Management device, management system, management program, and method

Abstract

A management device 50 comprises: a usage degree acquiring unit 61 that acquires a usage degree index value indicating the usage degree of a facility provided within a space into and from which a user enters and exits; a threshold setting unit 62 that sets a usage degree threshold on the basis of a degree of variability in the distribution of the usage degree index value acquired in the past for the facility; and an abnormality determining unit 63 that determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the facility on the basis of a comparison between the usage degree index value and the usage degree threshold.

Description

Management apparatus, management system, management program, and method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technology for monitoring equipment installed in a predetermined space.

[0002] Maintaining and managing the cleanliness of equipment such as toilet appliances installed in a predetermined space of a facility is an important key to making a house or facility a comfortable space. In particular, equipment installed in commercial facilities, entertainment facilities, complex facilities, passenger station facilities and the like used by many people needs to be appropriately maintained and managed also from the viewpoint of public health.

[0003] In a facility where a large number of pieces of equipment are installed, an equipment monitoring system is used to monitor each piece of equipment. However, a large amount of data obtained from a large number of pieces of equipment contains noise and sudden usage fluctuations, and there is a demand for the system to accurately detect abnormalities of devices (for example, failure, water leakage, depletion of supplies, etc.).

[0004] Conventionally, systems for automatically detecting such abnormalities of equipment are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which, when the cumulative usage time per predetermined time of one usage object such as a toilet device falls below a predetermined threshold based on the cumulative usage time per predetermined time of each of a plurality of other usage objects, it is determined that an abnormality related to the one usage object has occurred, and the determination result is transmitted to a manager apparatus.

[0005] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2023-135790

[0006] Usage conditions may differ for each piece of equipment such as toilet devices. For example, even among pieces of equipment arranged in the same space, some are intensively used in specific time zones or situations, while others are used irregularly. On the other hand, since the technology described in Patent Document 1 uses a uniform fixed threshold value for each piece of equipment, it is difficult to perform abnormality determination for equipment in consideration of such equipment-specific usage bias and variation. For this reason, there have been cases where abnormalities of equipment cannot be appropriately determined according to the usage conditions of individual pieces of equipment. As a result, there has been a technical problem that false detection, in which normal usage fluctuation is misidentified as an abnormality, and missed detection of a true abnormality occur, lowering the abnormality detection accuracy of the monitoring system.

[0007] In light of these challenges, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a technology that improves the accuracy of anomaly detection by appropriately determining abnormalities in equipment installed within a predetermined space.

[0008] To solve the above problems, one aspect of the present disclosure is a management device comprising: a usage level acquisition unit that acquires a usage level index value indicating the degree of use of equipment installed in a space in which users enter and exit; a threshold setting unit that sets a usage level threshold based on the degree of variation in the distribution of the usage level index values ​​acquired in the past for the equipment; and an abnormality determination unit that determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment based on a comparison between the usage level index value and the usage level threshold.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a management system comprising: a terminal device used for maintenance of equipment located in a space accessible to users; and a management device for monitoring the equipment, wherein the management device includes: a usage level acquisition unit for acquiring usage level index values ​​indicating the degree of use of the equipment located in a space accessible to users; a threshold setting unit for setting usage level thresholds based on the degree of variation in the distribution of usage level index values ​​acquired in the past for the equipment; an abnormality determination unit for determining whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment based on a comparison of the usage level index values ​​and the usage level threshold; and a notification unit for notifying the terminal device that there is an abnormality in the equipment when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the equipment, and the terminal device includes a presentation unit for displaying the notification results of the notification unit on the display screen of the terminal device.

[0010] A further aspect of this disclosure is a management program that causes a computer to perform the following actions: acquire usage index values ​​indicating the degree of use of equipment installed in a space in which users enter and exit; set usage thresholds based on the degree of variation in the distribution of usage index values ​​previously acquired for the equipment and stored in a storage device; determine whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment based on a comparison between the usage index values ​​and the usage thresholds; and transmit the result of the determination of whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment to an external device.

[0011] A further aspect of this disclosure is a method comprising: obtaining a usage index value indicating the degree of use of equipment installed in a space in which users enter and exit; setting a usage threshold based on the degree of variation in the distribution of usage index values ​​previously obtained for the equipment and stored in a storage device; determining whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment based on a comparison between the usage index value and the usage threshold; and transmitting the determination result of whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment to an external device.

[0012] Furthermore, any combination of the above components, as well as conversions of the expression of the present invention between methods, apparatus, systems, recording media, computer programs, etc., are also valid embodiments of the present invention.

[0013] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the management system according to the embodiment. This is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the management device according to the embodiment. This is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the employee terminal according to the embodiment. This is a sequence diagram showing the processing of the management system according to the embodiment. This is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed by the employee terminal. This is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed by the employee terminal.

[0014] In this embodiment, a technique for monitoring toilet equipment will be described as an example. In the management system of this embodiment, dynamic threshold processing is performed to adapt to variations in usage conditions specific to the equipment. This significantly reduces false detections that mistake normal usage fluctuations for abnormalities, and enables accurate detection of abnormalities in toilet equipment. As a result, unnecessary abnormality notifications output from the management system (such as incorrect abnormality displays in list information) are suppressed, reducing network communication volume and the consumption of information processing resources, while enabling accurate and necessary actions (maintenance, etc.) to be taken for toilet equipment. Therefore, the reliability of the management system for multiple toilet units can be significantly improved.

[0015] Figure 1 shows the configuration of a management system according to this embodiment. The management system 10 includes a management device 50 that monitors a plurality of toilet equipment 40 installed in a toilet room 21 of a facility 20, a communication device 22 that transmits information from at least one of the toilet equipment 40 and sensors 33 installed in the toilet room 21 to the management device 50, a staff terminal 90 owned by a maintenance staff member responsible for maintaining the toilet equipment 40, and the Internet 12, which is an example of a communication means for communication between these devices. The staff terminal 90 in this embodiment is an example of an external device and is also an example of a terminal device used for equipment maintenance. The toilet room 21 in this embodiment is an example of a space or toilet space in which users come and go. The toilet equipment 40 in this embodiment is an example of equipment installed in a space in which users come and go. The management system 10 and the management device 50 in this embodiment function as a monitoring system and monitoring device, respectively, that monitor each toilet equipment 40. Furthermore, the term "maintenance" for equipment in this disclosure broadly includes not only preventative maintenance to keep the equipment in a normal operating state, but also recovery measures to restore physical functions that have deteriorated or stopped due to abnormalities (e.g., removal of contaminants, repair, replacement of parts, replenishment of consumables, etc.).

