Information processing method, program, and information processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide an information processing method, etc. which can efficiently specify a seat area on the basis of position information of employees present in an office, a facility, or the like.SOLUTION: An information processing method causes a computer to execute processing to: acquire position information of a plurality of employees who are conducting duties in a facility; specify a recommended seat area for achieving reduction in an environmental load in the facility on the basis of the acquired position information of the plurality of employees; and output information on the specified recommended seat area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing method, a program, and an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Various systems for supporting the management of conference rooms have been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, there is disclosed a conference room reservation system that receives reservations for conference rooms, determines the priority of each user based on the attribute information of the conference room users, selects a conference room with less movement burden for the user with the highest priority, and displays the information of the selected conference room.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the invention according to Patent Document 1 selects a conference room with less movement burden for the conference room user, and does not consider the point regarding energy consumption by the conference room user using the conference room. That is, when selecting a conference room only from the viewpoint of less movement burden, a usage state such as using a plurality of conference rooms located on different floors may occur, and as a result, electrical equipment such as lighting and air conditioners on each floor is used, and there is a concern that the power consumption will increase. In addition, although it is assumed that the conference room user conducts business at his / her own seat outside of using the conference room, recently, from the viewpoint of improving the utilization efficiency of the workspace in an office building or the like, the own seat tends to adopt a free address rather than a fixed seat. On the other hand, the invention according to Patent Document 1 also does not consider providing information considering the points regarding energy consumption or environmental load for the users of an office or facility using the free address.

[0005] In one aspect, the system provides an information processing method that can efficiently identify seating areas based on the location information of employees in an office or facility. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the information processing method involves obtaining location information of multiple employees working within the facility, identifying recommended seating areas to reduce environmental impact within the facility based on the acquired location information of multiple employees, and having a computer perform a process to output information related to the identified recommended seating areas.

[0007] One aspect of the program involves causing a computer to acquire location information of multiple employees working within a facility, identify recommended seating areas to reduce the environmental impact of the facility based on the acquired location information of multiple employees, and output information related to the identified recommended seating areas.

[0008] The information processing device relating to one aspect includes an acquisition unit that acquires location information of multiple employees working within the facility, an identification unit that identifies a recommended seating area for reducing the environmental impact of the facility based on the acquired location information of multiple employees, and an output unit that outputs information relating to the identified recommended seating area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] In one respect, it can provide an information processing method that efficiently identifies seating areas based on the location information of employees in an office or facility. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of the movement recommendation system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of an information processing device, etc. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an employee master table. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a seating area master table. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a seating area status table. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a load reduction performance table. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows an example of a processing procedure performed by the control unit of an information processing device. [Figure 8] This is an illustrative diagram illustrating a screen that displays information about recommended seating areas (a seating recommendation screen). [Figure 9] This is an illustrative diagram showing a message screen that displays information to be sent to employees who are being transferred. [Figure 10] This flowchart shows an example of a processing procedure by the control unit of the information processing device according to Embodiment 2 (within predetermined business hours). [Figure 11] This flowchart shows an example of a processing procedure by the control unit of the information processing device according to Embodiment 3 (difficult to move). [Figure 12] This flowchart shows an example of a processing procedure by the control unit of the information processing device according to Embodiment 4 (Specific Mode). [Figure 13] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a screen (departmental performance screen) that displays information related to departmental performance values ​​according to Embodiment 5 (departmental performance values). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings illustrating its embodiments. (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the movement recommendation system S according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the information processing apparatus 1 and the like. The movement recommendation system S is configured with the information processing apparatus 1 as the main apparatus (server), and a terminal device 2 of an employee who performs work (duties) in a seat area Z in a facility such as an office building or a factory is communicably connected to the information processing apparatus 1. The seat area Z is, for example, a workspace or a meeting room corresponding to a free address, and each employee working in the facility can selectively use these plurality of seat areas Z. The terminal device 2 of each employee is connected to the facility's LAN via a wireless relay device AP placed in each seat area Z and communicates with the information processing apparatus 1.

[0012] Data on the connection state between the terminal device 2 and the wireless relay device AP is transmitted from each wireless relay device AP to the information processing apparatus 1, so that the information processing apparatus 1 can acquire which seat area Z each individual terminal device 2 is located in (acquire position information), and thereby identify which seat area Z the employee who is the user of the terminal device 2 is performing work (duties) in.

[0013] Based on, for example, the position information acquired periodically, the information processing apparatus 1 totals the number of employees in each seat area Z, and for example, displays information on a recommended seat area as a destination on the signage 3 or sends an email to the employees in the seat area Z where the number of existing employees is less than a predetermined value, thereby prompting (recommending) the movement to the recommended seat area. Thereby, it is possible to efficiently notify each employee of the actions to be taken from the viewpoint of reducing the environmental load. As a result, in the seat area Z that has become unoccupied, by turning off the power supply of electrical equipment DS such as lighting devices, air conditioners, and multifunction devices used in the seat area Z, the power consumption in the facility can be reduced, and the environmental load can be reduced in view of SDGs.

