Method for determining utilization of used product

Abstract

This method for determining utilization of a used product includes: a use-related inference step (S10) for inferring use-related information that is a use state related to deterioration of the used product; an instruction acquisition step (S12) for acquiring instruction information including a handling method for each use state of the used product; and a determination step (S14) for determining a utilization method of the used product on the basis of the inferred use-related information and the acquired instruction information.

Description

Method for Determining Utilization of Used Products

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for determining utilization of used products.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes that when a discarded electric product is obtained, the discarded product is classified into metal parts, resin parts, ceramic parts and the like, and then disassembled. Each part passes through a shape recognition device and a material recognition device respectively, and is classified into a completely reusable part, a semi-reusable part, or a difficult-to-reuse part. It is described that when a part falls into either completely reusable or semi-reusable parts, it is routed to be used as a part for a new product.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 6-165977

[0004] Incidentally, there are cases where a user has finished using a product such as an electric appliance as a new product in primary use, and intends to dispose of the used product. In this case, since a used product collection company does not know the deterioration status of the used product, the used product may be uniformly discarded. Accordingly, there is room for improvement in terms of increasing opportunities for used products to enter the resource circulation route.

[0005] On the other hand, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to disassemble the used product, and it is determined for each disassembled part whether or not the part is to be transferred to the route for use in a new product part. For this reason, there is no opportunity for continuous use, that is, reuse, of the used product itself, so opportunities for utilization of the used product are limited. Even in the case of the configuration of Patent Document 1 described above, there is room for improvement in terms of increasing opportunities for used products to enter the resource circulation route.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to increase opportunities for used products to enter the resource circulation route in a method for determining utilization of used products.

[0007] A method for determining the utilization of a used product, as described in this disclosure, includes: a usage-related estimation step of estimating usage-related information, which is the usage status of the used product regarding its deterioration; an instruction acquisition step of acquiring instruction information, which includes a handling method for each usage status of the used product; and a determination step of determining a method for utilizing the used product based on the estimated usage-related information and the acquired instruction information.

[0008] According to one aspect of this disclosure, the method for determining the utilization of used products can increase the opportunities for used products to enter the resource recycling route.

[0009] This diagram shows the product recycling route centered on the product manufacturer, which is a collection company that implements the method for determining the utilization of used products according to the embodiment. This is a flowchart showing the method for determining the utilization of used products according to the embodiment.

[0010] The method for determining the utilization of used products according to this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the case in which the used product is an electrical product, such as a lighting fixture, will be explained, but the used product is not limited to this, and may also be an electrical product other than a lighting fixture, such as an air conditioner or refrigerator. Figure 1 shows the first circulation route 10, the second circulation route 11, and the third circulation route 12 of the product, centered on the product manufacturer 14, which is a collection company that implements the method for determining the utilization of used products according to the embodiment.

[0011] The first recycling route 10 includes a product manufacturer 14 and a recycler 16. The product manufacturer 14 is a company that manufactures and sells lighting fixtures, which are electrical products. The product manufacturer 14 sells new lighting fixtures to one or more first users 13 and sells refurbished or refurbished lighting fixtures to one or more second users 19 through retailers or wholesalers. The first users 13 are also those who intend to dispose of used products, which are used lighting fixtures. The first users 13 and the second users 19 are not limited to natural persons, but may also be corporations or other entities. Furthermore, the first user 13 may be a person or corporation who purchases and uses new lighting fixtures from a product manufacturer other than the product manufacturer 14 through retailers or wholesalers and intends to dispose of those lighting fixtures.

[0012] Product manufacturer 14 is also a collection company that aims to recycle resources by collecting used products from first user 13 and selling the collected used products as reusable or refurbished products, or by transporting them to recycling companies for material recycling. Product manufacturer 14 may collect used products directly from first user 13, or it may collect used products using a collection company.

[0013] The collected used products are then determined to be either (1) usable as is, i.e., reusable; (2) usable after disassembly and replacement of some parts, i.e., refurbished; or (3) usable after disassembly and material recycling of each component. The method of utilization of the collected used products is determined according to this determination, and they are utilized according to that method.

[0014] At this time, used products that have been decided to be reused, or used products that have been decided to be refurbished and configured as refurbished products at a repair shop, are sold to the second user 19 as reused or refurbished products at a lower price than new products.

[0015] Product manufacturer 14 collects used products from first user 13 through transfer by first user 13. Product manufacturer 14 may also collect used lighting fixtures from contractors, etc., who remove the used lighting fixtures when first user 13 replaces the used lighting fixtures and install the new lighting fixtures.

