Management server, air conditioning system, presentation method, and program

Abstract

A map generation unit (324) generates a floor map that includes temperature information in each of a plurality of areas and a symbol indicating the position of a user on the floor. A providing unit (325) provides the floor map to a user terminal. An operation acquisition unit (326) acquires, from the user terminal, an operation of the user including a selection operation for selecting one of a plurality of air conditioners as a target device and a change operation for changing a set temperature of the target device. When a first user newly performs a selection operation, the map generation unit (324) identifies a second user who has performed the last change operation on the target device, adds detailed information about the change operation performed by the second user to the floor map, and then generates an operation map in which the symbol corresponding to the second user in the floor map is highlighted. The providing unit (325) provides the operation map to a user terminal used by the first user.

Description

Management server, air conditioning system, presentation method, and program

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

[0002] In buildings such as office buildings, for example, an air conditioning system is installed that includes multiple air conditioning devices, a management server that manages the air conditioning devices, and a user terminal that can communicate with the management server. In such an air conditioning system, for example, users can change the set temperatures of the air conditioning devices at will from their user terminals.

[0003] In addition, in a building used by multiple users, there is a certain degree of variation in the temperature preferred by each user, so if one user changes the set temperature of the air conditioning equipment to their liking, some users may feel that it is too hot or too cold, which may reduce the comfort of other users.

[0004] For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technology for an air conditioning system that can improve the temperature satisfaction of multiple users using an air-conditioned space. In this air conditioning system, map information showing each user's location and their desired temperature is displayed on a user terminal (terminal device) used by the user. Users whose desired temperature differs significantly from the desired temperature of surrounding users are notified and encouraged to move, making it easier for users with the same desired temperature to gather in each area (room).

[0005] Patent No. 7300343

[0006] In the technology disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, once users with the same desired temperature have gathered in each area, even if one user changes the set temperature of the air conditioning equipment to the desired temperature, the comfort of other users in the area will not be compromised.

[0007] However, in reality, there may be situations where the number of seats in an area is insufficient for the number of users who want the same temperature, making it difficult for users with the same desired temperature to gather in each area. As a result, changing the temperature setting on an air conditioner still often affects other users.

[0008] For these reasons, there has been a demand for technology that allows users who are about to change the temperature setting of an air conditioner to properly understand the impact on other users.

[0009] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a management server, air conditioning system, presentation method, and program that enable a user who attempts to change the set temperature of an air conditioning device to properly understand the impact on other users.

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, a management server according to the present disclosure is a management server that controls a plurality of air conditioning devices installed corresponding to a plurality of areas on a floor in accordance with operations from a user using a user terminal, and comprises: a location acquisition means that acquires from the user terminal location information indicating the location of the user present on the floor; a map generation means that generates a floor map including temperature information for each of the plurality of areas and a symbol indicating the user's location on the floor; a provision means that provides the user terminal with the floor map generated by the map generation means; and an operation acquisition means that acquires from the user terminal user operations including a selection operation for selecting one of the plurality of air conditioning devices as a target device and a change operation for changing the set temperature of the target device, when a first user newly performs the selection operation, identifies a second user who last performed the change operation on the target device, adds detailed information about the change operation performed by the second user to the floor map, and generates an operation map in which the symbol corresponding to the second user on the floor map is highlighted, The providing means provides the operation map generated by the map generating means to the user terminal used by the first user.

[0011] In the management server according to the present disclosure, a location acquisition means acquires location information indicating the location of users present on a floor from a user terminal. A map generation means generates a floor map including temperature information for each of a plurality of areas and a symbol indicating the user's location on the floor. A providing means provides the floor map generated by the map generation means to the user terminal. An operation acquisition means acquires user operations from the user terminal, including a selection operation for selecting one of a plurality of air conditioning devices as a target device and a change operation for changing the set temperature of the target device. When a first user performs a new selection operation, the map generation means identifies a second user who last performed a change operation on the target device, adds detailed information about the change operation performed by the second user to the floor map, and generates an operation map in which the symbol corresponding to the second user is highlighted on the floor map. The providing means then provides the operation map generated by the map generation means to the user terminal used by the first user. As a result, a user attempting to change the set temperature of an air conditioning device can appropriately understand the impact on other users.

[0012] Schematic diagram showing an example of a floor plan of a floor on which air conditioning equipment is installed. Schematic diagram for explaining the positional relationship between a transmitting terminal and a user terminal. Block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a management server according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. Schematic diagram showing an example of user information. Schematic diagram showing an example of operation history information. Schematic diagram showing an example of a floor map generated by a map generation unit. Schematic diagram showing an example of an operation map generated by the map generation unit. Schematic diagram showing an example of another operation map generated by the map generation unit. Flowchart for explaining preferred temperature registration processing and floor map provision processing according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. Flowchart for explaining operation guide processing according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. Schematic diagram showing an example of a management server according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. Schematic diagram showing an example of operation history information according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. Flowchart for explaining operation guide processing according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure.

