Mold suppression assistance device, mold suppression assistance system, mold suppression assistance method, and mold suppression assistance program

Abstract

A mold suppression assistance device (100) assists in the suppression of mold growth. A prompt creation unit (110) acquires image data (21) in which a surrounding region that includes a mold suppression region is captured, and estimation request information (22) which is for estimating, using the image data (21), a factor (521) in growth and a suppression measure (522) with respect to mold. The prompt creation unit (110) creates a prompt (51) on the basis of the image data (21) and the estimation request information (22). A countermeasure assistance unit (120) outputs, on the basis of the prompt (51), suppression assistance information (52) which contains the factor (521) in growth and the suppression measure (522).

Description

Mold prevention support device, mold prevention support system, mold prevention support method, and mold prevention support program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a mold suppression support device, a mold suppression support system, a mold suppression support method, and a mold suppression support program.

[0002] In hot and humid regions or seasons, mold is likely to grow on the interior and exterior surfaces of buildings such as residences, stores, factories, and warehouses. Examples of the interior and exterior surfaces of buildings include the surfaces or interior surfaces of ceilings, walls, fixtures, furniture, and home appliances. Because mold growth reduces hygiene and design, it is necessary to predict and suppress mold growth.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a mold suppression system that estimates the mold index after a predetermined period of time based on the indoor temperature and absolute humidity, and determines the operation schedule of a humidity control device according to the progress of the mold index.

[0004] Patent No. 7261103

[0005] The mold control system of Patent Document 1 supports mold control measures within a feasible range that is included in the mold control system. However, mold growth is strongly influenced not only by temperature or humidity but also by the state and circumstances of the surrounding environment. Therefore, there was a problem that mold control would be insufficient unless comprehensive measures that include the surrounding environment were supported.

[0006] The purpose of this disclosure is to estimate the causes of mold growth from the state and circumstances of the surrounding environment, and to provide comprehensive support for resolving mold growth.

[0007] The mold suppression support device according to the present disclosure includes a prompt creation unit that acquires image data of a surrounding area including a mold suppression area of ​​a target area where mold growth is suppressed, and estimation request information that is information for using the image data to estimate factors that cause mold growth and suppression measures to suppress the mold growth, and creates a prompt based on the image data and the estimation request information; and a countermeasure support unit that acquires the prompt and outputs suppression support information including the factors and suppression measures based on the prompt.

[0008] In the mold control support device according to the present disclosure, the prompt creation unit uses image data of the surrounding area including the mold-control area to create a prompt for estimating control support information including mold growth factors and control measures. The countermeasure support unit uses this prompt as input and outputs the mold control support information. Therefore, the mold control support device according to the present disclosure can estimate mold control support information from the surrounding environment of the mold-control area, thereby realizing comprehensive support for resolving mold growth.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a mold prevention support system according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mold prevention support device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing an example of the operation of a mold prevention support device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of input / output of data of a mold prevention support device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a prompt according to embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mold prevention support device according to a modified example of embodiment 1. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mold prevention support device according to embodiment 2. FIG. 8 is a flow diagram showing an example of the operation of a mold prevention support device according to embodiment 2. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the input / output of data of a mold prevention support device according to embodiment 2. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the image data portion of a prompt according to embodiment 2. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the estimation request information portion of a prompt according to embodiment 2.

[0010] The present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, identical or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals. In the description of the embodiment, the description of identical or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate. Arrows in the drawings mainly indicate the flow of data or the flow of processing. Furthermore, the sized relationships between components in the following drawings may differ from the actual relationships. Furthermore, in the description of the embodiment, directions or positions such as up, down, left, right, front, rear, front, and back may be indicated. These notations are used for convenience of explanation and do not limit the placement, direction, or orientation of objects such as devices, instruments, or parts.

[0011] Embodiment 1. ***Description of Configuration*** Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a mold control support system 500 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mold control support device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0012] The mold control support system 500 according to this embodiment includes a mold control support device 100 and an artificial intelligence 200. The mold control support device 100 and the artificial intelligence 200 are capable of inputting and outputting data or transmitting and receiving data.

[0013] First, a configuration example of the mold prevention support device 100 will be described. The mold prevention support device 100 is a computer. The mold prevention support device 100 includes a processor 910 as well as other hardware such as a memory 921, an auxiliary storage device 922, an input interface 930, an output interface 940, and a communication device 950. The processor 910 is connected to the other hardware via signal lines and controls the other hardware.