[0016] Facility 20 is managed in a hierarchical structure with multiple levels. Facility 20 has one or more floors 36. Floor 36 has one or more areas 35. Each area 35 is provided with one or more toilet rooms 21. Toilet rooms 21 are provided with a sensor 33, a door 23 for the toilet room 21, one or more individual stalls 24, a door 25 for each individual stall 24, and toilet equipment 40 having a water receiving section (not shown) for receiving water discharged from its water outlet. The toilet equipment 40 in this embodiment includes a washbasin 26, toilets 30 installed in each individual stall 24, and urinals 32 installed in the men's toilet room 21. The washbasin 26 includes a faucet and a water receiving section for receiving water discharged from the faucet, and includes a liquid soap dispenser for supplying liquid soap, a disinfectant dispenser for supplying disinfectant, etc. (none of which are shown) as needed. The faucet here may include an automatic faucet that controls water discharge based on the detection results of the sensor. Furthermore, the liquid soap dispenser here may include an automatic liquid soap dispenser (so-called auto-soap) that controls soap supply based on the detection results of a sensor. Toilet paper is provided in the cubicle 24 where the toilet 30 is installed, and a toilet seat cleaner dispenser, trash can, etc. are provided as needed. The toilet 30 may be a Japanese-style toilet or a Western-style toilet. The toilet equipment 40 includes controllers 31, 34, and 37 for the user of the toilet equipment 40 to input operation instructions to the toilet equipment 40. Each controller 31, 34, and 37 is configured to transmit operation information indicating that the toilet equipment 40 has operated in response to the operation instructions input by the user to the management device 50 via the communication device 22.

[0017] The sensor 33 is configured to transmit its detection information to the management device 50 via the communication device 22. The sensor 33 may be, for example, an open / close sensor for the door 25 of the individual room 24, a sensor that detects the locking and unlocking of a lock installed on the door 25, a pyroelectric sensor, a motion sensor, a temperature sensor, a seat sensor for the toilet 30, a drain sensor, a sound sensor, and the like.

[0018] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a management device 50 according to an embodiment. The management device 50 comprises a communication device 51, a display device 52, an input device 53, a storage device 80, and a processing device 60. The management device 50 may be a server device, a device such as a personal computer, or a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone terminal, smartphone, or tablet terminal.

[0019] The communication device 51 controls communication with other devices. The communication device 51 may communicate using any communication method, whether wired or wireless. The communication device 51 communicates with the communication device 22 via the internet 12 and receives information from at least one of the toilet equipment 40 and the sensor 33. The communication device 51 also communicates with the staff terminal 90 via the internet 12.

[0020] The display device 52 displays a screen generated by the processing device 60. The display device 52 may be a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display device, or the like. The input device 53 transmits user instructions from the management device 50 to the processing device 60. The input device 53 may be a mouse, keyboard, touchpad, or the like. The display device 52 and the input device 53 may be implemented as a touch panel.

[0021] The storage device 80 stores programs, data, etc., used by the processing device 60. The storage device 80 may be a semiconductor memory, a hard disk, or the like. The storage device 80 stores an information holding unit 81, a usage rate holding unit 82, and a toilet database 83.

[0022] The information storage unit 81 stores and holds information about the toilet equipment 40 and the usage time of the toilet equipment 40, as described later, received from at least one of the toilet equipment 40 and the sensor 33 via the communication device 22. The usage rate storage unit 82 stores and holds the usage rate of the toilet equipment 40, as described later. The usage rate storage unit 82 in this embodiment is an example of a usage degree index value storage unit. The toilet database 83 stores information about the toilet equipment 40 to be maintained. For example, the toilet database 83 stores information such as the number, location, floor and floor plan of the toilet rooms 21, the number and location of the individual stalls installed in the toilet rooms 21, the installation location, floor, number of units installed, type, elapsed time since installation, frequency of use, maintenance frequency, manufacturing date, and serial number of the toilet equipment 40.

[0023] The processing unit 60 includes a usage level acquisition unit 61, a threshold setting unit 62, an abnormality determination unit 63, an information generation unit 64, and a transmission unit 65. These configurations are implemented hardware-wise by the CPU, memory, and other LSIs of any computer, and software-wise by programs loaded into memory, but here we are describing functional blocks that are realized through the cooperation of these components. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be implemented in various forms, such as hardware only or a combination of hardware and software.

[0024] The usage level acquisition unit 61 acquires the usage rate of the toilet equipment 40, as described below. The usage level acquisition unit 61 includes a usage time calculation unit 61A and a usage rate calculation unit 61B.

[0025] The usage time calculation unit 61A calculates the usage time of the toilet equipment 40 based on information about the toilet equipment 40 received from at least one of the toilet equipment 40 and the sensor 33 via the communication device 22. For example, the usage time calculation unit 61A reads the information about the toilet equipment 40 held in the information holding unit 81 and calculates the usage time of the toilet equipment 40 based on the read information. For example, the usage time calculation unit 61A may calculate the usage time of the toilet equipment 40 from, for example, the time from the opening operation of the door 25 to the closing operation detected by the opening / closing sensor of the door 25 of the individual room 24, the time from locking to unlocking detected by the locking / unlocking sensor installed on the door 25, the time when a user is detected by a pyroelectric sensor, motion sensor, temperature sensor, etc., the time when a user is detected by the seating sensor of the toilet bowl 30, the time when liquid soap is dispensed by the liquid soap dispenser of the washbasin 26, the time when water is dispensed from the faucet of the washbasin 26, and operation information of each toilet equipment 40. The usage time calculation unit 61A may obtain the usage time of the toilet equipment 40 from at least one of the toilet equipment 40 and the sensor 33 via the communication device 22 if the toilet equipment 40 and the sensor 33 can directly detect the usage time of the toilet equipment 40. The usage time calculation unit 61A supplies the usage time of the toilet equipment 40 to the usage rate calculation unit 61B and stores it in the information holding unit 81.

