Equipment market value diagnostic system and equipment market value diagnostic method

Abstract

Provided is a technique for diagnosing a value a customer can receive when using equipment.　This equipment market value diagnostic system comprises: a first storage unit that stores equipment specification information and operation history information of equipment subject to diagnosis; and a second storage unit that stores equipment specification information and lifespan information of market distribution equipment. A processing unit executes: a step for predicting, using the equipment specification information and the operation history information stored in the first storage unit, output and input when the equipment subject to diagnosis is used, and identifying first user value information including cumulative output and cumulative input accumulated in the period of use; a step for predicting, using the equipment specification information and the lifespan information of the market distribution equipment stored in the second storage unit, output and input when the market distribution equipment is used, and identifying second user value information including cumulative output and cumulative input accumulated in the period of use; and a step for evaluating, using the first user value information and the second user value information, a market value of the equipment subject to diagnosis.

Description

Equipment market value diagnosis system and equipment market value diagnosis method

[0001] The present invention relates to an equipment market value diagnosis system and an equipment market value diagnosis method. The present invention claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-206827, filed on December 7, 2023, and the contents of that application are incorporated by reference into the present application in designated states where incorporation by reference of documents is permitted.

[0002] As momentum grows for realizing a sustainable society, there is a need to shift from a linear economy based on mass production, mass consumption, and mass waste to a circular economy that uses resources efficiently and cyclically throughout the entire market lifecycle. Reuse, which extends the lifespan of products and efficiently utilizes resources, is gaining attention as one approach to this shift. In order to promote reuse and increase the reuse of used equipment, it is necessary to gain customers' understanding of the value of used equipment. However, used equipment varies in quality, making it difficult to assess its value, and customers are not necessarily familiar with the product, making it difficult to determine its value. This leads to customers demanding excessive price reductions for used equipment out of fear of inferior products, and sellers averse to low prices and therefore refrain from putting high-quality products on the market, making it easier for only inferior products to circulate in the used equipment market.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a system for used cars that ranks vehicles based not only on the mileage of a major diagnostic item but also on other vehicle information, and uses the ranking information to adjust the base price calculated from the mileage.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-072922

[0005] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 sets a price based on an evaluation of the past and current condition of the used car, and cannot be said to be a price based on the value that the customer will obtain after the purchase. The value that the customer will obtain must be imagined or predicted by the customer himself / herself, based on how the car will be used after the purchase. The object of the present invention is to diagnose the value that the customer will obtain when using a used car after purchasing it.

[0006] The present application includes a number of means for solving at least part of the above problems, examples of which are as follows. An equipment market value diagnosis system according to one aspect of the present invention that solves the above-mentioned problems comprises a first memory unit that stores equipment specification information and operation history information of equipment to be diagnosed, a second memory unit that stores the equipment specification information and lifespan information of market-distributed equipment, and a processing unit, wherein the processing unit performs the steps of: predicting an output of the equipment to be diagnosed when in use and an input required to obtain the output using the equipment specification information and the operation history information stored in the first memory unit, and specifying first user value information including a cumulative output and a cumulative input obtained by accumulating the predicted output and input values ​​over a predetermined usage period; predicting an output of the equipment to be diagnosed when in use and an input required to obtain the output using the equipment specification information and the lifespan information of the market-distributed equipment stored in the second memory unit, and specifying second user value information including a cumulative output and a cumulative input obtained by accumulating the predicted output and input values ​​over the usage period; and evaluating the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed using the first user value information and the second user value information.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to diagnose the value that a customer will obtain when using equipment after purchasing it. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0008] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an equipment market value diagnosis system. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of target equipment information. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of equipment specification information. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a processing unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart of diagnosis processing. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a user value prediction result in which the utilization period is the equipment lifetime. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an equipment market value diagnosis system according to Example 2. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of equipment usage condition information. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a processing unit. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart of diagnosis processing. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a market value diagnosis result in a predetermined utilization period. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a market value diagnosis result in a predetermined utilization period (no demand). FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a market value diagnosis result in a predetermined utilization period in the case of reuse. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of target equipment information according to Example 3. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a processing unit. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a user value prediction result. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an equipment market value diagnosis system according to Example 1

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The examples are illustrative of the present invention, and for clarity of explanation, appropriate omissions and simplifications have been made. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be singular or plural.

[0010] In order to facilitate understanding of the invention, the position, size, shape, range, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the position, size, shape, range, etc. disclosed in the drawings.

[0011] Examples of various types of information may be described using expressions such as "table," "list," and "queue," but the various types of information may be expressed using data structures other than these. For example, various types of information such as "XX table," "XX list," and "XX queue" may be expressed as "XX information." When describing identification information, expressions such as "identification information," "identifier," "name," "ID," and "number" are used, but these are interchangeable. Furthermore, in the embodiments, identification information described using these expressions is expressed using symbols, numbers, natural language, or a combination thereof, but the identification information may be in a format other than these.

[0012] When there are multiple components with the same or similar functions, they may be described using the same reference numeral with different subscripts. When there is no need to distinguish between these multiple components, the subscripts may be omitted.

[0013] In the embodiments, processing performed by executing a program may be described. Here, a computer executes the program using a processor (e.g., a CPU or a GPU) and performs processing defined by the program using storage resources (e.g., memory) and interface devices (e.g., communication ports). Therefore, the entity performing the processing by executing the program may be the processor. Similarly, the entity performing the processing by executing the program may be a controller, device, system, computer, or node having a processor. The entity performing the processing by executing the program may be any computing unit, and may include a dedicated circuit that performs specific processing. Here, the dedicated circuit may be, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), or the like.

