Monitoring system and control method thereof

Abstract

To provide a technique for adjusting a frequency of providing a notification to a user in a monitoring system that allows the user to check a living condition of a target person through a network based on an amount of water consumption.SOLUTION: A monitoring system comprises: a water monitoring unit that transmits a measurement result of water consumption by a target person; and a management server that executes a notification process for transmitting a notification regarding a water usage status of the target person to a contact address of the user. The management server accepts a change in notification settings of the notification process, and in the notification process, executes one of: regular notification of transmitting either a normal notification to notify the user that no abnormality has been detected in a water usage status of the target person or an abnormal notification to notify the user that an occurrence of an abnormality has been detected, at regular timing; and irregular notification not transmitting the normal notification but transmitting the abnormal notification, according to a selection of the notification setting.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology of the present disclosure relates to a monitoring system and a control method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Various monitoring systems have been proposed that use network technology to enable relatives living separately to check the living conditions of people who are the target of monitoring, such as elderly people. For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses technology that uses a water usage monitoring system as such a monitoring system. In such monitoring systems, information about the living conditions of the person being monitored may be sent to the user who requested monitoring via email or the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-153721 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-109572 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a monitoring system such as the one described above, if notifications other than those reporting abnormalities are frequently sent from the system to users, the users may become negligent in checking the content of the notifications, which may result in the users overlooking notifications reporting abnormalities for the target person. On the other hand, some users may become anxious about the target person's safety if they do not receive a notification from the system for a long period of time. Thus, in a monitoring system, it is desirable for notifications reporting the target person's status to be sent at a frequency appropriate for each user. There is still room for improvement in adjusting the frequency of notifications from the monitoring system to users. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The technology of the present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.

[0006] (1) One embodiment of the technology disclosed herein is a monitoring system that enables a user to check the living conditions of a target person via a network based on their water usage. The monitoring system includes a water monitoring unit that transmits measurement results of the target person's water usage via the network, and a management server that receives the measurement results from the water monitoring unit and executes a notification process that transmits a notification regarding the target person's water usage based on the measurement results to the user's pre-registered contact information via the network. The management server has a function of detecting an abnormality in the target person's water usage based on the measurement results and predetermined judgment conditions, a function of accepting changes to notification settings that determine execution conditions of the notification process, and a function of executing the notification process in accordance with a selection set in the notification settings, either a regular notification that notifies the target person that the abnormality has not been detected or an abnormality notification that notifies the target person that the abnormality has been detected, or an irregular notification that does not send the regular notification but sends the abnormality notification when the abnormality is detected, according to a selection set in the notification settings. This type of monitoring system allows users to choose whether to receive periodic notifications about any abnormalities in their water usage, or to receive notifications only when an abnormality is detected. This allows users to receive notifications from the monitoring system at a frequency that is appropriate for them.

[0007] (2) In the monitoring system of the above aspect, the management server may be configured to be able to variably set the determination condition for each of the subjects. This type of monitoring system allows for the setting of judgment criteria that are tailored to the daily water usage trends of each individual, thereby improving the accuracy of detecting abnormalities based on water usage. This prevents situations in which notifications of abnormalities are frequently sent to users even when the individual is safe, causing the user to neglect to check the notifications, or prevents situations in which notifications are not sent to users even when an abnormality has occurred.

[0008] (3) In the monitoring system of the above type, the management server may accept, as one of the notification settings, the setting of a notification suspension period during which the sending of notifications regarding whether or not the target person has experienced an abnormality to the user's contact information is suspended. This type of monitoring system allows a notification suspension period to be set in advance for a period of time when the target person is not using the water supply as usual, such as when the target person is away from home for an extended period of time. This prevents notifications of abnormalities occurring in the target person from being sent to the user even when the user is aware that the target person is not using the water supply as usual. This reduces the frequency of unnecessary or erroneous notifications being sent to the user.

[0009] (4) In the monitoring system of the above type, when the management server determines, based on the measurement results, that a usage determination condition indicating the water usage history of the target person is satisfied while the notification suspension period is set, the management server may cancel the setting of the notification suspension period and resume the execution of the notification. This type of monitoring system can prevent situations in which notifications to the user remain suspended even though the target person has resumed their normal life during the set notification suspension period.

[0010] (5) Another aspect of the technology disclosed herein is provided as a control method for a monitoring system that monitors the daily life of a target person based on water usage. This control method includes the steps of: receiving measurement results of the target person's water usage via a network; accepting changes to notification settings that determine execution conditions for a notification process that sends a notification about the target person's water usage based on the measurement results to pre-registered user contacts via the network; detecting an abnormality in the target person's water usage based on the measurement results and predetermined judgment conditions; and executing, in the notification process, one of the following notifications, according to a selection set in the notification settings: a regular notification that notifies the target person that the abnormality has not been detected, or an abnormality notification that notifies the target person that the abnormality has been detected, at regular intervals; or an irregular notification that does not send the regular notification but sends the abnormality notification when the abnormality is detected. This type of monitoring system control method allows users to choose whether to receive notifications periodically about any abnormalities in the water usage of the person they are monitoring, or to receive notifications only when an abnormality occurs. This allows users to receive notifications from the monitoring system at a frequency that is appropriate for them.

