Computer program, information processing method, and information processing system

Abstract

The present invention provides a feature that makes it possible to control an air conditioning device in response to dissatisfaction information from a user.　A computer program causes at least one computer to execute a process of inputting dissatisfaction information from a user using the air conditioner, using a generative model to generate an improvement proposal relating to control of the air conditioner, and outputting the generated improvement proposal.

Description

Computer program, information processing method, and information processing system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a computer program, an information processing method, and an information processing system.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus for controlling an air conditioner in accordance with a user going out.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2016-169938

[0004] However, with the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to generate an improvement proposal for improving the control of an air conditioning apparatus including an air conditioner in accordance with user dissatisfaction information. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a computer program and the like that can generate an improvement proposal for improving the control of an air conditioning apparatus in accordance with user dissatisfaction information.

[0005] A computer program according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes at least one computer to execute a process of: inputting dissatisfaction information of a user using an air conditioning apparatus, generating an improvement proposal related to control of the air conditioning apparatus by a generation model, and outputting the generated improvement proposal.

[0006] A computer program according to a third aspect according to one aspect of the present disclosure is the computer program according to the first aspect, wherein the computer program acquires an image, voice, or biological information of the user, or a text created by the user, determines whether the acquired image, voice, biological information, or text includes user dissatisfaction information, and inputs the image or the voice to the generation model when it is determined that the image or the voice includes dissatisfaction information.

[0007] A computer program according to a third aspect according to one aspect of the present disclosure is the computer program according to the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein the air conditioning apparatus acquires operation data during operation, refers to operation data for a predetermined period, and generates an improvement proposal related to control of the air conditioning apparatus by the generation model.

[0008] A computer program in a fourth aspect relating to one aspect of this disclosure is a computer program in either the first or third aspect that accepts the user's approval or rejection of the proposed improvement, and if the user approves the proposed improvement, modifies the control of the air conditioning equipment in accordance with the proposed improvement.

[0009] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a computer program relating to one aspect of the present disclosure, which is a computer program relating to either the first or fourth aspect, which acquires installation information of the air conditioning equipment, and generates improvement proposals for the control of the air conditioning equipment using the generation model based on the dissatisfaction information and the acquired installation information.

[0010] A computer program in the sixth aspect relating to one aspect of this disclosure is a computer program in either the first or fifth aspect that outputs control commands to the air conditioning equipment in accordance with the improvement proposal, receives the user's evaluation of the control changes to the air conditioning equipment in accordance with the control commands, and learns the generative model based on the received evaluation, the dissatisfaction information and the improvement proposal.

[0011] A computer program of the seventh aspect relating to one aspect of this disclosure is a computer program of the sixth aspect which acquires installation information of the air conditioning equipment, stores learned improvement proposals in a storage device in association with the acquired installation information, and generates improvement proposals for the control of the air conditioning equipment by referring to the installation information and improvement proposals stored in the storage device using the generation model.

[0012] The computer program of the eighth aspect relating to one aspect of this disclosure is the computer program of the seventh aspect, which, in response to input of dissatisfaction information from users using other air conditioning equipment, refers to construction information and improvement proposals stored in the storage device and generates improvement proposals for the control of the other air conditioning equipment using the generation model.

[0013] A computer program relating to one aspect of this disclosure, the ninth aspect, is a computer program relating to either the first aspect or the eighth aspect, which accepts a selection regarding the necessity of the proposed improvement, and if the selection that it is unnecessary is accepted, stops the generation of the proposed improvement by the generation model.

[0014] A computer program of the tenth aspect relating to one aspect of this disclosure is a computer program of any of the first or ninth aspects which generates an improvement proposal using the generation model to improve at least one of the noise, vibration, and defrosting start timing of the air conditioning equipment.

[0015] The information processing method of the 11th aspect relating to one aspect of this disclosure takes user dissatisfaction information of air conditioning equipment as input, generates improvement proposals regarding the control of the air conditioning equipment using a generation model, and outputs the generated improvement proposals.

[0016] An information processing system according to a twelfth aspect of this disclosure comprises at least one processing unit, which takes user dissatisfaction information of an air conditioning device as input, generates improvement proposals regarding the control of the air conditioning device using a generation model, and outputs the generated improvement proposals.

[0017] According to this disclosure, it is possible to generate improvement proposals for improving the control of air conditioning equipment in response to user complaints.

[0018] This is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment. This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the air conditioner. This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the user terminal. This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the first server. This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the second server. This is a flowchart explaining the processing of each control unit in the first embodiment. This is an explanatory diagram explaining an example of the display of the display unit of the user terminal. This is an explanatory diagram explaining an example of the display of the display unit of the user terminal. This is a flowchart explaining the processing of each control unit in the second embodiment. This is a flowchart explaining the processing of each control unit in the third embodiment. This is a flowchart explaining the processing of each control unit in the third embodiment. This is an explanatory diagram explaining an example of a database record layout. This is a flowchart explaining the processing of the control unit in the fourth embodiment. This is a flowchart explaining the processing of the control unit in the fourth embodiment.

[0019] Computer programs, information processing methods, and information processing systems according to embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. This disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims are intended to be included. Furthermore, at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any way.

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment. The air conditioning system 1 according to the embodiment comprises an air conditioner 100 and a user terminal 200. The air conditioner 100 and the user terminal 200 are connected to each other via a local communication network NW1 such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0021] The air conditioner 100 is a household or commercial air conditioner for adjusting the temperature, humidity, air cleanliness, etc., of a room, and comprises an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The air conditioner 100 adjusts the temperature, humidity, etc., of a room by operating in accordance with control commands output from a remote controller 150 or a user terminal 200.

[0022] The user terminal 200 is a device such as a smartphone, tablet, personal computer, or smart speaker operated by the user of the air conditioner 100. The user terminal 200 is equipped with artificial intelligence (AI). The artificial intelligence installed in the user terminal 200 is constructed by a generative model MD2 that generates new content in response to inputs such as text, voice, still images, and videos. The generative model MD2 may be a proprietary model that has been fine-tuned and / or distilled (lightened) for a specific application. The content generated by the generative model MD2 includes text, sound such as voice or music, and images such as still images or videos. The user terminal 200 can create the indoor environment desired by the user by using the generative AI to interact with the user, generate control commands for the air conditioner 100, and control the operation of the air conditioner 100 based on the generated control commands.

[0023] In the example shown in Figure 1, there is one user terminal 200, but there may be multiple user terminals 200 capable of controlling the air conditioner 100.

[0024] The air conditioning system 1 may further include an air purifier 151, a circulator 152, a diffuser 153, lighting equipment 154, and sound equipment 155. The air purifier 151 is a device for purifying the indoor air and providing clean air. The circulator 152 is a device for circulating the indoor air. The diffuser 153 is a device for diffusing fragrance. The lighting equipment 154 is a device for illuminating the indoor space. The sound equipment 155 is a device for playing music, ambient sounds, etc. These devices 151 to 155 are connected to at least one of the air conditioner 100 and the user terminal 200 via a communication network NW1.

[0025] The air conditioning system 1 may further include a wearable device 250 worn by the user. The wearable device 250 measures, for example, at least one of the user's heart rate, body temperature, sweating, blood pressure, respiration, brain waves, and body composition, and outputs the measurement results as the user's biometric information. The output destination may be the air conditioning unit 100 or the user terminal 200.

[0026] The air conditioning system 1 may further include a first server 310 or a second server 320 accessible from the air conditioner 100 or a user terminal 200. The air conditioner 100 or the user terminal 200 and the first server 310 or the second server 320 are connected to each other via an external communication network NW2, such as the Internet.

[0027] The first server 310 is equipped with a generative AI. The generative AI of the first server 310 is constructed by a generative model MD3 that generates new content in response to inputs such as text, audio, still images, and videos. The generative model MD3 may include existing models such as GPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer) (registered trademark), BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers), GAN (Generative Adversarial Network), Wave Net, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion, or it may be a unique model that has been fine-tuned for a specific application from an existing model. The first server 310 generates content such as text, audio, still images, and videos in response to requests from the air conditioner 100 or user terminal 200, and returns the generated content to the requester.