[0014] When performing a process to reduce the power consumption in the seat area Z, such as turning off the power of the electrical equipment DS, the information processing apparatus 1 may transmit a power-off command signal to the facility control apparatus SS that controls the power supply of the electrical equipment DS, and instruct the facility control apparatus SS to perform a process of turning off the power of the electrical equipment DS.

[0015] The wireless relay apparatus AP is, for example, a router apparatus compliant with WiFi (registered trademark) or the like, and is provided in each seat area Z. An employee who conducts business in the seat area Z connects to the wireless relay apparatus AP provided in the seat area Z, and connects to the information processing apparatus 1, a business application server in the facility, the Internet, and the like. The wireless relay apparatus AP is communicably connected to the information processing apparatus 1 by wire or wirelessly, and transmits information (such as the terminal device 2) regarding the terminal device 2 connected to the own apparatus to the information processing apparatus 1.

[0016] In the present embodiment, although the terminal device 2 of an employee who uses the seat area Z is connected to the wireless relay apparatus AP, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each seat in the seat area Z is provided with an Ethernet connection port, and the terminal device 2 may be connected to a switching HUB corresponding to the connection port by being wired-connected to the connection port via an Ethernet cable. In this case, the switching HUB corresponds to the above-described wireless relay apparatus AP, and the switching HUB transmits information regarding the terminal device 2 connected to its own connection port to the information processing apparatus 1. The information processing apparatus 1 can acquire information regarding the terminal device 2 located in each seat area Z and grasp an employee who is conducting business in the seat area Z.

[0017] The signage 3 is, for example, an electronic signboard placed on the floor or a large display attached to the wall, and is provided in each seat area Z, a passage, and the like. The signage 3 is communicably connected to the information processing apparatus 1 by wire or wirelessly, and displays various images based on the image data output (transmitted) from the information processing apparatus 1.

[0018] The information processing device 1 comprises a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13. The control unit 11 has one or more arithmetic processing units such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and performs various information processing and control processing related to the information processing device 1 by reading and executing a program P (program product) stored in the storage unit 12. By executing the program P, the control unit 11 functions as an acquisition unit to acquire employee location information, an identification unit to identify recommended seating areas, and an output unit to output information related to recommended seating areas.

[0019] The storage unit 12 includes volatile storage areas such as SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and flash memory, as well as non-volatile storage areas such as EEPROM or hard disk. The storage unit 12 pre-stores programs P (program products) and data referenced during processing. The programs P (program products) stored in the storage unit 12 may be programs P (program products) read from a recording medium 120 that the information processing device 1 can read. Alternatively, programs P (program products) may be downloaded from an external computer (not shown) connected to a communication network (not shown) and stored in the storage unit 12.

[0020] The storage unit 12 of the information processing device 1 stores an employee master table 121, a seating area master table 122, a seating area status table 123, and a load reduction performance table 124. These various tables may constitute a movement recommendation database. Details of these various tables will be described later.

[0021] The communication unit 13 is a communication interface for communicating with wireless relay devices AP, terminal devices 2, etc., via wired or wireless connections through the facility's LAN or the Internet.

[0022] Terminal device 2 may be, for example, a smartphone, tablet PC, or personal computer, and may include a GPS module. Terminal device 2, like information processing device 1, comprises a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13, and is connected to information processing device 1 via the communication unit 13 in a communicative manner.

[0023] Figure 3 is an illustrative diagram illustrating the employee master table 121. The employee master table 121 includes management items (fields) such as employee ID, name, department, terminal ID, and email address.

[0024] The employee ID field stores an employee number or similar identifier to uniquely identify each employee. The name field stores the name of the employee with that employee ID. The department field stores the name of the department to which the employee ID belongs. This department is used, for example, when aggregating the amount of environmental impact reduction by department.

[0025] The terminal ID management item (field) stores the terminal ID, such as the MAC address, of terminal device 2 used by the employee with the employee ID. This terminal ID, such as the MAC address, may also be the address or identifier used when terminal device 2 connects to the wireless relay device AP.

[0026] The email address management field stores the email address of the employee with the relevant employee ID. This email address is used when sending emails from the information processing device 1 to the employee's terminal device 2.

[0027] Figure 4 is an illustrative diagram illustrating the seating area master table 122. The seating area master table 122 includes, for example, a seating area number, floor, expected number of people, appropriate number of people, power consumption, wireless relay device ID, and management items (fields) for mobility-impaired equipment. The seating area number management item (field) stores an identification number that uniquely identifies each seating area Z within a facility such as a building.

[0028] The floor management item (field) stores the floor number of the seat area Z in question. The information processing device 1 can obtain the distance between each seat area Z based on the floor in which the seat area Z is located and the location of the seat area Z on each floor by referring to the information stored in the management item.

[0029] The "Expected Number of People" management item (field) stores the expected total number of seats in seat area Z for the seat area number in question, i.e., the maximum number of people (number of seated persons) expected to perform work in seat area Z (maximum capacity, number of people allowed).

[0030] The appropriate number of people management item (field) stores the minimum number of people threshold for seating area Z for the seating area number in question, i.e., the minimum number of employees required to use seating area Z from the perspective of energy consumption. This minimum number of people threshold may be set as a predetermined ratio, such as 30%, to the expected number of people (the capacity of seating area Z).