[0026] The usage rate calculation unit 61B calculates the usage rate of the toilet equipment 40 based on the acquired usage time of the toilet equipment 40. The usage rate calculation unit 61B supplies the calculated usage rate of the toilet equipment 40 to the abnormality determination unit 63 and stores it in the usage rate holding unit 82. The usage rate in this embodiment is an example of a usage rate index value that indicates the degree of use of the equipment. The method for calculating the usage rate of the toilet equipment 40 will be described later.

[0027] The threshold setting unit 62 sets a usage threshold based on the degree of variation in the distribution of usage rates previously acquired for the toilet equipment 40. The threshold setting unit 62 reads the usage rates previously acquired for the toilet equipment 40 from the usage rate holding unit 82, determines the degree of variation in the distribution of the read past usage rates, and calculates the usage threshold based on the determined degree of variation. The method for calculating the usage threshold will be described later.

[0028] The abnormality determination unit 63 determines whether there is an abnormality in the toilet equipment 40 based on a comparison of the usage rate of the toilet equipment 40 with a usage threshold. For example, the abnormality determination unit 63 determines that there is an abnormality in the toilet equipment 40 if the usage rate of the toilet equipment 40 is less than the usage threshold. An abnormality in the toilet equipment 40 here includes conditions that cause users to avoid using the toilet equipment 40, such as soiling of the toilet equipment 40, shortage of supplies for the toilet equipment 40, or malfunction of the toilet equipment 40. Soiling of the toilet equipment 40 includes, for example, soiling of the toilet equipment 40 to the extent that it requires cleaning, or damage to the toilet equipment 40. A shortage of supplies for the toilet equipment 40 includes, for example, a shortage to the extent that toilet paper, disinfectant, or liquid soap in a liquid soap dispenser (not shown) such as an automatic soap dispenser provided in the washbasin 26 requires replenishment. Failures of the toilet equipment 40 include, for example, blockage of the water receiving section of the toilet equipment 40, failure of the shower toilet equipment installed in the toilet bowl 30 (e.g., posterior washing nozzle, bidet washing nozzle, drying device, deodorizing device, heated toilet seat), failure of the flushing devices (not shown) of the toilet bowl 30 and urinal 32, and failure of the faucet device or liquid soap dispenser of the washbasin 26. The abnormality determination unit 63 supplies the information generation unit 64 with the determination result of whether or not there is an abnormality in the toilet equipment 40.

[0029] The information generation unit 64 generates list information for displaying the status of each toilet device 40 based on the determination result of whether or not there is an abnormality in the toilet device 40.

[0030] The transmission unit 65 transmits the list information to the person in charge terminal 90. The transmission unit 65 in this embodiment is an example of a notification unit that notifies an external device of an abnormality in the equipment when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the equipment.

[0031] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the personnel terminal 90 according to the embodiment. The personnel terminal 90 comprises a communication device 91, a display device 92, an input device 93, a storage device 94, and a processing device 95. The personnel terminal 90 may be a device such as a personal computer, or a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone terminal, smartphone, or tablet terminal.

[0032] The communication device 91 controls communication with other devices. The communication device 91 may communicate using any communication method, such as wired or wireless. The communication device 91 communicates with the management device 50 via the Internet 12.

[0033] The display device 92 displays a screen generated by the processing device 95. The display device 92 may be a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display device, or the like. The input device 93 transmits instructions from the maintenance personnel to the processing device 95. The input device 93 may be a mouse, keyboard, touchpad, or the like. The display device 92 and the input device 93 may be implemented as a touch panel. The storage device 94 stores programs, data, etc., used by the processing device 95.

[0034] The processing unit 95 includes an information acquisition unit 96, an information display unit 97, and a transmission unit 98. These configurations can be implemented in various ways, such as using only hardware or a combination of hardware and software.

[0035] The information acquisition unit 96 acquires list information from the management device 50. The information display unit 97 displays the list information acquired by the information acquisition unit 96 on the display device 92. In this embodiment, the information display unit 97 is an example of a display unit that presents the notification results of the notification unit to the person in charge.

[0036] When the maintenance worker completes the maintenance, the transmission unit 98 transmits maintenance performance information, including a statement that the maintenance has been completed and details of the maintenance, to the management device 50.

[0037] The method for calculating the usage rate of toilet equipment 40 will be explained below. Let toilet Y be the toilet equipment 40 subject to abnormality detection. Let Py,x [%] be the usage rate of toilet Y during period X. Let Ty,x [minutes] be the usage time for toilet Y during period X. Let ΣTx [minutes] be the total usage time of all toilets 30 in the same toilet room 21 as toilet Y (i.e., all toilet equipment 40 of the same type in the same space as the toilet equipment 40 subject to abnormality detection). The usage rate calculation unit 61B of this embodiment calculates the usage rate Py,x of toilet Y using the following formula (1). Py,x = Ty,x / ΣTx ​​× 100 Formula (1)

[0038] In this embodiment, the usage rate calculation unit 61B applies the sliding window method when calculating the usage rate of the toilet equipment 40 subject to abnormality detection. In the sliding window method, the usage rate of the toilet equipment 40 subject to abnormality detection is calculated at predetermined time intervals from the usage time over a predetermined period. For example, the usage rate calculation unit 61B sets a window indicating a predetermined time range, and while sequentially moving the window across the entire usage time data at predetermined time intervals, it determines the usage time within each window and calculates the usage rate within each window from the determined usage time. By applying the sliding window method, the usage rate within each window is obtained at predetermined time intervals, so it is possible to continuously capture changes in the usage rate over time. Furthermore, it becomes possible to collect a large amount of usage rate data calculated for each window for each toilet equipment 40. By reducing the step size, it becomes possible to detect abnormalities in the toilet equipment 40 early and to continuously monitor them.

[0039] For example, if the window size is set to 120 minutes and the step size for moving the window is set to 15 minutes, the usage rate of each toilet fixture 40 can be calculated by shifting the window in 15-minute increments for two hours, such as from 9:00 to 11:00, from 9:15 to 11:15, and from 9:30 to 11:30.

[0040] For example, let's explain an example of calculating the usage rate when the window size is 120 minutes and the step size for moving the window is 15 minutes. For example, the usage times Ty1,x to Ty5,x for toilets Y1 to Y5 in a toilet room 21 are obtained in window X from 9:00 to 11:00 on a certain day. For example, in window X from 9:00 to 11:00, Ty1,x = 20 [minutes], Ty2,x = 15 [minutes], Ty3,x = 5 [minutes], Ty4,x = 0 [minutes], and Ty5,x = 10 [minutes], and the total usage time for toilets Y1 to Y5 is ΣTx = 20 + 15 + 5 + 0 + 10 [minutes] = 50 [minutes]. In this case, the usage rates Py1,x to Py5,x for toilets Y1 to Y5 from 9:00 to 11:00 are calculated as follows: Py1,x = 40 [%], Py2,x = 30 [%], Py3,x = 10 [%], Py4,x = 0 [%], and Py5,x = 20 [%].