[0028] The second server 320 is a search server that searches for relevant documents or information in response to an input query and returns the relevant documents or information to the requester. Existing search engines such as vector search are used to search for relevant documents and information. In one example, the second server 320 is a general-purpose search server that returns search results in response to external search requests. Alternatively, the second server 320 may be a dedicated search server that can access a database DB that stores information such as operation manuals, service guides, technical handbooks, installation instructions, customer information, operation data during trial operation, and operation data during operation after the start of operation for the air conditioner 100, and searches the database DB in response to external search requests and returns the search results to the requester. The database DB may also further register construction information when the air conditioner 100 was installed (installation location of indoor and outdoor units, piping length, floor plan, year of construction), information about the installed air conditioner 100 (model, Ua value, horsepower, etc.), and sales information for each employee.

[0029] The air conditioning system 1 according to the embodiment implements the information processing system of the present disclosure using at least one of the generation model MD2 installed on the user terminal 200 and the generation model MD3 installed on the first server 310. The information processing system of the present disclosure may be implemented using only the content output from the generation model MD2 installed on the user terminal 200, or it may be implemented using only the content output from the generation model MD3 installed on the first server 310.

[0030] Furthermore, the information processing system disclosed herein may be realized through the cooperation of a generation model MD2 installed on a user terminal 200 and a generation model MD3 installed on a first server 310.

[0031] Furthermore, the information processing system disclosed herein may be implemented using a RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) mechanism. That is, in response to an input query from the air conditioner 100 or user terminal 200, the second server 320 may output documents or information related to the input query, and the first server 310 may generate content based on the documents or information output from the second server 320 and return the content to the air conditioner 100 or user terminal 200. By using a RAG mechanism, more accurate and relevant content can be provided.

[0032] In this embodiment, the user terminal 200 is configured to have the generation model MD2 installed. Alternatively, the generation model may be installed in the air conditioner 100. In this case, the information processing system of this disclosure may be realized using the generation model MD1 (see Figure 2) installed in the air conditioner 100. Furthermore, the information processing system of this disclosure may be realized by the cooperation of the generation model MD1 of the air conditioner 100 and the generation model MD3 of the first server 310.

[0033] Furthermore, generation models may be installed on both the air conditioner 100 and the user terminal 200. In this case, at least two of the generation models, MD1 of the air conditioner 100, MD2 of the user terminal 200, and MD3 of the first server 310, may work together to realize the information processing system disclosed herein.

[0034] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the air conditioner 100. The air conditioner 100 comprises a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, a communication unit 103, a sensor unit 104, and a drive unit 110.

[0035] The control unit 101 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The ROM in the control unit 101 stores control programs for controlling the operation of the drive unit 110. The CPU in the control unit 101 executes the control programs stored in the ROM and various computer programs stored in the memory unit 102, and controls the operation of the drive unit 110, thereby making the entire device function as the air conditioner 100 in this disclosure.

[0036] The storage unit 102 is equipped with a storage device such as flash memory. The storage unit 102 stores various computer programs to be executed by the control unit 101, as well as data necessary for the execution of these programs.

[0037] The computer program (program product) stored in the memory unit 102 includes a control program PG1 for realizing the information processing system of this disclosure. The control program PG1 may be a single computer program or a group of programs composed of multiple computer programs. The control program PG1 may be executed collaboratively by multiple computers.

[0038] The computer program, including the control program PG1, is provided, for example, on a non-temporary recording medium RM1 on which the computer program is recorded in a readable format. The recording medium RM1 is a portable memory such as a CD-ROM, USB memory, SD card, microSD card, or CompactFlash®. The control unit 101 reads various computer programs from the recording medium RM1 using a reading device (not shown in the figure) and stores the read computer programs in the storage unit 102. The computer programs stored in the storage unit 102 may also be provided via communication. In this case, the control unit 101 acquires the computer programs via communication through the communication unit 103 and stores the acquired computer programs in the storage unit 102.

[0039] The data stored in the memory unit 102 may include at least one of the following: operation manuals, service guides, technical handbooks, installation instructions, customer information, operation data during commissioning, and operation data during operation after the start of operation.

[0040] When the air conditioner 100 is equipped with a generation AI, the generation model MD1 that constructs the generation AI is stored in the memory unit 102. The generation model MD1 is a model that generates new content in response to inputs such as text, voice, still images, and videos. The content generated by the generation model MD1 includes text, voice or music, images such as still images or videos, etc. The generation model MD1 is a unique model that has been fine-tuned and / or distilled (lightened) for a specific application from existing models such as GPT (registered trademark), BERT, GAN, Wave Net, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion.

[0041] The communication unit 103 includes a communication interface for communicating with the user terminal 200 and the like. As the communication interface included in the communication unit 103, a communication interface compliant with a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) can be used. Alternatively, a communication interface compliant with a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth may be used. In addition to the user terminal 200, the communication unit 103 may be configured to be capable of communicating with an air purifier 151, a circulator 152, a diffuser 153, a lighting device 154, an audio device 155, and the like.

[0042] The communication unit 103 may further include a communication interface for communicating with the first server 310 or the second server 320. As such a communication interface, a wireless communication interface such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), 3G, 4G, 5G, or LTE (Long Term Evolution) can be used.

[0043] The sensor unit 104 includes one or more sensors that measure various physical quantities in an indoor environment or the user's condition. The sensors included in the sensor unit 104 include sensors that measure at least one of indoor temperature, humidity, heat, CO2 concentration, and illuminance. The sensor unit 104 may include a sensor that measures the user's movement, facial expression, and the like.

[0044] The drive unit 110 includes a compressor 111, a four-way switching valve 112, an indoor fan 113, a flap 114, and the like. The compressor 111 is a device for sucking in low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant and compressing it into high-temperature and high-pressure gas. During cooling operation, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 111 returns to the suction side of the compressor 111 via the outdoor heat exchanger, the expansion valve, the first indoor heat exchanger, the solenoid valve, and the second indoor heat exchanger. In this refrigeration cycle, heat is dissipated by the outdoor heat exchanger that functions as a condenser, and indoor air is cooled by the first and second indoor heat exchangers that function as evaporators to perform cooling. During heating operation, the path is switched by the four-way switching valve 112, and heating is performed in a cycle reverse to that during cooling operation.

[0045] The indoor fan 113 is a device for evenly circulating cooled air or heated air throughout the entire room. The air volume of the indoor fan 113 is controlled by a control command from the control unit 101. By adjusting the air volume of the indoor fan 113, the efficiency of cooling and heating can be improved, and energy consumption can be reduced.

[0046] The flap 114 is a device for adjusting the direction of air delivered from the air conditioner 100. The orientation of the flap 114 is controlled by a control command from the control unit 101. By securing an appropriate air flow with the flap 114, the efficiency of cooling and heating can be improved, and energy consumption can be reduced.

[0047] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the user terminal 200. The user terminal 200 is a terminal device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, or a smart speaker, and includes a control unit 201, a storage unit 202, a communication unit 203, an imaging unit 204, a voice input unit 205, a voice output unit 206, a positioning unit 207, an operation unit 208, a display unit 209, and the like.

[0048] The control unit 201 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. A control program for controlling the operation of each hardware unit included in the user terminal 200 is stored in the ROM provided in the control unit 201. The CPU in the control unit 201 reads and executes the control program stored in the ROM and the computer program stored in the storage unit 202, and controls the operation of each of the above hardware units, thereby causing the entire apparatus to function as the user terminal 200 in the present disclosure. Data used during the execution of calculations is temporarily stored in the RAM provided in the control unit 201.

[0049] In this embodiment, the control unit 201 is configured to include a CPU, ROM, and RAM. Alternatively, the control unit 201 may be one or more control circuits or processing circuits, such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), quantum processor, or volatile or non-volatile memory. The control unit 201 may also include functions such as a clock for outputting date and time information, a timer for measuring the elapsed time from the start of measurement to the end of measurement, and a counter for counting numbers.

