conditions are different. In the third phase set 153, the transition conditions are all "user commands", and when the user commands a phase transition using the operation input unit 105, the phase transition occurs.

[0030] (Screen display) Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of information displayed on the display device 61. More specifically, Fig. 6(a) shows a screen display of the display device 61 before the start of the conference, and Fig. 6(b) shows a screen display of the display device 61 during the conference. First, the display control unit 106 displays identifiers of all phase sets stored in the storage unit 14, for example, names of the phase sets, on the display device 61 as shown in Fig. 6(a). When the operator operates the input device 62, the arrow D1 moves, and the operator further selects the selection button D2 to confirm the selection of the phase set.

[0031] When any of the phase sets is selected and the conference is started, the display control unit 106 displays a list of phases and transition conditions as shown in Fig. 6(b). An arrow D3 in Fig. 6(b) indicates the current phase. The display control unit 106 also displays a manual operation panel D4 at the bottom of the screen that allows the operator to manually operate video, audio, and lighting. When the operator operates the manual operation panel D4 via the input device 62, the command unit 103 transmits the specified command to the environment control device 80 instead of the specified operation.

[0032] (flowchart) 7 is a flowchart showing the processing of the arithmetic device 1. The arithmetic device 1 starts operation when an operator selects a phase set via the input device 62. In step S300, the phase management unit 102 reads the phase set selected by the operator and proceeds to step S302. Although not shown in the flowchart, at this point, the phase management unit 102 sets the phase order to "1."

[0033] In step S301, the command unit 103 transmits an operation command to the environment control device 80 based on the order of phases managed by the phase management unit 102 and the operation table 141. Specifically, the command unit 103 acquires the current phase ID from the phase management unit 102, reads the command contents for video, audio, and lighting corresponding to the same phase ID in the operation table 141, and transmits them to the environment control device 80.

[0034] In the next step S302, the phase management unit 102 judges whether the current order is the last phase in the phase set. For example, when the first phase set 151 is selected, a positive judgment is made in this step if the order is "3". If it is judged that the current order is the last phase in the phase set, the process in this flowchart is terminated, and if it is judged that the current order is not the last phase in the phase set, the process proceeds to step S303.

[0035] In step S303, the phase management unit 102 determines whether the fatigue detection unit 109 has detected fatigue of the user based on the sensing information. If it is determined that the fatigue detection unit 109 has detected fatigue, the process proceeds to step S304, and if it is determined that fatigue has not been detected, the process proceeds to step S305. In step S304, the command unit 103 transmits the command contents written in the fatigue countermeasures table 142 to the environment control device 80, and the process proceeds to step S305.

[0036] In step S305, phase management unit 102 determines whether or not sign detection unit 110 has detected fatigue sign 146 based on the sensing information. If it is determined that sign detection unit 110 has detected fatigue sign 146, the process proceeds to step S306, and if it is determined that fatigue detection unit 109 has not detected fatigue sign 146, the process proceeds to step S307. In step S306, command unit 103 transmits the command contents written in fatigue countermeasure table 142 to environmental control device 80, and then proceeds to step S307.

[0037] In step S307, the phase management unit 102 determines whether the transition condition for the current order in the phase set read in step S300 is met. If the phase management unit 102 determines that the transition condition is met, the process proceeds to step S308, and if the phase management unit 102 determines that the transition condition is not met, the process returns to step S303. In step S308, the phase management unit 102 advances the order in the current phase set by one, transitions to the next phase, and returns to step S301.

[0038] When steps S304 and S306 are executed, the respective operation commands are output, but the environmental control device 80 executes the operation based on the operation command only temporarily, for example, for a few seconds or several tens of seconds, after which the environmental control device 80 returns to the operation based on the operation command sent in step S301.

