Schedule management system, schedule management method, schedule management device, and program

Abstract

A schedule management system according to the present disclosure is provided with: an air conditioner in which a refrigerant circulates to thereby cause heat exchange between the refrigerant and air; a communication device that acquires operation data from the air conditioner and transmits the acquired operation data; and a schedule management device comprising a reception unit that receives the operation data transmitted by the communication device, a diagnostic unit that diagnoses the air conditioner on the basis of the operation data received by the reception unit, a selection unit that determines, on the basis of a diagnostic result by the diagnostic unit, the working level indicating the degree of difficulty in repair or maintenance for the air conditioner and selects a worker who performs work at the working level, and a provision unit that provides assistance information for assisting the repair or maintenance for the air conditioner. The selection unit selects a first worker who has a skill level matching the working level and a second worker, among workers who do not have the skill level matching the working level, who can, by using the assistance information, attain the skill level matching the working level.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a schedule management system, a schedule management method, a schedule management device, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a technique for selecting an operator to perform a failure or maintenance of a device to be monitored is known. For example, the failure monitoring system described in Patent Document 1 monitors a system to be maintained, and a monitor analyzes a failure log to select a maintenance worker required for maintenance. Further, the failure monitoring system supports the selection of a maintenance worker by providing information such as the past repair history and skills of the maintenance worker to the monitor.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The failure monitoring system provides information such as the past repair history and skills of the maintenance worker to the monitor. However, even if information such as the past repair history and skills of the maintenance worker is provided to the monitor, if the maintenance worker cannot handle the failure with the past repair history and skills, the maintenance worker cannot be selected. If the maintenance worker cannot be selected promptly, the failure or maintenance of the device to be monitored may not be performed promptly.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a schedule management system, a schedule management method, a schedule management device, and a program capable of promptly selecting an operator when repair or maintenance of an air conditioner is required.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The schedule management system according to the first aspect includes an air conditioner that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air by circulating the refrigerant, a communication device that acquires operation data from the air conditioner and transmits the acquired operation data, a receiving unit that receives the operation data transmitted by the communication device, a diagnosing unit that diagnoses the air conditioner based on the operation data received by the receiving unit, a selecting unit that determines a work level indicating the difficulty of repairing or maintaining the air conditioner based on the diagnosis result of the diagnosing unit and selects a worker who performs the work at the work level, and a providing unit that provides support information for repairing or maintaining the air conditioner. The selecting unit selects a first worker who has reached a technical level corresponding to the work level and a second worker who has not reached the technical level corresponding to the work level but reaches the technical level corresponding to the work level by using the support information among the workers who have not reached the technical level corresponding to the work level.

[0007] The schedule management method according to the second aspect includes a step in which a communication device acquires operation data from an air conditioner that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air by circulating the refrigerant and transmits the acquired operation data, and a step in which a schedule management device receives the operation data transmitted by the communication device, diagnoses the air conditioner based on the operation data, determines a work level indicating the difficulty of repairing or maintaining the air conditioner based on the diagnosis result, selects a worker who performs the work at the work level, and provides support information for repairing or maintaining the air conditioner. The step of selecting the worker selects a first worker who has reached a technical level corresponding to the work level and a second worker who has not reached the technical level corresponding to the work level but reaches the technical level corresponding to the work level by using the support information among the workers who have not reached the technical level corresponding to the work level.

[0008] The schedule management device according to the third aspect acquires operation data from an air conditioner that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air by circulating the refrigerant, and receives the operation data from a communication device that transmits the acquired operation data. A receiving unit, a diagnosing unit that diagnoses the air conditioner based on the operation data received by the receiving unit, a determining unit that determines a work level indicating the difficulty of repairing or maintaining the air conditioner based on the diagnosis result of the diagnosing unit, and selects an operator who performs the work at the work level, and a providing unit that provides support information for repairing or maintaining the air conditioner. The selecting unit selects a first worker who has reached a technical level corresponding to the work level, and a second worker who reaches the technical level corresponding to the work level by using the support information among workers who have not reached the technical level corresponding to the work level.

[0009] The program according to the fourth aspect causes a computer of a schedule management device to receive operation data from an air conditioner that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air by circulating the refrigerant, diagnose the air conditioner based on the operation data, and determine a work level indicating the difficulty of repairing or maintaining the air conditioner based on the diagnosis result. Select a first worker who has reached a technical level corresponding to the work level, and a second worker who reaches the technical level corresponding to the work level by using support information for repairing or maintaining the air conditioner among workers who have not reached the technical level corresponding to the work level, and execute a process of providing the support information to the second worker.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, an operator can be promptly selected when repair or maintenance of an air conditioner is required.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments and can be arbitrarily changed within the scope of the technical idea of the present disclosure. Also, in the following drawings, in order to make each configuration easier to understand, the scale and number in each structure may be different from those in the actual structure.

