Design support system for electrical and electronic equipment enclosures and method for selecting electrical and electronic equipment enclosures

Abstract

To determine a degree at which information linked to box data stored in a database satisfies specification information that is input, in a design support system for an electrical and electronic apparatus storage box.SOLUTION: A design support system for an electrical and electronic apparatus storage box can support the design of an electrical and electronic apparatus storage box storing an electrical and electronic apparatus in a housing based on specification information input by a user by using input means, and comprises: a database that includes storage specification information that is information related to the electrical and electronic apparatus storage box, and box data that is data linked to information on the configuration of an electrical and electronic apparatus storage box that can be specified by the storage specification information; and operation means that can perform operation to determine a comparison value indicating a degree at which information linked to the box data satisfies the specification information that is input.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a design support system for an electrical and electronic equipment storage box and a method for selecting an electrical and electronic equipment storage box. [Background Art]

[0002] As described in Patent Document 1, design support systems that support the design of electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes such as distribution boards, switchboards, system racks, and high-voltage power receiving facilities are known. Further, in a conventional design support system, input specification information is compared with data relating to specifications of electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes stored in a database, and one matching electrical and electronic equipment storage box is selected. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-326219

[0004] Incidentally, an electrical and electronic equipment storage box is composed of an electrical and electronic device and a housing that stores the device. However, depending on conditions, even if the input specification information is compared with data stored in a database, there is a risk that it may not be possible to narrow down to a single electrical and electronic equipment storage box. This occurs, for example, when a plurality of variations can be conceived based only on the input specification information, or when a user inputs a non-standard shape of the housing as specification information. Even in such a case, it is possible to narrow down to a specific electrical and electronic equipment storage box by having the user of the design support system input a large amount of specification information on the electrical and electronic equipment storage box to be designed into the conventional system, but the labor required to input a large amount of information is immeasurable. Furthermore, this problem is difficult to solve as long as processing is performed to select one electrical and electronic equipment storage box based on the input required specification information. [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] The inventors of this invention have attempted to solve this problem by diligently considering it. The problem that this invention aims to solve is to enable a design support system for electrical and electronic equipment enclosures to determine the extent to which the information linked to the enclosure data stored in the database satisfies the input specification information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the design support system for electrical and electronic equipment enclosures is provided, which can support the design of an electrical and electronic equipment enclosure enclosure that houses electrical and electronic equipment inside the enclosure, based on specification information entered by the user using an input means, and comprises a database having storage specification information, which is information about the electrical and electronic equipment enclosure enclosure, and box data, which is data linked to information about the configuration of the electrical and electronic equipment enclosure enclosure that can be identified by the storage specification information, and a calculation means capable of calculating a comparison value that indicates the degree to which the information linked to the box data satisfies the entered specification information.

[0007] Furthermore, it is preferable to have an output means capable of outputting box data or drawing information representing the contents of the box data, and the output means is configured to output the box data that best satisfies the specification information to which the linked information has been input among multiple box data, or drawing information representing the contents of the box data that best satisfies the specification information to which the linked information has been input among multiple box data.

[0008] Furthermore, it is preferable to have an output means capable of outputting multiple box data or drawing information representing the contents of the box data, wherein the output means is configured to output the box data in order from the box data that best satisfies the specification information to which the linked information has been input, or to output the drawing information representing the contents of the box data in order from the box data that best satisfies the specification information to which the linked information has been input.

[0009] Furthermore, it is preferable that the specifications information items that users can input using the input means include items relating to electrical and electronic equipment to be stored in the electrical and electronic equipment storage box, and at least one of the following items: items relating to the electrical and electronic equipment storage box, items relating to wiring, items relating to transportation, items relating to price, items relating to delivery date, and items relating to the customer.

[0010] Furthermore, item satisfaction values ​​are defined for multiple specification information items, and the calculation means calculates whether the specification information of an item entered by the user matches or does not match the stored specification information in the database, by increasing or decreasing the item satisfaction value relative to the initial value to derive a comparison value. It is preferable to have different item satisfaction values ​​depending on the priority set for the specification information items.

