Office environment control system, office environment control method, and program

Abstract

This office environment control system comprises: a number-of-persons management unit (310) that counts and manages the number of persons in an office (99); a work-area-table management unit (330) that sets a plurality of work area candidates (98) in the office (99) and manages a work area table including one or more series of each of the set work area candidates (98), an environment device, the number of seats, and the order of use; an input / output unit (320) that receives an operation input; a work area determination unit (340) that determines the work area (98) to be used from among the work area candidates (98) on the basis of the counted number of persons in the office, the work area table, and the operation input; and an environment control unit (350) that controls the environment of the determined work area (98) to a first environment and controls an environment outside the work area (98) to a second environment where power consumption is lower than that of the first environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an office environment control system, an office environment control method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Recently, from the perspective of the liberalization of work styles, a way of working at a free address has been proposed. In such a way of working, each user can select their favorite area and perform their work. Patent Document 1 discloses a facility control system for a free-address office for facility control related to such a way of working at a free address.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the conventional way of working at a free address, the control of the environment in the office may not be appropriate.

[0005] In view of the above, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an office environment control system or the like that can more appropriately control the environment.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An office environment control system according to one aspect of this disclosure includes: a personnel management unit that counts and manages the number of people in an office; a work area table management unit that sets a plurality of candidate work areas within the office and manages a work area table consisting of one or more series of relationships between each of the set candidate work areas and environmental equipment in the office, the number of seats in each of the set candidate work areas, and the order of use of each of the set candidate work areas; an input / output unit that accepts input for selecting a system operation mode and a work area density; a work area determination unit that determines which work area to be used from among the candidate work areas based on the counted number of people in the office, the work area table, and the system operation mode and work area density selected by the input; and an environment control unit that controls the environment of the determined work area to become a predetermined first environment, and controls the environment outside the work area to become a predetermined second environment which has lower power consumption than the first environment.

[0007] Furthermore, an office environment control method according to one aspect of this disclosure counts and manages the number of people in an office, sets up multiple candidate work areas within the office, manages a work area table consisting of the relationship between each of the set candidate work areas and the environmental equipment in the office, the number of seats in each of the set candidate work areas, and one or more sequences of usage order for each of the set candidate work areas, accepts operational input for selecting a system operation mode and work area density, determines which work area to be used from among the candidate work areas based on the counted number of people in the office, the work area table, and the system operation mode and work area density selected by the operational input, controls the environment of the determined work area to become a predetermined first environment, and controls the environment outside the work area to become a predetermined second environment which has lower power consumption than the first environment.

[0008] Furthermore, one aspect of this disclosure can be implemented as a program that causes a computer to execute the above-mentioned office environment control method. Alternatively, it can be implemented as a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium that stores the program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, the environment can be controlled more effectively. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of an office to which the office environment control system according to the embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the work area in an office according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the work area in an office according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the work area in an office according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an office environment control system according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of a work area table according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the office environment control system according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of an office to which the office environment control system according to another embodiment is applied. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating a work area in an office according to another embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating a work area in an office according to another embodiment. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a work area in an office according to another example of the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a work area table according to another example of the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an input / output screen according to another example of the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of an input / output screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the daily operation of an office environment control system according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a layout diagram of the work area and the area outside the work area in each work area pattern corresponding to FIG. 15. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a work area pattern according to the order of using the work area according to the embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a work area pattern according to the order of using the work area according to the embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a work area pattern according to the order of using the work area according to the embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a work area pattern according to the order of using the work area according to the embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the relationship between the work area pattern series according to the embodiment and the work area pattern. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing the relationship between the work area pattern according to the embodiment and the power consumption of the environmental equipment per unit time. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing the average power consumption per unit time for each work area pattern series according to the embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the location of the work area according to the embodiment. [Figure 25]Figure 25 is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of power consumed by environmental equipment per unit time, weather information, and seasonal information for a section according to the embodiment. [Figure 26] Figure 26 is a diagram showing the average power consumption under certain conditions according to the embodiment. [Figure 27] Figure 27 shows the average power consumption under certain conditions according to the embodiment. [Figure 28] Figure 28 shows an example of the display screen of an operation input device according to an embodiment. [Figure 29] Figure 29 shows an example of the actual operating time of a lighting device according to the embodiment. [Figure 30] Figure 30 shows an example of the operating time of an air conditioning system according to the embodiment. [Figure 31] Figure 31 is a diagram illustrating the work area in an office according to an embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] In the following, an office environment control system, etc., according to an embodiment of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all specific examples of this disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement and connection configurations of components, steps, and the order of steps shown in the following embodiments are examples only and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Accordingly, any components among the components of the following embodiments that are not described in an independent claim will be described as optional components.

[0012] Furthermore, each figure is a schematic diagram and not necessarily a strictly accurate representation. Therefore, for example, the scale may not necessarily match in each figure. Also, in each figure, substantially identical components are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0013] (Embodiment) [overview] In the embodiment described below, in a free-address office, the office is divided into multiple potential work areas, and the number and arrangement of work areas to be used are determined according to the number of people in the office. In this case, the areas determined to be work areas are controlled to a first environment suitable for work, and the other areas are controlled to a second environment that consumes less energy (or electricity) than the first environment. This example describes how to save energy throughout the office while maintaining the satisfaction of workers (also called users or employees) with the work environment.

[0014] The following provides a more detailed overview. As mentioned in the background technology section, office usage patterns have shifted from fixed desks to free-address systems, and with the spread of Activity-Based Working (ABW) and remote work due to COVID-19, the number of people working in the office is increasingly fluctuating daily. On the other hand, even when the number of people in the office is small, all the office lights are turned on to maintain user comfort, and air conditioning is applied uniformly throughout the office, resulting in an increase in energy consumption per person in the office. From the perspective of combating global warming, it is necessary to reduce energy consumption derived from fossil fuels, so the above situation is inappropriate.

[0015] Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, energy conservation has been achieved by determining work areas according to the number of people in the office, gathering workers in the designated work areas, operating the equipment in the work areas, and stopping the operation of equipment in other areas. On the other hand, with such measures, since equipment outside the work areas is stopped, the atmosphere of the office deteriorates, reducing workers' satisfaction with the work environment, and although power consumption can be reduced, there is a risk of reducing the productivity of the workers.

[0016] In other words, implementing conventional control methods can lead to problems such as insufficient safe brightness outside the work area, a dark office environment that diminishes motivation to work, or discomfort when crossing between work and non-work areas due to temperature differences.

[0017] Therefore, this disclosure aims to reduce energy consumption for maintaining the environment throughout the office without compromising employee productivity. This is achieved by setting up work areas within the office that are sized according to the number of people in the office, providing a suitable environment for work (lighting, air conditioning) within these areas, and reducing the energy required to maintain the environment in other areas, while taking into consideration the safety and comfort of the employees. Furthermore, it also mentions managing the usage history of environmental equipment (lighting equipment, air conditioning equipment, etc.) within the office to reduce imbalances in usage, thereby enabling the environmental equipment to be used continuously until its appropriate lifespan.

[0018] [Example 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of an office to which the office environment control system according to the embodiment is applied. In Figure 1, a floor plan of an office 99 is shown as an example of an office to which the system is applied. In Figure 1, multiple pieces of furniture 97 are arranged in the office 99, and it is shown that some of the furniture 97 belong to a candidate work area 98.

[0019] As described above, the present invention achieves energy-saving effects when applied to a free-address office where the number of people in the office 99 is managed and there are no fixed seats. The entrance to this office 99 is equipped with an entry card reader 96 and an exit card reader 95 for security management, allowing the number of people in the office to be tracked. Multiple pieces of furniture 97 for work are arranged inside the office, and it is a free-address system where employees can choose any seat. Furthermore, candidate work areas 98 for use in controlling environmental equipment are set based on the arrangement of the furniture 97. Note that once a candidate work area 98 is selected for use, it becomes a work area and may therefore be referred to as work area 98.