[0031] The power consumption management item (field) stores the power consumption of electrical equipment DS, such as lighting and air conditioners, used in seat area Z of the seat area number in question.

[0032] The management item (field) for the wireless relay device ID stores an identification number that uniquely identifies the wireless relay device AP, such as the access point name of the wireless relay device AP installed in seat area Z of the seat area number in question.

[0033] The management item (field) for equipment that is difficult to move stores information regarding the presence or absence of equipment (equipment that is difficult to move, equipment that is difficult to move, devices that are difficult to move, etc.) located in seat area Z of the seat area number in question, such as equipment (large equipment), bookshelves, instruments (precision instruments), or devices (experimental equipment, measuring instruments, simulation equipment), which are difficult to move from seat area Z.

[0034] Figure 5 is an illustrative diagram illustrating the seating area status table 123. The seating area status table 123 includes, for example, management items (fields) for seating area number, number of people counted at a given time, number of employees in the area, and employee ID in the area. The seating area number management item (field) stores the seating area number defined in the seating area master table 122, thereby establishing a relationship between the seating area master table 122 and the seating area status table 123.

[0035] At the time of counting the number of people, date and time information indicating the time when the information processing device 1 acquired the location information of employees (acquisition time) is stored. In this embodiment, data from multiple acquisition times is stored for each seating area Z, and the data is displayed in descending order from the most recent acquisition time. By storing not only the data from the most recent acquisition time but also data from past acquisition times in the seating area status table 123 in this way, historical data regarding the movement status of employees in each seating area Z can be saved and managed.

[0036] The "Number of Employees in Area" management field stores the number of employees in seating area Z at the time of acquisition (Number of Employees in Area). The "Employee ID in Area" management field stores the employee IDs of the employees in seating area Z at the time of acquisition. The information processing device 1 acquires the identification information (terminal ID) of the terminal device 2 connected to each wireless relay device AP installed in each seating area Z, and identifies the employee (employee ID) who is using the terminal device 2 based on the acquired identification information (terminal ID). This employee ID is stored in the "Employee ID in Area" management field. It goes without saying that the number of employees stored in the "Number of Employees in Area" management field (Number of Employees in Area) is calculated based on the number of identified employees (employee IDs).

[0037] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the load reduction performance table 124. The load reduction performance table 124 includes management items (fields) such as seat area number, power off time period, environmental load reduction amount movement, and target employee ID. The management item (field) for seat area number stores the seat area number defined in the seat area master table 122, thereby establishing a relationship between the seat area master table 122 and the load reduction performance table 124.

[0038] The power-off time period management item (field) stores the time period during which the power to the electrical equipment DS was turned off in the seat area Z of the seat area number in question due to a recommended move. The information processing device 1 obtains, for example, the time or period (power-off period) during which the power to the electrical equipment DS, such as lighting and air conditioners, in each seat area Z was turned off from the equipment control device SS that controls the power to the electrical equipment DS, and stores the obtained power-off period in the power-off time period management item (field).

[0039] The environmental load reduction management item (field) stores the amount of power consumption reduced by the recommended movement in seat area Z of the relevant seat area number. This environmental load reduction (power saving: kWh) is derived by multiplying the power off period (hours: h) by the power consumption (kW) of seat area Z.

[0040] The management field for the employee ID to be moved stores the employee IDs of employees who have moved from the seating area Z to the recommended seating area in response to a notification of a recommended move. The information processing device 1 obtains the employee IDs of employees who have moved from the seating area Z to the recommended seating area by acquiring the location information of the employees, and stores these employee IDs in the management field for the employee ID to be moved.

[0041] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 acquires location information of multiple employees working within the facility (S101). The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 communicates with, for example, the wireless relay devices AP installed in each seating area Z and acquires the identification information (terminal ID) of the terminal devices 2 connected to each wireless relay device AP.

[0042] The employee master table 121 stores the information associated with each terminal device 2 (terminal ID) and the employee who is the user of that terminal device 2 (employee ID). The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 can identify each employee performing work (working) in each seating area Z, and the number of such employees, by referring to the employee master table 121. Alternatively, if a single wireless relay device AP is shared by multiple seating areas Z, each employee's terminal device 2 outputs the signal strength received from three or more wireless relay device APs to the information processing device 1. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 may perform a three-point positioning calculation based on the signal strength of three or more wireless relay device APs at each terminal device 2, derive coordinates based on these wireless relay device APs, and then identify which seating area Z the employee is in based on the derived coordinates and the installation location of each wireless relay device AP.

[0043] In this embodiment, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 identifies employees located in each seating area Z based on terminal devices 2 connected to wireless relay devices APs corresponding to each seating area Z, but is not limited to this. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 may, for example, identify the seating area Z where each employee is located based on GPS data from a GPS module installed in the terminal device 2 used by the employee. Alternatively, it may identify the seating area Z where each employee is located based on the assignment status of free-address compatible internal telephones installed in the seating area Z to employees. Alternatively, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 may identify the seating area Z where each employee is located by obtaining information on employees located in each seating area Z from an access control device that manages entry and exit when employees enter and exit each seating area Z.