[0011] The technology disclosed herein can also be realized in various forms other than a monitoring system and a control method thereof, such as a server that controls a monitoring system, a program that causes a computer to execute the functions of the monitoring system and the control method thereof, or a storage medium on which the program is recorded. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a monitoring system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the configuration of a water monitoring unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the configuration of a management server. [Figure 4] A flowchart of a control process of a monitoring system; [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart of a notification process executed by the management server. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart of a notification suspension period process executed in the notification process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] 1. Embodiment: 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a monitoring system 100 according to this embodiment. The monitoring system 100 is a network system that enables a user who has requested a monitoring service to check the living conditions of a person being monitored based on the amount of water usage by that person.

[0014] In this embodiment, the monitoring system 100 uses the Internet as the network NT, and collects information on the water usage of the monitored person by introducing IoT (Internet of Things) technology. The monitoring system 100 also sends notifications regarding the monitored person's water usage to the user's pre-registered contact information via the network NT. Notifications to users are sent, for example, by email, a messaging service using a phone number, or a messaging function using a social networking service (SNS).

[0015] The monitoring system 100 comprises a water monitoring unit 10 that is installed in the residential facility of the person to be monitored and connected to a network NT, and a management server 50 that is connected to the network NT and controls the monitoring system 100.

[0016] The water monitoring unit 10 includes a water meter 11 that measures the amount of water used in the residential facility of the subject, and a receiver 12 that is connected to the water meter 11 and transmits the measurement results of the water meter 11 to the management server 50 via the network NT. The configurations of the water meter 11 and the receiver 12 will be described in detail later.

[0017] The management server 50 is connected to the network NT, receives water usage measurement results from the water monitoring unit 10 via the network NT, and manages the measurement results for each target person. The management server 50 also executes a notification process to send notifications regarding the target person's water usage status based on the measurement results received from the water monitoring unit 10 to the user's pre-registered contact information via the network NT in accordance with pre-set notification settings described below. The detailed configuration of the management server 50, the content of the control of the monitoring system 100 by the management server 50, and the notification process will be described later.

[0018] A user of the monitoring system 100 can receive notifications from the monitoring system 100 via his / her own user terminal UT connected to the network NT. The user terminal UT is configured by a device connectable to the network NT. The user terminal UT may be configured by, for example, a personal computer (PC), a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a mobile phone other than a smartphone, or the like.

[0019] 2 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the configuration of the water monitoring unit 10. As described above, the water monitoring unit 10 includes a water meter 11 and a receiver 12. The water meter 11 is configured, for example, by an electronic water meter. The water meter 11 includes a detection unit 20, a meter control unit 21, a communication unit 24, a display unit 26, and an operation unit 28.

[0020] The detection unit 20 is installed in a water pipe, generates a pulse signal representing the water flow rate in the pipe, and outputs the signal to the meter control unit 21. In this embodiment, the water meter 11 employs a tangential flow impeller measurement method, and the detection unit 20 generates a pulse signal representing the water flow rate by the rotation of an impeller installed in the pipe. The measurement method of the water meter 11 is not particularly limited, and a measurement method other than the tangential flow impeller method may be employed for the water meter 11. The measurement method of the water meter 11 may be an axial flow impeller method, or an electromagnetic method that does not use an impeller and applies a magnetic field to the water flow to measure.

[0021] Meter control unit 21 is configured using an integrated circuit (LSI) and has the function of controlling detection unit 20 described above and each of components 24, 26, and 28 of water meter 11 described below. Meter control unit 21 also functions as a calculation unit 23 that calculates the current instantaneous flow rate, the amount of water used per unit time, and the integrated value of the water usage based on the output signal of detection unit 20. The current instantaneous flow rate means the amount of water flowing per minute unit time of, for example, a few seconds or less.

[0022] The communication unit 24 communicates with the receiver 12 under the control of the meter control unit 21. In this embodiment, the communication unit 24 exchanges signals with the meter communication unit 33 of the receiver 12 via the transmission line TL. The meter control unit 21 transmits the pulse signal output by the detection unit 20 via the communication unit 24 to the receiver 12 as the measurement result of the water meter 11. The meter control unit 21 also transmits the calculation result of the calculation unit 23 and status information indicating the operating status of the water meter 11 to the receiver 12 via the communication unit 24.

