Refrigerant quality control system, refrigerant quality control method, and server

Abstract

Provided is a refrigerant quality management system and a refrigerant quality management method with which the quality of a recovered refrigerant can be identified. A refrigerant quality management system (40) for indicating the quality of a recovered refrigerant, the system comprising: a quality information acquisition unit (41) that acquires, via the internet (8), quality information of a recovered refrigerant from a provider information terminal (10) owned by a provider of the recovered refrigerant; a quality information database (42) that stores the information acquired by the quality information acquisition unit (41); and a quality information provision unit (43) that provides the quality information in the quality information database (42) via the internet (8) to a user information terminal (60) owned by a user.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerant quality control system and a refrigerant quality control method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, used fluorocarbons have been collected and reused by removing impurities such as refrigeration oil (see, for example, Patent Document 1 (Patent No. 5048554)). In recent years, as regulations on the use of fluorocarbon gases have become stricter, there has been an increasing demand for the reuse of fluorocarbon gases. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] However, the quality of the refrigerant recovered from the existing refrigerant cycle apparatus varies depending on the conditions under which it was used. In response to this, a person who intends to reuse the recovered refrigerant may wish to understand the quality of the recovered refrigerant. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] A refrigerant quality control system according to a first aspect is a refrigerant quality control system that indicates quality information of recovered refrigerant, and includes an acquisition unit, a storage unit, and a quality information providing unit. The acquisition unit acquires first information from a first information terminal via a communications network. The first information terminal is an information terminal owned by a provider of the recovered refrigerant. The first information is information relating to the quality of the recovered refrigerant. The storage unit stores the information acquired by the acquisition unit. The quality information providing unit provides second information to the second information terminal via the communications network. The second information is information based on the first information stored in the storage unit. The second information terminal is an information terminal owned by an entity different from the provider.

[0005] Here, the first information and the second information may be exactly the same information, or the second information may be substantially similar information obtained by further adding or consolidating information based on the first information, etc. The second information is information based on the first information, and therefore includes information on the quality of the recovered refrigerant.

[0006] The first information regarding the quality of the recovered refrigerant from the recovered refrigerant provider is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, information manually entered by the provider into the first information terminal, information grasped by an analysis device for the recovered refrigerant, information grasped by a regeneration device for the recovered refrigerant, or a combination of these.

[0007] The recovered refrigerant is a working fluid recovered from an existing refrigeration cycle device, and may contain refrigerant, and may further contain impurities such as refrigeration oil and moisture in addition to the refrigerant. The concept of recovered refrigerant includes the concepts of regenerated refrigerant that has been regenerated and non-regenerated refrigerant that has not been regenerated. Examples of the regeneration process include a process to reduce or remove oil such as refrigeration oil from the working fluid.

[0008] The entity different from the provider is not particularly limited, but includes, for example, a purchaser of the recovered refrigerant, a person who wishes to purchase and views the second information, a person who simply views the second information, and the like.

[0009] The first information terminal owned by the provider is not limited to an information terminal owned by the provider, but may be an information terminal operated by the provider. Similarly, the second information terminal owned by an entity other than the provider is not limited to an information terminal owned by an entity other than the provider, but may be an information terminal operated by an entity other than the provider.

[0010] The provider may be one or more persons. The recovered refrigerant may also be one or more persons. When there are multiple recovered refrigerants, an entity other than the provider can search for a desired recovered refrigerant from among the multiple recovered refrigerants based on the second information of each recovered refrigerant. The entity other than the provider may also be one or more persons.

[0011] In this refrigerant quality control system, an entity different from the provider can grasp, on a second information terminal, the quality of the recovered refrigerant provided by the provider.

[0012] A refrigerant quality control system according to a second aspect is a refrigerant quality control system according to the first aspect, wherein the first information includes at least one of composition information, oil information, moisture information, acid information, non-condensable gas information and particulate information relating to the recovered refrigerant.

[0013] The composition information may include, for example, information indicating the type of refrigerant, information on compounds, and information indicating the weight ratio of compounds. The oil information may include, for example, information indicating the type of oil, and information indicating the weight ratio of oil in the working fluid. The moisture information may include, for example, information indicating the weight ratio of moisture in the working fluid. The acid information may include, for example, information indicating the weight ratio of acid in the working fluid. The non-condensable gas information may include information on the weight ratio of non-condensable gases such as oxygen and nitrogen in the working fluid. The particulate information may include, for example, information on the weight ratio of particulates in the working fluid.

[0014] This refrigerant quality control system enables an entity other than the provider to have a more detailed understanding of the quality of the recovered refrigerant provided by the provider.

[0015] A refrigerant quality control system according to a third aspect is the refrigerant quality control system according to the first or second aspect, wherein the memory unit stores information regarding the quality of the recovered refrigerant in association with information identifying a refrigerant container in which the recovered refrigerant is sealed.

[0016] The storage unit may store the first information and / or the second information in association with information identifying the refrigerant container in which the recovered refrigerant is sealed.

[0017] The information for identifying the refrigerant container is not particularly limited, and for example, if a container ID is assigned to each refrigerant container, the container ID can be used.

[0018] This refrigerant quality control system makes it easy to control the quality of the recovered refrigerant for each refrigerant container.

[0019] A refrigerant quality control system according to a fourth aspect is the refrigerant quality control system according to any one of the first aspect to the third aspect, wherein the storage unit stores information about the quality of the recovered refrigerant in association with information identifying the provider.

[0020] The information for identifying the provider is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, the name of the provider, or if the provider has been assigned a provider ID, the provider ID may be used.

[0021] In this refrigerant quality control system, an entity different from the provider can ascertain the quality of the recovered refrigerant by referring to information identifying the provider on the second information terminal.

[0022] A refrigerant quality control system according to a fifth aspect is a refrigerant quality control system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the information relating to the quality of the recovered refrigerant includes information grasped by an analytical device when the provider uses the analytical device to analyze the recovered refrigerant, and / or information grasped by a regeneration device when the provider regenerates the recovered refrigerant using the regeneration device.

[0023] In this refrigerant quality control system, the information grasped by the analysis device and / or the information grasped by the regeneration device is information that is not dependent on the operation of the provider. Therefore, an entity other than the provider can grasp highly reliable information regarding the quality of the recovered refrigerant. In addition, this refrigerant quality control system makes it possible to guarantee the quality of the recovered refrigerant.

[0024] A refrigerant quality control system according to a sixth aspect is the refrigerant quality control system according to the fifth aspect, in which the first information terminal is capable of acquiring, via wireless communication, the information grasped by the analysis device from the analysis device and / or the information grasped by the regeneration device from the regeneration device. The acquisition unit acquires the information acquired by the first information terminal from the analysis device and / or the regeneration device via the communication network.

[0025] The wireless communication is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include Bluetooth (registered trademark), infrared communication, and near field communication (NFC).

[0026] Although not particularly limited, for example, the first information terminal may be a smartphone, and may be equipped with a program for acquiring information grasped by the analysis device and the regeneration device via wireless communication.

