Management server

Abstract

To provide a management server which can promote an energy saving action of a user.SOLUTION: A management server comprises: a storage unit for storing user information on a registered user who is registered as a user for using an air conditioner; an energy saving action determination unit for determining whether or not there is an energy saving action for performing an energy saving operation in which energy consumption is reduced more than a current operation during an operation of the air conditioner; an output unit for outputting notification information indicating the presence of the energy saving action when the energy saving determination unit determines that there is the energy saving action; an execution determination unit for determining whether or not the energy saving action is performed on the basis of an operation state of the air conditioner; and an impartment unit for specifying an execution user who has performed the energy saving action from among the registered users, and imparting a privilege to the execution user when the execution determination unit determines that the energy saving action is performed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a management server.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner that allows a user to easily perform energy-saving operation. The air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1 transmits an information signal indicating the operation display content of the energy-saving operation to this remote control in response to a request from the remote control. With this configuration, the user can perform energy-saving operation according to the operation display content displayed on the remote control.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1, although the user can grasp the specific operation method regarding the energy-saving operation, it is impossible to promote the energy-saving actions including the user's energy-saving operation.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a management server that can promote the energy-saving actions of users.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A management server according to one aspect of this disclosure is a management server that is communicably connected to an air conditioner and comprises: a storage unit that stores user information of registered users registered as users of the air conditioner; an energy-saving action determination unit that determines whether or not there are energy-saving actions to perform energy-saving operation that reduces energy consumption from the current operation while the air conditioner is in operation; an output unit that outputs notification information indicating that there are energy-saving actions when the energy-saving action determination unit determines that there are energy-saving actions; an execution determination unit that determines whether or not the energy-saving actions have been performed based on the operating status of the air conditioner; and an awarding unit that, when the execution determination unit determines that the energy-saving actions have been performed, identifies the user who performed the energy-saving actions from among the registered users and grants a benefit to the user who performed the actions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the main components of an energy-saving behavior promotion system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of a user terminal included in an energy-saving behavior promotion system according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the main components of the management server included in the energy-saving action promotion system. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of device information stored in the storage unit of a management server according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of user information related to an air conditioner stored in the memory unit of a management server according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows an example of a reward granting process implemented in the energy-saving behavior promotion system according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a display on a user terminal provided in an energy-saving behavior promotion system according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of a display on a user terminal provided in an energy-saving behavior promotion system according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of evaluation information displayed on a user terminal according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of evaluation information displayed on a user terminal according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Embodiments and modifications of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding elements will be denoted by the same reference numerals in all drawings, and redundant descriptions will be omitted. Furthermore, the embodiments and modifications described below are merely examples of this disclosure, and this disclosure is not limited to these embodiments and modifications. Even outside of these embodiments and modifications, various modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not depart from the technical idea of ​​this disclosure.

[0009] (Energy-saving behavior promotion system) Referring to Figure 1, an energy-saving behavior promotion system 100 according to an embodiment of this disclosure will be described. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the main components of the energy-saving behavior promotion system 100 according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0010] The energy-saving action promotion system 100 according to this embodiment is a system that promotes energy-saving actions by users of the air conditioner 1. Here, energy saving means reducing the energy consumption of the air conditioner 1 to less than the energy consumed by the air conditioner 1 during normal operation. Energy-saving actions that users can take to achieve energy saving in the air conditioner 1 include, for example, changing the settings related to the operation of the air conditioner 1 or removing factors that reduce the operating efficiency of the air conditioner 1.

[0011] Specifically, changes to the settings related to the operation of the air conditioner 1 include, for example, changing the set temperature of the air conditioner 1. Furthermore, factors that reduce the operating efficiency of the air conditioner 1 are eliminated. Examples of such actions include removing obstacles around the outdoor unit of the air conditioner 1, or cleaning the air filter.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the energy-saving action promotion system 100 comprises an air conditioner 1, a management server 2, and user terminals 3a, 3b, and 3c. The management server 2 is connected to the air conditioner 1 and user terminals 3a, 3b, and 3c in a communicative manner. When there is no need to distinguish between user terminals 3a, 3b, and 3c, they will simply be referred to as user terminal 3. Furthermore, the users of user terminals 3a, 3b, and 3c will be referred to as users A, B, and C, respectively, and when there is no need to distinguish between them, they will simply be referred to as users.