[0011] Furthermore, a method for selecting an electrical and electronic equipment storage box is provided for selecting an electrical and electronic equipment storage box by inputting specification information into a design support system for electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes, which comprises: a database comprising storage specification information, which is information relating to electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes; box data, which is data linked to information relating to the configuration of electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes that can be identified by the storage specification information; calculation means capable of calculating a comparison value indicating the extent to which the information linked to the box data satisfies the input specification information; and output means capable of outputting the calculated comparison value of the box data. Preferably, the method for selecting an electrical and electronic equipment storage box includes the steps of: inputting specification information using the input means; calculating a comparison value indicating the extent to which the information linked to the box data satisfies the input specification information; and outputting the calculated comparison value of the box data or the box data with the highest comparison value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] In this invention, a design support system for housing electrical and electronic equipment makes it possible to determine the extent to which the information linked to the box data stored in the database satisfies the input specification information. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This diagram shows an example where a management number, storage specification information, and box data are linked. [Figure 2] This diagram shows an example where the management number, storage specification information, and box data are linked. However, the storage specification information identifies "main breaker (60A) x 1, branch breakers (20A) x 8". [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates how, after all input specification fields are filled in, the system calculates the degree to which the information linked to the box data satisfies the entered specification information (match rate), and displays the result. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates an example where, after filling in only one field of input specification information, the system calculates the degree to which the information linked to the box data satisfies the entered specification information (match rate), and displays the result. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example where, starting from the state shown in Figure 4, one more input specification information field is filled in, and then the degree to which the information linked to the box data satisfies the entered specification information (match rate) is recalculated and the result is displayed. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example where, starting from the state shown in Figure 5, one more input specification information field is filled in, and then the degree to which the information linked to the box data satisfies the entered specification information (match rate) is recalculated and the result is displayed. [Figure 7] This diagram shows an example of data that is common to all customer information for "○○○ Co., Ltd." [Figure 8] This diagram shows an example of how common data is compiled for electrical and electronic equipment with "one main circuit breaker (100A) and sixteen branch circuit breakers (20A)". [Figure 9] This figure shows an example where, after filling in the input specification information in six fields, the degree of matching (match rate) of the box data and an image diagram are output. [Figure 10] This diagram illustrates an example showing that the number of selections is also stored in the database. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] The following describes embodiments for carrying out the invention. The design support system for electrical and electronic equipment enclosures of the embodiment is a design support system for electrical and electronic equipment enclosures that can support the design of an electrical and electronic equipment enclosure that houses electrical and electronic equipment inside the enclosure, based on specification information entered by a user using an input means, and comprises a database having storage specification information which is information about the electrical and electronic equipment enclosure, and box data which is data linked to information about the configuration of the electrical and electronic equipment enclosure that can be identified by the storage specification information, and a calculation means capable of calculating a comparison value that indicates the extent to which the information linked to the box data satisfies the entered specification information.Therefore, in the design support system for electrical and electronic equipment enclosures, it is possible to determine the extent to which the information linked to the box data in the database satisfies the entered specification information.

[0015] Furthermore, a method for selecting an electrical and electronic equipment storage box is provided for selecting an electrical and electronic equipment storage box by inputting specification information into a design support system for electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes, which comprises: a database comprising storage specification information, which is information relating to electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes; box data, which is data linked to information relating to the configuration of electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes that can be identified by the storage specification information; calculation means capable of calculating a comparison value indicating the extent to which the information linked to the box data satisfies the input specification information; and output means capable of outputting the calculated comparison value of the box data. Preferably, the method for selecting an electrical and electronic equipment storage box includes the steps of: inputting specification information using the input means; calculating a comparison value indicating the extent to which the information linked to the box data satisfies the input specification information; and outputting the calculated comparison value of the box data or the box data with the highest comparison value.

[0016] In the embodiment, a design support system for an electrical and electronic equipment storage box intended for power distribution such as a distribution board, a switchboard, a control panel, and high-voltage power receiving equipment will be mainly described, but it is of course also possible to be a design support system for a system rack provided with a server, a communication device, an arithmetic device, etc., or a design support system for a work box provided with a communication device, a lighting device, a desk, a chair, etc., for people to work inside.