[0041] Next, the usage times Ty1,x to Ty5,x for toilets Y1 to Y5 in window X from 9:15 to 11:15 are obtained. For example, in window X from 9:15 to 11:15, Ty1,x = 10 [minutes], Ty2,x = 25 [minutes], Ty3,x = 0 [minutes], Ty4,x = 5 [minutes], and Ty5,x = 10 [minutes], and the total usage time for toilets Y1 to Y5 is ΣTx = 10 + 25 + 0 + 5 + 10 [minutes] = 50 [minutes]. In this case, the usage rates Py1,x to Py5,x for toilets Y1 to Y5 from 9:15 to 11:15 are calculated as follows: Py1,x = 20 [%], Py2,x = 50 [%], Py3,x = 0 [%], Py4,x = 10 [%], and Py5,x = 20 [%]. By shifting window X at predetermined time intervals over the entire period in this way, time-series data of the usage rates for each of the toilets Y1 to Y5 can be obtained.

[0042] Furthermore, if the total usage time of all toilets 30 in the same toilet room 21 is 0 during period X (i.e., none of the toilets 30 are used during period X), then, if the total number of toilets 30 in the toilet room 21 is N, then in this embodiment, the usage rate Py,x is defined as shown in equation (2) below. This allows for an equal usage rate to be assigned to each toilet 30, even if none of the toilets 30 are used during period X. Py,x = 1 / N Equation (2)

[0043] A method for calculating the usage degree threshold will be described. First, the threshold setting unit 62 analyzes the distribution of usage rates acquired in the past for the toilet device 40 that is an abnormality determination target by the abnormality determination unit 63. For example, the threshold setting unit 62 calculates the interquartile range IQR of the usage rates acquired in the past as the degree of variation in the distribution of the usage rates acquired in the past. The interquartile range IQR of the present embodiment is an example of the degree of variation in the distribution of usage rates. When the first quartile is Q1 and the third quartile is Q3, the interquartile range IQR is calculated using the following formula (3). Here, the first quartile Q1 and the third quartile Q3 of the present embodiment are values at which the cumulative number of data counted from the smallest value reaches 25% and 75%, respectively, when the usage rate data group is arranged in ascending order of value. IQR=Q3−Q1 Formula (3)

[0044] Next, when k is a predetermined constant, the threshold setting unit 62 calculates the usage degree threshold Pth using the following formula (4). The constant k is set according to operation policies and experiments. Pth=Q1−k×IQR Formula (4)

[0045] As shown in the above formula (3), the interquartile range IQR becomes larger as the degree of variation of values in the usage rate data group increases. Therefore, according to the above formula (4), the usage degree threshold Pth becomes smaller as the degree of variation of values in the usage rate data group increases. Here, in the present embodiment, when the usage rate of the toilet device 40 is smaller than the usage degree threshold Pth, the abnormality determination unit 63 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the toilet device 40. Therefore, the usage degree threshold Pth is set to a smaller value such that the greater the degree of variation of values in the usage rate data group, the harder it is to determine that there is an abnormality in the toilet device 40. Further, the smaller the degree of variation of values in the usage rate data group, the larger the usage degree threshold Pth is set such that it becomes easier to determine that there is an abnormality in the toilet device 40.

[0046] In the present embodiment, the threshold setting unit 62 calculates the usage rate acquired in the past by using the usage time in the same period as the period to which the abnormality determination timing of the toilet equipment 40 belongs among the usage times acquired in the past, and calculates the usage degree threshold Pth using this calculation result. The "period to which the abnormality determination timing belongs" includes, for example, weekdays, public holidays, holidays, days of the week, time zones, and the like. For example, when the abnormality determination timing of the toilet equipment 40 is 9 o'clock on a holiday, the threshold setting unit 62 uses the usage time obtained in a time zone including 9 o'clock on the same holiday as the abnormality determination timing as the usage time acquired in the past.

[0047] Figure 4 is a sequence diagram showing processing of the management system 10 according to the embodiment. The processing of the management system 10 is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals (for example, several milliseconds). It is assumed that the usage degree threshold is calculated and set in advance for each toilet equipment 40 with, for example, the start time of the present processing as a reference (that is, as the abnormality determination timing).

[0048] In step S10, the usage degree acquisition unit 61 acquires detection information from the sensor 33 via the communication device 22, and stores the acquired detection information in the information holding unit 81. In the example of Figure 4, the usage degree acquisition unit 61 acquires detection information from the sensor 33, but may acquire operation information from the toilet equipment 40.

[0049] In step S12, the usage time calculation unit 61A determines whether it is the abnormality determination timing for the toilet equipment 40. In the present embodiment, since the sliding window method is applied, when a time corresponding to the step size (for example, 15 minutes) has elapsed from the previous abnormality determination timing of the toilet equipment 40, it is determined that it is the abnormality determination timing. If it is the abnormality determination timing (Y in step S12), the processing proceeds to step S14. If it is not the abnormality determination timing (N in step S12), the processing ends.

[0050] In step S14, the usage time calculation unit 61A calculates the usage time of each toilet device 40 based on the detection information held in the information holding unit 81. In this embodiment, the usage time calculation unit 61A reads detection information from the information holding unit 81 up to a time corresponding to the window size from the abnormality detection timing, and calculates the usage time of each toilet device 40 based on the read detection information. The usage time calculation unit 61A stores the calculated usage time in the information holding unit 81 and supplies it to the usage degree calculation unit 61B.

[0051] In step S16, the usage calculation unit 61B calculates the usage rate of each toilet unit 40 based on the calculated usage time. The usage calculation unit 61B stores the calculated usage rate in the usage rate holding unit 82 and supplies it to the abnormality determination unit 63.

[0052] In step S18, the abnormality determination unit 63 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in each toilet device 40 based on a comparison of the usage rate of each toilet device 40 with the usage threshold Pth set for each toilet device 40.