[0013] (Configuration of Schedule Management System) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a schedule management system according to an embodiment. The schedule management system includes, for example, an air conditioner 100A and an air conditioner 100B, a schedule management device 200, an owner's terminal device 300, a maintenance contractor's terminal device 400, and a worker's terminal device 410. In the following description, when the air conditioner 100A and the air conditioner 100B are collectively referred to, they are simply described as "air conditioner 100". The air conditioner 100A and the air conditioner 100B are connected to a network NW such as the Internet via a router 101. The schedule management device 200, the owner's terminal device 300, the maintenance contractor's terminal device 400, and the worker's terminal device 410 have a function of connecting to the network NW. In the following description, the user of the air conditioner 100 is described as a "user", the owner of the air conditioner 100 is described as an "owner", the person who provides services such as maintenance of the air conditioner 100 as a business is described as a "maintenance contractor", and the person who repairs or maintains the air conditioner 100 is also described as a "worker".

[0014] The air conditioner 100A includes, for example, an outdoor unit 10a, an indoor unit 20a, and a communication device 30a. The air conditioner 100B includes, for example, an outdoor unit 10b, indoor units 20b1 and 20b2, and a communication device 30b. The outdoor unit 10b and the indoor units 20b1 and 20b2 are connected to each other by signal lines. In the following description, when collectively referring to the outdoor unit, it is simply described as "outdoor unit 10", when collectively referring to the indoor unit, it is simply described as "indoor unit 20", and when collectively referring to the communication device, it is simply described as "communication device 30". The communication device 30 is connected to at least one of the indoor unit 20 and the outdoor unit 10 via a signal line. The outdoor unit 10 is arranged outdoors. The indoor unit 20 is arranged indoors. The outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 are connected to each other by a circulation path section through which the refrigerant circulates. The air conditioner 100 circulates the refrigerant to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the air. Thereby, the air conditioner 100 adjusts the temperature of the indoor air.

[0015] In the embodiment, for example, an example will be described in which the communication device 30 is connected to the router 101 via a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), and the router 101 is connected to the network NW, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the communication device 30 may include a communication module compatible with LTE (Long Term Evolution) or 5G and be connected to the network NW without passing through a router. Further, an external communication device 30 may be wired-connected to the air conditioner 100, and the communication device 30 and the router 101 may be connected by a wireless LAN.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the air conditioner 100 in the embodiment. The air conditioner 100 communicates with, for example, an operation unit 110 and an information processing terminal 120. The operation unit 110 is wired-connected to the indoor unit 20. The operation unit 110 includes operation buttons and a display unit operated by the user. The operation unit 110 receives the user's operation and outputs an operation signal to the indoor unit 20. The operation unit 110 displays various information such as the state of the air conditioner 100 on the display unit. The information processing terminal 120 is a smartphone or the like operated by the user of the air conditioner 100.

[0017] The schedule management device 200 is an information processing device such as a server device that accumulates the operation data of the air conditioner 100 and performs various processes using the operation data. The schedule management device 200 sends various notifications to the owner terminal device 300 and the maintenance technician terminal device 400. The schedule management device 200 provides information regarding the operation data based on requests from the owner terminal device 300, the maintenance technician terminal device 400, and the worker terminal device 410.

[0018] The schedule management system manages owner information, user information, property information regarding the property where the air conditioner 100 is installed, device information of the air conditioner 100, operation data of the air conditioner 100, the schedule of workers, etc. For example, the schedule management system registers, refers to, changes, and deletes owner information, user information, worker information, property information, device information, operation data, etc. based on requests received from the information processing terminal 120, the owner terminal device 300, the maintenance technician terminal device 400, or the worker terminal device 410.

[0019] The information processing terminal 120 acquires user information, property information, and device information by, for example, receiving a user's operation. The information processing terminal 120 acquires the device information of the air conditioner 100 by reading a code attached to the outdoor unit 10 or the indoor unit 20. The information processing terminal 120 may acquire the device information of the air conditioner 100 from the operation unit 110. Also, the information processing terminal 120 can acquire the device information of the air conditioner 100 by reading a code described on a nameplate attached to the air conditioner 100. The user information, property information, and device information are transmitted from the information processing terminal 120 to the schedule management device 200 via the air conditioner 100. Also, the information processing terminal 120 can also send a request for repair or maintenance of the air conditioner 100 to the schedule management device 200 when, for example, there is a problem with the operation of the air conditioner 100.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a database registered in the schedule management device 200 in the embodiment. The schedule management device 200 constructs, for example, an owner table, a property table, a device table, and a maintenance contractor table. The owner table, the property table, the device table, and the maintenance contractor table are associated with each other. For example, an owner, a device, and a maintenance contractor may be associated with a property as key information. The schedule management device 200 performs processes including registration, modification, deletion, etc. of information on the owner table, the property table, the device table, and the maintenance contractor table. In the owner table, for example, an owner ID and owner information are registered. The owner information is information including the name and contact information of the owner. In the property table, a property ID and property information are registered. The property information is information including the name of the property such as the building name and the location of the property. In the device table, device information including a device ID, a model name, a manufacturing number, a MAC address, etc., operation data, replacement / repair history information, abnormality history information, and inspection information are registered.