[0017] The electrical and electronic equipment storage box comprises a housing and electrical and electronic equipment stored in the housing. The electrical and electronic equipment may be of any type; typical examples thereof include breakers, switches, terminal blocks, time switches, lightning arresters, outlets, transformers, relays, communication devices, measuring devices, control devices, sensor devices, air conditioners, etc., but it may also be equipment related to electricity or electronics, or a circuit composed of electronic equipment such as an emergency circuit or an automatic flashing circuit.

[0018] The design support system for an electrical and electronic equipment storage box according to the embodiment comprises, in at least a database, storage specification information which is specification information related to the electrical and electronic equipment storage box, and box data related to the electrical and electronic equipment storage box specified by the storage specification information. By comparing input specification information, which is specification information related to the electrical and electronic equipment storage box input by a user of the design support system, with the storage specification information, the matching rate of the box data against the input specification information is calculated as a "comparison value", and the system is configured such that an optimal electrical and electronic equipment storage box can be selected based on the matching rate.

[0019] Details of the specification information are described below, but here we will explain the difference between input specification information and stored specification information. Input specification information is the specification information entered by the user when selecting a housing box for electrical and electronic equipment using the design support system of the present invention. On the other hand, stored specification information is the specification information that is stored in the database when the database is built or updated, and is specification information that can be compared with input specification information. In the embodiment, a management number is assigned to link specific stored specification information to box data and stored in the database (see Figures 1 and 2). Furthermore, if the design support system has a function that allows the selection of box data that is not stored in the database, it may be possible to newly store the input specification information entered when using the design support system and the selected box data in the database. When input specification information, which was not previously stored in the database, is stored in the database, that input specification information takes on the status of stored specification information.

[0020] By the way, the "specification information" in this invention refers to information regarding the specifications for identifying electrical and electronic equipment housing boxes and electrical and electronic equipment, and can be grouped by the following items, for example.

[0021] For example, the specifications of electrical and electronic equipment to be housed in an electrical and electronic equipment enclosure may include the following items:

[0022] "Items related to the types of electrical and electronic equipment (including data on the performance of each electrical and electronic device)." For example, electrical and electronic equipment can be categorized as follows: standard breakers, earth leakage breakers, circuit breakers, plug-in breakers, terminal blocks, relays, ammeters, power meters, communication equipment, time switches, SPDs, and control circuits. Performance refers to electrical performance such as rated current and rated breaking capacity, and physical performance such as strength.

[0023] "Items concerning the arrangement and positioning of electrical and electronic equipment within the enclosure." For example, the location of the main circuit breaker (e.g., on the top or bottom of the enclosure), the location of branch circuit breakers relative to the main circuit breaker (e.g., below or beside the main circuit breaker), and the arrangement of branch circuit breakers (e.g., arranging breakers in a single row or in multiple rows) can be cited as examples of the arrangement and position of electrical and electronic equipment within the enclosure. Furthermore, when multiple electrical and electronic devices are housed inside the enclosure, their arrangement and position significantly impact the size and shape of the enclosure.

[0024] "Items concerning the role of electrical and electronic equipment within the enclosure" For example, when two standard-type circuit breakers are input, one can be used as the main circuit breaker, and the other can be connected to the secondary side of the main circuit breaker for secondary power supply. Alternatively, when two standard-type circuit breakers are input, both can be used as main circuit breakers, forming two separate systems within the enclosure. These are examples of the roles of electrical and electronic equipment within an enclosure. Furthermore, when multiple electrical and electronic devices are housed within an enclosure, their respective roles significantly influence the size and shape of the enclosure.

[0025] Of course, the specifications information for the electrical and electronic equipment to be stored in the electrical and electronic equipment storage box can be in other categories, such as "items related to the number of electrical and electronic equipment units."