[0050] The storage unit 202 includes a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage unit 202 stores various computer programs executed by the control unit 201 and various data used by the control unit 201.

[0051] The computer program (program product) stored in the memory unit 202 includes a control program PG2 for realizing the information processing system of this disclosure. The control program PG2 may be a single computer program or a group of programs composed of multiple computer programs. The control program PG2 may be executed collaboratively by multiple computers. For example, the information processing system of this disclosure may be realized by the collaboration of a control program PG1 installed in the air conditioner 100 and a control program PG2 installed in the user terminal 200.

[0052] The computer program, including the control program PG2, is provided, for example, on a non-temporary recording medium RM2 on which the computer program is recorded in a readable format. The recording medium RM2 is a portable memory such as a CD-ROM, USB memory, SD card, microSD card, or CompactFlash®. The control unit 201 reads various computer programs from the recording medium RM2 using a reading device (not shown in the figure) and stores the read computer programs in the storage unit 202. The computer programs stored in the storage unit 202 may also be provided via communication. In this case, the control unit 201 acquires the computer programs via communication through the communication unit 203 and stores the acquired computer programs in the storage unit 202.

[0053] The memory unit 202 may include a generation model MD2. The generation model MD2 is a model that generates new content in response to inputs such as text, audio, still images, and videos. The content generated by the generation model MD2 includes text, audio or music, images such as still images or videos, etc. The generation model MD2 is a unique model that has been distilled (lightened) for a specific application from existing models such as GPT®, BERT, GAN, Wave Net, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion.

[0054] The communication unit 203 is equipped with a communication interface for communicating with the air conditioner 100 and the like. The communication interface provided by the communication unit 203 can be a communication interface compliant with a wireless LAN communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Alternatively, a communication interface compliant with a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth may be used. In addition to the air conditioner 100, the communication unit 203 may be configured to communicate with an air purifier 151, a circulator 152, a diffuser 153, lighting equipment 154, sound equipment 155, and the like.

[0055] The communication unit 203 further includes a communication interface for communicating with the first server 310 or the second server 320. Such a communication interface can be a wireless communication interface such as Wi-Fi®, 3G, 4G, 5G, or LTE (Long Term Evolution).

[0056] The imaging unit 204 is equipped with an image sensor such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) or a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device), and generates an image (still image or video) of the object to be imaged by imaging the object. The imaging unit 204 outputs the image data related to the generated image to the control unit 201. The control unit 201 stores the input image data in the storage unit 202. The control unit 201 may display the image based on the image data on the display unit 209, or transmit it to the outside via the communication unit 203.

[0057] The audio input unit 205 includes a microphone for collecting sound, a processing circuit for converting the collected sound into a digital signal (audio data), and the like. The audio data generated in the audio input unit 205 is sent to the control unit 201, where appropriate processing such as noise reduction is performed. The audio data generated in the audio input unit 205 is also stored in the storage unit 202 or transmitted to the first server 310 via the communication unit 203.

[0058] The audio output unit 206 is equipped with a speaker that outputs sound. The audio output unit 206 reproduces sound based on the audio data provided by the control unit 201. In this embodiment, the audio input unit 205 and the audio output unit 206 are configured to input and output sound, but sounds other than voice (ambient sounds, music, etc.) may be input to the audio input unit 205 and sounds other than voice (ambient sounds, music, etc.) may be output from the audio output unit 206.

[0059] The positioning unit 207, for example, is equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver and receives radio waves transmitted from GPS satellites to determine the current location of the user terminal 200. The positioning unit 207 outputs location information related to the determined current location of the user terminal 200 to the control unit 201.

[0060] The operation unit 208 is equipped with operating devices such as a touch panel, keyboard, and switches, and accepts various inputs and operations from the user. The control unit 201 acquires information input through the operation unit 208 and performs appropriate control based on the various operation information provided by the operation unit 208.

[0061] The display unit 209 is equipped with a display device such as a liquid crystal monitor or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) monitor, and displays information that should be notified to the user in response to instructions from the control unit 201.

[0062] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the first server 310. The first server 310 is a dedicated or general-purpose server computer and includes a control unit 311, a storage unit 312, a communication unit 313, and the like.

[0063] The control unit 311 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. The ROM in the control unit 311 stores control programs and the like that control the operation of each hardware component of the first server 310. The CPU in the control unit 311 reads and executes the control programs stored in the ROM and the computer programs stored in the memory unit 312, and controls the operation of each hardware component, thereby making the entire device function as the first server 310 in this disclosure. The RAM in the control unit 311 temporarily stores data used during the execution of calculations.

[0064] In this embodiment, the control unit 311 is configured to include a CPU, ROM, and RAM, but the configuration of the control unit 311 is not limited to the above. The control unit 311 may also include functions such as a clock for outputting date and time information, a timer for measuring the elapsed time from the time a measurement start instruction is given until a measurement end instruction is given, and a counter for counting numbers.

[0065] The storage unit 312 includes a storage device such as an HDD or SSD. The storage unit 312 stores various computer programs executed by the control unit 311, various data acquired through the communication unit 313, and various data used by the control unit 311.

[0066] The computer program (program product) stored in the memory unit 312 may include a control program PG3 for realizing the information processing system of the present disclosure. The control program PG3 may be a single computer program or a group of programs composed of multiple computer programs. The control program PG3 may be executed collaboratively by multiple computers. For example, the control program PG3 may realize the information processing system of the present disclosure by collaborating with a control program PG1 installed in the air conditioner 100 or a control program PG2 installed in the user terminal 200.

[0067] The computer program, including the control program PG3, is provided, for example, on a non-temporary recording medium RM3 on which the computer program is recorded in a readable format. The recording medium RM3 is a portable memory such as a CD-ROM, USB memory, SD card, microSD card, or CompactFlash®. The control unit 311 reads various computer programs from the recording medium RM3 using a reading device (not shown in the figure) and stores the read computer programs in the storage unit 312. The computer programs stored in the storage unit 312 may also be provided via communication. In this case, the control unit 311 acquires the computer programs via communication through the communication unit 313 and stores the acquired computer programs in the storage unit 312.

[0068] The memory unit 312 may include a generation model MD3. The generation model MD3 is a model that generates new content in response to inputs such as text, audio, still images, and video. The content generated by the generation model MD3 includes text, audio or music, images such as still images or video, etc. The generation model MD3 may be an existing model such as GPT®, BERT, GAN, Wave Net, DALL-E, or Stable Diffusion, or it may be a proprietary model fine-tuned for a specific application.

[0069] The communication unit 313 is equipped with a communication interface for communicating with a user terminal 200 or the like. The communication interface provided by the communication unit 313 can be a wireless communication interface such as 3G, 4G, 5G, or LTE (Long Term Evolution).

[0070] The first server 310 may include an operation unit for receiving operations from administrators, a display unit for displaying information to be notified to administrators, etc. The first server 310 may be a single computer, or it may be a computer system composed of multiple computers and peripheral devices.

[0071] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the second server 320. The second server 320 is a dedicated or general-purpose server computer and includes a control unit 321, a storage unit 322, a communication unit 323, and the like.

[0072] The control unit 321 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. The ROM in the control unit 321 stores control programs and the like that control the operation of each hardware component of the second server 320. The CPU in the control unit 321 reads and executes the control programs stored in the ROM and the computer programs stored in the memory unit 322, and controls the operation of each hardware component, thereby making the entire device function as the second server 320 in this disclosure. The RAM in the control unit 321 temporarily stores data used during the execution of calculations.

[0073] In this embodiment, the control unit 321 is configured to include a CPU, ROM, and RAM, but the configuration of the control unit 321 is not limited to the above. The control unit 321 may also include functions such as a clock for outputting date and time information, a timer for measuring the elapsed time from the time a measurement start instruction is given until a measurement end instruction is given, and a counter for counting numbers.

