Management server, facility equipment system, presentation method, and program

Abstract

A communication unit (33) receives position information which is sent from a user terminal used by an existing user that exists on a floor. An identification unit (321) collects the position information which has been received by the communication unit (33), and identifies the position of each existing user on the floor, personal information of each existing user, and an organization with which each existing user is affiliated. On the basis of the position and the personal information which have been identified by the identification unit (321), a generation unit (322) generates a floor map obtained by superimposing, on a map indicating the floor, the position of each existing user on the floor and the personal information of each existing user. On the basis of the organization which has been identified by the identification unit (321) and a disclosure setting which indicates whether or not to disclose, between organizations, personal information of users affiliated therewith, a processing unit (323) processes the personal information on the floor map which has been generated by the generation unit (322). Then, the communication unit (33) transmits, to a user terminal used by each existing user, the floor map which has been processed by the processing unit (323).

Description

Management server, facility equipment system, presentation method, and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a management server, an equipment system, a presentation method, and a program.

[0002] In buildings such as office buildings, air conditioning systems are installed that include, for example, multiple air conditioners and a management server that manages the air conditioners. In such air conditioning systems, personal air conditioning is implemented to locally condition areas where users are present in order to conserve energy. For example, the air conditioning system detects the user's location within the air-conditioned area and controls the air conditioner corresponding to that location to provide personal air conditioning focused on the area where the user is present. Furthermore, the air conditioning system aims to conserve energy by stopping the operation of the corresponding air conditioner or controlling it to reduce the load on the air conditioner in ambient areas where users are not present.

[0003] In recent years, new office styles such as free address and activity-based working (ABW) have become popular. ABW, in particular, encourages employees to work in a location that is appropriate for the content and style of their intellectual creative activities. Therefore, unlike free address systems, it is becoming increasingly important for employees to actively choose their own workspace, including working from home.

[0004] For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technology for an air conditioning system that can easily identify the location of users on an office floor that employs a free address system or an ABW system. In this air conditioning system, a floor map including the location and name of each user is displayed on an operation terminal used by the user.

[0005] International Publication No. 2021 / 192222

[0006] Recently, there have been cases where multiple companies have shared a rented office space, or opened up their own office space to affiliated companies. In such offices, a free address system or ABW system may be introduced.

[0007] In such a situation, if personal information such as a user's name is displayed on the floor map, as in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, privacy may not be adequately protected. In other words, the floor map containing personal information will be presented to users from other companies, and the personal information will be known to users who do not need it. It is also possible to not display any personal information on the floor map, but for example, users who belong to the same company often want to know each other's locations, so even if privacy is protected, convenience will be compromised.

[0008] Therefore, there was a need for technology that could present floor maps that adequately protected privacy without compromising necessary convenience.

[0009] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a management server, an equipment system, a presentation method, and a program that can present floor maps that appropriately protect privacy to user terminals.

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the management server according to the present disclosure is a management server that controls a plurality of equipment devices installed on a floor, and comprises: a receiving means for receiving location information sent from user terminals used by present users present on the floor; an identifying means for collecting the location information received by the receiving means and identifying the location of each present user on the floor, personal information of each present user, and the organization to which each present user belongs; a generating means for generating a floor map in which the location of each present user on the floor and the personal information of each present user are superimposed on a map showing the floor, based on the location and personal information identified by the identifying means; a processing means for processing the personal information on the floor map generated by the generating means, based on the organization identified by the identifying means and a disclosure setting indicating whether personal information of users belonging to the organization will be disclosed between organizations; and a transmitting means for transmitting the floor map processed by the processing means to the user terminals used by each present user.

[0011] In the management server according to the present disclosure, an identification means collects location information received by a receiving means and identifies the location of each present user within a floor, the personal information of each present user, and the organization to which each present user belongs. Furthermore, a generation means generates a floor map in which the location of each present user within a floor and the personal information of each present user are superimposed on a map showing the floor, based on the locations and personal information identified by the identification means. Furthermore, a processing means processes the personal information on the floor map generated by the generation means, based on the organizations identified by the identification means and a disclosure setting indicating whether the personal information of the users belonging to the organizations will be disclosed between the organizations. Then, a transmission means transmits the floor map processed by the processing means to the user terminals used by each present user. As a result, a floor map with appropriate privacy protection can be presented to the user terminals.