[0026] Examples of specification items for electrical and electronic equipment enclosures include the following:

[0027] "Items relating to the enclosure of a box for housing electrical and electronic equipment (including doors or components not housed within the enclosure)" For example, this could include the size of the enclosure (W×H×D), the material of the enclosure (iron, stainless steel, resin, etc.), the color of the enclosure, processing of the enclosure (such as drilling holes or welding for mounting equipment not housed inside the enclosure), space set aside to house components other than electrical and electronic equipment inside the enclosure, the size of the door, the material of the door, the color of the door, the number of doors (single door, double door, etc.), the direction in which the door opens (right-opening, left-opening, etc.), the type and number of components not housed inside the enclosure, their arrangement and position, etc. Components not housed inside the enclosure could include hinges for rotating the door, locking devices for locking the door (handles, etc.), heat dissipation equipment attached to the enclosure (fans, louvers, etc.), wiring components, drainage components, gaskets installed for waterproofing, mounting components for attaching the enclosure to a wall, and roof components for outdoor installation.

[0028] "Items concerning the performance and types of enclosures for electrical and electronic equipment" For example, the performance characteristics of electrical and electronic equipment enclosures include waterproofing, earthquake resistance, and heat resistance. Furthermore, types of electrical and electronic equipment enclosures include combined lighting and power distribution boards, heat-resistant distribution boards, and temporary outlet distribution boards.

[0029] "Items concerning the installation of enclosures for electrical and electronic equipment" Regarding the installation of electrical and electronic equipment enclosures, items related to installation methods include, for example, freestanding installation using a base, installation on walls or pillars, and embedded installation in walls. Furthermore, items related to installation location and environment include indoor installation, outdoor installation, installation in areas with salt damage, installation in areas with heavy snowfall, and installation at high altitudes.

[0030] Examples of specifications for wiring in electrical and electronic equipment enclosures include the following:

[0031] "Items related to wire entry and exit to the enclosure" For example, this could include top entry / exit (entering from the top of the enclosure and exiting to the top) or bottom entry / exit (entering from the bottom of the enclosure and exiting from the bottom). Of course, it is also acceptable for the wires to enter or exit from the sides or back of the enclosure.

[0032] "Items related to wiring between electrical and electronic equipment" Examples include wiring between electrical and electronic equipment using electric wires, and wiring between electrical and electronic equipment using copper bars.

[0033] "Items related to the wiring space required for wiring" For example, one could set a larger wiring space than the standard one.

[0034] Furthermore, examples of specification information items related to the transportation of electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes include the following:

[0035] Items such as "packaging methods" and "transportation methods" can be listed, for example, transportation by truck, transportation by rail, or transportation by ship.

[0036] Other examples of classifications include "items related to the price of electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes," such as the price when purchasing electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes; "items related to the delivery time of electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes," such as the delivery time from the confirmation of purchase to delivery; and "items related to the customer," such as the customer's name, company name, address, and other information necessary to identify the customer.

[0037] Note that each item in the specification information may be independent or related to each other. For example, when comparing input specification information where "with gasket" is entered as an item related to the enclosure with storage specification information where "waterproof performance is present" is entered as an item related to the performance, if each item is treated as independent, it will be judged as "not matching". However, if the items are treated as related, it may be judged as "matching".

[0038] The items of specification information that users can input using the input means may be anything, but it is preferable that the items of specification information that users can input using the input means include items relating to electrical and electronic equipment to be housed in the electrical and electronic equipment housing box, and at least one of the following items: items relating to the electrical and electronic equipment housing box, items relating to wiring, items relating to transportation, items relating to price, items relating to delivery date, and items relating to the customer.

[0039] Incidentally, users can input specification information using input methods. These input methods include, of course, methods commonly used when inputting information into personal computers or smartphones (such as input using a keyboard or mouse, or input by moving fingers on a display). It may also involve capturing documents containing specification information using optical character recognition. Furthermore, input may be done by detecting voice or eye movements. In addition, specification information may be entered using product numbers or other identifiers assigned to various types of information.

[0040] Incidentally, the database of this embodiment includes at least storage specification information, which is specification information regarding electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes, and box data relating to electrical and electronic equipment storage boxes that can be identified by the storage specification information. The data stored in this database is assigned a management number to data that combines at least the storage specification information and the box data (see Figures 1 and 2).

[0041] In this embodiment, the stored specification information is organized by item. Specifically, the following can be given as examples: "Items related to the enclosure": size 500 x 600 x 120, "Items related to electrical and electronic equipment": main breaker (60A) x 1, branch breakers (20A) x 14, "Items related to wiring": top entry, top exit, "Items related to the customer": ○○○ Co., Ltd., etc.