[0053] In step S20, the information generation unit 64 generates list information based on the determination result of whether or not each toilet equipment 40 is abnormal. The information generation unit 64 may, for example, generate list information for toilet equipment 40 that is abnormal, or it may generate list information on a unit basis, such as toilet equipment 40 or toilet room 21.

[0054] In step S22, the transmission unit 65 transmits the list information to the employee terminal 90.

[0055] In step S24, the information display unit 97 of the staff terminal 90 displays a list of whether or not there is an abnormality for each toilet equipment 40, based on the list information transmitted from the management device 50. An example of the list display screen in this embodiment will be described later. If the maintenance staff member sees that there is an abnormality in a toilet equipment 40, they can move to the location of the toilet equipment 40 that needs to be fixed (i.e., maintenance to maintain or restore the physical function of the equipment, hereinafter sometimes referred to as abnormality removal treatment) and perform the abnormality removal treatment on the toilet equipment 40. After step S24, the management system 10 finishes processing.

[0056] At this point, when the maintenance worker completes the abnormality removal procedure for the toilet equipment 40 and inputs to the worker's terminal 90 that the abnormality removal procedure has been completed, the transmission unit 98 of the worker's terminal 90 may transmit maintenance performance information, including the fact that the maintenance has been completed and the details of the maintenance, to the management device 50. In this case, if the maintenance performance information indicates that the abnormality removal procedure for the toilet equipment 40 that was determined to have an abnormality has been completed, the information generation unit 64 may generate list information such as displaying an indicator indicating that the abnormality of the toilet equipment 40 has been removed, such as "abnormality removal completed".

[0057] Figure 5 shows an example of a display screen shown by the staff terminal 90 based on list information. In the display screen of Figure 5, the toilet equipment 40 that has been determined to be abnormal is displayed in a list in display areas 110a to 110d, in the order in which abnormalities were determined from top to bottom. Each display area 110a to 110d includes an identification area 111 for identifying the toilet equipment 40 and an indicator 112 that indicates that there is an abnormality in the toilet equipment 40. For example, the identification area 111 of display area 110a displays "2nd floor men's toilet 5 booth 2", so that the maintenance staff can recognize that there is an abnormality in the toilet equipment 40 of "2nd floor men's toilet 5 booth 2". For example, the indicator 112 indicates that there is an abnormality in the toilet equipment 40 with a text message such as "Check immediately". The indicator 112 may also be a text message that is easy for maintenance staff to understand, such as "Toilet abnormality", "Sudden decrease in usage!", "Rush to the site!", "Abnormality occurred?", or "Sudden decrease confirmed". Furthermore, the display area 110a includes an indicator 113 that shows that the abnormality removal procedure for the toilet equipment 40 has been completed. The indicator 113 allows maintenance personnel to recognize that the abnormality removal procedure for the toilet equipment 40 in "2nd floor men's toilet 5 booth 2," where the abnormality occurred, has been completed.

[0058] Figure 6 shows another example of a display screen shown by the staff terminal 90 based on list information. In the display screen of Figure 6, the presence or absence of abnormalities in each toilet equipment 40 of the men's restroom 2 on the second floor is displayed in an identification area 111, an indicator 112 indicating that there is an abnormality, and indicators 115a to 115d indicating the type of toilet equipment 40. Indicators 115a to 115d represent toilets 30, urinals 32, automatic soap dispensers, and washbasins 26, respectively. In the example of Figure 6, indicator 112 is an icon with a "!" mark. This allows the maintenance staff to recognize that there is an abnormality in "toilet D". In the example of Figure 6, the presence or absence of abnormalities in the toilet equipment 40 is shown for each toilet room 21, but it is not limited to this, and for example, the presence or absence of abnormalities in the toilet equipment 40 may be shown for each facility 20, floor 36, or area 35.

[0059] The following describes some variations.

[0060] In the embodiment, an example of managing toilet equipment 40 installed in a toilet room 21 of a facility 20 was described, but the technology of this disclosure can also be applied to managing toilets in ordinary homes, public toilets installed in parks and on streets, public telephone booths, public charging equipment for mobile devices, trash cans, etc.

[0061] In this embodiment, the toilet equipment 40 includes a washbasin 26, a toilet bowl 30, and a urinal 32, but is not limited to these. For example, it could also be a waste disposal unit having a bowl for ostomates to dispose of waste such as excrement. The toilet equipment 40 is installed in the toilet room 21 and has a water receiving section that receives water discharged from a water outlet, and may include any equipment that could cause water to overflow if the water receiving section becomes clogged.

[0062] In this embodiment, usage rate was given as an example of the degree of use, but it is not limited to this, and for example, the usage time, number of times, and frequency of use of the toilet equipment 40 over a predetermined period may also be used as the degree of use.

[0063] In this embodiment, if none of the toilet equipment 40 is used during a predetermined period X, the usage rate Py,x is calculated using the above formula (2). However, it is not limited to this, and a predetermined value such as 0 may be used as the usage rate Py,x.

[0064] In this embodiment, the interquartile range (IQR) of the usage rate was given as an example of the degree of variability in the distribution of the usage rate, but it is not limited to this, and for example, the variance or standard deviation of the usage rate may also be used as the degree of variability in the distribution of the usage rate.

[0065] In this embodiment, the usage threshold Pth is set to decrease continuously as the degree of variation in the usage rate distribution increases, but it is not limited to this. For example, the usage threshold Pth may be set to decrease in steps as the degree of variation in the usage rate distribution increases. In summary, the threshold setting unit 62 should set the usage threshold Pth to be smaller when the degree of variation in the usage rate distribution is relatively large compared to when the degree of variation in the usage rate distribution is relatively small.

[0066] In this embodiment, the abnormality determination unit 63 determined that there was an abnormality in the toilet equipment 40 if its usage rate was less than a usage threshold, but it is not limited to this. For example, the threshold setting unit 62 may set another usage threshold Pth2 that is greater than the usage threshold Pth for the usage rate of the toilet equipment 40, and the abnormality determination unit 63 may determine that there is an abnormality in the toilet equipment 40 if its usage rate is greater than the other usage threshold Pth2. This makes it possible to determine abnormalities in the toilet equipment 40, such as a person lying unconscious in the individual stall 24, or a state where a user is unable to enter or exit the stall due to unauthorized use (such as prolonged napping). The other usage threshold Pth2 can be calculated, for example, using the following formula (5): Pth2 = Q3 + k × IQR Formula (5)

[0067] The toilet equipment 40 subject to abnormality detection in the embodiment may be an automatic faucet or an automatic liquid soap dispenser. For example, the abnormality detection unit 63 may determine that there is an abnormality in the automatic faucet if its usage rate over a predetermined period is less than a usage threshold Pth set from the distribution of past usage rates. This allows for appropriate detection of abnormalities in the automatic faucet, such as soiling of the washbasin 26 with vomit or a clogged drain. Similarly, the abnormality detection unit 63 may determine that there is an abnormality in the automatic liquid soap dispenser if its usage rate is less than a usage threshold Pth calculated based on past usage rates. This allows for appropriate detection of abnormalities in the automatic liquid soap dispenser, such as running out of soap or a clogged nozzle.

