Environment information management device, environment information management system, environment information management method, and program

Abstract

An inference data acquisition unit (5073) acquires: state information indicating the state of a user present in one of a plurality of areas obtained by subdividing an air-conditioned space to be air-conditioned by one or more air conditioners; and area environment information including information on the temperature of the area where the user is present. An inference unit (5074) infers demand information pertaining to the user from the state information and area environment information acquired by the inference data acquisition unit (5073) by using a trained model for inferring demand information, which includes temperature information indicating a temperature that a user demands in an air-conditioned space, from state information and area environment information. A notification unit notifies the user of an area with area environment information that satisfies the demand information inferred by the inference unit (5074).

Description

Environmental information management device, environmental information management system, environmental information management method and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an environmental information management device, an environmental information management system, an environmental information management method, and a program.

[0002] A system is known that receives requests for environmental settings of an air-conditioned space from users present in the space, and controls the air conditioner based on the received requests. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that receives environmental setting requests from users in multiple rooms and sets the air conditioner to approximate the multiple received requests.

[0003] International Publication No. 2019 / 003584

[0004] The above-described technology controls an air conditioner based on the environmental setting requests of multiple users. Therefore, if the environmental settings requested by the multiple users vary significantly, it is difficult to set the air conditioner in a way that satisfies all of the multiple users. Meanwhile, in properties such as offices and homes, there are multiple areas that are air-conditioned by multiple air conditioners with different environmental settings. Therefore, if it were possible to propose areas that are air-conditioned with environmental settings close to the environmental settings requested by each user, it would be possible to provide an air-conditioned space that satisfies each user. However, each user must input the environmental settings they request.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an environmental information management device, an environmental information management system, an environmental information management method, and a program that are capable of automatically determining user requirements and proposing areas of air-conditioned space that meet the user requirements.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the environmental information management device of the present disclosure comprises: a first data acquisition means for acquiring status information indicating the status of a user present in one of a plurality of areas obtained by dividing an air-conditioned space that is air-conditioned by one or more air conditioners, and area environmental information including temperature information of the area in which the user is present; an inference means for inferring the user's requested information from the status information and area environmental information acquired by the first data acquisition means using a trained model for inferring request information including temperature information indicating the temperature the user requests in the air-conditioned space from the status information and area environmental information; and a notification means for notifying the user of an area having the area environmental information that satisfies the request information inferred by the inference means.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an environmental information management device, an environmental information management system, an environmental information management method, and a program that are capable of automatically determining user requirements and proposing areas of air-conditioned space that meet the user requirements.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an environmental information management system according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an information processing device according to an embodiment; FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an environmental information management system according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a processing unit according to an embodiment; FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example of a location information table according to an embodiment; FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a request information table according to an embodiment; FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a collection information table according to an embodiment;

[0009] (Embodiment) An environmental information management system 1 according to an embodiment is a system for managing environmental information of an air-conditioned space that is air-conditioned by an air conditioner. As shown in Fig. 1 , the environmental information management system 1 includes one or more air conditioners 100, one or more sensors 200-1 installed in the air-conditioned space that is air-conditioned by the air conditioner 100, one or more sensors 200-2 installed outside the air-conditioned space, one or more transmitters 300 installed in the air-conditioned space, a wireless terminal 400 carried by a user, an environmental information management device 500 that manages environmental information, and a property information management device 600 that manages information on a property that includes the air-conditioned space.

[0010] The air conditioner 100 is an electrical device that conditions the air conditioning target space within a property. Examples of the property include an office building, a commercial facility, and a residence. The air conditioned space is, for example, an indoor space within the property, and is divided into multiple areas A1 to AN (N is a natural number greater than or equal to 1). At least one air conditioner 100 is installed in each area. The air conditioner 100 operates in accordance with control signals from a remote control, a panel installed in the air conditioned space, an app installed on the user's wireless terminal 400, or the like.

[0011] Sensor 200-1 is a sensor for acquiring environmental information about the air-conditioned space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioner 100 and status information indicating the status of a user present in the air-conditioned space, and is, for example, a temperature sensor, humidity sensor, solar radiation sensor, air volume sensor, vital sensor, etc. The temperature sensor is, for example, installed on a desk in each area. The vital sensor is a device that acquires vital information indicating the user's vital signs by non-contact measuring vital signs such as body temperature, pulse rate, and heart rate. Sensor 200-2 is a sensor for acquiring environmental information outside the air-conditioned space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioner 100, and is, for example, a temperature sensor.

[0012] At least one transmitter 300 is installed in each area. The transmitter 300 periodically transmits a wireless signal indicating identification information for identifying itself. Here, "periodically" refers to repeatedly executing a predetermined process, and the execution interval is not limited to a fixed interval. The interval is arbitrarily determined by the administrator of the environmental information management device 500. The interval may be set according to a predetermined rule, or may be set to an irregular value.

[0013] The wireless terminal 400 is a terminal carried by a user present in the air-conditioned space, such as a smartphone or tablet terminal. The wireless terminal 400 is communicably connected to the environmental information management device 500. An application for notifying the user of environmental information about the air-conditioned space is installed in the wireless terminal 400. Hereinafter, this application will be referred to as the "notification app." The notification app detects the position of the wireless terminal 400 through wireless communication with the transmitter 300, and transmits information indicating the detected position and information identifying the user of the wireless terminal 400 to the environmental information management device 500. Note that the notification app may also be capable of controlling the air conditioner 100.

[0014] The environmental information management device 500 is a device that manages environmental information of an air-conditioned space that is air-conditioned by the air conditioner 100. The environmental information management device 500 is communicably connected to the air conditioner 100, sensors 200-1 and 200-2, wireless terminal 400, and property information management device 600. The environmental information of the air-conditioned space is information about the environment of the air-conditioned space, and includes information acquired from the air conditioner 100, sensors 200-1 and 200-2, wireless terminal 400, and property information management device 600.

[0015] The property information management device 600 is a device that manages property information related to a property including an air-conditioned space, and is communicatively connected to the environmental information management device 500. The property information includes information indicating the range of each area using x and y coordinates, information indicating the size of each area, information on the location and number of windows in each area, information on the installation location of transmitters in the property, etc.

[0016] Next, the hardware configuration of the information processing device 10 in which the wireless terminal 400 and the environmental information management device 500 are realized will be described with reference to FIG.

[0017] The information processing device 10 has a processor 11 that executes various processes, a main memory unit 12 used as a work area for the processor 11, an auxiliary memory unit 13 that stores various data used in the processes of the processor 11, a communication unit 14 for communicating with external devices, an input unit 15 that acquires input information, and an output unit 16 that presents various information. The main memory unit 12, the auxiliary memory unit 13, the communication unit 14, the input unit 15, and the output unit 16 are all connected to the processor 11 via a bus 17.

[0018] The processor 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 11 executes programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit 13 to realize various functions of the information processing device 10.

[0019] The main memory unit 12 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory). Programs are loaded into the main memory unit 12 from the auxiliary memory unit 13. The main memory unit 12 is used as a working area for the processor 11.

[0020] The auxiliary storage unit 13 includes a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). In addition to programs, the auxiliary storage unit 13 stores various data used in the processing of the processor 11. In accordance with instructions from the processor 11, the auxiliary storage unit 13 supplies the processor 11 with data used by the processor 11 and stores the data supplied from the processor 11.