[0021] The replacement / repair history information includes the replacement date and repair date of the outdoor unit 10 or the indoor unit 20, the device information before replacement, the device information after replacement, etc. The replacement / repair history information includes the replacement date and repair date of the parts of the outdoor unit 10 or the indoor unit 20, the device information before replacement, the device information after replacement, etc. The inspection information is information including the simple inspection date of the air conditioner 100, the history of simple inspections, an inspection record form, etc.

[0022] In the maintenance contractor table, maintenance contractor information including a maintenance contractor ID, a company name, contact information, etc., and schedule information are registered. The schedule information includes worker information, work level data, technical level data, and support information data.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the air conditioner 100 in the embodiment. The air conditioner 100 includes, for example, an outdoor unit 10, an indoor unit 20, and a circulation path section 18. The air conditioner 100 can adjust the temperature of the indoor air by performing heat exchange between the refrigerant 19 flowing in the circulation path section 18 and the indoor air where the indoor unit 20 is disposed. Examples of the refrigerant 19 include a fluorine-based refrigerant having a low global warming potential (GWP: Global Warming Potential) or a hydrocarbon-based refrigerant.

[0024] The outdoor unit 10 includes, for example, a housing 11, a compressor 12, a heat exchanger 13, a flow rate adjustment valve 14, a blower 15, a four-way valve 16, and a control unit 17. Inside the housing 11, the compressor 12, the heat exchanger 13, the flow rate adjustment valve 14, the blower 15, the four-way valve 16, and the control unit 17 are accommodated.

[0025] The compressor 12, the heat exchanger 13, the flow rate adjustment valve 14, and the four-way valve 16 are provided in a portion of the circulation path section 18 located inside the housing 11. The compressor 12, the heat exchanger 13, the flow rate adjustment valve 14, and the four-way valve 16 are connected by a portion of the circulation path section 18 located inside the housing 11.

[0026] The four-way valve 16 is provided in a portion of the circulation path section 18 connected to the refrigerant discharge side of the compressor 12. The four-way valve 16 switches the path of the refrigerant 19 flowing in the circulation path section 18 between the path indicated by the solid line and the path indicated by the broken line. The path indicated by the solid line is a path that returns the refrigerant 19 discharged from the compressor 12 to the compressor 12 via the heat exchanger 13, the flow rate adjustment valve 14, and the indoor unit 20. The path indicated by the broken line is a path that returns the refrigerant 19 discharged from the compressor 12 to the compressor 12 via the indoor unit 20, the flow rate adjustment valve 14, and the heat exchanger 13.

[0027] The indoor unit 20 includes a housing 21, a heat exchanger 22, a blower 23, and a control unit 24. The housing 21 houses the heat exchanger 22, the blower 23, the control unit 24, and a communication device 30 inside. The indoor unit 20 is capable of a cooling operation for cooling the air in the room where the indoor unit 20 is disposed and a heating operation for heating the air in the room where the indoor unit 20 is disposed.

[0028] When the air conditioner 100 performs a cooling operation, the refrigerant 19 circulates through the compressor 12, the heat exchanger 13 of the outdoor unit 10, the flow rate adjustment valve 14, and the heat exchanger 22 of the indoor unit 20 in this order and returns to the compressor 12 as indicated by the solid-line arrow. In the cooling operation, the heat exchanger 13 in the outdoor unit 10 functions as a condenser, and the heat exchanger 22 in the indoor unit 20 functions as an evaporator.

[0029] When the air conditioner 100 performs a heating operation, the refrigerant 19 circulates through the compressor 12, the heat exchanger 22 of the indoor unit 20, the flow rate adjustment valve 14, and the heat exchanger 13 of the outdoor unit 10 in this order and returns to the compressor 12 as indicated by the dashed-line arrow. In the heating operation, the heat exchanger 13 in the outdoor unit 10 functions as an evaporator, and the heat exchanger 22 in the indoor unit 20 functions as a condenser.

[0030] The control unit 24 is mounted on the circuit board in the indoor unit 20 together with the communication device 30 and the storage unit 24a. The control unit 24 controls each part of the indoor unit 20. The control unit 17 is mounted on the circuit board in the outdoor unit 10 together with the storage unit 17a. The control unit 17 controls each part of the outdoor unit 10. The control unit 24 and the control unit 17 are realized by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program stored in a program memory. Software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware is described as a program, and the program is stored in the program memory. Also, some or all of the functional units may be realized by hardware such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or may be realized by the cooperation of software and hardware. The storage units 17a and 24a are realized by non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memories such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), and EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM). The communication device 30 acquires operation data from the air conditioner 100 and transmits the acquired operation data. The operation data transmitted by the communication device 30 to the air conditioner 100 includes the operation data stored in the storage unit 24a and the storage unit 17a.

[0031] Specifically, the control unit 24 communicates with the operation unit 110 and the information processing terminal 120 via the communication device 30. The control unit 24 receives signals from sensors (not shown) mounted on the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20. The control unit 24 controls the motor in the blower 23. The control unit 24 supplies a control signal for operating the outdoor unit 10 to the control unit 17. The control unit 17 controls the motor in the compressor 12, the motor in the blower 15, the actuator in the four-way valve 16, and the actuator in the flow rate adjustment valve 14.