[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. Also, the following describes an air conditioning system that allows the set temperature of an air conditioner to be changed from a user terminal. However, as will be described later, the present disclosure can also be applied to cases where air conditioning conditions other than the set temperature are changed. In other words, the embodiments described below are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, those skilled in the art can 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 conditioning air within a floor in a building, such as an office building, and includes multiple air conditioning devices 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 conditioning devices 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 designed as a new office environment, such as a free address system or ABW (Activity Based Working), whereby office workers can freely select and use any desk, table, or other device located within the floor. Each user carries a user terminal 20.

[0015] The air conditioning equipment 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 conditioning equipment 10 includes, for example, a transmission terminal 11, a temperature sensor 12, and an air conditioning control unit 13. The air conditioning equipment 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 Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy or Wi-Fi. This wireless signal includes a device ID for identifying the transmitting terminal 11 or the air conditioning device 10. In other words, the wireless signal transmitting unit 111 transmits a wireless signal including the device ID to 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 further including information on the angle of departure to the floor by using an array antenna in which multiple antenna elements are arranged.

[0017] 1 shows a case where the transmitting terminal 11 is provided in the air conditioning equipment 10, but the transmitting terminal 11 may be installed independently within the floor, separate from the air conditioning equipment 10. In that case, for example, a plurality of transmitting terminals 11 and a plurality of air conditioning equipment 10 without the transmitting terminal 11 are 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 conditioning equipment 10. In addition to the temperature sensor 12, the air conditioning equipment 10 may also be provided 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 conditioning devices 10 configured as described above are installed at intervals on the ceiling of a floor, enabling each area on the floor to be individually air-conditioned. The following describes an example in which four air conditioning devices 10 are installed on a floor, as shown in FIG. 2. Note that FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the floor on which each air conditioning device 10 is installed. Each of these air conditioning devices 10 is identified by an device ID, for example, IC01 to IC04, and each air-conditions an area AR1 to AR4.

[0021] 1 , the user terminal 20 is a terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet, or a notebook PC (Personal Computer), and is used by a user who uses the floor. The user terminal 20 includes a wireless signal receiving unit 21, a distance / angle estimating unit 22, a memory unit 23, a position identifying unit 24 that is an example of a position identifying means, an operation unit 25, a transmitting unit 26 that is an example of an information transmitting means, a receiving unit 27 that is an example of an information receiving means, and a display unit 28 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 a device 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 obtains the installation position of the corresponding transmitting terminal 11 by referring to the storage unit 23 (described later) using the device ID for 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), based on the distance and phase difference between the transmitting terminals 11 obtained from their installation positions. Note that the estimated angle is based on the horizontal direction, i.e., the direction along the ceiling surface, as an example, 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 storage unit 23 stores, for example, floor information. This floor information includes the location of each air conditioning device 10. The location of the air conditioning device 10 is used as the installation location of the transmitting terminal 11. In addition, when the transmitting terminal 11 is installed alone, the floor information includes the location of each transmitting terminal 11.

[0026] The position specifying unit 24 specifies 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 floor information stored in the storage unit 23. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, the position specifying unit 24 specifies 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 specifying unit 24 specifies the self-position of the user terminal 20 within the floor.

[0027] 1 , the operation unit 25 is, for example, a touch panel, a keyboard, or the like, and accepts various operations from the user of the user terminal 20. For example, the operation unit 25 accepts operations from the user while a floor map (described later) is displayed on the display unit 28. In addition, the operation unit 25 accepts a preferred temperature indicating the user's preferred temperature.

[0028] The transmitter 26 performs wireless communication with the management server 30, for example, and transmits various information to the management server 30. For example, the transmitter 26 transmits location information indicating the location identified by the location identification unit 24 to the management server 30. The transmitter 26 also transmits operation information indicating the operation accepted by the operation unit 25 to the management server 30.

[0029] The receiving unit 27 performs, for example, wireless communication with the management server 30, and receives various information sent from the management server 30. For example, the receiving unit 27 receives a floor map and an operation map, which will be described later.

[0030] The display unit 28 displays, for example, an input screen for inputting the user's preferred temperature. In addition, the display unit 28 displays various information sent from the management server 30. For example, the display unit 28 displays a floor map and an operation map received by the receiving unit 27.

[0031] The management server 30 is, for example, a server computer that generates a floor map including the location of each user present on the floor, each user's preferred temperature, and temperature information for each area, and provides this to the user terminal 20. Furthermore, when a selection operation to select one of the air conditioning devices 10 on the floor map is performed on the user terminal 20 that provided the floor map, an operation map for assisting with the change operation described below is generated and provided to the user terminal 20 that performed the selection operation. When a change operation to change the set temperature of the air conditioning device 10 is performed, a command is sent to the corresponding air conditioning device 10, and the air conditioning environment for the relevant area on the floor is controlled. Details of the management server 30 are described below with reference to FIG. 4.

[0032] 4 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.