[0016] Product manufacturer 14 performs a method for determining the utilization of used products after collecting the used products. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the method for determining the utilization of used products according to this embodiment.

[0017] The method for determining how to utilize used products includes a usage-related estimation step (S10), an instruction acquisition step (S12), a utilization method determination step (S14), and a used product utilization step (S16).

[0018] The usage-related estimation step in S10 estimates usage-related information, which is the usage status of the used product regarding its deterioration. In this case, "usage status" may include at least one of the usage time, usage environment, usage frequency, and product characteristics of the used product. "Usage time" may be the operating time of the lighting fixture, which is the time the lighting fixture was actually powered on, or it may be the usage time of the lighting fixture estimated from the manufacturing date or installation date of the lighting fixture. "Product characteristics" may include at least one of the electrical characteristics and optical output characteristics. The usage status may also include the remaining lifespan of at least one of the electrical characteristics and optical output characteristics, which are product characteristics.

[0019] Step S12, which involves acquiring instructions, obtains instruction information including how to handle the used product according to its usage status. The instruction information includes, for example, information on: (A) using the used product as is, (B) using the used product after disassembling it and replacing some parts, and (C) disassembling the used product and recycling each material separately. (A) corresponds to reuse, and (B) corresponds to refurbishment.

[0020] In this case, the instruction information includes information to be determined to be one of (A), (B), or (C) based on the usage-related information estimated in the usage-related estimation step of S10. In this case, the usage-related information includes, for example, either or both of the usage time and the usage environment.

[0021] The above instruction information can be obtained, for example, by performing image recognition on at least a portion of a used product. This will be explained in more detail later.

[0022] The S14 step of determining the method of use determines how to use the used product based on the usage-related information estimated in S10 and the instruction information obtained in S12. For example, one of the above (A), (B), or (C) is determined.

[0023] The utilization step in S16 involves utilizing the used products according to the utilization method determined in S14. For example, the used products may be reused, refurbished, or recycled according to any one of (A), (B), or (C) above.

[0024] Here, a used lighting fixture includes, for example, a light source, a case, a power supply circuit, and a circuit board. The light source is a fluorescent tube, multiple light-emitting diodes (LEDs), etc. The type of lighting fixture can be a base light, ceiling light, downlight, or spotlight, etc. The light source may also be a light bulb. The case of the lighting fixture forms the outer casing of the lighting fixture and houses a circuit board on which the power supply circuit is mounted. The power supply circuit is a circuit that supplies power to the light source. For example, if the lighting fixture includes a fluorescent lamp, the power supply circuit is connected to an AC power source that outputs commercial AC power, and includes a glow lamp or inverter and a capacitor, supplying high voltage to the fluorescent tube to light it up. If the lighting fixture includes an LED, the power supply circuit is connected to an AC power source and converts the commercial AC voltage to a DC voltage and supplies it to the light source to light it up.

[0025] Furthermore, "reuse" refers to using collected used products for lending purposes such as selling, leasing, renting, or using them on a subscription basis (hereinafter referred to as "subscription").

[0026] Furthermore, "refurbished" refers to a refurbished product where, if some parts of a used product need to be replaced after collection, only those parts are replaced with new parts, making it possible to reuse it through sales, leases, rentals, subscriptions, etc. In refurbished products, each part is categorized into those for continued use and those for replacement with new parts.

[0027] For example, if a used product is a lighting fixture with LEDs as its light source, the LED module of the used product can be replaced with a new module and the product can be reused as a refurbished item. Alternatively, only the LED module and power supply unit can be replaced with new ones and the product can be reused as a refurbished item. In this case, only the metal body and resin cover can be reused as they are. Furthermore, only the metal body of the used product can be reused as is.

[0028] "Material recycling" involves disassembling collected used products to extract materials such as metals and resins, which can then be used in the future manufacture of products such as lighting fixtures. If it is decided to recycle the materials of collected used products, the used products are transported to a recycling company 16.

[0029] At the recycling company 16, workers extract recovered materials such as metals and resins obtained by dismantling the transported used products and carry out recycling procedures for reusing the recovered materials. The extracted recovered materials may be transported to the product manufacturer 14 and reused in the future manufacture of products such as lighting fixtures. At the recycling company 16, parts of the used products that cannot be used as recovered materials may be discarded. The recycling company 16 may also be a dismantling plant that primarily handles waste disposal.

[0030] When a product manufacturer 14 decides to "refurbish" a used product, the product manufacturer 14 or the repair shop 15 replaces any parts of the used product that cannot be used as is with new parts to create a refurbished product.