[0014] The mold control support device 100 includes, as functional elements, a prompt creation unit 110, a countermeasure support unit 120, and a storage unit 150. The storage unit 150 stores a prompt 51 and control support information 52.

[0015] The functions of the prompt generation unit 110 and the countermeasure support unit 120 are realized by software. The storage unit 150 is provided in the memory 921. The storage unit 150 may be provided in the auxiliary storage device 922, or may be provided separately in the memory 921 and the auxiliary storage device 922.

[0016] The processor 910 is a device that executes the mold suppression support program. The mold suppression support program is a program that realizes the functions of the prompt creation unit 110 and the countermeasure support unit 120. The processor 910 is an IC that performs arithmetic processing. Specific examples of the processor 910 are a CPU, a DSP, and a GPU. IC is an abbreviation for Integrated Circuit. CPU is an abbreviation for Central Processing Unit. DSP is an abbreviation for Digital Signal Processor. GPU is an abbreviation for Graphics Processing Unit.

[0017] The memory 921 is a storage device that temporarily stores data. Specific examples of the memory 921 are SRAM and DRAM. SRAM is an abbreviation for Static Random Access Memory. DRAM is an abbreviation for Dynamic Random Access Memory. The auxiliary storage device 922 is a storage device that saves data. A specific example of the auxiliary storage device 922 is an HDD. The auxiliary storage device 922 may also be a portable storage medium such as an SD (registered trademark) memory card, CF, NAND flash, flexible disk, optical disk, compact disk, Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk, or DVD. Note that HDD is an abbreviation for Hard Disk Drive. SD (registered trademark) is an abbreviation for Secure Digital. CF is an abbreviation for CompactFlash (registered trademark). DVD is an abbreviation for Digital Versatile Disk.

[0018] The input interface 930 is a port connected to an input device such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel. Specifically, the input interface 930 is a USB terminal. The input interface 930 may also be a port connected to a LAN. USB is an abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus. LAN is an abbreviation for Local Area Network.

[0019] The output interface 940 is a port to which a cable of an output device such as a display is connected. Specifically, the output interface 940 is a USB terminal or an HDMI (registered trademark) terminal. Specifically, the display is an LCD. The output interface 940 is also called a display interface. HDMI (registered trademark) is an abbreviation for High Definition Multimedia Interface. LCD is an abbreviation for Liquid Crystal Display.

[0020] The communication device 950 has a receiver and a transmitter. The communication device 950 is connected to a communication network such as a LAN, the Internet, a telephone line, or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Specifically, the communication device 950 is a communication chip or NIC. NIC is an abbreviation for Network Interface Card.

[0021] The mold suppression support program is executed in the mold suppression support device 100. The mold suppression support program is loaded into the processor 910 and executed by the processor 910. The memory 921 stores not only the mold suppression support program but also an OS. OS is an abbreviation for Operating System. The processor 910 executes the mold suppression support program while executing the OS. The mold suppression support program and the OS may be stored in an auxiliary storage device 922. The mold suppression support program and the OS stored in the auxiliary storage device 922 are loaded into the memory 921 and executed by the processor 910. Note that part or all of the mold suppression support program may be incorporated into the OS.

[0022] The mold control support device 100 may include multiple processors that replace the processor 910. These multiple processors share the task of executing the mold control support program. Each processor is a device that executes the mold control support program in the same way as the processor 910.

[0023] The data, information, signal values ​​and variable values ​​used, processed or output by the mold suppression assistance program are stored in the memory 921, the auxiliary storage device 922, or a register or cache memory within the processor 910.

[0024] The "parts" of the prompt creation unit 110 and the countermeasure support unit 120 may be read as "circuits," "processes," "procedures," "processing," or "circuitry." The mold control support program causes a computer to execute a prompt creation process and a countermeasure support process. The "processing" of the prompt creation process and the countermeasure support process may be read as a "program," "program product," "computer-readable storage medium storing a program," or "computer-readable recording medium recording a program." The mold control support method is a method performed by the mold control support device 100 executing the mold control support program. The mold control support program may be provided by being stored in a computer-readable recording medium. The mold control support program may also be provided as a program product.