[0032] The sensors may include, for example, temperature sensors that detect various temperatures such as the outside air temperature, the room temperature, the refrigerant pipe temperature, and the shell temperature of the compressor 12, sensors that detect various driving amounts such as the driving amount of the blower 15, the driving amount of the blower 23, and the driving amount of the compressor 12, sensors that detect various operations such as the operation of the flow rate adjustment valve 14 and the operation of the four-way valve 16, and refrigerant leakage sensors arranged around the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20.

[0033] The operation data will be described below. The operation data is data related to the operation of the air conditioner 100. The operation data includes data related to the overall operation of the air conditioner 100, data related to the operation of the outdoor unit 10, data related to the operation of the indoor unit 20, data related to the operation of the components of the outdoor unit 10, and data related to the components of the indoor unit 20. The operation data is data that can be used for diagnosing the air conditioner 100.

[0034] The operation data includes data for diagnosing the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20. The operation data may be, for example, data indicating whether a float switch installed in the drain pan has detected a first water level. Thereby, the schedule management device 200 can diagnose an abnormality in the drain water drainage operation. The operation data may be data indicating whether the pipe temperature is below the protection temperature by a thermistor attached to the indoor refrigerant pipe. Thereby, the schedule management device 200 can diagnose an abnormality that the indoor refrigerant pipe freezes due to operation load conditions or the like during the cooling operation. The operation data may be data indicating whether the pipe temperature is above the protection temperature by a thermistor attached to the indoor refrigerant pipe. Thereby, the schedule management device 200 can diagnose an abnormality that the indoor pipe temperature rises excessively due to operation load conditions or the like during the heating operation. The operation data may be data indicating whether the refrigerant pressure has exceeded the design pressure. Thereby, the schedule management device 200 can diagnose an abnormality that the refrigerant pressure exceeds the design pressure due to clogging or breakage of the refrigerant pipe, a short circuit, or a failure of the indoor and outdoor fan motors. The operation data may be data indicating whether an abnormal temperature has been detected by a thermistor that detects the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 12. Thereby, the schedule management device 200 can diagnose an abnormality that the temperature of the refrigerant 19 discharged from the compressor 12 exceeds the design temperature due to a heating operation by the compressor 12 caused by a refrigerant shortage, or a valve operation failure of the four-way valve 16 or the flow rate adjustment valve 14. The operation data may be data indicating whether a shell thermistor attached to the compressor 12 has detected an abnormal temperature. Thereby, the schedule management device 200 can diagnose an abnormality that the temperature of the shell constituting the outer shell of the compressor 12 exceeds the design temperature determined by the allowable temperature of each component such as the compressor 12 due to a heating operation of the compressor 12 caused by a refrigerant shortage, a valve operation failure of the four-way valve 16 or the flow rate adjustment valve 14. The operation data may be data indicating whether the period during which the discharge superheat exceeds a predetermined value has continued for a set time.As a result, the schedule management device 200 can diagnose an abnormality in which the refrigerant 19 leaks due to heating operation of the compressor 12 caused by insufficient refrigerant, valve operation failure of the four-way valve 16 or the flow rate adjustment valve 14, etc., and the refrigerant 19 becomes insufficient. The operation data may be data for determining whether or not the refrigerant pressure has fallen below the design pressure. As a result, the schedule management device 200 can diagnose an abnormality in which the refrigerant pressure falls below the design pressure due to malfunction of an electronic expansion valve or the like, foreign matter in the refrigerant piping, or the like.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the indoor unit 20 and the schedule management device 200 in the embodiment. The indoor unit 20 includes, for example, a control unit 24, a data acquisition unit 140, a processing unit 142, a storage unit 24a, an external communication unit 150, and a home communication unit 152. The external communication unit 150 is a functional unit corresponding to the communication device 30. Note that the data acquisition unit 140 and the processing unit 142 are realized, for example, by a processor such as a CPU executing a program stored in a program memory. Note that each unit such as the control unit 24, the data acquisition unit 140, the processing unit 142, the storage unit 24a, the external communication unit 150, and the home communication unit 152 may be mounted on either the outdoor unit 10 or the indoor unit 20, or may be distributed and mounted on the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20.

[0036] The control unit 24 outputs a control signal to each part of the air conditioner 100. The data acquisition unit 140 acquires operation data from each part of the air conditioner 100. The storage unit 24a stores the operation data. The processing unit 142 transmits the operation data stored in the storage unit 144 to the schedule management device 200 via the external communication unit 150 and the router 101. The home communication unit 152 performs wired communication with the operation unit 110. The home communication unit 152 communicates with the information processing terminal 120 using a short-range communication method. The short-range communication method is, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0037] The schedule management device 200 includes, for example, a receiving unit 210, a diagnosing unit 212, a selecting unit 220, an information providing unit 230, and a database unit 240. The receiving unit 210 receives operation data transmitted from the external communication unit 150 (communication device 30). The diagnosing unit 212 diagnoses the air conditioner 100 based on the operation data received by the receiving unit 210.