[0020] Figures 2 to 4 are diagrams illustrating the work areas in an office according to an embodiment. In Figure 2, the furniture 97 is omitted from the floor plan in Figure 1, and instead, reference numerals 1 to 12 are used to identify each candidate work area 98. For example, candidate work area 1 is also candidate work area 98.

[0021] In this embodiment, the candidate work area 98 does not refer to an area physically enclosed by walls or partitions, but rather to a conceptual location within the office 99 that is controlled to create an environment suitable for work. Here, Figure 3 shows the relationship between the candidate work area 98 and the lighting equipment L (see Figure 5 below), and Figure 4 shows the relationship between the candidate work area 98 and the air conditioning equipment AC (see Figure 5 below). In Figure 3, the illustration of furniture 97 is omitted from the floor plan in Figure 1, and instead, the relationship between each candidate work area 98 and the lighting equipment L1 to L24 is shown. Similarly, in Figure 4, the illustration of furniture 97 is omitted from the floor plan in Figure 1, and instead, the relationship between each candidate work area 98 and the air conditioning equipment AC1 and AC2 is shown.

[0022] In this embodiment, a candidate work area 98 is selected (determined) as the work area 98 to be used according to the number of people in the room. The selected work area 98 is controlled to be a first environment suitable for work, while the unselected candidate work area 98 is controlled to be a second environment with lower power consumption than the first environment, thereby achieving energy savings. In this case, although the second environment has lower power consumption than the first environment, it does not consume no power at all. Specifically, in the second environment, environmental equipment is controlled while consuming the minimum necessary power while taking into consideration the safety and comfort of the workers.

[0023] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an office environment control system according to an embodiment. The main components of the office environment control system described below are a control unit 300 and various devices for inputting and outputting information to and from the control unit 300. The control unit 300 is implemented by an information processing server, such as a cloud server, and is comprised of a processor, memory, and application programs executed by these. The control unit 300 includes a personnel management unit 310, an input / output unit 320, a work area table management unit 330, a work area determination unit 340, and an environment control unit 350.

[0024] The personnel management unit 310 stores the number of people (hereinafter also simply referred to as "number of people") in the office 99 measured by the external sensor 391. When the number of people increases, it calculates the maximum number of people, and when the number of people decreases, it determines the decrease in the number of people and calculates a representative value of the number of people at the time of the decrease. It then sends control personnel information according to the system's operating mode to the work area determination unit 340. In this embodiment, the entry card reader 96 and exit card reader 95 installed at the entrance and exit for security management are used as external sensors 391 to measure the number of people, but other sensing means for measuring the number of people may also be used. Examples of other measurement means include a pass-through person sensor installed at the entrance and exit, a sensor that detects radio signals from a mobile phone or beacon, and a camera for measuring the number of people in the room. The relationship between the three types of system operating modes and the control personnel information at those times is shown below. The person status measurement unit 311 and the presence / absence determination unit 312 will be described later. In this embodiment, the person status measurement unit 311 and the presence / absence determination unit 312 are not essential configurations.

[0025] (1) Work Area Expansion Mode: When the number of people increases, only the work area expansion process is performed, and when the number of people decreases, the state of the work area remains unchanged. In this case, the number of people used for control is the maximum number of people from the start to the end of the control period for the day. In other words, the maximum number of people is reset each day.

[0026] (2) Work area expansion and contraction mode: When the number of people increases, the work area is expanded; when the number of people decreases, the work area is contracted. In this case, the number of people used for control is the maximum number of people from the start of control for the day when the number of people increases, and a representative value within the interval in which the decrease continues for a certain period of time when the number of people decreases. As a representative value, for example, the average number of people within the decrease interval or the number of people at the end of the decrease interval can be used.

[0027] (3) Expansion and Reduction Mode of Work Area at Scheduled Times: When the number of people increases, the work area is expanded, and when the number of people decreases, the work area is reduced only if the conditions are met at a predetermined time. The number of people used for control is the maximum number of people from the start of control for the day when the number of people increases, and when the number of people decreases, it is the representative value of the number of people in the interval at a predetermined time, only if the decrease in the number of people continues for a certain period of time. As a representative value, for example, the average number of people in the decrease interval or the number of people at the end of the decrease interval may be used.

[0028] The Office Area Table Management Unit 330 manages the office area tables. For each candidate office area 98, the office area table includes multiple series showing the relationship between the lighting equipment L and air conditioning equipment AC belonging to each candidate office area 98, the number of seats in each office area, and the order of use of the office areas according to density level.

[0029] Figure 6 shows an example of a work area table according to the embodiment. The density level indicates whether, at a given point in time, when expanding the work area 98 to be used (i.e., increasing the number of work areas 98), the candidate work area 98 should be selected from those that are close to the work area 98 already in use, or from those that are farther away from the work area 98 already in use. When selecting a work area 98 that is close, a usage order with a high density level ("high density") should be selected, and when selecting from work areas 98 that are far apart, a usage order with a low density level ("low density") should be selected.

[0030] When there is a lot of group work that requires communication with other workers, a high density level is selected. When there are many workers who want to concentrate on solo work without being aware of the presence of other workers, a low density level is selected, allowing for the creation of an environment suited to the nature of the work. This improves the efficiency of work. The work area table is pre-configured by the system administrator, but it can be modified as needed based on changes in the arrangement of furniture 97 or user preferences regarding the order in which work areas are used for each density level.

[0031] The input / output unit 320 includes an operation interface unit 321 and a control effect presentation unit 322. The operation interface unit 321 receives input from the operation input device 392 of the system's operating mode and user requests for density levels, which are necessary when the work area determination unit 340 determines the order of use of work areas. The control effect presentation unit 322 and the display device 393 will be described later. In this embodiment, the control effect presentation unit 322 and the display device 393 are not essential components.

[0032] The work area determination unit 340 first selects one sequence from the sequence of work area usage order based on density levels input from the user, then compares the sum of the number of seats in the candidate work area 98 being used plus the number of available seats with the number of people to be controlled calculated by the person management unit 310, and if it determines that there are insufficient seats according to the operating mode selected by the user, it expands the range of work area 98 to be used up to the range of work area 98 that can accommodate the number of seats according to the selected work area usage order (or increases the number of work area 98), and if there are too many seats, it shrinks the range of work area 98 to be used up to the range of work area that can accommodate the number of people to be controlled according to the selected work area usage order (or decreases the number of work area 98).

[0033] The number of available seats is set in advance to increase user satisfaction by providing ample seating options and expanding the range of choices available to users, as well as to prevent a shortage of workspaces due to errors in headcount or delays in the operation of environmental equipment.

[0034] The environmental control unit 350 controls the environmental equipment so that the work area 98, which has been determined for use by the work area determination unit 340, becomes a first environment suitable for work, and for other areas whose use has not been determined, it controls the environmental equipment so that the power consumption for maintaining the environment is lower than that of the first environment, while taking into consideration the safety and comfort of the workers.Here, lighting equipment L and air conditioning equipment AC are shown as examples of environmental equipment.Lighting equipment L is a concept that encompasses lighting equipment L1 to L24.Air conditioning equipment AC is a concept that encompasses air conditioning equipment AC1 and AC2.

[0035] As described above, the environmental control unit 350 is equipped with the function of controlling not only lighting equipment but also air conditioning equipment. For the work area 98, it controls the lighting equipment and air conditioning equipment to provide a first lighting environment and a first air conditioning environment suitable for work. For other areas whose use has not been determined, it controls the lighting equipment and air conditioning equipment to provide a second lighting environment and a second air conditioning environment that consumes less power to maintain the environment than the first lighting environment and the first air conditioning environment, while taking into consideration the comfort of the workers. Preferred examples of the first lighting environment, first air conditioning environment, second lighting environment, and second air conditioning environment are as follows.

[0036] First lighting environment: Desk surface illuminance of 500 lux.

[0037] First air-conditioned environment: PMV = -0.5 to 0.5. More preferably PMV = 0.

[0038] Second lighting environment: Floor illuminance 150 lux.

[0039] Second air conditioning environment: PMV = 0.5 to 1 in summer, PMV = -1 to -0.5 in winter.