[0012] Schematic diagram showing an example of a floor map generated by a generation unit; Schematic diagram showing an example of a floor map in which personal information has been processed based on the first user; Schematic diagram showing an example of a floor map in which personal information has been processed based on the third user; Schematic diagram showing an example of another floor map in which personal information has been processed based on the first user; Schematic diagram showing an example of another floor map in which personal information has been processed based on the first user; Schematic diagram showing a state in which a floor map sent to a user terminal of a first user is displayed; Schematic diagram showing a state in which a floor map sent to a user terminal of a third user is displayed;

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that identical or corresponding parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, an air conditioning system will be described below as a specific example of an equipment system. However, as will be described later, the present disclosure can also be applied to equipment systems such as lighting systems and ventilation systems. In other words, the embodiments described below are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, a person skilled in the art could employ embodiments in which each or all of these elements are replaced with equivalents, and these embodiments are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0014] (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an air conditioning system 1 according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. The air conditioning system 1 is, for example, a system for air conditioning a floor in a building, such as an office building, and includes multiple air conditioners 10, a user terminal 20, and a management server 30. While FIG. 1 illustrates only one user terminal 20, in an actual air conditioning system 1, multiple user terminals 20 are available depending on the number of users using the floor. The management server 30, the air conditioners 10, and the user terminals 20 are communicatively connected to each other via, for example, wireless communication. Alternatively, they may be communicatively connected via wired communication. The floor is open to multiple companies as a new office format, such as a free address system or ABW. In other words, each user belonging to a different company can freely select and use any desk, table, etc. located on the floor. Each user carries a user terminal 20.

[0015] The air conditioner 10 is, for example, an indoor unit installed on the ceiling of a floor and connected via piping to an outdoor unit (not shown) installed outdoors. The air conditioner 10 includes, for example, a transmission terminal 11, a temperature sensor 12, and an air conditioning control unit 13. The air conditioner 10 also includes an expansion valve and a heat exchanger (not shown).

[0016] The transmitting terminal 11 includes, for example, a wireless signal transmitting unit 111, and transmits a wireless signal conforming to a wireless standard such as BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) or Wi-Fi. This wireless signal includes a terminal ID for identifying the transmitting terminal 11 or the air conditioner 10. In other words, the wireless signal transmitting unit 111 transmits a wireless signal including the terminal ID to within the floor. The wireless signal may further include information on the angle of departure (AOD). For example, the wireless signal transmitting unit 111 may transmit a wireless signal using an array antenna in which multiple antenna elements are arranged, thereby transmitting a wireless signal further including information on the angle of departure to within the floor.

[0017] 1 shows a case where the transmission terminal 11 is provided in the air conditioner 10, but the transmission terminal 11 may be installed independently within the floor, separate from the air conditioner 10. In that case, for example, a plurality of transmission terminals 11 and a plurality of air conditioners 10 without transmission terminals 11 would be installed on the ceiling of the floor.

[0018] The temperature sensor 12 is, for example, a sensor that measures the temperature of an area on a floor that is under the jurisdiction of the air conditioner 10. In addition to the temperature sensor 12, the air conditioner 10 may also be equipped with sensors that measure environmental information such as humidity and airflow.

[0019] As an example, the air conditioning control unit 13 performs air conditioning of a target area in response to a command sent from the management server 30. For example, the air conditioning control unit 13 performs air conditioning of a target area on a floor by evaporating or condensing, in a heat exchanger, a refrigerant sent from an outdoor unit through piping.

[0020] As an example, a plurality of air conditioners 10 configured in this manner are installed at intervals on the ceiling of a floor, making it possible to air-condition each target area on the floor.

[0021] The user terminal 20 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, a notebook PC (Personal Computer), or the like, and is used by a user using the floor. The user terminal 20 includes a wireless signal receiving unit 21, a distance / angle estimating unit 22, a position identifying unit 23 that is an example of a position identifying means, a communication unit 24 that is an example of an information transmitting means and an information receiving means, and a display unit 25 that is an example of a display means.