[0031] Furthermore, a recycling certificate may be issued when either refurbishment or material recycling is carried out on the collected used products. For example, if refurbishment is carried out, the repair shop 15 will transport the refurbished product to the product manufacturer 14, and at the same time, a recycling certificate proving that refurbishment has been performed will be issued, and the product manufacturer 14 will receive the recycling certificate and the refurbished product.

[0032] Furthermore, if material recycling is carried out, the recycling company 16 issues a circular utilization certificate to the product manufacturer 14 certifying that material recycling has been performed, and the product manufacturer 14 receives the circular utilization certificate.

[0033] If the circular utilization certificate proves, for example, that material recycling has been carried out, then by collecting certificates that specify the amount of recovered material obtained from material recycling and providing them to the product manufacturer 14 that manufactures lighting fixtures, it becomes easier to assert the product manufacturer 14's contribution to resource conservation by demonstrating that the recycling rate of those lighting fixtures is high. Furthermore, if the circular utilization certificate proves that refurbishment has been carried out and the number of lighting fixtures that have been refurbished, then by collecting such circular utilization certificates, it is also possible to assert the product manufacturer 14's contribution to resource conservation.

[0034] Furthermore, if a decision is made to implement material recycling for used products, a step may be taken to select an appropriate recycling company. For example, instead of recycling company 16, another recycling company may be selected, and that other recycling company may carry out material recycling using used products transported from the product manufacturer 14. If another recycling company carries out material recycling, it may issue a certificate of recycling to the product manufacturer 14, similar to the same certificate issued to recycling company 16.

[0035] For selecting a recycling company, for example, the most suitable recycling company may be selected from among several recycling companies 16 that have been pre-registered in a computer 30, etc., depending on their recycling track record and the type of product or material to be recycled, or both. Multiple recycling companies other than two may also be registered.

[0036] The processes in steps S10 to S14 shown in Figure 2 may be performed on a computer 30 owned by the product manufacturer 14.

[0037] The computer 30 is installed, for example, in a management location of the product manufacturer 14. The computer 30 consists of an input device, a storage unit, an arithmetic unit, and an output device. The input device includes a keyboard and a mouse. The storage unit may be RAM, ROM, etc. The storage unit has the function of temporarily storing read programs and processing data, and the function of pre-storing control programs, etc. The arithmetic unit consists of, for example, an MCU (Micro Controller Unit). The arithmetic unit has the function of reading and executing programs, etc., pre-stored in the storage unit. The output device consists of a display or a printer.

[0038] The arithmetic unit executes a program to realize the functions of the subject of the apparatus, system, or method described herein. The arithmetic unit may be of any type as long as it can realize the functions by executing a program. For example, the arithmetic unit may be a CPU. The arithmetic unit may consist of one or more electronic circuits, including semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) or large-scale integrations (LSIs). Multiple electronic circuits may be integrated on one chip or provided on multiple chips. Multiple chips may be aggregated in one device or provided in multiple devices. Non-temporary recording media such as optical discs and hard disk drives may be used as storage. An external storage device may be connected to the arithmetic unit as storage.

[0039] In the usage-related estimation step S10 in Figure 2, for example, when estimating usage time or frequency of use as a usage status, the product manufacturer 14 may be configured to automatically and periodically, or at predetermined timings, transmit data representing the operating time of the lighting fixture from the distribution board connected to the lighting fixture being used by the first user 13 to the computer 30 via a communication device. In this specification, "predetermined timing" refers to, for example, when the continuous on time or continuous off time of the power switch connected to the lighting fixture exceeds a predetermined time, or when the on and off cycles of the power switch are repeated a predetermined number of times. At this time, the computer 30 records the operating time of the lighting fixture as usage time. When estimating frequency of use as a usage status, for example, the frequency of use is estimated from the relationship between the usage time and the period of use of the lighting fixture estimated from the manufacturing date or sales date, etc., as proven from a label attached to the lighting fixture.

[0040] This allows the product manufacturer 14 to remotely acquire data from the lighting fixtures used by the first user 13, significantly reducing the effort required compared to when workers have to travel to the installation location of the lighting fixtures. Furthermore, if a monitoring unit for monitoring usage time is provided inside the lighting fixture, the usage time recorded by the monitoring unit can be checked after the lighting fixture is retrieved.

[0041] Furthermore, in the usage-related estimation step, when estimating usage conditions and the usage environment, for example, an employee of the product manufacturer 14 measures the room temperature and humidity of the room where the lighting fixture used by the first user 13 is installed. Alternatively, data representing the measured values ​​from temperature and humidity sensors pre-installed in this room may be automatically and periodically transmitted to the computer 30 via a communication device, and the computer 30 may be configured to pre-record the measured temperature and humidity.