[0021] The communication unit 14 includes a network interface circuit for communicating with an external device. The communication unit 14 receives a signal from the external device and outputs data indicated by the signal to the processor 11. The communication unit 14 also transmits a signal indicating the data output from the processor 11 to the external device.

[0022] The input unit 15 includes input devices such as input keys, a pointing device, etc. The input unit 15 acquires information input by the user of the information processing device 10 and notifies the processor 11 of the acquired information.

[0023] The output unit 16 includes output devices such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and a speaker. The output unit 16 may be configured as a touch screen integrally formed with a pointing device constituting the input unit 15. The output unit 16 presents various information to the user in accordance with instructions from the processor 11.

[0024] Next, the functions of the environmental information management system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0025] Functionally, wireless terminal 400 includes a wireless signal receiving unit 401 that receives a signal from transmitter 300, a position detecting unit 402 that detects the position of wireless terminal 400 based on the received wireless signal, a memory unit 403 that stores transmitter information related to transmitter 300, a position information transmitting unit 404 that transmits position information indicating the detected position to environmental information managing device 500, a transmitter information receiving unit 405 that receives transmitter information from environmental information managing device 500, and a display unit 406 that receives information related to the area from environmental information managing device 500. The functions of wireless signal receiving unit 401, position detecting unit 402, memory unit 403, position information transmitting unit 404, transmitter information receiving unit 405, and display unit 406 are realized by a notification app.

[0026] Functionally, the environmental information management device 500 comprises a location information receiving unit 501 that receives location information from the wireless terminal 400, a memory unit 502 that stores various information, a request information receiving unit 503 that receives request information from the user, an area environment information collecting unit 504 that collects area environment information, an external environment information collecting unit 505 that collects external environment information, a control information collecting unit 506 that collects control information of the air conditioner 100, a processing unit 507 that performs various processes such as generating a trained model for inferring the request information and inferring the request information, a notification unit 508 that notifies the user of the inferred request information, a transmitter information transmitting unit 509 that transmits transmitter information to the wireless terminal 400, and a property information receiving unit 510 that receives property information from the property information management device 600.

[0027] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the processing unit 507 includes a learning data acquisition unit 5071 that acquires learning data, a model generation unit 5072 that generates a trained model from the learning data, an inference data acquisition unit 5073 that acquires inference data, an inference unit 5074 that inputs the inference data into the trained model and performs inference, an update unit 5075 that updates request information, an indoor load information calculation unit 5076 that calculates indoor load information, an estimation unit 5077 that estimates future area environment information, and a presence area identification unit 5078 that identifies the area in which the user is present.

[0028] First, the functions of the wireless terminal 400 will be described.

[0029] The wireless signal receiving unit 401 receives wireless signals transmitted from transmitters 300 installed in the area. The wireless signal receiving unit 401 extracts, from the received wireless signal, transmitter identification information for identifying the transmitter 300 that transmitted the received wireless signal. Furthermore, when receiving a wireless signal transmitted from the transmitter 300, the wireless signal receiving unit 401 measures the radio wave intensity of the wireless signal and extracts radio wave intensity information indicating the measured radio wave intensity. The wireless signal receiving unit 401 supplies the extracted transmitter identification information and the acquired radio wave intensity information to the position detection unit 402. The wireless signal receiving unit 401 is realized by cooperation between the processor 11 and the communication unit 14.

[0030] For example, when the wireless signal receiving unit 401 receives a wireless signal from a transmitter 300-A1 installed in area A1 of the air-conditioned space, it acquires the transmitter identification information of the transmitter 300-A1 from the wireless signal, measures the radio wave strength of the wireless signal from the transmitter 300-A1, and supplies the transmitter identification information of the transmitter 300-A1 and radio wave strength information indicating the measured radio wave strength to the position detection unit 402.

[0031] The position detection unit 402 detects the position of the wireless terminal 400 based on information acquired through wireless communication between the wireless terminal 400 carried by a user present in the air-conditioned space and the transmitter 300. The position detection unit 402 is realized by the processor 11. The position detection unit 402 is an example of a position detection means.

[0032] The information acquired through wireless communication between the wireless terminal 400 and the transmitter 300 is, for example, transmitter identification information and radio wave intensity information supplied from the wireless signal receiving unit 401 .

[0033] For example, the position detection unit 402 detects the position of the wireless terminal 400 based on the transmitter identification information, the radio wave intensity information, and installation position information that indicates the installation position of the transmitter 300 in the air-conditioned space and that is stored in the storage unit 403. As will be described later, the installation position information is information included in the transmitter information, which is received by the transmitter information receiving unit 405 and stored in the storage unit 403. Specifically, the position detection unit 402 detects the position of the wireless terminal 400 by the principle of triangulation based on the radio wave intensity indicated by the supplied radio wave intensity information and the installation position of the transmitter 300 indicated by the installation position information associated with the supplied transmitter identification information. Here, the detected position is represented by x- and y-coordinates on a plane of the air-conditioned space.

[0034] The storage unit 403 stores the transmitter information received by the transmitter information receiving unit 405 and user identification information for identifying the user who uses the wireless terminal. The storage unit 403 is realized by the auxiliary storage unit 13.

[0035] The transmitter information is information that includes transmitter identification information and installation location information in association with each other, and is information that is acquired from property information by the environmental information management device 500 and stored in the storage unit 502. For example, the transmitter information includes transmitter identification information of the transmitters 300-A1 to AN installed in the areas A1 to AN of the air-conditioned space, and installation location information indicated by x and y coordinates that indicate the positions of the transmitters 300-A1 to AN in the air-conditioned space.

[0036] The user identification information is registered in advance by the user of wireless terminal 400. For example, the identifier "U1" is stored as user identification information in storage unit 403 of wireless terminal 400-1 owned by user "U1."

[0037] The position information transmitting unit 404 transmits position information indicating the position of the wireless terminal 400 detected by the position detecting unit 402 as position information indicating the position of the user to the environmental information managing device 500. The position information transmitting unit 404 also transmits, to the environmental information managing device 500, time information indicating the time when the position detecting unit 402 detected the position of the transmitter 300 and user identification information of the user of the wireless terminal 400, in association with the position information. The position information transmitting unit 404 is realized by cooperation between the processor 11 and the communication unit 14.

[0038] For example, the location information transmission unit 404 transmits to the environmental information management device 500 location information “[x1, y1]” indicating the location of the wireless terminal 400-1, time information “2023 / 08 / 01 9:00:00”, and user identification information “U1” of the user “U1” of the wireless terminal 400-1.

[0039] The transmitter information receiving unit 405 receives and acquires the transmitter information from the environmental information management device 500, and stores the acquired transmitter information in the storage unit 403. The transmitter information receiving unit 405 may acquire the transmitter information at any timing. The transmitter information receiving unit 405 is realized by the processor 11 and the communication unit 14 working together.

[0040] For example, when the notification app is launched, the transmitter information receiving unit 405 transmits a request to acquire transmitter information to the environmental information management device 500 and receives a response including the transmitter information from the environmental information management device 500. Alternatively, the transmitter information receiving unit 405 transmits a request to acquire transmitter information to the environmental information management device 500 in accordance with a user operation. Then, the transmitter information receiving unit 405 stores the transmitter information included in the response received from the environmental information management device 500 in the storage unit 403.

[0041] The display unit 406 displays the information received from the environmental information management device 500. The display unit 406 is realized by the processor 11 and the output unit 16 working together.