[0013] Furthermore, in this embodiment, for the sake of explanation, user terminals 3a, 3b, and 3c will be used as examples of user terminals 3 connected to the management server 2. However, the user terminals 3 connected to the management server 2 are not limited to user terminals 3a, 3b, and 3c, and a configuration in which many more user terminals 3 are connected to the management server 2 is also possible.

[0014] Air conditioner 1 is, for example, an air conditioning system that adjusts the temperature and humidity of the indoor air. Air conditioner 1 can be in the form of a unit consisting of, for example, an outdoor unit in which a compressor and condenser are integrated, and an indoor unit in which an evaporator is built in.

[0015] Furthermore, the air conditioner 1 is configured to collect operating status information 42, which includes information on the current operating status and information on the usage history of the air conditioner 1. The operating status information includes, for example, information on the operating mode of the air conditioner 1, such as cooling operation, heating operation, dehumidification operation, and fan operation; information on the temperature, humidity, wind direction, and wind speed set in the air conditioner 1; or information on the operating temperature of the air conditioner 1. The usage history information includes, for example, information on the operating time, power consumption, or operation history of the air conditioner 1 from any point in time to the present.

[0016] When the air conditioner 1 collects the above-described operation state information 42, it sequentially transmits the collected operation state information 42 to the management server 2.

[0017] The management server 2 is a device that is communicably connected to the air conditioner 1 and manages the air conditioner 1. In FIG. 1, for convenience of explanation, one air conditioner 1 is shown as a device to be managed by the management server 2. However, the devices managed by the management server 2 are not limited to one air conditioner 1 and may be a plurality of air conditioners. Alternatively, the devices to be managed by the management server 2 may include devices other than the air conditioner 1. A detailed description of the configuration of the management server 2 will be given later.

[0018] The user terminal 3 is communicable with the management server 2 via a communication line or a network, and examples include a personal computer, a tablet, a mobile phone, or a smartphone. In this specification, the smartphone shown in FIG. 2 will be described as an example of the user terminal 3. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the user terminal 3 included in the energy-saving behavior promotion system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the user terminal 3 has a display input unit 11 and an operation button 12. The display input unit 11 is a so-called touch panel that displays information and inputs operation instructions from the user.

[0020] When the user terminal 3 receives information regarding energy-saving behavior from the management server 2, it causes the received information to be displayed on the display input unit 11. Note that the information regarding energy-saving behavior includes information for guiding the user on how to achieve energy-saving behavior and information regarding the execution results of the user's energy-saving behavior.

[0021] Furthermore, when the user terminal 3 receives a control instruction from the user via the display input unit 11 and operation buttons 12 to control the operation of the air conditioner 1, it transmits a control signal containing the information of this control instruction to the management server 2. When the management server 2 receives the control signal from the user terminal 3, it transmits this received control signal to the air conditioner 1 associated with the user terminal 3. In this way, the user terminal 3 is configured to control the operation of the air conditioner 1 via the management server 2.

[0022] (Management Server) The configuration of the management server 2 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the main components of the management server 2 included in the energy-saving action promotion system 100 shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of equipment information 41 stored in the storage unit 22 of the management server 2 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of user information 44 related to the air conditioner 1 stored in the storage unit 22 of the management server 2 according to the embodiment of this disclosure.

[0023] The management server 2 is configured to determine whether or not energy-saving actions have been taken by the user while the air conditioner 1 is in operation. Furthermore, the management server 2 grants the user a reward if energy-saving actions have been taken.

[0024] More specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the management server 2 comprises a control unit 21 and a storage unit 22.

[0025] The storage unit 22 is a read / write storage medium, which can be implemented as, for example, a hard disk or semiconductor memory such as flash memory. In addition to the operating status information 42 described above, the storage unit 22 stores equipment information 41, environmental information 43, user information 44, and evaluation information 45.

[0026] The device information 41 is information indicating the correspondence between a user terminal 3 and a device, which can be connected to via the management server 2. The device is a device that can be operated by the user terminal 3 via the management server 2, and includes the air conditioner 1. As shown in Figure 4, the device information 41 is managed by associating the user terminal ID of the user terminal 3 with the device ID of the device.