[0068] Here, for example, after using faucet device A1, the user may attempt to use the automatic liquid soap dispenser A2 installed on faucet device A1, but liquid soap may not be dispensed due to an abnormality such as running out of soap or a clogged nozzle. In this case, the user often gives up on using the automatic liquid soap dispenser A2 and uses the adjacent automatic liquid soap dispenser B2, and then uses the faucet device B1 on which the automatic liquid soap dispenser B2 is installed (i.e., the faucet device adjacent to faucet device A1). In this way, when there is an abnormality in a toilet device 40, the user often takes the action of using a replacement toilet device 40 or related toilet devices 40 for the abnormal toilet device 40. Using this pattern of user behavior, the abnormality determination unit 63 may determine whether there is an abnormality in the toilet device 40 subject to abnormality determination based on a comparison of usage index values ​​obtained for other toilet devices 40 of the same type as the toilet device 40 installed in the same space as the toilet device 40 subject to abnormality determination and a usage threshold value set for the other toilet devices 40. This makes it possible to accurately determine if a toilet device 40 is malfunctioning by capturing the user's behavioral pattern of using a replacement toilet device 40 (for example, an automatic liquid soap dispenser adjacent to a malfunctioning automatic liquid soap dispenser) from the usage rate of other toilet devices 40.

[0069] Furthermore, the abnormality determination unit 63 may determine whether or not there is an abnormality in the toilet equipment 40 subject to abnormality determination based on a comparison between a usage index value obtained for yet another toilet equipment 40 of a different type from the other toilet equipment 40, which is associated with the other toilet equipment 40 and installed in the same space, and a usage threshold value set for the yet another toilet equipment 40. This makes it possible to determine the abnormality of the toilet equipment 40 with higher accuracy by capturing the behavioral pattern of the user using yet another toilet equipment 40 (for example, a faucet equipped with an adjacent automatic liquid soap dispenser) that is associated with the toilet equipment 40 that has an abnormality, from the usage rate of the yet another toilet equipment 40. Note that information indicating the association between the other toilet equipment 40 and yet another toilet equipment 40 (for example, the correspondence between which liquid soap dispenser and which faucet are arranged as a pair) can be pre-set and stored in, for example, the toilet database 83 of the storage device 80.

[0070] For example, the abnormality detection unit 63 can determine whether or not there is an abnormality in the liquid soap dispenser subject to abnormality detection based on the usage rates of surrounding faucets and liquid soap dispensers associated with the automatic liquid soap dispenser subject to abnormality detection (for example, the faucet on which the automatic liquid soap dispenser subject to abnormality detection is installed, and adjacent faucets and liquid soap dispensers). For example, the abnormality detection unit 63 reads the usage rates of the faucet on which the automatic liquid soap dispenser subject to abnormality detection is installed and adjacent faucets and liquid soap dispensers, triggered by the detection of use of the automatic liquid soap dispenser subject to abnormality detection. Then, for example, the abnormality detection unit 63 may determine that there is an abnormality in the automatic liquid soap dispenser subject to abnormality detection if the usage rate of the faucet on which the automatic liquid soap dispenser subject to abnormality detection is installed is smaller than its usage threshold, and the usage rates of each adjacent faucet and liquid soap dispenser are larger than their respective usage thresholds. With this configuration, it is possible to determine abnormalities such as running out of liquid in the liquid soap dispenser with high accuracy without adding a remaining amount sensor or the like.

[0071] Furthermore, the above-described method by the abnormality determination unit 63 to determine an abnormality in the equipment to be determined based on the usage trends of other equipment is not limited to liquid soap dispensers and faucets, but can also be applied to other types of toilet equipment 40 (such as toilets 30 and urinals 32). For example, if a sensor 33 such as a motion sensor in one urinal 32 detects a user, and the usage rate of an adjacent urinal 32 is greater than the usage threshold set for that other urinal 32, the abnormality determination unit 63 may determine that an abnormality has occurred in the urinal 32. Similarly, with respect to toilets 30, if an opening / closing sensor or motion sensor on the door 25 of a stall 24 in which a toilet 30 is installed detects a user, an abnormality in the toilet 30 may be determined based on a comparison of the usage rate of the toilets 30 and disinfectant dispensers in adjacent stalls 24 with the usage threshold set for each of them.

[0072] In this embodiment, a list of information was used to notify the user that there was a problem with the toilet equipment 40, but the method of notifying the user of the presence or absence of a problem is not limited to this. For example, if it is determined that there is a problem with the toilet equipment 40, the user may be notified of the problem with the toilet equipment 40 by a text message or voice message indicating the problematic toilet equipment 40, such as "Immediately check booth 2 in the men's toilet on the second floor," or by an alert sound set for each toilet equipment 40. Alternatively, a notification device including an LED lamp may be provided near the washbasin 26, toilet 30, and urinal 32, and the user may be notified of the problem with the toilet equipment 40 by flashing the LED lamp of the notification device when it is determined that there is a problem with that toilet equipment 40.

[0073] The display method of the indicator 112 that shows whether or not there is a malfunction in the toilet equipment 40 is not limited to the examples in Figures 5 and 6. For example, a malfunctioning toilet equipment 40 may be highlighted by a difference in color, color intensity, discoloration, flashing, decoration (e.g., a star mark), etc.

[0074] In this embodiment, the management device 50 determines whether or not there is a malfunction in the toilet equipment 40, but the invention is not limited to this, and each toilet equipment 40 may determine whether or not there is a malfunction in itself. That is, each toilet equipment 40 may be provided with a processing device 60.