[0042] Further, in the use-related estimation step, when estimating the use environment as the usage status, it is also possible to estimate whether the lighting fixture has been used in a corrosive gas environment. For example, using an input unit such as a keyboard connected to a computer, a worker may input content indicating that the lighting fixture has been used in an environment with corrosive gas into the computer 30. Further, as the usage status, the temperature of the lighting fixture can be recorded by an internal temperature monitor, and the measured temperature values can be acquired from the collected lighting fixture.

[0043] Further, when estimating product characteristics as the usage status, one or both of electrical characteristics and light output characteristics can be estimated. For example, when estimating electrical characteristics, for all of the plurality of collected lighting fixtures or the plurality of lighting fixtures immediately before collection, whether the lighting fixture operates and lights up when connected to a power source can be used to determine whether the power source has reached the end of its service life at the current time. If the lighting fixture lights up, it is evaluated that the electrical characteristics are good because the power source has not reached the end of its service life yet. If the lighting fixture does not light up even when connected to a power source, it is evaluated that the electrical characteristics are poor because the power source has already reached the end of its service life.

[0044] When a group of lighting fixtures composed of a plurality of lighting fixtures installed at the same time and used in similar environments such as the same room is collected, one or a predetermined plurality of lighting fixtures that are part of the group may be randomly extracted, and whether the group of lighting fixtures as a whole is good or poor may be evaluated based on whether the extracted lighting fixtures operate and light up when connected to a power source. For example, after evaluating the extracted lighting fixtures, if all the extracted lighting fixtures are evaluated as good, all of the group of lighting fixtures may be evaluated as good, otherwise all of them may be evaluated as poor. Further, the proportion of extracted lighting fixtures evaluated as good can also be used as the evaluation result for the entire group of lighting fixtures.

[0045] Alternatively, as an alternative method, the remaining power supply lifespan can be calculated based on statistical results showing the relationship between operating time (or service period) and failure rate for lighting fixtures of the same type and used in the same region as the lighting fixtures being evaluated, and the operating time of the group of lighting fixtures being evaluated, or the service period estimated from the date of manufacture or sale. This calculation can then be used to determine the remaining power supply lifespan until the failure rate of the group of lighting fixtures being evaluated exceeds a predetermined value. Electrical characteristics are evaluated as good if there is remaining power supply lifespan at the present time, and as poor if there is no remaining power supply lifespan. Electrical characteristics may be evaluated as good if the remaining time until the power supply lifespan is reached is greater than or equal to a predetermined time, and as poor if it is less than the predetermined time. When electrical characteristics are evaluated as good, the longer the remaining time until the power supply lifespan is reached, the higher the evaluation may be.

[0046] At this time, the remaining power supply life may be calculated by, for example, the computer 30. Alternatively, statistical result data may be stored in the computer 30 in advance, and when an operator inputs the type of lighting fixture to be evaluated and the manufacturing or sales date into the computer 30, the computer 30 calculates the remaining power supply life of the lighting fixture to be evaluated based on the input data and the statistical result data. At this time, data representing the operating time of the lighting fixture may be automatically and periodically transmitted from the distribution board connected to the lighting fixture being used by the first user 13 to the computer 30 via a communication device. At this time, the computer 30 may automatically calculate the remaining power supply life from the operating time of the lighting fixture and statistical results representing the relationship between operating time and failure rate, and output it to an output unit such as a display periodically or in response to operator input.

[0047] Furthermore, in the electrical characteristic evaluation, an electrical characteristic evaluation system may be provided which includes a voltage sensor that measures a measured value of a capacitor voltage across both ends of a capacitor such as an electrolytic capacitor connected to a glow lamp or an inverter, and a control device to which the measured value from the voltage sensor is input, in a power supply circuit incorporated in a power supply unit of a lighting fixture in use on a first user 13 side. A signal representing the measured value of the capacitor voltage input to the control device may be automatically and periodically transmitted from a communication unit of the control device to a computer 30 via a communication network such as the Internet.

[0048] Then, the computer 30 may be configured to evaluate a current capacitance of the capacitor based on a relationship between a ripple voltage of the capacitor voltage and usage time acquired in advance, and a relationship between the ripple voltage obtained from the measured value of the capacitor voltage and the usage time, and estimate a degree of deterioration of the capacitor and a remaining power supply life based on the evaluation. With this configuration, when there is remaining power supply life, the electrical characteristic may be evaluated as good, and when there is no remaining power supply life, the electrical characteristic may be evaluated as defective. Also in this case, when the remaining time until the power supply reaches the end of its life is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, the electrical characteristic may be evaluated as good, and when the remaining time is less than the predetermined time, the electrical characteristic may be evaluated as defective. Furthermore, for the electrical characteristic, a plurality of levels of good evaluation may be set, such that the longer the remaining time until the power supply reaches the end of its life, the higher the evaluation becomes.