[0038] The selecting unit 220 determines a work level indicating the difficulty of repairing or maintaining the air conditioner 100 based on the diagnosis result of the diagnosing unit 212, and selects a worker who performs the work at the work level. The selecting unit 220 includes, for example, a work level determining unit 222, a schedule determining unit 224, and a technical level determining unit 226. The work level determining unit 222, the schedule determining unit 224, and the technical level determining unit 226 are realized, for example, by a processor such as a CPU executing a program stored in a program memory. In the embodiment, the work level represents the difficulty of repairing or maintaining the air conditioner 100, and the technical level represents the skill level of the worker.

[0039] The work level determining unit 222 determines a work level indicating the difficulty of repairing or maintaining the air conditioner 100 based on the diagnosis result of the diagnosing unit 212. The schedule determining unit 224 receives a work day for repairing or maintaining the air conditioner 100, and determines whether the first worker can be assigned to the received work day. The first worker is a worker who has reached the technical level corresponding to the work level determined by the work level determining unit 222. The technical level determining unit 226 selects a second worker who reaches the technical level corresponding to the work level by using support information among the first worker and the workers who have not reached the technical level corresponding to the work level. The schedule determining unit 224 may select the second worker when it is determined by the schedule determining unit 224 that the first worker cannot be assigned to the work day.

[0040] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of work level data. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of technical level data. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of support information data. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of support information. Information such as work level data, technical level data, support information data, support information, and workable days of a work day is stored in the database unit 240.

[0041] The work level data is data that associates operation data, information indicating repair or maintenance of the air conditioner 100, and a work level. The work level data may be data that associates a diagnosis result based on operation data, information indicating repair or maintenance of the air conditioner 100, and a work level. The technical level data is data that associates information indicating an operator with a technical level. The technical level is determined by, for example, the number of years of experience, the skill level of the operator, the parts and the number of times replaced, whether there is welding (advanced work) experience, whether there is a license, and the like. The technical level is updated, for example, based on a request from the terminal device 400 for maintenance personnel. The support information data is data that associates support information with an increase width of the technical level. The support information is, for example, content created for each repair or maintenance work of the air conditioner 100, but is not limited thereto, and may be content for each model of the air conditioner 100. The support information is, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, manual video data, and includes a moving image explaining the overall procedure of the work, a moving image explaining the details of procedure (1) of the work, a moving image explaining the details of procedure (2) of the work, and a moving image explaining the details of new functions of the air conditioner 100 related to the work.

[0042] The work level determination unit 222 of the selection unit 220 acquires the work level corresponding to the operation data transmitted by the communication device 30 based on the work level data. The work level determination unit 222 may acquire the work level corresponding to the diagnosis result based on the operation data based on the work level data. The technical level determination unit 226 of the selection unit 220 acquires information indicating a first worker who satisfies the technical level corresponding to the work level acquired by the work level determination unit 222 based on the technical level data. The technical level determination unit 226 further acquires information indicating a second worker based on the technical level data and the support information data. For example, the technical level determination unit 226 acquires information indicating a worker with a technical level of "4" on the condition that support information corresponding to a work level of "5" for the diagnosis result and an increase width of "+1" is used.

[0043] The information providing unit 230 can increase the technical level of the worker by providing support information to the worker with a low technical level. The higher the technical level of the second worker, the smaller the range of support information provided to the worker terminal device 410 corresponding to the second worker by the information providing unit 230. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the information providing unit 230 can increase the technical level of the second worker by " +3" by providing all moving images of the support information to the workers with technical levels of "1" and "2". The information providing unit 230 can increase the technical level of the second worker by "2" by providing the moving images of steps (1), (2), and new functions in the support information to the worker with a technical level of "3". The information providing unit 230 can increase the technical level of the second worker by "1" by providing the moving images of step (2) and new functions in the support information to the worker with a technical level of "4". Incidentally, the information providing unit 230 may provide moving images of new functions of the air conditioner 100 and the like as support information provided to all workers.

[0044] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a process for selecting a first worker and a second worker. (A) is a diagram showing the work level and work date of repair or maintenance of the air conditioner 100. (B) is a diagram showing an example of a process for selecting a first worker in consideration of a schedule (workable date). (C) is a diagram showing an example of a process for selecting a first worker and a second worker in consideration of a schedule (workable date). For example, as shown in FIG. 10(A), for repair or maintenance with a work level of "5", the work date of repair or maintenance is set based on a request from, for example, the owner terminal device 300 or the information processing terminal 120. The schedule determination unit 224 refers to the schedules of the workers and selects workers A1 to E2 who can work on the set work date. As shown in FIG. 10(B), the technical level determination unit 226 selects worker A2 with a work level of "5" among workers A1 to E2 as the first worker. Further, as shown in FIG. 10(C), the technical level determination unit 226 can select worker B2 with a technical level of "4" on the condition that support information is used by referring to the support information data.