[0027] In this refrigerant quality control system, the information grasped by the analysis device and / or the information grasped by the regeneration device is acquired by the first information terminal by wireless communication, and then acquired by the acquisition unit via the first information terminal and a communication network. This reduces the possibility that the information grasped by the analysis device and / or the information grasped by the regeneration device will be tampered with. This allows an entity other than the provider to obtain more reliable information regarding the quality of the recovered refrigerant, and the refrigerant quality control system can fully guarantee the quality of the recovered refrigerant.

[0028] A refrigerant quality control system according to a seventh aspect is the refrigerant quality control system according to the fifth or sixth aspect, wherein the regeneration device has at least an oil separator.

[0029] The regeneration device may further include a filter drier for reducing or removing moisture.

[0030] This refrigerant quality control system can promote the reuse of regenerated refrigerant that has been regenerated by reducing or separating oil, such as refrigeration oil, using an oil separator.

[0031] A refrigerant quality control system according to an eighth aspect is the refrigerant quality control system according to any one of the first aspect to the seventh aspect, in which the recovered refrigerant is a regenerated refrigerant in which oil has been reduced or removed after recovery.

[0032] This refrigerant quality control system can reduce or separate oil such as refrigeration oil and promote the reuse of regenerated refrigerant.

[0033] A refrigerant quality control system according to a ninth aspect is the refrigerant quality control system according to any of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the quality information providing unit determines whether the recovered refrigerant is a regenerated refrigerant based on the first information stored in the memory unit. If the quality information providing unit determines that the recovered refrigerant is a regenerated refrigerant, it provides second information on the recovered refrigerant to the second information terminal together with information indicating that the recovered refrigerant is a regenerated refrigerant.

[0034] This refrigerant quality control system enables an entity other than the provider to grasp the quality of the regenerated recovered refrigerant.

[0035] A refrigerant quality control system according to a tenth aspect is a refrigerant quality control system according to any one of the first aspect to the ninth aspect, wherein the refrigerant quality control system is used to allow a transaction of recovered refrigerant to be conducted between the provider and an entity different from the provider. The transaction of refrigerant recovery is a transaction based on the second information. The transaction is conducted via the internet.

[0036] In addition, this refrigerant quality control system may, for example, present the recovered refrigerant and information indicating its quality on a web page at a specific URL (Uniform Resource Locator), and may be used by an "entity other than the provider" who accesses the web page by operating a second information terminal, for example, to communicate his or her intention to transact to the provider's first information terminal by operating the web page.

[0037] This refrigerant quality control system enables entities other than the provider to easily acquire recovered refrigerant whose quality has been confirmed.

[0038] A refrigerant quality control method according to an eleventh aspect is a refrigerant quality control method indicating quality information of recovered refrigerant, and includes an acquiring step, a storing step, and a providing step. In the acquiring step, an acquiring unit acquires first information from a first information terminal via a communications network. The first information terminal is an information terminal owned by a provider of the recovered refrigerant. The first information is information related to the quality of the recovered refrigerant. In the storing step, a memory unit stores the information acquired by the acquiring unit. In the providing step, a quality information providing unit provides second information to a second information terminal via the communications network. The second information is information based on the first information stored in the memory unit. The second information terminal is an information terminal owned by an entity different from the provider.

[0039] Here, the first information and the second information may be exactly the same information, or the second information may be substantially similar information to the first information with additional information and / or modified information based on the first information. The second information is based on the first information, and therefore includes information regarding the quality of the recovered refrigerant.

[0040] The first information regarding the quality of the recovered refrigerant from the recovered refrigerant provider is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, information manually entered by the provider into the first information terminal, information grasped by an analysis device for the recovered refrigerant, information grasped by a regeneration device for the recovered refrigerant, or a combination of these.

[0041] The recovered refrigerant is a working fluid recovered from an existing refrigeration cycle device, and may contain refrigerant, and may further contain impurities such as refrigerating machine oil and moisture in addition to the refrigerant. The concept of recovered refrigerant includes the concepts of regenerated refrigerant that has been regenerated and non-regenerated refrigerant that has not been regenerated. Examples of the regeneration process include a process of reducing or removing refrigerating machine oil from the working fluid.

[0042] The entity different from the provider is not particularly limited, but includes, for example, a purchaser of the recovered refrigerant, a person who wishes to purchase and views the second information, a person who simply views the second information, and the like.

[0043] The first information terminal owned by the provider is not limited to an information terminal owned by the provider, but may be an information terminal operated by the provider. Similarly, the second information terminal owned by an entity other than the provider is not limited to an information terminal owned by an entity other than the provider, but may be an information terminal operated by an entity other than the provider.

[0044] The provider may be one or more persons. The recovered refrigerant may also be one or more persons. When there are multiple recovered refrigerants, an entity other than the provider can search for a desired recovered refrigerant from among the multiple recovered refrigerants based on the second information of each recovered refrigerant. The entity other than the provider may also be one or more persons.

[0045] According to this refrigerant quality control method, an entity different from the provider can grasp, on the second information terminal, the quality of the recovered refrigerant provided by the provider.

[0046] A refrigerant quality control method according to a twelfth aspect is the refrigerant quality control method of the eleventh aspect, further comprising the step of causing an entity different from the provider to trade the recovered refrigerant via the Internet. The trade of the recovered refrigerant is a transaction between the entity different from the provider and the provider based on the second information.

[0047] In addition, the step of conducting a transaction of the recovered refrigerant may, for example, be such that when the recovered refrigerant and information indicating its quality are presented on a web page at a specific URL (Uniform Resource Locator), an "entity other than the provider" who accesses the web page by operating a second information terminal, for example, is able to perform operations on the web page to convey an intention to trade to the provider's first information terminal.

[0048] This refrigerant quality control method enables an entity other than the provider to easily acquire recovered refrigerant whose quality is understood. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0049] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining recovery, regeneration, and reuse of a refrigerant. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the hardware configuration. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart of a process of a refrigerant quality control system. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flowchart (part 1) of the processing of an electronic commerce server. [Figure 6] 13 is a flowchart (part 2) of the processing of the electronic commerce server. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0050] (1) Recovery, regeneration and reuse of refrigerants FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the concept of recovery, regeneration, and reuse of a refrigerant.

[0051] Generally, when a refrigerant utilization device 3 using fluorocarbon gas as a refrigerant is put on the market, the working fluid containing the refrigerant used in the refrigerant utilization device 3 is recovered in the cylinder 5 when the refrigerant utilization device 3 is removed or the refrigerant used in the refrigerant utilization device 3 is updated after use. Examples of the refrigerant utilization device 3 include refrigerant cycle devices such as air conditioners that circulate the refrigerant to perform a refrigeration cycle. The working fluid containing the refrigerant recovered in the cylinder 5 may be regenerated by the regeneration device 30 or disposed of by being destroyed in a chemical plant or the like. For example, the working fluid containing an HCFC refrigerant is destroyed in a chemical plant or the like without being regenerated. The refrigerant regenerated by the regeneration device 30 is reused in the same or a different refrigerant utilization device 3 as described above.