[0027] For example, in Figure 4, let's assume that user terminal ID "1234" is the ID assigned to user terminal 3a, user terminal ID "1235" is the ID assigned to user terminal 3b, user terminal ID "1236" is the ID assigned to user terminal 3c, device ID "9876" is the ID assigned to air conditioner 1, device ID "9875" is the ID assigned to an air purifier (not shown), and device ID "9874" is the ID assigned to a television (not shown).

[0028] In this case, referring to the device information 41 shown in Figure 4, it can be seen that user terminal 3a is connected to communicate with both the air conditioner 1 and the air purifier. In other words, user terminal 3a is configured to allow operation of both the air conditioner 1 and the air purifier. On the other hand, user terminal 3b is connected to communicate with the air conditioner 1, and user terminal 3c is connected to communicate with both the air conditioner 1 and the television. In other words, user terminal 3b is configured to allow operation of the air conditioner 1, and user terminal 3c is configured to allow operation of both the air conditioner 1 and the television.

[0029] The management server 2 can determine the combination of user terminals 3 and devices that are connected to it for communication by referring to the device information 41.

[0030] Environmental information 43 is information about the environment surrounding the air conditioner 1, obtained via the air conditioner 1 or an external server (not shown). Specifically, environmental information 43 includes information such as the temperature and humidity of the room where the indoor unit of the air conditioner 1 is installed, the temperature and humidity of the outdoor area where the outdoor unit of the air conditioner 1 is installed, and the weather and weather forecast for the location where the air conditioner 1 is installed.

[0031] User information 44 is information about users registered to use air conditioner 1. Hereafter, users registered to use air conditioner 1 may be referred to as registered users.

[0032] User information 44 includes the ID of the registered user's user terminal 3 and benefit information, which is a history of benefits granted to each registered user. A registered user is a user registered to use the air conditioner 1. For example, the energy-saving behavior promotion system 100 is configured so that each user who uses the air conditioner 1 after purchasing it can register by operating the user terminal 3 to access the management server 2 and sending registration information. Benefits are granted to users who perform energy-saving actions while the air conditioner 1 is in operation. Examples of benefits granted to users include points that can be used for discounts on other product purchases, service coupons, etc. In this embodiment, points will be used as an example of a benefit granted to a user.

[0033] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, user information 44 associates the user terminal IDs of each registered user's user terminal 3a to 3c with information regarding the points assigned to each registered user. The point information included in user information 44 may include, for example, the cumulative number of points earned by each registered user over a predetermined period.

[0034] The control unit 21 is a processing unit that performs various controls on each part of the management server 2, and can be implemented by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 21 includes, as a functional block related to the energy-saving action promotion system 100, an operating status information acquisition unit 31, an environmental information acquisition unit 32, an energy-saving action determination unit 33, an output unit 34, an execution determination unit 35, an assignment unit 36, and a generation unit 37. Each functional block included in the control unit 21 can be implemented, for example, if the control unit 21 is a CPU, by the CPU reading and executing a program (not shown) from the storage unit 22.

[0035] The operating status information acquisition unit 31 sequentially acquires operating status information 42 from the air conditioner 1. The operating status information acquisition unit 31 stores the acquired operating status information 42 in the storage unit 22.

[0036] The environmental information acquisition unit 32 sequentially acquires environmental information 43 of the surrounding area where the air conditioner 1 is installed, via the air conditioner 1 or an external server. The environmental information acquisition unit 32 stores the acquired environmental information 43 in the storage unit 22.

[0037] The energy-saving action determination unit 33 determines whether or not there are energy-saving actions to implement energy-saving operation while the air conditioner 1 is in operation. That is, the energy-saving action determination unit 33 determines whether or not there are energy-saving actions based on the operating state information 42 acquired by the operating state information acquisition unit 31 while the air conditioner 1 is in operation, or based on the operating state information 42 acquired by the operating state information acquisition unit 31 and the environmental information acquisition unit 32 acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit 32. The determination of whether or not there are energy-saving actions by the energy-saving action determination unit 33 can be made, for example, as follows.