[0045] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a support information confirmation screen provided to the operator terminal device 410. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of support information regarding component replacement. The information providing unit 230 provides content for the operator to confirm whether to provide support information to the operator terminal device 410 held by the operator, and the operator terminal device 410 displays a support information confirmation screen as shown in FIG. 11(a). The support information confirmation screen includes that the repair or maintenance of the air conditioner 100 performed by the operator is component replacement, work items in component replacement, and check boxes corresponding to the work items. The operator terminal device 410 receives the input operation of the operator and provides information indicating work items for which no operation has been performed on the check boxes to the schedule management device 200. The information providing unit 230 of the schedule management device 200 provides support information to the operator terminal device 410 within the range corresponding to the information indicating work items for which no operation has been performed on the check boxes among the support information regarding component replacement as shown in FIGS. 11(b) and 12. Note that the information providing unit 230 may be configured such that the check box cannot be selected for work items that require viewing of support information according to the technical level of the operator among a plurality of work items.

[0046] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a support information confirmation screen provided to the operator terminal device 410. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of support information corresponding to the model. The information providing unit 230 provides content for the operator terminal device 410 held by the operator to confirm whether to provide the support information of the latest model. The operator terminal device 410 displays a support information confirmation screen of the latest model as shown in FIG. 13(a). The support information confirmation screen includes an item explaining a repair method or a maintenance method corresponding to the functions of the latest model, and a check box corresponding to the item. The operator terminal device 410 receives an input operation of the operator and provides information indicating an item for which no operation has been performed on the check box to the schedule management device 200. As shown in FIGS. 13(b) and 14, the information providing unit 230 of the schedule management device 200 provides support information to the operator terminal device 410 within the range corresponding to the information indicating the item for which no operation has been performed on the check box among the support information about the latest model. Note that the information providing unit 230 may be configured such that the check box cannot be selected for an item that requires viewing of support information according to the operator's technical level among a plurality of items.

[0047] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a support information confirmation screen provided to the operator terminal device 410. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of support information corresponding to the inspection. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of support information corresponding to the explanation of the inspection result. The information providing unit 230 provides content for confirming whether to provide support information for performing an inspection during normal operation to the operator terminal device 410 held by the operator. The operator terminal device 410 displays a support information confirmation screen for the inspection procedure as shown in FIG. 15(a). The inspection during normal operation is, for example, an inspection that is not detected as abnormal even when the diagnosis unit 212 diagnoses based on the operation data, but is performed at the request of the information processing terminal 120 or the owner terminal device 300. The support information confirmation screen includes the overall procedure for inspecting the abnormality of the air conditioner 100, the items corresponding to each of the inspection items, and the check boxes corresponding to the items. The operator terminal device 410 receives the input operation of the operator and provides the schedule management device 200 with information indicating the items for which the operation on the check box has not been performed. As shown in FIGS. 15(b) and 16, the information providing unit 230 of the schedule management device 200 provides the operator terminal device 410 with support information within the range corresponding to the information indicating the items for which the operation on the check box has not been performed among the support information for the latest models. Thereby, the information providing unit 230 can provide the operator with the overall procedure and inspection items for the inspection during normal operation, and provide support information for the inspection items that the operator has not noticed. Note that the information providing unit 230 may disable the selection of the check box for the items for which viewing of the support information is requested according to the technical level of the operator among the plurality of items.

[0048] After the inspection is completed from the operator's terminal device 410, as shown in FIG. 15(c), the information providing unit 230 of the schedule management device 200 provides the operator's terminal device 410 with content for displaying a screen including items corresponding to the overall explanation regarding the inspection and the result explanation of the inspection items, and check boxes corresponding to the items. The operator's terminal device 410 receives the input operation of the operator and provides the schedule management device 200 with information indicating items for which no operation has been performed on the check boxes. As shown in FIG. 17, the information providing unit 230 of the schedule management device 200 provides the operator's terminal device 410 with support information within the range corresponding to the information indicating items for which no operation has been performed on the check boxes among the support information. Thereby, the information providing unit 230 can provide the operator with a video for explaining the inspection results. Note that the information providing unit 230 may be configured such that the check boxes cannot be selected for items that require viewing of support information according to the technical level of the operator among a plurality of items.

[0049] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for selecting an operator by the schedule management device 200 in the embodiment. First, the receiving unit 210 receives operation data from the air conditioner 100 (step S100), and the diagnosis unit 212 diagnoses the air conditioner 100 based on the operation data. The diagnosis unit 212 determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the air conditioner 100 (step S102). When no abnormality has occurred in the air conditioner 100 (step S102: NO), the diagnosis unit 212 repeats the reception and diagnosis of the operation data (steps S101 and S102). When an abnormality has occurred in the air conditioner 100 (step S102: YES), the diagnosis unit 212 determines the work content of repair or maintenance for the diagnosis result (step S104), and the work level determination unit 222 determines the work level of the work content of repair or maintenance corresponding to the diagnosis result (step S106).

[0050] Next, the schedule determination unit 224 checks the schedules of the workers who are available on the working days for performing repairs or maintenance on the air conditioner 100 (step S108). The technical level determination unit 226 selects a first worker who has reached the technical level corresponding to the work level among the workers who are available on the working days for performing repairs or maintenance on the air conditioner 100 (step S110).