[0042] Management numbers may be assigned in the order they are stored in the database, or they may be assigned to data containing specific storage specification information or data containing specific box data.

[0043] For example, in the storage specification information, it may be stipulated that a single-digit management number (0001 to 0005) be assigned to data that includes one main circuit breaker with a rated current of 60A and eight branch circuit breakers with a rated current of 20A, as an item related to the type of electrical and electronic equipment. Alternatively, for example, a related management number may be assigned to data that includes AAA10-20 as box data. Of course, the management number is not limited to a four-digit number; it may also include letters and symbols as needed.

[0044] By enabling the management of data stored in the database using management numbers, the management of various types of data becomes easier, and the calculation of the matching rate can be performed more efficiently.

[0045] In addition to storage specification information and box data, data necessary for design, manufacturing, and sales work after selecting an electrical and electronic equipment storage box may also be managed using a management number. This includes drawing data related to the enclosure and electrical and electronic equipment that make up the electrical and electronic equipment storage box, component drawing data related to the type and number of enclosures and electrical and electronic equipment, and price data related to the prices of enclosures and electrical and electronic equipment.

[0046] By the way, in order to calculate a comparison value that indicates the degree to which the information linked to the box data satisfies the input specification information, based on the input specification information and the stored specification information, one example is to compare the input specification information entered by the input means with the stored specification information stored in the database and calculate the degree of match between the stored specification information and the input specification information of the box data that has been assigned the same management number as the input specification information.

[0047] Furthermore, when calculating the degree of match, the calculation means can be exemplified by increasing or decreasing a value depending on whether the input specification information and the stored specification information match or not. For example, if there are four input specification information items and one of them matches the stored specification information, the calculation means may be configured to increase a predetermined amount (25%) set for the one matching item so that the degree of match is calculated to be 25%. Alternatively, the calculation means may be configured to decrease a predetermined amount (25%) set for the three non-matching items from 100% (100% - (25% × 3)) so that the degree of match is calculated to be 25%.

[0048] Specification information does not need to be treated the same. Priorities can be set for the specification information, and the amounts added or subtracted may differ depending on the priority. For example, if there are four input specification pieces, and one is set to high priority, two to medium priority, and one to low priority, the values ​​could be set as follows: 35% for high priority, 25% for medium priority, and 15% for low priority. Of course, each value can be set arbitrarily.

[0049] More specifically, let's assume, for example, that one specification entry is made for each of the following categories: "Items related to electrical and electronic equipment," "Items related to layout and location," "Items related to the customer," and "Items related to transportation," resulting in four input specification entries. In this case, the input specification entries for "Items related to electrical and electronic equipment" and "Items related to layout and location" are set to medium priority, the input specification entry for "Items related to the customer" is set to high priority, and the input specification entry for "Items related to transportation" is set to low priority. In this case, if only the input specification entry for the customer matches, the degree of match is 35%, and if the input specification entries for both the items related to electrical and electronic equipment and the customer match, the degree of match is 60%.

[0050] As can be seen from these examples, item satisfaction values ​​are defined for multiple specification information items, and the calculation means calculates whether the specification information of the item entered by the user matches or does not match the stored specification information in the database, by increasing or decreasing the item satisfaction value relative to the initial value to derive a comparison value, and it is preferable that the item satisfaction values ​​differ according to the priority set for the specification information items.

[0051] Furthermore, artificial intelligence may be used to perform some or all of the following actions in this system, such as calculating the degree of match using specification information, determining whether the input specification information and the stored specification information match, and setting the priority of the specification information.

[0052] For example, when comparing all input specification information with the corresponding storage specification information, the degree of match may be calculated using artificial intelligence. Alternatively, a portion of the input specification information determined by artificial intelligence may be compared with the corresponding storage specification information, and the match rate may be calculated.

[0053] Furthermore, while it is acceptable to determine a "match" only when the input specification information and the corresponding stored specification information are a perfect match, the system may also be configured to calculate the degree of match even when there is a partial match, based on the judgment of artificial intelligence. For example, even if the input specification information regarding the type of electrical and electronic equipment matches, but the input specification information regarding the number of electrical and electronic equipment does not, the system may be configured to change the degree of match by the amount of the match.