[0049] On the other hand, in the usage-related estimation step, when estimating the light output characteristics, the system may include an evaluation of one or any combination of the following for all of the multiple luminaires that have been recovered or were recovered immediately before recovery: luminous flux maintenance rate, illuminance, and chromaticity shift. The luminous flux maintenance rate is the percentage of luminous flux when the luminous flux at the start of use of the luminaire is set to 100%. The luminous flux maintenance rate gradually decreases with the usage time of the luminaire. For example, the luminous flux maintenance rate of the luminaire may be calculated using an illuminance sensor from the measured illuminance at the start of use and the measured illuminance of the luminaire at the present time measured under the same conditions as at the start of use. If the luminous flux maintenance rate is above a predetermined value as a percentage of the initial usage, it may be evaluated as good, and if it is below the predetermined value, it may be evaluated as poor. The illuminance sensor may be a portable illuminance sensor. Furthermore, within the good evaluation, the higher the luminous flux maintenance rate, the higher the evaluation level in multiple stages.

[0050] In this case, instead of calculating the luminous flux maintenance rate for all the luminaires that have been recovered or were recovered immediately before, if there is a group of luminaires that were installed at the same time and used in the same room or similar environment, one or a predetermined number of luminaires may be randomly selected from the group of luminaires. In this case, the luminous flux maintenance rate may be evaluated for the selected luminaires, and the evaluation of the light output characteristics of all the luminaires in the group may be combined with the evaluation of the selected luminaires.

[0051] Furthermore, a light output characteristic evaluation system having a temperature sensor and a control device may be provided, where, in a location where a lighting fixture is used, the room temperature of the room in which the lighting fixture is installed is detected by the temperature sensor, and a signal representing the detected value of the temperature sensor is input to the control device. The control device transmits data representing the measured value of the room temperature from its communication unit to the computer 30 periodically or at predetermined intervals via a communication network such as the Internet.

[0052] Furthermore, data representing the operating time, which is the time the lighting fixtures are lit, may be transmitted from a power monitor installed in the building where each lighting fixture is located to the computer 30 via a control device and recorded in the computer 30. This operating time may also be considered the usage time of the lighting fixtures.

[0053] The product manufacturer 14 or the computer 30 obtains the temporal change in average room temperature from the room temperature data recorded in the computer 30, and estimates the current and future luminous flux maintenance rate of the lighting fixture using a predetermined relationship between the luminous flux maintenance rate of the lighting fixture at a predetermined average room temperature and the usage time. This predetermined relationship between luminous flux maintenance rate and usage time may be based on the simulation results from the design of the lighting fixture. Alternatively, the relationship between luminous flux maintenance rate and usage time may be determined by measuring the room temperature and luminous flux maintenance rate in relation to the usage time using the same type of lighting fixture as the lighting fixture to be recovered over a predetermined period, and then obtaining the above-mentioned predetermined relationship between luminous flux maintenance rate and usage time from the results.

[0054] As the usage time of the lighting fixture increases, the luminous flux maintenance rate decreases linearly, and at a certain usage time, the luminous flux maintenance rate reaches below the permissible limit, reaching the light source life, which is the lifespan in terms of light output characteristics. Furthermore, the slope of the decrease in the light source maintenance rate becomes gentler as the room temperature decreases within a predetermined temperature range. For this reason, if the average measured room temperature is lower than the average room temperature used in the above-mentioned predetermined relationship, the luminous flux maintenance rate decreases more gently in relation to usage time than in the above-mentioned relationship, and reaches the permissible limit of the luminous flux maintenance rate. Therefore, it is possible to evaluate whether the current luminous flux maintenance rate is below the permissible limit from the measured average room temperature and usage time, and if it is above the permissible limit, the light output characteristics are evaluated as good, and if it is below the permissible limit, the light output characteristics are evaluated as poor. Alternatively, if the remaining time until the luminous flux maintenance rate reaches the permissible limit is greater than or equal to a predetermined time, the light output characteristics may be evaluated as good, and if it is less than the predetermined time, the light output characteristics may be evaluated as poor. Also, the longer the remaining time until the luminous flux maintenance rate reaches the permissible limit, the higher the evaluation in the multi-stage good evaluation.