[0038] The energy-saving action determination unit 33 determines the operating time of the air conditioner 1 since the last filter cleaning from the operating status information 42. If the operating time determined by the energy-saving action determination unit 33 exceeds a predetermined time, it can be estimated that dust has accumulated on the filter and the cooling efficiency has decreased. Therefore, if the operating time of the air conditioner 1 since the last filter cleaning exceeds a predetermined time, the energy-saving action determination unit 33 determines that filter cleaning is an energy-saving action.

[0039] Furthermore, the energy-saving action determination unit 33 determines whether it is possible to change the set temperature of the air conditioner 1 based on the current operating status of the air conditioner 1 acquired as operating status information 42 and the temperature change of the outside temperature acquired as environmental information 43. For example, the energy-saving action determination unit 33 determines that there is an energy-saving action to be taken, such as changing the set temperature to an increased temperature, when the outside temperature drops to a predetermined temperature below the temperature at the start of the cooling operation while the air conditioner 1 is performing cooling operation.

[0040] Furthermore, the energy-saving action determination unit 33 determines whether or not there are obstacles around the exhaust port of the outdoor unit that hinder exhaust efficiency, based on the relationship between the temperature detected by an unillustrated sensor installed on the outdoor unit as operating status information 42, and the temperature at the location where the air conditioner 1 is installed, obtained from an external server, or the temperature obtained from an unillustrated temperature sensor installed around the outdoor unit. In other words, the energy-saving action determination unit 33 determines that there are obstacles hindering exhaust efficiency if the temperature of the outdoor unit is higher than the ambient temperature of the outdoor unit by a predetermined temperature or more. In this case, the energy-saving action determination unit 33 determines that there is an energy-saving action to be taken, namely removing the obstacle near the exhaust port of the outdoor unit.

[0041] The output unit 34 outputs various information to registered users. More specifically, the output unit 34 transmits various information to each of the registered users' user terminals 3 and instructs each user terminal 3 to output the various information. For example, if the energy-saving action determination unit 33 determines that an energy-saving action has been taken, the output unit 34 transmits a first notification indicating that an energy-saving action has been taken to each of the registered users' user terminals 3 and instructs the user terminals 3 to output the transmitted first notification information.

[0042] Furthermore, if, after transmitting the first notification information, the registered user does not take any energy-saving actions and the air conditioner 1 has been running for a predetermined time, the output unit 34 transmits a second notification information to the user terminal 3, which provides hints on specific energy-saving actions, and also instructs the user terminal 3 to output the transmitted second notification information.

[0043] In other words, if the output unit 34 transmits only the first notification information to the user terminal 3, the registered user may not be able to determine what specific actions they should take as energy-saving measures and may be unable to take any energy-saving measures. Therefore, the output unit 34 can provide the registered user with hints on energy-saving measures by further transmitting the second notification information to the user terminal 3.

[0044] The execution determination unit 35 determines whether or not an energy-saving action has been performed by a registered user. Specifically, the execution determination unit 35 determines whether or not an energy-saving action has been performed by a registered user based on the operating status of the air conditioner 1 after the transmission of the first notification information by the output unit 34 or after the transmission of the second notification information.

[0045] For example, if a registered user changes the set temperature of the air conditioner 1 as an energy-saving action, the execution determination unit 35 checks whether the set temperature has been changed after the transmission of the first or second notification information, based on the operating status information 42. If the execution determination unit 35 confirms that the set temperature has been changed, it determines that the energy-saving action has been performed by one of the registered users. The registered user who performs the energy-saving action is referred to as the executing user.

[0046] The granting unit 36 ​​grants benefits to the executing user. Specifically, if the execution determination unit 35 determines that an energy-saving action has been performed by a registered user, the granting unit 36 ​​identifies the executing user who performed the energy-saving action from among the registered users and grants points to the user terminal 3 owned by this executing user. The granting unit 36 ​​then adds the points from the benefit information associated with the user terminal ID of the executing user's user terminal 3 in the user information 44 stored in the storage unit 22.