[0014] A program may be installed on a computer from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable storage medium. When the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server may include a processor and storage resources for storing the program to be distributed, and the processor of the program distribution server may distribute the program to be distributed to other computers. In addition, in the embodiments, two or more programs may be realized as one program, or one program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0015] Furthermore, although the present invention is typically realized by an information processing device, it may also be realized as a platform having the functions of the present invention.

[0016] In this embodiment, the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 evaluates the user value (value during the usage period) of the equipment to be diagnosed and the equipment on the market, and diagnoses the market value of the equipment based on the results. In this way, since the value is evaluated during the period in which the user will use it, it is possible to evaluate the equipment to be diagnosed and the equipment on the market using the same value standards.

[0017] Here, the equipment to be diagnosed refers to equipment with a usage history (for example, industrial equipment such as a refrigerator or air compressor), and the equipment on the market refers to at least one of equipment currently in use and equipment predicted to be used.

[0018] In addition, user value is information that includes the predicted value of the equipment output (e.g., refrigeration capacity) when the equipment is in use, accumulated over the usage period, and the predicted value of the input (e.g., energy consumption) required to obtain that output, accumulated over the usage period.

[0019] The market value of the equipment to be diagnosed is a value output based on at least one of a value quantitatively evaluated based on any equipment on the market, or a value obtained by classifying equipment on the market and rating it based on that information.

[0020] Furthermore, a user refers to a person who uses the equipment to be diagnosed or the equipment distributed in the market. The person who uses the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 may be a user, or may be a person who is responsible for the distribution of the equipment to be diagnosed or the equipment distributed in the market (for example, a person who profits from sales or rental, or a leasing company). Therefore, in this embodiment, the person who uses the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 is referred to as an operator.

[0021] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an equipment market value diagnosis system. The equipment market value diagnosis system 10 is configured, for example, by an information processing device. The information processing device includes a storage unit 1000, a processing unit 2000, an external information acquisition unit 3000, an input unit 4000, a market value etc. reporting unit 5000, and a display unit 6000.

[0022] First, the storage unit 1000 stores at least target equipment information 1100 and marketed equipment information 1200. The target equipment information 1100 includes equipment specification information 1110 of the equipment to be diagnosed, operation history information 1120 of the equipment to be diagnosed, and user value information 1130 of the equipment to be diagnosed. The contents of the equipment specification information 1110, the operation history information 1120, and the user value information 1130 will be described later.

[0023] The market-distributed equipment information 1200 includes equipment specification information 1210 of the market-distributed equipment, lifespan information 1220 of the market-distributed equipment, and user value information 1230 of the market-distributed equipment. The contents of the equipment specification information 1210, the lifespan information 1220, and the user value information 1230 will be described later.

[0024] The processing unit 2000 also includes a user value prediction unit 2100 and a market value evaluation unit 2200. The user value prediction unit 2100 predicts the equipment output when the equipment to be diagnosed or the equipment distributed in the market is in use and the input required to obtain that output, and identifies user value information including accumulated output and accumulated input obtained by accumulating the predicted output and input values ​​over a predetermined usage period. For convenience, the user value information targeted at the equipment to be diagnosed will be referred to as first user value information, and the user value information targeted at the equipment distributed in the market will be referred to as second user value information.

[0025] The market value evaluation unit 2200 determines the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed based on user value information of the equipment to be diagnosed and the equipment distributed on the market, based on at least one of a value quantitatively evaluated based on any equipment distributed on the market, and a value obtained by classifying the equipment distributed on the market and rating it based on the information on that equipment.

[0026] The external information acquisition unit 3000 acquires information used to identify the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed and the equipment distributed on the market via a network or a portable storage medium. The information acquired by the external information acquisition unit 3000 includes the target equipment information 1100 and the market-distributed equipment information 1200 themselves or parts thereof, as well as information for creating the target equipment information 1100 and the market-distributed equipment information 1200 themselves or parts thereof.

[0027] The input unit 4000 also receives input of various instructions from an operator. The input contents include at least the target equipment information 1100 to be diagnosed. For example, the input unit 4000 receives input via an input device such as a mouse or a keyboard.

[0028] Furthermore, the market value etc. reporting unit 5000 uses the evaluation results of the processing unit 2000 to generate a report on the user value prediction results and market value evaluation results of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0029] The display unit 6000 displays the output via a display device such as a variety of displays. Therefore, the input unit 4000 and the display unit 6000 may be integrated into one unit, such as a touch panel. Furthermore, the input unit 4000 and the display unit 6000 may be configured in a separate housing from the equipment market value diagnosis system 10. In this case, the input unit 4000 and the display unit 6000 may be implemented as separate terminal devices, and the input information and output information may be transferred via a network.

[0030] The network may be, for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a virtual private network (VPN), a communication network that uses a general public line such as the Internet in part or in whole, a mobile phone communication network, or a combination of these. The network may also be a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or 5G (Generation).

[0031] Furthermore, the number of information processing devices constituting the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 is not limited to one, and there may be more devices for purposes such as redundancy, load balancing, etc. However, in the example of this embodiment, for simplicity of explanation, the explanation will be given assuming that there is one information processing device.

[0032] [Example 1] In Example 1, an example will be described in which the user value of equipment (chiller) is evaluated based on the equipment operating capacity as the output when in use and the equipment energy consumption as the input when in use. An example of the configuration of an equipment market value diagnosis system 10 in Example 1 is shown in Figure 1.

