Management device, management system, control method for management device, and program

Abstract

A management device (20) comprises a first acquisition unit (25), a first determination unit (26), a guidance unit (27), a second acquisition unit (28), and an updating unit (29). The first determination unit (26) determines a first section that corresponds to a preference index for a user acquired by the first acquisition unit (25) from among a plurality of sections. The guidance unit (27) guides the user to the first section determined by the first determination unit (26). The updating unit (29) updates the preference index for the user on the basis of a satisfaction index for the user acquired by the second acquisition unit (28).

Description

Management device, management system, management device control method, and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a management device, a management system, a control method for a management device, and a program.

[0002] A control system for environmental equipment is described in Patent Document 1. In the control system described in Patent Document 1, information indicating the comfort level of the thermal environment input from a terminal is compiled, and a plan for controlling the equipment is generated based on the compilation results and pre-registered criteria.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-205202

[0004] In the control system described in Patent Document 1, a control plan for the facility is generated based on information from a terminal, but the control system described in Patent Document 1 does not perform control such as guiding a user to an appropriate section in accordance with the user's preferences for the air environment.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a management device and a control method thereof that can guide a user to an appropriate section based on the user's air environment preferences. Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a management system including such a management device. Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a program for realizing such functions in the management device.

[0006] The management device according to the present disclosure includes a first acquisition unit that acquires a preference index for the air environment of a user in a facility having multiple sections with different air environments; a first determination unit that determines from the multiple sections a first section according to the user's preference index acquired by the first acquisition unit; a guidance unit that guides the user to the first section determined by the first determination unit; a second acquisition unit that acquires the user's satisfaction index for the air environment after the user has been guided by the guidance unit; and an update unit that updates the user's preference index based on the user's satisfaction index acquired by the second acquisition unit.

[0007] A management system according to the present disclosure includes a user terminal and a management device capable of communicating with the terminal. The management device includes a first acquisition unit that acquires a preference index for an air environment of a user in a facility having multiple zones with different air environments based on identification information from the terminal, a first determination unit that determines from the multiple zones a first zone corresponding to the user's preference index acquired by the first acquisition unit, a guidance unit that guides the user to the first zone determined by the first determination unit, a second acquisition unit that acquires a user's satisfaction index for the air environment after the user has been guided by the guidance unit, and an update unit that updates the user's preference index based on the user's satisfaction index acquired by the second acquisition unit.

[0008] A control method for a management device according to the present disclosure is a control method for a management device capable of communicating with a terminal of a user in a facility having multiple zones with different air environments. The control method includes a first acquisition step of acquiring a preference index for an air environment of the user based on identification information from the terminal, a first determination step of determining from the multiple zones a first zone corresponding to the user's preference index acquired in the first acquisition step, a guiding step of guiding the user to the first zone determined in the first determination step, a second acquisition step of acquiring a user's satisfaction index for the air environment after the user has been guided in the guiding step, and an update step of updating the user's preference index based on the user's satisfaction index acquired in the second acquisition step.

[0009] The program of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer capable of communicating with a terminal of a user in a facility having multiple sections with different air environments to execute the following steps: a first acquisition process for acquiring a preference index for the user's air environment based on identification information from the terminal; a first determination process for determining from among the multiple sections a first section corresponding to the user's preference index acquired in the first acquisition process; a guidance process for guiding the user to the first section determined in the first determination process; a second acquisition process for acquiring the user's satisfaction index for the air environment after the user has been guided by the guidance process; and an update process for updating the user's preference index based on the user's satisfaction index acquired in the second acquisition process.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it becomes possible to guide a user to an appropriate section in accordance with the user's preferences regarding the air environment.

[0011] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a management system in embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the management system. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of a preference index related to air environment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the operation of the management system. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a questionnaire displayed on a display of a terminal. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the operation of the management system. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the operation of the management system. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of hardware resources of a management device. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating another example of hardware resources of a management device.

[0012] The following detailed description will be given with reference to the drawings. Duplicate descriptions will be simplified or omitted as appropriate. In each drawing, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

[0013] Embodiment 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a management system 1 according to embodiment 1. The management system 1 includes a terminal 10 owned by a user, a management device 20, and an air conditioning system 40. The management system 1 is applied to a facility 2. The facility 2 may include only one building. The facility 2 may include multiple buildings. The facility 2 may also include outdoor equipment.