[0074] The storage unit 322 includes a storage device such as an HDD or SSD. The storage unit 322 stores various computer programs executed by the control unit 321, various data acquired through the communication unit 323, and various data used by the control unit 321.

[0075] The storage unit 322 may also include a database DB for storing information such as the operation manual, service guide, technical handbook, installation instructions, customer information, operation data during trial operation, and operation data during operation after the start of operation. The database DB may further register construction information when the air conditioner 100 was installed (installation location of indoor and outdoor units, piping length, floor plan, and year of construction), information about the installed air conditioner 100 (model, Ua value, horsepower, etc.), and sales information for each employee.

[0076] The communication unit 323 is equipped with a communication interface for communicating with a user terminal 200 or the like. The communication interface provided by the communication unit 323 can be a wireless communication interface such as 3G, 4G, 5G, or LTE (Long Term Evolution).

[0077] The second server 320 may include an operation unit for receiving commands from administrators, a display unit for displaying information to be communicated to administrators, etc. The second server 320 may be a single computer, or it may be a computer system composed of multiple computers and peripheral devices.

[0078] (First Embodiment) The computer program of the first embodiment generates improvement proposals regarding the control of the air conditioner 100 in response to user complaint information.

[0079] The dissatisfaction information in this disclosure refers to information indicating user dissatisfaction with air conditioning equipment, including the air conditioner 100. User dissatisfaction with the air conditioner 100 includes, for example, dissatisfaction with the room temperature or humidity regulated by the air conditioner 100, dissatisfaction with the noise or vibration associated with the operation of the air conditioner 100, or dissatisfaction with the costs related to the operation of the air conditioner 100.

[0080] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of each control unit in the first embodiment. The control unit 201 of the user terminal 200 receives the input of complaint information (step S101).

[0081] The control unit 201 may, for example, accept complaint information input via text input or voice input by the user through operation of the user terminal 200 on the complaint information input screen displayed on the display unit 209. Examples of complaint information include "the room is hot," "the air conditioner is noisy," or "the electricity bill for the air conditioner is high."

[0082] The control unit 201 may, for example, display a complaint information input screen containing icons related to various complaints on the display unit 209, and accept the input of complaint information by accepting the selection of icons through the user's operation of the user terminal 200. Icons such as "The room is hot," "The air conditioner is noisy," or "I'm worried about the electricity bill" may be displayed on the complaint information input screen and selected by the user.

[0083] The control unit 201 refers to the time the complaint information was received (step S102). Based on the time the complaint information was received, the control unit 201 acquires the operating data stored in the storage unit 102 of the air conditioner 100 (step S103). The control unit 201 may acquire operating data for a period set to precede the time the complaint information was entered, such as the 30 minutes immediately preceding the receipt of the complaint information. The acquired operating data includes the operating control mode of the air conditioner 100, including settings for airflow direction, airflow volume, room temperature, or humidity; the rotational speed per unit time of the compressor 111, indoor fan 113, or outdoor fan; the switching status of the expansion valve or solenoid valve; or sound data acquired by the sensor unit 104.

[0084] The control unit 201 inputs the dissatisfaction information, the acquired operating data, and the first prompt to the generation model MD2 (step S104). The first prompt causes the generation model MD2 to estimate the cause of the user's dissatisfaction with the air conditioner 100 and to output improvement suggestions regarding the control of the air conditioner 100. The first prompt may be stored in the storage unit 202 in a readable format by the control unit 201, for example.

[0085] The first prompt may include, for example, a statement that the operating status of the air conditioner 100 during the time period when the complaint information was received and the time period immediately preceding it should be determined from the operating data of the air conditioner 100. The first prompt may also include, for example, a statement that the cause of the user's dissatisfaction should be estimated from the determined operating status of the air conditioner 100 and the received complaint information. The first prompt may also include, for example, a statement that improvement proposals regarding the operation of the air conditioner 100 should be generated based on the estimation of the cause of the user's dissatisfaction in order to eliminate the user's dissatisfaction. The first prompt may also include, for example, a statement that improvement proposals should be generated in both natural language format and control command format that the air conditioner 100 can execute. The first prompt may also include, for example, a statement that improvement proposals in natural language format should be generated in a style that is less likely to cause discomfort to the user.

[0086] The first prompt could be something like this: "Please organize the status of the air conditioner within the time period included in the operating data. Based on the results of the organization and the complaint information, estimate the cause of the user's dissatisfaction. Based on the estimation, generate improvement proposals for the control of the air conditioner that can eliminate the user's dissatisfaction. Generate the improvement proposals in natural language that the user can understand and in control command format that the air conditioner can execute. Generate the improvement proposals in natural language in a positive tone so as not to upset the user, like a professional concierge."

[0087] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the display on the display unit 209 of the user terminal 200. The control unit 201 displays the improvement proposal output by the generation model MD2 on the display unit 209 (step S105). The control unit 201 may display the natural language portion of the improvement proposal in text format on the display unit 209. The control unit 201 may also output the natural language portion of the improvement proposal as audio via the audio output unit 206.

[0088] For example, if it is estimated that the user was dissatisfied due to the noise of the air conditioner 100, the control unit 201 may output a suggestion for improvement in natural language format, such as, "Was the noise too loud? Would you like me to lower the fan speed by one level?" The control unit 201 also outputs the suggestion for improvement in the form of an executable control command, so that the air conditioner 100 can execute the control related to the suggestion.

[0089] If the discomfort index, calculated based on the room temperature and humidity at the time of dissatisfaction, exceeds a predetermined value, and it is estimated that the user's dissatisfaction was caused by the operating settings of the air conditioner 100, then it would be desirable for improvement suggestions, such as lowering the set temperature or switching to dehumidification mode, to be output.

[0090] If defrosting is performed immediately before the time of dissatisfaction, and it is estimated that the user was dissatisfied with the sound or vibration of the defrosting operation, it would be desirable for improvement suggestions to be output, such as changing the frequency of defrosting or changing the timing of the defrosting operation.

[0091] If a loud or unusual noise is emitted from the air conditioner 100 immediately before the time of dissatisfaction, and it is estimated that the noise emitted by the air conditioner 100 caused the user's dissatisfaction, then it would be desirable for improvement suggestions, such as controlling the compressor 111, or the indoor fan 113 or the outdoor fan, to be output.

[0092] If the electricity cost displayed on the electricity cost display screen for the air conditioner 100 is higher than past electricity costs, and it is estimated that the user is dissatisfied with the operating costs, it would be desirable for improvement suggestions, such as switching to an energy-saving operating mode, to be output.

[0093] The control unit 201 receives input from the user regarding their acceptance or rejection of the improvement proposal (step S106). For example, the control unit 201 may accept input regarding the acceptance or rejection of the improvement proposal by displaying a YES icon and a NO icon on the display unit 209, as shown in Figure 7, and accepting the user's selection. The control unit 201 may also accept input regarding the acceptance or rejection of the improvement proposal by the user speaking via the voice input unit 205. The control unit 201 may also accept input regarding the acceptance or rejection of the improvement proposal from the user in text format via the operation of the user terminal 200.

[0094] The control unit 201 determines whether or not it has received input indicating acceptance of the improvement proposal (step S107). If it determines that it has received input indicating rejection of the improvement proposal (step S107: NO), the control unit 201 returns the process to step S104. In this case, the first prompt input to the generation model MD2 may include a prompt to cause the generation model MD2 to output other improvement proposals, such as "Please propose other improvement proposals." In step S106, if it determines that it has received input indicating acceptance of the improvement proposal (step S107: YES), the control unit 201 transmits the outputted improvement proposal to the air conditioner 100 (step S108). The control unit 201 only needs to transmit the control command format portion included in the improvement proposal to the air conditioner 100.

[0095] The control unit 101 receives the improvement proposal (step S109). Based on the received improvement proposal, the control unit 101 executes a control change for the air conditioner 100 (step S110). The control unit 101 may execute the control change for the air conditioner 100 by executing the improvement proposal in the form of a control command. For example, if the improvement proposal shown in Figure 7 is accepted, the control unit 101 will perform a control change to reduce the airflow of the indoor fan 113 by one level. The control unit 101 may also perform a change to the settings of the air conditioner 100, such as on-site settings, or a change to the program that controls the air conditioner 100.