[0047] The generation unit 37 refers to the user information 44 stored in the storage unit 22 and generates evaluation information 45 indicating the evaluation of registered users based on the benefit information contained in the user information 44. The evaluation information 45 generated by the generation unit 37 may include, for example, individual evaluation information indicating the evaluation of each registered user, or ranking information showing the ranking of the evaluations of all registered users.

[0048] Personal evaluation information can be information showing the cumulative points awarded to each registered user within a specified period. Ranking information can be information ranking all registered users based on the cumulative points awarded to each user within a specified period.

[0049] (Reward Granting Process) Next, an example of the reward granting process in the energy-saving behavior promotion system 100 having the above-described configuration will be explained with reference to Figures 6 to 8. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the reward granting process implemented in the energy-saving behavior promotion system 100 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. Figures 7 and 8 show an example of the display on the user terminal 3 provided in the energy-saving behavior promotion system 100 according to the embodiment of this disclosure.

[0050] First, in step S1, the management server 2 determines whether or not there are any energy-saving actions in the air conditioner 1 while it is in operation. Specifically, the management server 2's operating status information acquisition unit 31 sequentially acquires operating status information 42 from the air conditioner 1. In addition, the environmental information acquisition unit 32 sequentially acquires environmental information 43 of the surrounding environment in which the air conditioner 1 is installed from the air conditioner 1 or an external server, etc. Then, the management server 2's energy-saving action determination unit 33 determines whether or not there are any energy-saving actions in relation to the air conditioner 1 based on the operating status information 42, or based on the operating status information 42 and the environmental information 43.

[0051] If the energy-saving action determination unit 33 determines that an energy-saving action has been taken, that is, if the answer in step S1 is "Yes", the process proceeds to step S2. In step S2, the output unit 34 transmits first notification information indicating that an energy-saving action has been taken to each of the user terminals 3 of all registered users.

[0052] When the user terminal 3 receives the first notification information, it displays characters indicating the content of the first notification information on the display input unit 11, for example, as shown in Figure 7. Specifically, the display input unit 11 of the user terminal 3 displays the current operating mode of the air conditioner 1 and the set temperature and humidity information. Below the display of the temperature and humidity information, the display input unit 11 displays characters indicating that there is an energy-saving action available.

[0053] Furthermore, the output method of the first notification information on the user terminal 3 is not limited to text display as shown in Figure 7. For example, it may be a method of lighting up a lamp or other device provided on the user terminal 3, or it may be a method of providing notification by voice from a speaker provided on the user terminal 3.

[0054] Next, in step S3, the execution determination unit 35 determines whether or not an energy-saving action was performed by the registered user after the transmission of the first notification information. That is, the execution determination unit 35 determines whether or not an energy-saving action was performed by the registered user based on the operating status information of the air conditioner 1 after the transmission of the first notification information by the output unit 34.

[0055] If the execution determination unit 35 determines that an energy-saving action has been performed, that is, if the result in step S3 is "Yes", then in the following step S4, the awarding unit 36 ​​awards points to the user who performed the energy-saving action. The awarding unit 36 ​​then updates the reward information stored in the user information 44, which is associated with the user terminal 3 of the user who performed the action, by adding the newly awarded points.

[0056] The points awarded here are given to registered users for performing energy-saving actions based on the first notification information received by user terminal 3.

[0057] On the other hand, if the result in step S1 is "No," that is, if the energy-saving action determination unit 33 determines that there is no energy-saving action, then in step S5, the output unit 34 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed during the operation of the air conditioner 1 during which no first notification information has been transmitted to the user terminal 3.

[0058] In other words, a timing unit (not shown) measures time starting from the time the air conditioner 1 starts operating or from the time the first notification information was transmitted last time. Then, while the timing unit measures the elapsed time, the output unit 34 determines whether the first notification information has not been transmitted. This predetermined time may be half a day, several hours, or any other amount.

[0059] By the way, in step S1, if it is determined that there are no energy-saving actions in the air conditioner 1 while it is running, it is thought that the registered user has already operated the air conditioner 1 in energy-saving mode.

[0060] Therefore, the output unit 34 determines whether or not to transmit the first notification information while the air conditioner 1 is in operation. As long as it determines that there is no transmission of the first notification information and a predetermined time has elapsed, that is, as long as it determines "No" in step S5, it returns to step S1 and repeats the process of determining whether or not to take energy-saving action.