[0014] The facility 2 is provided with a plurality of sections with different air environments. The air environments may include temperature, humidity, airflow, and the like.

[0015] Hereinafter, the multiple sections provided in facility 2 and having different air environments will be simply referred to as "multiple sections." As an example, each of the multiple sections is a single room. "Multiple sections with different air environments" means that the multiple sections include sections with different air environments. In other words, the multiple sections may include sections with the same air environment. For example, if the multiple sections are 10 rooms, the 10 rooms may include seven rooms with high temperatures and three rooms with low temperatures. As another example, the 10 rooms may include four rooms with high temperatures, three rooms with medium temperatures, and three rooms with low temperatures. The temperatures of the 10 rooms may each be different.

[0016] Each user who uses the management system 1 is provided with a terminal 10. As an example, the terminal 10 is a smartphone. The terminal 10 does not have to be a smartphone. The terminal 10 is provided with a display 11. Furthermore, the terminal 10 stores identification information for identifying the terminal 10, i.e., for identifying the user.

[0017] The air environments of the multiple compartments are controlled by an air conditioning system 40. The air conditioning system 40 includes an air conditioner 41 and an air conditioning control device 42. It is preferable that an air conditioner 41 is provided in each of the multiple compartments. Multiple air conditioners 41 may be provided in one compartment. The air conditioning control device 42 controls the air conditioner 41. As an example, the air conditioning control device 42 controls the air conditioner 41 to perform various operations such as heating operation, cooling operation, dehumidification operation, humidification operation, and fan operation. The air conditioning control device 42 may perform only some of these operations. The air conditioning control device 42 may perform other operations instead of these operations, or may perform other operations in addition to these operations.

[0018] The air conditioning control device 42 includes a communication unit 43 and an operation control unit 44. The communication unit 43 is responsible for communication with the management device 20. For example, the communication unit 43 transmits information indicating the air environment in each of the multiple sections to the management device 20. Hereinafter, this information will also be referred to as air environment information. The air environment information may be control information of the air conditioning control device 42, or information based on measurements by sensors. By receiving the air environment information from the air conditioning control device 42, the management device 20 can determine the air environment in each of the multiple sections. The operation control unit 44 controls the air conditioning device 41 and performs each operation.

[0019] The management device 20 has a first management function of managing information about users and a second management function of managing the locations of users within the facility 2. The management system 1 may have an information management system as the first management function and a location management system as the second management function. The management device 20 may be realized by one server device within the facility 2, or may be realized by multiple server devices. The management device 20 may be realized by a cloud server.

[0020] The management device 20 is capable of communicating with a user terminal 10. The management device 20 is capable of communicating with an air conditioning system 40. The management device 20 includes, for example, a storage unit 21, a communication unit 22, a registration unit 23, an identification unit 24, a first acquisition unit 25, a first determination unit 26, a guidance unit 27, a second acquisition unit 28, and an update unit 29.

[0021] 2 to 5, the functions of the management system 1 will be described in detail below. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the management system 1. Specifically, Fig. 2 shows the operation flow performed by the management device 20.

[0022] The management device 20 determines whether a registration request has been received (S101). For example, a user who intends to use the management system 1 transmits a registration request from his / her own terminal 10 to the management device 20. The registration request includes identification information of the terminal 10 and information indicating the preference index for air environment of the user of the terminal 10. When the communication unit 22 receives the registration request from the terminal 10, the determination in S101 is Yes.

[0023] If S101 returns Yes, the registration unit 23 performs processing to register the preference index for the air environment of the user based on the registration request received in S101 (S102). As a result, the identification information of the terminal 10 and the preference index for the air environment of the user of the terminal 10 are associated and stored in the storage unit 21. The storage unit 21 stores the identification information and preference index for each user who uses the management system 1 in association with each other.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of preference indices related to air environments. FIG. 3 shows an example in which a temperature index, a humidity index, and an airflow index are stored in the storage unit 21 as preference indices related to air environments. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the temperature index, the humidity index, and the airflow index can each be registered in 11 levels. FIG. 3 shows an example in which a temperature index of "-3" is registered because the user prefers cold to hot, a humidity index of "+3" is registered because the user prefers moist to dry, and an airflow index of "+3" is registered because the user prefers being exposed to wind to being protected from wind. The method of registering preference indices related to air environments is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 3.