[0022] The wireless signal receiving unit 21 receives wireless signals transmitted from the multiple transmitting terminals 11. The wireless signal receiving unit 21 then detects the radio wave intensity of each wireless signal and the phase difference between the wireless signals, and associates them with the terminal ID. Note that the wireless signal receiving unit 21 may receive wireless signals transmitted from the transmitting terminals 11 using, for example, an array antenna. In this case, the wireless signal receiving unit 21 is able to detect the phase difference between the wireless signals.

[0023] The distance angle estimation unit 22 estimates the distance between the user terminal 20 and the transmitting terminal 11 according to the radio wave intensity detected by the wireless signal receiving unit 21. The radio wave intensity is, for example, inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the transmitting terminal 11. In other words, the closer the distance to the transmitting terminal 11, the stronger the radio wave intensity, and conversely, the farther the distance from the transmitting terminal 11, the weaker the radio wave intensity. Using this characteristic, the distance angle estimation unit 22 estimates the distance from the transmitting terminal 11 according to the radio wave intensity.

[0024] The distance / angle estimation unit 22 also estimates the angle between the user terminal 20 and the transmitting terminal 11 based on the phase difference detected by the wireless signal receiving unit 21. For example, the distance / angle estimation unit 22 manages the installation locations of the transmitting terminals 11 and obtains the installation location of the corresponding transmitting terminal 11 based on the terminal ID included in the multiple wireless signals received by the wireless signal receiving unit 21. The distance / angle estimation unit 22 then estimates the angle at which the wireless signal arrives, i.e., the angle of arrival (AOA), from the distance and phase difference between the transmitting terminals 11 obtained from their installation locations. Note that the estimated angle is, for example, based on the horizontal direction, i.e., the direction along the ceiling surface, but may also be based on the vertical direction, i.e., the direction of gravity. Furthermore, when the wireless signal receiving unit 21 described above receives wireless signals using an array antenna, the distance / angle estimation unit 22 may estimate the angle at which the wireless signal arrives based on the phase difference of the wireless signal from the array antenna. Furthermore, as described above, if the wireless signal includes information on the transmission angle, the distance angle estimation unit 22 may estimate the angle at which the wireless signal arrives from the information on the transmission angle.

[0025] The position identification unit 23 manages the installation position of each air conditioner 10, and identifies the current position of the user terminal 20 within the floor using the distance and angle estimated by the distance / angle estimation unit 22 and the installation position of each air conditioner 10. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, the position identification unit 23 first identifies the estimated position of the user terminal 20 from the relationship between the estimated distances L1 and L2 and the estimated angles θ1 and θ2, starting from the installation position of the transmitting terminal 11. In other words, the position identification unit 23 identifies the self-position of the user terminal 20 within the floor.

[0026] 1 , the communication unit 24 performs wireless communication with the management server 30. For example, the communication unit 24 transmits location information including the current location identified by the location identification unit 23 to the management server 30. Note that the location information includes, in addition to the current location, identification information for identifying the user terminal 20 or the user who uses the user terminal 20.

[0027] The communication unit 24 also receives a floor map sent from the management server 30. As will be described later, this floor map includes the locations of users present on the floor and appropriately processed personal information of the users. Note that users present on the floor are called present users.

[0028] The display unit 25 displays various information sent from the management server 30. For example, the display unit 25 displays a floor map sent from the management server 30.

[0029] The management server 30 is, for example, a server computer, and generates a floor map including the location of each user on the floor and personal information of each user. The management server 30 then processes the user's personal information included in the floor map as appropriate and transmits the processed floor map to the user terminal 20. The management server 30 also sends commands to the corresponding air conditioner 10 according to the user's location on the floor, thereby controlling the air-conditioning environment on the floor. Details of the management server 30 will be described below with reference to FIG. 3.

[0030] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management server 30 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, the management server 30 includes a storage unit 31, a control unit 32, and a communication unit 33 which is an example of a receiving unit and a transmitting unit.

[0031] The storage unit 31 stores, for example, user affiliation information 311 , disclosure setting information 312 , and floor information 313 .