[0039] 8 is a flowchart showing the learning process by the learning unit 111 executed after the end of a conference. Before the learning process is executed, the accumulation unit 108 records the sensing history 145 in the storage unit 14 during the conference. First, in step S321, the learning unit 111 reads the sensing history 145 from the storage unit 14. In the following step S322, the learning unit 111 causes the fatigue detection unit 109 to detect all fatigue states for all time periods and all users recorded in the sensing history 145 as processing targets, and proceeds to step S323. For example, the detection result in step S322 is that the user at the coordinates (x1, y1) is dozing at time t1, and the user at the coordinates (x2, y2) is yawning at time t2.

[0040] In step S323, the learning unit 111 selects an unprocessed fatigue state detected in step S322. In the following step S324, the learning unit 111 identifies a characteristic movement of the same user as a "precursor to fatigue" by using the sensing history 145 going back to the time when the fatigue state selected in step S323 was detected. For example, this movement is a movement that was not detected a predetermined time before the time when the fatigue state was detected, for example, 10 minutes before, and was detected multiple times within a predetermined time after the time when the fatigue state was detected. In the following step S325, the learning unit 111 records the precursor to fatigue detected in step S324 in the storage unit 14.

[0041] In the following step S326, the learning unit 111 determines whether or not all of the fatigue states detected in step S322 have been processed. If it is determined that all of the fatigue states have been processed, the processing shown in FIG. 8 is terminated, and if it is determined that there are any unprocessed fatigue states, the processing returns to step S323.

[0042] According to the above-described first embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained. (1) The arithmetic device 1 includes a communication unit 101 that communicates with an environmental control device 80 that controls the indoor environment, a memory unit 14 that stores a phase set, which is a plurality of phases whose transition order is set in advance, and an action table 141 that is an action command to the environmental control device for each phase, a phase management unit 102 that manages the phase transitions, and a command unit 103 that outputs an action command corresponding to the current phase to the environmental control device 80 via the communication unit 101 based on the action table 141. Therefore, the environment of the controlled space can be controlled for each phase.

[0043] (2) The environmental control device 80 includes at least one of an image control device 81 that controls an image displayed in the room, an audio control device 82 that emits sound in the room, and a lighting control device 83 that controls lighting in the room. Therefore, the calculation device 1 can control the image, sound, and lighting in the room in accordance with the progress of the phase.

[0044] (3) The calculation device 1 includes a voice information input unit 104 that captures voice information in the room. The phase management unit 102 detects a predetermined voice from the voice information in the room and transitions the phase based on at least one of the passage of time. Therefore, the phase can be transitioned by a variety of methods.

[0045] (4) The arithmetic device 1 includes an operation input unit 105 that receives an input operation, and a display control unit 106 that outputs display information indicating a phase set and a current phase to which the phase has been transitioned. The phase management unit 102 transitions the phase based on the input operation. This allows the operator to transition the phase at any timing.

[0046] (5) The arithmetic device 1 includes an information acquisition unit 107 that acquires sensing information from a sensor installed in a room, and a fatigue detection unit 109 that detects fatigue of the user using the sensing information. The memory unit 14 stores a fatigue countermeasure table 142 that is an operation command to the environment control device 80 for reducing fatigue. When the fatigue detection unit 109 detects fatigue of the user, the command unit 103 temporarily changes the operation command. Therefore, it is possible to detect the state of the user and create an environment that serves as a countermeasure against fatigue.

[0047] (6) The arithmetic device 1 includes an accumulation unit 108 that records sensing information as a sensing history 145, a fatigue detection unit 109 that detects fatigue of the user based on the sensing information, a learning unit 111 that identifies a fatigue sign that is a sign of fatigue of the user using the sensing history 145 at a time before the fatigue detection unit 109 detects fatigue of the user, and a sign detection unit 110 that detects the fatigue sign from the sensing information. The memory unit 14 stores a fatigue countermeasure table 142 that is an operation command to the environment control device 80 for promoting concentration. When the sign detection unit 110 detects a fatigue sign, the command unit 103 outputs an operation command to the environment control device 80 based on the fatigue countermeasure table 142. Therefore, the signs of fatigue can be learned and countermeasures can be taken before a state of fatigue is observed.