[0033] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of target equipment information. The target equipment information 1100 includes equipment specification information 1110, operation history information 1120, and user value information 1130. The equipment specification information 1110 includes dimension information 1111, component information 1112, material information 1113, and performance information 1114. The dimension information 1111 is information that identifies the dimensions of the equipment to be diagnosed (e.g., external dimension information and component dimension information). The component information 1112 is information that identifies the components that make up the equipment to be diagnosed (compressor, air heat exchanger information, display device information, etc., and components). The material information 1113 is information that identifies the materials that make up the equipment to be diagnosed. The performance information 1114 is information that identifies the performance exhibited by the equipment to be diagnosed (refrigeration capacity information, input power information, input current information, noise information, lifespan information, etc.). The performance information 1114 includes at least power consumption information as an input and performance information specifying a change over time in the refrigeration capacity as an output. The equipment specification information 1110 can be obtained from equipment specifications, media provided by the equipment manufacturer, or the like.

[0034] The operation history information 1120 includes operation history information 1121, maintenance history information 1122, user history information 1123, and usage environment history information 1124. The operation history information 1121 is information that identifies the operation history of the equipment to be diagnosed (accumulated operation time information, operating current history information, power consumption history information, etc.). The maintenance history information 1122 is information that identifies the history of maintenance work performed on the equipment to be diagnosed (periodic inspection timing, overhaul timing, worn part replacement history and replacement timing, periodic inspection timing such as oil change and filter change, overhaul implementation details, etc.). The user history information 1123 is user information (e.g., information about the user's country of origin and information about the industry of the user's company). The usage environment history information 1124 is information about the usage environment (e.g., information about the usage area, outdoor or indoor use, etc.).

[0035] The user value information 1130 includes usage period facility input information 1131 and usage period facility output information 1135. The usage period facility input information 1131 includes energy consumption information 1132. The usage period facility output information 1135 includes operating capacity information 1136 and operating time information 1137.

[0036] In addition, the equipment specification information 1210 of the market-distributed equipment has a data structure similar to that of the equipment specification information 1110 of the equipment to be diagnosed, and the user value information 1230 of the market-distributed equipment has a data structure similar to that of the user value information 1130 of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of equipment specification information. The equipment specification information 1110 includes, for example, an equipment number that identifies the equipment, the model name of the equipment, the equipment manufacturer, the refrigeration capacity (output of the equipment), the power consumption (input of the equipment), the noise level used for screening the equipment, the lifespan that specifies the upper limit of the usage period, and information on a deterioration model that includes the deterioration of refrigeration capacity and the increase in power consumption due to aging. Note that, for commercially available equipment, lifespan information may be included in the lifespan information 1220. While FIG. 3 shows an example of a data structure for a chiller as equipment, this is not limiting. For example, when dealing with an air compressor or other industrial equipment, the equipment specification information 1110 includes output or input specification information appropriate for the equipment.

[0038] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the processing unit. The processing unit 2000 includes a user value prediction unit 2100 and a market value evaluation unit 2200. The user value prediction unit 2100 includes a user facility input prediction unit 2110 and a user facility output prediction unit 2120. The market value evaluation unit 2200 includes a quantitative evaluation unit 2210 and a rating evaluation unit 2220.

[0039] The user equipment input prediction unit 2110 includes a user energy consumption prediction unit 2111. The user energy consumption prediction unit 2111 predicts the required energy consumption in accordance with the user environment of the equipment to be diagnosed and the user's usage requirements. Specifically, when predicting the energy consumption in accordance with the user environment of the equipment to be diagnosed and the user's usage requirements, the user energy consumption prediction unit 2111 predicts the energy (input) required to obtain the equipment output during the usage period of the equipment to be diagnosed predicted by the user equipment output prediction unit 2120 using equipment specification information 1110 of the equipment to be diagnosed (particularly, power consumption and a deterioration model according to changes over time) and operation history information 1120 of the equipment to be diagnosed. In addition, the user energy consumption prediction unit 2111 accumulates the required energy over the usage period to identify the cumulative input of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0040] Furthermore, the user energy consumption prediction unit 2111 predicts the required energy consumption according to the user environment of the market-distributed equipment and the user's usage requirements. Specifically, when predicting the energy consumption according to the user environment of the market-distributed equipment and the user's usage requirements, the user energy consumption prediction unit 2111 predicts the energy (input) required to obtain the equipment output during the usage period of the market-distributed equipment predicted by the user equipment output prediction unit 2120 using equipment specification information 1210 of the market-distributed equipment (particularly, power consumption and a deterioration model according to changes over time) and lifespan information 1220 of the market-distributed equipment. Furthermore, the user energy consumption prediction unit 2111 accumulates the required energy over the usage period to identify the cumulative input of the market-distributed equipment.

[0041] In addition, if the chiller is equipment to be diagnosed or equipment distributed in the market, the user energy consumption prediction unit 2111 calculates the value obtained by integrating the power consumption during the usage period over the usage period as the cumulative input of energy consumption during the usage period.

[0042] The user equipment output prediction unit 2120 includes a usage period operation capacity prediction unit 2121 and a usage period operation time prediction unit 2122. The usage period operation capacity prediction unit 2121 and the usage period operation time prediction unit 2122 predict the output of the equipment to be diagnosed and the market-distributed equipment in accordance with the user environment of the equipment to be diagnosed and the requirements of the user's usage mode.