[0032] The user affiliation information 311 is information about the company organization to which each user belongs. For example, the user affiliation information 311 includes information such as that shown in FIG. 4. In the user affiliation information 311 in FIG. 4, each user is identified by a value obtained by concatenating a company ID and a user ID. In addition, the user affiliation information 311 in FIG. 4 shows a case in which a display name (last name) is included as an example of the user's personal information. However, in addition to this, the user affiliation information 311 may also include the user's full name, including the given name, and an email address as personal information. In addition, affiliation 1, 2, etc. may also be included in the user's personal information.

[0033] 3, the disclosure setting information 312 is information indicating whether personal information of users belonging to a company organization is to be disclosed between the company organizations. For example, the disclosure setting information 312 includes information such as that shown in FIG. 5. The disclosure setting information 312 in FIG. 5 specifies that personal information of users belonging to the company organizations can be mutually disclosed between the company organizations indicated by the company IDs "AA0001" and "AB0001."

[0034] Returning to FIG. 3, the floor information 313 is information relating to the floor on which the air conditioner 10 is installed, and includes, for example, information on the layout of the floor and the arrangement of desks, chairs, etc. on the floor.

[0035] The control unit 32 includes an identification unit 321, which is an example of an identification means, a generation unit 322, which is an example of a generation means, a processing unit 323, which is an example of a processing means, and a command unit 324. The computer that constitutes the management server 30 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), and an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or solid state drive (SSD). In the management server 30, for example, the CPU uses the RAM as work memory and executes programs stored in the ROM or the auxiliary storage device, thereby realizing the identification unit 321, generation unit 322, processing unit 323, and command unit 324.

[0036] When the communication unit 33 receives location information sent from the user terminal 20, the identification unit 321 collects the received location information and identifies each user's location within the floor, each user's personal information, and the company organization to which each user belongs.

[0037] For example, the identification unit 321 collects location information sent from the user terminal 20 via the communication unit 33. Then, the identification unit 321 identifies the location of each user within the floor according to the collected location information. Furthermore, the identification unit 321 acquires the display name of each user and the company ID to which each user belongs by referring to the user affiliation information 311 shown in FIG. 4 described above, based on, for example, identification information for identifying the user, which is included in the collected location information.

[0038] Based on the positions and personal information identified by the identification unit 321, the generation unit 322 generates a floor map in which the positions of each user within the floor and the personal information of each user are superimposed on a map showing the floor.

[0039] For example, the generation unit 322 generates a floor map MP1 as shown in FIG. 6. This floor map MP1 shows, as an example, a case where three users exist on a floor. For convenience, the following description will refer to the first user as U1, the second user as U2, and the third user as U3. That is, the positions of users U1 to U3 are indicated by icons IC, respectively. The display names (surnames) of users U1 to U3 are indicated by personal information PI1 to PI3.

[0040] Returning to Figure 3, the processing unit 323 processes the personal information of the floor map generated by the generation unit 322 based on the organization identified by the identification unit 321 described above and the disclosure setting information 312 as shown in Figure 5 described above.

[0041] That is, the processing unit 323 processes the personal information of the floor map based on each user present on the floor. For example, when user U1 is used as the reference, user U2 belongs to an organization with the same company ID, and therefore is permitted to disclose his / her personal information. On the other hand, user U3 belongs to an organization with a different company ID, and is not the organization for which mutual disclosure between organizations is permitted in the disclosure setting information 312, and therefore is prohibited from disclosing his / her personal information. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7A, the processing unit 323 processes user U3's personal information PI3 into, for example, a pseudonym (temporary name) such as "A." The processed floor map MP2 shown in FIG. 7A is transmitted to the user terminal 20 of user U1. Note that even when user U2 is used as the reference, the processing unit 323 performs the same processing, and therefore the floor map MP2 shown in FIG. 7A is also transmitted to the user terminal 20 of user U2.

[0042] Furthermore, when user U3 is used as a reference, users U1 and U2 belong to organizations with different company IDs, and the disclosure setting information 312 does not permit mutual disclosure between organizations, so disclosure of personal information is prohibited for these users. Therefore, the processing unit 323 processes the personal information PI1 and PI2 of users U1 and U2 into pseudonyms such as "A" and "B," as shown in Figure 7B. The processed floor map MP3 shown in Figure 7B is transmitted to the user terminal 20 of user U3.