[0042] For example, the display unit 406 displays information about the proposed area received from the environmental information management device 500, or information indicating that the inferred request information differs from the accepted request information, as described below.

[0043] Next, the functions of the environmental information management device 500 will be described.

[0044] The location information receiving unit 501 receives location information indicating the location of a user in the air-conditioned space from a wireless terminal 400 carried by a user present in the air-conditioned space. The location information receiving unit 501 then stores the received location information in the storage unit 502. The location information receiving unit 501 is realized by the processor 11 and the communication unit 14 working together. The storage unit 502 is realized by the auxiliary storage unit 13. The location information receiving unit 501 is an example of a location information receiving means.

[0045] For example, the location information receiving unit 501 receives location information “[x1, y1]” indicating the location of the wireless terminal 400-1, time information “2023 / 08 / 01 9:00:00”, and user identification information “U1” of the user “U1” of the wireless terminal 400-1, and stores the received location information, time information, and user identification information in the memory unit 502.

[0046] Fig. 5 shows an example of a location information table containing location information stored in the storage unit 502. The location information table in Fig. 5 associates and registers time information, user identification information, location information, presence area information indicating the area in which the user is present as determined from the location information, and area environment information indicating the temperature of the area or operation temperature information indicating the operation temperature at which the user operates the air conditioner 100. The presence area information is registered by a presence area identification unit 5078 of the processing unit 507, which will be described later. The area environment information is registered by the area environment information collection unit 504, which will be described later, and the operation temperature is registered by the control information collection unit 506, which will be described later.

[0047] For example, the record in the first row of the location information table in Figure 5 indicates that user "U1" is present at location "[x1, y1]" at time "2023 / 08 / 01 9:00:00", the area in which user U1 is present is "area A1", and the temperature or operating temperature of the area is "28°C".

[0048] The request information receiving unit 503 receives request information from a user. The request information receiving unit 503 stores the received request information in the storage unit 502. The request information receiving unit 503 is realized by the processor 11, the communication unit 14, and the input unit 15. The request information receiving unit 503 is an example of a request information receiving means.

[0049] The request information indicates the user's requirements for the environment of the air-conditioned space and includes temperature information indicating the temperature requested by the user in the air-conditioned space. In addition to temperature information, the request information also includes at least one of congestion information indicating the congestion level requested by the user in the air-conditioned space, specific user information indicating specific users the user requests to be close to in the air-conditioned space, sunlight information indicating the sunlight requested by the user in the air-conditioned space, wind direction information indicating the wind direction requested by the user in the air-conditioned space, and humidity information indicating the humidity requested by the user in the air-conditioned space.

[0050] Temperature information is information indicating the temperature in the air-conditioned space requested by the user. Crowding level information is information indicating the degree of congestion in the air-conditioned space requested by the user, such as "crowded" or "quiet." Specific user information is information indicating other users that the user wishes to be in close proximity to, such as sitting next to, at the same table, etc., and is indicated by user identification information or user affiliation information. Sunlight information is information indicating the state of sunlight in the air-conditioned space requested by the user, such as "no sunlight" or "yes." Wind exposure information is information indicating the state of wind exposure in the air-conditioned space requested by the user, such as "no wind," "weak wind," or "strong wind." Humidity information is information indicating the humidity in the air-conditioned space requested by the user.

[0051] For example, when a user “U1” inputs request information to the environmental information management device 500 , the request information receiving unit 503 receives the request information input by the user “U1” and stores the request information in the storage unit 502 .

[0052] 6 shows an example of a request information table containing request information stored in the storage unit 502. The request information table in Fig. 6 associates and registers user identification information, affiliation information indicating the department to which the user belongs, temperature information indicating the temperature the user requests in the summer in the air-conditioned space, temperature information indicating the temperature the user requests in the winter in the air-conditioned space, congestion level information, specific user information, sunlight information, wind exposure information, humidity information, seat position information requested by the user in the air-conditioned space, and proposed area information indicating an area proposed to the user. The proposed area information is registered by the notification unit 508, which will be described later.

[0053] For example, the record in the first row of the location information table in Figure 6 indicates that user "U1" belongs to the "D1 department," desires an air-conditioned space environment with a desired temperature of "27°C" in summer and "20°C" in winter, and a congestion level of "crowded," desires a location close to other users in the "D1 department," desires an environment with "no" sunlight, "weak" wind, and "50%" humidity, and desires a seat location on the "aisle side," and indicates that "Area A2" is suggested for this type of request information.

[0054] The area environment information collecting unit 504 collects area environment information, which is information indicating the environment of an area. The area environment information includes information on the temperature of the area. The area environment information collecting unit 504 is realized by cooperation between the processor 11 and the communication unit 14. The area environment information collecting unit 504 is an example of an area environment information collecting means.

[0055] In addition to information on the temperature of the area, the area environment information includes at least one of information indicating the congestion level of the area, information indicating the distance between users, information indicating the sunlight exposure of the area, information indicating the wind exposure of the area, and information on the humidity of the area.

[0056] For example, the area environment information collection unit 504 periodically collects temperature information, humidity information, information indicating sunlight exposure, and information indicating wind exposure for areas A1 to AN of the air-conditioned space from the temperature sensor, humidity sensor, and airflow sensor included in sensor 200-1 as area environment information, and stores the collected area environment information in the storage unit 502. The area environment information collection unit 504 also periodically calculates the congestion levels of areas A1 to AN of the air-conditioned space based on the location information stored in the storage unit 502, and stores the calculated congestion levels in the storage unit 502. The congestion levels are calculated, for example, based on the number of users detected in each area and criteria set by the administrator of the environmental information management device 500. The area environment information collection unit 504 also periodically collects information indicating the distance between users based on the location information stored in the storage unit 502. The information indicating the distance between users is used to determine whether a user is in close proximity to a specific user. Furthermore, the area environment information collection unit 504 collects vital information of users present in areas A1 to AN of the air-conditioned space from the vital sensor included in the sensor 200-1, and stores the collected vital information in the memory unit 502.

[0057] The external environment information collecting unit 505 collects external environment information, which is information indicating the environment outside the air-conditioned space. The external environment information includes information on the temperature outside the air-conditioned space. The external environment information collecting unit 505 is realized by cooperation between the processor 11 and the communication unit 14. The external environment information collecting unit 505 is an example of an external environment information collecting means.

[0058] For example, the external environment information collection unit 505 periodically collects information on the temperature outside the air-conditioned space from a temperature sensor included in the sensor 200-2 as external environment information, and stores the collected external environment information in the memory unit 502.

[0059] The control information collection unit 506 collects control information of the air conditioner 100. The control information collection unit 506 is realized by cooperation between the processor 11 and the communication unit 14. The control information collection unit 506 is an example of control information collection means.

[0060] For example, the control information collection unit 506 periodically collects information indicating the operating status, information indicating the operating mode, and information indicating the airflow volume as control information from the air conditioners 100 installed in each area, and stores the collected control information in the storage unit 502. The control information collection unit 506 also periodically collects operation information from the air conditioners 100 installed in each area, which associates information indicating whether or not a manual operation has been performed by a user, and, if a user operation has been performed, user identification information of the user who performed the operation, and information indicating the operation content, including the operating temperature specified by the user. The control information collection unit 506 then executes the operating temperature registration process, which will be described later, based on the collected operation information.