[0043] Specifically, when predicting output according to the requirements of the user environment and usage mode of the equipment to be diagnosed, the usage period operating capacity prediction unit 2121 predicts the operating capacity (output) during the usage period of the equipment to be diagnosed using the equipment specification information 1110 of the equipment to be diagnosed (particularly, refrigeration capacity and a deterioration model according to changes over time) and the operation history information 1120 of the equipment to be diagnosed. Furthermore, the usage period operating capacity prediction unit 2121 accumulates the operating capacity over a predetermined usage period (for example, an expected equipment lifespan, a depreciation period, etc.) to identify the accumulated output of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0044] Furthermore, when predicting output according to the requirements of the user environment and usage mode of the equipment to be diagnosed, the usage period operation time prediction unit 2122 predicts the operation time (output) during the usage period of the equipment to be diagnosed using the equipment specification information 1110 of the equipment to be diagnosed (particularly, refrigeration capacity and a deterioration model according to changes over time) and the operation history information 1120 of the equipment to be diagnosed. Furthermore, the usage period operation time prediction unit 2122 accumulates operation time over the usage period (for example, the expected equipment life, depreciation period, etc.) to identify the accumulated output of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0045] Furthermore, when predicting output according to the requirements of the user environment and usage mode of the market-distributed equipment, the utilization period operating capacity prediction unit 2121 predicts the operating capacity (output) during the utilization period of the market-distributed equipment using the equipment specification information 1210 of the market-distributed equipment (particularly, the refrigeration capacity and a deterioration model according to changes over time) and the market-distributed equipment lifespan information 1220. Furthermore, the utilization period operating capacity prediction unit 2121 accumulates the operating capacity over the utilization period (for example, the expected equipment lifespan, depreciation period, etc.) to identify the accumulated output of the market-distributed equipment.

[0046] Furthermore, when predicting output according to the requirements of the user environment and usage mode of the market-distributed equipment, the usage period operation time prediction unit 2122 predicts the operation time (output) during the usage period of the market-distributed equipment using the equipment specification information 1210 of the market-distributed equipment (particularly, the refrigeration capacity and a deterioration model according to changes over time) and the market-distributed equipment lifespan information 1220. Furthermore, the usage period operation time prediction unit 2122 accumulates operation time over the usage period (for example, the expected equipment lifespan, depreciation period, etc.) to identify the cumulative output of the market-distributed equipment.

[0047] Note that, when the target chiller is a chiller, regardless of whether it is the equipment to be diagnosed or a commercially available equipment, the usage period operating capacity prediction unit 2121 takes the value obtained by integrating the value of the chiller's refrigeration capacity at the time of use over the usage time, taking into account deterioration of the chiller over time, as the usage period operating capacity. When the target chiller is a chiller, regardless of whether it is the equipment to be diagnosed or a commercially available equipment, the usage period operating time prediction unit 2122 takes the value obtained by integrating the value of the operating time during which the chiller can exhibit the refrigeration capacity required by the user over the usage time, as the usage period operating time. This is because, particularly in the case of chillers, there are rarely situations in which they operate constantly at maximum power consumption, and the required refrigeration capacity varies depending on the desired temperature, and therefore this is used as a standard for the output (refrigeration capacity) and input (energy consumption) during use.

[0048] The user value prediction unit 2100 identifies the cumulative output and cumulative input identified for the equipment to be diagnosed as first user value information, and identifies the cumulative output and cumulative input identified for the market-distributed equipment as second user value information.

[0049] The quantitative evaluation unit 2210 quantitatively evaluates the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed relative to the user value information of any equipment distributed on the market. For example, the quantitative evaluation unit 2210 quantitatively evaluates the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed relative to the user value of any equipment distributed on the market, where the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed is set to 100, and sets this as the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0050] The rating evaluation unit 2220 groups the marketed facilities based on the user value evaluation results (for example, by performing clustering), and identifies the group (class) to which the facility to be diagnosed belongs by comparing the user value of the facility to be diagnosed with the grouping results. The rating evaluation unit 2220 sets the identified group (class) as the evaluation result of the facility to be diagnosed.

[0051] 5 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart of the diagnostic processing. The diagnostic processing starts when an operator receives a start instruction via the input unit 4000. Alternatively, the diagnostic processing starts periodically (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, etc.).

[0052] First, the user value prediction unit 2100 acquires the equipment specification information 1110 and the operation history information 1120 of the equipment to be diagnosed (step S01). Specifically, the user value prediction unit 2100 identifies the equipment to be diagnosed in accordance with an input operation by an operator using the input unit 4000 or the target equipment information 1100 set in advance in the storage unit 1000, and acquires the equipment specification information 1110 and the operation history information 1120 of the equipment to be diagnosed via the external information acquisition unit 3000 or the input unit 4000. The information acquired in this step may be information set in advance in the storage unit 1000 that is selected and identified.

[0053] Then, the user value prediction unit 2100 acquires the equipment specification information 1210 and the lifespan information 1220 of the market-distributed equipment (step S02). Specifically, the user value prediction unit 2100 acquires the equipment specification information 1210 and the lifespan information 1220 of the market-distributed equipment via the external information acquisition unit 3000 or the input unit 4000. The information acquired in this step may be information selected or specified that has been set in advance in the storage unit 1000.

[0054] Then, the user value prediction unit 2100 predicts the user value for the equipment to be diagnosed over a predetermined usage period (step S03). Specifically, the user value prediction unit 2100 uses the equipment specification information 1110 and the operation history information 1120 of the equipment to be diagnosed to identify the cumulative output and cumulative input of the equipment to be diagnosed over a predetermined usage period (e.g., an expected equipment lifespan or depreciation period), and predicts the user value information 1130. The user value prediction unit 2100 uses the maintenance history information 1122 to identify the number of years that have elapsed since the equipment to be diagnosed was put into use, and uses the performance information 1114 to identify the cumulative output and the cumulative input corresponding to the number of years that have elapsed.

[0055] Then, the user value prediction unit 2100 predicts the user value for a predetermined usage period of the market-distributed equipment (step S04). Specifically, the user value prediction unit 2100 uses the equipment specification information 1210 and the lifespan information 1220 of the market-distributed equipment to identify the cumulative output and cumulative input of the market-distributed equipment for a predetermined usage period (for example, the expected equipment lifespan or depreciation period), and predicts the user value information 1230.