[0023] In another embodiment, the communication unit 24 may perform wireless communication with the receiver 12 without using the transmission line TL. The meter control unit 21 may also transmit only the calculation result of the calculation unit 23 to the receiver 12 as the measurement result of the water meter 11.

[0024] Display unit 26 is composed of a liquid crystal panel, various LED lamps, etc. Display unit 26 displays the integrated value of water usage under the control of meter control unit 21. Also, display unit 26 can display signs indicating the operating status of water meter 11, the communication status with receiver 12, etc. under the control of meter control unit 21.

[0025] The operation unit 28 is made up of various buttons and switches, and accepts operations such as starting up the water meter 11, resetting the measured values, and other operations for controlling the water meter 11 and for maintenance. The operation unit 28 outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the accepted operation to the meter control unit 21. The meter control unit 21 controls each component of the water meter 11 according to the output signal from the operation unit 28.

[0026] The receiver 12 includes a receiver control unit 30, a meter communication unit 33, a server communication unit 35, a display unit 36, and an operation unit 38. The receiver control unit 30 is configured by a circuit including a central processing unit (CPU), a main memory device (RAM), and a storage unit, and has the function of controlling each component of the receiver 12.

[0027] The receiver control unit 30 also functions as a meter management unit 31 that manages communication with the water meter 11 and the operating status of the water meter 11, and a measurement processing unit 32 that processes measurement results received from the water meter 11. The meter management unit 31 has the function of detecting malfunctions, leaks, and backflows of the water meter 11 based on signals received from the water meter 11. The measurement processing unit 32 calculates the current instantaneous flow rate, the amount of water used per unit time, and the integrated value of that amount of water used based on pulse signals received from the water meter 11, and stores the calculation results as measurement results. The measurement processing unit 32 stores and archives the measurement results for a predetermined period on a first-in, first-out basis.

[0028] The meter communication unit 33 is connected to the transmission line TL, and communicates with the water meter 11 under the control of the receiver control unit 30. As described above, the meter communication unit 33 may be configured to perform wireless communication with the communication unit 24 of the water meter 11 without going through the transmission line TL.

[0029] The server communication unit 35 can be connected to the network NT and communicates with the management server 50 through the network NT under the control of the receiver control unit 30. The server communication unit 35 is wirelessly connected to the network NT, for example, by LPWA (Low Power Wide Area). The receiver control unit 30 receives requests from the management server 50 via the server communication unit 35. In addition, in response to a request from the management server 50, the receiver control unit 30 transmits the measurement results recorded by the measurement processing unit 32 and information regarding the operating status of the water meter 11 or the receiver 12.

[0030] The display unit 36 ​​is composed of a liquid crystal panel and various LED lamps. Under the control of the receiver control unit 30, the display unit 36 ​​displays the measurement results of the water meter 11, such as the integrated value of water usage and the current instantaneous flow rate. In addition, under the control of the receiver control unit 30, the display unit 36 ​​can display signs indicating the operating status of the receiver 12, the operating status of the water meter 11, the status of communication with the water meter 11 or the management server 50, etc.

[0031] The operation unit 38 is made up of various buttons and switches, and accepts operations such as starting up and resetting the receiver 12, connecting to the water meter 11, switching the display content of the display unit 36, and other operations for controlling and maintaining the receiver 12. The operation unit 38 outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the accepted operation to the receiver control unit 30. The receiver control unit 30 controls each component of the receiver 12 according to the electrical signal output by the operation unit 38.

[0032] In other embodiments, the water monitoring unit 10 may have a configuration in which the water meter 11 and the receiver 12 are integrated. The water monitoring unit 10 may be configured as a water meter that has a communication function connectable to the network NT and is installed on the water pipe. Furthermore, the receiver 12 is not limited to a configuration that can be connected to a dedicated water meter 11. For example, the receiver 12 may be configured as a communication terminal that is retrofitted to an existing water meter and can read the measurement results of the water meter and transmit them to the management server 50.

[0033] 3 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the configuration of the management server 50. The management server 50 is configured with a computer terminal and accepts operations by the administrator of the monitoring system 100. The management server 50 includes a control unit 51, a communication unit 56, an input unit 57, a display unit 58, and a storage unit 60. The components 51, 56, 57, 58, and 60 are connected via a bus.

[0034] Although not shown in the figure, the management server 50 is equipped with a CPU and RAM as a processor, and the CPU reads and executes commands and programs prepared in advance on the RAM, thereby functioning as a control unit 51. The control unit 51 executes control processing of the monitoring system 100, which will be described later. In the control processing of the monitoring system 100, the control unit 51 also functions as a measurement result management unit 52, a determination unit 53, and a notification control unit 55.