[0061] FIG. 7 shows an example of a collected information table stored in the storage unit 502 and including area environment information, external environment information, and control information. Area identification information for identifying an area, area range information indicating the range of the area, area environment information, indoor load information, external environment information, control information, and future area environment information are registered in association with each other in the collected information table of FIG. 7 . The indoor load information is registered by the indoor load information calculation unit 5076 (described later), and the future area environment information is registered by the estimation unit 5077 (described later). Although not shown, the collected information table also registers information indicating sunlight exposure, information indicating wind exposure, information indicating congestion level, user operation information, and vital sign information, all of which are acquired from a solar radiation sensor. The values ​​of each piece of information included in the collected information table are the most recently registered values ​​and are periodically updated.

[0062] For example, the record in the first row of the location information table in Figure 7 indicates that the range of "Area A1" is "[x11, y11], [x12, x12], [x13, y13], [x14, y14]", the area environment information is temperature "28°C", humidity is "40%, indoor environment information is "4", outdoor environment information is outside temperature "30°C", the control information for the air conditioner 100 in "Area A1" is operating status "in operation", mode is "cooling", and airflow rate is "medium", and the estimated future area environment information is area environment information one hour from now, temperature "27°C" and humidity "40%, and area environment information two hours from now, temperature "28°C" and humidity "40%".

[0063] 4, the processing unit 507 includes multiple functional units and performs various processes such as generating a trained model for inferring request information, inferring request information, etc. The processing unit 507 is realized by cooperation between the processor 11 and the communication unit 14.

[0064] First, the learning data acquisition unit 5071 determines whether the number of pieces of location information data stored in the storage unit 502 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and if it determines that the number is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, acquires learning data, which will be described later. Here, the predetermined threshold is set arbitrarily by the administrator of the environmental information management device 500. Note that a trained model may be generated for each season, and when a trained model for each season is generated, a threshold is set for the number of pieces of data for each season.

[0065] For example, if the number of records registered in the location information table of FIG. 5 is equal to or greater than a threshold TH (for example, the number of data for three days), the learning data acquisition unit 5071 starts acquiring learning data.

[0066] The learning data acquisition unit 5071 acquires learning data including status information indicating the status of the user who was in the area, area environment information including temperature information of the area where the user was, and user request information. Note that the learning data acquisition unit 5071 is an example of a second data acquisition means.

[0067] Status information is information indicating the user's status, and includes, for example, at least one of information indicating whether the user is moving, information indicating whether the user is operating the air conditioner 100, information indicating the user's body temperature status, and information indicating the user's stress status.

[0068] For example, the learning data acquisition unit 5071 determines whether the user has moved during a period predetermined by the administrator of the environmental information management device 500 based on the location information stored in the memory unit 502, and acquires the determined content as information indicating whether the user has moved. The learning data acquisition unit 5071 also determines whether the user has operated the air conditioner 100 during a predetermined period based on the operation information stored in the memory unit 502, and acquires the determined content as information indicating whether the user has moved. The learning data acquisition unit 5071 also acquires information indicating body temperature from the vital information stored in the memory unit 502 as information indicating the user's body temperature state. The learning data acquisition unit 5071 also acquires information indicating heart rate or pulse from the vital information stored in the memory unit 502 as information indicating the user's stress state.

[0069] For example, the learning data acquisition unit 5071 acquires status information about the user "U1", and acquires area environment information corresponding to the period of the acquired status information and request information of the user "U1".

[0070] The model generation unit 5072 uses the learning data to generate a trained model for inferring request information including temperature information indicating the temperature requested by the user in the air-conditioned space from the status information and the area environment information. The model generation unit 5072 then stores the generated trained model in the storage unit 502. The model generation unit 5072 is an example of a model generation means.

[0071] Here, the learning algorithm used by the model generation unit 5072 may be a known algorithm such as supervised learning, unsupervised learning, or reinforcement learning. As an example, a case where reinforcement learning is applied will be described. In reinforcement learning, an agent (acting subject) in a certain environment observes the current state (environmental parameters) and decides on an action to take. The environment changes dynamically depending on the agent's actions, and the agent is given a reward according to the environmental changes. The agent repeats this process and learns the action course that will obtain the most reward through a series of actions. Typical reinforcement learning methods include Q-learning and TD-learning. For example, in the case of Q-learning, a general update formula for the action value function Q(s, a) is expressed by Equation 1.

[0072]

[0073] In Equation 1, st represents the state of the environment at time t, and a ｔ represents the action at time t. ｔ Therefore, the state is s ｔ＋１ It changes to r ｔ＋１ represents the reward that can be obtained depending on the change in the state, γ represents the discount rate, and α represents the learning coefficient. Note that γ is in the range of 0<γ≦1, and α is in the range of 0<α≦1. When the user's request information is action a ｔ The user's state information and the area environment information of the area where the user is present are expressed as state s ｔ and the state s at time t ｔ Best action in a ｔ Learn.

[0074] The update formula expressed by Equation 1 increases the action value Q of the action a with the highest Q value at time t+1 if it is greater than the action value Q of the action a executed at time t, and decreases the action value Q in the opposite case. In other words, the action value function Qm(s, a) is updated so that the action value Q of the action a at time t approaches the best action value at time t+1. As a result, the best action value in a certain environment is propagated sequentially to the action value in the previous environment.

[0075] Hereinafter, the model generation unit 5072 calculates the user's satisfaction level based on the user's state information and generates a trained model using reinforcement learning, which earns rewards based on improvements in the user's satisfaction level. User satisfaction indicates the degree to which the user is satisfied with the environment of the area and can be calculated based on the user's state. For example, if the user is dissatisfied with the temperature, congestion, etc. of the area in which they are located and is not satisfied with the environment of the area, they may move to another area or operate the air conditioner 100 to change the set temperature. Alternatively, if the user stays in the same area without moving, their body temperature may rise or their vital signs, such as pulse and heart rate, may become unstable. Therefore, the model generation unit 5072 calculates the user's satisfaction level based on at least one of information indicating whether the user has moved, information indicating whether the user has operated the air conditioner 100, information indicating the user's body temperature, and information indicating the user's stress level.

[0076] The model generation unit 5072 includes a remuneration calculation unit 5072-1 and a function update unit 5072-2.

[0077] The reward calculation unit 5072-1 calculates a reward based on the request information, status information, and area environment information. The reward calculation unit 5072-1 calculates a reward r based on the user's satisfaction level. For example, the reward calculation unit 5072-1 determines that the more conditions the status information satisfies, among the following conditions: the user does not move from the area, the user does not operate the air conditioner 100 in the area, the user's body temperature is within the normal range, and the user's vital information is stable, the higher the satisfaction level. Furthermore, the reward calculation unit 5072-1 determines that the more conditions the status information satisfies, among the following conditions: the user has moved from the area, the user has operated the air conditioner 100 in the area, the user's body temperature is not within the normal range, and the user's vital information is unstable, the lower the satisfaction level. For example, if the user's satisfaction level is high, the reward r is increased (for example, a reward of "1"), and on the other hand, if the user's satisfaction level is low, the reward r is decreased (for example, a reward of "-1" is given).

[0078] The function update unit 5072-2 updates the function for determining the user's request information in accordance with the reward calculated by the reward calculation unit 5072-1, and outputs the updated function to the storage unit 502. For example, in the case of Q-learning, the action value function Q(s ｔ , a ｔ ) is used as a function for calculating the user's request information.