[0056] Then, the market value evaluation unit 2200 diagnoses the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed (step S05). Specifically, the quantitative evaluation unit 2210 relatively and quantitatively evaluates the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed based on the user value information of any equipment on the market. Then, the rating evaluation unit 2220 groups the equipment on the market based on the user value evaluation results (for example, by performing clustering), and identifies the group (class) to which the equipment to be diagnosed belongs by comparing the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed with the grouping results. The rating evaluation unit 2220 sets the identified group (class) as the evaluation result of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0057] Then, the market value etc. reporting unit 5000 displays the market value and the evaluation result (step S06). Specifically, the market value etc. reporting unit 5000 creates report data in a predetermined format using the equipment to be diagnosed and the user value prediction result of the market distribution equipment, the market value, and the evaluation result, and the display unit 6000 displays the report data.

[0058] 6 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for user value prediction results, where the usage period is the equipment lifetime. The user value prediction result display screen 6100 shows the results of evaluating user value using lifetime operating capacity and lifetime energy consumption, with the usage period being the equipment lifetime. In the results shown on the user value prediction result display screen 6100, newer products have a larger integral value of the operating capacity output by the equipment during the usage period, so they tend to be plotted at the top of the graph, while newer models tend to have lower energy consumption per unit operating capacity, so they tend to be plotted at the left side of the graph. The market value of the equipment to be diagnosed is evaluated by rating it into one of the classes shown by the dotted lines on the graph, or quantitatively evaluated by comparing it with any other equipment to be diagnosed.

[0059] The above is the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 1. The equipment market value diagnosis system 10 makes it possible to quantitatively or relatively evaluate the user value of equipment (chiller) based on the equipment operating capacity as the output during use and the equipment energy consumption as the input during use. Therefore, it can be said that it is possible to diagnose the value that a customer will obtain when using the equipment after purchasing it.

[0060] [Example 2] The equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 2 is basically the same as the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 1, but there are some differences. The differences will be mainly explained below. The equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 2 differs from the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 1 in the following points. - Equipment usage condition information is used when predicting user value information of the equipment. - The prediction of user value and evaluation of market value of the equipment to be diagnosed are performed separately for the cases of reusing the diagnosed equipment as is, reusing after maintenance (including inspection and repair, etc.), and reusing after remanufacturing. - The presence or absence of market demand is evaluated based on the results of the prediction of user value and the evaluation of market value of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0061] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an equipment market value diagnosis system according to Example 2. The configuration example of an equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 2 is basically the same as that shown in Fig. 1, but differs in the following respects.

[0062] The storage unit 1000 includes facility use condition information 1300. The processing unit 2000 also includes a regeneration method evaluation unit 2300 and a market demand evaluation unit 2400.

[0063] It should be noted that there is no strict difference between remanufacturing and maintenance. For example, the replacement of consumables that are replaced during regular inspections is considered maintenance, while relatively large-scale maintenance that involves replacing major parts is considered remanufacturing. However, this is not limited to this, and if the cost of maintenance is relatively high, it may also be considered remanufacturing.

[0064] 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of facility use condition information. Facility use condition information 1300 includes standard facility use condition information 1310 and customer facility use condition information 1320. Standard facility use condition information 1310 includes standard use period information 1311 and standard use pattern information 1312. Customer facility use condition information 1320 includes customer use period information 1321, customer use pattern information 1322, required facility performance information 1323, and facility request timing information 1324.

[0065] In the case of a refrigerator, the standard usage period information 1311 is general replacement frequency information or general lifespan information for a refrigerator. The standard usage pattern information 1312 is general operating time pattern information or general power consumption pattern information for a refrigerator, or general deterioration transition information for a refrigerator.

[0066] Customer usage period information 1321 is information on the replacement frequency of the user's chiller and information on the usage period of the chiller requested by the user. Customer usage pattern information 1322 is information on the operating time pattern of the user's chiller, information on the power consumption pattern of the user's chiller, or information on the deterioration progression of the user's chiller. Required equipment performance information 1323 is information on the chiller's cooling capacity requested by the user and information on the power consumption of the chiller requested by the user. Equipment request timing information 1324 is information on the replacement timing of the user's chiller.

[0067] 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the processing unit. The remanufacturing method evaluation unit 2300 includes an actual item reuse evaluation unit 2310, a maintenance item reuse evaluation unit 2320, and a remanufactured item reuse evaluation unit 2330. The actual item reuse evaluation unit 2310 evaluates remaining performance information when the diagnosed equipment is reused as is, and the costs and environmental impacts involved in reusing the diagnosed equipment as is. The maintenance item reuse evaluation unit 2320 evaluates remaining performance information when the diagnosed equipment is reused after maintenance, and the costs and environmental impacts involved in reusing the diagnosed equipment. The remanufactured item reuse evaluation unit 2330 evaluates remaining performance information when the diagnosed equipment is reused after remanufacturing, and the costs and environmental impacts involved in remanufacturing the diagnosed equipment.

[0068] The market demand evaluation unit 2400 determines the upper and lower limits of the user value required in the market using the user value information 1230 of the market-distributed equipment, and specifies them as the market-requested equipment value standard. If the user value prediction result of the equipment to be diagnosed is below the lower limit of the market-requested equipment value standard, the market demand evaluation unit 2400 evaluates that there is no demand in the market.

[0069] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flowchart of the diagnostic process. The diagnostic process according to the second embodiment is basically the same as the diagnostic process according to the first embodiment, but there are some differences. The differences will be described below.

[0070] First, after step S02, the external information acquisition unit 3000 or the input unit 4000 acquires the facility use condition information 1300 (step S11). The information acquired by the external information acquisition unit 3000 or the input unit 4000 in this step may be information that selects or specifies the use conditions desired by the user that are set in advance in the storage unit 1000, or the input unit 4000 may accept input of the use conditions desired by the user, or the external information acquisition unit 3000 may acquire the use conditions desired by the user via a network or a portable storage medium.