[0051] The technical level determination unit 226 determines whether the first worker has been selected (step S112). When the first worker is selected by the technical level determination unit 226 (step S112: YES), the schedule management device 200 provides information requesting work to the worker terminal device 410 corresponding to the selected first worker (step S116).

[0052] When the first worker is not selected by the technical level determination unit 226 (step S112: NO), the technical level determination unit 226 selects a second worker who has reached the technical level corresponding to the work level by using the support information (step S114). The schedule management device 200 provides information requesting work to the worker terminal device 410 corresponding to the selected second worker (step S116).

[0053] As described above, according to the schedule management system of the embodiment, an air conditioner 100 that exchanges heat between a refrigerant and air by circulating the refrigerant, a communication device 30 that acquires operation data from the air conditioner 100 and transmits the acquired operation data, a receiving unit 210 that receives the operation data transmitted by the communication device 30, a diagnosis unit 212 that diagnoses the air conditioner 100 based on the operation data received by the receiving unit 210, a selection unit 220 that determines a work level indicating the difficulty of repairing or maintaining the air conditioner 100 based on the diagnosis result of the diagnosis unit 212 and selects a worker who performs the work of the work level, and an information providing unit 230 that provides support information for repairing or maintaining the air conditioner 100. The selection unit 220 selects a first worker who has reached a technical level corresponding to the work level and a second worker who reaches the technical level corresponding to the work level by using the support information among the workers who have not reached the technical level corresponding to the work level. According to the schedule management system, when repair or maintenance of the air conditioner 100 is required, a worker can be selected promptly.

[0054] FIG. 19 is a sequence diagram showing an operation procedure in the schedule management system of the embodiment. As described with reference to FIG. 18, the selection unit 220 selects a second worker when it is determined by the schedule determination unit 224 that the first worker cannot be assigned to the work day, but is not limited thereto. The schedule management device 200 may provide information requesting repair or maintenance of the air conditioner 100 to both the worker terminal device 410 corresponding to the first worker and the worker terminal device 410 corresponding to the second worker.

[0055] First, the air conditioner 100 provides operation data to the schedule management device 200, and the receiving unit 210 of the schedule management device 200 receives the provided operation data. The diagnosis unit 212 diagnoses the air conditioner 100 using the received operation data (step S200). As a result of the diagnosis, if there is an abnormality in the air conditioner 100, the schedule management device 200 notifies the owner terminal device 300, the maintenance technician terminal device 400 (not shown), and the worker terminal device 410.

[0056] Next, the selection unit 220 selects the first worker and the second worker (step S202). The work level determination unit 222 determines the work level corresponding to the diagnosis result, the schedule determination unit 224 determines the workers who are available on the work day for repairing or maintaining the abnormal air conditioner 100, and the technical level determination unit 226 selects the first worker having the technical level corresponding to the work level among the workers who can handle the work day, and the second worker who reaches the technical level corresponding to the work level by using the support information. The schedule management device 200 requests both the worker terminal device 410 corresponding to the first worker selected by the technical level determination unit 226 and the worker terminal device 410 corresponding to the second worker to repair or maintain the air conditioner 100 simultaneously.

[0057] For example, assume that the schedule management device 200 requests the first worker with a technical level of "5" and the second worker with a technical level of "3" because the technical level required for repairing or maintaining the air conditioner 100 is "5". Assume that the schedule management device 200 has not received a response of acceptance from the worker terminal device 410 corresponding to the first worker with a technical level of "5", but has received a response of acceptance from the worker terminal device 410 corresponding to the second worker with a technical level of "3". In this case, the information providing unit 230 transmits support information for increasing the technical level of the second worker from "3" to "5" to the worker terminal device 410 corresponding to the second worker.

[0058] The worker terminal device 410 corresponding to the second worker receives the support information and allows the second worker to view the moving image as the support information (step S204). The worker terminal device 410 transmits a completion notice indicating that the viewing of the support information has been completed to the schedule management device 200.

[0059] When the second worker repairs or maintains the air conditioner 100, the second worker makes a completion report of the work (step S206), and the worker terminal device 410 transmits a completion notice indicating that the repair or maintenance work of the air conditioner 100 has been completed to the schedule management device 200.

[0060] In this way, the schedule management device 200 can promptly schedule the repair or maintenance of the air conditioner 100 by providing information for requesting the repair or maintenance of the air conditioner 100 to both the first worker and the second worker.

[0061] As described above, the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and designs and the like within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure are also included. Each configuration described in the above embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. For example, in the embodiments, it has been described that the air conditioner 100 is the object of the work. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the above-described embodiments may be applied to any work that requires associating or inheriting operation data before and after the work, such as equipment replacement, component replacement, repair, or cleaning.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0062] 10, 10a, 10b... Outdoor units, 12... Compressor, 13... Heat exchanger, 14... Flow control valve, 15... Blower, 16... Four-way valve, 17... Control unit, 17a, 24a... Memory unit, 19... Refrigerant, 21... Housing, 22... Heat exchanger, 23... Blower, 24... Control unit, 20, 20a, 20b1, 20b2... Indoor units, 30, 30a, 30b... Communication devices, 100, 100A, 100B... Air conditioners, 101... Router, 110... Operation unit, 120... Information processing terminal, 140... Data acquisition unit, 142... Processing unit, 144... Memory unit, 150... External communication unit, 152... In-house communication unit, 200... Schedule management device, 210... Receiver, 212... Diagnosis unit, 220... Selection unit, 222... Work level determination unit, 224... Schedule determination unit, 226... Technical level determination unit, 230... Information providing unit, 240... Database unit