[0055] Alternatively, a configuration may be used in which a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor that measures the humidity of the surrounding environment of the lighting fixture are used to calculate the current luminous flux maintenance rate of the lighting fixture based on the measured values ​​of room temperature and humidity. For example, even if the average room temperature based on the temperature sensor's measurement is the same as or lower than the average room temperature used in the above-mentioned preset relationship, if the average humidity based on the humidity sensor's measurement is higher than the humidity used in the above-mentioned preset relationship, the current luminous flux maintenance rate is calculated using a relationship between the luminous flux maintenance rate and usage time in which the slope of decrease in the luminous flux maintenance rate changes in the direction of increasing.

[0056] Furthermore, as an evaluation of light output characteristics, for example, the chromaticity shift caused by the light from the luminaire may be evaluated. In this case, for example, the chromaticity point (X, Y) can be evaluated using a method specified in JIS, and the evaluation can be based on its relationship with the chromaticity range specified in JIS. Alternatively, the correlated color temperature or the duv value, which is the deviation from blackbody radiation, may be considered. For example, whether or not it falls within the range of each light color (incandescent, warm white, white, neutral white, daylight) specified in JIS can be used as a criterion. In addition, for example, the color rendering index, which represents the color difference of the luminaire to the color illuminated by a standard illumination light, can be evaluated using a light source color rendering evaluation method specified in JIS. In this case, the evaluation is based on whether or not the decrease in the color rendering index from a predetermined value is within a specified value. Specifically, if the decrease in the color rendering index is within a specified value, the light output characteristics are evaluated as good, and if it exceeds the specified value, the light output characteristics are evaluated as poor. Furthermore, the smaller the decrease in the color rendering index, the higher the evaluation in the multiple-level good evaluation. Furthermore, a high evaluation may be given if the measured chromaticity deviation falls within the range specified by JIS, and a low evaluation if the measured chromaticity deviation falls outside the range specified by JIS. In addition, attention may be paid to the light output. Specifically, the luminous flux can be evaluated and judged by comparing it with the rated value, initial value, or other required reference values. Furthermore, if it is difficult to evaluate the luminous flux, it is also possible to evaluate by focusing on the illuminance at the treatment location or the luminance value of the light source. For the evaluation of optical characteristics, one of the judgment criteria described above, or a combination of them as appropriate, may be used.

[0057] Furthermore, a lower rating may be given if the average temperature inside the lighting fixture, or the average temperature in the room where the lighting fixture is installed, is higher than the temperature assumed during the design phase. Additionally, lighting fixtures suspected to have been used in an environment with corrosive gases such as sulfur gases may be judged to have significant deterioration and may be given a lower rating.

[0058] Furthermore, in S10 of Figure 2, a decision step is performed in S14 to determine how to utilize the used product, based on the usage-related information estimated in the usage-related estimation step and the instruction information acquired in S12. For example, the decision to reuse, refurbish, or recycle materials may be made based on the evaluation of the optical output characteristics and electrical characteristics estimated in the usage-related estimation step, or the evaluation of either or both of the usage time and usage environment. For example, reuse may be decided if all evaluations of the optical output characteristics and electrical characteristics, or all evaluations of the usage time and usage environment, are good. In this case, if there is an evaluation of defects, it may be decided in order whether refurbishment is possible or whether material recycling is possible. Whether or not refurbishment is possible is determined depending on whether the defects can be resolved by replacing some parts with new parts. Specifically, if it is determined that the defects can be resolved by replacing some parts with new parts, it is determined that refurbishment is possible, and if it is determined that the defects cannot be resolved even by replacing some parts with new parts, it is determined that refurbishment is not possible. Furthermore, if the usage time is longer than the specified time, the product was used in a poor environment, the remaining lifespan of the light source (the time until the end of the light source's life) or the remaining lifespan of the power supply (the time until the end of the power supply's life) is within the specified time, and the product was not used in a poor environment, then reuse will be decided. In all other cases, it may be decided to either refurbish or recycle the materials.

[0059] Furthermore, even when reuse is decided upon, it can be classified into multiple levels of reuse, such as A, B, and C, depending on the estimated level of usage. For example, if reuse at the highest level, A, is decided upon, it can be used in locations where high quality is required, such as store showrooms. If reuse at the lowest level, C, is decided upon, it can be used in locations where lower quality is acceptable, such as warehouses. If reuse at the intermediate level, B, is decided upon, it can be used in locations where intermediate quality is acceptable.