[0043] It should be noted that, as shown in Figures 7A and 7B above, the processing unit 323 has been described as processing personal information of a subject whose disclosure is prohibited into pseudonyms such as "A" and "B," but it may also be processed into other information.

[0044] For example, the processing unit 323 may process the personal information of the subject whose disclosure is prohibited into a surname randomly selected from among real surnames, excluding the original surname. Specifically, when using user U1 as a reference, the processing unit 323 processes the personal information PI3 of user U3 into a different surname, such as "Ito," as shown in FIG. 8A. The processed floor map MP4 shown in FIG. 8A is transmitted to the user terminal 20 of user U1.

[0045] In addition, the processing unit 323 may delete personal information that is prohibited from disclosure. Specifically, when user U1 is used as a reference, the processing unit 323 deletes personal information PI3 of user U3, as shown in FIG. 8B. In other words, for user U3, the processing is performed so that only the location is indicated by an icon. Such a processed floor map MP5 shown in FIG. 8B is transmitted to the user terminal 20 of user U1.

[0046] 3 , the command unit 324 issues a command to the corresponding air conditioner 10 according to the location of each user identified by the above-mentioned identification unit 321. For example, the command unit 324 issues a command to the air conditioner 10 in an area where no user is present to stop operation or to reduce the air conditioning load of the air conditioner 10.

[0047] The communication unit 33 performs wireless communication between the air conditioner 10 and the user terminal 20. For example, the communication unit 33 receives location information sent from the user terminal 20. The communication unit 33 also transmits commands from the command unit 324 to the target air conditioner 10.

[0048] Furthermore, the communication unit 33 transmits the floor map processed by the processing unit 323 to the user terminal 20. For example, the communication unit 33 transmits a floor map MP2, in which the processing unit 323 has processed personal information based on user U1, to the user terminal 20 of user U1. In this case, the user terminal 20 of user U1 displays a floor map MP2 as shown in FIG. 9A. In other words, from this floor map MP2, user U1 can clearly determine the location of himself (Mr. Sato) and Mr. Suzuki, who belongs to an organization with the same company ID. He can also determine the location of a user with a pseudonym, Mr. A, who is thought to be from a different company.

[0049] Meanwhile, the communication unit 33 transmits the floor map MP3, in which the processing unit 323 has processed the personal information based on user U3, to the user terminal 20 of user U3. In this case, the user terminal 20 of user U3 displays the floor map MP3 as shown in FIG. 9B. In other words, user U3 can clearly determine his own location (Mr. Tanaka) from this floor map MP3. He can also determine the locations of users with pseudonyms "A" and "B," who are thought to be from different companies.

[0050] In this way, the management server 30 can present to each user terminal 20 a floor map that appropriately protects privacy.

[0051] The operation of the air conditioning system 1 having such a configuration will be described below with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a presentation process executed by the management server 30. The presentation process in Fig. 10 is repeatedly executed at regular intervals.

[0052] First, the management server 30 receives the location information sent from each user terminal 20 (step S101). That is, the communication unit 33 receives the location information sent from the user terminal 20 used by each user present on the floor. Note that step S101 is an example of a receiving step.

[0053] The management server 30 identifies the location, personal information, and organization to which each user belongs (step S102). That is, the identification unit 321 collects the location information received in step S101 and identifies the location, personal information, and organization to which each user belongs within the floor.

[0054] For example, the identification unit 321 identifies the location of each user within a floor according to the collected location information. Furthermore, the identification unit 321 acquires the display name of each user and the company ID to which each user belongs by referring to the user affiliation information 311 shown in FIG. 4 based on, for example, identification information for identifying the user, which is included in the collected location information. Note that step S102 is an example of an identification step.

[0055] The management server 30 generates a floor map on which the position and personal information of each user are superimposed (step S103). That is, the generation unit 322 generates a floor map on which the position of each user within the floor and the personal information of each user are superimposed on a map showing the floor, based on the position and personal information identified in the above-mentioned step S102.

[0056] For example, the generating unit 322 generates a floor map MP1 as shown in Fig. 6. Note that step S103 as described above is an example of a generating step.