[0048] (7) A plurality of phase sets are stored in the memory unit 14. The calculation device 1 includes an operation input unit 105 to which a user inputs an instruction to select a phase set. The phase management unit 102 selects one phase set from the plurality of phase sets based on an input to the operation input unit 105, and manages the phase transition.

[0049] (Variation 1) The computing device 1 may not include the storage unit 108, the fatigue detection unit 109, and the sign detection unit 110. In this case, it is not possible to detect the fatigue of the user or the signs of fatigue, but it is possible to control the environment for each phase. In this case, the sensor group 70 may not include the camera 72.

[0050] (Variation 2) In the above-described first embodiment, three phase sets are stored in the storage unit 14. However, it is sufficient that at least one phase set is stored in the storage unit 14. When only one phase set is stored in the storage unit 14, there is no choice of which phase set to use, and therefore the calculation device 1 does not need to include the operation input unit 105. Furthermore, in this case, the display control unit 106 does not need to be included.

[0051] (Variation 3) In the first embodiment described above, when the fatigue detection section 109 detects fatigue and when the sign detection section 110 detects a fatigue sign 146, the instruction contents recorded in the fatigue countermeasure table 142 are transmitted to the environmental control device 80. However, different instructions may be transmitted to the environmental control device 80 in the two cases. In this case, for example, instructions for dealing with the signs of fatigue are newly recorded in the memory section 14 as a sign countermeasure table, and when the sign detection section 110 detects a fatigue sign 146, the contents of this sign countermeasure table are transmitted to the environmental control device 80.

[0052] (Variation 4) The sensor group 70 may include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a carbon dioxide concentration sensor. In this case, the fatigue detection unit 109 may use the sensing information of the temperature sensor, the humidity sensor, and the carbon dioxide concentration sensor to detect fatigue.

[0053] (Variation 5) The operation command to the video control device 81 may further include at least one of a designation of the projection timing, a designation of the projection surface, and a designation of the projection time. The operation command to the audio control device 82 may further include an individual designation of the volume. The environment control device 80 includes an air conditioning control device capable of adjusting temperature, humidity, and fragrance, and the operation command to this air conditioning control device may include room temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, air conditioning wind speed, air conditioning wind direction, fragrance, etc.

[0054] (Variation 6) The space controlled by the environmental control device 80 is not limited to a conference room. The environmental control device 80 may control a training room, an office room, a museum, a gymnasium, a department store, a movie theater, a room in a theme park, or the like.

[0055] (Variation 7) In the first embodiment described above, the arithmetic device 1 includes the fatigue detection unit 109 that detects the fatigue of the user by using the sensing information. However, the arithmetic device 1 may detect the excitement or awakening of the user. The excitement is detected, for example, based on at least one of the following: the volume of the user's speech exceeds a predetermined threshold, the pulse rate per minute exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the degree of pupil dilation exceeds a predetermined threshold. The awakening is detected, for example, based on at least one of the volume of the user's speech within a predetermined range, the body movement of the user within a predetermined range, and the pulse rate within a predetermined range.

[0056] In this case, the volume of speech can be determined using the output of microphone 71, and the pulse rate can be calculated using the output of a vital sensor (not shown) worn by each user, or using the image captured by camera 72. The degree of pupil dilation can be calculated using the image captured by camera 72, or using the image captured by an infrared camera (not shown). Body movement can be calculated using the image captured by camera 72. In this modification, since the arithmetic device 1 detects not only the user's fatigue but also excitement and wakefulness, it can be said to be equipped with a state detection unit 109A that detects the user's state instead of fatigue detection unit 109.

[0057] Fig. 9 is a functional configuration diagram of the arithmetic device 1 and peripheral devices in this modified example. The difference from Fig. 1 is that a state detection unit 109A is provided instead of the fatigue detection unit 109, a state sign detection unit 110A is provided instead of the sign detection unit 110, and a state learning unit 111A is provided instead of the learning unit 111. Also, the memory unit 14 stores a state countermeasure table 142A instead of the fatigue countermeasure table 142, and stores a state sign 146A instead of the fatigue sign 146. The difference between the fatigue detection unit 109 and the state detection unit 109A is as described above, and in addition to the function of the fatigue detection unit 109, the state detection unit 109A detects excitement and arousal.