[0025] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the management system 1. Specifically, Fig. 4 shows the operation flow performed by the management device 20. The operation flow shown in Fig. 4 is performed for a user who has completed the pre-registration shown in Fig. 2.

[0026] As described above, the management device 20 has a function of managing the location of users within the facility 2. As an example, a large number of radio wave output devices are provided in the facility 2. The terminal 10 can communicate with each radio wave output device using a communication method such as UWB (Ultra Wide Band). The identification unit 24 identifies the location of the terminal 10 within the facility 2, i.e., the location of the user, based on information from the radio wave output devices.

[0027] The identification unit 24 may identify the location of the user by other methods. If a large number of network cameras are installed in the facility 2, the identification unit 24 may identify the location of the user based on images captured by the cameras.

[0028] The management device 20 determines whether a first acquisition condition is met (S201). The first acquisition unit 25 has a function of acquiring a preference index related to the air environment of a user in the facility 2. The first acquisition condition is a condition under which the first acquisition unit 25 acquires the preference index. As an example, the first acquisition condition is met when the user enters the facility 2. In such a case, the first acquisition condition is met when a radio wave output device installed at a service gate or the main entrance of the building receives identification information from the terminal 10, for example.

[0029] As another example, the first acquisition condition may be met when the user passes through a specific point that leads to multiple sections. In such a case, a security gate that performs identity authentication using the terminal 10 may be installed at the specific point. The security gate receives identification information from the terminal 10. Examples of when the first acquisition condition is met are not limited to these. When the first acquisition condition is met, a determination of Yes is made in S201.

[0030] If S201 returns Yes, the first acquisition unit 25 acquires the user's preference index for air environment based on the identification information from the terminal 10 (S202). Hereinafter, the user will also be referred to as user A to distinguish him / her from other users. User A's terminal 10 will also be referred to as terminal 10A to distinguish him / her from other users' terminals 10.

[0031] As an example, consider a case where a radio wave output device installed at the main entrance of a building in facility 2 communicates with terminal 10A, resulting in a Yes determination in S201. In this case, the radio wave output device receives identification information from terminal 10A. The first acquisition unit 25 acquires, as user A's preference index for the air environment, the preference index stored in storage unit 21 in association with the identification information received by the radio wave output device.

[0032] Next, the first determination unit 26 determines one section from the multiple sections according to the preference index of user A acquired by the first acquisition unit 25 in S202 (S203). Hereinafter, the one section will also be referred to as the first section to distinguish it from the other sections. As described above, the management device 20 can grasp the air environment of each of the multiple sections by receiving air environment information from the air conditioning control device 42. The first determination unit 26 compares the preference index acquired in S202 with the air environment of each of the multiple sections to determine the section that matches user A's preference as the first section.

[0033] Next, in the management device 20, a process is performed to guide user A to the first section determined by the first determination unit 26 in S203 (S204). The guidance process of S204 is performed by the guidance unit 27. As an example, the guidance unit 27 transmits information indicating the first section determined by the first determination unit 26 in S203 to the terminal 10A via the communication unit 22. As a result, the display 11 of the terminal 10A displays a message indicating that the air environment in the first section matches the user A's (user A's) preferences. User A can see the content displayed on the display 11 and know that he or she is being guided to the first section.

[0034] After the guidance unit 27 has guided the user A in S204, the management device 20 determines whether or not a second acquisition condition is met (S205). The second acquisition unit 28 has a function of acquiring a satisfaction index for the air environment after guidance from the user A. The second acquisition condition is a condition for the second acquisition unit 28 to acquire the satisfaction index.

[0035] As one example, the second acquisition condition is met when a certain time has elapsed since the guiding unit 27 performed the guiding process in S204. As another example, the second acquisition condition may be met when the identifying unit 24 identifies that user A has left multiple sections. Examples of when the second acquisition condition is met are not limited to these. When the second acquisition condition is met, a determination of Yes is made in S205.

[0036] If S205 returns Yes, the management device 20 performs processing to acquire user A's satisfaction index with the air environment (S206). The second acquisition processing of S206 is performed by the second acquisition unit 28. As an example, if S205 returns Yes, the communication unit 22 sends a response request to terminal 10A. Upon receiving the response request, terminal 10A displays on the display 11 a questionnaire prompting the user to respond as to whether or not they are satisfied with the air environment after guidance. User A can respond to the questionnaire by operating terminal 10A and transmit the response to the management device 20. The second acquisition unit 28 acquires user A's satisfaction index with the air environment based on the response to the questionnaire received from terminal 10A.