[0057] The management server 30 sets the initial value of 1 to a variable n for counting the number of users present on the floor (step S104).

[0058] The management server 30 processes the personal information of the floor map based on the n-th user (step S105). That is, the processing unit 323 processes the personal information of the floor map generated in step S103 based on the organization identified in step S102 and the disclosure setting information 312 shown in FIG. 5.

[0059] For example, when the first user U1 is used as the reference, the processing unit 323 processes the personal information PI3 of user U3 into, for example, the pseudonym "A," as shown in Figure 7A. In other words, when user U1 is used as the reference, user U2 belongs to an organization with the same company ID, so the processing unit 323 does not process the personal information of user U2. On the other hand, user U3 belongs to an organization with a different company ID, and is different from the organization for which mutual disclosure between organizations is permitted in the disclosure setting information 312, so the processing unit 323 processes the personal information of user U3.

[0060] Furthermore, when the third user U3 is used as the reference, for example, the processing unit 323 processes the personal information PI1 and PI2 of users U1 and U2 into pseudonyms such as "A" and "B," as shown in FIG. 7B. In other words, when user U3 is used as the reference, users U1 and U2 belong to organizations with different company IDs, and the disclosure setting information 312 does not permit mutual disclosure between organizations, so the processing unit 323 processes the personal information of users U1 and U2. Note that step S105 is an example of a processing step.

[0061] The management server 30 transmits the processed floor map to the user terminal 20 of the n-th user (step S106). That is, the communication unit 33 transmits the floor map processed in step S105 to the target user terminal 20.

[0062] For example, in step S105, the communication unit 33 transmits a floor map MP2 in which personal information has been processed based on the first user U1 to the user terminal 20 of user U1. In this case, the user terminal 20 of user U1 will display the floor map MP2 as shown in FIG. 9A. In addition, in step S105, the communication unit 33 transmits a floor map MP3 in which personal information has been processed based on the third user U3 to the user terminal 20 of user U3. In this case, the user terminal 20 of user U3 will display the floor map MP3 as shown in FIG. 9B. Note that step S106 is an example of a transmission step.

[0063] The management server 30 determines whether transmission to all users has been completed (step S107). That is, the control unit 32 determines whether the processed floor map has been sent to the user terminals 20 of all users present on the floor.

[0064] If the management server 30 determines that transmission to all users has not been completed (step S107; No), it adds 1 to the variable n (step S108) and returns the process to step S105 described above.

[0065] On the other hand, if it is determined that transmission to all users has been completed (step S107; Yes), the management server 30 ends the presentation process.

[0066] Through this presentation process, a floor map with appropriately processed personal information is presented to each user terminal 20. In other words, on the floor map, users who belong to organizations with the same company ID or who belong to organizations that have been set to disclose personal information can clearly understand each other's locations on the floor from the unprocessed personal information. On the other hand, for other users, even though the personal information has been processed, the location of the user can be understood.

[0067] As a result, a floor map that appropriately protects privacy can be presented to the user terminal.

[0068] (Embodiment 2) In the above embodiment 1, we have described a case where the disclosure setting information 312 as shown in Figure 5 is used to set whether or not to disclose personal information of users belonging to an organization between organizations.However, other information may be added to the disclosure setting information 312 so that the disclosure range can be further set.

[0069] Hereinafter, an air conditioning system 1 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, which is characterized in that the disclosure range can be further set, will be described. The configuration of the air conditioning system 1 according to the second embodiment is the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

[0070] Nevertheless, the storage unit 31 of the management server 30 stores the disclosure setting information 312 as shown in Fig. 11. The disclosure setting information 312 shown in Fig. 11 has a disclosure range added to the disclosure setting information 312 shown in Fig. 5.

[0071] The disclosure range included in the disclosure setting information 312 in Fig. 11 specifies the extent to which personal information is to be disclosed. For example, the disclosure range for a company ID of "AA0001" specifies that "Affiliation 2" in addition to the "Display Name" in the user affiliation information 311 in Fig. 4 is to be disclosed to users who belong to the same company ID "AA0001."

[0072] Then, the processing unit 323 of the management server 30 processes the personal information of the floor map generated by the generation unit 322 based on the organization identified by the identification unit 321 and the disclosure setting information 312 shown in FIG.