[0040] The first lighting environment is a bright environment suitable for work, and therefore can be easily distinguished by its brightness compared to the slightly dimmer second lighting environment, allowing people entering the room to be guided to the work area 98 illuminated by the first lighting environment. Furthermore, in the second lighting environment, the perceived brightness can be increased by configuring the lighting equipment L to illuminate walls and columns, thereby improving the comfort level of the workers.

[0041] Furthermore, the environmental control unit 350 can reduce the power consumption of the lighting equipment L by dimming both the first and second lighting environments while maintaining a relationship where the illuminance of the first lighting environment is brighter than that of the second lighting environment during times when the office 99 is not used for work, such as during lunch breaks. The environmental equipment power consumption management unit 351 of the environmental control unit 350 will be described later. In this embodiment, the environmental equipment power consumption management unit 351 is not an essential component.

[0042] Next, the operation of the office environment control system configured as described above, that is, the processing flow of the control unit 300, will be explained. Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the office environment control system according to the embodiment.

[0043] First, the system operation mode and the density of the work area are received as input from the operation interface unit 321 of the input / output unit 320 (S101). Next, the external sensor 391 measures the number of people in the office by sensing and outputs the number measurement result. Then, the person management unit 310 acquires the number measurement result output and calculates the number of people for control from the number measurement result (S102). The acquisition of the number measurement result and the calculation of the number of people for control in step S102 is an example of counting and managing the number of people in office 99. At this time, the person management unit 310 performs calculations according to the system operation mode. Next, the work area determination unit 340 determines the work area based on the system operation mode, the density of the work area, the number of people for control, and the work area table (S103). At this time, the work area determination unit 340 reads and uses the work area table managed by the work area table management unit. Next, the environmental control unit 350 controls the environmental equipment so that the determined work area has the first lighting environment and the first air conditioning environment, and the other areas have the second lighting environment and the second air conditioning environment (S104). When the predetermined closing time for the office is reached (Yes in S105), the control for the day is terminated and the lighting and air conditioning are stopped (S106). If it is not yet the closing time for the office (No in S105), steps S102 to S104 are repeated.

[0044] Next, an example of an office 99 with a different layout from Figure 1 is shown. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of an office to which the office environment control system according to another embodiment is applied. Similar to Figures 2 to 4, the reference numeral for identifying the candidate work area 98 in this other example is shown in Figure 9, the relationship between the candidate work area 98 and the lighting equipment L is shown in Figure 10, and the relationship between the candidate work area 98 and the air conditioning equipment AC is shown in Figure 11. In this other example, the arrangement of furniture 97 is different from the example shown in Figure 1, but even with such a furniture arrangement, a work area table can be created as shown in Figure 12, and it can be controlled by this system. As shown in Figure 12, by using the work area table, work areas can be set to any size and position, thereby accommodating any furniture arrangement.

[0045] For example, an information processing terminal such as a tablet PC can be used as an input device. An example of an input / output screen is shown in Figure 13. Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of an input / output screen according to another embodiment. The input / output screen shown in the figure accepts input of the system operation mode and the density of the work area, and also shows the location of the currently determined work area, thereby making the location of the work area easy for the user to understand.

[0046] [Example 2] Next, we will describe Embodiment 2. The office 99 in this embodiment is the same as that shown in Figure 8. The functional configuration of the office environment control system in this embodiment is the same as that shown in Figure 5. The environment control unit 350 in this embodiment has an environmental equipment power consumption management unit 351. The environmental equipment power consumption management unit 351 manages the operating time and power consumption of each environmental equipment connected to this system. The input / output unit 320 in this embodiment has a control effect presentation unit 322. The control effect presentation unit 322 displays the power consumption and power reduction during operation on the display device 393. By presenting the power consumption and power reduction during operation to the user, user convenience can be improved. By using the power consumption per unit time for each work area usage order at each work area density, which is calculated using power consumption data accumulated during operation, the work area determination unit 340 can select a work area usage order with low power consumption, thereby improving the energy saving effect.

[0047] The operation interface unit 321 within the input / output unit 320 receives the system's operating mode, user requests for density levels, and energy-saving operation selection, which are necessary when the work area determination unit 340 determines the order of use of work areas, from the operation input / output screen shown in Figure 14. Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of the input / output screen according to the embodiment.

[0048] The environmental equipment power consumption management unit 351 calculates the power consumption per unit time for each work area pattern used when the system is running, and also calculates the average power consumption for each series of work area patterns arranged in the order of use.

[0049] Figure 15 shows an example of a day's operation of the office environment control system according to this embodiment. This embodiment will be described below using Figure 15. In the operation example shown in Figure 15, it will be explained assuming that the system operation mode is set to "work area expansion and contraction mode" and the density level is set to "low density" by the user. Figure 16 is a layout diagram of the work area and the area outside the work area in each work area pattern corresponding to Figure 15. In Figure 16, the shaded area represents the work area, and the unshaded area represents the area outside the work area. Hereafter, in diagrams showing work area patterns, the shaded area represents the work area, and the unshaded area represents the area outside the work area.

[0050] In the work area table in Figure 12, which corresponds to the office layout shown in Figure 8, there are two work area usage sequences that satisfy the low density requirement: "aa1" and "bb1". However, in this embodiment, the first one is selected by default until operational data is accumulated. That is, "aa1" is selected. The graph in Figure 15 shows the change in the number of people in the office hour by hour throughout the day. Each interval in the figure indicates the period during which the work area pattern selected according to the work area usage sequence remains the same. In other words, in a given interval, the work area pattern remains constant and does not change. Here, the work area pattern refers to the combination of the 98 work areas selected within that interval. The work area pattern is displayed as "P()", with the selected work area number (the code in Figure 15) separated by a comma inside the parentheses. In this embodiment, there are 7 work areas, so the number of work area patterns is 121.

[0051] As shown in the lower part of Figure 15, in sections 1 to 3 where the number of people mainly increases, the number of work areas 98 increases, as in P(13) to P(13,17,18), and in sections 4 to 5 where the number of people mainly decreases, the number of work areas decreases, as in P(13,17) to P(13). Figures 17 to 20 show work area patterns arranged according to the work area usage order in the work area table. Figures 17 to 20 show examples of work area patterns according to the work area usage order according to the embodiment. Note that Figure 17 is a figure corresponding to the example shown in Figure 16. As shown in Figures 17 to 20, depending on the work area usage order, candidate work areas are determined as work areas in different patterns. Here, the work area patterns arranged according to each work area usage order are called work area pattern series. Figure 21 shows a summary of work area pattern series and work area patterns. Figure 21 shows the relationship between work area pattern series and work area patterns according to the embodiment.

[0052] The environmental equipment power consumption management unit 351 measures the duration of each section and the amount of environmental equipment power consumed within each section. It calculates the amount of environmental equipment power consumed per unit time by dividing the amount of environmental equipment power consumed by the duration and relates this to the work area pattern selected for each section. In addition, the operating time for each environmental equipment is accumulated based on the environmental equipment used in each section and the duration of each section. For lighting equipment, in addition to the operating time, a value obtained by multiplying the operating time by the dimming rate is also stored. Hereafter, the value obtained by multiplying the operating time by the dimming rate will be called the effective operating time. Figure 22 shows the relationship between the work area pattern and the amount of environmental equipment power consumed per unit time according to the embodiment.

[0053] Figure 23 shows the average power consumption per unit time for each work area pattern series according to the embodiment. The power consumption of environmental equipment per unit time for each section is averaged over all sections to obtain the average power consumption for the work area pattern series. In this embodiment, since work area pattern series aa1 is selected, the data is stored with a timestamp as the average power consumption for aa1. In this way, as shown in Figure 23, the average power consumption per unit time for each work area pattern series is accumulated for each working day. These accumulated average power consumption per unit time are averaged over the days, and this average value can be used to compare the power consumption status of each work area pattern.

[0054] Power consumption data for each environmental device is obtained by periodically querying each environmental device from the environmental control unit 350. Alternatively, a data table of power consumption per unit time may be maintained in advance for each environmental device, and the power consumption may be calculated from the operating time of each environmental device.