[0037] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a questionnaire displayed on the display 11 of the terminal 10A. Fig. 5 shows an example in which user A responds "satisfied" or "dissatisfied" to the guidance given in S204. That is, in the example shown in Fig. 5, user A evaluates the degree of satisfaction with the air environment after the guidance on a two-point scale. User A's satisfaction index is derived from this evaluation.

[0038] As another example, a questionnaire for rating the degree of satisfaction with the air environment after guidance on an 11-point scale may be displayed on the display 11, similar to when registering the preference index. A questionnaire for rating the degree of satisfaction with the air environment after guidance using a score system, with 100 being the highest and 0 being the lowest, may be displayed on the display 11. The responses to the questionnaire may include an evaluation of the temperature, humidity, and airflow.

[0039] Next, the update unit 29 updates the preference index of user A stored in the storage unit 21 based on the satisfaction index of user A acquired by the second acquisition unit 28 in S206 (S207). As an example, consider a case where "temperature '-3'" is stored in the storage unit 21 as the preference index of user A. In this case, if the user responds "dissatisfied" with respect to temperature, the update unit 29 changes the temperature '-3' to a temperature '-2'. If an index related to temperature, an index related to humidity, and an index related to airflow have been acquired in S206 as the satisfaction index for the air environment, the update unit 29 may update the preference index for each of temperature, humidity, and airflow in S207.

[0040] In the example shown in this embodiment, a first section corresponding to user A's preference index is determined from among multiple sections, and processing is performed to guide user A to that first section. Therefore, in the example shown in this embodiment, user A can be guided to an appropriate section in accordance with user A's preferences regarding the air environment. Furthermore, in the example shown in this embodiment, a satisfaction index for the air environment after guidance is acquired from user A. Therefore, user A's preference index stored in the memory unit 21 can be appropriately updated in accordance with the satisfaction index. By adopting the example shown in this embodiment, it becomes possible to create an environment with a high user satisfaction index, further improving the value of smart buildings.

[0041] The process of S205 does not necessarily have to be performed. If the process of S205 is not performed, a questionnaire for asking whether the user is satisfied with the air environment after the guidance process in S204 may be displayed on the display 11 of the terminal 10A immediately after the guidance process in S204.

[0042] In the example described in the present embodiment, a questionnaire is displayed on the display 11 of the terminal 10A in response to a response request sent from the management device 20. As another example, a questionnaire may be displayed on the display 11 of the terminal 10A in response to a specific operation being performed on the terminal 10A.

[0043] In the example described in this embodiment, the second acquisition unit 28 acquires a satisfaction index for user A's air environment from the responses to a questionnaire received from terminal 10A. As another example, if user A is wearing a device such as a wearable device, the second acquisition unit 28 may acquire user A's satisfaction index for the air environment based on observation information from the device. The observation information is information obtained by the device observing user A. The observation information may include biometric information of user A. The observation information may include information such as a stress value or a comfort index obtained from user A's biometric information.

[0044] In the example shown in this embodiment, the updating unit 29 updates the preference index of user A based on the satisfaction index of user A acquired by the second acquiring unit 28. As another example, the updating unit 29 may also update the preference index of user A based on the location of user A identified by the identifying unit 24. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the management system 1. FIG. 6 corresponds to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 to which the identifying process shown in S308 has been added. The processes shown in S301 to S307 in FIG. 6 are similar to the processes shown in S201 to S207 in FIG. 4.

[0045] 6 , the identification unit 24 is only required to be able to identify which of the multiple sections user A is in. That is, in S308, the identification unit 24 identifies which of the multiple sections user A is in. In S307, the update unit 29 updates the preference index of user A based on the section identified by the identification unit 24 in which user A was located after the guidance unit 27 guided user A.

[0046] For example, consider a case where user A moves from the first section to another section after being guided by the guidance unit 27. In this example, if user A answers "satisfied" to the questionnaire, the update unit 29 may determine that user A is more satisfied with the other section than with the first section, and update the preference index of user A. In this example, if user A answers "dissatisfied" to the questionnaire, the update unit 29 may determine that user A is less satisfied with both the first section and the other section, and update the preference index of user A.