[0071] The regeneration method evaluation unit 2300 then evaluates the remaining performance information, cost, and environmental load according to the regeneration method of the diagnosed equipment (step S12). Specifically, the regeneration method evaluation unit 2300 acquires the target equipment information 1100 from the storage unit 1000, and causes the actual item reuse evaluation unit 2310, the maintenance item reuse evaluation unit 2320, and the remanufactured item reuse evaluation unit 2330 to calculate the performance, cost, and environmental load when the diagnosed equipment is reused as is, when it is reused after maintenance, and when it is reused after remanufacturing, respectively.

[0072] Then, the user value prediction unit 2100 predicts the user value for a predetermined usage period of the diagnosed equipment for each regeneration method (step S13). Specifically, the user value prediction unit 2100 uses the equipment specification information 1110 and operation history information 1120 of the diagnosed equipment to identify the cumulative output and cumulative input for each of the cases in which the diagnosed equipment is reused as is, reused after maintenance, and reused after remanufacturing over a predetermined usage period (e.g., an expected equipment lifespan or depreciation period), and predicts the user value information 1130. This is because the output per input varies depending on the regeneration method, resulting in differences in the user value obtained even for the same usage period.

[0073] After the processing of step S04, the market value evaluation unit 2200 evaluates the market value of the diagnosed equipment for each regeneration method (step S14). Specifically, the quantitative evaluation unit 2210 evaluates relatively and quantitatively the user value of the diagnosed equipment for each of the following cases: when the diagnosed equipment is reused as is, when it is reconditioned and reused, and when it is remanufactured and reused, based on the user value information of any marketed equipment.

[0074] The rating evaluation unit 2220 then groups the marketed equipment based on the user value evaluation results (for example, by clustering), and identifies the group (class) to which the equipment to be diagnosed belongs by comparing the user values ​​of the equipment to be diagnosed in the cases of reusing the equipment as is, reusing after maintenance, and reusing after remanufacturing with the grouping results. The rating evaluation unit 2220 regards the identified group (class) as the evaluation result for each restoration method of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0075] Then, the market demand evaluation unit 2400 evaluates whether there is market demand for each regeneration method of the equipment to be diagnosed (step S15). Specifically, if the user value prediction result of the equipment to be diagnosed is below the lower limit of the market-request equipment value standard information, the market demand evaluation unit 2400 evaluates that there is no demand in the market.

[0076] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for the market value diagnosis result for a predetermined usage period. The display screen 6200 for the market value diagnosis result shows the results of evaluating the market value using the usage period operating capacity and the usage period energy consumption, with the usage period being the period in accordance with the customer facility usage condition information 1320.

[0077] In the results shown on the market value diagnosis result display screen 6200, newer products have a larger integral value of the operating capacity that the equipment outputs during the usage period, so they tend to be plotted at the top of the graph, while newer models have a lower energy consumption per unit operating capacity, so they tend to be plotted at the left side of the graph.Since the equipment being diagnosed tends to consume more power to obtain the same output due to performance degradation, the equipment being diagnosed is plotted at the right side of the graph (lower market value) compared to an undegraded state.

[0078] 12 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen (no demand) of the market value diagnosis result for a predetermined usage period. The market value diagnosis result display screen 6300 shows the results of evaluating the market value using the usage period operating capacity and usage period energy consumption, with the usage period being the period in accordance with the customer facility usage condition information 1320. The results shown on the market value diagnosis result display screen 6300 show that the equipment to be diagnosed deviates from the range of the market required facility value standard, and the equipment to be diagnosed is evaluated as having no market demand.

[0079] 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the market value diagnosis result for a predetermined usage period when diagnosing equipment to be diagnosed, in the case of reusing the equipment to be diagnosed. The display screen 6400 of the market value diagnosis result shows an example of the results of evaluating the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed in the cases of reusing the actual equipment as is, reusing it after servicing, and reusing it after remanufacturing. The example of the display screen 6400 of the market value diagnosis result shows that the market value of a refurbished item is higher than that of an actual item, and that the market value of a remanufactured item is higher than that of a refurbished item.

[0080] The above is the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to the second embodiment. According to the equipment market value diagnosis system 10, the equipment use conditions required by the user when predicting the user value information of the equipment can be used to predict the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed and evaluate its market value, dividing the cases into a case where the diagnosed equipment is reused as is, a case where the equipment is reused after maintenance (including inspection and repair), and a case where the equipment is reused after remanufacturing. Furthermore, it is possible to evaluate the presence or absence of market demand based on the results of the prediction of the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed and the results of the evaluation of its market value. Therefore, it can be said that it is possible to more specifically diagnose the value that the customer will obtain when using the equipment after purchasing it.

[0081] [Example 3] The equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 3 is basically the same as the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 2, but there are some differences. Furthermore, it is possible to combine it with not only the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 2 but also the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 1. The following mainly describes the differences. The equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 3 differs from the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 2 in the following points. The user value of equipment is evaluated not only based on the equipment operating capacity and the equipment energy consumption, but also on the cost over the usage period and the environmental load over the usage period.

[0082] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of target facility information according to Example 3. The example of the configuration of target facility information according to Example 3 is basically the same as that shown in Fig. 2, but differs in the following respects: - Usage period facility input information 1131 includes cost information 1133 and environmental load information 1134.

[0083] The cost information 1133 includes information on running costs such as equipment maintenance costs and equipment operation costs of the target equipment. The environmental load information 1134 includes information on CO during operation of the target equipment calculated by a known method such as LCA (Life Cycle Assessment). ２ Emissions (CO ２ This includes information on a wide range of greenhouse gas emissions (including, but not limited to, greenhouse gas emissions and emissions converted into greenhouse gas emissions).