[0061] On the other hand, if a predetermined time has elapsed during which the output unit 34 has determined that no first notification information has been transmitted, that is, if the result in step S5 is "Yes", the process proceeds to step S4, and the awarding unit 36 ​​awards points corresponding to energy-saving actions to all registered users. The awarding unit 36 ​​then updates the reward information stored in the user information 44, which is associated with each user terminal 3 of all registered users, by adding the newly awarded points.

[0062] The points awarded here are given to registered users who have operated the air conditioner 1 in energy-saving mode for a predetermined period of time without receiving the first notification information on the user terminal 3.

[0063] Furthermore, if the result is "No" in step S3 of the benefit granting process shown in Figure 6, that is, if the execution determination unit 35 determines that no energy-saving action has been performed by the registered user after the transmission of the first notification information, the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, the output unit 34 determines whether a predetermined operating time has elapsed since the transmission of the first notification information.

[0064] In other words, the management server 2 uses the timing when the output unit 34 transmits the first notification information to the user terminal 3 as a trigger to measure the passage of time using a timing unit (not shown). The output unit 34 then determines, based on the measurement results of the timing unit, whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the transmission of the first notification information. The predetermined time in step S6 may be, for example, a few minutes or several tens of minutes since the transmission of the first notification information in step S2, and is arbitrary.

[0065] Then, as long as the result in step S6 is "No", the process returns to step S3 and repeats the process of determining whether or not to perform energy-saving actions.

[0066] If a predetermined time has elapsed since the transmission of the first notification information, that is, if the answer in step S6 is "Yes", the process proceeds to step S7. In step S7, the output unit 34 transmits a second notification information, which provides hints about specific energy-saving actions, to each of the user terminals 3 of all registered users.

[0067] When user terminal 3 receives the second notification information, it displays characters indicating the content of the second notification information on the display input unit 11, for example, as shown in Figure 8. Specifically, the display input unit 11 of user terminal 3 displays the current operating mode of the air conditioner 1 and the set temperature and humidity information. Below the display of temperature and humidity information, the display input unit 11 displays characters indicating information that serves as a hint for energy-saving actions.

[0068] In the example shown in Figure 8, a message indicating that the outside temperature is dropping is displayed as a hint for energy-saving actions. From this display, registered users can realize that they can take energy-saving action by changing the currently set temperature from, for example, 23 degrees to 24 degrees, raising the temperature by 1 degree.

[0069] Furthermore, the method of outputting information that provides hints for energy-saving actions is not limited to the display shown in Figure 8; for example, it may also be provided as voice notification from a speaker installed on the user terminal 3.

[0070] Furthermore, the information that provides hints for energy-saving actions could also include more specific examples of energy-saving behaviors, such as, "The outside temperature has dropped, so you can raise the set temperature by 1 degree."

[0071] Next, in step S8, the execution determination unit 35 determines whether or not an energy-saving action was performed by the registered user after the transmission of the second notification information. That is, the execution determination unit 35 determines whether or not an energy-saving action was performed by the registered user based on the operating status information of the air conditioner 1 after the transmission of the second notification information by the output unit 34.

[0072] If the execution determination unit 35 determines that an energy-saving action has been performed, that is, if the result in step S8 is "Yes", then in step S4, the awarding unit 36 ​​awards points to the user who performed the energy-saving action. The awarding unit 36 ​​then updates the reward information stored in the user information 44, which is associated with the user terminal 3 of the user who performed the action, by adding the newly awarded points.

[0073] The points awarded here are given to registered users for performing energy-saving actions based on the second notification information received by user terminal 3.

[0074] On the other hand, if the answer in step S8 is "No," that is, if the execution determination unit 35 determines that no energy-saving action has been performed by the registered user after the transmission of the second notification information, the process proceeds to step S9, where the output unit 34 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the transmission of the second notification information.

[0075] In other words, the management server 2 uses the timing when the output unit 34 transmits the second notification information to the user terminal 3 as a trigger to measure the passage of time using a timing unit (not shown). The output unit 34 then determines, based on the measurement results of the timing unit, whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the transmission of the second notification information. This predetermined time can be several minutes or several tens of minutes, and is arbitrary.