[0060] Furthermore, when acquiring instruction information in the instruction acquisition step S12 in Figure 2, the instruction information can be acquired by image recognition of at least a part of the used product. For this image recognition, a code reader (not shown), which is an image recognition device connected to the computer 30 by wire or wireless, is used. The image recognized in image recognition is, for example, an identifier provided on the used product. The identifier includes at least one of character information and a two-dimensional code. The character information may be a string of characters or a sequence of numbers. For example, a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark) or a barcode, described later, may be attached to the target product, and the code reader may have the function of reading that two-dimensional code by image recognition. Note that if the identifier includes character information, a camera that performs image recognition is used as the image recognition device instead of the code reader. As a result, the computer 30 acquires instruction information based on the image recognition.

[0061] "Identification information" refers to the identification number, identification symbol, identification string, or combination thereof of the used product in question. The identification information may also include the identification information of the group to which the product belongs, among the attributes of the product in question.

[0062] The computer 30 may be configured to acquire instruction information based on the image recognized in the image recognition process, without accessing a server located remotely from the computer 30, via electrical communication means such as the Internet.

[0063] Furthermore, an identifier such as a two-dimensional code provided on a used product may represent identification information such as the identification number of the used product. The computer 30 may acquire the identification information from the image recognized by image recognition, and the computer 30 may also be configured to automatically access data on a homepage provided by the product manufacturer, etc., via a communication unit and a server on the Web. In this case, the homepage of the product manufacturer, etc., is configured to transmit instruction information data in advance, corresponding to the identification information such as the identification number. Therefore, through the above access, instruction information is searched using the identification information as a key, and the corresponding instruction information is transmitted to the computer 30. As a result, the computer 30 may be configured to acquire instruction information from a server located away from the computer 30 via electrical communication means, based on the image recognized by image recognition.

[0064] In this case, a large amount of information necessary for image recognition can be obtained, and since that information is updated with newer information as needed, it is easy to obtain newer information. Furthermore, when obtaining instruction information using image recognition, the worker can wear an augmented reality (AR) goggle, which is a wearable device that can be worn on the head and can display data internally. The worker can then view the target product through the AR goggle, and the camera will perform image recognition using the product's identifier as an AR marker, and the acquired information will be displayed within the AR goggle. The AR goggle may also be eyeglasses-type AR glasses.

[0065] The code reader is connected to a computer by wire or wireless connection and can read instruction information from used products by recognizing the image of a two-dimensional code such as a QR code provided on the product. The code reader may be a smartphone or a portable information terminal such as a PDA that has the function of reading two-dimensional codes such as QR codes. The code reader may also consist of a camera.

[0066] If a defect is found in at least one of the optical output characteristics evaluation or the electrical characteristics evaluation, whether the defect can be resolved by replacing some of the components with new components may be determined by whether a predetermined problem resolution condition is met. The problem resolution condition may be, for example, whether the cost required for replacement with new components is less than or equal to a predetermined cost, or whether the cost required for replacing the lighting fixture itself with a new one is less than or equal to a predetermined percentage of the total cost of a new fixture. For example, if a defect is found in the optical output characteristics evaluation, the cost required for replacing the light source unit and electrical circuit components other than the light source unit that are related to the degradation of optical output characteristics may be calculated in advance. The light source unit may consist only of the light source, or it may consist of the light source and the component on which the light source is mounted. For example, replacement of the light source unit may be achieved by replacing the LED, which is the light source, and the LED mounting board on which the LED is mounted. Also, if a defect is found in the electrical characteristics evaluation, the cost required for replacing the power supply circuit component and electrical circuit components other than the power supply circuit component that are related to the degradation of electrical characteristics may be calculated in advance. Furthermore, if at least one of the optical output characteristics evaluation or electrical characteristics evaluation is found to be faulty, it may be determined that the fault cannot be resolved even by replacing it with a new part, and thus the product may be deemed unsuitable for refurbishment.

[0067] Whether or not material recycling is possible when refurbishment is not feasible may be predetermined for each type of lighting fixture.

[0068] According to the above method for determining the utilization of used products, the method of utilization of used products is determined based on the usage-related information estimated in S10 of Figure 2 and the instruction information obtained in S12. Therefore, used products are not uniformly discarded after collection, increasing the opportunities for used products to enter the resource recycling route. Thus, the cyclical use of resources can be promoted.

[0069] In the above embodiment, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone may be used instead of the computer 30. In this case, a camera built into the mobile terminal that recognizes identifiers such as two-dimensional codes can be used as the image recognition device.