[0025] The artificial intelligence 200 includes an inference unit that performs inference using a trained model. The inference unit receives a prompt 51 from the countermeasure support unit 120 as input and outputs suppression support information 52 that supports mold suppression corresponding to the prompt 51 based on the trained model. The artificial intelligence 200 may be a generative AI. AI is an abbreviation for Artificial Intelligence. The countermeasure support unit 120 inputs the prompt 51 to the artificial intelligence 200, which is an external component, and instructs it to generate the suppression support information 52, thereby outputting the suppression support information 52. In this manner, various external artificial intelligence services can be utilized to output the suppression support information 52. Note that, although the artificial intelligence 200 is an external component of the mold suppression support device 100 in FIG. 1, it may also be an internal component.

[0026] The artificial intelligence 200 may be configured using algorithms such as Transformer, BERT, and GPT. The artificial intelligence 200 may also be configured by combining a plurality of algorithms including these algorithms. BERT is an abbreviation for Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers. GPT is an abbreviation for Generative Pre-Training.

[0027] ***Explanation of Operation*** Next, the operation of the mold control support device 100 according to this embodiment will be described. The operating procedure of the mold control support device 100 corresponds to a mold control support method. Furthermore, the program that realizes the operation of the mold control support device 100 corresponds to a mold control support program.

[0028] Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the mold prevention support device 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of data input / output of the mold prevention support device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0029] <Prompt Creation Process> In the prompt creation process, the prompt creation unit 110 acquires the image data 21 and the estimation request information 22, and creates a prompt 51 based on the image data 21 and the estimation request information 22. Specifically, the process is as follows.

[0030] In step S101, the prompt creation unit 110 acquires image data 21 and estimation request information 22. In step S102, the prompt creation unit 110 creates a prompt 51 based on the image data 21 and the estimation request information 22. The image data 21 is an image of a peripheral area 61 including a mold-suppression area 60 of a target area where mold growth is suppressed. The estimation request information 22 is information for using the image data 21 to estimate a generation factor 521 that is a cause of mold growth and a suppression measure 522 for suppressing mold growth. The estimation request information 22 is input by the user using, for example, a fixed phrase.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a prompt 51 according to this embodiment. The mold prevention support device 100 acquires image data 21 of an image of a surrounding area 61 including a mold-inhibition area 60 via the input interface 930. In FIG. 5, the mold-inhibition area 60, where mold growth is to be inhibited, is a ceiling or wall surface in a room. In the image data 21, the surrounding environment including the ceiling or wall surface that is the mold-inhibition area 60 is captured as the surrounding area 61. The image data 21 is, for example, data of a photograph taken by a camera. Furthermore, the image data 21 may be one or more.

[0032] The image data 21 preferably includes disturbances that affect mold growth, such as heat sources, moisture sources, or draft sources. For example, the image data 21 preferably includes the surrounding environment, including structures such as windows, doors, and furniture, as the surrounding area 61, in addition to home appliances installed in the room, such as an air conditioner, a humidifier, or lighting.

[0033] The estimation request information 22 is information for causing the artificial intelligence 200 to estimate mold growth factors 521, which are factors that cause mold growth, and mold suppression measures 522, using the image data 21. The estimation request information 22 in Fig. 5 includes information requesting an analysis of information from the image as (1), information requesting an analysis of the factors as (2), and information requesting a review of measures as (3).

[0034] The prompt creation unit 110 creates a prompt 51 including image data 21 and estimation request information 22. In this embodiment, information including the image data 21 and estimation request information 22 is referred to as the prompt 51, but the estimation request information 22 may also be referred to as the prompt.

[0035] <Countermeasure Support Processing> In the countermeasure support processing, the countermeasure support unit 120 acquires a prompt 51 and outputs suppression support information 52 including a cause of occurrence 521 and a suppression countermeasure 522 based on the prompt 51. Specifically, the processing is as follows.

[0036] In step S103, the countermeasure support unit 120 inputs a prompt 51 to the artificial intelligence 200. In step S104, the countermeasure support unit 120 acquires, from the artificial intelligence 200, suppression support information 52 including mold growth causes 521 and suppression measures 522. In step S105, the countermeasure support unit 120 presents the suppression support information 52 to the user. For example, the countermeasure support unit 120 presents the suppression support information 52 to the user by displaying the suppression support information 52 on a display device.