[0055] The work area determination unit 340 compares the number of control personnel calculated from the counted number of people with the number of seats currently selected in the work area 98, which is the sum of the total number of seats and the number of available seats, to determine whether there is a surplus or shortage of seats. Next, based on the operation mode and density level entered in the operation interface unit 321, it selects the work area usage order for the selected work area density from the work area table.

[0056] Next, if energy-saving operation is selected (if there is an energy-saving operation selection), the average power consumption of the work area pattern series corresponding to the work area usage order is referenced, and the work area usage order with the lowest average power consumption is selected to determine the work area. As shown in the input / output screen in Figure 14, if the density level is "low" and energy-saving operation is "selected", then from the work area table shown in Figure 12, aa1 and bb1 are selected as candidate work area usage orders, and the work area usage order with the lower average power consumption among these candidates is determined by referring to Figure 23. If energy-saving operation is not selected (if there is no energy-saving operation selection), aa1 may be selected by default, or aa1 and bb1 may be used alternately.

[0057] The control effect presentation unit 322 within the input / output unit 320 uses the current power consumption data and past time-series power consumption data managed by the environmental equipment power consumption management unit 351 to display all or some of the following to the display device 393: power consumption, power reduction, the time-series progress of power consumption and power reduction, and future forecasts of power consumption and power reduction. This makes it easier for users to recognize the system's effectiveness and enhances convenience. The power reduction may be set based on the amount of power consumed when all environmental equipment is running at full capacity, or based on the previous year's performance. The display device 393 may be a digital signage device installed in Office 99, or it may be displayed on the display module of a personal computer or tablet PC used by users in Office 99.

[0058] Furthermore, the control effect presentation unit 322 may also display the location of the currently determined work area 98 on the display device 393. An example of the display is shown in Figure 24. Figure 24 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the location of the work area according to the embodiment. In the example of the display in Figure 24, the current power consumption and power reduction amount, the actual and predicted time series of power reduction amount, and the currently effective work area are displayed. In the power reduction amount graph, the solid line shows the actual amount and the dashed line shows the predicted amount, and the total power reduction amount for the year can be recognized together using the actual and predicted values.

[0059] [Example 3] Next, we will describe Example 3. In this example, we will describe a configuration that enhances energy saving by predicting the power consumption for each office area usage order based on the predicted daily number of people in the office using the person count data stored in the person count management unit 310, weather forecast data, power consumption during operation, and weather information data stored along with power consumption during operation, and selecting an office area usage order with low predicted power consumption. In this example, as in Example 2, Office 99 is the same as shown in Figure 8.

[0060] In the environmental equipment power consumption management unit 351 within the environmental equipment control unit 350, as shown in Figure 25, the amount of environmental equipment power consumption per unit time for each section, weather information, and seasonal information are stored for each work area pattern used in each section during operation. Weather information refers to information about the weather, such as sunny, cloudy, or rainy, as well as temperature and humidity. Seasonal information is calculated from the calendar at that time, distinguishing between spring, summer, autumn, and winter. In the work area table shown in Figure 9, when low density is selected, Figure 26 shows the average power consumption for each weather information for each work area pattern when work area usage order aa1, and Figure 27 shows the average power consumption for each weather information for each work area pattern when work area usage order bb1. Here, weather (sunny, cloudy, or rainy) is used as the weather information.

[0061] In addition to the description of Example 2 above, the personnel management unit 310 uses the accumulated time-series personnel data and the calendar and event schedule information for the working days to predict the number of people in the office over time on the day the system is in operation. Based on this predicted time-series number of people in the office and the selection results of the system operation mode, office area density, and energy-saving operation entered by the user, it selects candidates for the order in which the office area will be used. Let's assume that the system operation mode is set to "expand / shrink mode", the office area density is set to "low density", and the energy-saving operation is set to "on". As shown in Figure 15, the sections and office area patterns can be predicted from this information, just as in actual operation. In the case of low density, there are two possible office area usage orders, aa1 and bb1, so the office area patterns are predicted for each, as follows.

[0062] (1)aa1:P(13)→P(13,17)→P(13,17,18)→P(13,17)→P(13)

[0063] (2)bb1:P(19)→P(15,19)→P(14,15,19)→P(15,19)→P(19)

[0064] According to the weather forecast, the weather for each section is predicted as follows:

[0065] Section 1: Sunny, Section 2: Cloudy, Section 3: Rainy, Section 4: Cloudy, Section 5: Sunny

[0066] From Figures 26 and 27, we extract the average power consumption corresponding to the weather forecast for each section, and when we total the average power consumption, we get the following:

[0067] Wtotal(aa1) = W_P(13)(Sunny)+W_P(13,17)(Cloudy)+W_P(13,17,18)(Rainy)+W_P(13,17)(Cloudy)+W_P(13)(Sunny)

[0068] Wtotal(bb1) = W_P(19)(Sunny) + W_P(15,19)(Cloudy) + W_P(14,15,19)(Rainy) + W_P(15,19)(Cloudy) + W_P(19)(Sunny)

[0069] In the work area determination unit, the average power consumption Wtotal(aa1) and Wtotal(bb1) of two work area usage sequences, aggregated from the prediction results, are compared, and the one with the lower average power consumption is selected. By determining the work area to be used in this way, power consumption can be reduced in response to changes in weather. In this example, seasonal information is not used, but when storing average power consumption data corresponding to each weather event for each work area pattern shown in Figures 26 and 27, adding seasonal information to the classification would allow for even more appropriate prediction of the work area usage sequence using the same seasonal information during the day's prediction, thereby improving the effectiveness of power consumption reduction.

[0070] [Example 4] Next, we will describe Embodiment 4. In this embodiment, as in Embodiment 1, the person status measurement unit 311 within the person management unit 310 determines whether an employee is in a state of concentration based on person status data from an externally connected sensor 391, and uses the determination result during the work area reduction process. For this purpose, the sensor 391 and the determination of whether the subject is in a state of concentration can be, for example, by using a camera as the sensor 391 and determining whether the subject in the captured image is in a state of concentration by image analysis, but any other existing technology may be applied. Thus, the sensor 391 has sensing functions in addition to the function of sensing the number of people in the office. In other words, the sensor 391 is a concept that encompasses multiple detectors, each having several sensing functions. To put it another way, one detector included in the sensor 391 is used to sense the number of people in the office, and another detector included in the sensor 391 is used to sense the state of people.

[0071] In this embodiment, when reducing the size of the work area 98 (by excluding a portion of the work area 98 at that time so that it is not included in subsequent work areas 98), the state of the people in the work area 98 to be reduced is measured, and if the state of the people working is measured as concentrated, the work area reduction process is suspended to minimize the impact on the workers' work. On the other hand, if it is determined that the state has returned from concentrated to normal while the reduction process is suspended, the work area reduction process is carried out.

[0072] The functional configuration of the office environment control system in this embodiment is the same as that shown in Figure 5. The person state measurement unit 311 determines whether a person is in a state of concentration based on information about the person (e.g., an image) input from the sensor 391. When the work area determination unit 340 determines to reduce the work area 98, it queries the person state measurement unit 311 about the state of the people in the work area 98 to be reduced, and if it receives a response that there are people in a state of concentration, it suspends the reduction process. While the reduction process is suspended, it continues to query the person state measurement unit 311 about the state of the people in the work area 98 to be reduced, and after the state changes from a state of concentration to a normal state (a state of not being concentrated), it executes the reduction process. As described above, when a camera is used for the sensor 391, the person state measurement unit 311 can determine the state of concentration from the movements of the person's body and facial expressions.