[0070] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the image recognition can be configured to recognize at least one of the shape and color of the target product, and the instruction acquisition step can be configured to acquire instruction information based on the image recognition. In this case, for example, a table relating the shape of the target product to the instruction information may be stored in the computer 30, and the computer 30 may refer to the table and read and acquire the corresponding instruction information according to the shape of the target product acquired by the camera as an image recognition device. In this case, instead of the shape of the target product, if the inside of a predetermined shape such as a circle or square provided on a part of the target product is colored with a combination of multiple colors, the instruction information can be related to that color combination, and the instruction information corresponding to that combination can be read by referring to the table.

[0071] This disclosure is further illustrated by the following embodiments: Configuration 1: A method for determining how to utilize a used product, comprising: a usage-related estimation step of estimating usage-related information, which is the usage status of a used product regarding its deterioration; an instruction acquisition step of acquiring instruction information, which includes a method for handling the used product for each usage status; and a determination step of determining how to utilize the used product based on the estimated usage-related information and the acquired instruction information. Configuration 2: The method for determining how to utilize a used product according to Configuration 1, wherein the usage-related estimation step includes estimating the usage time of the used product as the usage-related information. Configuration 3: The method for determining how to utilize a used product according to Configuration 1 or Configuration 2, wherein the usage-related estimation step includes estimating the usage environment of the used product as the usage-related information. Configuration 4: The method for determining how to utilize a used product according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3, wherein the usage-related estimation step includes estimating the remaining lifespan of at least one of the electrical characteristics and optical output characteristics, which are product characteristics of the used product after use. Configuration 5: A method for determining the use of a used product according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4, wherein the instruction information includes information for determining, based on the usage-related information estimated in the usage-related estimation step, to one of the following: (A) use the used product as is, (B) use the used product after disassembling it and replacing some parts, or (C) disassemble the used product and perform material recycling processing on each material. Configuration 6: A method for determining the use of a used product according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5, wherein the instruction information can be obtained by image recognition of at least a part of the used product. Configuration 7: A method for determining the use of a used product according to Configuration 6, wherein the recognized image is an identifier provided on the used product. Configuration 8: A method for determining the use of a used product according to Configuration 7, wherein the identifier includes at least one of character information and a two-dimensional code. Configuration 9: A method for determining the use of a used product according to Configuration 6, wherein the computer obtains the instruction information from a server located away from the computer by electrical communication means based on the recognized image.Configuration 10: A method for determining the use of a used product as described in Configuration 6, wherein the computer acquires the instruction information by electrical communication means based on an image recognized by the computer, without accessing a server located away from the computer. Configuration 11: A method for determining the use of a used product as described in Configuration 6, wherein the instruction information is acquired from at least one of the shape and color of the used product.

[0072] 10. First circulation route, 11. Second circulation route, 12. Third circulation route, 13. First user, 14. Product manufacturer, 15. Repair shop, 16. Recycling company, 19. Second user, 30. Computer.

Claims

1. A method for determining how to utilize a used product, comprising: a usage-related estimation step of estimating usage-related information, which is the usage status of a used product regarding its deterioration; an instruction acquisition step of acquiring instruction information, which includes a method for handling the used product according to each usage status; and a determination step of determining how to utilize the used product based on the estimated usage-related information and the acquired instruction information.

2. The method for determining the utilization of a used product according to claim 1, wherein the usage-related estimation step includes estimating the usage time of the used product as the usage-related information.

3. The method for determining the use of a used product according to claim 1, wherein the usage-related estimation step includes estimating the usage environment of the used product as the usage-related information.

4. The method for determining the utilization of a used product according to claim 1, wherein the usage-related estimation step includes estimating the remaining lifespan of at least one of the post-use product characteristics of the used product, namely electrical characteristics and optical output characteristics.

5. The method for determining the use of a used product according to claim 1, wherein the instruction information includes information for determining, based on the usage-related information estimated in the usage-related estimation step, that the used product be used in any one of the following: (A) used as is in the state it is in; (B) used after disassembling the used product and replacing some of its parts; or (C) disassembled and recycled according to the material.

6. The method for determining the use of a used product according to claim 1, wherein the instruction information can be obtained by image recognition of at least a portion of the used product.

7. The method for determining the use of a used product according to claim 6, wherein the recognized image is an identifier provided on the used product.

8. The method for determining the use of a used product according to claim 7, wherein the identifier includes at least one of character information and a two-dimensional code.

9. The method for determining the use of a used product according to claim 6, wherein the computer obtains the instruction information from a server located away from the computer by electrical communication means, based on the image recognized by the computer.

10. A method for determining the utilization of a used product according to claim 6, wherein the computer acquires the instruction information by means of electrical communication, based on the image recognized by the computer, without accessing a server located away from the computer.

11. The method for determining the use of a used product according to claim 6, wherein the instruction information is obtained from at least one of the shape and color of the used product.

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