[0037] The suppression support information 52 includes mold growth factors 521 and feasible and comprehensive suppression measures 522 that are suitable for the surrounding environment of the mold suppression area 60. The suppression measures 522 include measures to remove the growth factors 521. Specific examples of the suppression measures 522 are as follows: Creation of an operation plan for an air conditioner, Application of anti-mold coating, Installation of an air conditioner, and Heat insulation of heat source equipment.

[0038] ***Other Configurations*** <Variation 1> In this embodiment, the image data 21 has been described as being data of a photograph taken by a camera. In addition to photograph data, the image data 21 may be an infrared image taken by an infrared imaging device. Alternatively, the image data 21 may be a panoramic image taken by a panoramic imaging device. An infrared image is an image taken by a thermal camera, and is an image that shows the temperature distribution or moisture content distribution. A panoramic image is an image taken by a camera that can capture a 360-degree or 180-degree surrounding area.

[0039] The prompt creation unit 110 acquires an infrared image of the mold-inhibition area 60 captured by an infrared imaging device as image data 21. Alternatively, the prompt creation unit 110 acquires a panoramic image of the mold-inhibition area 60 captured by a panoramic imaging device as image data 21. Note that the image data 21 may be a mixture of photographic data, infrared images, and panoramic images. For example, the image data 21 may be both an infrared image and a panoramic image.

[0040] By using not only photographic data but also infrared images or panoramic images as the image data 21, more comprehensive and effective prevention measures can be estimated.

[0041] <Modification 2> In this embodiment, the functions of the prompt creation unit 110 and the countermeasure support unit 120 are realized by software. As a modification, the functions of the prompt creation unit 110 and the countermeasure support unit 120 may be realized by hardware. Specifically, the mold control support device 100 includes an electronic circuit 909 instead of the processor 910.

[0042] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mold prevention support device 100 according to a modified example of this embodiment. The electronic circuit 909 is a dedicated electronic circuit that realizes the functions of the prompt creation unit 110 and the countermeasure support unit 120. Specifically, the electronic circuit 909 is a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, a logic IC, a GA, an ASIC, or an FPGA. GA is an abbreviation for Gate Array. ASIC is an abbreviation for Application Specific Integrated Circuit. FPGA is an abbreviation for Field-Programmable Gate Array.

[0043] The functions of the prompt generating unit 110 and the countermeasure supporting unit 120 may be realized by a single electronic circuit, or may be realized by distributing the functions across multiple electronic circuits.

[0044] As another modification, some of the functions of prompt generation unit 110 and countermeasure support unit 120 may be implemented by electronic circuits, and the remaining functions may be implemented by software. Alternatively, some or all of the functions of prompt generation unit 110 and countermeasure support unit 120 may be implemented by firmware.

[0045] Each of the processor and the electronic circuit is also called processing circuitry. That is, the functions of the prompt generation unit 110 and the countermeasure support unit 120 are realized by the processing circuitry.

[0046] ***Explanation of the Effects of the Present Embodiment*** As described above, the mold control support device according to the present embodiment can estimate the causes of mold growth and prevention measures from the surrounding environment of the mold-inhibited area. Specifically, by using image data captured of the surrounding environment as input, the mold control support device according to the present embodiment can analyze factors that may affect mold growth, including disturbances that people may not have noticed, and estimate the cause. Therefore, the mold control support device according to the present embodiment can input information beyond numerical values, thereby realizing comprehensive and effective support for resolving mold growth.

[0047] Embodiment 2 In this embodiment, differences from and additions to embodiment 1 will be mainly described. In this embodiment, components having the same functions as those in embodiment 1 will be assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0048] *** Description of Configuration *** Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of mold control support device 100 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, in addition to the configuration of Figure 2 described in embodiment 1, an image recognition unit 130 and an information reception unit 140 are provided. Also, a countermeasure database 53 is stored in a storage unit 150.

[0049] ***Explanation of Operation*** Fig. 8 is a flow chart showing an example of operation of the mold control support device 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of data input / output of the mold control support device 100 according to this embodiment. Note that in this embodiment, the processes described in embodiment 1 are described with subscripts added to the step numbers, such as step S101a and step S102a. These processes are basically the same as the processes described in embodiment 1, but indicate that there are some differences from embodiment 1 or some additions to embodiment 1.