[0073] [Example 5] Next, we will describe Example 5. In this example, the operation interface unit 321 receives user input from the operation input device 392 for expanding or shrinking the work area, as in Example 1. By receiving user requests while the system is automatically controlling the work area in this way, it is possible to respond to situations where the number of people is not measured correctly due to tailgating, etc., resulting in a higher number of people in the room than the measured value, or when the request for extra seats changes depending on the user's situation while the system is running, thereby improving user convenience. Furthermore, when operating in expansion mode, if the user determines that it is possible to reduce the work area 98, the system can receive input to reduce the work area 98 and perform the reduction process, thereby increasing energy saving effects. In addition, by remembering the frequency of work area expansion inputs and increasing the number of extra seats when the input frequency is higher than a predetermined threshold, the system can operate in a way that matches the user's requests, improving user convenience.

[0074] Figure 28 shows an example of the display screen of the operation input device. As shown in Figure 28, the display screen of the operation input device 392 includes buttons for expanding and shrinking the work area, in addition to input for the operation mode and density level. When the operation interface unit 321 receives a button press for expanding or shrinking the work area, it issues a command to the work area determination unit 340 to expand or shrink. The work area determination unit 340, according to the currently selected work area usage order, increases the usage priority by one and adds the next work area 98 in the usage order if expanding, and invalidates the currently used work area 98 and decreases its usage priority by one if shrinking.

[0075] The frequency of operations to expand the work area is stored for each work area usage order, and the number of available seats can be increased if the frequency is high. When the number of available seats is increased, the change is displayed on the operation input device 392 or the display device 393 to notify the user.

[0076] [Example 6] Next, we will describe Example 6. In this example, if there is a bias in the operating time of the accumulated environmental equipment as in Example 2, the usage order of the work area 98 is selected to reduce the bias in operating time, thereby contributing to the use of the environmental equipment as evenly as possible and extending the lifespan of the environmental equipment in the entire office 99.

[0077] The example of office 99 shown in Figure 8, used in Example 2, will be explained. The user input from the operation interface unit 321 will be explained assuming that the system operation mode "work area expansion and contraction mode", density level "low density", and energy saving operation "off" are selected. If, at the start of the system, the bias in the actual operating time of lighting equipment L and the operating time of air conditioning equipment AC is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the work area determination unit 340 selects a work area usage order in which the candidate work area 98 to which the lighting equipment L or air conditioning equipment AC with less actual operating time belongs has a higher priority in the usage order. Specifically, if the actual operating time of lighting equipment L is as shown in Figure 29 and the operating time of air conditioning equipment AC is as shown in Figure 30, the actual operating times of lighting equipment L22, L23, and L24 are shorter than those of lighting equipment L1, L2, L3, and L4, and the operating time of air conditioning equipment AC2 is shorter than that of air conditioning equipment AC1. Lighting fixtures L1, L2, L3, and L4, as well as air conditioning unit AC1, belong to office area 13, while lighting fixtures L22, L23, and L24, as well as air conditioning unit AC2, belong to office area 19. Therefore, the frequency of use of office area 19 is lower than that of office area 13, and it is determined that the frequency of use of office area 19 should be increased. Referring to the office area table in Figure 12, the density level is set to low, so the order of office area use is aa1 or bb1. Since the order of use of office area 19 is higher than that of office area 13 in bb1, the office area determination unit selects bb1.

[0078] The function in this embodiment that reduces the bias in the use of environmental equipment operates when the energy-saving operation "off" is selected (when no energy-saving operation is selected), and does not operate when it is "on" (when an energy-saving operation is selected).

[0079] [Example 7] Next, we will describe Embodiment 7. In this embodiment, the operation when the system operation mode is either an expansion and contraction mode of the work area 98, or an expansion and predetermined time contraction mode of the work area 98, that is, an operation mode involving a contraction of the work area 98, is different from the examples described above when some work areas 98 are excluded (no longer determined as work areas 98) from the area determined as the number of people in the room decreases. Specifically, in any of the embodiments described above, the work areas 98 shown in the work area table were excluded in order from the lowest-ranking work area 98, but it was not considered whether the decrease in the number of people in the office 99 was due to the departure of the workers using that work area 98.

[0080] Therefore, the reduction of the work area 98 means that the work area 98 may suddenly cease to be a work area 98, regardless of whether workers are currently working there or not. In other words, workers who are working may suddenly be forced to move to a different work area 98 (from the excluded area to an area that is still part of the work area 98), or to end their work altogether.

[0081] Therefore, in this embodiment, the presence / absence determination unit 312 (an example of an absence determination unit) within the personnel management unit 310 determines whether or not an employee is present based on human presence sensing data from an externally connected sensor 391, and uses the determination result when reducing the work area. Specifically, the presence / absence determination unit 312 determines which areas among the areas determined to be work areas 98 are free of employees based on the human presence sensing data. For this purpose, each of the areas (candidate work areas 98) is equipped with a human presence sensor capable of sensing whether or not an employee is present. Figure 31 is a diagram illustrating the work area in an office according to this embodiment. In Figure 31, the furniture 97 is omitted from the floor plan in Figure 1, and instead, the relationship between each candidate work area 98 and the arrangement of human presence sensors S1 to S12 is shown. For example, one human presence sensor S1 to S12 is provided for each of the candidate work areas 98. The motion sensors S1 to S12 (hereinafter referred to simply as motion sensors without distinction) are each one of the sensors 391 used to detect whether a person is present or absent within the candidate work area 98 where they are located.

[0082] All motion sensors only need to detect whether a worker is present or absent in the candidate work area 98; no further information such as the number of workers is required. Therefore, they can be implemented using inexpensive, low-resolution infrared sensors.

[0083] Furthermore, the arrangement of the candidate work areas 98 can be changed as explained in Figure 8. Therefore, instead of placing one motion sensor per candidate work area 98, one motion sensor may be placed per piece of furniture 97. In other words, in the example of office 99 in Figure 1, each of the 12 candidate work areas 98 contains 4 pieces of furniture 97, so 48 motion sensors can be placed somewhere on the furniture 97.

[0084] In this embodiment, the office environment control system operates as follows. First, when the number of people decreases over a certain period of time and the number of people in office 99 reaches a number that allows for the reduction of one work area 98, the presence / absence determination unit 312 determines whether or not there are workers in each work area 98 based on the detection results of the human presence sensors in each work area 98. The presence / absence determination unit 312 then identifies work areas 98 that indicate the absence of workers for a certain period of time or longer, for example, considering temporary absences. The work areas 98 identified here can be said to be work areas 98 that may be excluded from the work area 98 when reducing the work area 98. Therefore, before the work area determination unit 340 refers to the usage order of the work area table, if there are work areas 98 identified as work areas 98 that may be excluded, it excludes the identified work area 98 before the next work area 98 that would be excluded according to the usage order (that is, it makes it less likely to be determined as a work area 98 than other work areas 98). As a result, the identified work area 98 is transformed into a second environment, which helps to reduce the inconvenience of workers moving around while also contributing to energy savings throughout the office.

[0085] Furthermore, if there are multiple work areas 98 that can be excluded, the work areas 98 to be excluded may be determined from among those identified work areas 98 according to the order of use. In addition, work areas 98 that have been excluded in this way without considering the order of use may be recorded as excluded in the work area table. This allows for continued reduction and expansion of work areas 98 according to the order of use on the work area table.

[0086] [Example 8] Next, we will describe Example 8. In this example, similar to Example 7, we will describe the environmental control of the office 99 using a human presence sensor and a presence / absence determination unit 312. Here, we focus not on the first environmental area determined as the work area 98, but on the second environmental area outside the work area 98. This area outside the work area 98 may also be desired by workers who want to do some light work. In such cases, the second environment is not suitable for work, so even light work may not be done efficiently. Therefore, in this example, the presence / absence determination unit 312 (an example of a presence determination unit) determines whether or not a worker is present outside the work area 98 based on human presence sensing data from the second environmental area outside the work area 98, and uses the determination result to process environmental control for securing a temporary work environment.

[0087] As described in Embodiment 7 above, the motion sensors are configured such that at least one motion sensor is provided for each candidate work area 98, regardless of which candidate work area 98 is determined to be the work area 98. Therefore, motion sensing results can be obtained for each candidate work area 98, even in areas outside the work area 98.