[0058] The state learning unit 111A identifies a state sign 146A that is a sign of the user's state, using the sensing history 145 at a time before the state detection unit 109A detects the user's state. The state sign detection unit 110A detects the state sign 146A from the sensing information. The state countermeasure table 142A includes the fatigue countermeasure table 142, and further includes an operation command to the environment control device 80 corresponding to each of excitement and awakening. When the state detection unit 109A detects the user's state, the command unit 103 outputs an operation command to the environment control device 80 based on the detected user's state and the state countermeasure table 142A.

[0059] 10 is a diagram showing an example of the state countermeasure table 142A. The state countermeasure table 142A includes operation commands to the environment control device 80 corresponding to each state of the user detected by the state detection unit 109A, specifically, fatigue, excitement, and awakening.

[0060] (Variation 8) In the first embodiment described above, as explained with reference to FIG. 7, the detection of the signs of fatigue is performed after the detection of fatigue. However, the relationship between the two is not limited to this. In FIG. 7, assuming that steps S303 and S304 are the first set and steps S305 and S306 are the second set, the timing of execution of the first set and the second set may be arbitrary. In other words, there may be a case where the process proceeds to step S307 without executing steps S305 and S306 after step S304, or the process proceeds to step S305 without executing steps S303 and S304 if a negative determination is made in step S307.

[0061] (Variation 9) In the first embodiment described above, the operation commands to the environmental control device 80 listed in the operation table 141 are uniquely identified by the phase managed by the phase management unit 102. However, the operation commands to the environmental control device 80 may be identified not only by the phase but also by a combination with at least one of the season, weather, time period, and attributes of people present in the controlled space.

[0062] The season is one of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and is set using a calendar function (not shown) built into the arithmetic device 1. The weather is, for example, one of sunny, cloudy, and rainy, and is set by the arithmetic device 1 based on sensing information obtained from the sensor group 70, or by acquiring weather information from the Internet using an Internet communication unit (not shown). The time period is, for example, one of morning, 13:00 to 15:00, 15:00 to 17:00, 17:00 to 19:00, and after 19:00, and is set using a clock function (not shown) built into the arithmetic device 1. The attributes of people existing in the controlled space are, for example, managerial position or general position, and may be determined based on age group from the image captured by the camera 72, or may be set in advance by the operator.

[0063] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the operation table 141A in this modified example. In the operation table 141A, operation commands to the environmental control device 80 are stored for each phase in the combination of season, weather, time period, and attributes of people existing in the controlled space. However, for convenience of drawing, in FIG. 11, the attributes of people existing in the controlled space are described as "participant attributes". Also, since there are a huge number of combinations of season, weather, time period, and participant attributes, only a part of them is described in FIG. 11. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the operation commands to the environmental control device 80 for each combination are different, but the same operation commands may exist. The operation table 141A is also created in advance.

[0064] In this modified example, the command unit 103 refers to the operation table 141A based on the phase and the season, weather, time period, and attributes of people present in the controlled space contained in the operation table 141A, and outputs an operation command to the environmental control device 80 via the communication unit 101.

[0065] --Second embodiment-- A second embodiment of the control device will be described with reference to Figs. 12 to 15. In the following description, the same components as in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and differences will be mainly described. Points that are not particularly described are the same as in the first embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in that a training device used by a user for training is connected to the arithmetic device.

[0066] Fig. 12 is a functional configuration diagram of a calculation device 1A in the second embodiment. In addition to the configuration of the calculation device 1 in the first embodiment, an event table 147 is further stored in the storage unit 14 of the calculation device 1A. Also, the operation of the command unit 103 is partially different. However, in Fig. 12, the sensor group 70 and the environmental control device 80 are simplified for convenience of drawing.