[0033] The storage unit 31 stores, for example, user information 311 , operation history information 312 , and floor information 313 .

[0034] The user information 311 is information about the user who uses the user terminal 20. For example, the user information 311 includes information such as that shown in FIG. 5. In the user information 311, names are shown as "A" to "D", but this is for ease of explanation, and in reality, the user's surname, first name, etc. are set. Furthermore, the preferred temperature indicates the temperature preferred by the user. Furthermore, the terminal ID indicates identification information for the user terminal 20 used by the user. Furthermore, the current location indicates the user's location within the floor.

[0035] Returning to FIG. 4 , the operation history information 312 is history information about the change operation for changing the set temperature of the air conditioning equipment 10. In other words, each time a user changes the set temperature of the air conditioning equipment 10, a record is added to the operation history information 312, including information such as the date and time of the change, the user who made the change, the air conditioning equipment 10 that was changed, and the operation content. For example, the operation history information 312 includes information such as that shown in FIG. 6. In the operation history information 312 of FIG. 6 , the user ID is information for identifying the user who made the change. The equipment ID is information for identifying the air conditioning equipment 10 that was changed. The anonymity option is information about whether to conceal information about the user who performed the operation. If "Yes" is selected, the information about the user who made the change is omitted from the operation map, as will be described later. The anonymity option can be selected when the user performs a change operation.

[0036] Returning to Figure 4, floor information 313 is information about the floor on which the air conditioning equipment 10 is installed, and includes, for example, the floor layout, the location of each air conditioning equipment 10, and information about each area corresponding to each air conditioning equipment.

[0037] The control unit 32 includes a position acquisition unit 321, which is an example of a position acquisition means, a user information acquisition unit 322, which is an example of a user information acquisition means, a temperature acquisition unit 323, a map generation unit 324, which is an example of a map generation means, a provision unit 325, which is an example of a provision means, an operation acquisition unit 326, which is an example of an operation acquisition means, and a command unit 327, which is an example of a command means. The computer constituting 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 or solid-state drive (SSD). In the management server 30, for example, the CPU uses the RAM as a work memory and executes a program stored in the ROM or the auxiliary storage device, thereby realizing the position acquisition unit 321, the user information acquisition unit 322, the temperature acquisition unit 323, the map generation unit 324, the provision unit 325, the operation acquisition unit 326, and the command unit 327.

[0038] The position acquisition unit 321 repeatedly acquires position information indicating the positions of users present on the floor from the user terminal 20 via the communication unit 33. That is, the position acquisition unit 321 successively acquires the current position of the user terminal 20 identified by the position identification unit 24 of the user terminal 20. When the position acquisition unit 321 acquires the position information, it updates the current position of the corresponding user in the user information 311 in FIG. 5 described above.

[0039] The user information acquisition unit 322 acquires user information including the user's preferred temperature from the user terminal 20 via the communication unit 33. That is, the user information acquisition unit 322 acquires user information including the preferred temperature accepted by the operation unit 25 of the user terminal 20. When the user information acquisition unit 322 acquires user information including the preferred temperature, it sets the preferred temperature to the corresponding user's preferred temperature in the user information 311 described above.

[0040] The temperature acquisition unit 323 repeatedly acquires temperature information for each area from each air conditioning equipment 10 via the communication unit 33. In other words, the temperature acquisition unit 323 sequentially acquires temperature information measured by the temperature sensor 12 of the air conditioning equipment 10.

[0041] The map generation unit 324 generates a floor map including the position of each user on the floor, each user's preferred temperature, and temperature information for each area based on the above-mentioned user information 311 and the temperature information acquired by the above-mentioned temperature acquisition unit 323.

[0042] For example, the map generation unit 324 generates a floor map MP1 as shown in FIG. 7. This floor map MP1 shows, as an example, a case where four users are present on a floor. The location of each user on the floor is indicated by a symbol SB. The user's name NM is displayed near the symbol SB. That is, the floor map MP1 shows that Persons B and D are in area AR1, Person C is in area AR2, and Person A is in area AR4. The frame of the symbol SB is drawn in a color corresponding to the user's preferred temperature value (temperature value). That is, the floor map MP1 shows that Person A's preferred temperature is 24°C, Persons B and D's preferred temperature is 26°C, and Person C's preferred temperature is 25°C. The areas AR1 to AR4 on the floor are drawn in a color corresponding to their respective temperature values. That is, the floor map MP1 shows that the temperatures in areas AR1 and AR4 are 24° C., the temperature in area AR2 is 25° C., and the temperature in area AR3 is 26° C. Such a floor map MP1 makes it easy to understand that Persons A and C are in an area with a temperature that matches their preferred temperature, and that Persons B and D are in an area with a temperature that does not match their preferred temperature.