[0076] Then, as long as the result in step S9 is "No", the process returns to step S8 and repeats the process of determining whether or not to perform energy-saving actions.

[0077] If a predetermined time has elapsed since the transmission of the second notification information, i.e., if the answer is "Yes" in step S9, the reward granting process will be terminated.

[0078] Furthermore, in the management server 2, if the execution determination unit 35 determines in steps S3 and S8 that an energy-saving action has been performed, the output unit 34 is configured to output energy-saving action execution information indicating that the energy-saving action has been performed to each user terminal 3 of each registered user, excluding the user who performed the action. This configuration allows each registered user other than the user who performed the action to be aware that another registered user has performed an energy-saving action.

[0079] By the way, the awarding of points by the awarding unit 36 ​​in step S4 described above is performed at one of the following timings: when "Yes" is determined in step S5, when "Yes" is determined in step S3, or when "Yes" is determined in step S8. In other words, it is performed at one of the following timings: the first timing before the first notification information is notified to the registered user, the second timing after the first notification information is notified but before the second notification information is notified, and the third timing after the second notification information is notified.

[0080] In the energy-saving action promotion system 100 according to this embodiment, the value of points awarded is determined according to the timing at which energy-saving actions are performed by registered users. Specifically, the points awarded are set to decrease in the order of points awarded at the first timing, the second timing, and the third timing.

[0081] In other words, if the registered user has already operated the air conditioner 1 in energy-saving mode for a predetermined period of time before the first notification information is received by the user terminal 3, the points awarded will be greater than if the registered user performs the energy-saving action after receiving the first notification information by the user terminal 3. Also, if the registered user performs the energy-saving action after the first notification information is received by the user terminal 3, the points awarded will be greater than if the registered user performs the energy-saving action after receiving the second notification information by the user terminal 3.

[0082] As described above, the energy-saving behavior promotion system 100 is configured to award points to all registered users or users who perform energy-saving actions. Therefore, registered users are motivated to perform energy-saving actions. Thus, the energy-saving behavior promotion system 100 according to this embodiment can promote the performance of energy-saving actions by users.

[0083] Furthermore, in the energy-saving behavior promotion system 100, the value of points awarded to the user differs depending on the timing of the energy-saving action, as described above. Therefore, the energy-saving behavior promotion system 100 can guide users to voluntarily perform energy-saving actions.

[0084] Furthermore, as described above, when the energy-saving behavior promotion system 100 awards points to a registered user, the generation unit 37 generates evaluation information 45, and the output unit 34 notifies the registered user of the generated evaluation information 45.

[0085] (Processing of notification of evaluation information) In the following, the notification process of evaluation information in the energy-saving behavior promotion system 100 will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Figures 9 and 10 show examples of evaluation information 45 displayed in the user terminal 3 according to the embodiment of this disclosure.

[0086] First, it is assumed that users A through C are registered users who will be using the air conditioner 1. Under these assumptions, the generation unit 37 generates evaluation information 45 for each registered user by referring to the benefit information contained in the user information 44 stored in the storage unit 22.

[0087] Specifically, the generation unit 37 generates individual evaluation information 45, which shows the evaluations of each user from A to C. The generation unit 37 also generates ranking information, which ranks the evaluations of users A to C by referring to the reward information.

[0088] Then, the output unit 34 notifies users A to C of the evaluation information 45 generated by the generation unit 37 at a predetermined timing. That is, the output unit 34 transmits the evaluation information 45 to each of the user terminals 3a to 3c of users A to C.

[0089] When each of the user terminals 3a to 3c receives evaluation information 45 from the management server 2, it displays, for example, the information shown in Figure 9 or Figure 10. That is, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the display input section 11 of user terminal 3 displays selection buttons for "Evaluation," "Ranking," "Reward," and "Mission."

[0090] When a registered user touches the "Rating" selection button, their personal rating information is displayed, as shown in Figure 9. This personal rating information includes the points earned by the energy-saving actions performed by the registered user in this instance, as well as the cumulative points earned over a specified period.