[0050] <Prompt Creation Process> In step S201, the image recognition unit 130 acquires image data 21. In this embodiment, the image data 21 is assumed to be an infrared image and a panoramic image. As described in Variation 1 of Embodiment 1, the image data 21 may include a mixture of photographic data, infrared images, and panoramic images. Alternatively, the image data 21 may include any of photographic data, infrared images, and panoramic images. The image recognition unit 130 outputs a relative position 30 of the surrounding environment in the mold-inhibition area 60 based on the image data 21. Here, the surrounding environment refers to structures, objects, or equipment present in the surrounding area 61 including the mold-inhibition area 60. For example, the relative position 30 of the surrounding environment is information such as the relative distance from the center of the mold-inhibition area 60 to a specific wall, air conditioner, window, or door. In other words, the relative position 30 of the surrounding environment can be rephrased as a specific relative position of an object or location present in the surrounding environment.

[0051] Here, the image recognition unit 130 according to this embodiment may be a machine learning or generative AI. The image recognition unit 130 may use the artificial intelligence 200, as in the countermeasure support unit 120, or may have a generative AI in its internal configuration. For example, the image recognition unit 130 inputs image data 21 to the generative AI and obtains the relative position 30 of the surrounding environment output from the generative AI. Alternatively, the image recognition unit 130 may obtain the relative position 30 of the surrounding environment from the image data 21 using another image recognition method.

[0052] In step S202, the prompt creation unit 110 acquires environmental condition information 23 used to estimate the mold suppression support information 52. The environmental condition information 23 includes, for example, the following information: basic information indicating the condition of the mold suppression area 60 or the surrounding area 61, the operating status and setting status of the equipment in the mold suppression area 60 or the surrounding area 61, the temperature and humidity of the area including the mold suppression area 60 or the surrounding area 61, weather data for the area including the mold suppression area 60 or the surrounding area 61, constraints for the mold suppression area 60 or the surrounding area 61, and recommended temperature and humidity values. The environmental condition information 23 includes any of the above six pieces of information or a combination of at least two of the above six pieces of information.

[0053] Basic information indicating the status of the mold-inhibition area 60 or the surrounding area 61 includes the purpose of use of the environment, the characteristics of the land, or the address. This information may be input by a user or obtained from a sensor or weather database, for example. The operating status and setting status of equipment in the mold-inhibition area 60 or the surrounding area 61 include the operating status and setting status of equipment such as an air conditioner. This information may be input by a user or obtained directly from the equipment. The temperature and humidity of the area including the mold-inhibition area 60 or the surrounding area 61 may be input by a user or obtained from a sensor or weather database, for example. Weather data for the area including the mold-inhibition area 60 or the surrounding area 61 may be input by a user or obtained from a sensor or weather database, for example. The constraints for the mold-inhibition area 60 or the surrounding area 61 include, for example, temperature or humidity constraints. For example, recommended temperature or humidity depending on the store's usage pattern may be included. This information may be input by a user or obtained from preset constraints. The recommended temperature and humidity values ​​are values ​​that avoid temperatures and humidity that are prone to mold growth. This information may be input by the user, or preset recommended values ​​may be acquired, for example.

[0054] 8, the steps S201 and S202 are shown to be performed in this order, but this order is arbitrary. Also, steps S201 and S202 may be performed in parallel.

[0055] Next, in step S101a, the prompt generation unit 110 acquires the image data 21 and the estimation request information 22. Here, the image data 21 is acquired by the image recognition unit 130 in step S201.

[0056] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the image data 21 portion of the prompt 51 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the estimation request information 22 portion of the prompt 51 according to the present embodiment.

[0057] In FIG. 10 , the image data 21 is an infrared image and a panoramic image. The estimation request information 22 shown in FIG. 11 will be described. First, the relative position 30 of the surrounding environment obtained from the image recognition process is described. Next, environmental condition information 23 is described. Then, as in the first embodiment, information requesting an analysis of information from the image is described as (1), information requesting an analysis of the cause is described as (2), and information requesting consideration of countermeasures is described as (3). Finally, as (4), "If there is anything unclear in the above information or any information necessary to further clarify the cause of mold growth, please let us know." This description is information for requesting the presentation of recommended confirmation information 41.