[0088] In this embodiment, the office environment control system operates as follows. First, the presence / absence determination unit 312 determines whether or not a worker is present in each work area 98 based on the detection results of the human presence sensors in each work area 98. The presence / absence determination unit 312 then identifies an area outside the work area 98 where a worker has been present for a certain period of time, sufficient to rule out cases such as a worker simply passing through the detection area or a worker only briefly stopping (staying for a short time, not enough to perform work). In the identified area, even though it is the second environment, it is assumed that a worker is performing some kind of work, so the environment control unit 350 controls the environment in this area to the third environment instead of the second environment. The third environment is an environment that consumes more power than the second environment, and the brightness and other factors are ensured to a minimum level that allows work to be performed.

[0089] As an example, as described in Example 1, the first environment has a desk surface illuminance of 500 lux, and the second environment has a desk surface illuminance of 150 lux. In contrast, the third environment has a desk surface illuminance of 300 lux, which is brighter (higher power consumption) than the second environment and darker (lower power consumption) than the first environment. Also, as an example, as described in Example 1, the first environment is controlled as an air-conditioned environment to PMV = -0.5 to 0.5, more preferably PMV = 0, and the second environment is controlled as an air-conditioned environment to PMV = 0.5 to 1 (summer) and PMV = -1 to -0.5 (winter). In contrast, the third environment is controlled as an air-conditioned environment to PMV = -0.5 to 0.5, more preferably PMV = 0, and is more comfortable than the second environment (higher power consumption) and equivalent to the first environment (similar power consumption). However, control in the third environment is almost always temporary, and it is known that it takes time from the start of control until the effect on the air-conditioned environment is actually perceived by the worker. For this reason, the air-conditioned environment in the third environment may be equivalent to that of the second environment.

[0090] Subsequently, after a predetermined time has elapsed (for example, several minutes to several tens of minutes), or when the presence / absence determination unit 312 determines that the worker is absent, the environment control unit 350 returns the environment of this area from the third environment to the second environment. In this way, even if a worker temporarily uses an area outside the work area 98 for work, the environment necessary for that work can be provided, thus realizing an effective office environment control system from the standpoint of worker convenience.

[0091] [Effects, etc.] As described above, the office environment control system according to the first aspect of this embodiment includes a people management unit 310 that counts and manages the number of people in the office 99, a work area table management unit 330 that sets up multiple work area candidates 98 within the office 99 and manages a work area table consisting of one or more series of the relationship between each of the set work area candidates 98 and the environmental equipment in the office 99, the number of seats in each of the set work area candidates 98, and the usage order of each of the set work area candidates 98, and a system operation mode and work area density. The system includes an input / output unit 320 that accepts input for selection, an office area determination unit 340 that determines which office area 98 to be used from among the candidate office areas 98 based on the counted number of people in the office, the office area table, and the system operation mode and office area density selected by the input, and an environment control unit 350 that controls the environment of the determined office area 98 to become a predetermined first environment, and controls the environment outside the office area 98 to become a predetermined second environment which has lower power consumption than the first environment.

[0092] Such an office environment control system can distinguish between areas that are not designated as work areas from among the candidate work areas 98, based on the counted number of occupants, a work area table, and the system operation mode and work area density selected by user input. In areas determined to be work areas 98, the system can control environmental equipment to create a first environment suitable for work, while in areas not designated as work areas 98, it can control environmental equipment to create a second environment with lower power consumption than the first environment. For example, by controlling the environmental equipment in the second environment to the minimum necessary power consumption while considering the safety and comfort of the workers, energy savings can be achieved throughout the office by reducing power consumption while maintaining worker productivity.

[0093] Furthermore, for example, the office environment control system according to the second embodiment is the office environment control system according to the first embodiment, wherein the work area table allows for the setting of a sequence of usage order of work areas 98 corresponding to the density of work areas.

[0094] According to this, when determining the work area 98, it is possible to determine which work area 98 will be used in accordance with the set order of use for the work areas 98.

[0095] Furthermore, for example, the office environment control system according to the third embodiment is an office environment control system according to the first or second embodiment, wherein the environment control unit 350 reduces the power consumption of the first and second environments while maintaining a relationship in which the power consumption of the second environment is less than the power consumption of the first environment during a predetermined period other than working hours.

[0096] According to this, power consumption can be further reduced during pre-designated periods outside of working hours.

[0097] Furthermore, for example, the office environment control system according to the fourth embodiment is an office environment control system according to any one of the first to third embodiments, wherein the environment control unit 350 controls the AC of the air conditioning equipment, and controls the AC of the air conditioning equipment so that the PMV in the first environment is within the range of -0.5 or more and 0.5 or less.

[0098] According to this, in the first environment, it is possible to achieve an air conditioning environment suitable for work with a PMV in the range of -0.5 to 0.5.

[0099] Furthermore, for example, the office environment control system according to the fifth embodiment is an office environment control system according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments, wherein the work area determination unit 340 uses the maximum number of people in the room measured from the start of control for the day as the number of people for determining the work area 98.

[0100] According to this method, by using only the maximum number of people in the room, it is possible to prevent the workspace from being unintentionally reduced.

[0101] Furthermore, for example, the office environment control system according to the sixth embodiment is an office environment control system according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments, wherein if the number of people continues to decrease over a predetermined period of time, the work area determination unit 340 uses the number of people in the room after the decrease as the number of people to determine the work area 98.

[0102] According to this method, by using the reduced number of people in the room, it is possible to control only the optimal workspace 98 at that time to the first environment, and control the area that is no longer workspace 98 due to the reduction to the second environment, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0103] Furthermore, for example, the office environment control system according to the seventh embodiment is an office environment control system according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments, wherein if the work area determination unit 340 observes a continued decrease in the number of people for a predetermined period of time at a predetermined time, it uses the number of people in the room after the decrease as the number of people to determine the work area 98.

[0104] According to this, at a predetermined time, by using the reduced number of people in the room, only the optimal range of the work area 98 at that time can be controlled to the first environment, and after the predetermined time, the area that is no longer part of the work area 98 due to the reduction can be controlled to the second environment, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0105] Furthermore, for example, the office environment control system according to the eighth embodiment is an office environment control system according to any one embodiment of the first to seventh embodiments, wherein the input / output unit 320 has an operation interface unit 321, the operation interface unit 321 receives input for energy-saving operation selection, the environment control unit 350 has an environmental equipment power consumption management unit 351, the environmental equipment power consumption management unit 351 calculates the power consumption per unit time for each work area pattern, which is a pattern of work area 98 used when the office environment control system is in operation, calculates the average power consumption for each work area pattern series obtained by arranging the work area patterns in the order of use and stores the calculation results, and the work area determination unit 340 determines the work area 98 based on the counted number of people in the room, the work area table, the density of the selected work area and whether or not energy-saving operation is selected, and the low average power consumption of the work area pattern series.

[0106] According to this, the work area 98 can be determined more appropriately based on the counted number of people in the room, the work area table, the density of the selected work area and whether or not energy-saving operation is selected, and the low average power consumption of the work area pattern series.

[0107] Furthermore, for example, the office environment control system according to the ninth embodiment is the office environment control system according to the eighth embodiment, wherein the personnel management unit 310 stores time-series data on the number of people in the office when the office environment control system is in operation, the environmental equipment power consumption management unit 351 stores data linking the average power consumption with weather information and seasonal information at the time of past operation for each work area pattern used when the office environment control system was in operation in the past, the personnel management unit predicts the order in which the work areas will be used by predicting the number of people in the office in time-series based on the density of the selected work area and whether or not energy-saving operation is selected, extracts data corresponding to the predicted order of use of the work areas 98 from the stored data, predicts power consumption based on the extracted data and the current weather forecast information and seasonal information, and the work area determination unit 340 determines the work area based on the counted number of people in the office, the work area table, the density of the selected work area and whether or not energy-saving operation is selected, and the predicted low power consumption of the work area pattern series.