[0043] Furthermore, the map generator 324 generates an operation map when a selection operation is performed by the user. That is, for example, when the above-described floor map MP1 is provided to and displayed on the user terminal 20 and a user (first user) performs a selection operation to select one of the air conditioners 10 on the floor map MP1 as a target device, the map generator 324 identifies the user (second user) who last performed a change operation on the selected air conditioner 10, i.e., the current user who changed the set temperature to the current temperature, by referring to the operation history information 312 in FIG. 6 described above. Then, the map generator 324 adds detailed information about the change operation performed by the current user (second user) to the floor map and generates an operation map in which the symbol corresponding to the current user on the floor map is highlighted.

[0044] For example, the map generator 324 generates an operation map MP2 as shown in FIG. 8 . This operation map MP2 illustrates, as an example, a case in which an air conditioning device 10 (with a device ID of "IC01") in area AR1 is selected by user B (first user), and the current user who last changed the set temperature of the selected air conditioning device 10 is user A (second user). In the operation map MP2, detailed information DI about the change operation performed by user A is added, and user A's symbol SB is highlighted. The detailed information DI includes, for example, the time of the change operation, the name of the user who performed the change operation, and the content of the change operation. The highlighting of user A's symbol SB is, for example, highlighted or flashing. This operation map MP2 allows a user attempting to change the set temperature to visually understand the impact on other users. In other words, person B, who is about to make a change to the air conditioning equipment 10 in area AR1, can determine from the fact that person A, who made the change to the current set temperature, is in another area, area AR4, and from the color of the frame of symbol SB, which represents person D, who is in area AR1, that other users will not be uncomfortable even if he makes a change to raise the set temperature to a common preferred temperature, for example.

[0045] In the same situation as FIG. 8 , if the anonymous option is selected in a change operation performed by the current user, Mr. A (second user), the map generation unit 324 generates an operation map MP3 as shown in FIG. 9 . This operation map MP3 also illustrates, as an example, a case in which Mr. B (first user) selects an air conditioning device 10 in area AR1. In the operation map MP3, simplified information SI is added instead of detailed information DI, and the display of the symbol SB of the current user, Mr. A, is not changed. The simplified information SI includes, for example, the time of the change operation and the content of the change operation. In other words, information about the current user who performed the change operation is omitted from the simplified information SI. In other words, a user who values ​​privacy can select the anonymous option when performing a change operation, thereby displaying simplified information SI that omits information about the user who performed the change operation, as in the operation map MP3. Note that selecting the anonymous option presupposes that new change operations are permitted. Therefore, in the case of the operation map MP3, person B who is about to perform a change operation on the air conditioning equipment 10 in area AR1 can determine that other users will not be uncomfortable, for example, by considering only the color within the frame of the symbol SB representing person D who is in area AR1, even if he performs a change operation to raise the set temperature to a commonly preferred temperature.

[0046] 4, the providing unit 325 provides the floor map generated by the map generating unit 324 to each user terminal 20 via the communication unit 33. That is, the providing unit 325 provides a floor map MP1 as shown in FIG. 7 to each user terminal 20. The providing unit 325 also provides the operation map generated by the map generating unit 324 to the user terminal 20 of the user who performed the selection operation via the communication unit 33. That is, the providing unit 325 provides operation maps MP2 and MP3 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 to Mr. B's user terminal 20.

[0047] The operation acquisition unit 326 acquires, via the communication unit 33, operations performed by the user on the user terminal 20. For example, the operation acquisition unit 326 acquires from the user terminal 20 operations including a selection operation for selecting one of the air conditioning equipment 10 as a target equipment from among the air conditioning equipment 10, and a change operation for changing the set temperature of the selected air conditioning equipment 10.

[0048] When the operation acquisition unit 326 acquires the change operation, the command unit 327 commands the target air conditioning equipment 10 to operate in accordance with the change operation via the communication unit 33. In other words, the command unit 327 commands the target air conditioning equipment 10 to change the set temperature in accordance with the change operation.

[0049] The communication unit 33 performs wireless communication between the air conditioning equipment 10 and the management server 30, and between the user terminal 20 and the management server 30. For example, the communication unit 33 receives location information, user information, and operation information sent from the user terminal 20. The communication unit 33 also sends the floor map and operation map generated by the map generation unit 324 described above to the user terminal 20. In addition, the communication unit 33 receives temperature information sent from the air conditioning equipment 10. The communication unit 33 also sends commands issued by the command unit 327 described above to the air conditioning equipment 10.

[0050] In this way, the management server 30 can present the floor map and the operation map to the user terminal 20.

[0051] The operation of the air conditioning system 1 configured as above will be described below with reference to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. Fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a preferred temperature registration process executed by the user terminal 20 and a floor map provision process executed by the management server 30. Fig. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation guide process executed by the management server 30. First, the preferred temperature registration process and floor map provision process of Fig. 10 will be described.

[0052] First, when the preferred temperature registration process is started, the user terminal 20 accepts the preferred temperature set by the user (step S101). That is, the operation unit 25 accepts the preferred temperature input by the user.