[0035] The measurement result management unit 52 collects the measurement results of the subject's water usage from the water monitoring unit 10 and stores and manages the measurement results in the memory unit 60. The determination unit 53 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the subject's water usage status based on the measurement results of the subject's water usage and preset determination conditions. In this embodiment, the determination conditions can be variably set for each subject, and the determination unit 53 has a function to accept settings and changes to the determination conditions for each subject. The notification control unit 55 executes notification processing in accordance with notification settings that define the execution conditions for notification processing for each user. The notification settings can be variably set for each user, and the notification control unit 55 has a function to accept settings and changes to the notification settings for each user. Details of the processing executed by the measurement result management unit 52, determination unit 53, and notification control unit 55 will be described later.

[0036] The communication unit 56 controls communication of the management server 50 through the network NT under the control of the control unit 51. The input unit 57 is configured with, for example, a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, etc., and receives input operations by the administrator to the management server 50. The display unit 58 is configured with a display device and displays various information to the administrator, including information related to the monitoring system 100.

[0037] The storage unit 60 is configured by a large-capacity storage device such as a hard disk or solid state disk that stores information in a non-volatile manner, that is, stores information not only temporarily but also so that it can be retained even after power is turned off. The storage unit 60 stores measurement result information D1, contact information D2, notification setting information D3, and judgment condition information D4.

[0038] Measurement result information D1 corresponds to information including measurement results of water usage over a certain period of time collected from the water monitoring unit 10 and managed for each subject. Contact information D2 corresponds to information including contact information on the network NT for pre-registered users. Notification setting information D3 corresponds to information including notification settings set for each user. Determination condition information D4 corresponds to information including determination conditions set for each subject. Notification settings and determination conditions will be described later.

[0039] A database that manages the information D1, D2, D3, and D4 by linking them with users and subjects is constructed in the storage unit 60. The storage unit 60 may be configured as a separate entity from the management server 50 and may be configured as a network storage connected to the management server 50 via the network NT.

[0040] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the control process of the monitoring system 100 executed by the control unit 51 of the management server 50.

[0041] Step S10 is a process for accepting registration of a user who will start using the monitoring system 100 and a target person who will be monitored by the user. Based on a request from the user, the administrator executes this registration process, associates and registers the user and the target person, and also registers various information associated with the user and the target person.

[0042] In step S10, at least the contact information on the network NT that is the destination of notifications for the user is registered in the storage unit 60 as contact information D2. The contact information D2 records the type of contact means and information on the destination of notifications for that contact means. Types of contact means include, for example, email, mobile phone, SNS, etc. Information on the destination of notifications for the contact means includes, for example, an email address, a mobile phone number, SNS account information, etc.

[0043] When the user and the target person are registered in step S10, the control unit 51 starts recording the measurement results of the water usage amount for the target person in the measurement result information D1. Also, it starts a notification service for the user by a notification process described later.

[0044] Steps S20 and S25 are processes in which the control unit 51 accepts a change in the settings of the monitoring system 100. The control unit 51 executes steps S20 and S25 when the administrator performs an operation to change the settings of the monitoring system 100 through the input unit 57, or when the user logs in to the management server 50 through the user terminal UT and performs an operation to change the settings.

[0045] Step S20 corresponds to a process in which the notification control unit 55 of the control unit 51 accepts a change to the notification settings that determine the execution conditions for the notification process for each user. The notification settings can be changed by an administrator based on a request from a user, or by the user using the user terminal UT. The notification control unit 55 updates the notification setting information D3 in the memory unit 60 based on the change in the settings accepted in step S10.

[0046] In the monitoring system 100 of this embodiment, the user can select either periodic notification or irregular notification as the notification process, which will be described below. The notification setting includes the selection by the user.

[0047] "Periodic notification" corresponds to a process of periodically sending a notification to a user informing the user of the presence or absence of an abnormality in the target user's water usage. If a user selects periodic notification in the notification settings, a notification informing the user of the presence or absence of an abnormality in the target user's water usage is sent to the user at a predetermined notification timing. If periodic notification is selected and no abnormality is detected by the abnormality determination process described below, a normal notification informing the user that no abnormality has been detected is sent to the user at the notification timing. The normal notification may include, for example, a message informing the target user that the target user is using the water normally and information indicating the target user's water usage, such as the amount of water used. If periodic notification is selected and an abnormality is detected by the abnormality determination process described below, an abnormality notification informing the user of the abnormality is sent to the user at the notification timing. Periodic notifications are sent, for example, at a specified time, on a daily cycle. The periodic notification cycle and the notification time may be arbitrarily set for each user as notification settings.

[0048] "Irregular notification" corresponds to a process in which, when no abnormality is detected in the abnormality determination process, a notification equivalent to the normal notification described above is not sent, but when an abnormality is detected, a notification equivalent to the abnormality notification described above is sent to the user. Irregular notifications may be sent to the user when an abnormality is detected in the abnormality determination process, or when other events related to the target's water usage are detected. Furthermore, when irregular notifications are set, in addition to abnormality notifications, periodic notifications reporting the target's water usage may also be sent to the user at predetermined intervals, such as monthly. In this case, the periodic notifications differ from the periodic notifications described above in that they do not notify the target of the presence or absence of an abnormality. Furthermore, the notification interval for periodic notifications in this case may be longer than the notification interval for periodic notifications.

