JP7217428B2 - MONITORING SYSTEM, MONITORING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a monitoring system, a monitoring method, and a program. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a monitoring system, monitoring method, and program for monitoring the condition of subjects within a facility.

Patent Literature 1 describes an equipment management system (monitoring system) capable of monitoring the status of people (subjects) in a facility and controlling equipment in the facility from outside the facility. The device management system described in Patent Literature 1 includes a server and a local device as main components. The server includes a watch monitoring unit and a device control unit. The watching and monitoring unit has a determination unit. The determination unit determines the state of a person in the facility based on monitoring information regarding a monitoring target device (monitoring target) consisting of at least one device in the facility.

JP 2018-56730 A

In the device management system described in Patent Document 1, there is a possibility that the accuracy of determining the state of people in the facility may decrease depending on the type of monitoring target device.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a monitoring system, a monitoring method, and a program capable of suppressing deterioration in the accuracy of determining the condition of a subject in a facility.

A monitoring system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a monitoring system that monitors the condition of a subject in a facility. The monitoring system includes an acquisition unit, a first calculation unit, a determination unit, and a second calculation unit. The acquisition unit acquires data on power consumption in the facility for each of a plurality of monitoring targets. The first calculator calculates the amount of change in the power consumption during the second period with respect to the power consumption during the first period. The second period has the same length as the first period and is later than the first period. The determination unit determines the state of each of the plurality of monitoring targets using different determination techniques for at least some of the plurality of monitoring targets. The second calculator calculates a value of a type different from the amount of change calculated by the first calculator. The determination method includes comparing a threshold value set for a corresponding monitoring target among the plurality of monitoring targets and the amount of change. For the corresponding monitoring target, the second calculation unit calculates, as the value, the number of times of activity, which is the number of times the amount of change is equal to or greater than the threshold value in each of two time-series continuous calculation periods. The determination unit determines the condition of the subject based on the amount of change in the number of times of activity between the two calculation periods .

A monitoring method according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a monitoring method for monitoring the condition of a subject in a facility. The monitoring method includes an obtaining step, a first calculating step, a determining step, and a second calculating step. The acquisition step is a step of acquiring data on power consumption in the facility for each of a plurality of monitoring targets. The first calculating step is a step of calculating the amount of change in the power consumption during the second period with respect to the power consumption during the first period. The second period has the same length as the first period and is later than the first period. The determination step is a step of determining the state of each of the plurality of monitoring targets by a different determination method for at least some of the plurality of monitoring targets. The second calculation step is a step of calculating a value of a type different from the amount of change calculated in the first calculation step. The determination method includes comparing a threshold value set for a corresponding monitoring target among the plurality of monitoring targets and the amount of change. The second calculation step calculates, as the value for the corresponding monitoring target, the number of times of activity, which is the number of times the amount of change is equal to or greater than the threshold value in each of two time-series continuous calculation periods. The determination step determines the condition of the subject based on the amount of change in the number of times of activity between the two calculation periods .

A program according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the monitoring method described above.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present disclosure, there is an effect that it is possible to suppress deterioration in the accuracy of determination of the condition of a subject in a facility.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a monitoring system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram showing the overall configuration including the above monitoring system. FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a series of operations of the same monitoring system. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the second calculator that constitutes the monitoring system of the same. FIG. 5 is another explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the second calculator that constitutes the monitoring system of the same. FIGS. 6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of the second calculator that configures the monitoring system according to Modification 1 of the embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is another explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the second calculator that constitutes the monitoring system of the same.

(embodiment)
(1) Overview An overview of the monitoring system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

A monitoring system 1 according to this embodiment is a system for monitoring the condition of a subject in a facility 100, as shown in FIGS. The facility 100 is, for example, each dwelling unit of a collective housing such as an apartment. A target person is, for example, a resident of the facility 100 . As used in the present disclosure, the term “subject's condition” refers to the subject's health condition. For example, in a situation where the subject can operate the electrical equipment 80 provided in the facility 100, it can be said that the subject's health condition is good. On the other hand, in a situation where the subject cannot operate the electrical device 80, it can be said that the subject's health condition is poor. In this manner, the health condition of the subject can be determined (estimated) based on whether or not the subject can operate the electrical equipment 80 provided in the facility 100 .

In recent years, the declining birthrate and aging population are progressing, and there is an increasing tendency to live apart from elderly parents due to work and family issues. For this reason, "watching services" that check the condition of family members living apart and provide support according to the situation are becoming popular. The monitoring system 1 according to the present embodiment monitors the status of a subject in the facility 100 based on the status of a plurality of subjects 10 (see FIG. 1) provided in the facility 100, and displays the monitoring results. It is a system for notifying the external system 2 .

The monitoring system 1 according to this embodiment includes an acquisition unit 12, a first calculation unit 111 as a calculation unit, and a determination unit 113, as shown in FIG. The acquisition unit 12 acquires data on power consumption in the facility 100 for each of the plurality of monitored objects 10 . Each of the multiple monitoring targets 10 is, for example, one of the branch circuit 70, the electrical equipment 80, and the sensor 90. FIG. The first calculator 111 calculates the amount of change in the power consumption during the second period with respect to the power consumption during the first period. The second period is the same length as the first period and is later than the first period. The determination unit 113 determines the state of each of the plurality of monitoring targets 10 using different determination methods for at least some of the plurality of monitoring targets 10 .