[0108] According to this, the work area 98 can be determined more appropriately based on the counted number of people in the room, the work area table, the density of the selected work area and whether or not energy-saving operation is selected, and the predicted low power consumption of the work area pattern series. In this case, the predicted low power consumption of the work area pattern series can be determined by applying power consumption under conditions close to the current day, based on data that links the average power consumption for each work area pattern with weather and seasonal information from past operating periods, making it possible to determine the appropriate work area 98 with greater accuracy.

[0109] Furthermore, for example, the office environment control system according to the 10th embodiment is an office environment control system according to any one embodiment of the 1st to 9th embodiments, wherein the input / output unit 320 has a control effect presentation unit 322, the environment control unit 350 has an environmental equipment power consumption management unit 351, and the control effect presentation unit 322 presents at least one of the power consumption and power reduction amounts of each environmental equipment at each point in time, the time series progress of at least one of the power consumption and power reduction amounts, and at least one of the future power consumption and power reduction amounts.

[0110] According to this, the control effect presentation unit 322 can present at least one of the following: power consumption and power reduction; the time series progress of at least one of power consumption and power reduction; and at least one of future power consumption and power reduction.

[0111] Furthermore, for example, the office environment control system according to the 11th embodiment is an office environment control system according to any one of the 1st to 10th embodiments, wherein the input / output unit 320 has an operation interface unit 321, and the work area 98 determined by the work area determination unit 340 is displayed on an operation input device 392 controlled by the operation interface unit 321.

[0112] According to this, the user can visually confirm the determined work area 98 from images displayed on the operation input device 392.

[0113] Furthermore, for example, the office environment control system according to the 12th embodiment is the office environment control system according to the 10th embodiment, wherein the work area 98 determined by the work area determination unit 340 is displayed on a display device 393 controlled by the control effect presentation unit 322.

[0114] According to this, the user can visually confirm the determined work area 98 from images displayed on the display device 393.

[0115] Furthermore, for example, the office environment control system according to the 13th embodiment is an office environment control system according to the 6th or 7th embodiment, wherein the work area determination unit 340 performs an update process to update the determined work area 98, and the personnel management unit 310 has a personnel status measurement unit 311, and when determining the work area 98 when the number of people in the room decreases, the personnel status measurement unit 311 determines whether the workers within the work area 98 are in a concentrated state based on the measurement results measured by the sensor 391 within the range of the work area 98, and if it is determined that the workers within the range of the work area 98 are in a concentrated state, the work area determination unit 340 suspends the update process of the work area 98.

[0116] According to this, if an employee is working in a concentrated manner in the office area 98 that is scheduled to be reduced, the reduction of that office area 98 can be postponed to avoid interfering with the employee's work.

[0117] Furthermore, for example, the office environment control system according to the 14th embodiment is an office environment control system according to any one of the 1st to 13th embodiments, wherein the input / output unit 320 has an operation interface unit 321, and the operation interface unit 321 receives user input for expanding and shrinking the work area 98, and when an input for expanding the work area 98 is received, the work area determination unit 340 expands the work area 98 that is determined to be used as the next work area 98 in the usage order of the selected work area 98, and when an input for shrinking the work area is received, the work area determination unit 340 shrinks the work area 98 that is determined to be used as the previous work area 98 in the usage order of the selected work area 98.

[0118] According to this, the work area 98 can be artificially expanded and contracted based on user input.

[0119] Furthermore, for example, the office environment control system according to the 15th embodiment is the office environment control system according to the 14th embodiment, which stores the number of times the expansion of the work area 98 has been input, and increases the number of available seats set for each of the work areas 98 if the number of times the expansion of the work area 98 has been input is greater than a predetermined number.

[0120] According to this, based on the number of times the work area 98 has been expanded in the past, it is possible to determine the work area 98 that is more suitable for the user in that office.

[0121] Furthermore, for example, the office environment control system according to the 16th embodiment is an office environment control system according to any one of the 1st to 15th embodiments, wherein the environment control unit 350 has an environmental equipment power consumption management unit 351, and the work area determination unit 340 refers to the operating time of each environmental equipment managed by the environmental equipment power consumption management unit 351 and selects the order of use of the work areas 98 in the work area table corresponding to the selected work area density in order of use of the work areas 98 so as to reduce the bias in the operating time of each environmental equipment, thereby determining the work areas 98.

[0122] According to this, the work area 98 can be determined in such a way that the operating hours of each piece of environmental equipment are not unevenly distributed.

[0123] Furthermore, for example, the office environment control system according to the 17th embodiment is an office environment control system according to the 6th or 7th embodiment, wherein the work area determination unit 340 performs an update process to update the determined work area 98, and the office environment control system has an absence determination unit (presence / absence determination unit 312), and when determining the work area 98 when the number of people in the room decreases, the absence determination unit determines which of the determined work areas 98 do not have workers based on the measurement results measured by the sensor 391 within the range of the work area 98, and the work area determination unit 340 performs an update process for the work area 98 that has been determined to have no workers compared to the other work areas 98, so that it is less likely to be determined as a work area 98.

[0124] According to this, it is possible to reduce the inconvenience of workers moving around while also achieving energy savings throughout the office.

[0125] Furthermore, for example, the office environment control system according to the 18th embodiment is an office environment control system according to any one of the 1st to 17th embodiments, wherein the office environment control system has an existence determination unit (existence / absence determination unit 312), and the existence determination unit determines which of the candidate work area 98 that were not determined to be work areas 98 are work area candidates 98 in which workers exist, based on measurement results obtained by sensors within the range of candidate work area 98 that were not determined to be work areas 98, and the environment control unit 350 controls the environment of the area outside the work area that corresponds to the candidate work area 98 in which workers have been determined to exist, so that it becomes a third environment that consumes more power than the second environment, instead of the second environment.

[0126] This allows for the provision of the necessary work environment, thus enabling the realization of an effective office environment control system from the perspective of worker convenience.

[0127] Furthermore, the office environment control method according to the 19th aspect of this embodiment counts and manages the number of people in the office 99, sets up multiple candidate work areas 98 within the office 99, manages a work area table consisting of one or more sequences of usage order for each of the set candidate work areas 98, receives input for selecting a system operation mode and work area density, determines which work area 98 to be used from among the candidate work areas 98 based on the counted number of people in the office, the work area table, and the system operation mode and work area density selected by the input, controls the environment of the determined work area 98 to become a predetermined first environment, and controls the environment outside the work area 98 to become a predetermined second environment which has lower power consumption than the first environment.

[0128] According to this, the same effects as the office environment control system described above can be achieved.

[0129] Furthermore, the program according to the 20th aspect of this embodiment is a program for causing a computer to execute the office environment control method described above.

[0130] According to this, it is possible to achieve the same effects as the office environment control system described above using a computer.

[0131] (Other embodiments) The office environment control system, etc. related to this disclosure has been described above based on the embodiments described above, but this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0132] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a process performed by a specific processing unit may be performed by another processing unit. Also, the order of multiple processes may be changed, or multiple processes may be executed in parallel. Moreover, the distribution of components of the office environment control system to multiple devices is just one example. For example, components provided by one device may be provided by other devices.

[0133] For example, the processing described in the above embodiment may be implemented by centralized processing using a single device (system), or by distributed processing using multiple devices. Furthermore, the processor executing the above program may be single or multiple. That is, centralized processing may be performed, or distributed processing may be performed.

[0134] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, all or part of the components such as the control unit may be configured as dedicated hardware, or they may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as an HDD or semiconductor memory.

[0135] Furthermore, components such as the control unit may consist of one or more electronic circuits. Each of these one or more electronic circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

[0136] One or more electronic circuits may include, for example, semiconductor devices, ICs, or LSIs. ICs or LSIs may be integrated on a single chip or on multiple chips. While referred to here as ICs or LSIs, the terminology may vary depending on the degree of integration; they might also be called system LSIs, VLSIs (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSIs (Ultra Large Scale Integration). FPGAs, programmed after the LSI is manufactured, can also be used for the same purpose.

[0137] Furthermore, the general or specific embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented as a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit, or computer program. Alternatively, they may be implemented as a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium such as an optical disk, HDD, or semiconductor memory on which the computer program is stored. They may also be implemented as any combination of a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit, computer program, and recording medium.