[0091] Furthermore, each of the user terminals 3a to 3c is configured to display a character in the central part of the display input unit 11 according to the value of the points earned by the user. In the example shown in Figure 9, the character is displayed in a way that is linked to the evaluation, such as a smiling character if the points earned this time are above the average points earned, and a crying character if the points earned are below the average points earned. The average points earned may be, for example, the value of the points awarded at the second timing described above, or the median value between the maximum and minimum values ​​of points awarded in a single instance.

[0092] Furthermore, when a registered user touches the "Ranking" selection button, ranking information is displayed as shown in Figure 10. The ranking information ranks users A, B, and C according to the number of points they have earned over a predetermined period. For example, in the example shown in Figure 10, the ranking order from top to bottom is user B, user C, and user A. In this ranking information display as well, a character is displayed in the center of the display input section 11. The character is displayed in conjunction with the registered user's ranking; for example, a smiling character appears when the registered user is ranked first, and a crying character appears when they are ranked last.

[0093] Additionally, when a registered user touches the "Reward" selection button, information showing the relationship between energy-saving actions and the points earned for performing those actions is displayed. When they touch the "Mission" selection button, the content of the tasks to be accomplished through performing energy-saving actions is displayed.

[0094] As described above, the energy-saving behavior promotion system 100 outputs evaluation information 45 generated by the generation unit 37 of the management server 2 to each of the user terminals 3a to 3c via the output unit 34. Each of the user terminals 3a to 3c is configured to display the evaluation information 45 received from the management server 2. As a result, users A to C can each understand the value of the points they have earned by performing energy-saving actions, as well as their ranking among registered users regarding the performance of energy-saving actions. Therefore, the energy-saving behavior promotion system 100 can promote energy-saving actions by users A to C. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0095] 1. Air conditioner 2 Management Server 3. User terminals 3a User terminal 3b User terminal 3c User terminal 11 Display Input Section 12 Operation buttons 21 Control Unit 22 Memory section 31. Unit for acquiring operating status information 32 Environmental Information Acquisition Department 33 Energy-saving behavior determination unit 34 Output section 35 Execution Determination Unit 36 Granting section 37 Generation part 41 Energy-saving behavior determination unit 41 Device information 42. Operating Status Information 43 Environmental information 44 User Information 45 Evaluation Information 100 Energy-Saving Action Promotion System

Claims

1. A management server that is communicatively connected to an air conditioner, A storage unit that stores user information of registered users who are registered to use the aforementioned air conditioner, During operation of the air conditioner, an energy-saving action determination unit determines whether there is an energy-saving action that the user can take that would result in the air conditioner operating in a way that reduces energy consumption compared to the current operation of the air conditioner. If the energy-saving action determination unit determines that the energy-saving action exists, the output unit outputs notification information indicating that the energy-saving action exists, An execution determination unit that determines whether or not the energy-saving action has been performed based on the operating status of the air conditioner, The execution determination unit determines that the energy-saving action has been performed, and the granting unit identifies the user who performed the energy-saving action from among the registered users and grants a benefit to the user who performed the action. The aforementioned notification information does not include information indicating the specific details of the energy-saving actions. Management server.

2. The management server according to claim 1, wherein if a predetermined period of time elapses during the operation of the air conditioner during which the output unit does not output the notification information, the granting unit grants benefits to all registered users.

3. The management server according to claim 1 or 2, wherein if the execution determination unit determines that the energy-saving action has been performed, the output unit outputs energy-saving action execution information indicating that the energy-saving action has been performed to the registered users, excluding the user who performed the action.

4. The user information includes benefit information showing the history of the benefits granted to each of the registered users. The system includes a generation unit that generates evaluation information indicating the evaluation of the registered user based on the benefit information contained in the user information, The management server according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the output unit outputs the evaluation information generated by the generation unit to the registered user.

5. The generation unit generates ranking information, which ranks the evaluations of all registered users based on the benefit information included in the user information, as evaluation information. The management server according to claim 4, wherein the output unit outputs the ranking information generated by the generation unit to all registered users.

6. The generation unit generates personal evaluation information, which shows the evaluation of each registered user, based on the benefit information included in the user information, as evaluation information. The management server according to claim 4, wherein the output unit outputs the personal evaluation information for each of the registered users generated by the generation unit to each of the registered users.

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