“Different determination methods” in the present disclosure include comparing a threshold value set for a corresponding monitoring target 10 among the plurality of monitoring targets 10 and the amount of change in power consumption of the monitoring target 10 . In addition, in the "different determination method" referred to in the present disclosure, it is set for each of the plurality of monitoring targets 10 whether or not to determine the state of each of the plurality of monitoring targets 10 based only on the case where the amount of change increases. including doing

In the monitoring system 1 according to this embodiment, the state of each of the plurality of monitoring targets 10 is determined using different determination methods for at least some of the plurality of monitoring targets 10 . Therefore, compared with the case where the same determination method is used for all of the plurality of monitoring targets 10, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the determination accuracy of the state of the subject in the facility 100. FIG.

(2) Configuration The monitoring system 1 according to this embodiment can communicate with an external system 2 via a network 7 as shown in FIG. The monitoring system 1 notifies the external system 2 of the condition of the subject in the facility 100 . Also, the monitoring system 1 according to the present embodiment can communicate with the measurement system 4 via the network 7 as shown in FIG. The monitoring system 1 acquires the power consumption in the facility 100 for each of the plurality of monitored objects 10 from the measurement system 4 . Configurations of a monitoring system 1, an external system 2, and a measurement system 4 according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

(2.1) Measurement System First, the configuration of the measurement system 4 according to this embodiment will be described.

The measurement system 4 according to this embodiment includes a measurement unit 41, a communication adapter 42, and current sensors 43 and 44, as shown in FIG. The measurement unit 41 , communication adapter 42 , and current sensors 43 and 44 are arranged (stored) in the cabinet of the distribution board 3 . The distribution board 3 includes a main breaker 31 and a plurality of branch breakers 32 inside the cabinet. The master breaker 31 is electrically connected to the system power supply 9 . A plurality of branch breakers 32 are electrically connected to the secondary side of the main breaker 31 .

The measurement unit 41 is electrically connected to current sensors 43 and 44 . The current sensor 43 is provided on the primary side of the main breaker 31 and measures the value of the current flowing through the main line. A plurality of current sensors 44 are provided corresponding to the plurality of branch breakers 32 and measure values of currents flowing through the plurality of branch circuits 70 respectively. A “branch circuit” as used in the present disclosure means each circuit branched from a main line by a plurality of branch breakers 32 . The branch circuit 70 includes wiring connected to the branch breaker 32, a lighting fixture 81, a cooking appliance 82, an electrical appliance 80 such as a floor heater and an electric water heater, an outlet, a wall switch, and the like. The cooking appliance 82 is, for example, a microwave oven, an IH cooker, an oven range, a kettle, or the like. Such a branch circuit 70 is provided for each room such as a living room, a bedroom, an entrance, a toilet, a kitchen, etc., and lighting equipment 81, cooking equipment 82, floor heating, It is provided for each type of equipment such as an electric water heater. One branch circuit 70 may include one electrical device 80 or a plurality of electrical devices 80 . In this embodiment, one electrical device 80 is included in one branch circuit 70 .

The measurement unit 41 uses outputs of the current sensors 43 and 44 to measure at least one of power consumption and power consumption for each of the main line and the plurality of branch circuits 70 . The communication adapter 42 transmits the measured value measured by the measuring unit 41 to the controller 5 provided in the facility 100 as the measured value of the measuring system 4 . Controller 5 is connected to network 7 via router 6 . The controller 5 is, for example, a HEMS (home energy management system) controller. Network 7 is, for example, the Internet.

The measurement values of the measurement system 4 include at least one of power consumption and power consumption measured by the measurement unit 41 for each of the plurality of branch circuits 70 in the facility 100 . In other words, the measured value may be power consumption representing instantaneous power, or may be power consumption representing power consumption for a certain period of time. Also, the measured value may be both power consumption and power consumption. In this embodiment, as an example, the measured value is the amount of power consumption (the amount of power used) obtained by accumulating the power consumption for a certain period of time (for example, every 30 minutes from the hour).

(2.2) Monitoring System The monitoring system 1 includes a control section 11, an acquisition section 12, a communication section 13, a storage section 14, and a setting section 15, as shown in FIG. Further, the control unit 11 has a first calculation unit 111, a second calculation unit 112, and a determination unit 113 as calculation units.

The first calculator 111 calculates the amount of change in the power usage (power consumption) of the facility 100 during the second period with respect to the power usage (power consumption) of the facility 100 during the first period. The first period and the second period have the same length, are continuous in chronological order, and are, for example, 30 minutes in this embodiment. In other words, the first calculator 111 calculates the absolute value of the difference in the power consumption that the acquisition unit 12 acquires from the measurement system 4 every 30 minutes as the change amount.