[0067] (Training equipment) 13 is a configuration diagram of a training device 700. The training device 700 includes a training calculation unit 710, a training input unit 720, a training output unit 730, and a training communication unit 740. The training calculation unit 710 includes a training CPU 711 which is a central processing unit, a training ROM 712 which is a read-only storage device, and a training RAM 713 which is a readable and writable storage device. The training CPU 711 loads a program stored in the training ROM 712 into the training RAM 713 and executes it to perform calculations described below.

[0068] The training input unit 720 is an interface, such as a mouse or a keyboard, through which the user inputs commands to the training device 700. The training output unit 730 is a device, such as a liquid crystal display, through which the training device 700 presents information to the user. However, the training input unit 720 and the training output unit 730 may be integrated into one unit, such as a touch panel. The training communication unit 740 is a device, such as a network interface card, that communicates with the arithmetic device 1A wirelessly or via a wire.

[0069] In the training program executed by the training calculation unit 710, an event card is selected based on a user's operation. The training program has an element of a sugoroku game, and the user's piece is moved by a means including a random element such as dice or roulette. When the user's piece stops on a square where an event occurs, an event card is randomly selected by the training calculation unit 710. Information on the selected event card is presented to the user via the training output unit 730, and an identifier of the selected event card is transmitted to the calculation device 1A as a card ID.

[0070] 14 is a diagram showing an example of the event table 147. In the event table 147, an operation command to the environment control device 80 that is predetermined for each event ID is described. Specifically, a plurality of sets of an event ID, command contents to the video control device 81, command contents to the audio control device 82, and command contents to the lighting control device 83 are stored.

[0071] (flowchart) Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing the operation of the arithmetic device 1A in the second embodiment. The difference from the operation shown in Fig. 7 in the first embodiment is that steps S331 to S333 are added between steps S306 and S307. The differences from Fig. 7 will be described below.

[0072] In step S331, which is executed next after step S306, the command unit 103 determines whether or not card ID information has been received from the training device 700. If the command unit 103 determines that card ID information has been received, the process proceeds to step S332, and if the command unit 103 determines that card ID information has not been received, the process proceeds to step S307. In step S332, the command unit 103 searches the event table 147 for a record including the received card ID.

[0073] In the next step S333, the command unit 103 transmits the operation command described in the record searched for in step S332 to the environmental control device 80, and the process proceeds to step S307. For example, if the received card ID is "E004", "V804", "M804", and "L804" are transmitted to the environmental control device 80. The process from step S307 onwards is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described.

[0074] According to the above-described second embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained. (8) The communication unit 101 also communicates with the training device 700 operated by the user. The training device 700 notifies the communication unit 101 of an event ID based on the user's operation. The memory unit 14 stores an event table 147 which is an operation command to the environmental control device for each event ID. The command unit 103 temporarily changes the operation command to be output to the environmental control device 80 by referring to the event table 147 based on the event ID received by the communication unit 101. Therefore, the environment can be controlled in accordance with changes in the training situation on the training device 700, and efficient training using the training device 700 becomes possible.

[0075] (Modification 1 of the second embodiment) For example, the number of phases may be 12: (1) gathering (entering the room), (2) orientation, (3) sharing project profile, (4) introduction, (5) Pre-project, (6) E design, (7) P procurement, (8) C on-site construction, (9) break, (10) review, (11) filling out questionnaire, (12) dismissal. In this case, (1) is classified as before the start of the training, (2)-(3) are classified as the opening of the training, (4)-(10) are classified as during the training, and (11)-(12) are classified as the closing of the training.

[0076] The contents of the phase set stored in the storage unit 14 are changed according to the number of phases. In addition, the command contents to the environmental control device 80 in each phase stored in the operation table 141 are preset to impress each phase, to remind the user of the progress of each phase, and to encourage the user to take action for each phase.

[0077] (Modification 2 of the second embodiment) In the second embodiment described above, the events in the training are identified only by the event ID. However, the events may be identified by a combination of the event ID and the phase. In this case, there are multiple records with the same card ID in the event table 147A, and the record in the event table 147A is identified by combining the card ID with the phase.