[0044] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 may use the time when the location information is acquired and aggregated as the time of aggregation of the number of people, associate this time of aggregation with the number of employees performing work (work) in each seating area Z and the employee ID of those employees, and store this information in, for example, the seating area status table 123.

[0045] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 identifies the source seating area Z and the recommended seating area to which the employee will move, based on the acquired location information (S102). Based on the acquired location information of multiple employees, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 derives the location distribution of these employees and groups the employees working in the facility into multiple groups according to the distribution. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 identifies the seating area Z located near the group with the largest number of people as the recommended seating area to which the employee will move. The seating area Z located near the group with the largest number of people may include, for example, one or more seating areas Z in which the group resides, or seating areas Z that use the same power supply system as the seating area Z. Seat areas Z using the same power supply system mean, for example, seating areas Z in which the power supply for the lighting equipment and the power supply for the air conditioner are the same, and the on and off of the power to these electrical equipment DS are the same. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 may identify the seating area Z with the largest number of people among the multiple seating areas Z in which employees reside as the recommended seating area. Furthermore, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 may also identify as a recommended seating area any seating area Z that is adjacent to the seating area Z with the largest number of people and uses the same power system as the seating area Z with the largest number of people.

[0046] In this case, the seating area Z where the employee is located, excluding the recommended seating area, is identified as the seating area Z from which the employee will be moved. Therefore, the employee performing duties in the seating area Z from which the employee will be moved is identified as the employee who is recommended to move to the recommended seating area (the employee who will be moved).

[0047] As defined in the seating area master table 122 described above, the maximum number of people performing work (number of seated persons) in seating area Z is set as the expected number (total expected number of seats, capacity). When determining one or more recommended seating areas, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 determines the recommended seating areas with the expected number as the upper limit. Alternatively, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 may determine the recommended seating areas with a number obtained by setting (multiplying) the expected number with a margin of safety, for example, 80% (expected number of people × 0.8 [margin of safety]).

[0048] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 may identify the seating area Z from which the employee will be moved, and the recommended seating area to which the employee will be moved, based on the appropriate number of people (minimum number threshold) defined for each seating area Z. For example, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 may refer to the seating area master table 122 to obtain the appropriate number of people for each seating area Z, that is, the minimum number threshold for which a seating area Z is used. A seating area Z (a seating area Z with fewer than the appropriate number of employees) where the number of employees present (employees working in seating area Z) is less than the appropriate number (minimum number threshold) may be considered underutilized from the standpoint of energy consumption (electricity consumption, CO2 emissions) by the operating electrical equipment DS (lighting devices and air conditioners). Therefore, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 identifies such a seating area Z with fewer than the appropriate number of employees as the seating area Z from which the employee will be moved. As a result, employees working in a seating area Z with fewer than the appropriate number of employees (a seating area Z from which the employee will be moved) are identified as employees who will be moved. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 identifies seating area Z with a number of people exceeding the appropriate capacity as the recommended seating area to which employees should move. Employees working in seating area Z (recommended seating area) with a number of people exceeding the appropriate capacity will not need to move (no movement required).

[0049] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 may identify the source seating area Z and the recommended destination seating area based on the number of employees working in each seating area Z (employees present) and the distance (travel distance) between these seating areas Z, so as to minimize the total travel distance (cumulative value) of the employees to be moved. This minimizes the overall travel burden on multiple employees working within the facility. As described above, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 can use various methods to identify the recommended seating area, and may also combine these methods to identify the recommended seating area.

[0050] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 outputs information regarding the identified recommended seating area, etc. (S103). The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 outputs information regarding the identified source seating area Z and the destination recommended seating area to shared display equipment such as signage 3 and to the terminal device 2 of the employee being moved (display equipment for each employee). In other words, the output of information regarding the recommended seating area, etc. includes output to shared equipment such as signage 3 and output to the terminal device 2 of the employee being moved (the employee located in the source seating area Z).

[0051] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a screen that displays information about recommended seating areas (movement recommendation screen). The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 generates screen data that constitutes the movement recommendation screen shown in this embodiment as an example of information about recommended seating areas, and outputs the screen data to the signage 3 to display the movement recommendation screen on the signage 3. The movement recommendation screen includes an area that displays a list of information about the number of employees and energy usage status within a building or other facility (status display area), and an area that displays a list of information about energy-optimized destination floors (destination display area).

[0052] The status display area displays the status of each seating area Z at the time employee location information is acquired, that is, the number of employees working in each seating area Z (employees present in seating area Z) (number of employees in the area), and the energy status (power consumption [KW]) in that seating area Z. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 may display seating areas Z with fewer than the appropriate number of people (minimum number threshold) and seating areas Z with or more than the appropriate number of people (minimum number threshold) in different display formats when displaying the status display area.

[0053] The destination display area shows the recommended seating area (recommended destination) to which the employee should move, relative to their current seating area Z (original seating area Z). Additionally, the energy reduction (power consumption [KW]) of the original seating area Z is displayed, allowing the employee to understand how much energy they can save, for example, per hour, by moving to the recommended seating area Z. Furthermore, because the recommended seating area Z has a minimum number of occupants (minimum threshold), employees working in that area can recognize that they do not need to move (no move required).