[0053] The user terminal 20 transmits the user information including the preferred temperature to the management server 30 (step S102). That is, the transmission unit 26 transmits the user information including the preferred temperature received in step S101 to the management server 30.

[0054] When the floor map providing process is started, the management server 30 acquires user information from the user terminal 20 (step S111). That is, the user information acquiring unit 322 acquires the user information including the preferred temperature sent from the user terminal 20 via the communication unit 33. When the user information acquiring unit 322 acquires the user information including the preferred temperature, it sets the preferred temperature of the corresponding user in the user information 311 of Fig. 5 .

[0055] The management server 30 acquires location information from each user terminal 20 (step S112). That is, the location acquisition unit 321 acquires location information indicating the location of a user present on the floor from the user terminal 20 via the communication unit 33. Upon acquiring the location information, the location acquisition unit 321 updates the current location of the corresponding user in the user information 311 in Fig. 5. Step S112 is an example of a location acquisition step.

[0056] The management server 30 acquires the temperature information from each air conditioning equipment 10 (step S113). That is, the temperature acquisition unit 323 acquires the temperature information of each area from each air conditioning equipment 10 via the communication unit 33.

[0057] The management server 30 generates a floor map by integrating the preferred temperature, location information, and temperature information (step S114). That is, the map generator 324 generates a floor map including each user's location within the floor, each user's preferred temperature, and temperature information for each area based on the user information acquired in step S111, the location information acquired in step S112, and the temperature information acquired in step S113. For example, the map generator 324 generates a floor map MP1 as shown in FIG. 7.

[0058] The management server 30 provides the floor map to each user terminal 20 (step S115). That is, the providing unit 325 provides the floor map generated in step S114 to each user terminal 20 via the communication unit 33.

[0059] Through the preferred temperature registration process and floor map provision process, the floor map generated by the management server 30 is presented to each user terminal 20. For example, when the floor map MP1 shown in Fig. 7 is presented to each user terminal 20, it can be easily understood that Persons A and C are in an area where the temperature matches their preferred temperature, and that Persons B and D are in an area where the temperature does not match their preferred temperature.

[0060] Next, a description will be given of the operation guide process in Fig. 11. This operation guide process is started, for example, after the floor map providing process in Fig. 10 described above.

[0061] First, the management server 30 determines whether or not a selection operation has been performed on an air conditioning device 10 on the floor map (step S201). That is, the operation acquisition unit 326 determines whether or not a selection operation to select any one of the air conditioning devices 10 has been performed on the user terminal 20.

[0062] When the management server 30 determines that no selection operation has been performed (step S201; No), the management server 30 waits for a selection operation to be performed.

[0063] On the other hand, if it is determined that a selection operation has been performed (step S201; Yes), the management server 30, which has acquired the selection operation, identifies the current user who last performed a change operation on the air conditioning equipment 10 (step S202). That is, the map generator 324 identifies the user (second user) who last performed a change operation on the air conditioning equipment 10 selected in the above step S201, that is, the current user who changed the set temperature to the current temperature, by referring to the operation history information 312 in Fig. 6. Note that step S202 is an example of an operation acquisition step.

[0064] The management server 30 extracts detailed information about the change operation performed by the current user (step S203). That is, the map generation unit 324 extracts detailed information about the change operation performed by the current user from the operation history information 312 in Fig. 6. For example, the map generation unit 324 extracts from the operation history information 312 the time when the change operation was performed, the name of the user who performed the change operation, and the content of the change operation.

[0065] The management server 30 generates an operation map based on the current user's information and the detailed information (step S204). That is, the map generation unit 324 adds detailed information about the change operation performed by the current user to the floor map, and then generates an operation map in which the symbol corresponding to the current user on the floor map is highlighted. For example, the map generation unit 324 generates an operation map MP2 as shown in FIG. 8. If the anonymous option is selected in the change operation performed by the current user, the management server 30 generates an operation map in which simplified information that omits the current user's information is added instead of the detailed information, and the symbol for the current user is not changed. For example, the map generation unit 324 generates an operation map MP3 as shown in FIG. 9. The above-described step S114 and step S204 are examples of map generation steps.

[0066] The management server 30 provides the operation map to the target user terminal 20 (step S205). That is, the providing unit 325 provides the operation map generated in the above step S204 to the user terminal 20 of the user who performed the selection operation in the above step S201 via the communication unit 33. Note that the above step S115 and this step S205 are examples of providing steps.

[0067] The management server 30 determines whether a new change operation has been performed (step S206). That is, the operation acquisition unit 326 determines whether a new change operation to change the set temperature of the selected air conditioning equipment 10 has been performed on the user terminal 20 to which the operation map was provided in step S205.

[0068] When the management server 30 determines that a change operation has been performed (step S206; Yes), it transmits a command according to the new change operation to the target air conditioning equipment 10 (step S207). That is, the command unit 327 commands the corresponding air conditioning equipment 10 to operate in accordance with the new change operation via the communication unit 33. Then, the management server 30 ends the operation guidance process.