[0047] Other functions that can be adopted by the management system 1 will be described below. If possible, the management system 1 may adopt a combination of the following functions. In the example shown below, only differences from the example described above will be described in detail. Explanations of the same points as the example described above will be omitted.

[0048] 1, the management device 20 may further include a counting unit 30 and a command generating unit 31. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the management system 1. Specifically, Fig. 7 shows the operation flow performed by the management device 20.

[0049] As described above, the storage unit 21 stores preference indices related to air environments of many people, including user A. The tallying unit 30 tally these preference indices stored in the storage unit 21 (S401). As an example, the tallying unit 30 may create a frequency distribution of the preference indices based on the information stored in the storage unit 21. That is, the tallying unit 30 tallys up, from the information stored in the storage unit 21, 5 people who gave a "+5", 11 people who gave a "+4", 18 people who gave a "+3", 28 people who gave a "+2", and so on, with respect to temperature, to create a frequency distribution of the indices related to temperature. The tallying unit 30 may similarly create a frequency distribution of the indices related to humidity and the indices related to airflow.

[0050] The counting unit 30 may count the preference indices by other methods. For example, the counting unit 30 may count only the preference indices of people whose temperature-related indices are +4 or more and -4 or less.

[0051] Next, the command generation unit 31 generates commands to adjust the air environments of the multiple compartments, i.e., operation commands for the air conditioning system, based on the aggregation results by the aggregation unit 30 (S402). When the aggregation unit 30 creates a frequency distribution of the preference index, the command generation unit 31 generates the operation commands based on the frequency distribution created by the aggregation unit 30. The operation commands generated by the command generation unit 31 are transmitted to the air conditioning system 40 by the communication unit 22 (S403). In the air conditioning system 40, the communication unit 43 of the air conditioning control device 42 receives the operation commands. The operation control unit 44 controls the air conditioning device 41 based on the operation commands received by the communication unit 43.

[0052] 7, the air environment of multiple compartments can be adjusted to suit the preferences of people using the management system 1. This makes it possible to achieve energy savings by improving air conditioning efficiency, further increasing the value of smart buildings.

[0053] As another example, the management device 20 may further include a prediction unit 32 and a command generation unit 31. In such a case, it is preferable that, for each user, identification information, a preference index for air environment, and a usage history of multiple sections are stored in association with each other in the storage unit 21. As an example, the usage history of multiple sections is stored based on the location of the user identified by the identification unit 24.

[0054] 8 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the management system 1. Specifically, FIG. 8 shows the flow of the operation performed by the management device 20.

[0055] In the example shown in FIG. 8 , the prediction unit 32 predicts a frequency distribution of preference indices of people who will be in multiple compartments after a specific time has elapsed, based on information stored in the storage unit 21 (S501). The specific time is set in advance. In this example, "people in multiple compartments" is synonymous with people who will be in any of the multiple compartments. For example, the prediction unit 32 predicts people who will be in multiple compartments at 9:00 a.m. the next day, among users whose terminal 10 identification information is stored in the storage unit 21. Note that not all users whose terminal 10 identification information is stored in the storage unit 21 will be in the multiple compartments at 9:00 a.m. the next day. The prediction unit 32 may predict people who will be in multiple compartments at 9:00 a.m. the next day, based on the information stored in the storage unit 21, using a prediction method such as linear regression analysis or random forest. To make this prediction, it is preferable that usage history for approximately the past three years be stored in the storage unit 21. In S501, the prediction unit 32 creates a frequency distribution of preference indices of people predicted to be in multiple compartments at 9:00 a.m. the next day.

[0056] If no usage history is stored in the storage unit 21, the prediction unit 32 may use information from application software that manages users' schedules or information from an entry / exit management system used in the facility 2 in the prediction process of S501. That is, the prediction unit 32 may predict people who will be in multiple sections at 9:00 a.m. the next day based on this information.

[0057] Next, the command generation unit 31 generates a command to adjust the air environment of the multiple compartments, i.e., an operation command for the air conditioning system 40, based on the frequency distribution predicted by the prediction unit 32 (S502). The operation command is a command to reserve the operation of the air conditioning system 40. The operation command generated by the command generation unit 31 is transmitted to the air conditioning system 40 by the communication unit 22 (S503).