[0054] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a message screen showing information to be output to an employee who is to be moved. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 sends the message shown in this embodiment to the terminal device 2 of the employee who is to be moved, as an example of a message encouraging movement, via, for example, an SMTP server or chat server that is connected to it via communication, and displays the message screen on the terminal device 2. The employee who is to be moved is an employee who is in the seating area Z from which they are to be moved, and the terminal device 2 to which the message is sent (the target of the movement recommendation message) or the email address of the employee is identified by the terminal device 2 used when acquiring the location information.

[0055] The message screen displayed on terminal device 2 shows the current status of seating area Z to the employee using terminal device 2, specifically the ratio of the appropriate number of people (minimum threshold) and the expected number of people (total expected number of seats, maximum capacity) in seating area Z. This is expected to make the employee aware that seating area Z where they are working is relatively uncrowded, and that the power consumption of the electrical equipment DS being used is wasteful, thereby encouraging them to reduce their environmental impact. The message on the message screen may include, for example, a URL link to a web page that shows the same content as the movement recommendation screen displayed on signage 3.

[0056] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 determines whether a predetermined period has elapsed (S104). If the predetermined period has not elapsed (S104: NO), the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 performs a loop process to execute the S104 process again. By performing this loop process, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 outputs information regarding the recommended seating area, etc., and then waits until the predetermined period has elapsed. This predetermined period is set based on the estimated time required for the employee to move from the original seating area Z to the recommended seating area. If the predetermined period has not elapsed (S104: NO), the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 may perform a loop process to execute the S101 process again. By repeating the processes from S101 to S103 in this way, messages can be sent to the employee to be moved multiple times, and the movement status of the employee to be moved after the initial output of information regarding the recommended seating area, etc., can be monitored.

[0057] If a predetermined period has elapsed (S104: YES), the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 acquires the location information of multiple employees working within the facility (S105). The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 acquires the location information of multiple employees working within the facility, similar to the process in S101.

[0058] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 identifies the seat area Z that has become unoccupied in the seat area Z from which the movement originated (S106). The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 identifies the seat area Z that has become unoccupied because all employees have moved out, in the seat area Z from which the movement originated identified in S102.

[0059] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 performs processing to reduce power consumption in the unoccupied seating area Z (S107). As processing to reduce power consumption in the unoccupied seating area Z, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 outputs (transmits) a power-off signal to the equipment control device SS that controls the electrical equipment DS in the unoccupied seating area Z, for example, by instructing that the power to the electrical equipment DS in the unoccupied seating area Z be turned off. The equipment control device SS, having received the power-off signal from the information processing device 1, performs control to turn off the power to the electrical equipment DS in the identified unoccupied seating area Z. In this embodiment, the information processing device 1 and the equipment control device SS are described as separate devices, but the embodiment is not limited to this, and the information processing device 1 may also have the function of the equipment control device SS.

[0060] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 acquires the time or period (power-off period, power-off time zone) during which the power to electrical equipment DS such as lighting and air conditioners in each seat area Z is turned off from the equipment control device SS, and stores information regarding the power-off period for each seat area Z, for example, in the load reduction performance table 124. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 derives the amount of environmental load reduction (reduced power consumption: kWh) for each seat area Z (original seat area Z) in accordance with the output of the movement recommendation information, by multiplying the power-off period (time: h) by the power consumption (rated power consumption: KW) of the electrical equipment DS in the seat area Z that was turned off.

[0061] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 may also store the employee IDs of the employees who were moved, i.e., the employees who were working in the original seating area Z, in the load reduction performance table 124, and store this information in the storage unit 12. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 may also calculate the amount of environmental load reduction for each individual employee (each employee's contribution) by dividing the amount of environmental load reduction in seating area Z (original seating area Z) by the number of employees who were moved. This makes it possible to save and manage as historical information which employees contributed to environmental load reduction and to what extent.

[0062] According to this embodiment, the information processing device 1 identifies recommended seating areas to reduce the environmental impact of the facility based on the location information of multiple employees, and outputs these recommended seating areas to a display device visible to employees, such as a large display such as signage 3, or a terminal device 2 used by employees. Since the identification of recommended seating areas to reduce the environmental impact is performed based on the current location information of employees, it is possible to efficiently identify appropriate recommended seating areas according to the distribution of employee occupancy (location distribution) within the facility. Information regarding recommended seating areas is output and displayed on signage 3 or terminal device 2, etc., so that employees can be efficiently notified or reminded to move to the recommended seating areas.

[0063] According to this embodiment, the information processing device 1 identifies a seating area Z located near the largest group among all groups grouped based on employee location information as a recommended seating area. In this case, the seating area Z where the employees of the largest group are seated is identified as the recommended seating area. Alternatively, the recommended seating area may be identified as a seating area Z that uses the same lighting and air conditioning system as the seating area Z where the employees of the largest group are seated. By identifying the recommended seating area in this way, it is possible to eliminate the need for employees belonging to the largest group to move, thereby reducing the overall burden of movement for employees. Alternatively, the information processing device 1 identifies employees working in seating areas Z with fewer than the appropriate number of people, i.e., seating areas Z with a predetermined occupancy rate below the total number of seats (capacity) of seating area Z, as employees who should be encouraged (recommended) to move to the recommended seating area. This eliminates the need for employees working in seating areas Z with more than the appropriate number of people to move to seating area Z, thereby reducing the overall burden of movement for employees.