[0069] On the other hand, if it is determined that no change operation has been performed (step S206; No), the management server 30 suggests moving to an area that matches the preferred temperature of the user who performed the selection operation (step S208). For example, if there is an area that matches the preferred temperature of the user who performed the selection operation, the map generation unit 324 superimposes a message urging the user to move to that area on the operation map to suggest the move. Then, the management server 30 ends the operation guidance process.

[0070] Such operation guidance processing allows a user who is about to change the temperature setting of the air conditioning equipment 10 to visually understand the impact on other users.

[0071] As a result, a user who is about to change the set temperature of the air conditioning equipment 10 can be made to properly understand the impact on other users.

[0072] In the first embodiment described above, a user who is presented with an operation map may end up making changes that cause discomfort to other users due to misunderstanding, erroneous operation, etc. Therefore, when making a new change, the current user's consent may be obtained.

[0073] Hereinafter, an air conditioning system 1 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described, which is capable of obtaining consent from the current user when performing a new change operation. Note that in the air conditioning system 1 according to the second embodiment, the configurations of the air conditioning equipment 10 and the user terminal 20 are the same as those in FIG. 1.

[0074] FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management server 30 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. In the management server 30 of FIG. 12, the configurations of the storage unit 31 and the communication unit 33 are the same as those of the management server 30 of FIG. 4. Nevertheless, the storage unit 31 stores operation history information 312 as shown in FIG. 13. The operation history information 312 shown in FIG. 13 includes an approval option instead of the anonymous option of the operation history information 312 of FIG. 6. This approval option is information regarding whether approval is requested from the user for a new change operation to the air conditioning equipment 10 that the user has changed. If the approval option is "yes," an approval notification is sent, as described below. Note that the user can select this approval option when making a change operation.

[0075] 12 , the control unit 32 includes a location acquisition unit 321 that is an example of a location acquisition means, a user information acquisition unit 322 that is an example of a user information acquisition means, a temperature acquisition unit 323, a map generation unit 324 that is an example of a map generation means, a provision unit 325 that is an example of a provision means, an operation acquisition unit 326 that is an example of an operation acquisition means, a command unit 327 that is an example of a command means, an alarm issuance unit 328 that is an example of an alarm issuance means, and a discrimination unit 329 that is an example of a discrimination means. In other words, the control unit 32 in FIG. 12 has a configuration in which the alarm issuance unit 328 and the discrimination unit 329 are added to the control unit 32 in FIG. 4 . The computer that constitutes the management server 30 includes, for example, a CPU, RAM, ROM, and an auxiliary storage device represented by a hard disk, SSD, etc. In the management server 30, for example, the CPU uses the RAM as a work memory and executes a program stored in the ROM or an auxiliary storage device, thereby realizing a location acquisition unit 321, a user information acquisition unit 322, a temperature acquisition unit 323, a map generation unit 324, a provision unit 325, an operation acquisition unit 326, a command unit 327, an alarm issuing unit 328, and a discrimination unit 329.

[0076] When the approval option is selected in a change operation performed by the current user (second user), and the user (first user) performs a new change operation, the notification unit 328 issues an approval notification, for example, including the content of the new change operation and a selection button for selecting approval or rejection, to the user terminal 20 used by the current user via the communication unit 33.

[0077] The determination unit 329 determines whether the change operation included in the approval notification has been approved by the user terminal 20 of the current user to which the approval notification was issued. For example, if the current user operates the approval button included in the approval notification, the determination unit 329 determines that the change operation has been approved. Also, if the current user operates the rejection button included in the approval notification, the determination unit 329 determines that the change operation has been rejected. Note that the determination unit 329 may determine that the change operation has been approved if a certain amount of time has passed without any response since the approval notification was issued. Note that the certain amount of time to wait for a response is set to, for example, 60 seconds as a default value, but this time value can be changed by the administrator.

[0078] Hereinafter, the operation of the management server 30 according to the second embodiment having such a configuration will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation guidance processing executed by the management server 30 according to the second embodiment.

[0079] The manipulation guide process in Fig. 14 is obtained by adding steps S301 to S305 to the manipulation guide process in Fig. 11. Therefore, in the following explanation, only the processes that are the same as those in the manipulation guide process in Fig. 11 will be briefly described.

[0080] First, the management server 30 determines whether or not a selection operation has been performed on the air conditioning equipment 10 on the floor map (step S201), and if it determines that no selection operation has been performed (step S201; No), it waits for a selection operation to be performed.

[0081] On the other hand, if it is determined that a selection operation has been performed (step S201; Yes), the management server 30 identifies the current user who last performed a change operation on the air conditioning equipment 10 (step S202).

[0082] The management server 30 extracts detailed information about the change operation performed by the current user (step S203), generates an operation map according to the current user information and the detailed information (step S204), and provides the operation map to the target user terminal 20 (step S205). For example, the map generation unit 324 generates an operation map MP2 as shown in Fig. 8 described above, and provides it to the user terminal 20 of the user who performed the selection operation in step S201.