[0078] 16 is a diagram showing an example of event table 147A in the modified example. Compared with event table 147 in the second embodiment, a field for phase is added. Command unit 103 identifies a record in event table 147A by using the received card ID and the phase ID output from phase management unit 102.

[0079] In each of the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications, the configuration of the functional blocks is merely an example. Some functional configurations shown as separate functional blocks may be integrated, or a configuration shown in one functional block diagram may be divided into two or more functions. In addition, some of the functions of each functional block may be provided by other functional blocks.

[0080] In the above-described embodiments and modifications, the programs are stored in a ROM (not shown), but the programs may be stored in the storage unit 14. The arithmetic device 1 may have an input / output interface (not shown), and the programs may be read from another device via the input / output interface and a medium available to the arithmetic device 1 when necessary. The medium here refers to, for example, a storage medium that is detachable from the input / output interface, or a communication medium, i.e., a network such as a wired, wireless, or optical network, or a carrier wave or digital signal that propagates through the network. Some or all of the functions realized by the programs may be realized by a hardware circuit or an FPGA.

[0081] The above-mentioned embodiments and modifications may be combined with each other. Although various embodiments and modifications have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these. Other aspects that are conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1, 1A…Arithmetic device 14...Storage section 80...Environmental control device 81...Image control device 82...Audio control device 83...Light control device 101…Communications Department 102…Phase Management Department 103...Command Department 104...Voice information input section 105...Operation input section 106...Display control unit 107…Information acquisition department 108…Storage section 109…Fatigue detection unit 110…Precursor detection unit 111…Learning Department 141…Operation table 142…Fatigue Countermeasures Table 145…Sensing history 146... Signs of fatigue 147, 147A…Event table 147A…Event List 151…First Phase Set 152…2nd Phase Set 153…3rd Phase Set 700…Training equipment

Claims

1. A communication unit that communicates with an environmental control device that controls the environment of a controlled space; a storage unit that stores a phase set, which is a plurality of phases whose transition order is set in advance, and an operation table, which is an operation command to the environmental control device for each of the phases; a phase management unit that manages the transition of the phase; a command unit that outputs an operation command corresponding to the current phase to the environmental control device via the communication unit based on the operation table; an operation input unit that accepts an input operation; a display control unit that outputs display information indicating the phase set and the current phase to which the phase has been transitioned; The phase management unit transitions the phase based on the input operation, an information acquisition unit that acquires sensing information from a sensor provided in the controlled space; a storage unit that records the sensing information as a sensing history; a state detection unit that detects a state of a user based on the sensing information; a state learning unit that identifies a state sign that is a sign of the user's state by using the sensing history at a time before the state detection unit detects the user's state; a condition sign detection unit that detects the condition sign from the sensing information, The storage unit further stores a state countermeasure table which is an operation command to the environment control device to promote concentration, The command unit is a computing device that outputs an operation command to the environmental control device based on the condition countermeasure table when the condition sign detection unit detects the condition sign.

2. A communication unit that communicates with an environmental control device that controls the environment of a controlled space; a storage unit that stores a phase set, which is a plurality of phases whose transition order is set in advance, and an operation table, which is an operation command to the environmental control device for each of the phases; a phase management unit that manages the transition of the phase; a command unit that outputs an operation command corresponding to the current phase to the environmental control device via the communication unit based on the operation table; an operation input unit that accepts an input operation; a display control unit that outputs display information indicating the phase set and the current phase to which the phase has been transitioned; The phase management unit transitions the phase based on the input operation, an information acquisition unit that acquires sensing information from a sensor provided in the controlled space; a storage unit that records the sensing information as a sensing history; a fatigue detection unit that detects fatigue of a user based on the sensing information; a learning unit that identifies a fatigue sign that is a precursor to fatigue of the user, using the sensing history at a time before the fatigue detection unit detects fatigue of the user; a sign detection unit that detects the fatigue sign from the sensing information, The storage unit further stores a fatigue countermeasure table which is an operation command to the environment control device to promote concentration, The command unit is a computing device that outputs an operation command to the environmental control device based on the fatigue countermeasure table when the sign detection unit detects the fatigue sign.