[0096] The control unit 101 sends a report about the control change it has made to the user terminal 200 (step S111). The report may be data containing text explaining the change, such as, "To reduce noise, the fan speed has been reduced by one level." The control unit 201 receives the report (step S112).

[0097] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the display on the display unit 209 of the user terminal 200. The control unit 201 displays the received report on the display unit 209 (step S113). For example, the control unit 201 may display the text included in the report on the display unit 209. The control unit 201 may also output the text included in the report as audio via the audio output unit 206.

[0098] The control unit 201 accepts input for evaluation of the control change (step S114). For example, the control unit 201 may accept input by displaying user evaluation icons, including an OK icon and a dissatisfied icon, as shown in Figure 8, and accepting selection. The control unit 201 may also accept input by voice from the user via the voice input unit 205. The control unit 201 may also accept input in text format from the user via the operation of the user terminal 200.

[0099] When inputting an evaluation of the control changes, the control unit 201 may accept input of the control content that the user desired. For example, if a control change is made to lower the room temperature, the control unit 201 may accept input such as "I wanted the temperature to be lowered even more."

[0100] The control unit 201 learns the generation model MD2 based on the evaluation of the received control change, dissatisfaction information, and improvement proposals (step S115). The control unit 201 may learn the generation model MD2 by creating learning data that associates the dissatisfaction information with the implemented improvement proposals and providing the learning data to the generation model MD2. The learning data may also include acquired driving data.

[0101] The generative model MD2 may be trained, for example, using reinforcement learning. In this case, the training data may include evaluations of control changes, and may be composed of, for example, dissatisfaction information as the state, the implemented improvement plan as the action, and the evaluation of the control change as the reward. The acquired driving data may be included in the training data as a state along with the dissatisfaction information.

[0102] The generative model MD2 may be fine-tuned using methods such as LoRA (Low-Rank Adaptation) or QLoRA. In this case, the training data may be composed of, for example, dissatisfaction information and evaluations of the control changes for the implemented improvement proposals as labels. For training the generative model MD2, it is preferable to use training data that has labels corresponding to good evaluations of the control changes. For example, the training data when the OK icon selection in Figure 8 is accepted may be used for training the generative model MD2. This concludes the processing in this embodiment.

[0103] By estimating the cause of user dissatisfaction from user complaint information and operating data of the air conditioner 100, and generating improvement plans according to the estimation results, the user no longer needs to consider specific operations of the air conditioner 100 themselves. As a result, the user can use the air conditioner 100 more comfortably.

[0104] By using operating data from a set time period prior to the time when the dissatisfaction information was entered, the generative model MD2 can appropriately estimate the cause of the user's dissatisfaction and generate better improvement proposals.

[0105] By receiving input from the user regarding their approval or rejection of the improvement plan before implementing it, the control unit 201 can perform appropriate control of the air conditioner 100 in response to the user's dissatisfaction.

[0106] By accepting input regarding the evaluation of control changes and learning based on that evaluation, the generative model MD2 becomes capable of generating improvement proposals that are more satisfying to users and more readily accepted by them.

[0107] Each process performed by the control unit 201 may also be performed by the control unit 101 or the control unit 311 of the first server 310. The generation of improvement proposals may be performed by the generation model MD1 stored in the air conditioner 100 or the generation model MD3 stored in the first server 310. The first prompt may be input to the generation model MD1 or the generation model MD3, causing the generation model MD1 or the generation model MD3 to output improvement proposals.

[0108] The generation model MD2 outputs only improvement suggestions in natural language format, and the control unit 101, upon receiving these improvement suggestions, may generate control commands from these natural language improvement suggestions using the generation model MD1 and modify its own control.

[0109] The control unit 201 may acquire biometric information such as the user's body temperature, sweating, blood pressure, or respiration from the wearable device 250 and input it into the generation model MD2 together with the complaint information and operating data. The control unit 201 may also acquire construction information of the air conditioner 100, including the installation location of the indoor and outdoor units of the air conditioner 100, piping length, floor plan, or building age, or other information related to the air conditioner 100 and input it into the generation model MD2 together with the complaint information and operating data. Two or more of the biometric information, construction information, and other information may be input into the generation model MD2 together with the complaint information and operating data.

[0110] The first prompt may include, for example, a statement that the cause of the user's dissatisfaction should be estimated based on the operating status of the air conditioner 100, the received dissatisfaction information, biometric information, construction information, or other information. With this configuration, the control unit 201 can output improvement proposals that are more acceptable to the user, taking into account the user's physical condition inferred from the user's biometric information, the construction status of the air conditioner 100 based on the construction information of the air conditioner 100, or other information related to the air conditioner 100.

[0111] The proposed improvements may be sent to a management server owned by the administrator who manages the air conditioner 100. In response to a signal from the management server indicating acceptance of the proposed improvements, the control of the air conditioner 100 may be changed based on the proposed improvements.

[0112] The control unit 201 may store the learning data in the storage unit 202, and when inputting to the generation model MD2 in step S104, it may input the learning data stored in the storage unit 202 to the generation model MD2.

[0113] Based on the above, a computer program is realized that can appropriately control the air conditioner 100 in response to user dissatisfaction.

[0114] (Modification) A modification will be described for a case where there are multiple users, each with their own user terminal 200, in a single space where the air conditioner 100 is installed. Below, we will mainly explain the differences from the above-described embodiment, and will omit detailed explanations of processes that are common to the above-described embodiment.

[0115] In this modified example, the space in which the air conditioner 100 is installed is, for example, an office or a classroom, or any other space where multiple people gather. In this modified example, the first server 310 receives multiple complaints from each user terminal 200, and the generation model MD3 outputs an improvement plan that can resolve the most frequent complaint based on the multiple complaints received.

[0116] When a user terminal 200 receives complaint information, the control unit 201 determines whether or not the user terminal 200 is located within the space. This determination may be based, for example, on the communication strength with predetermined communication devices distributed within the space, or on the location information of the user terminal 200. The predetermined communication devices can include Bluetooth® beacons or Wi-Fi® routers. If it is determined that the user terminal 200 is not located within the space, the control unit 201 terminates processing. If it is determined that the user terminal 200 is located within the space, the control unit 201 transmits the received complaint information to the first server 310.

[0117] The control unit 311 receives the transmitted complaint information. The control unit 311 inputs the multiple complaint information received within a predetermined reception period, the operating data of the air conditioner 100 while it is running, and the first prompt into the generation model MD3 to estimate the cause of each user's complaint. The control unit 311 may acquire the operating data of the air conditioner 100 while it is running, specifically the operating data for a period set back from the time the first complaint information was input, and the operating data within the predetermined reception period, and input these into the generation model MD3.

[0118] In this modified example, the first prompt may include, for example, a request to individually estimate the cause of each user's dissatisfaction based on the operating status of the air conditioner 100 and the dissatisfaction information received. In this modified example, the first prompt may also include, for example, a request to generate an improvement plan for the air conditioner 100 that is estimated to eliminate the dissatisfaction of the most users.

[0119] In this modified example, the first prompt could be, for example, "Please organize the status of the air conditioner within the time period included in the operating data. Based on the results of the organization and each complaint piece, estimate the cause of each user's dissatisfaction. Generate improvement suggestions for the air conditioner control that can eliminate the most common cause of dissatisfaction. Generate the improvement suggestions in natural language that the user can understand and in control command format that the air conditioner can execute. Generate the improvement suggestions in natural language in a positive tone so as not to offend the user, like a professional concierge."

[0120] The control unit 311 sends the improvement proposal to each user terminal, and if it is accepted by the majority of users, it sends the improvement proposal to the air conditioner 100 and causes it to implement the control change.