[0052] Here, the working fluid containing the refrigerant recovered from the refrigerant utilization device 3 is referred to as "recovered refrigerant". The concept of recovered refrigerant includes the concepts of "regenerated refrigerant" obtained by regenerating the recovered working fluid, and "non-regenerated refrigerant" which is a recovered working fluid that has not been regenerated. In the regeneration process, at least a process of reducing or removing oil such as refrigerating machine oil from the working fluid is performed. In addition, in the regeneration process, a process of reducing or removing water from the working fluid and / or a process of reducing or removing acid content may be performed. Furthermore, in the regeneration process, if the blending balance of the components in the working fluid does not satisfy the predetermined conditions, the components may be adjusted by blending the insufficient components to balance them. In addition, if the recovered working fluid is a mixture of multiple types of HFC refrigerants, a distillation process may be performed in the regeneration process. The contents of these regeneration processes can be selectively performed depending on the quality, such as the degree of deterioration and the amount of impurities, as determined by inspection and analysis.

[0053] Examples of refrigeration oils that are contained in the working fluid and are to be reduced or removed include ester-based refrigeration oils and ether-based refrigeration oils. By reducing or removing refrigeration oil that has deteriorated due to use of the working fluid, when the refrigeration oil is used in the refrigerant-utilizing device 3, the lubrication performance of the equipment of the refrigerant-utilizing device 3 can be improved, and the concentration of impurities generated from the deteriorated refrigeration oil can be reduced.

[0054] Furthermore, by reducing or removing moisture and acid in the regeneration process, corrosion of the components of the refrigerant circuit in the refrigerant utilization device 3 can be suppressed.

[0055] (2) Electronic trading system for reclaimed refrigerants The following describes an electronic commerce system 1 for recovered refrigerant for promoting reuse of the number of times of refrigerant obtained as described above. Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the hardware of the overall configuration including the electronic commerce system 1. Fig. 3 shows a functional block diagram of the overall configuration including the electronic commerce system 1.

[0056] The electronic commerce system 1 for reclaimed refrigerant is configured by a provider information terminal 10 owned by a provider who offers the recovered refrigerant, a user information terminal 60 owned by a user (an example of an entity other than the provider) who wishes to purchase the recovered refrigerant, a refrigerant quality control system 40 that controls the quality of the recovered refrigerant provided, and an electronic commerce server 50 that provides a trading market on the Internet 8 for conducting electronic commerce, all of which are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via the Internet 8.

[0057] The recovered refrigerant e-commerce system 1 is a system in which providers put recovered refrigerant (which may be regenerated or non-regenerated refrigerant) up for sale on the e-commerce market along with quality information, and users can purchase recovered refrigerant of the desired quality.

[0058] Here, the provider presents quality information of the recovered refrigerant together with information identifying the cylinder 5 in which the recovered refrigerant is sealed. When a non-regenerated refrigerant is offered for sale, the quality information of the recovered refrigerant is quality information grasped using the analysis device 20, and when a regenerated refrigerant is offered for sale, quality information grasped using the regeneration device 30 is used.

[0059] In addition, when a user who purchases recovered refrigerant through electronic commerce purchases recovered refrigerant that has not yet been regenerated, the user can regenerate the refrigerant themselves or by entrusting the process to a regeneration processor, and reuse the refrigerant after it has been regenerated. On the other hand, a user who purchases regenerated refrigerant through electronic commerce can reuse the refrigerant as it is.

[0060] (3) Analyzer The analysis device 20 is a device that analyzes and inspects the recovered working fluid, and mainly includes an analysis unit 20d, a CPU 20a, a memory 20b, a communication interface 20c, and the like.

[0061] The analysis section 20 d includes an inspection device 27 , a composition analysis device 28 , and a weight measurement device 29 .

[0062] The inspection device 27 inspects whether the amounts of oil, such as refrigeration oil, moisture, and acid contained in the recovered working fluid are appropriate. For example, the inspection device 27 may have a test paper that changes color when it comes into contact with a refrigerant, and may use this test paper to perform the inspection. The inspection device 27 may also further inspect the degree of deterioration of oil, such as refrigeration oil, contained in the recovered working fluid. These inspections can be performed using known methods.

[0063] The composition analyzer 28 analyzes the composition of the refrigerant contained in the working fluid. The composition analyzer 28 also has a function of outputting the analysis results by printing them on a receipt or the like. Specifically, the composition analyzer 28 preferably identifies the type of refrigerant contained in the working fluid.

[0064] The weight measuring device 29 measures the weight of the recovered working fluid.

[0065] The memory 20b is configured with ROM and RAM, and stores programs for driving the above-mentioned inspection device 27, composition analysis device 28, and weight measurement device 29, as well as programs for performing information processing via wireless communication with the donor information terminal 10 described later.

[0066] The CPU 20a reads and executes each program stored in the memory 20b.

[0067] The communication interface 20c is for performing wireless communication with the provider information terminal 10 (described later) using Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like.

[0068] The above-described analysis device 20 has the functions of an analysis data creation unit 21, a communication unit 22, etc., through organic cooperation between hardware and programs, such as an analysis unit 20d, a CPU 20a, a memory 20b, and a communication interface 20c.

[0069] The communication unit 22 receives the provider ID information and the cylinder ID information transmitted from the provider information terminal 10 by wireless communication.

[0070] The analysis data creation unit 21 executes the inspection and analysis processes using the above-mentioned inspection device 27, composition analysis device 28 and weight measurement device 29, and creates analysis data which is data associated with the donor ID information and cylinder ID information received from the donor information terminal 10, and contains quality information of the recovered refrigerant, including information on the suitability of the oil, moisture and acid content in the recovered refrigerant as determined from the inspection and analysis results, information on the refrigerant composition of the recovered refrigerant, information on the weight of the recovered refrigerant, etc.

[0071] The communication unit 22 performs a transmission process of transmitting the analysis data created by the analysis data creation unit 21 to the provider information terminal 10 by wireless communication.

[0072] (4) Playback device The regeneration device 30 is a device that regenerates the recovered working fluid, and includes a regeneration unit 30d, a CPU 30a, a memory 30b, a communication interface 30c, and the like.

[0073] The regeneration unit 30d includes a refrigerant circuit having a compressor 37, an electrostatic separator 38, a filter dryer 39, and the like. The electrostatic separator 38 is a type of oil separator, and reduces or removes oil such as refrigeration oil in the working fluid by applying a voltage while circulating the working fluid recovered by driving the compressor 37 through the refrigerant circuit. The filter dryer 39 reduces or removes moisture and acid contained in the working fluid circulating through the refrigerant circuit. The regeneration unit 30d includes the same devices and functions as the above-mentioned analysis unit 20d, and can grasp information on the suitability of the oil, moisture, and acid contained in the working fluid after the regeneration process, the refrigerant composition, weight, and the like.

[0074] The memory 30b is configured with ROM and RAM, and stores therein programs for causing the playback unit 30d to perform playback processing, and programs for performing information processing via wireless communication with the provider information terminal 10 described later.

[0075] The CPU 30a reads and executes each program stored in the memory 30b.

[0076] The communication interface 30c is for performing wireless communication with the provider information terminal 10 (described later) using Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like.