[0079] The learning process is repeated as described above. The memory unit 502 stores the action-value function Q(s) updated by the function update unit 5072-2. ｔ , a ｔ ), i.e., the trained model is stored.

[0080] The inference data acquisition unit 5073 acquires user status information and area environment information of the area the user is in. The inference data acquisition unit 5073 is an example of a first data acquisition means or a data acquisition means.

[0081] For example, the inference data acquisition unit 5073 acquires the status information of user "U1" and the area environment information in which user "U1" is present after a predetermined time has elapsed since user "U1" entered one of areas A1 to AN of the air-conditioned space.

[0082] The inference unit 5074 uses the trained model stored in the storage unit 502 to infer user request information from the state information and area environment information acquired by the inference data acquisition unit 5073. The inference unit 5074 is an example of an inference means.

[0083] For example, the inference unit 5074 uses the learned model stored in the memory unit 502 to infer the request information of the user "U1" from the state information and area environment information of the user "U1."

[0084] If the request information inferred by the inference unit 5074 differs from the request information accepted by the request information accepting unit 503, the notification unit 508 notifies the user that the inferred request information differs from the accepted request information.

[0085] For example, suppose that the inference unit 5074 infers request information that includes temperature information that differs from the temperature information in the request information of user "U1" stored in the storage unit 502. In this case, the notification unit 508 transmits to the wireless terminal 400-1 possessed by the user "U1" the inferred request information, the request information accepted by the user "U1," information indicating that the request information differs, and information for selecting whether to approve the inferred request information. The transmitted information is then notified to the user "U1" via the notification app. That is, the display unit 406 of the wireless terminal 400-1 possessed by the user "U1" displays the transmitted information.

[0086] When the updating unit 5075 receives approval of the inferred request information from the user who has been notified of the discrepancy, the updating unit 5075 updates the request information of the approved user to the request information of the inferred user. This is an example of an updating unit.

[0087] For example, if user "U1" determines that the inferred request information matches the request information that the user desires, the user "U1" uses the notification app of wireless terminal 400-1 to transmit information indicating that the inferred request information is approved. On the other hand, if user "U1" determines that the inferred request information does not match the request information that the user desires, the user "U1" uses the notification app of wireless terminal 400-1 to transmit information indicating that the inferred request information is not approved. When update unit 5075 receives information indicating that the inferred request information is approved from wireless terminal 400-1 of user "U1," it updates the request information of user "U1" stored in storage unit 502 to the inferred request information.

[0088] Furthermore, the notification unit 508 notifies the user of an area having area environment information that satisfies the request information stored in the storage unit 502. That is, if approved by the user, the notification unit 508 notifies the user of an area having area environment information that satisfies the request information inferred by the inference unit 5074. The notification unit 508 is realized by cooperation between the processor 11 and the communication unit 14. The notification unit 508 is an example of a notification means.

[0089] For example, if the area having area environment information that satisfies the request information inferred for user "U1" is "Area A2," notification unit 508 transmits information indicating that the proposed area is "Area A2" to wireless terminal 400-1 of user "U1." In addition, notification unit 508 registers the proposed area information "Area A2" in the request information table of FIG. 6.

[0090] The indoor load information calculation unit 5076 calculates, for each area, the number of users whose location information received by the location information receiving unit 501 does not fluctuate for a predetermined period of time or more, as indoor load information that places a load on the control of the air conditioner 100. The predetermined period of time is set arbitrarily by the administrator of the environmental information management device 500. The indoor load information calculation unit 5076 is an example of indoor load information calculation means.

[0091] The indoor load information indicates the number of heat sources that impose a load on the control of the air conditioner 100. People and personal computers are assumed to be heat sources in the air-conditioned space. For example, if a user's location does not change for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 10 minutes) or more, it can be assumed that the user is working on a personal computer, and the user present at that location is considered a heat source. Furthermore, if the user's location changes within a predetermined period of time, it is assumed that the user is a mobile person, such as someone having a temporary conversation, and therefore the user whose location changes is not considered a heat source. Therefore, the indoor load information is the number of users whose location information does not change for a predetermined period of time or more.

[0092] For example, the indoor load information calculation unit 5076 refers to the location information stored in the memory unit 502, determines the number of pieces of location information that do not change for more than a predetermined time in areas A1 to AN of the air-conditioned space, and registers the determined number as indoor load information in the collected information table of Figure 7.

[0093] The estimation unit 5077 estimates future area environment information of the area based on the area environment information, the indoor load information, the outdoor environment information, and the control information. Note that the estimation unit 5077 is an example of an estimation means.

[0094] For example, the estimation unit 5077 periodically estimates future area environmental information, such as one hour or two hours from now, based on the area environmental information, indoor load information, outdoor environment information, and control information stored in the collected information table of Fig. 7. The estimation method may be any method that can estimate future area environmental information from the area environmental information, indoor load information, outdoor environment information, and control information, and for example, an estimation method using a linear / nonlinear regression model, machine learning, etc. may be adopted. The estimation unit 5077 registers the estimated future area environmental information in the collected information table of Fig. 7.

[0095] The notification unit 508 notifies the user of areas having future area environment information that satisfies the user's request information inferred by the inference unit 5074 .

[0096] For example, if the area having area environment information that satisfies the inferred requirement information for user "U1" one hour later is "Area A3," the notification unit 508 transmits information to the wireless terminal 400-1 of user "U1" indicating that the proposed area one hour later is "Area A3."

[0097] The presence area specifying unit 5078 specifies the presence area of ​​the user based on the location information.

[0098] For example, the presence area determination unit 5078 determines the presence area of ​​the user "U1" as "area A1" based on the location information "[x1, y1]" and area range information stored in the memory unit 502, and registers it in the location information table of Figure 5.

[0099] The transmitter information transmitting unit 509 transmits the transmitter information stored in the storage unit 502 to the wireless terminal 400. The transmitter information transmitting unit 509 is realized by the processor 11 and the communication unit 14 working together.

[0100] For example, when the transmitter information transmitting unit 509 receives a request to acquire transmitter information from the wireless terminal 400 , it transmits a response including the transmitter information stored in the storage unit 502 to the wireless terminal 400 .

[0101] The property information receiving unit 510 receives and acquires property information from the property information management device 600, and stores the acquired property information in the storage unit 502. The property information receiving unit 510 may acquire the property information at any timing. The property information receiving unit 510 is realized by the processor 11 and the communication unit 14 working together.

[0102] For example, when a program for managing environmental information is started in the environmental information management device 500, the property information receiving unit 510 transmits a request to acquire property information to the property information management device 600 and receives a response including the property information from the property information management device 600. Alternatively, the property information receiving unit 510 transmits a request to acquire property information to the property information management device 600 in accordance with an operation by an administrator of the environmental information management device 500.

[0103] Next, the location information transmission process executed by the wireless terminal 400 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 8. For example, when a notification application is launched by a user, the wireless terminal 400 executes the location information transmission process of Fig. 8. Note that the first time period in step S103 of Fig. 8 is arbitrarily set by the user of the wireless terminal 400, the administrator of the environmental information management device 500, or the like.

[0104] The transmitter information receiving unit 405 receives and acquires the transmitter information from the environmental information managing device 500, and stores the acquired transmitter information in the storage unit 403 (step S101).

[0105] For example, when the notification app is launched, the transmitter information receiving unit 405 transmits a request to acquire transmitter information to the environmental information management device 500 and receives a response including the transmitter information from the environmental information management device 500. The transmitter information receiving unit 405 stores the transmitter information included in the received response in the storage unit 403.