[0054] Furthermore, the system may be configured to use artificial intelligence to set priorities for specification information. As can be seen from these examples, by using artificial intelligence to execute part or all of this system, it becomes possible to determine the degree of agreement between input specification information and stored specification information more flexibly.

[0055] The results calculated by the calculation means are output using the output means. The output using the output means includes, of course, the methods commonly used when outputting via a personal computer or smartphone (such as outputting to a display or printing on paper), but it may also be output as audio.

[0056] The output means outputs at least the box data and the result of the degree of agreement of the box data calculated by the calculation means. It is also possible to output the degree of agreement of all box data, but it is preferable to output the box data with the highest degree of agreement and its degree of agreement, or to output multiple box data and their degrees of agreement in order from the highest degree of agreement.

[0057] The system includes an output means capable of outputting box data or drawing information representing the contents of the box data. The output means is configured to output the box data that best satisfies the linked specifications among multiple box data, or drawing information representing the contents of the box data that best satisfies the linked specifications among multiple box data. This allows the user to compare the box data and identify the most desirable box data.

[0058] Furthermore, if the system is equipped with an output means capable of outputting multiple box data or drawing information representing the contents of the box data, and the output means is configured to output the box data in order from the box data that best satisfies the linked information to which the input specifications are entered, or to output the drawing information representing the contents of the box data in order from the box data that best satisfies the linked information to which the input specifications are entered, then the user can find multiple box data that closely matches their preferences.

[0059] In this case, the box data may be configured to output the product number assigned to each electrical and electronic equipment storage box, or it may be configured to output a box image that displays an overview of the electrical and electronic equipment storage box.

[0060] When outputting a box image, it is preferable that the box image is a scaled representation of an actual electrical and electronic equipment enclosure, and that it is output as a diagram showing the electrical and electronic equipment to be housed in the enclosure positioned in the selected location. Furthermore, the system may also be configured to output information such as the price of the enclosure and electrical and electronic equipment constituting the enclosure, transportation costs, and delivery dates.

[0061] Let's explain with a specific example. Assume that the database contains data with management numbers 0001 to 0005 assigned to each entry, including items related to electrical and electronic equipment as storage specification information: main circuit breaker (60A) x 1, branch circuit breaker (20A) x 8.

[0062] Management number 0001 is managed to specify, in terms of arrangement and position, that the main circuit breaker is located at the top and the branch circuit breakers are located at the bottom, and that the branch circuit breakers are arranged in two rows. Furthermore, in terms of installation location, it is managed to specify that it is installed indoors. In terms of wiring, it is managed to specify that the wiring enters from the top and exits from the top. Additionally, the box data is AAA6-08.

[0063] In contrast, the input specification information entered by the input means is assumed to be: "Items related to electrical and electronic equipment": Main breaker (60A) x 1, branch breakers (20A) x 8; "Items related to arrangement and position": Main breaker is above, branch breakers are below, branch breakers are arranged in two rows; "Items related to installation location": Indoor installation; "Items related to wiring": Wiring enters from above, wiring exits from above.

[0064] In this embodiment, the degree of match between the box data to which each management number is assigned and the input specification information is calculated and output by the output means along with the image (see Figure 3). At this time, it is preferable to sort them in descending order of the match rate. Alternatively, after all the input specification information has been entered, the calculation may be started by clicking the calculation start button or giving other calculation start instructions, and the result may be output.

[0065] On the other hand, the system may perform calculations and output the results each time input specification information is entered. For example, if "Main breaker (60A) x 1, Branch breaker (20A) x 8" is entered as input specification information for "Items related to electrical and electronic equipment," the degree of matching of the data for each box assigned management numbers 0001 to 0005 is calculated to be 100% (see Figure 4).

[0066] Next, when the input for "Placement / Location" indicated "Main breaker at the top, branch breakers at the bottom," the box data assigned management numbers 0001, 0003, and 0004 were calculated to have a 100% match, while the box data assigned management numbers 0002 and 0005 were calculated to have a 50% match (see Figure 5).