[0083] The management server 30 determines whether a new change operation has been performed (step S206), and if it determines that a change operation has been performed (step S206; Yes), it determines whether the approval option has been selected for the change operation performed by the current user (step S301). That is, the reporting unit 328 determines whether the approval option has been selected for the change operation performed by the current user by referring to the operation history information 312 in FIG. 13 .

[0084] If the management server 30 determines that the approval option has not been selected (step S301; No), the management server 30 proceeds to step S207, which will be described later.

[0085] On the other hand, if it is determined that the approval option has been selected (step S301; Yes), the management server 30 issues an approval notification to the user terminal 20 of the current user (step S302). That is, the notification unit 328 issues an approval notification including the content of the change operation performed in the above step S206 to the user terminal 20 used by the current user via the communication unit 33.

[0086] The management server 30 determines whether the current user has approved the change (step S303). That is, the determination unit 329 determines whether the change operation included in the approval notice has been approved by the user terminal 20 of the current user to whom the approval notice was issued.

[0087] If the management server 30 determines that the current user has approved (step S303; Yes), the process proceeds to step S207, which will be described later.

[0088] On the other hand, if it is determined that the change has not been approved by the current user (step S303; No), the management server 30 determines whether the current user has rejected the change (step S304). That is, the determination unit 329 determines whether the change operation included in the approval notification has been rejected by the user terminal 20 of the current user.

[0089] If the management server 30 determines that the current user has refused (step S304; Yes), the process proceeds to step S208, which will be described later.

[0090] On the other hand, if it is determined that the current user has not rejected the request (step S304; No), the management server 30 determines whether a certain time has passed since the approval notification was issued (step S305). That is, the determination unit 329 determines whether, for example, 60 seconds have passed without receiving a response from the user terminal 20 of the current user.

[0091] If the management server 30 determines that the certain time has not elapsed (step S305; No), the processing returns to the above-mentioned step S303.

[0092] On the other hand, if it is determined that the certain time has elapsed (step S305; Yes), the management server 30 transmits a command according to the new change operation to the target air conditioning equipment 10 (step S207). Then, the management server 30 ends the operation guidance process.

[0093] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S206 that no change operation has been performed (step S206; No), the management server 30 suggests moving to an area that matches the preferred temperature of the user who performed the selection operation (step S208).Then, the management server 30 ends the operation guidance process.

[0094] By obtaining the consent of the current user through this operation guidance process, it is possible to prevent unintentional changes that may cause discomfort to other users. Furthermore, changes made by a later user are not necessarily valid, ensuring fairness in changes made by users.

[0095] As a result, a user who attempts to change the set temperature of the air conditioning equipment 10 can properly understand the impact on other users, and can be prevented from unintentionally making changes that would cause discomfort to other users.

[0096] (Other Embodiments) In the above-described first and second embodiments, the operation history information 312 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 13 is used to identify the current user or to superimpose detailed information on an operation map. However, a control schedule for the air conditioning equipment 10 may be generated based on the operation history information 312. For example, the control unit 32 of the management server 30 generates a control schedule for controlling each air conditioning equipment 10 according to an operation pattern obtained by aggregating change operations in the operation history information 312 over a certain period of time. That is, the operation history information 312 stores information on which air conditioning equipment 10, at what timing, and by which user, and can be used to create the control schedule. For example, if the control unit 32 can extract an operation pattern with the same or similar time period and operation content from the operation history information 312, it generates a control schedule for tracing the operation pattern. The control unit 32 then registers the generated control schedule in, for example, a system controller (not shown) that controls the air conditioning equipment 10, and reflects the operation schedule. In this way, even when generating and registering a control schedule, a selection operation for selecting air conditioning equipment 10 on the floor map described above may be made possible. In this case, the user who performed the operation may be displayed as, for example, "Auto setting (Mr. XX)" in the detailed information superimposed on the generated operation map.

[0097] 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 location acquisition unit 321, user information acquisition unit 322, temperature acquisition unit 323, map generation unit 324, provision unit 325, operation acquisition unit 326, command unit 327, and the like. 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.

[0098] 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.

[0099] 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.

[0100] 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.

[0101] The present disclosure can be suitably adopted in a management server, air conditioning system, presentation method, and program that can allow a user who attempts to change the set temperature of an air conditioning device to properly understand the impact on other users.