[0106] The wireless signal receiving unit 401 receives wireless signals transmitted from the transmitters 300 installed in the area, extracts transmitter identification information, and measures radio wave intensity (step S102). Next, the position detecting unit 402 determines whether a first time has elapsed since the most recent transmission of position information to the environmental information managing device 500 (step S103). If the position detecting unit 402 determines that the first time has elapsed since the most recent transmission of position information to the environmental information managing device 500 (step S103; YES), it detects the position of the wireless terminal 400 (step S104). On the other hand, if the position detecting unit 402 determines that the first time has not elapsed since the most recent transmission of position information to the environmental information managing device 500 (step S103; NO), it returns to step S102. Then, the position information transmitting unit 404 transmits to the environmental information managing device 500 the position information, time information, and user identification information detected by the position detecting unit 402, along with the time information. (step S105)

[0107] For example, suppose that the wireless signal receiving unit 401 of the wireless terminal 400-1 of user "U1" receives a wireless signal from a transmitter 300-A1 installed in "area A1" of the air-conditioned space. The wireless signal receiving unit 401 extracts the transmitter identification information of the transmitter 300-A1 from the wireless signal and measures the radio wave intensity of the wireless signal from the transmitter 300-A1. Next, if the position detecting unit 402 determines that a first time (e.g., one minute) has elapsed since the wireless terminal 400-1 most recently transmitted location information to the environmental information managing device 500, the position detecting unit 402 detects the location of the wireless terminal 400-1 based on the transmitter identification information, the radio wave intensity information, and the installation location information stored in the memory unit 403, which indicates the installation location of the transmitter 300-A1 in the air-conditioned space. On the other hand, if the position detecting unit 402 determines that the first time has not elapsed since the wireless terminal 400 most recently transmitted location information to the environmental information managing device 500, the process returns to step S102. Then, the location information transmission unit 404 transmits the location information “[x1, y1]” indicating the location of the wireless terminal 400-1, the time information “2023 / 08 / 01 9:00:00”, and the user identification information “U1” to the environmental information management device 500.

[0108] Next, a request information learning process executed by the environmental information managing device 500 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The request information learning process in Fig. 9 is executed at any timing designated by the administrator of the environmental information managing device 500.

[0109] The learning data acquisition unit 5071 determines whether the number of pieces of user location information stored in the storage unit 502 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (step S201). If the learning data acquisition unit 5071 determines that the number of pieces of user location information stored in the storage unit 502 is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold (step S201; YES), the learning data acquisition unit 5071 proceeds to step S202. On the other hand, if the learning data acquisition unit 5071 determines that the number of pieces of user location information stored in the storage unit 502 is less than the predetermined threshold (step S201; NO), the learning data acquisition unit 5071 remains on standby.

[0110] For example, if the number of records registered in the location information table in Fig. 5 is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH, the learning data acquisition unit 5071 proceeds to step S202. On the other hand, if the number of records registered in the location information table in Fig. 5 is less than the threshold value TH, the learning data acquisition unit 5071 remains in standby mode.

[0111] The learning process in step S202 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0112] The learning data acquisition unit 5071 acquires learning data including status information indicating the status of the user who was in the area, area environment information including temperature information of the area where the user was present, and user request information (step S301).

[0113] Next, the reward calculation unit 5072-1 of the model generation unit 5072 calculates a reward based on the request information, status information, and area environment information (step S302). Specifically, the reward calculation unit 5072-1 acquires the request information, status information, and area environment information, and determines whether to increase or decrease the reward based on the user's satisfaction level. If the reward calculation unit 5072-1 determines that the user's satisfaction level is high (step S302; high satisfaction), it increases the reward (step S303). On the other hand, if the reward calculation unit 5072-1 determines that the user's satisfaction level is low (step S302; low satisfaction), it decreases the reward (step S304).

[0114] The function update unit 5072-2 updates the action value function Q(s) represented by Equation 1 stored in the storage unit 502 based on the reward calculated by the reward calculation unit 5072-1. ｔ , a ｔ ) is updated (step S305).

[0115] The environmental information management device 500 repeatedly executes the processes from step S301 to step S305 and generates the action value function Q(s ｔ , a ｔ ) is stored in the storage unit 502 as a trained model.

[0116] Next, the notification process executed by the environmental information managing device 500 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. The notification process in Fig. 11 is executed at any timing designated by the administrator of the environmental information managing device 500. The notification timing in step S406 in Fig. 11 is set arbitrarily by the user of the wireless terminal 400, the administrator of the environmental information managing device 500, or the like.

[0117] First, the environmental information management device 500 executes an inference process in step S401. The inference process in step S401 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0118] The inference data acquisition unit 5073 acquires inference data, including user status information and area environment information of the area where the user is located (step S501). Next, the inference unit 5074 inputs the user status information and area environment information into the trained model stored in the storage unit 502 (step S502). Then, the inference unit 5074 acquires user request information and outputs the acquired request information to the notification unit 508 (step S503).

[0119] For example, the inference data acquisition unit 5073 acquires status information of the user "U1" and area environment information of the area where the user "U1" is located. The inference unit 5074 inputs the status information and area environment information of the user "U1" into the trained model stored in the storage unit 502, acquires request information of the user "U1", and outputs the acquired request information of the user "U1" to the notification unit 508.

[0120] Next, the notification unit 508 determines whether the request information inferred by the inference unit 5074 is different from the request information accepted by the request information accepting unit 503 (step S402). If the notification unit 508 determines that the request information inferred by the inference unit 5074 is different from the request information accepted by the request information accepting unit 503 (step S402; YES), the notification unit 508 notifies the user that the inferred request information is different from the accepted request information (step S403). On the other hand, if the notification unit 508 determines that the request information inferred by the inference unit 5074 is not different from the request information accepted by the request information accepting unit 503 (step S402; NO), the process proceeds to step S406.

[0121] For example, when the notification unit 508 determines that the request information of user "U1" output by the inference unit 5074 is different from the request information of user "U1" stored in the memory unit 502, it transmits to the wireless terminal 400 carried by the user "U1" the inferred request information, the request information accepted by the user "U1", information indicating that the request information is different, and information for selecting whether to approve the inferred request information.

[0122] The update unit 5075 determines whether approval of the inferred request information has been received from the user who received the notification that the information is different (step S404). If the update unit 5075 determines that approval of the inferred request information has been received from the user who received the notification that the information is different (step S404; YES), the update unit 5075 updates the request information of the user related to the approval to the request information of the inferred user (step S405). On the other hand, if the update unit 5075 determines that approval of the inferred request information has not been received from the user who received the notification that the information is different (step S404; NO), the process proceeds to step S406.

[0123] For example, when the updating unit 5075 receives information indicating approval of the inferred request information from the wireless terminal 400-1 of the user "U1", it updates the request information of the user "U1" stored in the storage unit 502 to the inferred request information. On the other hand, when the updating unit 5075 does not receive information indicating approval of the inferred request information from the wireless terminal 400 of the user "U1", it proceeds to step S406.

[0124] The notification unit 508 determines whether the current timing is a predetermined notification timing (step S406). If the notification unit 508 determines that the current timing is a predetermined notification timing (step S406; YES), it notifies the user of an area having area environment information that satisfies the request information stored in the storage unit 502 as a proposed area (step S407). On the other hand, if the notification unit 508 determines that the current timing is not a predetermined notification timing (step S406; NO), it waits as is. Note that in step S407, an area having future area environment information that satisfies the request information stored in the storage unit 502 may be proposed to the user as a future proposed area.