[0073] For example, if user U1 is used as the reference, user U2 is also permitted to disclose personal information because they belong to an organization with the same company ID. Therefore, the processing unit 323 references the disclosure scope in the disclosure setting information 312 shown in FIG. 11 and the user affiliation information 311 shown in FIG. 4 and adds information according to the disclosure scope to the personal information of users permitted to disclose. That is, as shown in FIG. 12, the processing unit 323 adds affiliation 2 (section name) to the personal information PI1 and PI2 of users U1 and U2, respectively. Furthermore, as in the first embodiment, the processing unit 323 processes the personal information PI3 of user U3 into a pseudonym, for example, "A." The processed floor map MP6 shown in FIG. 12 is then transmitted to user U1's user terminal 20.

[0074] 11 has been described in connection with the case where the disclosure range of the disclosure setting information 312 is expanded, but the disclosure range may also be set to narrow the disclosure range. In this case, the processing unit 323 references the disclosure range in the disclosure setting information 312 and deletes information that is not included in the disclosure range from the personal information of the user for whom disclosure is permitted. For example, if the disclosure range of the disclosure setting information 312 is set to disclose up to the first character of the display name, the processing unit 323 deletes the information from the second character onward from the personal information of the user for whom disclosure is permitted.

[0075] In this way, the management server 30 of embodiment 2 can also process the personal information of users who have been permitted to disclose information depending on the scope of disclosure, and can therefore present floor maps that appropriately protect privacy to each user terminal 20.

[0076] (Other embodiments) In the above embodiments 1 and 2, we have described the case where personal information contained in a floor map is processed based on disclosure setting information 312 as shown in Figures 5 and 11, but it is also possible to allow users to register disclosure setting information individually.

[0077] For example, when the management server 30 receives disclosure setting information registered from the user terminal 20, it associates it with the user and stores it in the storage unit 31. Then, when processing personal information on a floor map using a user as a criterion, if disclosure setting information associated with the user as a criterion is stored in the storage unit 31, the processing unit 323 of the management server 30 processes the personal information on the floor map based on the disclosure setting information.

[0078] In addition, in the above-described first and second embodiments, a company organization has been described as an example of the organization to which the user belongs, but the organization to which the user belongs is not limited to such a company organization, and the present invention can be applied appropriately to other organizations. For example, even when multiple student users from different schools use a floor, a floor map that appropriately protects privacy can be presented on the user terminal.

[0079] In addition, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the air conditioning system 1 has been described as an example of an equipment system that controls equipment, but the present disclosure can also be applied to equipment systems that control other equipment. For example, the present disclosure can also be applied as appropriate to a lighting system that controls lighting equipment as equipment, and a ventilation system that controls a ventilation device as equipment.

[0080] In the above-described first and second embodiments, the CPU of the management server 30 uses RAM as a work memory and appropriately executes control programs stored in ROM to realize the identification unit 321, generation unit 322, processing unit 323, and command unit 324. However, all or part of these components may be realized by dedicated hardware. Examples of dedicated hardware include a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof.

[0081] In addition, the above control program can also be stored on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a Magneto-Optical Disc, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, a memory card, or a HDD and distributed.

[0082] In a configuration in which such a control program is executed by a device separate from the management server 30, the distributed program can be installed on a specific or general-purpose computer, allowing that computer to function as the management server 30. The control program may also be stored in a disk device owned by another server on the Internet, and the control program may be downloaded from that server to the control device.

[0083] The present disclosure allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the disclosure. That is, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the scope equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0084] The present disclosure can be suitably adopted in a management server, an equipment system, a presentation method, and a program that can present a floor map that appropriately protects privacy to a user terminal.