[0084] Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the processing unit. The configuration example of the processing unit 2000 according to the third embodiment is basically the same as that shown in Fig. 9, but differs in the following respects: The user facility input prediction unit 2110 includes a usage period cost prediction unit 2112 and a usage period environmental load prediction unit 2113.

[0085] The usage period cost prediction unit 2112 predicts the usage period cost in the process of predicting the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed and the equipment distributed in the market (for example, step S13 and step S04 of the diagnosis process in Example 2). For example, the usage period cost prediction unit 2112 calculates the energy running cost, equipment maintenance cost, etc. based on the energy consumed by the equipment during the usage period using the cost information 1133.

[0086] The usage period environmental load prediction unit 2113 predicts the usage period environmental load in the process of predicting the user value of the equipment to be diagnosed and the equipment distributed in the market (for example, step S13 and step S04 of the diagnosis process in Example 2). For example, the usage period environmental load prediction unit 2113 calculates the amount of greenhouse gas emissions corresponding to the energy consumed by the equipment during the usage period using the environmental load information 1134.

[0087] 16 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for user value prediction results. A display screen 7000 for market value diagnosis results shows the results of evaluating the market value using the usage period operating capacity and the usage period cost or usage period environmental load, with the usage period being the period in accordance with the customer facility usage condition information 1320.

[0088] The above is the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 3. The equipment market value diagnosis system 10 can use cost information and environmental load information to predict usage period costs and usage period environmental loads. Therefore, it can be said that it is possible to more specifically diagnose the value that a customer will obtain when using equipment after purchasing it.

[0089] [Example 4] The equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 4 is basically the same as the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 2, but there are some differences. Also, it is possible to combine it with the equipment market value diagnosis systems 10 according to Examples 1 and 3, as well as with Example 2. The differences will be mainly explained below. The equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 4 differs from the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 2 in the following points. In addition to the market value evaluation results of the equipment to be diagnosed, market price information of equipment distributed in the market is collected, and the price of the target equipment is diagnosed.

[0090] 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an equipment market value diagnosis system according to Example 4. This system differs from Example 2 in that market-distributed equipment information 1200 in the storage unit 1000 includes equipment price information 1240. Also, this system differs in that the processing unit 2000 includes an equipment price evaluation unit 2500.

[0091] The equipment price information 1240 includes information on the initial cost of the equipment distributed on the market. The equipment price evaluation unit 2500 evaluates the price for each restoration method of the equipment to be diagnosed.

[0092] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart of the diagnostic processing. The equipment price evaluation unit 2500 evaluates the price of the equipment to be diagnosed. For example, when the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed is graded, the equipment price evaluation unit 2500 evaluates the price according to the grade after step S15 of the diagnostic processing of Example 2 (step S21). Alternatively, when the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed is quantitatively evaluated, the equipment price evaluation unit 2500 sets the equipment price information of the equipment to be diagnosed by providing a predetermined correlation with the equipment price information of the marketed equipment used in the quantitative evaluation after step S15 of the diagnostic processing of Example 2. For example, the predetermined correlation can include various correlations such as a simple positive correlation or a correlation according to the market value.

[0093] 19 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for the market value diagnosis result (price) for a specified usage period. The market value diagnosis result (price) display screen 7100 shows the results of evaluating the market value using the usage period operating capacity and usage period energy consumption, with the usage period being the period in accordance with the customer facility usage condition information 1320. Below the plot of each market-distributed facility, the facility price based on the facility price information 1240 for the market-distributed facility is shown. Furthermore, when the market value of the facility to be diagnosed is evaluated by rating, price range information 7110 for each rating is diagnosed and displayed.

[0094] The above is the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 4. According to the equipment market value diagnosis system 10, in addition to the market value evaluation result of the equipment to be diagnosed, price information of equipment distributed in the market can be collected and the price of the target equipment can be diagnosed. Therefore, it can be said that it is possible to more specifically diagnose the value that a customer can obtain not only when using the equipment after purchase but also when introducing the equipment.

[0095] [Example 5] The equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Example 5 is basically the same as the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 according to Examples 1 to 4, but is an example in which the equipment to be diagnosed is an air compressor.

[0096] Fig. 20 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of equipment specification information according to Example 5. In the equipment specification information 1110' according to Example 5, the equipment to be diagnosed is an air compressor, and therefore, unlike the chiller, which is the equipment to be diagnosed according to Example 1, the usage period operating capacity is evaluated based on the amount of discharged air. However, by using the equipment specification information 1110' shown in Fig. 20, it is possible to properly evaluate the usage period operating capacity. In addition, by changing the usage period operating capacity and the type of energy used, the equipment specification information 1110' can also be applied to various types of industrial equipment (including elevators, machine tools, etc.).

[0097] [Hardware Configuration] The information processing device constituting the equipment market value diagnosis system 10 includes a processor (for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), hardware memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), storage such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and a CD (Compact Disk) or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). It can be realized by a general computer equipped with a reading device that reads information from a portable storage medium such as a portable disk, an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a barcode reader, or a touch panel, an output device such as a display, and a communication device that communicates with other computers via a communication network such as a LAN or the Internet, or by a network system equipped with a plurality of such computers. Note that the reading device may be capable of not only reading but also writing to the portable storage medium.

[0098] The processor executes various processes by executing various predetermined programs loaded from the storage into the memory. The programs are, for example, application programs that can be executed on an OS (Operating System) program. The programs may be installed into the storage from a portable storage medium via a reading device, or may be downloaded from a network via a communication device and executed by the processor.