[0049] Furthermore, in the monitoring system 100 of this embodiment, a notification suspension period can be set as a notification setting. As will be described in detail later, when this notification suspension period is set, the transmission of notifications to users regarding the presence or absence of abnormalities in the target user's water usage status is suspended until the setting is released, regardless of whether periodic notification or irregular notification is selected.

[0050] Step S25 corresponds to the process in which the determination unit 53 of the control unit 51 accepts changes to the determination conditions for each subject used in the abnormality determination process. The abnormality determination process corresponds to the process of detecting the occurrence of an abnormality in the subject's water usage status by making a determination based on the measurement results of the subject's water usage stored in the memory unit 60 and predetermined determination conditions. In this embodiment, the determination conditions for the abnormality determination process can be changed by the administrator based on a request from the user. The determination conditions may also be changed arbitrarily by the user via the user terminal UT. The determination unit 53 stores the determination conditions accepted in step S25 in the memory unit 60 as determination condition information D4. The determination conditions include at least a water usage threshold at which an abnormality is expected to occur and a measurement period of water usage to be used for determination.

[0051] In this embodiment, a lower limit and an upper limit are set as thresholds for water usage in the judgment conditions. The lower limit is preferably set to a value that indicates that the subject is expected to continue not using water. The lower limit is preferably greater than 0 L (liters). This prevents false detection of water usage due to fluctuations in water pressure in the water pipes, even when water is not being used. The upper limit is preferably set to a value that indicates that the subject's water usage is significantly higher than normal. For example, the upper limit is preferably set to a value that is greater than the average water usage under normal circumstances. The upper limit may be set to, for example, a value obtained by adding a value of approximately 1 to 5 L to the average water usage.

[0052] In this embodiment, a measurement time period within a day can be specified as the measurement period of water usage to be determined, which is included in the determination conditions. The user can set, for example, a time period during which the subject person normally uses water frequently as the measurement period. Note that the measurement time period may be specified in one-hour increments, or may be specified in minute increments, such as in 30-minute increments. Furthermore, the measurement period may be specified as the number of measurement days over which the measurement results for the aforementioned measurement time period are accumulated.

[0053] In step S30, the measurement result management unit 52 of the control unit 51 collects and records the measurement results of each subject's water usage from each water monitoring unit 10. The measurement result management unit 52 requests each water monitoring unit 10 to send the measurement results at a predetermined cycle. The receiver 12 of each water monitoring unit 10 sends back the recorded measurement results in response to the request. The measurement result management unit 52 stores the received measurement results in the memory unit 60 as measurement result information D1. Step S30 is executed at a predetermined execution cycle. This execution cycle may be set for each water monitoring unit 10.

[0054] In step S40, the notification control unit 55 of the control unit 51 executes notification processing for each user. The notification processing is executed periodically for each user at a timing determined in advance according to the notification settings for each user.

[0055] 5 is a flowchart of the notification process executed by the notification control unit 55 of the management server 50. In step S100, the notification control unit 55 reads notification settings associated with the user to whom the notification is to be sent from the notification setting information D3 stored in the storage unit 60. The notification control unit 55 also reads judgment conditions for the target person associated with the user from the judgment condition information D4 stored in the storage unit 60.

[0056] In step S110, the notification control unit 55 reads the measurement result information of the subject linked to the user from the measurement result information D1 stored in the memory unit 60. The notification control unit 55 acquires the amount of water usage by the subject per unit time in a predetermined period as the measurement result information. The "predetermined period" here is, for example, a period corresponding to the execution cycle of the notification process determined for each user, and is a period corresponding to the period from the execution of the previous notification process for the user to the execution of the current notification process. If the notification process is executed on a daily cycle, the "predetermined period" may be, for example, one day. Furthermore, the "unit time" may be, for example, one hour.

[0057] In step S120, the notification control unit 55 determines whether or not a notification pause period is set in the notification settings. If a notification pause period is set, the notification control unit 55 executes notification pause period processing in step S125. The notification pause period processing will be described later. If a notification pause period is not set, the notification control unit 55 causes the determination unit 53 to execute abnormality determination processing in step S130.

[0058] In the abnormality determination process of step S130, the determination unit 53 detects an abnormality in the subject's water usage by making a determination based on the determination conditions read by the notification control unit 55 in step S100 and the measurement results acquired by the notification control unit 55 in step S110. The determination unit 53 calculates the integrated value of the subject's water usage during the measurement period set as the determination condition and compares the calculated integrated value of the water usage with the upper and lower limit values, which are thresholds set as the determination condition. The determination unit 53 determines that no abnormality has occurred in the subject's water usage when the calculated integrated value of the water usage is greater than the lower limit value and less than the upper limit value. Furthermore, the determination unit 53 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the subject's water usage when the calculated integrated value of the water usage is less than the lower limit value or greater than the upper limit value.