[0077] The playback device 30 described above has the functions of a playback data creation unit 31, a communication unit 32, etc., through organic cooperation between hardware and programs such as a playback unit 30d, a CPU 30a, a memory 30b, and a communication interface 30c.

[0078] The communication unit 32 receives the provider ID information and the cylinder ID information transmitted from the provider information terminal 10 by wireless communication.

[0079] The regeneration data creation unit 31 executes the regeneration process in the regeneration unit 30d described above, and creates regeneration data that is associated with the donor ID information and cylinder ID information received from the donor information terminal 10, and includes quality information on the regenerated refrigerant (information including information on the suitability of the oil, moisture, and acid content in the regenerated refrigerant, information on the refrigerant composition of the regenerated refrigerant, information on the weight of the regenerated refrigerant, etc.) and information indicating that regeneration has been completed.

[0080] The communication section 32 performs a transmission process of transmitting the reproduction data created by the reproduction data creation section 31 to the provider information terminal 10 by wireless communication.

[0081] (5) Provider information terminal The provider information terminal 10 is an information terminal owned by a provider who wishes to provide refrigerant recovered from existing facilities to the market, and may be, for example, a known smartphone or the like.

[0082] The provider information terminal 10 includes a CPU 10a, a memory 10b, a communication interface 10c, a touch panel display 10d, and the like.

[0083] The memory 10b is configured with ROM and RAM, and stores therein programs for receiving a donor ID and a cylinder ID from a donor, programs for creating quality information based on information sent from the analytical device 20 and the regeneration device 30, programs for conducting electronic commerce in the electronic commerce system 1, programs for processing information via wireless communication between the analytical device 20 and the regeneration device 30, and programs for processing web information obtained via the Internet 8.

[0084] In this embodiment, the program for creating quality information based on information sent from the analysis device 20 and the reproduction device 30 performs processing to prohibit tampering with the information sent from the analysis device 20 and the reproduction device 30 at the provider information terminal 10 or to record a tampering history, thereby making it possible to increase the reliability of transactions.

[0085] The CPU 10a reads and executes each program stored in the memory 10b.

[0086] The communication interface 10c includes an interface for wireless communication between the analysis device 20 and the playback device 30 using Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like, and an interface for communication via the Internet 8.

[0087] The touch panel display 10d displays and outputs various types of information, and also receives information from the provider through a touch operation by the provider.

[0088] The above-mentioned provider information terminal 10 has functions such as a provider ID reception unit 11, a cylinder ID reception unit 12, a quality information creation unit 13, a transaction execution unit 14, a communication unit 15, an input unit 16, and an output unit 17, through organic cooperation between hardware and programs such as a CPU 10a, a memory 10b, a communication interface 10c, and a touch panel display 10d.

[0089] The provider ID receiving unit 11 receives a provider ID input by a provider. The provider ID is an ID used in electronic commerce in the electronic commerce system 1. The provider's name may be used together with or instead of the provider ID.

[0090] The cylinder ID receiving unit 12 receives a cylinder ID, which is an ID attached to a cylinder filled with recovered refrigerant that a provider puts up for electronic commerce in the electronic commerce system 1.

[0091] The quality information creation unit 13 uses the information transmitted from the above-mentioned analysis device 20 and regeneration device 30 to create information to be registered in the refrigerant quality control system 40. Specifically, the quality information creation unit 13 creates information that summarizes recovered refrigerant quality information (an example of first information) associated with the donor ID and cylinder ID, regeneration history information (an example of first information) indicating whether or not regeneration has been completed, etc. This recovered refrigerant quality information includes information on the suitability of the oil, moisture, and acid content in the recovered refrigerant, information on the refrigerant composition of the recovered refrigerant, information on the weight of the recovered refrigerant, etc.

[0092] In addition, the quality information creation unit 13 creates information for electronic commerce in the electronic commerce system 1 using information transmitted from the above-mentioned analysis device 20 and regeneration device 30. Specifically, the quality information creation unit 13 creates information that summarizes information such as quality information of the recovered refrigerant associated with the provider ID and cylinder ID, regeneration history information, and desired price. Here, the provider may trade regenerated refrigerant obtained by performing regeneration processing on the recovered working fluid, or may trade non-regenerated refrigerant that has not been regenerated after recovery. In the case of trading regenerated refrigerant, information that summarizes information on the working fluid associated with the provider ID and cylinder ID and information on a relatively low desired price is created. In the case of trading non-regenerated refrigerant, information that summarizes information on the working fluid associated with the provider ID and cylinder ID, information indicating that it has been regenerated, and information on a relatively high desired price is created. In addition, users who purchase regenerated refrigerant will use the regenerated refrigerant as is, while users who purchase non-regenerated refrigerant will regenerate the refrigerant themselves or by requesting a processing company, and then use the regenerated refrigerant.

[0093] The transaction execution unit 14 uses the information created by the quality information creation unit 13 to perform a process of creating information (information on recovered refrigerant in which a provider ID, a cylinder ID, and, if necessary, regeneration history information, quality information, and price information are associated with each other) necessary for listing in an electronic commerce transaction in the electronic commerce system 1. When the transaction execution unit 14 receives information indicating that a user wishes to purchase from the electronic commerce server 50, it also performs a process of outputting and displaying the information on the touch panel display 10d.

[0094] The communication unit 15 performs information transmission and reception processes in wireless communication with the analysis device 20 and the playback device 30. The communication unit 15 also performs information transmission and reception processes with targets connected via the Internet 8. For example, the communication unit 15 performs a process of transmitting information created by the transaction execution unit 14 to the electronic commerce server 50.

[0095] The input unit 16 receives information input by the provider operating the touch panel display 10d. The output unit 17 displays and outputs information obtained by the above-mentioned various information processes on the touch panel display 10d.

[0096] (6) Refrigerant quality control system The refrigerant quality control system 40 provides quality information of recovered refrigerants put up for electronic commerce in the electronic commerce system 1, based on information received from the provider information terminal 10 via the Internet 8. The administrator of the refrigerant quality control system 40 is an entity different from the provider, the user, and the administrator of the electronic commerce.

[0097] The refrigerant quality control system 40 includes a CPU 40a, a memory 40b, a communication interface 40c, a keyboard 40d, a display 40e, and the like.

[0098] The memory 40b is configured with ROM and RAM, and stores therein programs such as a program for receiving information transmitted from the provider information terminal 10 of the provider via the Internet 8, a program for constructing a quality information database 42 by storing quality information of recovered refrigerant corresponding to a provider ID and cylinder ID for each recovered refrigerant, a program for selecting quality information of recovered refrigerant corresponding to a specific provider ID and cylinder ID from the quality information database 42 in response to a request from the user and presenting it to the user, a program for creating certificate data indicating that the administrator of the refrigerant quality control system 40 guarantees the contents indicated by the selected quality information (in the case of a regenerated refrigerant, regenerated certificate data indicating that the refrigerant has been subjected to a regeneration process), and a program for performing information processing via communication with the provider information terminal 10 and the user information terminal 60 via the Internet 8, and the above-mentioned quality information database 42 is also stored therein.

[0099] The CPU 40a reads and executes each program stored in the memory 40b.