[0099] For example, the processing unit 2000, user value prediction unit 2100, market value evaluation unit 2200, regeneration method evaluation unit 2300, market demand evaluation unit 2400, equipment price evaluation unit 2500, and market value etc. reporting unit 5000 can be realized by loading programs stored in storage into memory and executing them on a processor. The input unit 4000 and external information acquisition unit 3000 can be realized by a processor using an input device, an output device, and a communication device. The memory unit 1000 can be realized by a processor using memory or storage. The display unit 6000 can be realized by a display.

[0100] The above is an example of an equipment market value diagnosis system according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to the above embodiment, it is possible to diagnose the value that a customer will obtain when using equipment after purchasing it.

[0101] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to an embodiment including all of the described configurations. It is possible to replace part of the configuration of an embodiment with another configuration, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of an embodiment. It is also possible to delete part of the configuration of an embodiment.

[0102] Some or all of the above-described units, configurations, functions, processing units, etc. may be implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. Furthermore, the above-described units, configurations, functions, etc. may be implemented in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that implements each function. Information such as the programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in a memory, a recording device such as a hard disk, or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

[0103] It should be noted that the control lines and information lines in the above-described embodiments are those considered necessary for the explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines in the product. In reality, it can be considered that almost all components are interconnected. The present invention has been described above, focusing on the embodiments.

[0104] 10: Equipment market value diagnosis system, 1000: Memory unit, 1100: Target equipment information, 1110: Equipment specification information, 1120: Operation history information, 1130: User value information, 1200: Market distribution equipment information, 1210: Equipment specification information, 1220: Lifespan information, 1230: User value information, 2000: Processing unit, 2100: User value prediction unit, 2200: Market value evaluation unit, 3000: External information acquisition unit, 4000: Input unit, 5000: Market value etc. reporting unit, 6000: Display unit.

Claims

1. An equipment market value diagnosis system comprising: a first memory unit that stores equipment specification information and operation history information of equipment to be diagnosed; a second memory unit that stores the equipment specification information and lifespan information of market-distributed equipment; and a processing unit, wherein the processing unit performs the following steps: predicting an output of the equipment to be diagnosed when in use and an input required to obtain the output, using the equipment specification information and the operation history information stored in the first memory unit, and specifying first user value information including a cumulative output and a cumulative input obtained by accumulating the predicted output and input values ​​over a predetermined usage period; predicting an output of the equipment to be diagnosed when in use and an input required to obtain the output, using the equipment specification information and the lifespan information of the market-distributed equipment stored in the second memory unit, and specifying second user value information including a cumulative output and a cumulative input obtained by accumulating the predicted output and input values ​​over a predetermined usage period; and evaluating the market value of the equipment to be diagnosed using the first user value information and the second user value information.

2. An equipment market value diagnosis system as described in claim 1, wherein the processing unit: accepts input of usage conditions desired by a user for the equipment to be diagnosed; identifies the first user value information according to the lifespan and the usage conditions of the equipment to be diagnosed; identifies the second user value information according to the lifespan and the usage conditions of the market-distributed equipment; predicts the output at the time of use based on at least the equipment's operating capacity or operating time during the usage period included in the usage conditions; and predicts the input at the time of use based on at least any of the equipment's energy consumption, cost or environmental load during the usage period.

3. An equipment market value diagnosis system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, in the step of evaluating the market value, the processing unit identifies a market requirement equipment value standard in accordance with the second user value information for a plurality of market-distributed equipment, and diagnoses the presence or absence of market demand for the equipment to be diagnosed using the market requirement equipment value standard.

4. An equipment market value diagnosis system as described in claim 1, characterized in that in the step of evaluating the market value, the processing unit diagnoses the market value using either a quantitative evaluation or a relative evaluation of a plurality of the market-distributed equipment.

5. An equipment market value diagnosis system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, in the step of evaluating the market value, the processing unit diagnoses the market value in at least each of the cases where the equipment to be diagnosed is reused and where it is repaired and reused.

6. An equipment market value diagnosis system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, in the step of evaluating the market value, the processing unit at least obtains market price information of the market-distributed equipment and diagnoses the market value.

7. An equipment market value diagnosis system as described in claim 1, characterized in that the equipment specification information includes at least any one of material information, parts information, dimensional information, and performance information, and the operation history information includes at least any one of operation history information, maintenance history information, user history information, and usage environment history information.

8. An equipment market value diagnosis system as described in claim 1, wherein the equipment specification information includes performance information identifying changes over time in at least input and output, the operation history information includes maintenance history information including a replacement history of worn parts of the equipment to be diagnosed, and the processing unit, in the step of identifying the first user value information, identifies the number of years that have elapsed since the equipment to be diagnosed was put into use using the maintenance history information, and identifies the cumulative output and the cumulative input according to the number of years that have elapsed using the performance information.

9. A method for diagnosing equipment market value using an information processing device, the information processing device comprising: a first storage unit that stores equipment specification information and operation history information of equipment to be diagnosed; a second storage unit that stores the equipment specification information and lifespan information of market-distributed equipment; and a processing unit, the processing unit performing a step of predicting an output of the equipment to be diagnosed when in use and an input required to obtain the output, using the equipment specification information and the operation history information stored in the first storage unit, and specifying first user value information including a cumulative output and a cumulative input obtained by accumulating the predicted output and input values ​​over a predetermined usage period; and a step of predicting an output of the market-distributed equipment when in use and an input required to obtain the output, using the equipment specification information and the lifespan information of the market-distributed equipment stored in the second storage unit, and specifying second user value information including a cumulative output and a cumulative input obtained by accumulating the predicted output and input values ​​over the usage period. evaluating a market value of the equipment to be diagnosed using the first user value information and the second user value information.

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