[0059] Step S140 is executed when the determination unit 53 determines in step S130 that no abnormality has occurred. In step S140, the notification control unit 55 determines whether irregular notification has been selected in the notification settings. If irregular notification has not been selected, the notification control unit 55 executes step S150.

[0060] In step S150, the notification control unit 55 sends a normal notification as a periodic notification. The notification control unit 55 reads the user's contact information stored in the contact information D2 in the storage unit 60, and sends the normal notification to the contact information when the notification timing for the periodic notification preset in the notification settings arrives.

[0061] If it is determined in step S140 that irregular notification has been selected, the notification control unit 55 skips step S150 and terminates the notification process without sending a regular notification to the user, because no abnormality that should be notified by irregular notification has been detected.

[0062] If the determination unit 53 determines in step S130 that an abnormality has occurred, the notification control unit 55 transmits an abnormality notification in step S155 to notify the user of the occurrence of the abnormality. The notification control unit 55 reads the user's contact information stored in the contact information D2 in the storage unit 60, and transmits the abnormality notification to the contact information. The abnormality notification includes, for example, a message notifying the user of the occurrence of the abnormality, the measurement period set in the determination conditions, and the water usage amount of the target user during the measurement period.

[0063] If periodic notification is selected in the notification settings, the abnormality notification in step S155 is sent when the predetermined notification timing for periodic notification arrives. On the other hand, if irregular notification is selected in the notification settings, the abnormality notification is sent to the user when an abnormality is detected.

[0064] As described above, in the monitoring system 100 of this embodiment, the user can select between periodic notification and irregular notification as the notification process. When periodic notification is selected, the user is periodically notified of the occurrence of an abnormality in the target person's water usage, regardless of whether or not the abnormality has occurred. On the other hand, when irregular notification is selected, the user is not sent a notification equivalent to the normal notification in periodic notification, but is sent an abnormality notification informing the user of the occurrence of the abnormality each time an abnormality in the target person's water usage is detected.

[0065] Furthermore, in the monitoring system 100 of this embodiment, regardless of whether regular or irregular notification is selected in the notification settings, during the period in which the notification suspension period is set, no notification is sent to the user regarding whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the target person's water usage, as described below.

[0066] 6 is a flowchart of the notification suspension period process executed in step S125 of the notification process by the notification control unit 55. As described above, the notification control unit 55 executes this process when a notification suspension period is set in the notification settings.

[0067] In step S200, the notification control unit 55 determines whether the current date and time is within the set communication suspension period. If the current date and time is before the communication suspension period, the notification control unit 55 ends the notification suspension period processing, returns to the notification processing of Fig. 5, and executes the processing from step S130 onwards described above. If the notification suspension period has passed, the notification control unit 55 cancels the setting of the notification suspension period in step S230, returns to the notification processing, and executes the processing from step S130 onwards in Fig. 5. If the current date and time is within the notification suspension period in step S200, the notification control unit 55 executes the determination of step S210.

[0068] In step S210, it is determined whether there is a history of water usage at the subject's residence after the notification suspension period has begun. The notification control unit 55 determines whether a usage determination condition indicating a water usage history at the subject's residence is met based on the measurement results acquired in step S110 of the notification process shown in Fig. 5. In step S210, if the usage determination condition is met, it is determined that there is a water usage history at the subject's residence, and if the usage determination condition is not met, it is determined that there is no water usage history at the subject's residence.

[0069] In this embodiment, when the cumulative amount of water usage up to the present during the notification suspension period exceeds a predetermined threshold, i.e., a usage history determination value, the notification control unit 55 determines that the usage determination condition is met and that there is a water usage history at the subject's residence. The usage history determination value is preferably greater than 0 L. This can prevent erroneous determinations due to fluctuations in water pressure in the water pipes.

[0070] If it is determined in step S210 that the usage determination condition is not met and there is no water usage history, the notification control unit 55 returns to the notification process of Fig. 5 and terminates the notification process without sending a notification to the user. In this way, if there is a period during which a notification suspension period is set and no water usage history of the target person is detected, no notification will be sent from the management server 50 to the user regardless of whether regular notification or irregular notification is selected in the notification settings.

[0071] If it is determined in step S210 that the usage determination condition is met and there is a water usage history, the notification control unit 55 cancels the notification suspension period setting in step S230, returns to the notification processing, and executes the processing from step S130 onwards in Fig. 5. In other words, even if the notification suspension period is set, if the target person's water usage history is detected, the notification suspension period is automatically canceled and normal notification processing is resumed. This prevents the notification suspension period from remaining set even though the target person has resumed their normal daily life, and prevents a situation in which notifications are not sent to the user from continuing.