[0067] Furthermore, when "Two rows of branch breakers are arranged" was entered in the "Arrangement / Position" section, the box data assigned management numbers 0001 and 0003 were calculated to have a 100% match rate, box data assigned management numbers 0002 and 0004 were calculated to have a 67% match rate, and box data assigned management number 0005 was calculated to have a 33% match rate (see Figure 6).

[0068] This process may be repeated until the input of the input specification information is completed.

[0069] Furthermore, if multiple input specification information is entered for a single item, such as items related to electrical and electronic equipment (main breaker (60A) x 1, branch breakers (20A) x 8) or items related to wiring (wire entry from above, wire exit from above), the system may calculate whether all input specification information matches (for example, if the stored specification information is main breaker (60A) x 1, branch breakers (20A) x 6, it may be determined that they do not match and the degree of match is calculated as 0%), or it may be calculated whether each input specification information matches (for example, if the stored specification information is main breaker (60A) x 1, branch breakers (20A) x 6, it may be determined that the former matches and the latter does not, and the match rate is calculated as 50%).

[0070] Furthermore, the database contains data that includes "XXX Co., Ltd." as "customer information" in the storage specification information (see Figure 7). It also contains data with management numbers 0101 to 0103 assigned to that customer.

[0071] For management number 0101, it can be identified that the "items related to electrical and electronic equipment" include one main circuit breaker (150A) and sixteen branch circuit breakers (20A). The "items related to the enclosure" specify that the lower space is 30mm. The "items related to the wiring" specify that the wiring enters and exits from the top. The box data is assumed to be AAA15-16-SP3. Note that for 0102 and 0103, information such as that shown in Figure 7 can be identified, but the explanation is omitted.

[0072] It may be possible to understand the relationships between multiple storage specification pieces from the large amount of data (management numbers, storage specification information, box data, etc.) stored in the database. In other words, if multiple management numbers are stored that contain the same storage specification piece as another storage specification piece, it may be possible to understand that the two specification pieces tend to be highly related. For example, from management numbers 0101 to 0103, "XXX Co., Ltd." in the "items related to the customer" and "lower space" in the "items related to the enclosure" are specification pieces included in multiple management numbers and can be considered to be highly related. In such a state, suppose that in the database, data containing "main breaker (100A) x 1, branch breaker (20A) x 16" in the "items related to electrical and electronic equipment" as storage specification information is assigned management numbers 0301 to 0303 and is managed accordingly.

[0073] As for the management number 0301, it is specified that the size is 500×700×120 as the "item related to the housing", it is specified that the price is X ten thousand yen (where X<Y) as the "item related to price", it is specified that wire entry is from the top and wire exit is from the top as the "item related to wiring", △△△ Co., Ltd. is specified as the "item related to the customer", and AAA10-16 is provided as box data (see Fig. 8). Note that, regarding 0302 and 0303, information as shown in Fig. 8 can be specified, but the description thereof is omitted.

[0074] In contrast, assume that the input specification information input by the input means is: items related to electrical and electronic equipment: main breaker (100A) × 1, branch breaker (20A) × 16; items related to housing: low height, and a lower space of 30 mm; items related to price: low price; items related to wiring: wire entry from the top, wire exit from the bottom; items related to the customer: 〇〇〇 Co., Ltd. (see Fig. 9). As can be understood from this example, the input for each item is not limited to specific inputs (e.g., the height of the housing is 1000 mm), and may be abstract inputs (e.g., the one with the lowest housing height, the one with a low price).

[0075] In the examples shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, for 0301 to 0303, 4 out of 6 items match, so the matching degree of 0301 to 0303 is all approximately 67%. On the other hand, when it is determined that the item related to the customer: 〇〇〇 Co., Ltd. and the item related to the housing: 30 mm lower space have high relevance, the management number 0302 including these items (see Fig. 8) may be preferentially arranged and output (see Fig. 9).

[0076] In the example shown in Fig. 9, after calculating that the management numbers 0301 to 0303 have the same matching rate, the management number 0301 is preferentially output. However, the output may be prioritized by increasing the numerical value of the matching degree for those including specification information determined to have high relevance. Specifically, the matching degree may be set to 67% for the management numbers 0301 and 0303, and the matching degree may be set to, for example, 80% for the management number 0302.