[0064] According to this embodiment, the information processing method derives and outputs the amount of environmental load reduction that can be expected to be achieved by employees moving to the recommended seating area, thereby improving employees' motivation to move to the recommended seating area. The information processing method outputs the derived amount of environmental load reduction to the signage 3 located in the area where employees work within the facility. The area where employees work within the facility may include the seating area Z and passageways or common spaces other than the seating area Z. In this way, by outputting and displaying the amount of environmental load reduction on the signage 3 placed in an area (location) visible to employees within the facility, it is possible to improve employees' motivation to move to the recommended seating area.

[0065] According to this embodiment, the information processing device 1 derives the amount of environmental load reduction that can be achieved by employees moving to the recommended seating area by dividing the amount of environmental load reduction that can be achieved by employees moving to the recommended seating area by the number of employees who are subject to the move. The amount of environmental load reduction that each employee is subject to move contributes to environmental load reduction, and this can further increase the motivation of the employees to move to the recommended seating area.

[0066] According to this embodiment, the information processing device 1 periodically acquires employee location information and can identify the absent seating area Z where an employee has moved to a recommended seating area. The information processing device 1 performs processing to reduce power consumption in the absent seating area Z by transmitting a signal (power-off signal) to a control device that controls electrical equipment DS such as lighting or air conditioners in the absent seating area Z to turn off the power to these electrical equipment DS. This reduces power consumption in the facility and helps to reduce the environmental burden of the facility. The processing to reduce power consumption in the absent seating area Z is not limited to turning off the power to the electrical equipment DS, but may also include, for example, processing to reduce the light intensity of the lighting or processing to reduce the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioner.

[0067] (Embodiment 2) Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 according to Embodiment 2 (within predetermined business hours). The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 acquires location information of multiple employees working within the facility (S201). The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 executes S201 in the same way as processing S101 in Embodiment 1.

[0068] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 determines whether the number of employees working within predetermined working hours is below a predetermined percentage (S202). The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 obtains the current time using its own clock function, and, for example, refers to the storage unit 12 to obtain the predetermined working hours. The predetermined working hours correspond to the time period during which movement to the recommended seating area is recommended (recommended movement time period). The predetermined working hours (recommended movement time period) are set, for example, in the pre-regular time period before the regular arrival time, or in the post-regular time period after the regular departure time, and are set as a time period other than the so-called regular hours (from the regular arrival time to the regular departure time). Alternatively, if the work style is flextime, the predetermined working hours may be set in a time period outside of core time. During regular working hours, it is anticipated that moving to seating area Z may be difficult due to the nature of the work. By setting off-hours or core hours as predetermined working hours (recommended travel time periods), it is expected that the recommendation to move to the recommended seating area will be implemented smoothly.

[0069] Furthermore, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 determines whether the number of employees currently working among all employees in the facility is below a predetermined percentage. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 can calculate the total number of employees by referring to the employee master table 121, and this predetermined percentage is stored, for example, in the storage unit 12. Based on the acquired employee location information, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 identifies the employee IDs of employees who are currently working in any of the seating areas Z within the facility (located in seating area Z), and derives the number of employees currently working by calculating the number of such identified employee IDs. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 makes a determination in this process by comparing the ratio of the total number of employees to the number of employees currently working with a predetermined percentage.

[0070] If it is within the predetermined business hours and the number of employees working is below a predetermined percentage (S202:YES), the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 performs the processes from S203 to S208 in the same manner as processes S102 to S107 in Embodiment 1, and terminates the process in this flowchart. If it is within the predetermined business hours and the number of employees working is not below a predetermined percentage (S202:NO), the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 terminates the process in this flowchart.

[0071] According to this embodiment, the information processing device 1 identifies and outputs a recommended seating area when it is within predetermined working hours, such as the pre-working hours before the scheduled arrival time or the post-working hours after the scheduled departure time, and when the percentage of employees working in the facility is below a predetermined percentage. In so-called regular working hours, it is anticipated that it may be difficult to move between seating areas Z for the purpose of performing work. By identifying a recommended seating area when it is within predetermined working hours and the percentage of employees working is below a predetermined percentage, it is expected that movement recommendations will be made without undue strain, thereby reducing the environmental burden.

[0072] (Embodiment 3) Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 according to Embodiment 3 (difficult to move). The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 acquires location information of multiple employees working within the facility (S301). The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 executes S301 in the same way as processing S101 of Embodiment 1.

[0073] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 determines whether or not there are employees with mobility difficulties (S302). Based on the acquired location information, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 identifies the seating area Z where the employee is working and, by referring to the seating area master table 122, determines whether or not the seating area Z contains equipment that makes movement difficult. If the seating area Z where the employee is working contains equipment that makes movement difficult, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 recognizes the employee working in that seating area Z as an employee with mobility difficulties, and determines that there are employees with mobility difficulties among multiple employees working in the facility. If the seating area Z where the employee is working does not contain equipment that makes movement difficult, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 determines that there are no employees with mobility difficulties.