[0100] The communication interface 40c is for performing communication with the provider information terminal 10 and the user information terminal 60 via the Internet 8.

[0101] The keyboard 40d is used by an administrator of the refrigerant quality control system 40 to manually input information to the refrigerant quality control system 40.

[0102] The display 40e displays and outputs various information processed by the CPU 40a.

[0103] The above-described refrigerant quality control system 40 is provided with functions such as a quality information acquisition unit 41, a quality information provision unit 43, a certificate issuance unit 47, a communication unit 44, an input unit 45, an output unit 46, and a quality information database 42, through organic cooperation between hardware and programs such as a CPU 40a, a memory 40b, a communication interface 40c, a keyboard 40d, and a display 40e.

[0104] The quality information acquisition unit 41 receives information transmitted from the provider information terminal 10 of the provider via the Internet 8. The quality information database 42 then takes in and stores the information received by the quality information acquisition unit 41. Specifically, the quality information acquisition unit 41 performs a process of receiving quality information of non-regenerated refrigerant (example of first information) associated with the provider ID and cylinder ID, quality information of regenerated refrigerant (example of first information) associated with the provider ID and cylinder ID and to which regeneration history information (example of first information) is added, while maintaining the association, and the quality information database 42 performs a process of storing the information with the association maintained. Specifically, the quality information database 42 stores information on the suitability of oil, moisture, and acid, information on refrigerant composition, weight information, regeneration history information, etc., for each recovered refrigerant, in association with the provider ID and cylinder ID. Furthermore, when the transaction of the recovered refrigerant is completed, the quality information acquisition unit 41 receives evaluation information (an example of first information) by the user of the transaction of the recovered refrigerant from the transaction execution unit 61 of the user information terminal 60 owned by the user via the Internet 8, and the quality information database 42 stores the evaluation information in association with the provider ID of the provider who put up the recovered refrigerant. By handling the evaluation information in the transaction of the provider who puts up the recovered refrigerant, the refrigerant quality control system 40 can show users the reliability of the quality of the recovered refrigerant put up by the provider.

[0105] The quality information providing unit 43 performs a process of transmitting various information to the user information terminal 60 in response to an information request received from the user information terminal 60 owned by the user via the Internet 8. Specifically, when information on an object that a user who has referred to an electronic commerce web page in the electronic commerce system 1 is considering purchasing (e.g., information on a cylinder ID, etc.) is received from the user information terminal 60 via the Internet 8, the quality information providing unit 43 searches for information on the object, such as quality information, regeneration history information, and provider ID, from the quality information database 42, and performs a process of creating information to be returned to the user information terminal 60 via the Internet 8. The information to be returned to the user information terminal 60 (an example of the second information) includes information on the suitability of the oil, moisture, and acid content of the target recovered refrigerant, information on the refrigerant composition, weight information, regeneration history information, evaluation information, etc.

[0106] In response to a certificate issuance request received from the user information terminal 60, the certificate issuing unit 47 performs a process of creating certificate data indicating that the administrator of the refrigerant quality control system 40 guarantees the content indicated by the quality information purchased by the user. For a regenerated refrigerant, the certificate data further includes regenerated certificate data which is information indicating that the refrigerant has been regenerated. The information indicating that the refrigerant has been regenerated may include, for example, certification information indicating that the administrator of the refrigerant quality control system 40 guarantees the quality information of the refrigerant, certification information indicating that a public institution guarantees the quality information of the refrigerant, or evaluation information of the provider who is the seller of the traded recovered refrigerant.

[0107] The communication unit 44 performs information transmission and reception processes in communication with the provider information terminal 10 and the user information terminal 60 via the Internet 8 .

[0108] The input unit 45 receives information input by an administrator of the refrigerant quality control system 40 operating the keyboard 40d. The output unit 46 displays and outputs information obtained by the above-mentioned various information processes on the display 40e.

[0109] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing part of the processing performed by the refrigerant quality control system 40 having the above configuration.

[0110] In the refrigerant quality control system 40, first, in step S1, the quality information acquisition unit 41 acquires, from the provider information terminal 10 via the Internet 8, quality information and the like of the recovered refrigerant associated with the cylinder ID and the provider ID.

[0111] Next, in step S2, the quality information database 42 retrieves and stores the information acquired by the quality information acquisition unit 41. Specifically, the quality information database 42 stores the quality information of the recovered refrigerant and the like in a form associated with the cylinder ID and the provider ID.

[0112] In step S3, the quality information providing unit 43 judges whether or not there is an information request from the user information terminal 60 via the Internet 8. Specifically, the quality information providing unit 43 judges whether or not a request for quality information specifying a cylinder ID has been received from the user information terminal 60, and if so, proceeds to step S4, and if not, repeats step S3.

[0113] In step S4, the quality information providing unit 43 reads out the quality information etc. corresponding to the cylinder ID requested by the user information terminal 60 from the quality information database 42 and transmits it to the user information terminal 60 via the Internet 8.

[0114] Through the above process, users can learn quality information, etc. of the recovered refrigerants being offered by providers.

[0115] (7) E-commerce server The electronic commerce server 50 manages transactions of recovered refrigerants put up for electronic commerce in the electronic commerce system 1, based on information received from the provider information terminal 10 via the Internet 8.

[0116] The electronic commerce server 50 includes a CPU 50a, a memory 50b, a communication interface 50c, a keyboard 50d, and a display 50e.

[0117] The memory 50b is configured to have ROM and RAM, and stores therein programs such as a program for accepting information regarding the recovered refrigerant items (any information from the seller including the provider ID, cylinder ID, quality information of the recovered refrigerant, and price) sent from the provider's provider information terminal 10 via the Internet 8, a program for constructing an electronic commerce database 52 by storing the information accepted from the provider's provider information terminal 10 for each recovered refrigerant, a program for selecting information stored in association with a specific cylinder ID or provider ID from the electronic commerce database 52 in response to a request from a user, and providing a web page based on the obtained information at a specific URL, and a program for performing information processing via communication between the provider information terminal 10 and the user information terminal 60 via the Internet 8, and the above-mentioned electronic commerce database 52 is also stored therein.

[0118] The CPU 50a reads and executes each program stored in the memory 40b.

[0119] The communication interface 50c is for performing communication with the provider information terminal 10 and the user information terminal 60 via the Internet 8.

[0120] The keyboard 50d is used by an administrator of the electronic commerce server 50 to manually input information to the electronic commerce server 50.

[0121] The display 50e displays and outputs various information processed by the CPU 50a.

[0122] The above-mentioned e-commerce server 50 is provided with functions such as an item information receiving unit 51, an item information providing unit 53, a transaction processing unit 57, a communication unit 54, an input unit 55, an output unit 56, and an e-commerce database 52, through organic cooperation between hardware and programs such as a CPU 50a, a memory 50b, a communication interface 50c, a keyboard 50d, and a display 50e.