Claims

1. An air conditioner that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air by circulating the refrigerant, a communication device that acquires operation data from the air conditioner and transmits the acquired operation data, a receiving unit that receives the operation data transmitted by the communication device, a diagnosis unit that diagnoses the air conditioner based on the operation data received by the receiving unit, a selection unit that determines a work level indicating the difficulty of repairing or maintaining the air conditioner based on the diagnosis result of the diagnosis unit and selects a worker who performs the work at the work level, and a provision unit that provides support information for repairing or maintaining the air conditioner, and a schedule management device having the same, The selection unit selects a first worker who has reached a technical level corresponding to the work level and a second worker who reaches the technical level corresponding to the work level by using the support information among workers who have not reached the technical level corresponding to the work level, a schedule management system.

2. The selection unit includes a schedule determination unit that receives a work date for repairing or maintaining the air conditioner and determines whether the first worker can be assigned to the received work date. When it is determined by the schedule determination unit that the first worker cannot be assigned to the work date, the second worker is selected. The schedule management system according to claim 1.

3. The schedule management device according to claim 1 provides information requesting repair or maintenance of the air conditioner to both a terminal device corresponding to the first worker and a terminal device corresponding to the second worker.

4. The schedule management device includes a database unit that registers work level data associating the operation data, information indicating repair or maintenance of the air conditioner, and the work level, technical level data associating information indicating the worker and the technical level, and support information data associating the support information and the increase width of the technical level. The selection unit acquires the work level corresponding to the operation data transmitted by the communication device based on the work level data, acquires information indicating the first worker who satisfies the technical level corresponding to the acquired work level based on the technical level data, and acquires information indicating the second worker based on the technical level data and the support information data. The schedule management system according to claim 1.

5. The providing unit reduces the range of the support information provided to the terminal device corresponding to the second worker as the technical level of the second worker is higher. The schedule management system according to claim 1.

6. The providing unit provides content that causes the terminal device corresponding to the second worker to select a work item for which the support information is to be provided among the work items included in the repair or maintenance of the air conditioner based on the operation data, and provides the support information corresponding to the work item selected by the second worker. The schedule management system according to claim 1.

7. The providing unit provides content that causes the terminal device corresponding to the second worker to select a function for which the support information is to be provided among the functions of the air conditioner to be repaired or maintained based on the operation data, and provides the support information corresponding to the function selected by the second worker. The schedule management system according to claim 1.

8. The providing unit provides content that causes the terminal device corresponding to the second worker to select an inspection item for which the support information is to be provided among the inspection items of the air conditioner to be repaired or maintained based on the operation data, and provides the support information corresponding to the inspection item selected by the second worker. The schedule management system according to claim 1.

9. The communication device has a step of acquiring operation data from an air conditioner that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air by circulating the refrigerant and transmitting the acquired operation data. The step in which the schedule management device receives the operation data transmitted by the communication device, the step of diagnosing the air conditioner based on the operation data, determining a work level indicating the difficulty of repairing or maintaining the air conditioner based on the diagnosis result, and selecting a worker who performs the work at the work level, and providing support information for assisting in repairing or maintaining the air conditioner. The step of selecting the worker includes selecting a first worker who has reached a technical level corresponding to the work level and a second worker who has not reached the technical level corresponding to the work level but reaches the technical level corresponding to the work level by using the support information among the workers who have not reached the technical level corresponding to the work level. This is a schedule management method.

10. A receiving unit that receives operation data from an air conditioner that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air by circulating the refrigerant, and a communication device that transmits the acquired operation data. A diagnostic unit that diagnoses the air conditioner based on the operation data received by the receiving unit. A selection unit that determines a work level indicating the difficulty of repairing or maintaining the air conditioner based on the diagnosis result of the diagnostic unit and selects a worker who performs the work at the work level. A providing unit that provides support information for assisting in repairing or maintaining the air conditioner. The selection unit selects a first worker who has reached a technical level corresponding to the work level and a second worker who has not reached the technical level corresponding to the work level but reaches the technical level corresponding to the work level by using the support information among the workers who have not reached the technical level corresponding to the work level. This is a schedule management device.

11. On the computer of the schedule management device, Receive operation data from an air conditioner that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air by circulating the refrigerant. Diagnose the air conditioner based on the operation data. Determine a work level indicating the difficulty of repairing or maintaining the air conditioner based on the diagnosis result. Select a first worker who has reached a technical level corresponding to the work level and a second worker who has not reached the technical level corresponding to the work level but reaches the technical level corresponding to the work level by using the support information for repairing or maintaining the air conditioner among the workers who have not reached the technical level corresponding to the work level. Execute a process of providing the support information to the second worker. Program.

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