[0058] In the air conditioning system 40, the communication unit 43 of the air conditioning control device 42 receives the operation command. The operation control unit 44 controls the air conditioning device 41 based on the operation command received by the communication unit 43. For example, the operation control unit 44 starts the air conditioning device 41 and begins the scheduled operation after the specific time has elapsed. The operation control unit 44 may also start the air conditioning device 41 and begin operation before the specific time has elapsed. For example, if the prediction unit 32 has created a frequency distribution of people predicted to be in multiple sections at 9:00 a.m. the next day, the operation control unit 44 may start the air conditioning device 41 30 minutes before that time, i.e., at 8:30 a.m. on the same day.

[0059] 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of hardware resources of the management device 20. The management device 20 includes, as hardware resources, a processing circuit 50 including a processor 51 and a memory 52. ​​The processing circuit 50 may include multiple processors 51. The processing circuit 50 may include multiple memories 52.

[0060] In this embodiment, the units denoted by reference numerals 21 to 32 indicate functions possessed by the management device 20. The function of the storage unit 21 is realized by a memory 52. ​​The functions of the units denoted by reference numerals 22 to 32 can be realized by software written as a program, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The program is stored in the memory 52. ​​The management device 20 realizes the functions of the units denoted by reference numerals 22 to 32 by executing the program stored in the memory 52 using a processor 51 (computer).

[0061] The processor 51 is also called a CPU (Central Processing Unit), central processing unit, processing unit, arithmetic unit, microprocessor, microcomputer, or DSP. The memory 52 may be a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a minidisk, or a DVD. Usable semiconductor memories include RAM, ROM, flash memory, EPROM, and EEPROM.

[0062] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing another example of hardware resources of the management device 20. In the example shown in Fig. 10, the management device 20 includes a processing circuit 50 including a processor 51, a memory 52, and dedicated hardware 53. Fig. 10 shows an example in which some of the functions of the management device 20 are realized by the dedicated hardware 53. All of the functions of the management device 20 may also be realized by the dedicated hardware 53. The dedicated hardware 53 may be a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

[0063] The hardware resources of the air conditioning control device 42 are similar to those shown in the examples of FIG. 9 or FIG. 10. The air conditioning control device 42 has a processing circuit including a processor and memory as its hardware resources. The processing circuit may include multiple processors. The processing circuit may include multiple memories. The air conditioning control device 42 realizes the functions of each unit indicated by reference numerals 43 and 44 by executing a program stored in memory using a processor (computer). The air conditioning control device 42 may have a processing circuit including a processor, memory, and dedicated hardware as its hardware resources. Some or all of the functions of the air conditioning control device 42 may be realized by dedicated hardware.

[0064] In the example shown in the present embodiment, some of the functions of the management device 20 may be provided in the air conditioning system 40. For example, the command generation unit 31 may be provided in the air conditioning control device 42. In such a case, in the example shown in FIG. 7 , information indicating the counting result by the counting unit 30 is transmitted to the air conditioning control device 42 of the air conditioning system 40 by the communication unit 22. In the air conditioning control device 42 that has received the information, the command generation unit 31 generates a command to adjust the air environment of the multiple compartments. Similarly, in the example shown in FIG. 8 , information indicating the frequency distribution predicted by the prediction unit 32 is transmitted to the air conditioning control device 42 by the communication unit 22. In the air conditioning control device 42 that has received the information, the command generation unit 31 generates a command to adjust the air environment of the multiple compartments. Functions other than the command generation unit 31 may be provided in the air conditioning system 40.

[0065] The present disclosure is applicable to facilities with multiple compartments with different air environments.

[0066] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Management system, 2 Facility, 10 Terminal, 11 Display, 20 Management device, 21 Memory unit, 22 Communication unit, 23 Registration unit, 24 Identification unit, 25 First acquisition unit, 26 First determination unit, 27 Guidance unit, 28 Second acquisition unit, 29 Update unit, 30 Aggregation unit, 31 Command generation unit, 32 Prediction unit, 40 Air conditioning system, 41 Air conditioning device, 42 Air conditioning control device, 43 Communication unit, 44 Operation control unit, 50 Processing circuit, 51 Processor, 52 Memory, 53 Dedicated hardware

Claims

1. A management device comprising: a first acquisition unit that acquires a preference index for the air environment of a user in a facility having multiple sections with different air environments; a first determination unit that determines a first section from the multiple sections according to the preference index of the user acquired by the first acquisition unit; a guidance unit that guides the user to the first section determined by the first determination unit; a second acquisition unit that acquires a satisfaction index for the air environment of the user after the user has been guided by the guidance unit; and an update unit that updates the preference index of the user based on the satisfaction index of the user acquired by the second acquisition unit.