[0123] The selling information receiving unit 51 receives information (information on recovered refrigerant offered for electronic commerce) transmitted from the provider's provider information terminal 10 via the Internet 8. The electronic commerce database 52 then takes in and stores the information received by the selling information receiving unit 51. Specifically, the selling information receiving unit 51 performs a process of receiving information provided by the provider, such as quality information on non-regenerated refrigerant associated with the provider ID and cylinder ID, quality information on regenerated refrigerant associated with the provider ID and cylinder ID and with regeneration history information attached, and the prices of these items, and the electronic commerce database 52 performs a process of storing this information.

[0124] The listing information providing unit 53 performs a process of transmitting various information to the user information terminal 60 in response to an information request received from the user information terminal 60 owned by the user via the Internet 8. Specifically, when information indicating the conditions of an object that a user who has referred to an e-commerce web page in the e-commerce system 1 is considering purchasing (for example, conditions such as the type, quality, and weight of the recovered refrigerant, and whether or not it has been recycled) is received from the user information terminal 60 via the Internet 8, the listing information providing unit 53 searches for information such as quality information, recycling history information, provider ID, and price of the object from the e-commerce database 52, and performs a process of creating information to be sent back to the user information terminal 60 via the Internet 8.

[0125] When the transaction processing unit 57 receives information from the user information terminal 60 indicating a desire to purchase recovered refrigerant of a specific cylinder ID, the transaction processing unit 57 transmits information indicating a desire to purchase the recovered refrigerant together with information identifying the user to the provider information terminal 10 of the provider associated with the cylinder ID. When the transaction processing unit 57 receives information evaluating the provider in the transaction from the user information terminal 60, the transaction processing unit 57 updates the evaluation information stored in association with the provider ID in the electronic commerce database 52 according to the evaluation information. When the transaction processing unit 57 receives a request from the user information terminal 60 to view past evaluation history information of the provider of the specific provider ID, the transaction processing unit 57 performs a process of identifying and returning evaluation history information stored in association with the provider ID to the user information terminal 60. When the transaction processing unit 57 receives information indicating the completion of the transaction from the provider information terminal 10 or information evaluating the provider, the transaction processing unit 57 performs a process of changing the status of the recovered refrigerant of the cylinder ID in the electronic commerce database 52 from on sale to transaction completion.

[0126] The communication unit 54 performs information transmission and reception processes in communication with the provider information terminal 10 and the user information terminal 60 via the Internet 8 .

[0127] The input unit 55 performs a process of accepting information input by an administrator of the electronic commerce server 50 operating the keyboard 50d. The output unit 56 performs a process of displaying and outputting information obtained by the above-mentioned various information processes on the display 50e.

[0128] 5 and 6 are flow charts showing some of the processes performed by the electronic commerce server 50 having the above configuration.

[0129] In the electronic commerce server 50, first, in step S11, the selling information receiving unit 51 receives information on the recovered refrigerant put up for electronic commerce, etc., from the provider information terminal 10 via the Internet 8. Specifically, the selling information receiving unit 51 receives quality information, etc., of the recovered refrigerant associated with the cylinder ID and the provider ID, and price information of the recovered refrigerant.

[0130] Next, in step S12, the electronic commerce database 52 retrieves and stores the information received by the auction information receiving unit 51. Specifically, the electronic commerce database 52 stores quality information and the like of the recovered refrigerant associated with the cylinder ID and the donor ID, and price information of the recovered refrigerant in an associated manner.

[0131] In step S13, the selling information providing unit 53 judges whether or not an information request has been received from the user information terminal 60 of the user via the Internet 8. Specifically, the selling information providing unit 53 judges whether or not the conditions of the object the user is considering purchasing (for example, conditions such as the type, quality, and weight of the recovered refrigerant, whether or not it has been recycled, etc.) have been accepted from the user information terminal 60, and if so, proceeds to step S14, and if not, repeats step S13.

[0132] In step S14, the listing information providing unit 53 reads out from the electronic commerce database 52 the items that meet the conditions for recovered refrigerant received from the user information terminal 60, and performs a process of creating information to be sent back to the user information terminal 60 via the Internet 8.

[0133] In step S15, the transaction processing unit 57 judges whether or not a purchase request has been received from the user information terminal 60 of the user via the Internet 8. Specifically, the transaction processing unit 57 judges whether or not information has been received from the user information terminal 60 indicating that the user wishes to purchase recovered refrigerant of a specific cylinder ID, and if so, proceeds to step S16, and if not, returns to step S13.

[0134] In step S16, the transaction processing unit 57 transmits information indicating a purchase request together with information identifying the user to the provider information terminal 10 of the provider of the provider ID associated with the cylinder ID.

[0135] In step S17, the transaction processing unit 57 judges whether evaluation information of the transaction has been received from the user information terminal 60 of the user via the Internet 8. Specifically, the transaction processing unit 57 judges whether evaluation information evaluating the provider in the transaction of a specific cylinder ID has been received from the user information terminal 60, and if it has been received, the process proceeds to step S18, and if it has not been received, the process repeats step S17.

[0136] In step S18, the transaction processing unit 57 updates the evaluation information stored in the electronic commerce database 52 in association with the provider ID in accordance with the evaluation information received in step S17.

[0137] In step S19, the transaction processing unit 57 performs processing to change the status in the electronic commerce database 52 of the recovered refrigerant having the cylinder ID in the transaction evaluated in step S17 from on sale to transaction completed.

[0138] Through the above process, the user can carry out a transaction while understanding quality information, etc., of the recovered refrigerant via the Internet 8.

[0139] (8) User information terminal The user information terminal 60 is an information terminal held by a user who wishes to purchase the desired recovered refrigerant from among the recovered refrigerants (including regenerated refrigerants and non-regenerated refrigerants) offered by providers in electronic commerce in the electronic commerce system 1, and may be, for example, a known smartphone, etc.

[0140] The user information terminal 60 includes a CPU 60a, a memory 60b, a communication interface 60c, and a touch panel display 60d.

[0141] The memory 60b is configured to include a ROM and a RAM, and stores programs for carrying out electronic commerce in the electronic commerce system 1, programs for processing web information obtained via the Internet 8, and the like.

[0142] The CPU 60a reads and executes each program stored in the memory 60b.

[0143] The communication interface 60c is for performing communication via the Internet 8.

[0144] The touch panel display 60d displays and outputs various types of information, and also receives information from the user through touch operations by the user.

[0145] The above-mentioned user information terminal 60 has functions such as a transaction execution unit 61, a communication unit 62, an input unit 63, and an output unit 64, through the organic cooperation of hardware and programs such as a CPU 60a, a memory 60b, a communication interface 60c, and a touch panel display 60d.

[0146] The transaction execution unit 61 performs various information processing to support the purchase of recovered refrigerants offered in electronic commerce in the electronic commerce system 1. Specifically, the transaction execution unit 61 accesses a web page of a specific URL provided by the electronic commerce server 50 by creating a request signal for presenting recovered refrigerants (including regenerated refrigerants and non-regenerated refrigerants) that meet the conditions input by the user (information on recovered refrigerants with a specific cylinder ID, past evaluation history information on a specific provider ID, etc.) from among recovered refrigerants (including regenerated refrigerants and non-regenerated refrigerants) offered in electronic commerce in the electronic commerce system 1. In addition, the transaction execution unit 61 creates a purchase request signal indicating a desire to purchase recovered refrigerants with a specific cylinder ID in response to the input information from the user. In addition, the transaction execution unit 61 accepts the user's evaluation of the provider when the transaction is made, and creates information to be sent to the electronic commerce server 50 and the refrigerant quality control system 40 based on the accepted information. In addition, the transaction execution unit 61 creates a signal requesting certificate data from the refrigerant quality control system 40, and processes the signal so that the certificate data received from the refrigerant quality control system 40 can be output.