[0121] After a control change, the control unit 311 sends a report to each user terminal, receives input from each user regarding their evaluation of the control change, and inputs training data into the generative model MD3 to train the generative model MD3. The training of the generative model MD3 may be performed, for example, by reinforcement learning using training data in which the proportion of good evaluations of each user regarding the control change is used as a reward.

[0122] The control unit 311 may summarize the causes of dissatisfaction from the multiple dissatisfaction information received using the generation model MD3, and output improvement suggestions that can resolve the summarized causes of dissatisfaction. In this case, the first prompt may include, for example, a statement that the estimated causes of dissatisfaction for each user should be summarized and improvement suggestions that can resolve the summarized causes of dissatisfaction should be generated.

[0123] (Second Embodiment) The computer program of the second embodiment determines whether the input content contains dissatisfaction information, and if it is determined that it contains dissatisfaction information, it generates improvement suggestions. The following mainly describes the differences from the first embodiment, and components or processes common to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0124] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of each control unit in the second embodiment. The control unit 201 receives data such as image data or audio data from the imaging unit 204 or the audio input unit 205 (step S201). The control unit 201 receives image data from the imaging unit 204 and audio data from the audio input unit 205. The control unit 201 may also read image data or audio data stored in the storage unit 202.

[0125] The control unit 201 inputs the input data and the second prompt to the generation model MD2 (step S202). The second prompt is a prompt that causes the generation model MD2 to determine whether or not the input data contains user complaint information. The second prompt may be stored in the storage unit 202 in a readable format by the control unit 201, for example.

[0126] The second prompt may include, for example, a request to interpret the user's facial expressions, actions, tone of voice, or the content of their statements from the data. The second prompt may also include, for example, a request to estimate from the data whether the user is dissatisfied or stressed with the air conditioner 100, and if it is estimated that the user is dissatisfied or stressed, a request to determine that the data contains dissatisfaction information.

[0127] The second prompt could be something like this: "If image data is input, read the user's facial expression or actions; if audio data is input, read the tone of voice or the content of what is being said. Determine whether the user is dissatisfied or stressed with the air conditioner. If you determine that the user is dissatisfied or stressed with the air conditioner, determine that the input data contains dissatisfaction information."

[0128] The generative model MD2, which accepts both image data and audio data as input, may combine the judgment results from both the image data and audio data to determine whether or not it contains dissatisfaction information.

[0129] The control unit 201 outputs a determination of whether or not it is presumed that the user is feeling dissatisfied, and whether or not the data is dissatisfaction information, based on the content read from the data. For example, it may output a determination result such as, "The user is sweating and has said that it is hot, so it is presumed that the user is feeling dissatisfied. Therefore, the data contains dissatisfaction information."

[0130] The control unit 201 determines whether the data contains dissatisfaction information (step S203). If it determines that the data does not contain dissatisfaction information (step S203: NO), the control unit 201 returns the process to step S201 and waits. If it determines that the data contains dissatisfaction information (step S203: YES), the control unit 201 executes the processes from step S102 onwards shown in Figure 6 and terminates the process.

[0131] In step S104, the control unit 201 may input the determination result output in step S203 to the generation model MD2. In this case, image data or audio data does not need to be input to the generation model MD2.

[0132] The first prompt in this embodiment may include a request to estimate the specific content of the user's dissatisfaction from the data determined to contain dissatisfaction information. The first prompt in this embodiment may include, for example, content such as "Estimate what kind of dissatisfaction the user is feeling from the data," in addition to the first prompt in the first embodiment. With this configuration, the specific content of the user's dissatisfaction is estimated from image data or audio data, and the cause of the user's dissatisfaction is estimated from the estimated content of the dissatisfaction and the operating data of the air conditioner 100.

[0133] If the image data contains facial expressions or actions of a user that suggest dissatisfaction with the air conditioner 100, the control unit 201 may determine that it contains dissatisfaction information. For example, if the image data contains facial expressions or actions of a user that are seen when the room temperature is high or low, such as a frown while sweating or rubbing both upper arms, the control unit 201 may determine that it contains dissatisfaction information. For example, if the image data contains facial expressions or actions of a user that are performed when they are dissatisfied with the operating cost of the air conditioner 100, such as a surprised face while looking at the user terminal 200 which displays the electricity cost of the air conditioner 100, the control unit 201 may determine that it contains dissatisfaction information. For example, if the image data contains facial expressions or actions of a user that express discomfort with the air conditioner 100, such as staring at the air conditioner 100 or frowning, the control unit 201 may determine that it contains dissatisfaction information.

[0134] If the audio data contains a user's utterance that suggests dissatisfaction with the air conditioner 100, the control unit 201 may determine that it contains dissatisfaction information. If the audio data contains a user's utterance that is, for example, made in a high, strong tone that suggests irritation, a low, weak tone that suggests lethargy, a weak tone with a lot of breath that suggests heat, or a monotone tone that suggests cold, the control unit 201 may determine that it contains dissatisfaction information. If the audio data contains a user's utterance that reveals discomfort related to the air conditioner 100, such as, for example, "the room is hot," "the air conditioner is noisy," or "the electricity bill for the air conditioner is high," similar to the first embodiment, the control unit 201 may determine that it contains dissatisfaction information.

[0135] This configuration suppresses the input of data that does not contain dissatisfaction information to the MD2 generation model.

[0136] In step S201, the control unit 201 may, for example, accept input of data relating to the user's biometric information or text data created by the user. The control unit 201 may, for example, accept input of data relating to the user's biometric information, such as the user's heart rate, body temperature, sweating, blood pressure, respiration, brain waves, or body composition, from a wearable device 250 worn by the user. The control unit 201 may, for example, accept input of text data via operation of the operation unit 208. Instead of accepting input of text data, the control unit 201 may, for example, acquire text data such as chat messages, emails, meeting minutes, or word-of-mouth sent by the user.

[0137] In the above case, the second prompt may include, for example, a statement that the biometric information or text content received as input should be analyzed. The second prompt may also include, for example, a statement that the data should be used to estimate whether the user is dissatisfied or stressed with the air conditioner 100, and if it is estimated that the user is dissatisfied or stressed, the data should be determined to contain dissatisfaction information. The second prompt may also include, for example, a statement that, if necessary, multiple pieces of input should be combined to estimate from the data whether the user is dissatisfied or stressed with the air conditioner 100.

[0138] The second prompt could be something like this: "If biometric data is input from the wearable device 250, analyze the biometric data; if text data is input, analyze the text content. Based on the analysis, determine whether the user is dissatisfied or stressed by the air conditioner. If you determine that the user is dissatisfied or stressed by the air conditioner, determine that the input data contains dissatisfaction information. Note that the estimation of whether the user is dissatisfied with the air conditioner may be based on multiple analyses as needed."

[0139] Data acquisition may be performed by the sensor unit 104 of the air conditioner 100, or by an external device such as a camera or sound receiver capable of transmitting the acquired data to the air conditioner 100, user terminal 200, or first server 310, etc. When data is acquired by an external device, it is preferable that the external device be placed within the space in which the air conditioner 100 is installed.

[0140] Each process performed by the control unit 201 may also be performed by the control unit 101 or the control unit 311. The determination of whether or not the input data contains dissatisfaction information may be performed by the generation model MD1 stored in the air conditioner 100, or by the generation model MD3 stored in the first server 310.

[0141] The determination of whether the input data contains dissatisfaction information may be performed by an emotion estimation AI other than the generative models MD1, MD2, and MD3. For example, the control unit 201 may determine whether the input data contains dissatisfaction information by extracting specific features from the received data and inputting them into a machine learning model. The features may be, for example, acoustic features such as pitch, intensity, or intonation from audio data, or visual features such as contours, or the position or shape of facial features from image data. The extraction of features and the determination of whether the input data contains dissatisfaction information may be performed by, for example, a deep learning model such as ViT (Vision Transformer), LTSM (Long Short-Term Memory), or a convolutional neural network (CNN), or a support vector machine.

[0142] Based on the above, a computer program capable of selecting data containing complaint information and generating improvement proposals can be realized.