[0075] Generalizing the above embodiments and modifications, the following configuration can be obtained. The management device 50 of this disclosure includes: a usage level acquisition unit 61 that acquires usage level index values ​​indicating the degree of use of equipment installed in a space where users enter and exit; a threshold setting unit 62 that sets a usage level threshold based on the degree of variation in the distribution of usage level index values ​​acquired in the past for the equipment; and an abnormality determination unit 63 that determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment based on a comparison between the usage level index value and the usage level threshold. With this configuration, the usage level threshold is optimized for each piece of equipment according to the variation in the degree of use of the equipment due to time of day, circumstances, etc., so it is possible to flexibly respond to fluctuations in usage conditions and determine whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment. As a result, a management system that is robust to environmental noise and fluctuations in usage conditions can be constructed, and the accuracy of abnormality detection in the management system can be improved. In addition, false detection of abnormalities can be suppressed during times when abnormalities are practically unlikely to occur, such as late at night.

[0076] In this disclosure, the threshold setting unit 62 sets the usage threshold such that when the degree of variation is relatively large, it is less likely to be determined that there is an abnormality in the equipment compared to when the degree of variation is relatively small. With this configuration, by making it less likely that equipment with large variations in usage will be determined to be abnormal, it is possible to suppress the misidentification of equipment that is used irregularly as being used irregularly in a normal manner. As a result, the management system can accurately determine if there is an abnormality in the equipment.

[0077] In this disclosure, the usage index value is the equipment usage rate, which represents the ratio of the usage time of an equipment to the total usage time of all equipment installed in a space during a predetermined period. The abnormality determination unit 63 determines that there is an abnormality in the equipment if the usage rate is less than the usage threshold. With this configuration, it is possible to determine that there is an abnormality in equipment with relatively low usage time among all equipment in the same space. This makes it possible to identify equipment that users should avoid using due to the occurrence of an abnormality. Furthermore, the processing mainly requires data aggregation processing of usage time and processing to calculate the usage rate from the usage time, and does not require complex data processing such as complex data cleansing or filtering or special sensors. Therefore, it is possible to determine abnormalities in the toilet equipment 40 while saving computing resources and improving processing speed.

[0078] In this disclosure, the threshold setting unit 62 sets the usage threshold lower when the degree of variation in the usage rate distribution is relatively large compared to when the degree of variation in the usage rate distribution is relatively small. With this configuration, it becomes less likely that equipment with a large variation in the usage rate distribution will be judged as abnormal, thus preventing equipment that is used irregularly from being judged as abnormal when it is used irregularly in the usual manner. As a result, the management system can accurately determine abnormalities in the equipment.

[0079] In this disclosure, the threshold setting unit 62 calculates the usage threshold using the above formula (4). With this configuration, the management system can accurately determine abnormalities in the equipment.

[0080] In this disclosure, the management device 50 further includes a usage index value holding unit that stores and holds acquired usage index values, the usage acquisition unit 61 acquires usage index values ​​for a predetermined period at predetermined time intervals, and the threshold setting unit 62 uses the usage index values ​​held in the usage index value holding unit as previously acquired usage index values. With this configuration, it is possible to collect a large amount of usage index value data calculated for each piece of equipment at predetermined intervals. Furthermore, since usage index values ​​within a predetermined period are obtained at predetermined time intervals, it is possible to continuously capture changes in usage index values ​​over time. In addition, it becomes possible to detect equipment abnormalities early and monitor them continuously.

[0081] In this disclosure, the management device 50 further includes a notification unit that notifies an external device of an abnormality in the equipment when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the equipment. With this configuration, an external device can be notified quickly and accurately of the abnormality in the equipment, which leads to prompt recovery measures for the equipment that has malfunctioned, and enables more appropriate monitoring of the equipment.

[0082] In this disclosure, the space is a toilet space, and the equipment is toilet equipment 40. This configuration makes it possible to accurately monitor the toilet equipment 40.

[0083] The present disclosure has been described above based on embodiments, but embodiments merely illustrate the principles and applications of the present disclosure. Furthermore, many modifications and changes in arrangement are possible in the embodiments, without departing from the spirit of the present invention as defined in the claims.

[0084] This disclosure includes the following technologies:

[0085] (Item 1) A management device comprising: a usage level acquisition unit that acquires usage level index values ​​indicating the degree of use of equipment installed in a space in which users enter and exit; a threshold setting unit that sets a usage level threshold based on the degree of variation in the distribution of usage level index values ​​acquired in the past for the equipment; and an abnormality determination unit that determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment based on a comparison between the usage level index value and the usage level threshold.

[0086] (Item 2) The management device according to Item 1, wherein the threshold setting unit sets the usage threshold such that when the degree of variation is relatively large, it is less likely to be determined that there is an abnormality in the equipment compared to when the degree of variation is relatively small.

[0087] (Item 3) The usage index value is the usage rate of the equipment, which represents the ratio of the usage time of the equipment to the total usage time of all equipment installed in the space during a predetermined period, and the abnormality determination unit determines that there is an abnormality in the equipment when the usage rate is less than the usage threshold, as described in either item 1 or 2.

[0088] (Item 4) The management device according to Item 3, wherein the threshold setting unit sets the usage threshold to be smaller when the degree of variation is relatively large compared to when the degree of variation is relatively small.

[0089] (Item 5) The management device described in Item 4, wherein the threshold setting unit calculates the usage threshold using Pth = Q1 - k × IQR, where Pth is the usage threshold, IQR is the interquartile range of the usage rate acquired in the past, Q1 is the first quartile of the usage rate acquired in the past, and k is a constant.

[0090] (Item 6) The management device according to any one of items 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, further comprising a usage degree index value holding unit that stores and holds the acquired usage degree index value, the usage degree acquisition unit acquires the usage degree index value for a predetermined period at predetermined time intervals, and the threshold setting unit uses the usage degree index value held in the usage degree index value holding unit as the usage degree index value acquired in the past.

[0091] (Item 7) A control device according to any one of items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, further comprising a notification unit that notifies an external device of an abnormality in the equipment when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the equipment.

[0092] (Item 8) A control device according to any one of items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, wherein the space is a toilet space and the equipment is toilet equipment.

[0093] (Item 9) The toilet equipment includes a faucet and a liquid soap dispenser, as described in Item 8.

[0094] (Item 10) The management device according to any one of items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, wherein the abnormality determination unit is provided in the same space as the equipment and determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment based on a comparison of the usage index value obtained for other equipment of the same type as the equipment with a usage threshold value set for the other equipment.