[0125] For example, when the notification unit 508 determines that the current time is the notification timing (e.g., every two hours after the notification app is launched), it transmits information indicating "Area A2" having area environment information that satisfies the required information stored in the memory unit 502 for the user "U1" as information on the proposed area to the wireless terminal 400-1 of the user "U1", and transmits information indicating "Area A3" having future area environment information that satisfies the required information stored in the memory unit 502 for the user "U1" as information on the future proposed area to the wireless terminal 400-1 of the user "U1".

[0126] Next, the operation temperature registration process executed by the environmental information management device 500 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 13. The operation temperature registration process of Fig. 13 is performed, for example, based on operation information collected periodically. Note that the second time period in step S605 of Fig. 13 is set in consideration of the time required for the temperature in the area to approach the set temperature when the user specifies the set temperature for the air conditioner 100, and is set arbitrarily by the administrator of the environmental information management device 500.

[0127] The control information collecting unit 506 determines whether the air conditioner 100 has been manually operated (step S601). If the control information collecting unit 506 determines that the air conditioner 100 has been manually operated (step S601; YES), it sets the manual control flag to 1 (step S602). On the other hand, if the control information collecting unit 506 determines that the air conditioner 100 has not been manually operated (step S601; NO), it determines whether the manual control flag is 1 (step S603).

[0128] For example, if the collected operation information indicates that a manual operation has been performed by user "U1," the control information collector 506 sets the manual control flag to 1 and determines whether the manual control flag is 1. On the other hand, if the collected operation information does not indicate that a manual operation has been performed, the control information collector 506 determines whether the manual control flag is 1.

[0129] If the control information collecting unit 506 determines that the manual control flag is 1 (step S603; YES), it registers the operating temperature specified by the user's manual operation in the position information table (step S604). On the other hand, if the control information collecting unit 506 determines that the manual control flag is not 1 (step S603; NO), it returns to step S601. The control information collecting unit 506 determines whether a second time has elapsed since the manual operation (step S605; YES). If the control information collecting unit 506 determines that the second time has elapsed since the manual operation (step S605; YES), it sets the manual control flag to 0 (step S606) and returns to step S601. On the other hand, if the control information collecting unit 506 determines that the second time has not elapsed since the manual operation (step S605; NO), it returns to step S601.

[0130] For example, if the control information collection unit 506 determines that the manual control flag is 1, it registers the value of the operation temperature included in the operation information as the area environment information or operation temperature information of user "U1" in the location information table of Fig. 5. On the other hand, if the control information collection unit 506 determines that the manual control flag is not 1, it returns to step S601. If the control information collection unit 506 determines that a second time (e.g., one hour) has elapsed since the manual operation, it sets the manual control flag to 0 and returns to step S601. On the other hand, if the second time has not elapsed since the manual operation, it returns to step S601.

[0131] According to this embodiment, it is possible to infer request information for each user from the user's location information and status information, and to propose areas with area environment information that satisfy the request information. As a result, even if the user does not perform any operation, it is possible to automatically determine the user's requests and propose areas in the air-conditioned space that satisfy the user's requests. Furthermore, areas that satisfy each user's requests are proposed to users in the air-conditioned space, and by each user moving to the proposed area, the user can work in an environment that satisfies them. If each user moves to the proposed area, users with the same request content are gathered in the same area, thereby improving the comfort of all users. Furthermore, by each user working in an area that satisfies their requests, the number of times the air conditioner is operated can be expected to decrease, thereby saving energy.

[0132] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a trained model is generated using reinforcement learning, which obtains rewards by improving satisfaction based on the user's state. This makes it possible to generate a trained model that infers request information that will result in high user satisfaction, and to suggest areas that will result in high user satisfaction.

[0133] Furthermore, in recent years, with the trend toward free-address offices, there are various environmental requirements in addition to temperature, such as whether the environment is crowded or quiet, whether to sit near users in the same department or close friends, whether to be in the sun or not, whether to be exposed to the air conditioner's breeze, and whether to be dry or humid. According to this embodiment, the requirement information includes the user's desired level of congestion, the specific users the user requires to be close to, and the user's desired sunlight, breeze, and humidity, and such requirement information can be learned. Therefore, it is possible to suggest areas that the user will be satisfied with from various perspectives, allowing the user to work in a comfortable environment.

[0134] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the user is asked whether or not to approve the inferred request information, and if the user approves, the request information is updated. This makes it possible to identify a proposed area based on request information that matches the content requested by the user. Furthermore, the request information can be updated from request information set by the user himself or request information estimated in the past, so that the latest user requests can be reflected.

[0135] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, future area environment information is estimated based on area environment information, indoor load information, outdoor environment information, and control information. When a user moves, the indoor load information fluctuates, and therefore the environment information changes as the user moves. Therefore, by estimating future area environment information taking indoor load information into consideration, it is possible to notify future areas that are suitable for each user's needs, even before and after a time period when the area environment changes, for example, before and after a lunch break.

[0136] (Modifications) Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, various modifications and applications are possible when implementing the present disclosure.

[0137] In the above embodiment, the request information receiving unit 503 receives input of request information from the user "U1," but this is not limiting. For example, the request information receiving unit 503 may receive request information through communication with the wireless terminal 400 carried by the user. Alternatively, the request information receiving unit 503 may be provided in another communication terminal that can communicate with the environmental information management device 500.

[0138] In the above embodiment, the trained model is stored in the storage unit 502 of the environmental information management device 500, but may be stored in a device external to the environmental information management device 500. The training data acquisition unit 5071, the model generation unit 5072, the inference data acquisition unit 5073, and the inference unit 5074 may be realized by a device separate from the environmental information management device 500, or may exist on a cloud server.

[0139] In the above embodiment, the model generation unit 5072 uses reinforcement learning, but this is not limiting. The learning algorithm used by the model generation unit 5072 may be deep learning, which learns to extract feature quantities themselves, or other known methods such as neural networks, inductive logic programming, and support vector machines. The model generation unit 5072 may also learn requirement information by using learning data collected from different properties.

[0140] In addition, in the above embodiment, the indoor load information is calculated based on the location information received by the location information receiving unit 501, but this is not limited to this. For example, the indoor load information may be calculated based on location information notified by reading a two-dimensional code placed in the area.

[0141] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the information indicating sunlight is collected from a solar radiation sensor, but this is not limited to this. Information indicating sunlight may also be collected from an illuminance sensor installed in the air-conditioned space. Alternatively, information indicating sunlight may be obtained by regarding an area near a window where the temperature is higher than other areas as a sunny area, or information indicating sunlight may be obtained by setting a time period during which each area is considered to be sunny.

[0142] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, area temperature information is collected from a temperature sensor, but this is not limited to this. For example, it may be collected from the intake temperature of the air conditioner 100. Furthermore, information indicating wind direction is collected from an air volume sensor, but this is not limited to this. For example, information indicating wind direction may be predicted from indoor unit information of the air conditioner 100, such as the air volume of the air conditioner, the height of the installation position, and the wind direction.