[0072] In step S210, the presence or absence of a water usage history may be determined based on a usage determination condition other than the integrated value of water usage. For example, in step S210, the water usage determination condition may be satisfied and it may be determined that there is a water usage history when the number of times the instantaneous water flow rate exceeds a predetermined threshold value exceeds a predetermined threshold number.

[0073] Furthermore, when the notification suspension period is cancelled in step S230 based on the determination of the water usage history in step S210, the notification control unit 55 may notify the user that the notification suspension period has been cancelled. This allows the user to know that a situation has occurred in which water usage has been detected despite the notification suspension period.

[0074] As described above, according to the monitoring system 100 of this embodiment, if a user would prefer to be periodically notified of information about the target person's water usage status and be able to confirm the target person's safety with each notification, the user can select periodic notification. Alternatively, if such periodic notifications of safety are not necessary and it is preferable to receive an abnormality notification each time a possible abnormality is detected in the target person, the user can select irregular notification. This allows the user to receive notifications from the monitoring system at a frequency that is appropriate for the user.

[0075] Furthermore, with the monitoring system 100 of this embodiment, the judgment criteria for determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred in water usage can be variably set for each subject. This allows the judgment criteria to be set according to the subject's daily water usage trends, thereby improving the accuracy of detecting abnormalities based on water usage. This prevents situations in which notifications informing users of abnormalities are frequently sent to users even when there is no abnormality, causing the users to neglect to check the content of the notifications, or situations in which notifications are not sent to users even when an abnormality has occurred.

[0076] According to the monitoring system 100 of this embodiment, a user can set, as one of the notification settings, a notification suspension period during which the sending of notifications regarding whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the target person's water usage will be suspended. For example, if a target person is away from home for an extended period of time and there is a prolonged period of time during which there is no normal water usage, by setting a notification suspension period for that period, notifications from the management server 50 to the user can be suspended during that period. This prevents notifications informing the user of an abnormality occurring in the target person even when the user is aware that the target person is not using the water as normal, thereby reducing the frequency of unnecessary notifications or notifications with incorrect content being sent to the user.

[0077] Furthermore, according to the monitoring system 100 of this embodiment, if a water usage history of a target person is detected during the notification setting period, the notification suspension period setting is automatically canceled. This prevents a situation in which notifications to the user remain suspended even though the target person has resumed their normal life during the set notification suspension period.

[0078] 2. Other embodiments: The technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and can be modified, for example, as follows.

[0079] (1) In the above embodiment, a network other than the Internet may be used as the network NT. For example, the monitoring system 100 may use a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network) as the network NT.

[0080] (2) In the above embodiment, the management server 50 does not have to be configured by a single computer. The management server 50 may be configured by multiple computers connected to the network NT and working together. In this configuration, the functions of the management server 50 described in the above embodiment may each be realized by a separate computer connected to the network NT. For example, the management server 50 may be configured by a computer that collects and manages measurement results, a computer that executes notification processing, and a computer that executes abnormality determination processing that are separately connected to the network NT and working together.

[0081] (3) In the above embodiment, the management server 50 may be configured to transmit to users via the network NT, in addition to notifications regarding water usage sent in the notification process, notifications unrelated to water usage. Notifications unrelated to water usage include, for example, maintenance notifications reporting information regarding the operation of the monitoring system 100. Maintenance notifications include, for example, notifications reporting the operating status of the monitoring system 100, the status of settings for each user or target individual, and notifications regarding the execution status of processes executed by the monitoring system 100. For example, when a user's contact information is changed, the control unit 51 of the management server 50 may notify the user that the change has been successfully registered. Furthermore, when a determination condition for an abnormality determination process or a usage determination condition for determining whether or not water usage has been recorded is changed, the control unit 51 may notify the user that the change has been successfully registered. Additionally, the control unit 51 may issue and send to the user a notification including a monthly periodic report for the monitoring system 100. The periodic report may include information indicating, for example, the history of the operating state of the water monitoring unit 10, the history of the communication state between the water monitoring unit 10 and the management server 50, and the like.

[0082] (4) In the above embodiment, the determination conditions for the abnormality determination process for determining whether an abnormality has occurred in the water usage status of a subject may not be changeable for each subject. The determination conditions may be changeable for some subjects or may be changed for all subjects.

[0083] (5) In the above embodiment, the monitoring system 100 may be configured such that the notification suspension period cannot be set. Furthermore, even if the monitoring system 100 is configured such that the notification suspension period can be set, the monitoring system 100 may not have a function to automatically cancel the notification suspension period when the target person's water usage history is detected. In the above embodiment, even if the notification suspension period is set, the monitoring system 100 may be configured to send notifications to the user other than notifications regarding the presence or absence of abnormalities in the target person's water usage.