[0074] If there is an employee with mobility difficulties (S302: YES), the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 identifies the seating area Z where the employee with mobility difficulties is located as a recommended seating area (S303). The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 may also identify as a recommended seating area any seating area Z adjacent to the seating area Z where the employee with mobility difficulties is located and which uses the same power supply system.

[0075] If there are no employees with mobility difficulties (S302: NO), the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 identifies a recommended seating area, etc., based on the acquired location information (S3021). The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 performs the processing in S3021, similar to S102 in Embodiment 1. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 performs the processing in S304 to S308, similar to the processing in S103 to S107 in Embodiment 1.

[0076] According to this embodiment, the information processing device 1 identifies a seating area Z located near an employee with mobility difficulties who is using equipment that is difficult to move as a recommended seating area. For an employee using equipment that is difficult to move (an employee with mobility difficulties), moving to a recommended seating area different from the currently existing seating area Z would lead to a decrease in work efficiency and is therefore not an appropriate measure. By identifying a seating area Z located near the employee with mobility difficulties as a recommended seating area, it is possible to eliminate the need for the employee with mobility difficulties to move.

[0077] (Embodiment 4) Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 according to Embodiment 4 (Specific Mode). The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 acquires location information of multiple employees working within the facility (S401). The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 executes S401 in the same way as processing S101 of Embodiment 1.

[0078] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 determines whether the "three Cs avoidance mode" is selected (S402). When the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 identifies the recommended seating area, several specific modes are defined to be selectable, and these specific modes include the "three Cs avoidance mode" and the normal mode.

[0079] The "Three Cs Avoidance Mode" is set so that the occupancy rate in seating area Z is lower than in normal mode. In other words, even in the same recommended seating area, the occupancy rate when the Three Cs Avoidance Mode is selected will be lower than the occupancy rate when normal mode is selected. This occupancy rate refers to the occupancy rate after the employees subject to relocation have moved out, relative to the assumed number of people (total assumed number of seats, capacity) in seating area Z, which has been designated as a recommended seating area. For example, if the normal mode has an occupancy rate of 80% of the assumed number of people, the specific mode may have an occupancy rate of 49% of the assumed number of people, and the recommended seating area may be designated so that the occupancy rate is less than 50%, which is the guideline for avoiding the Three Cs. The specific mode to be selected is stored, for example, in the storage unit 12 of the information processing device 1. Alternatively, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 may accept the selection of a specific mode by, for example, the facility's energy manager. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 refers to the storage unit 12 or, depending on the result of accepting the selection of a specific mode, determines whether the Three Cs Avoidance Mode has been selected.

[0080] When the "Avoid the Three Cs" mode is selected (S402: YES), the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 identifies recommended seating areas, etc., based on the acquired employee location information in the "Avoid the Three Cs" mode (S403). By identifying recommended seating areas in the "Avoid the Three Cs" mode, the occupancy rate in the identified recommended seating areas can be reduced, and sufficient distance can be ensured between employees working in those recommended seating areas.

[0081] If the "avoiding the three Cs" mode is not selected (S402: NO), the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 identifies recommended seating areas, etc., based on location information in normal mode (S4021). The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 performs the processing in S4021, similar to S102 in Embodiment 1. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 performs the processing from S404 to S408, similar to the processing from S103 to S107 in Embodiment 1.

[0082] According to this embodiment, when the information processing device 1 identifies a recommended seating area, multiple specific modes are selectable, and these specific modes include a normal mode and a mode to avoid the "three Cs" (closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings). For example, if one of the specific modes is selected by the facility's energy manager or the like, the information processing device 1 identifies the recommended seating area using either the normal mode or the mode to avoid the "three Cs" according to that selection. Since the mode to avoid the "three Cs" is set to have a lower occupancy rate than the normal mode, the recommended seating area can be identified to have an appropriate occupancy rate considering the current social situation.

[0083] (Embodiment 5) Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a screen (departmental performance screen) that displays information regarding departmental performance values ​​related to Embodiment 5 (departmental performance values). The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 refers to the load reduction performance table 124 etc. stored in the storage unit 12 of the information processing device 1 and generates screen data that constitutes a display screen (departmental performance screen) that shows information regarding load reduction performance achieved by moving to the recommended seating area.

[0084] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 outputs the screen data of the departmental performance screen to, for example, a digital signage 3 or an employee's terminal device 2. The information processing device 1 may also have, for example, a web server function to make the departmental performance screen publicly available. The departmental performance screen includes a departmental performance display area that displays the amount of environmental load reduction for each department to which the employee belongs in a list format.