[0058] In this embodiment, the user also inputs the estimation request information 22 using, for example, a fixed phrase. For example, the estimation request information 22 is input as follows:

[0059] After steps S201 and S202, the prompt generator 110 presents the image data 21, the relative position 30 of the surrounding environment, and the environmental status information 23 to the user. The prompt generator 110 also presents a template to the user. The user inputs estimation request information 22 using the template, the image data 21, the relative position 30 of the surrounding environment, and the environmental status information 23.

[0060] In step S102a, the prompt creation unit 110 creates a prompt 51 based on the image data 21, the estimation request information 22, the relative position 30 of the surrounding environment, and the environmental situation information 23. If the environmental situation information 23 has not been input, the prompt creation unit 110 may create the prompt 51 based on the image data 21, the estimation request information 22, and the relative position 30 of the surrounding environment. Alternatively, if the relative position 30 of the surrounding environment cannot be acquired, the prompt creation unit 110 may create the prompt 51 based on the image data 21, the estimation request information 22, and the environmental situation information 23. In this embodiment, the prompt 51 is created based on the image data 21, the estimation request information 22, the relative position 30 of the surrounding environment, and the environmental situation information 23. For example, a prompt 51 such as that shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is created.

[0061] As will be described later, when the process returns from step S205, the prompt generator 110 generates a prompt 51 based on the confirmation recommendation information 41. That is, the prompt generator 110 generates the prompt 51 based on the image data 21, the estimation request information 22, the relative position 30 of the surrounding environment, the environmental status information 23, and the confirmation recommendation information 41. The confirmation recommendation information 41 will be described later.

[0062] Furthermore, as will be described later, when the process returns from step S207, the prompt generator 110 generates a prompt 51 based on the additional information 42. That is, the prompt generator 110 generates the prompt 51 based on the image data 21, the estimation request information 22, the relative position 30 of the surrounding environment, the environmental status information 23, and the additional information 42. The additional information 42 will be described later.

[0063] Here, the prompt creation unit 110 according to the present embodiment may be a generation AI. The prompt creation unit 110 may utilize the artificial intelligence 200, as in the countermeasure support unit 120, or may include a generation AI in its internal configuration. For example, the prompt creation unit 110 inputs image data 21, estimation request information 22, the relative position of the surrounding environment 30, environmental status information 23, and confirmation recommendation information 41 to the generation AI, and obtains a prompt 51 output from the generation AI. Alternatively, the prompt creation unit 110 inputs image data 21, estimation request information 22, the relative position of the surrounding environment 30, environmental status information 23, and additional information 42 to the generation AI, and obtains a prompt 51 output from the generation AI. In the prompt creation unit 110, the data input to the generation AI may be any combination as long as it includes at least the image data 21 and the estimation request information 22.

[0064] In step S103, the countermeasure support unit 120 inputs the prompt 51 to the artificial intelligence 200. This process is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0065] In step S203, the countermeasure support unit 120 receives the output from the artificial intelligence 200. The countermeasure support unit 120 determines whether the output from the artificial intelligence 200 includes recommended confirmation information 41. The recommended confirmation information 41 is information that the artificial intelligence 200 has determined to be necessary to add in order to output the cause of occurrence 521 and the mitigation measures 522. If the recommended confirmation information 41 is included in the output from the artificial intelligence 200, the process proceeds to step S204. If the recommended confirmation information 41 is not included in the output from the artificial intelligence 200, the process proceeds to step S104.

[0066] As described above, (4) of the prompt 51 shown in Fig. 11 states, "Please let us know if there is anything unclear in the above information or if there is any information necessary to further clarify the cause of mold growth." This statement is information for requesting the presentation of the recommended confirmation information 41. If the recommended confirmation information 41 is available, the artificial intelligence 200 outputs the recommended confirmation information 41, and if the recommended confirmation information 41 is not available, the artificial intelligence 200 outputs the suppression support information 52.

[0067] In step S204, the countermeasure support unit 120 presents the confirmation recommendation information 41, which is information necessary to output the suppression support information 52. In step S205, the information receiving unit 140 receives the confirmation recommendation information 41 from the user via the input interface 930 or the communication device 950. The process then returns to step S102a, where the process for generating the prompt 51 is performed. In step S102a, when the process returns from step S205, the prompt creation unit 110 creates the prompt 51 by further taking the confirmation recommendation information 41 into consideration. That is, the prompt creation unit 110 creates the prompt 51 based on the image data 21, the estimation request information 22, the relative position 30 of the surrounding environment, the environmental status information 23, and the confirmation recommendation information 41.