[0143] (Third Embodiment) The computer program of the third embodiment, in response to input of complaint information from a user using an air conditioner 400 different from the air conditioner 100, refers to improvement proposals for the air conditioner 100 and generates improvement proposals for the control of the air conditioner 400. The following mainly describes the differences from the first embodiment, and components or processes common to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their detailed explanation is omitted.

[0144] The air conditioner 400 shown in Figure 2 is a different air conditioner from the air conditioner 100. The air conditioner 400 may be used by a different user than the user of the air conditioner 100, or it may be used by the user of the air conditioner 100. The air conditioner 400 may be installed in a different space from the air conditioner 100, or it may be installed in the same space as the air conditioner 100.

[0145] As shown in Figure 2, the air conditioner 400 includes a control unit 401, a storage unit 402, a communication unit 403, a sensor unit 404, and a drive unit 410, which correspond to the control unit 101, storage unit 102, communication unit 103, sensor unit 104, and drive unit 110 of the air conditioner 100, respectively. The air conditioner 100 and the air conditioner 400 have different identification numbers, and each stores its own identification number in the storage unit 102 or storage unit 402.

[0146] The user terminal 500 shown in Figure 3 is a different user terminal from the user terminal 200. The user terminal 500 is a user terminal operated by the user of the air conditioner 400.

[0147] As shown in Figure 3, the user terminal 500 includes a control unit 501, a storage unit 502, a communication unit 503, an imaging unit 204, an audio input unit 205, an audio output unit 206, a positioning unit 207, an operation unit 208, and a display unit 509, which correspond to the control unit 201, storage unit 202, communication unit 203, imaging unit 204, an audio input unit 205, an audio output unit 206, a positioning unit 207, an operation unit 208, and a display unit 509 of the user terminal 200, respectively.

[0148] In this embodiment, the first server 310 stores the first prompt in the storage unit 312. In this embodiment, the first server 310 acquires installation information for the air conditioner 100 and the air conditioner 400 and stores it in the storage unit 312.

[0149] The control unit 311 performs the same processing as the control unit 201 shown in Figure 6. The control unit 311 outputs improvement proposals for the control of the air conditioner 100 in response to the input of dissatisfaction information, accepts evaluation input after the control of the air conditioner 100 is changed, and trains the generation model MD3. The trained generation model MD3 generates a post-trained improvement proposal, which is a higher quality improvement proposal that is more acceptable to the user. The control unit 311 accepts dissatisfaction information regarding the air conditioner 100 again, acquires operating data from the air conditioner 100, and outputs a post-trained improvement proposal for the control of the air conditioner 100 based on the dissatisfaction information and the operating data.

[0150] Figures 10 and 11 are flowcharts illustrating the processing of each control unit in the third embodiment. The control unit 311 transmits data including the post-learning improvement plan to the second server 320, which functions as a storage device (step S301).

[0151] The transmitted data includes, for example, complaint information about the air conditioner 100 entered to generate post-learning improvement plans, operating data of the air conditioner 100 acquired to generate post-learning improvement plans, post-learning improvement plans, and installation information of the air conditioner 100, and these are all interconnected data. In this embodiment, the installation information is entered by the user of the air conditioner 100 or the installer who installed the indoor unit. The installation information includes, for example, the installation location of the air conditioner 100, the indoor unit or outdoor unit, the length of the refrigerant piping between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, the model name or capacity of the air conditioner 100, or the floor plan or age of the building in which the air conditioner 100 is installed.

[0152] The control unit 321 of the second server 320 receives the data (step S302). The control unit 321 stores the received data in the database DB of the storage unit 322 (step S303).

[0153] Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a record layout in a database DB. The database DB may include, for example, columns for complaint information, driving data, improvement suggestions, and construction information.

[0154] The "Dissatisfaction Information" column contains dissatisfaction information about the air conditioner 100, which is entered in order to generate post-learning improvement plans. The "Operation Data" column contains operation data of the air conditioner 100, which is acquired in order to generate post-learning improvement plans. The "Improvement Plan" column contains post-learning improvement plans. The "Installation Information" column contains installation information for the air conditioner 100.

[0155] As shown in Figure 10, the control unit 501 of the user terminal 500 receives input of complaint information regarding the air conditioner 400 (step S304). The control unit 501 may receive input of complaint information regarding the air conditioner 400 from the user who entered complaint information for the air conditioner 100, or from a user other than the said user. The control unit 501 transmits the received complaint information to the first server 310 (step S305).

[0156] The control unit 311 receives the complaint information (step S306). The control unit 311 performs the same processing as in steps S102 to S103 shown in Figure 6 (steps S307 to S308). In step S308, the control unit 311 obtains the operating data of the air conditioner 400 while it is running from the storage unit 402.

[0157] The control unit 311 retrieves data from the database DB (step S309). The control unit 311 retrieves each data item from the database DB that is included in the columns for complaint information, operation data, improvement suggestions, and construction information. If multiple data items are stored in the database DB, the control unit 311 may retrieve all the data stored in the database DB, or it may select and retrieve only a portion of it. For example, the control unit 311 may selectively retrieve data that contains construction information that is more or less common with the construction information of the air conditioner 400.

[0158] The control unit 311 inputs the complaint information regarding the air conditioner 400 received from the user terminal 500, the complaint information, operation data, improvement proposals, and construction information data obtained from the database DB, the construction information for the air conditioner 400 stored in the storage unit 312, and the first prompt into the generation model MD3 (step S310).

[0159] In this embodiment, the first prompt may include, for example, a statement that the operating status of the air conditioner 400 during the time period when complaint information regarding the air conditioner 400 is received and the time period prior thereto should be determined from the operating data of the air conditioner 400. The first prompt may also include, for example, a statement that the cause of the user's dissatisfaction should be estimated from the determined operating status of the air conditioner 400 and the received complaint information regarding the air conditioner 400. The first prompt may also include, for example, a statement that, based on the estimation of the cause of the user's dissatisfaction, an improvement plan for the operation of the air conditioner 400 should be generated to eliminate the user's dissatisfaction. The first prompt may also include, for example, a statement that, when generating the improvement plan, the received complaint information regarding the air conditioner 400, the determined operating status of the air conditioner 400, the installation information of the air conditioner 400, and the complaint information, operating data, improvement plan, or installation information data obtained from the database DB should be referenced as necessary. The first prompt may include, for example, a statement that improvement suggestions should be generated in natural language format and in a control command format that the air conditioner 400 can execute. The first prompt may also include, for example, a statement that improvement suggestions in natural language format should be generated in a style that is less likely to cause discomfort to the user.

[0160] The first prompt could be something like this: "Please organize the status of the air conditioner within the time period included in the operating data. Based on the results of organizing the status of the air conditioner and the complaint information received, estimate the cause of the user's dissatisfaction. Based on the estimation, generate improvement proposals for the control of the air conditioner that can eliminate the user's dissatisfaction. When generating improvement proposals, compare the received complaint information, the results of organizing the status of the air conditioner, and the air conditioner installation information with the complaint information, operating data, and installation information stored in the database DB. If they are similar, refer to the improvement proposals stored in the database DB to generate improvement proposals. The improvement proposals should be generated in natural language format that the user can understand and in control command format that the air conditioner can execute. The improvement proposals in natural language format should be generated in a positive style that does not offend the user, like a professional concierge."

[0161] The control unit 311 transmits the generated improvement proposal to the user terminal 500 (step S311). The control unit 501 receives the improvement proposal (step S312). The control unit 501 performs the same processing on the received improvement proposal as in steps S105 to S106 shown in Figure 6 (steps S313 to S314). The control unit 501 transmits approval or rejection of the received improvement proposal to the first server 310 (step S315).

[0162] As shown in Figure 11, the control unit 311 receives a response regarding the improvement proposal (step S316). The control unit 311 determines whether the received response indicates acceptance of the improvement proposal (step S317). If it determines that it has received a response indicating that the improvement proposal is not accepted (step S317: NO), the control unit 201 returns the process to step S310. If it determines that it has received a response indicating that the improvement proposal is accepted (step S317: YES), the control unit 311 transmits the outputted improvement proposal to the air conditioner 400 (step S318).