2. The management device of claim 1, further comprising an identification unit that identifies which of the plurality of sections the user is in, and the update unit updates the preference index of the user based on the section identified by the identification unit in which the user was located after the user was guided by the guidance unit.

3. A management device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising: a memory unit that stores preference indices relating to the air environment of a plurality of people including the user; a counting unit that counts the preference indices stored in the memory unit; and a command generation unit that generates commands to an air conditioning system to adjust the air environment of the plurality of compartments based on the counting results by the counting unit.

4. A management device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising: a memory unit that stores preference indices relating to the air environment of a plurality of people including the user; a counting unit that counts the preference indices stored in the memory unit; and a communication unit that transmits information indicating the counting results by the counting unit to an air conditioning system that adjusts the air environment of the plurality of compartments.

5. The management device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the aggregation unit creates a frequency distribution of preference indices based on the information stored in the storage unit.

6. A management device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising: a memory unit that stores a preference index for air environment and a usage history of the multiple compartments for each of multiple people including the user; a prediction unit that predicts a frequency distribution of preference indexes of people in the multiple compartments after a specific time has passed based on the information stored in the memory unit; and a command generation unit that generates commands to an air conditioning system to adjust the air environment of the multiple compartments based on the frequency distribution predicted by the prediction unit.

7. A management device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising: a memory unit that stores preference indices relating to the air environment of a plurality of people including the user; a prediction unit that predicts a frequency distribution of preference indices of people in the plurality of compartments after a specific time has elapsed based on the information stored in the memory unit; and a communication unit that transmits information indicating the frequency distribution predicted by the prediction unit to an air conditioning system that adjusts the air environment of the plurality of compartments.

8. A management device described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the second acquisition unit acquires a satisfaction index for the user's air environment based on observation information received from an apparatus worn by the user.

9. A management system comprising: a user terminal; and a management device capable of communicating with the terminal, wherein the management device comprises: a first acquisition unit that acquires a preference index for the air environment of the user who is in a facility having multiple zones with different air environments based on identification information from the terminal; a first determination unit that determines a first zone from among the multiple zones according to the user's preference index acquired by the first acquisition unit; a guidance unit that guides the user to the first zone determined by the first determination unit; a second acquisition unit that acquires the user's satisfaction index for the air environment after the user has been guided by the guidance unit; and an update unit that updates the user's preference index based on the user's satisfaction index acquired by the second acquisition unit.

10. The management system described in claim 9, further comprising an identification unit that identifies which of the plurality of sections the user is in, and the update unit that updates the preference index of the user based on the section identified by the identification unit in which the user was located after the user was guided by the guidance unit.

11. A control method for a management device capable of communicating with a terminal of a user in a facility having multiple zones with different air environments, comprising: a first acquisition step of acquiring a preference index for the user's air environment based on identification information from the terminal; a first determination step of determining from among the multiple zones a first zone corresponding to the user's preference index acquired in the first acquisition step; a guidance step of guiding the user to the first zone determined in the first determination step; a second acquisition step of acquiring the user's satisfaction index for the air environment after the user has been guided in the guidance step; and an update step of updating the user's preference index based on the user's satisfaction index acquired in the second acquisition step.

12. A control method for a management device as described in claim 11, further comprising a step of identifying which of the plurality of sections the user is in, and in the update step, updating the preference index of the user based on the section identified in the identification step in which the user was located after being guided to the user in the guidance step.

13. A program for causing a computer capable of communicating with a terminal of a user in a facility having multiple compartments with different air environments to execute the following: a first acquisition process for acquiring a preference index for the user's air environment based on identification information from the terminal; a first determination process for determining from among the multiple compartments a first compartment corresponding to the user's preference index acquired in the first acquisition process; a guidance process for guiding the user to the first compartment determined in the first determination process; a second acquisition process for acquiring the user's satisfaction index for the air environment after the user has been guided by the guidance process; and an update process for updating the user's preference index based on the user's satisfaction index acquired in the second acquisition process.

14. The program described in claim 13, further causing the computer to execute a specific process to identify which of the plurality of sections the user is in, and in the update process, updating the preference index of the user based on the section identified in the specific process in which the user was located after being guided to the user by the guidance process.

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