[0077] This section will explain another example of how to identify the relationships between multiple storage specification pieces of data (such as management numbers, storage specification information, and box data) stored in a database.

[0078] In the database, data related to AAA20-28 is managed as box data, with management numbers 1001 to 1005 assigned to each. For management number 1001, the "enclosure item" specifies that the size is 500 x 1100 x 160, the "arrangement / position item" specifies that the branch breakers are arranged in two rows, the box data includes AAA20-28, and the data for the number of past selections is 50. Note that for 1002 to 1005, it is possible to identify information as shown in Figure 10, but the explanation is omitted.

[0079] In this example, the number of times box data has been selected using this system is aggregated. It may be determined that the multiple storage specification information contained in the management number of box data selected frequently tends to be highly correlated. Furthermore, combinations of storage specification information that tend to be highly correlated may be identified, and special actions may be taken depending on the presence or absence of input specification information corresponding to the highly correlated storage specification information. For example, if the degree of matching of box data containing highly correlated specification information is the same as the degree of matching of box data that does not contain highly correlated specification information, only the former may be output, or the former may be output preferentially.

[0080] If one of the specification pieces, which tends to be highly related, is entered but the other is not, the system may output a message indicating that the other piece is not entered. For example, if the "Customer-related item": XXX Co., Ltd. and the "Enclosure-related item": lower space are highly related, and the customer-related item: XXX Co., Ltd. is entered as input specification information, but the enclosure-related item: lower space is not entered, the system may notify the system of the missing enclosure-related item: lower space.

[0081] The relationships between items in the specification information may be determined by a human, or they may be determined by artificial intelligence. In other words, the artificial intelligence may determine from the stored specification information in the database that certain combinations of items are highly related and take special action.

[0082] The present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be implemented in various forms. The degree of agreement does not need to be expressed numerically; it may be expressed using text such as "highly recommended," "recommended," "strongest candidate," or "strong candidate," or by outputting a diagram that conveys such intent.

Claims

1. A design support system for electrical and electronic equipment enclosures that can assist in the design of an electrical and electronic equipment enclosure that houses electrical and electronic equipment within its casing, based on specification information entered by the user using an input means, A database comprising storage specification information, which is information about boxes for housing electrical and electronic equipment, and box data, which is data linked to information about the configuration of electrical and electronic equipment housing boxes that can be identified by the storage specification information, A calculation means capable of determining a comparison value that indicates the degree to which the information linked to the box data satisfies the input specification information, Output means and Equipped with, Identify the relationships between multiple storage specification information from the data stored in the database. A design support system for electrical and electronic equipment enclosures that can notify the user via an output means that, when one of the highly related specification pieces is entered but the other is not, the other piece is missing.

2. A design support system for housing electrical and electronic equipment, which can support the design of a housing for housing electrical and electronic equipment that houses electrical and electronic equipment inside a casing, based on specification information entered by a user using an input means, A database comprising storage specification information, which is information about boxes for housing electrical and electronic equipment, and box data, which is data linked to information about the configuration of electrical and electronic equipment housing boxes that can be identified by the storage specification information, A calculation means capable of determining a comparison value that indicates the degree to which the information linked to the box data satisfies the input specification information, An output means capable of outputting a comparison value or the box data with the highest comparison value, Equipped with, Identify the relationships between multiple storage specification information from the data stored in the database. A design support system for electrical and electronic equipment enclosures that can calculate a comparison value derived when the managed data contains information deemed to be highly related to each other, so that it is higher than the comparison value derived when the managed data does not contain information deemed to be highly related to each other.

3. A design support system for housing electrical and electronic equipment, which can support the design of a housing for housing electrical and electronic equipment that houses electrical and electronic equipment inside a casing, based on specification information entered by a user using an input means, A database comprising storage specification information, which is information about boxes for housing electrical and electronic equipment, and box data, which is data linked to information about the configuration of electrical and electronic equipment housing boxes that can be identified by the storage specification information, A calculation means capable of determining a comparison value that indicates the degree to which the information linked to the box data satisfies the input specification information, Equipped with, A design support system for electrical and electronic equipment enclosures that, by adding input specification information entered when using the design support system and selected enclosure data to the database, makes it possible to store input specification information, which was not previously stored in the database, as stored specification information.

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