[0084] (6) In the above embodiment, the management server 50 may record the frequency with which notifications reporting abnormalities are sent for each user during the notification process, and may perform a process of sending a notification urging a user to change the judgment conditions to a user whose frequency is higher than a predetermined standard.

[0085] (7) In the above embodiment, the management server 50 may have a function to determine the time period during which the subject uses water most and the amount of water used during that time period from the measurement results recorded in the storage unit 60, and to automatically generate judgment conditions for the abnormality judgment process based on that information. The judgment conditions may be generated using, for example, learning results using AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 10...water monitoring unit, 11...water meter, 12...receiver, 20...detection unit, 21...meter control unit, 23...calculation unit, 24...communication unit, 26...display unit, 28...operation unit, 30...receiver control unit, 31...meter management unit, 32...measurement processing unit, 33...meter communication unit, 35...server communication unit, 36...display unit, 38...operation unit, 50...management server, 51...control unit, 52...measurement result management unit, 53...determination unit, 55...notification control unit, 56...communication unit, 57...input unit, 58...display unit, 60...memory unit, 100...monitoring system, D1...measurement result information, D2...contact information, D3...notification setting information, D4...determination condition information, NT...network, TL...transmission line, UT...user terminal

Claims

1. A monitoring system that allows users to check the living conditions of a target person via a network based on water usage, a water monitoring unit that transmits the measurement results of the water usage of the subject through the network; a management server that receives the measurement results from the water monitoring unit and executes a notification process to send a notification regarding the water usage status of the subject person based on the measurement results to the user's pre-registered contact information via the network; Equipped with The management server A function of detecting an occurrence of an abnormality in the water usage situation of the subject based on the measurement result and predetermined judgment conditions; A function of accepting an input operation for changing a notification setting by an administrator of the monitoring system or the user, the notification setting determining an execution condition of the notification process; a function of executing periodic notification in the notification processing, which transmits, at regular intervals, either a normal notification that notifies that the occurrence of the abnormality has not been detected or an abnormality notification that notifies that the occurrence of the abnormality has been detected; a function of executing irregular notification in the notification process, which does not send the normal notification, but sends the abnormality notification as the notification when the occurrence of the abnormality is detected; a function of executing either the periodic notification or the irregular notification in accordance with the user's selection based on the input operation set in the notification setting; A monitoring system that has the following features.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, the management server is capable of variably setting the judgment condition for each of the target persons in accordance with an input operation by an administrator of the monitoring system or the user, the determination conditions include an upper limit and a lower limit of the water usage amount and a measurement period of the water usage amount; A monitoring system in which the management server detects the occurrence of an abnormality when the water usage during the measurement period is less than the lower limit value or greater than the upper limit value.

3. A monitoring system according to claim 1 or claim 2, the management server is capable of variably setting the judgment condition for each of the target persons in accordance with an input operation by an administrator of the monitoring system or the user, A monitoring system in which, if the frequency of sending the abnormality notification is higher than a predetermined standard, the management server sends a notification in the notification process prompting the user to change the judgment condition.

4. The monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The management server accepts, as one of the notification settings, the setting of a notification suspension period, which is set by the input operation to suspend the sending of notifications regarding whether or not the target person has experienced an abnormality to the user's contact information, and suspends the sending of the notifications if the current date and time is included in the notification suspension period.This is a monitoring system.

5. The monitoring system according to claim 4, A monitoring system in which the management server cancels the setting of the notification suspension period and resumes the execution of the notifications when it determines that the accumulated value of the water usage during the notification suspension period has exceeded a predetermined threshold, or when it determines that the number of times the instantaneous water flow rate during the notification suspension period has exceeded a predetermined threshold has exceeded a predetermined threshold number.

6. A control method for a monitoring system that monitors the lives of subjects based on water usage, receiving the measurement results of the water usage of the subject via a network; Detecting an abnormality in the water usage status of the subject based on the measurement results and predetermined judgment conditions; A step of executing a notification process to send a notification regarding the water usage status of the subject based on the measurement results, including the detection result of the occurrence of the abnormality, to a pre-registered contact address of the user via the network in accordance with a notification setting that defines an execution condition of the notification process; A step of receiving an input operation by an administrator of the monitoring system or the user to change the notification setting; a step of executing, in the notification processing, either periodic notification or irregular notification in accordance with the user's selection based on the input operation set in the notification setting; Equipped with The periodic notification is a process of transmitting, at regular intervals, either a normal notification that notifies that the occurrence of the abnormality has not been detected or an abnormality notification that notifies that the occurrence of the abnormality has been detected, A control method for a monitoring system, wherein the irregular notification is a process of not sending the normal notification but sending the abnormality notification when the occurrence of the abnormality is detected.

Images