[0085] The departmental performance display area shows the department name to which the employee belongs, and the monthly reduction in environmental load (power saving) for each department. As described above, the load reduction performance table 124 stores, in association with the amount of environmental load reduction achieved and the employee ID of the employee who moved to the recommended seating area for each power-off period in seating area Z that became unoccupied due to the employee moving to the recommended seating area. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 refers to the load reduction performance table 124, etc., and calculates the amount of environmental load reduction by each individual employee (individual contribution) by dividing the amount of environmental load reduction by the number of employees who moved to the recommended seating area. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 then calculates the monthly reduction in environmental load (power saving) for each department by accumulating the amount of environmental load reduction by each individual employee in the department (affiliated department) of each employee as defined in the employee master table 121. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 generates screen data that constitutes the departmental performance screen based on the values ​​derived in this way, and outputs the screen data to the signage 3 or terminal device 2.

[0086] According to this embodiment, the information processing device 1 outputs departmental performance values, which are aggregated by the employee's department based on the actual amount of environmental load reduction resulting from employees moving to the recommended seating area. This allows for a synergistic improvement in awareness regarding environmental load reduction among departments.

[0087] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not in the sense described above, and all modifications within the sense and scope equivalent to the claims are intended. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] S Movement Recommendation System 1. Information processing device (server) 11 Control Unit 12 Storage section 120 recording media 121 Employee Master Table 122 Seating Area Master Table 123 Seating Area Status Table 124 Load Reduction Performance Table P Program (Program Product) 13 Communications Department 2 Terminal devices 3. Digital Signage AP: Wireless relay device Z: Seating area DS: Electrical equipment SS: Equipment control device

Claims

1. We acquire location information for multiple employees working within the facility. Based on the location information of multiple employees obtained, recommended seating areas will be identified to reduce the environmental impact at the facility. Output information regarding the identified recommended seating area. Identify employees with mobility impairments who use equipment that makes movement difficult, The seating area located near the employee with mobility difficulties is designated as the recommended seating area. If the seating area where an employee is working includes a seating area with equipment that is difficult to move, the employee working in the seating area with the difficult-to-move equipment will be identified as the employee with mobility difficulties. An information processing method that involves having a computer perform a task.

2. If it is within predetermined business hours and the percentage of employees working in the facility is below a predetermined percentage, the recommended seating area will be identified. The information processing method according to claim 1.

3. Based on the location information of each employee, multiple employees are grouped together. The seating area located near the group with the largest number of people is designated as the recommended seating area. The information processing method according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. By having employees move to the identified recommended seating areas, the amount of environmental impact reduction that can be achieved is derived. The derived amount of environmental load reduction is output in association with the information regarding the recommended seating area. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The derived amount of reduction in environmental impact is displayed on digital signage located in the area where employees work within the facility. The information processing method according to claim 4.

6. Among the multiple employees working within the aforementioned facility, identify the employees who are to be moved to the recommended seating area. The amount of environmental load reduction that can be achieved by the employee subject to the aforementioned relocation is derived, The derived amount of environmental load reduction is output to the terminal device of the employee who is to be moved. The information processing method according to claim 4 or claim 5.

7. Multiple identification modes for identifying the aforementioned recommended seating area are available for selection. The aforementioned specific mode includes a normal mode and a mode for avoiding the "three Cs" (crowded spaces, close contact, and confined spaces), which has a lower occupancy rate than the occupancy rate in the normal mode. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The actual reduction in environmental impact resulting from employees moving to the aforementioned recommended seating area is calculated. In the aforementioned performance data, the departmental performance data, aggregated by the department to which the employee belongs, is output. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. Identify the employees who should be moved to the recommended seating area among multiple employees, The terminal device of the employee to be moved will output information regarding the recommended seating area. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The aforementioned facility includes multiple seating areas where employees perform their duties, Each of the aforementioned seating areas has a set appropriate number of people. Of the aforementioned multiple seating areas, identify the seating area where the number of employees present is less than the appropriate number. For employees located in seating areas with fewer than the appropriate number of people, the recommended seating area is identified. The information regarding the identified recommended seating area is output to terminal devices used by employees located in seating areas with fewer than the appropriate number of people. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. Identify the vacant seating area where the employee is no longer present after moving to the recommended seating area. Processing to reduce power consumption in the aforementioned unoccupied seating area The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. On the computer, We acquire location information for multiple employees working within the facility. Based on the location information of multiple employees obtained, recommended seating areas will be identified to reduce the environmental impact at the facility. Output information regarding the identified recommended seating area. Identify employees with mobility impairments who use equipment that makes movement difficult, The seating area located near the employee with mobility difficulties is designated as the recommended seating area. If the seating area where an employee is working includes a seating area with equipment that is difficult to move, the employee working in the seating area with the difficult-to-move equipment will be identified as the employee with mobility difficulties. A program that executes a process.

13. A unit that acquires location information of multiple employees working within the facility, Based on the location information of multiple employees obtained, the identification unit identifies recommended seating areas to reduce the environmental impact at the facility, An output unit that outputs information regarding the identified recommended seating area. Equipped with, Identify employees with mobility impairments who use equipment that makes movement difficult, The seating area located near the employee with mobility difficulties is designated as the recommended seating area. If the seating area where an employee is working includes a seating area with equipment that is difficult to move, the employee working in the seating area with the difficult-to-move equipment will be identified as the employee with mobility difficulties. Information processing device.

Images