[0095] (Item 11) The management device according to Item 10, wherein the abnormality determination unit determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment based on a comparison between the usage index value obtained for yet another piece of equipment of a different type from the other equipment and the usage threshold value set for said yet another piece of equipment, which is provided in the same space in association with the other equipment.

[0096] (Item 12) A management system comprising: a terminal device used for maintenance of equipment installed in a space in which users enter and exit; and a management device for monitoring the equipment, wherein the management device comprises: a usage degree acquisition unit for acquiring usage degree index values ​​indicating the degree of use of equipment installed in a space in which users enter and exit; a threshold setting unit for setting usage degree thresholds based on the degree of variation in the distribution of usage degree index values ​​acquired in the past for the equipment; an abnormality determination unit for determining whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment based on a comparison of the usage degree index values ​​and the usage degree threshold; and a notification unit for notifying the terminal device that there is an abnormality in the equipment when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the equipment, and the terminal device comprises a presentation unit for displaying the notification results of the notification unit on the display screen of the terminal device.

[0097] (Item 13) A management program that causes a computer to perform the following actions: acquire usage index values ​​indicating the degree of use of equipment installed in a space where users enter and exit; set usage thresholds based on the degree of variation in the distribution of usage index values ​​previously acquired for the equipment and stored in a storage device; determine whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment based on a comparison between the usage index values ​​and the usage thresholds; and transmit the result of the determination of whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment to an external device.

[0098] (Item 14) A method comprising: obtaining a usage index value indicating the degree of use of equipment installed in a space in which users enter and exit; setting a usage threshold based on the degree of variation in the distribution of the usage index values ​​previously obtained for the equipment and stored in a storage device; determining whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment based on a comparison between the usage index value and the usage threshold; and transmitting the determination result of whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment to an external device.

[0099] This disclosure relates to a technology for monitoring equipment installed within a given space.

[0100] 10 Management system, 12 Internet, 20 Facility, 21 Toilet room, 22 Communication device, 23 Door, 24 Private room, 25 Door, 26 Washbasin, 30 Toilet, 31 Controller, 32 Urinal, 33 Sensor, 35 Area, 36 Floor, 50 Management device, 61 Usage level acquisition unit, 62 Threshold setting unit, 63 Anomaly detection unit, 64 Information generation unit, 65 Transmission unit, 80 Storage device, 81 Information retention unit, 82 Usage rate retention unit, 83 Toilet database, 90 Staff terminal, 96 Information acquisition unit, 97 Information display unit, 98 Transmission unit.

Claims

1. A management device comprising: a usage level acquisition unit that acquires usage level index values ​​indicating the degree of use of equipment installed in a space where users enter and exit; a threshold setting unit that sets a usage level threshold based on the degree of variation in the distribution of usage level index values ​​acquired in the past for the equipment; and an abnormality determination unit that determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment based on a comparison between the usage level index value and the usage level threshold.

2. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the threshold setting unit sets the usage threshold such that when the degree of variation is relatively large, it is less likely to be determined that there is an abnormality in the equipment compared to when the degree of variation is relatively small.

3. The usage index value is the usage rate of the equipment, which represents the ratio of the usage time of the equipment to the total usage time of all equipment installed in the space during a predetermined period, and the abnormality determination unit determines that there is an abnormality in the equipment when the usage rate is smaller than the usage threshold, according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The management device according to claim 3, wherein the threshold setting unit sets the usage threshold to be smaller when the degree of variation is relatively large compared to when the degree of variation is relatively small.

5. The management device according to claim 4, wherein the threshold setting unit calculates the usage threshold using Pth = Q1 - k × IQR, where Pth is the usage threshold, IQR is the interquartile range of the usage rate acquired in the past, Q1 is the first quartile of the usage rate acquired in the past, and k is a constant, 6. The management device further comprises a usage degree index value holding unit that stores and holds the acquired usage degree index value, the usage degree acquisition unit acquires the usage degree index value for a predetermined period at predetermined time intervals, and the threshold setting unit uses the usage degree index value held in the usage degree index value holding unit as the usage degree index value acquired in the past, according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

7. The control device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, further comprising a notification unit that notifies an external device of an abnormality in the equipment when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the equipment.

8. The control device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, wherein the space is a toilet space and the equipment is toilet equipment.

9. The control device according to claim 8, wherein the toilet equipment includes a faucet and a liquid soap dispenser.

10. The management device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, wherein the abnormality determination unit is provided in the same space as the equipment and determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment based on a comparison of the usage index value obtained for other equipment of the same type as the equipment and the usage threshold value set for the other equipment.

11. The management device according to claim 10, wherein the abnormality determination unit determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment based on a comparison between the usage index value obtained for yet another piece of equipment of a different type from the other equipment and the usage threshold value set for said yet another piece of equipment, which is provided in the same space in association with the other equipment.

12. A management system comprising: a terminal device used for maintenance of equipment installed in a space where users enter and exit; and a management device for monitoring the equipment, wherein the management device comprises: a usage degree acquisition unit for acquiring a usage degree index value indicating the degree of use of equipment installed in a space where users enter and exit; a threshold setting unit for setting a usage degree threshold based on the degree of variation in the distribution of the usage degree index values ​​acquired in the past for the equipment; an abnormality determination unit for determining whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment based on a comparison of the usage degree index value and the usage degree threshold; and a notification unit for notifying the terminal device that there is an abnormality in the equipment when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the equipment, and the terminal device comprises a display unit for displaying the notification result of the notification unit on the display screen of the terminal device.

13. A management program that causes a computer to perform the following actions: acquire usage index values ​​indicating the degree of use of equipment installed in a space where users enter and exit; set usage thresholds based on the degree of variation in the distribution of usage index values ​​previously acquired for the equipment and stored in a storage device; determine whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment based on a comparison between the usage index values ​​and the usage thresholds; and transmit the result of the determination of whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment to an external device.

14. A method comprising: acquiring a usage index value indicating the degree of use of equipment installed in a space in which users enter and exit; setting a usage threshold based on the degree of variation in the distribution of usage index values ​​previously acquired for the equipment and stored in a storage device; determining whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment based on a comparison between the usage index value and the usage threshold; and transmitting the determination result of whether or not there is an abnormality in the equipment to an external device.

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