[0068] In step S104, the countermeasure support unit 120 acquires, from the artificial intelligence 200, suppression support information 52, which includes mold growth factors 521 and suppression measures 522. In step S105, the countermeasure support unit 120 presents the suppression support information 52 to the user. Steps S104 and S105 are the same as in the first embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the prompt 51 includes more detailed information, so the suppression support information 52 is more comprehensive and effective.

[0069] In step S206, the information receiving unit 140 determines whether there is additional information 42, which is feedback from the user regarding the suppression support information 52. If there is additional information 42 from the user, the process proceeds to step S207. If there is no additional information 42 from the user, the process ends.

[0070] In step S207, the information accepting unit 140 accepts additional information 42 from the user via the input interface 930 or the communication device 950. The additional information 42 is, for example, information that the user was unable to enter when entering the environmental condition information 23. Alternatively, the additional information 42 is information that the user has determined, based on the suppression support information 52, should additionally enter regarding the mold-suppressed area 60 or the surrounding area 61. When the information accepting unit 140 accepts the additional information 42, the process returns to step S102a. In step S102a, when the process returns from step S207, the prompt creating unit 110 creates a prompt 51 based on the image data 21, the estimation request information 22, the relative position 30 of the surrounding environment, the environmental condition information 23, and the additional information 42.

[0071] The information receiving unit 140 may receive information from the user through manual input or voice input by the user. The information receiving unit 140 may also receive the confirmation recommendation information 41 or the additional information 42 through a dialogue or chat with the user.

[0072] ***Other Configurations*** <Variation 3> A mold suppression support device according to a variation of this embodiment may include a countermeasure database 53 that stores support products and improvement examples used to estimate suppression support information 52. The countermeasure database 53 stores information related to support products and improvement examples that are necessary for estimating mold suppression measures. Support products are suggested products that are appropriate for proposing installation when, for example, additional dehumidification is required. Improvement examples are examples that have been proposed in the past for conditions similar to those of the environment in question. The countermeasure database 53 may be stored in an internal storage device, or may be stored on an external file server or the like.

[0073] The prompt creation unit 110 includes information for estimating the suppression support information 52 using the countermeasure database 53 in the prompt 51. For example, at the end of the estimation request information 22 in FIG. 11 , (5) states, "Please refer to the countermeasure database to further clarify the measures to suppress mold growth." This statement is information for requesting reference to the countermeasure database 53. In response to this prompt 51, the artificial intelligence 200 outputs the mold suppression support information 52 referenced in the countermeasure database 53.

[0074] <Variation 4> In the present embodiment, the artificial intelligence 200 has been described as an external component, but it may be an internal component. For example, the countermeasure support unit 120 may be equipped with a generation AI. If the countermeasure support unit 120 is equipped with a generation AI, it can use the countermeasure database 53 to learn in advance the output of the suppression support information 52. In this case, the prompt creation unit 110 does not need to include information for estimating the suppression support information 52 using the countermeasure database 53 in the prompt 51.

[0075] ***Explanation of the Effects of the Present Embodiment*** As described above, the mold control support device 100 according to the present embodiment can create prompts taking into account more detailed information that affects mold growth. Therefore, the mold control support device according to the present embodiment can propose more comprehensive and effective mold control measures.

[0076] In the above first and second embodiments, each part of the mold control support device has been described as an independent functional block. However, the configuration of the mold control support device does not have to be the same as that of the above-described embodiments. The functional blocks of the mold control support device may have any configuration as long as they can realize the functions described in the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, the mold control support device may not be a single device, but may be a system composed of multiple devices. Furthermore, multiple parts of the first and second embodiments may be combined and implemented. Alternatively, only one part of these embodiments may be implemented. In addition, these embodiments may be combined in any way, either as a whole or in part. That is, in the first and second embodiments, the respective embodiments may be freely combined, or any component of each embodiment may be modified, or any component of each embodiment may be omitted.

[0077] The above-described embodiments are essentially preferred examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, the scope of application of the present disclosure, or the scope of use of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiments can be modified in various ways as needed. For example, the procedures described using flow charts or sequence diagrams may be modified as appropriate.