[0102] 1 Air conditioning system, 10 Air conditioning equipment, 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 Memory unit, 24 Position identification unit, 25 Operation unit, 26 Transmission unit, 27 Reception unit, 28 Display unit, 30 Management server, 31 Memory unit, 311 User information, 312 Operation history information, 313 Floor information, 32 Control unit, 321 Position acquisition unit, 322 User information acquisition unit, 323 Temperature acquisition unit, 324 Map generation unit, 325 Provision unit, 326 Operation acquisition unit, 327 Command unit, 328 Alert unit, 329 Discrimination unit, 33 Communication unit

Claims

1. A management server that controls a plurality of air conditioning devices installed corresponding to a plurality of areas on a floor in accordance with operations from a user using a user terminal, comprising: a position acquisition means for acquiring from the user terminal position information indicating the position of the user present on the floor; a map generation means for generating a floor map including temperature information for each of the plurality of areas and a symbol indicating the user's position on the floor; a provision means for providing the floor map generated by the map generation means to the user terminal; and an operation acquisition means for acquiring from the user terminal user operations including a selection operation for selecting an air conditioning device from among the plurality of air conditioning devices as a target device and a change operation for changing the set temperature of the target device, wherein when a first user newly performs the selection operation, the map generation means identifies a second user who last performed the change operation on the target device, adds detailed information about the change operation performed by the second user to the floor map, and generates an operation map in which the symbol corresponding to the second user on the floor map is highlighted, the providing means provides the operation map generated by the map generating means to the user terminal used by the first user.

2. The management server according to claim 1, further comprising a user information acquisition means for acquiring user information including a preferred temperature preferred by the user from the user terminal, wherein the map generation means generates the floor map including the symbol further representing the preferred temperature.

3. The management server according to claim 2, wherein the map generation means generates the floor map in which the temperature information for the plurality of areas and the symbols representing the preferred temperatures are drawn in colors corresponding to the temperature values.

4. The management server described in any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a notification means for issuing an approval notification including the content of the change operation performed by the first user to the user terminal used by the second user when the first user newly performs the change operation on the target equipment while the approval option is selected for the change operation performed by the second user; a determination means for determining whether the change operation included in the approval notification has been approved in the user terminal to which the approval notification is issued; and a command means for instructing the target equipment to change the set temperature in accordance with the change operation performed by the first user when the determination means determines that the change operation has been approved.

5. A management server as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when a user performs the change operation, the user can select an anonymous option that conceals information about the user who performed the operation, and when the anonymous option is selected in the change operation performed by the second user and the first user newly performs the selection operation on the target device, the map generation means generates the operation map by simply adding simplified information to the floor map that excludes information about the second user from the detailed information, and does not change the display of the symbol corresponding to the second user.

6. An air conditioning system comprising a plurality of air conditioning appliances installed corresponding to a plurality of areas 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 and operation information indicating the user's operation 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 location acquisition means for acquiring the location information from the user terminal used by a user present on the floor; a map generation means for generating a floor map including temperature information for each of the plurality of areas and a symbol indicating the user's location on the floor; a provision means for providing the floor map generated by the map generation means to the user terminal; and an operation acquisition means for acquiring from the user terminal the operation information including a selection operation for selecting an air conditioning appliance from among the plurality of air conditioning appliances as a target appliance and a change operation for changing the set temperature of the target appliance, When a first user performs a new selection operation, the map generation means identifies a second user who last performed the change operation on the target equipment, adds detailed information about the change operation performed by the second user to the floor map, and generates an operation map in which the symbol corresponding to the second user on the floor map is highlighted, and the providing means provides the operation map generated by the map generation means to the user terminal used by the first user.

7. A presentation method executed by a management server that controls a plurality of air conditioning devices installed corresponding to a plurality of areas on a floor in accordance with operations from a user using a user terminal, comprising: a position acquisition step of acquiring from the user terminal position information indicating the position of a user present on the floor; a map generation step of generating a floor map including temperature information for each of the plurality of areas and a symbol indicating the user's position on the floor; a provision step of providing the floor map generated in the map generation step to the user terminal; and an operation acquisition step of acquiring from the user terminal user operations including a selection operation for selecting an air conditioning device from the plurality of air conditioning devices as a target device and a change operation for changing the set temperature of the target device, wherein when a first user newly performs the selection operation, the map generation step identifies a second user who last performed the change operation on the target device, adds detailed information about the change operation performed by the second user to the floor map, and generates an operation map in which the symbol corresponding to the second user on the floor map is highlighted, the providing step provides the operation map generated in the map generating step to the user terminal used by the first user.

8. A program for causing a computer that controls a plurality of air conditioning devices installed corresponding to a plurality of areas on a floor in accordance with operations from a user using a user terminal to execute the following steps: a position acquisition step of acquiring from the user terminal position information indicating the position of the user present on the floor; a map generation step of generating a floor map including temperature information for each of the plurality of areas and a symbol indicating the user's position on the floor; a provision step of providing the floor map generated in the map generation step to the user terminal; and an operation acquisition step of acquiring from the user terminal user operations including a selection operation of selecting an air conditioning device from the plurality of air conditioning devices as a target device and a change operation of changing the set temperature of the target device, wherein the map generation step, when a first user newly performs the selection operation, identifies a second user who last performed the change operation on the target device, adds detailed information about the change operation performed by the second user to the floor map, and generates an operation map in which the symbol corresponding to the second user on the floor map is highlighted; the providing step provides the operation map generated in the map generating step to the user terminal used by the first user.

Images