[0085] 1 Air conditioning system, 10 Air conditioner, 11 Transmission terminal, 12 Temperature sensor, 13 Air conditioning control unit, 111 Wireless signal transmission unit, 20 User terminal, 21 Wireless signal reception unit, 22 Distance angle estimation unit, 23 Position identification unit, 24 Communication unit, 25 Display unit, 30 Management server, 31 Storage unit, 311 User affiliation information, 312 Disclosure setting information, 313 Floor information, 32 Control unit, 321 Identification unit, 322 Generation unit, 323 Processing unit, 324 Command unit, 33 Communication unit

Claims

1. A management server that controls a plurality of equipment devices installed on a floor, comprising: a receiving means for receiving location information sent from a user terminal used by a present user present on the floor; an identifying means for collecting the location information received by the receiving means and identifying the location of each present user on the floor, personal information of each present user, and the organization to which each present user belongs; a generating means for generating a floor map in which the location of each present user on the floor and the personal information of each present user are superimposed on a map showing the floor based on the location and personal information identified by the identifying means; a processing means for processing the personal information of the floor map generated by the generating means based on the organization identified by the identifying means and a disclosure setting indicating whether personal information of users belonging to the organization is to be disclosed between organizations; and a transmitting means for transmitting the floor map processed by the processing means to the user terminal used by each present user.

2. The management server described in claim 1, wherein the processing means processes the personal information of the floor map based on each of the present users, and the transmission means transmits the floor map processed based on the present users to the user terminals used by the present users used by the processing means as a reference.

3. The management server according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing means processes the personal information of the existing users, whose personal information has been set not to be disclosed according to the disclosure setting, into different information.

4. The management server according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing means deletes the personal information of the existing users whose personal information has been set not to be disclosed according to the disclosure setting.

5. A management server as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the disclosure setting further sets a disclosure range in the case of disclosing personal information, and the processing means adds information in accordance with the disclosure range to the personal information of the existing user set to disclose personal information, or deletes information not included in the disclosure range from the personal information of the existing user.

6. The management server according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the receiving means receives the location information including identification information for identifying the user terminal or the present user.

7. An equipment system comprising a plurality of equipment devices installed on a floor, a user terminal used by a user, and a management server, wherein the user terminal comprises: a location identification means for identifying its own location; an information transmission means for transmitting location information indicating the user's own location identified by the location identification means to the management server; an information receiving means for receiving information sent from the management server; and a display means for displaying the information received by the information receiving means, and the management server comprises: a receiving means for receiving location information sent from the user terminal used by a present user present on the floor; an identification means for collecting the location information received by the receiving means and identifying the location of each present user on the floor, personal information of each present user, and the organization to which each present user belongs, and a generation means for generating a floor map in which the location of each present user on the floor and the personal information of each present user are superimposed on a map indicating the floor, based on the location and personal information identified by the identification means; An equipment system comprising: a processing means for processing the personal information on the floor map generated by the generation means based on the organization identified by the identification means and a disclosure setting indicating whether or not personal information of users belonging to the organization will be disclosed between the organizations; and a transmission means for transmitting the floor map processed by the processing means to each of the user terminals used by each of the present users.

8. A presentation method executed by a management server that controls multiple equipment devices installed on a floor, comprising: a receiving step of receiving location information sent from a user terminal used by a present user present on the floor; an identifying step of collecting the location information received in the receiving step and identifying the location of each present user on the floor, personal information of each present user, and the organization to which each present user belongs; a generating step of generating a floor map in which the location of each present user on the floor and the personal information of each present user are superimposed on a map showing the floor based on the location and personal information identified in the identifying step; a processing step of processing the personal information of the floor map generated in the generating step based on the organization identified in the identifying step and a disclosure setting indicating whether personal information of users belonging to the organization is disclosed between organizations; and a transmitting step of transmitting the floor map processed in the processing step to the user terminal used by each present user.

9. A program for causing a computer that controls multiple equipment installed on a floor to execute the following steps: a receiving step for receiving location information sent from user terminals used by present users on the floor; an identifying step for collecting the location information received in the receiving step and identifying the location of each present user on the floor, personal information of each present user, and the organization to which each present user belongs; a generating step for generating a floor map in which the location of each present user on the floor and the personal information of each present user are superimposed on a map showing the floor based on the locations and personal information identified in the identifying step; a processing step for processing the personal information of the floor map generated in the generating step based on the organization identified in the identifying step and a disclosure setting indicating whether personal information of users belonging to the organization will be disclosed between organizations; and a transmitting step for transmitting the floor map processed in the processing step to the user terminals used by each present user.

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