[0138] Furthermore, this disclosure also includes forms that can be obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art could conceive, as well as forms that can be realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions related to each embodiment without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0139] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 Office Area 95 Exit card reader 96 Card reader for entry 97 Fixtures 98. Candidate work area (work area) 99 Office 300 Control Unit 310 Personnel Management Department 311 people's condition measurement unit 312 Presence / absence determination unit 320 Input / output section 321 Operation Interface Unit 322 Control effect presentation unit 330 Office Area Table Management Department 340 Office Area Determination Department 350 Environmental Control Unit 351 Environmental equipment power consumption management department 391 Sensor 392 Operation and input devices 393 Display equipment AC, AC1, AC2 Air conditioning equipment L, L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L7, L8, L9, L10, L11, L12, L13, L14, L15, L16, L17, L18, L19, L20, L21, L22, L23, L24 Lighting equipment

Claims

1. The personnel management department counts and manages the number of people in the office, A work area table management unit manages a work area table consisting of one or more series of work area candidates, the relationship between each of the set work area candidates and the environmental equipment in the office, the number of seats in each of the set work area candidates, and the usage order of each of the set work area candidates. An input / output unit that accepts input for selecting the system operating mode and the density of the work area, A work area determination unit determines which work area to be used from among the candidate work areas based on the counted number of people in the room, the work area table, and the system operation mode and work area density selected by the operation input, The system includes an environment control unit that controls the environment of the determined work area to become a predetermined first environment, and controls the environment outside the work area to become a predetermined second environment which has lower power consumption than the first environment. Office environment control system.

2. The aforementioned work area table allows for the setting of a sequence of work area usage order corresponding to the density of work areas. The office environment control system according to claim 1.

3. The environmental control unit reduces the power consumption of both the first and second environments during a predetermined period outside of working hours, while maintaining a relationship where the power consumption of the second environment is less than that of the first environment. The office environment control system according to claim 1.

4. The environmental control unit controls the air conditioning equipment, and in the first environment, controls the air conditioning equipment so that the PMV is within the range of -0.5 to 0.

5. The office environment control system according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned work area determination unit uses the maximum number of people in the room measured from the start of control each day as the number of people to determine the work area. The office environment control system according to claim 1.

6. The aforementioned work area determination unit uses the number of people in the room after the reduction in the number of people, if the number of people continues to decrease over a predetermined period of time, as the number of people used to determine the work area. The office environment control system according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned work area determination unit, upon observing a continuous decrease in the number of people over a predetermined period of time at a predetermined time, uses the number of people in the room after the decrease as the number of people used to determine the work area. The office environment control system according to claim 1.

8. The input / output unit has an operation interface unit, The aforementioned operation interface unit receives input for energy-saving operation selection, The aforementioned environmental control unit includes an environmental equipment power consumption management unit, The environmental equipment power consumption management unit calculates the power consumption per unit time for each work area pattern, which is the pattern of work areas used, when the office environment control system is in operation, and calculates the average power consumption for each work area pattern series, which is obtained by arranging the work area patterns in the order of use, and stores the calculation results. The aforementioned work area determination unit determines the work area based on the counted number of people in the room, the work area table, the density of the selected work area and whether or not energy-saving operation is selected, and the low average power consumption of the work area pattern series. The office environment control system according to claim 1.

9. The aforementioned personnel management unit accumulates time-series data on the number of people in the office when the office environment control system is in operation. The aforementioned environmental equipment power consumption management unit is: In the past, when the aforementioned office environment control system was in operation, data was accumulated that linked the average power consumption with weather and seasonal information from that time, for each work area pattern used. Based on the density of the selected workspace and whether or not energy-saving operation is selected, the personnel management unit predicts the number of people in the workspace over time and predicts the order in which the workspaces will be used. From the accumulated data, it extracts data corresponding to the predicted order of use of the workspaces. Based on the extracted data, current weather forecast information, and seasonal information, it predicts the amount of electricity consumed. The aforementioned work area determination unit determines the work area based on the counted number of people in the room, the work area table, the density of the selected work area and whether or not energy-saving operation is selected, and the predicted low power consumption of the work area pattern series. The office environment control system according to claim 8.

10. The input / output unit has a control effect presentation unit, The aforementioned environmental control unit includes an environmental equipment power consumption management unit, The control effect presentation unit presents at least one of the following: the power consumption and power reduction amount of each environmental device at each point in time, the time series progression of at least one of the power consumption and power reduction amounts, and at least one of the future power consumption and power reduction amounts, all of which are stored in the environmental device power consumption management unit. The office environment control system according to claim 1.

11. The input / output unit is, It has an operating interface section, The work area determined by the work area determination unit is displayed on the operation input device controlled by the operation interface unit. The office environment control system according to claim 1.

12. The work area determined by the work area determination unit is displayed on a display device controlled by the control effect presentation unit. The office environment control system according to claim 10.

13. The aforementioned work area determination unit performs an update process to update the determined work area. The aforementioned personnel management unit has a status measurement unit, When determining the work area when the number of people in the room decreases, the state measurement unit determines whether the workers within the work area are in a concentrated state or not, based on the measurement results obtained by sensors within the work area. If it is determined that there is a concentration of workers within the aforementioned work area, the work area determination unit suspends the update process for the work area. The office environment control system according to claim 6 or 7.

14. The input / output unit has an operation interface unit, The aforementioned operation interface unit receives user input for expanding and shrinking the work area. When the input for expanding the aforementioned work area is received, the work area determination unit expands the aforementioned work area to be used in the next rank in the current usage order, according to the usage order of the selected aforementioned work areas. When the system receives input to reduce the workspace, the workspace determination unit reduces the workspace to the workspace that is assigned a lower priority in the current workspace order, according to the selected workspace usage order. The office environment control system according to claim 1.

15. The system stores the number of times the expansion of the work area has been entered, and if the number of times the expansion of the work area has been entered exceeds a predetermined number, the number of available seats in each of the work areas is increased. The office environment control system according to claim 14.

16. The aforementioned environmental control unit includes an environmental equipment power consumption management unit, The aforementioned work area determination unit refers to the operating time of each environmental device managed by the environmental device power consumption management unit, and selects an order of use for the work areas from the order of use of the work areas in the work area table corresponding to the selected density of the work areas, in such a way that the bias in the operating time of each environmental device is minimized, and determines the work area. The office environment control system according to claim 1.

17. The aforementioned work area determination unit performs an update process to update the determined work area. The aforementioned office environment control system includes an absence determination unit, When determining the work area when the number of people in the room decreases, the absence determination unit determines, based on the measurement results obtained by measuring within the work area range with a sensor, which work areas among the determined work areas are not occupied by workers. The work area determination unit updates the work areas that have been determined to have no workers, so that they are less likely to be designated as work areas compared to the other work areas. The office environment control system according to claim 6 or 7.

18. The aforementioned office environment control system has an existence determination unit, The presence determination unit determines, based on the measurement results obtained by sensors within the range of the candidate work areas that were not determined to be work areas, which of the candidate work areas that were not determined to be work areas have workers present. The environmental control unit controls the environment of the area outside the work area that corresponds to the candidate work area where workers are determined to be present, so that it becomes a third environment with higher power consumption than the second environment, instead of the second environment. The office environment control system according to claim 1.

19. The number of people in the office is counted and managed. The system manages a work area table consisting of one or more sequences of usage order for each of the configured work area candidates, the relationship between each of the configured work area candidates and the environmental equipment in the office, the number of seats in each of the configured work area candidates, and the respective work area order for each of the configured work area candidates. The system accepts input for selecting the system operating mode and the density of the work area. Based on the counted number of people in the room, the work area table, and the system operation mode and work area density selected by the user input, the work area to be used is determined from among the candidate work areas. The environment of the determined work area is controlled to become a predetermined first environment, and the environment outside the work area is controlled to become a predetermined second environment, which has lower power consumption than the first environment. Office environment control methods.

20. To cause a computer to execute the office environment control method described in claim 19. program.

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