[0078] 21 Image data, 22 Estimation request information, 23 Environmental status information, 30 Relative position, 41 Confirmation recommendation information, 42 Additional information, 51 Prompt, 52 Suppression support information, 521 Cause of occurrence, 522 Suppression measures, 53 Countermeasure database, 60 Mold suppression area, 61 Surrounding area, 100 Mold suppression support device, 110 Prompt creation unit, 120 Countermeasure support unit, 130 Image recognition unit, 140 Information reception unit, 150 Storage unit, 200 Artificial intelligence, 500 Mold suppression support system, 909 Electronic circuit, 910 Processor, 921 Memory, 922 Auxiliary storage device, 930 Input interface, 940 Output interface, 950 Communication device.

Claims

1. A mold suppression support device comprising: a prompt creation unit that acquires image data of a surrounding area including a mold suppression area of ​​a target area where mold growth is suppressed, and estimation request information that is information for using the image data to estimate the causes of mold growth that are the factors causing the growth and the suppression measures to suppress the growth, and creates a prompt based on the image data and the estimation request information; and a countermeasure support unit that acquires the prompt and outputs suppression support information including the causes of growth and the suppression measures based on the prompt.

2. A mold suppression support device as described in claim 1, wherein the prompt creation unit acquires an infrared image of the surrounding area taken with an infrared imaging device as the image data.

3. A mold suppression support device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the prompt creation unit acquires a panoramic image of the surrounding area taken by a panoramic camera as the image data.

4. The mold suppression support device is a mold suppression support device described in any one of claims 1 to 3, which is equipped with an image recognition unit that acquires the image data and outputs the relative position of the surrounding environment in the mold suppression area based on the image data, and the prompt creation unit creates the prompt based on the image data, the estimation request information, and the relative position of the surrounding environment.

5. A mold suppression support device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the prompt creation unit acquires at least one of the following environmental condition information: basic information indicating the status of the mold suppression area or the surrounding area; the operating status and setting status of equipment in the mold suppression area or the surrounding area; the temperature and humidity of the area including the mold suppression area or the surrounding area; meteorological data for the area including the mold suppression area or the surrounding area; constraints on the mold suppression area or the surrounding area; and recommended values ​​for temperature and humidity; and creates the prompt based on the image data, the estimation request information, and the environmental condition information.

6. The mold suppression support device is a mold suppression support device described in any one of claims 1 to 5, which is provided with a countermeasure database that stores support products and improvement examples used to estimate the suppression support information, and the prompt creation unit includes information in the prompt for estimating the suppression support information using the countermeasure database.

7. A mold suppression support device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the countermeasure support unit presents confirmation recommendation information, which is information necessary for outputting the suppression support information.

8. The mold suppression support device according to claim 7, further comprising an information receiving unit that receives the confirmation recommendation information, and the prompt creation unit creates the prompt using the confirmation recommendation information.

9. The mold suppression support device is a mold suppression support device described in any one of claims 1 to 7, which is provided with an information receiving unit that receives additional information that is feedback to the suppression support information, and the prompt creation unit creates the prompt using the additional information.

10. A mold suppression support device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the countermeasure support unit inputs the prompt into artificial intelligence and obtains the suppression support information from the artificial intelligence.

11. A mold suppression support device as described in claim 6, wherein the countermeasure support unit uses the countermeasure database to learn in advance the output of the suppression support information.

12. A mold control support system comprising: a mold control support device according to any one of claims 1 to 11; and artificial intelligence.

13. A mold suppression support method in which a computer acquires image data of an image of a surrounding area including a mold suppression area of ​​a target area where mold growth is suppressed, and estimation request information that is information for using the image data to estimate the causes of mold growth that are the causes of said mold growth and the suppression measures to suppress said mold growth, creates a prompt based on the image data and the estimation request information, and the computer acquires the prompt and outputs suppression support information including the causes of growth and the suppression measures based on the prompt.

14. A mold suppression support program that causes a computer to execute the following steps: a prompt creation process that acquires image data of a surrounding area including a mold suppression area of ​​a target area where mold growth is to be suppressed, and estimation request information that is information for using the image data to estimate factors that cause mold growth and suppression measures to suppress the mold growth, and creates a prompt based on the image data and the estimation request information; and a countermeasure support process that acquires the prompt and outputs suppression support information that includes the factors that cause mold growth and the suppression measures based on the prompt.

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