[0147] The communication unit 62 performs information transmission and reception processes between the communication unit 62 and targets connected via the Internet 8. For example, the communication unit 62 performs a process of transmitting the above-mentioned various signals to the electronic commerce server 50.

[0148] The input unit 63 receives information input by a user operating the touch panel display 60d. The output unit 64 displays and outputs information obtained by the above-mentioned various information processes on the touch panel display 60d.

[0149] (9) Features of the embodiment According to the above-described refrigerant quality control system 40, users can easily ascertain quality information of recovered refrigerant provided by providers via the Internet 8 using the cylinder ID attached to the cylinder 5. This can encourage users to purchase recovered refrigerant, and can promote reuse of the recovered refrigerant.

[0150] Here, it is possible to prove that the recovered refrigerant (regenerated refrigerant) of the cylinder ID associated with the regeneration history information has been regenerated. Specifically, the regeneration history information can function as a regeneration certificate. This allows users to purchase regenerated products with peace of mind.

[0151] In addition, the user can obtain a certificate issued by the refrigerant quality control system 40 for the recovered refrigerant. This allows the user to show that the refrigerant he or she uses is a refrigerant guaranteed by the refrigerant quality control system 40. For example, a user who purchases a regenerated refrigerant can show that the refrigerant he or she uses is a regenerated refrigerant. This allows the refrigerant using business operator to prove that he or she uses a refrigerant with a regeneration certificate and that the amount of refrigerant emitted is small, even if the amount of fluorocarbon refrigerant emitted is limited by legal regulations. In particular, in the above embodiment, the analysis data acquired by the provider information terminal 10 from the analysis device 20 and the regeneration data acquired from the regeneration device 30 are prohibited from being tampered with in the provider information terminal 10, or if tampered with, a history of the tampering is left. For this reason, the certificate issued by the refrigerant quality control system 40, which handles the data acquired from the provider information terminal 10, can ensure reliability.

[0152] In addition, since the provider receives an evaluation from the user for each transaction, the reliability of the information provided by the provider can be increased, and it is possible to prevent recovered refrigerants of a quality that makes it difficult to regenerate and reuse them from becoming the subject of trading.

[0153] (10) Variations (10-1) Variation A In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the refrigerant quality control system 40 issues a certificate for recovered refrigerant that has been subjected to regeneration processing in the regeneration device 30 as regenerated refrigerant.

[0154] In response to this, for example, the refrigerant quality control system 40 may determine whether or not the regenerated refrigerant that has been regenerated in the regeneration device 30 satisfies specified standards, and issue a certificate as a regenerated refrigerant only to those that satisfy the specified standards.

[0155] The specified criteria are not particularly limited, but may be, for example, that the water content of the working fluid after regeneration is below a specified value, the evaporation residue is below a specified value, and the acid content is below a specified value, or may be standards that comply with the US AHR1700, a regulation that sets out quality standards.

[0156] (10-2) Variation B In the above embodiment, an example was described in which analysis data and playback data obtained by wireless communication from analysis device 20 and playback device 30 are transmitted to each target via provider information terminal 10 and the Internet 8.

[0157] In contrast, the analysis data and playback data may be manually input into the provider information terminal 10 by the provider who has viewed the analysis data and playback data obtained from the analysis device 20 and playback device 30. In this case, there is a risk that information may be tampered with or an input error may occur when the provider manually inputs the information into the provider information terminal 10. Therefore, in order to increase the reliability of the evaluation, it is preferable that the analysis data and playback data are not substantially changed as in the above embodiment.

[0158] (10-3) Variation C In the above embodiment, the analytical data and regeneration data obtained from the analysis device 20 and the regeneration device 30 are described as examples of refrigerant composition information, oil content information, moisture information, acid content information, etc. contained in the working fluid.

[0159] In contrast, the analysis data and regeneration data may further include information on the weight ratio of non-condensable gases such as oxygen and nitrogen contained in the working fluid, information on the weight ratio of fine particles contained in the working fluid, etc. Furthermore, the quality information of the recovered refrigerant may further include information on the recovery date and time of the recovered refrigerant, the recovery location and regeneration facility, images of the cylinder 5, and images of the recovered refrigerant.

[0160] (10-4) Variation D In the above embodiment, an example has been given in which the provider information terminal 10, the analysis device 20, the regeneration device 30, the refrigerant quality control system 40, the electronic commerce server 50, and the user information terminal 60 each have a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for performing various information processing.

[0161] In contrast, the information processing device in each terminal, device, etc. is not limited to a CPU, but may be a processor such as an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), or may be configured with hardware such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

[0162] (10-5) Variation E In the above embodiment, the case has been described as an example in which recovered refrigerants that require component adjustment are also subject to electronic commerce.

[0163] In contrast, among recovered refrigerants, those that require component adjustment may be determined as not being eligible for electronic commerce because they require a relatively large-scale regeneration process. For example, if the results of inspection and analysis by the analysis device 20 or the like show that the components need to be adjusted, the electronic commerce server 50 may not store the data in the electronic commerce database 52, so that the data is not treated as an item for sale, even if the data is transmitted from the provider information terminal 10 to the electronic commerce server 50.

[0164] (10-6) Variation F In the above embodiment, an example was given of the case where the listing information receiving unit 51 of the electronic commerce server 50 receives information (information on recovered refrigerant to be offered for electronic commerce) transmitted from the provider's provider information terminal 10 via the Internet 8.

[0165] In contrast, the route by which the electronic commerce server 50 obtains the above information is not particularly limited, and for example, the listing information receiving unit 51 of the electronic commerce server 50 may obtain the information by receiving various information in the quality information database 42 of the refrigerant quality control system 40 via the Internet 8.

[0166] For example, a provider transmits the cylinder ID and price information of the recovered refrigerant to be put up for auction from the provider information terminal 10 owned by the provider to the selling information receiving unit 51 of the electronic commerce server 50 via the Internet 8. Then, the selling information receiving unit 51 of the electronic commerce server 50 requests other information required for the auction from the refrigerant quality control system 40 via the Internet 8, while indicating the cylinder ID. Upon receiving the request, the refrigerant quality control system 40 reads out information stored in association with the cylinder ID from the information in the quality information database 42, and transmits the read information to the selling information receiving unit 51 of the electronic commerce server 50 via the Internet 8. Even through the above process, the electronic commerce server 50 can obtain information similar to that in the above embodiment, and can store the same information in the electronic commerce database 52.

[0167] (10-7) Variation G In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which various information for conducting electronic commerce is stored in the electronic commerce database 52 of the electronic commerce server 50. In the above embodiment, various information for conducting electronic commerce is stored in the electronic commerce database 52 of the electronic commerce server 50.