3. A communication unit that communicates with an environmental control device that controls the environment of a controlled space; a storage unit that stores a phase set, which is a plurality of phases whose transition order is set in advance, and an operation table, which is an operation command to the environmental control device for each of the phases; a phase management unit that manages the transition of the phase; a command unit that outputs an operation command corresponding to the current phase to the environmental control device via the communication unit based on the operation table; an operation input unit that accepts an input operation; a display control unit that outputs display information indicating the phase set and the current phase to which the phase has been transitioned; The phase management unit transitions the phase based on the input operation, The communication unit also communicates with a training device operated by a user; the training device notifies the communication unit of an event ID based on a user's operation; The storage unit further stores an event table which is an operation command to the environmental control device for each of the event IDs, The command unit is a computing device that outputs an operation command by referring to the event table based on the event ID received by the communication unit.

4. 4. The computing device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, A voice information input unit that inputs voice information of the control target space is further provided, The phase management unit is a computing device that detects a predetermined sound from audio information of the control target space and transitions the phase based on at least one of the passage of time.

5. 4. The computing device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, A plurality of phase sets are stored in the storage unit, The operation input unit accepts an input of a phase set selection instruction from a user, The phase management unit selects one phase set from the plurality of phase sets based on an input to the operation input unit, and manages the transition of the phases.

6. 4. The computing device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, the operation table stores, for each of the phases, an operation command for the environmental control device in combination with at least one of a season, a weather, a time period, and an attribute of a person present in the controlled space; The command unit is a computing device that refers to the operation table based on the phase and at least one of the season, the weather, the time of day, and the attributes of people present in the controlled space contained in the operation table, and outputs an operation command to the environmental control device via the communication unit.

7. A control method executed by a computing device including a communication unit that communicates with an environmental control device that controls an environment of a controlled space, a storage unit that stores a phase set, which is a plurality of phases whose transition order is set in advance, an action table that is an action command to the environmental control device for each of the phases, and a state countermeasure table that is an action command to the environmental control device for a detected state of a user, and an operation input unit that accepts an input operation, Managing the phase transitions; and outputting an operation command corresponding to the current phase to the environmental control device via the communication unit based on the operation table; outputting display information indicating the set of phases and the current phase to which the transition has been made; transitioning the phase based on the input operation; acquiring sensing information from a sensor provided in the controlled space; Detecting a state of a user using the sensing information; When a state of a user is detected, outputting an operation command to the environment control device based on the state countermeasure table; The communication unit also communicates with a training device operated by a user; the training device notifies the communication unit of an event ID based on a user's operation; The storage unit further stores an event table which is an operation command to the environmental control device for each of the event IDs, The control method further includes outputting an operation command by referring to the event table based on the event ID received by the communication unit.

8. An environmental control device for controlling the environment of a control target space; A control system including: The computing device includes: A communication unit that communicates with the environmental control device; a storage unit that stores a phase set, which is a plurality of phases whose transition order is set in advance, and an operation table, which is an operation command to the environmental control device for each of the phases; a phase management unit that manages the transition of the phase; a command unit that outputs an operation command corresponding to the current phase to the environmental control device via the communication unit based on the operation table; an operation input unit that accepts an input operation; a display control unit that outputs display information indicating the phase set and the current phase to which the phase has been transitioned; The phase management unit transitions the phase based on the input operation, The computing device further comprises: an information acquisition unit that acquires sensing information from a sensor provided in the controlled space; a state detection unit that detects a state of a user by using the sensing information, the storage unit further stores a status countermeasure table which is an operation command to the environment control device in response to the detected status of the user; the command unit outputs an operation command to the environment control device based on the status countermeasure table when the status detection unit detects a status of the user; The communication unit also communicates with a training device operated by a user; the training device notifies the communication unit of an event ID based on a user's operation; The storage unit further stores an event table which is an operation command to the environmental control device for each of the event IDs, The command unit outputs an operation command by referring to the event table based on the event ID received by the communication unit.

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