[0143] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, information indicating the user's body temperature state is collected from a vital sensor, but this is not limited to this. Information indicating the user's body temperature state may be collected from a human presence sensor installed in the air-conditioned space. Alternatively, information indicating the user's body temperature state may be obtained from a questionnaire periodically administered to the user. Furthermore, information indicating the stress state may be obtained from a questionnaire periodically administered to the user, rather than being obtained based on vital information collected from a vital sensor.

[0144] In the above embodiment, the external environment information used for estimation by the estimation unit 5077 is collected by the external environment information collection unit 505 from the sensor 200-2, but this is not limited to this. For example, the external environment information collection unit 505 may communicate with a weather forecast system to collect future external environment information including future temperature, humidity, sunlight, etc., and the estimation unit 5077 may estimate future area environment information using the future external environment information. Furthermore, the indoor load information calculation unit 5076 may communicate with a conference room reservation system used in the office to acquire the user's future location and calculate future indoor load information from the acquired future location. Then, the estimation unit 5077 may estimate future area environment information using the future indoor load information.

[0145] In addition, by applying an operating program that specifies the operation of the environmental information management device 500 according to the above embodiment to an existing personal computer or information terminal device, it is also possible to make the personal computer or information terminal device function as the environmental information management device 500 according to the embodiment.

[0146] Furthermore, the method of distribution of such a program is arbitrary; for example, it may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or a memory card and distributed, or it may be distributed via a communication network such as the Internet.

[0147] The present disclosure allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present 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 meaning of equivalent disclosures are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0148] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an environmental information management device, an environmental information management system, an environmental information management method, and a program that are capable of automatically determining user requirements and proposing areas of air-conditioned space that meet the user requirements.

[0149] 1 Environmental information management system, 10 Information processing device, 11 Processor, 12 Main memory unit, 13 Auxiliary memory unit, 14 Communication unit, 15 Input unit, 16 Output unit, 17 Bus, 100 Air conditioner, 200-1, 200-2 Sensor, 300, 300-A1 to AN Transmitter, 400, 400-1 Wireless terminal, 401 Wireless signal receiving unit, 402 Position detection unit, 403 Memory unit, 404 Position information transmitting unit, 405 Transmitter information receiving unit, 406 Display unit, 500 Environmental information management device, 501 Position information receiving unit, 502 Memory unit, 503 Request information receiving unit, 504 Area environmental information collecting unit, 505 External environment information collecting unit, 506 Control information collecting unit, 507 Processing unit, 508 Notification unit, 509 Transmitter information transmitting unit, 510 Property information receiving unit, 600 property information management device, 5071 learning data acquisition unit, 5072 model generation unit, 5072-1 reward calculation unit, 5072-2 function update unit, 5073 inference data acquisition unit, 5074 inference unit, 5075 update unit, 5076 indoor load information calculation unit, 5077 estimation unit, 5078 existence area identification unit.

Claims

1. An environmental information management device comprising: a first data acquisition means for acquiring status information indicating the status of a user present in one of a number of areas obtained by dividing an air-conditioned space that is conditioned by one or more air conditioners, and area environmental information including temperature information of the area in which the user is present; an inference means for inferring the user's requested information from the status information and area environmental information acquired by the first data acquisition means using a trained model for inferring request information including temperature information indicating the temperature requested by the user in the air-conditioned space from the status information and area environmental information; and a notification means for notifying the user of an area having the area environmental information that satisfies the request information inferred by the inference means.

2. The environmental information management device of claim 1, further comprising: a second data acquisition means for acquiring learning data including status information of the user, area environmental information of the area in which the user is present, and request information of the user; and a model generation means for generating the trained model using the learning data.

3. The environmental information management device of claim 2, wherein the model generation means calculates the user's satisfaction level based on the user's state information and generates the trained model using reinforcement learning that obtains rewards by improving the user's satisfaction level.

4. The environmental information management device of claim 3, wherein the model generation means calculates the user's satisfaction level based on at least one of information indicating whether the user has moved, information indicating whether the user has operated the air conditioner, information indicating the user's body temperature state, and information indicating the user's stress state.

5. An environmental information management device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the request information includes, in addition to the temperature information, at least one of the following: congestion degree information indicating the congestion degree requested by the user in the air-conditioned space; specific user information indicating a specific user requested to be in close proximity by the user in the air-conditioned space; sunlight information indicating the sunlight requested by the user in the air-conditioned space; wind direction information indicating the wind direction requested by the user in the air-conditioned space; and humidity information indicating humidity information requested by the user in the air-conditioned space.

6. An environmental information management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a request information receiving means for receiving the request information from the user, wherein the notification means, when the request information inferred by the inference means differs from the request information accepted by the request information receiving means, notifies the user that the inferred request information and the accepted request information differ, and when approval of the inferred request information is accepted from the user who has been notified of the difference, the environmental information management device further comprises an update means for updating the request information of the user related to the approval to the request information of the inferred user.

7. An environmental information management device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising: an area environmental information collection means for collecting the area environmental information; a location information receiving means for receiving location information indicating the location of the user in the air-conditioned space from a wireless terminal carried by the user present in the air-conditioned space; an indoor load information calculation means for calculating, for each area, the number of users whose location information received by the location information receiving means does not change for a predetermined period of time or more, as indoor load information that places a load on the control of the air conditioner; an external environmental information collection means for collecting external environmental information including information on the temperature outside the air-conditioned space; a control information collection means for collecting control information of the air conditioner; and an estimation means for estimating future area environmental information of the area based on the area environmental information, the indoor load information, the external environmental information, and the control information, and wherein the notification means notifies the user of an area having the future area environmental information that satisfies the user's request information inferred by the inference means.

8. An environmental information management system comprising: a transmitter installed in each of a plurality of areas obtained by dividing an air-conditioned space which is conditioned by one or more air conditioners; a position detection means for detecting the position of a wireless terminal carried by a user present in the air-conditioned space based on information acquired by wireless communication between the transmitter and the wireless terminal; a position information receiving means for receiving position information indicating the position detected by the position detection means; a data acquisition means for identifying an area in which a user is present based on the position information, and acquiring status information indicating the status of the user present in the identified area and area environmental information including information on the temperature of the area in which the user is present; an inference means for inferring request information of the user from the status information and area environmental information acquired by the data acquisition means using a trained model for inferring request information including temperature information indicating the temperature requested by the user in the air-conditioned space from the status information and area environmental information; and a notification means for notifying the user of an area having area environmental information which satisfies the request information inferred by the inference means.

9. An environmental information management method, in which a data acquisition means acquires status information indicating the status of a user present in one of multiple areas obtained by dividing an air-conditioned space that is conditioned by one or more air conditioners, and area environmental information including temperature information of the area in which the user is present, an inference means infers the user's requested information from the status information and area environmental information acquired by the data acquisition means using a trained model for inferring request information including temperature information indicating the temperature requested by the user in the air-conditioned space from the status information and area environmental information, and a notification means notifies the user of an area having the area environmental information that satisfies the request information inferred by the inference means.

10. A program that causes a computer to function as: a data acquisition means for acquiring status information indicating the status of a user present in one of multiple areas obtained by dividing an air-conditioned space that is conditioned by one or more air conditioners, and area environmental information including temperature information of the area in which the user is present; an inference means for inferring requirement information from the status information and area environmental information acquired by the data acquisition means using a trained model for inferring the requirement information including temperature information indicating the temperature requested by the user in the air-conditioned space from the status information and area environmental information; and a notification means for notifying the user of an area having area environmental information that satisfies the requirement information inferred by the inference means.

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