[0168] In contrast, for example, the electronic commerce server 50 itself may not have a database like the electronic commerce database 52 in the above embodiment, and when the electronic commerce server 50 receives an information request from a provider or a user, it may obtain corresponding information from the quality information database 42 of the refrigerant quality control system 40 via the Internet 8. In this case, for example, the refrigerant quality control system 40 obtains price information in advance from the provider information terminal 10, and the quality information database 42 further includes price information desired by the provider for each cylinder ID.

[0169] (10-8) Variation H In the above embodiment, an example was given of a configuration in which there is one refrigerant quality control system 40 and one electronic commerce server 50.

[0170] On the other hand, there may be a plurality of systems that provide quality information of recovered refrigerant or guarantee the quality of recovered refrigerant, such as the refrigerant quality control system 40. For example, a plurality of refrigerant quality control systems 40 (or their managers) may exist for each country, and the exchange of quality information of recovered refrigerant and the trading of recovered refrigerant may be performed across borders. Here, when there are a plurality of refrigerant quality control systems 40, the quality required for recovered refrigerant may differ for each refrigerant quality control system 40 (for each manager of the refrigerant quality control system 40), and the quality level as the standard to be guaranteed may differ. Furthermore, each refrigerant quality control system 40 may independently issue warranty data of the quality of recovered refrigerant according to the standard adopted by itself. For example, one refrigerant quality control system may issue warranty data only when the ratio of oil and moisture in the recovered refrigerant is less than a first standard value, and another refrigerant quality control system may issue warranty data only when the ratio of oil and moisture in the recovered refrigerant is less than a second standard value that is even lower than the first standard value. In this case, users can use the quality standard guaranteed by each refrigerant quality control system 40 as reference information when purchasing.

[0171] Furthermore, there may be a plurality of entities forming an electronic commerce market for recovered refrigerants, such as the electronic commerce server 50. For example, there may be a plurality of electronic commerce servers 50 operated and managed by different operating entities. In this case, it becomes easier to expand the market in which recovered refrigerants are traded, and it becomes possible to further promote the reuse of recovered refrigerants.

[0172] <Other embodiments> Although the embodiments have been described above, it will be understood that various changes in form and details are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.

[0173] That is, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments as they are. The present disclosure can be embodied by modifying the components in the implementation stage without departing from the gist of the disclosure. In addition, the present disclosure can be formed into various disclosures by appropriately combining the multiple components disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, the components may be appropriately combined in different embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0174] 1. Electronic commerce systems 3 Refrigerant utilization equipment 5 Cylinder (refrigerant container) 8. Internet (communications network) 10 Provider information terminal (first information terminal) 20 Analyzer 27 Inspection Equipment 28 Composition analyzer 29 Weight measuring device 30 Playback device 37 Compressor 38 Electrostatic separation device (oil separator) 39 Filter dryer 40 Refrigerant Quality Control System 41 Quality information acquisition department (acquisition department) 42 Quality information database (storage section) 43 Quality Information Department 60 User information terminal (second information terminal) [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0175] Patent No. 5048554

Claims

1. A refrigerant quality control system (40) that indicates quality information of recovered refrigerant, an acquisition unit (41) that acquires, via a communication network (8), first information, which is quality information of the recovered refrigerant associated with information identifying the refrigerant container (5) containing the recovered refrigerant and information identifying the provider, from a first information terminal (10) owned by a provider of the recovered refrigerant; A storage unit (42) that stores the first information acquired by the acquisition unit; a quality information providing unit (43) that provides second information, which is the same as the first information stored in the storage unit, to a second information terminal (60) owned by an entity different from the provider via the communication network; Equipped with The first information includes regenerated refrigerant information including at least any one of composition information, oil content information, moisture information, acid content information, and weight information of the regenerated recovered refrigerant grasped by the regeneration device (30) when the provider regenerates the recovered refrigerant using the regeneration device, The first information terminal is capable of acquiring the regenerated refrigerant information grasped by the regenerating device through wireless communication, The acquisition unit acquires the regenerated refrigerant information from the first information terminal via the communication network. Refrigerant quality control system.

2. The quality information of the recovered refrigerant includes information obtained by an analysis device (20) when the provider analyzes the recovered refrigerant using the analysis device. The refrigerant quality control system according to claim 1.

3. the first information terminal is capable of acquiring information grasped by the analysis device from the analysis device through wireless communication; The acquisition unit acquires the information acquired by the first information terminal from the analysis device via the communication network. The refrigerant quality control system according to claim 2.

4. The regeneration device includes at least an oil separator (38). The refrigerant quality control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The regenerated recovered refrigerant is a regenerated refrigerant in which oil has been reduced or removed after recovery. The refrigerant quality control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. When the recovered refrigerant is a refrigerant regenerated by the regeneration device, the quality information includes regeneration history information; the quality information providing unit determines whether the recovered refrigerant is a regenerated recovered refrigerant based on the first information stored in the storage unit, and when it is determined that the recovered refrigerant is a regenerated recovered refrigerant, provides the second information of the recovered refrigerant together with information indicating that the recovered refrigerant is a regenerated recovered refrigerant to the second information terminal. The refrigerant quality control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. A refrigerant quality control method showing quality information of recovered refrigerant, an acquisition unit (41) acquiring, via a communication network (8), first information, which is quality information of the recovered refrigerant associated with information identifying a refrigerant container (5) containing the recovered refrigerant and information identifying the provider, from a first information terminal (10) owned by a provider of the recovered refrigerant; A step of storing the information acquired by the acquisition unit in a storage unit (42); a step of a quality information providing unit (43) providing second information, which is the same as the first information stored in the storage unit, to a second information terminal (60) owned by an entity different from the provider via the communication network; Equipped with The first information includes regenerated refrigerant information including at least any one of composition information, oil content information, moisture information, acid content information, and weight information of the regenerated recovered refrigerant grasped by the regeneration device (30) when the provider regenerates the recovered refrigerant using the regeneration device, The first information terminal acquires the regenerated refrigerant information grasped by the regenerating device through wireless communication, The acquisition unit acquires the regenerated refrigerant information from the first information terminal via the communication network. Refrigerant quality control method.

8. A server (50) for displaying quality information of recovered refrigerant, an acquisition unit (51) that acquires first information, which is quality information including composition information of the recovered refrigerant, from a first information terminal (10) possessed by the provider for each recovered refrigerant via a communication network (8), in association with information identifying a refrigerant container (5) containing the recovered refrigerant or in association with information identifying a provider of the recovered refrigerant; a storage unit (52) that stores the first information acquired by the acquisition unit for each of the recovered refrigerants in association with information identifying the refrigerant container or in association with information identifying the provider; an exhibition information providing unit (53) that, when receiving a request signal from a second information terminal (60) owned by an entity different from the provider, provides second information based on the first information stored in the storage unit to the second information terminal (60) via the communication network; Equipped with the request signal includes information indicating a condition of the recovered refrigerant, The second information includes information identifying the refrigerant container that satisfies the condition of the request signal or information identifying the provider that satisfies the condition of the request signal. Server (50).

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