[0163] The control unit 401 of the air conditioner 400 performs the same processing as in steps S109 to S111 shown in Figure 6 (steps S319 to S321). In step S321, the control unit 401 sends a report to the user terminal 500.

[0164] The control unit 501 performs the same processing as in steps S112 to S114 shown in Figure 6 (steps S322 to S324). The control unit 501 transmits the training data to the first server 310 (step S325).

[0165] The control unit 311 receives training data (step S326). Using the received training data, the control unit 311 performs the same processing as in step S115 shown in Figure 6 to train the generative model MD3 (step S327). This completes the processing in this embodiment.

[0166] The generation model MD3 can generate improvement proposals for the air conditioner 400 based on the learned improvement proposals for the air conditioner 100 and the installation information for the air conditioner 100. Therefore, the generation model MD3 can generate higher quality improvement proposals that are more readily accepted by users.

[0167] The generation model MD3 may generate improvement proposals for the air conditioner 400 based on improvement proposal data for the air conditioner 100, rather than on the installation information for the air conditioner 400. Alternatively, the generation model MD3 may generate improvement proposals for the air conditioner 400 based on improvement proposal data for the air conditioner 100 and the installation information for the air conditioner 100, rather than on the installation information for the air conditioner 400.

[0168] Based on the above, a computer program is realized that can appropriately control other air conditioners 400 in response to user dissatisfaction, based on the proposed improvements to the air conditioner 100.

[0169] (Fourth Embodiment) The computer program of the fourth embodiment stops generating improvement suggestions using the generation model MD2, according to the user's request. The following mainly describes the differences from the first embodiment, and configurations or processes common to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0170] In the fourth embodiment, a switching means 210 for switching whether or not to generate improvement suggestions is displayed on the display unit 209. The switching means 210 may be an icon whose display switches when selected by the user through operation of the user terminal 200, as shown in Figure 8. The display of the switching means 210 may be, for example, "Generation AI control in progress" or "Generation AI control OFF," as shown in Figure 8.

[0171] In the fourth embodiment, the memory unit 202 stores a flag that is linked to the switching means 210. For example, when "Generation AI control in progress" is displayed on the switching means 210 shown in Figure 8, the flag is 1, and when "Generation AI control OFF" is displayed, the flag is 0. The control unit 201 accepts dissatisfaction information input when the flag is 1, and does not accept dissatisfaction information input when the flag is 0.

[0172] Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the control unit 201 in the fourth embodiment. The control unit 201 displays the switching means 210 on the display unit 209 (step S401). The control unit 201 determines whether or not it has accepted the selection of the switching means 210 (step S402). If it is determined that the selection of the switching means 210 has not been accepted via the user's operation of the user terminal 200 (step S402: NO), the control unit 201 goes into standby mode.

[0173] If the control unit 201 determines that it has accepted the selection of the switching means 210 (step S402: YES), it switches the display of the switching means 210 (step S403). The control unit 201 rewrites the flag (step S404). The control unit 201 rewrites the flag to 0 if it is 1, and to 1 if it is 0. The control unit 201 returns the process to step S401.

[0174] Figure 14 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the control unit 201 in the fourth embodiment. The control unit 201 performs the same processing as in step S101 shown in Figure 6 (step S405).

[0175] The control unit 201 determines whether the flag is 1 or not (step S406). If it determines that the flag is not 1 (step S406: NO), the control unit 201 returns the process to step S405. If it determines that the flag is 1 (step S406: YES), the control unit 201 executes the processes from step S102 onwards in Figure 6 and terminates the process.

[0176] If the flag is 0, the control unit 201 does not perform any processing after receiving the dissatisfaction information input, so the dissatisfaction information is not input to the generation model MD2, and no improvement proposals are generated. If the flag is 0, the system may be configured to prevent the generation of improvement proposals by restricting input to the generation model MD2 or output of improvement proposals.

[0177] The switching means 210 may be displayed on the display unit 209 at all times, or it may be displayed only at predetermined times, such as simultaneously with the display of the report in step S113 shown in Figure 6.

[0178] The switching means 210 may be configured to rewrite the flag based on voice input. For example, the switching means 210 may be configured to rewrite the flag to 0 in response to the user's utterance of "AI off" and to rewrite the flag to 1 in response to the user's utterance of "AI on".

[0179] Based on the above, a computer program can be realized that can switch the output of improvement suggestions as needed.

[0180] Devices 151 to 153 may have a control unit and a generation model. An improvement suggestion may be transmitted to any of the devices that control the air quality in a room, such as devices 151 to 153, and the control of the transmitted device may be modified. All computer programs and information processing methods in this disclosure can be broadly applied to the control of air conditioning equipment capable of controlling the air quality in a given space, including air conditioner 100, air conditioner 400, and devices 151 to 153, etc.

[0181] 1: Air conditioning system (information processing system) 100: Air conditioner 101: Control unit (processing unit) 200: User terminal 201: Control unit (processing unit) 210: Switching means 310: First server 311: Control unit (processing unit) 320: Second server (storage device) 321: Control unit (processing unit) 322: Storage unit 400: Air conditioner 401: Control unit (processing unit) 500: User terminal 501: Control unit (processing unit) MD1: Generation model MD2: Generation model MD3: Generation model PG1: Control program PG2: Control program PG3: Control program

Claims

1. A computer program that causes at least one computer to execute a process that takes user complaints about air conditioning equipment as input, generates improvement proposals regarding the control of the air conditioning equipment using a generation model, and outputs the generated improvement proposals.

2. The computer program according to claim 1, which acquires the user's image, voice, or biometric information, or text created by the user, determines whether the acquired image, voice, biometric information, or text contains information expressing dissatisfaction with the user, and if it determines that it contains information expressing dissatisfaction, generates an improvement proposal regarding the control of the air conditioning equipment using the generation model.

3. The computer program according to claim 1, which acquires operating data of the air conditioning equipment while it is in operation, and generates improvement proposals for the control of the air conditioning equipment by referring to the operating data for a predetermined period of time using the generation model.

4. The computer program according to claim 1, which accepts the user's approval or rejection of the proposed improvement, and, if the user approves the proposed improvement, outputs a control command to the air conditioning equipment corresponding to the proposed improvement.

5. The computer program according to claim 1, which acquires installation information of the air conditioning equipment and generates improvement proposals for the control of the air conditioning equipment using the generation model based on the dissatisfaction information and the acquired installation information.

6. The computer program according to claim 1, which outputs a control command to the air conditioning equipment in accordance with the proposed improvement, receives the user's evaluation of the control change to the air conditioning equipment in accordance with the control command, and learns the generation model based on the received evaluation, the dissatisfaction information and the proposed improvement.

7. The computer program according to claim 6, which acquires installation information for the air conditioning equipment, stores the learned improvement plan in a storage device in association with the acquired installation information, and generates an improvement plan for the control of the air conditioning equipment using the generation model by referring to the installation information and improvement plan stored in the storage device.

8. The computer program according to claim 7, which, in response to input of complaint information from users using other air conditioning equipment, generates improvement proposals for the control of other air conditioning equipment by referring to construction information and improvement proposals stored in the storage device, using the generation model.

9. The computer program according to claim 1, which accepts a selection regarding whether the improvement proposal is necessary, and if the selection is that it is unnecessary, stops generating the improvement proposal using the generation model.

10. The computer program according to claim 1, which generates an improvement plan using the generation model to improve at least one of the noise, vibration, and defrost operation start timing of the air conditioning equipment.

11. An information processing method in which at least one computer performs the following processes: taking user dissatisfaction information of air conditioning equipment as input, generating improvement proposals regarding the control of the air conditioning equipment using a generation model, and outputting the generated improvement proposals.

12. An information processing system comprising at least one processing unit, wherein the processing unit takes user dissatisfaction information of an air conditioning unit as input, generates improvement proposals regarding the control of the air conditioning unit using a generation model, and outputs the generated improvement proposals.

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