The second calculator 112 calculates the number of times of activity in each of predetermined calculation periods T11 to T14 (see FIG. 4). The number of times of activity is the number of times that the amount of change calculated by the first calculation unit 111 is equal to or greater than the threshold. In this embodiment, as an example, each of the calculation periods T11 to T14 is one day. Here, the amount of change becomes equal to or greater than the threshold when the operation of the electrical device 80 is started and when the operation of the electrical device 80 is stopped. In addition, human operation (activity) is required at least when starting the operation of the electric device 80 . Therefore, the number of times the amount of change is greater than or equal to the threshold value can be regarded as the number of activities of the subject. Then, the condition of the subject in the facility 100 can be determined based on the number of times of activity during the predetermined period T11 to T14.

The determination unit 113 is configured to determine the state of each of the plurality of monitoring targets 10 using different determination methods for at least some of the plurality of monitoring targets 10 . For example, when the monitored object 10 is the lighting fixture 81 or the branch circuit 70 to which the lighting fixture 81 is connected (hereinafter referred to as "the lighting fixture 81, etc."), the determination unit 113 starts an operation in which the amount of change in the amount of power consumption increases. The first calculator 111 calculates the amount of change both when the amount of change in power consumption decreases and when the operation is stopped. On the other hand, if the monitored object 10 is the cooking appliance 82 or the branch circuit 70 to which the cooking appliance 82 is connected (hereinafter referred to as "cooking appliance 82, etc."), the judgment unit 113 automatically causes the cooking appliance 82 to operate. Since it is a structure to stop, it makes the 1st calculation part 111 calculate the said amount of change only when the amount of change of electric power consumption increases. In other words, the determining unit 113 sets for each of the plurality of monitoring targets 10 whether to determine the state of each of the plurality of monitoring targets 10 based only on the case where the amount of change in the power consumption increases.

Further, the determination unit 113 determines the subject's condition based on the amount of change in the number of times of activity in two consecutive time-series calculation periods. In this case, the determination unit 113 may determine the total number of activities of the plurality of monitoring targets 10 for each calculation period, and determine the subject's condition based on the amount of change in the total number for each calculation period. Further, the determination unit 113 may determine the subject's state based on the amount of change in the number of times of activity of any one of the plurality of monitoring targets 10 . Then, the determination unit 113 determines that the subject's health condition is poor when the amount of change has decreased by a specified number or more. Note that when obtaining the total number of activities of a plurality of monitoring targets 10, each monitoring target 10 may be weighted.

The control unit 11 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer having a processor and memory. That is, the control unit 11 is realized by a computer system having a processor and memory. The computer system functions as the control unit 11 (including the first calculation unit 111, the second calculation unit 112, and the determination unit 113) by the processor executing an appropriate program. The program may be prerecorded in a memory, or may be provided by being recorded in a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card or through an electric communication line such as the Internet.

The acquisition unit 12 is connected to the network 7 as shown in FIG. The acquisition unit 12 acquires measured values measured by the measurement unit 41 of the measurement system 4 via the network 7 . Specifically, the acquiring unit 12 acquires data on the power consumption (power consumption) for each branch circuit 70 from the measurement system 4 at intervals of 30 minutes. The acquisition unit 12 outputs data on the amount of power used for each branch circuit 70 acquired from the measurement system 4 to the control unit 11 .

The communication unit 13 is a communication interface for communicating with the external system 2 . The communication unit 13 transmits a communication signal Sig1 including the judgment result of the judgment unit 113 to the external system 2 . In other words, the monitoring system 1 further includes a notification unit (communication unit 13) that notifies the external system 2 according to the number of activities during the calculation periods T11 to T14. The determination result of the determination unit 113 is the result regarding the condition of the subject in the facility 100 . If there is no problem with the subject's condition, the communication unit 13 transmits to the external system 2 a communication signal Sig1 including a character message such as "the subject's condition is good." Also, if there is a problem with the subject's condition, the communication unit 13 transmits to the external system 2 a communication signal Sig1 including character information such as "the subject's condition is poor." In this case, the communication unit 13 may transmit the communication signal Sig1 when requested by the external system 2, or may transmit the communication signal Sig1 periodically.

The storage unit 14 is configured by a device selected from ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), or the like. The storage unit 14 stores the measured value of the measurement unit 41 acquired by the acquisition unit 12 . The storage unit 14 also stores the number of times of activity calculated by the second calculation unit 112 . Furthermore, the storage unit 14 stores the setting content by the setting unit 15 .

The setting unit 15 sets whether or not each of the plurality of monitoring targets 10 is to be a determination target of the determination unit 113 . In other words, the monitoring system 1 further includes a setting unit 15 that sets whether each of the plurality of monitoring targets 10 is to be a determination target of the determination unit 113 . Therefore, in the monitoring system 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to set whether or not each monitoring target 10 is to be the determination target of the determination unit 113 . The settings made by the setting unit 15 are stored in the storage unit 14 .

(2.3) External System The external system 2 is, for example, a smartphone owned by a relative, friend, or the like of the target person (the resident of the facility 100). The external system 2 can be connected to the network 7 via, for example, a mobile phone network (carrier network) provided by a carrier. Mobile phone networks include, for example, 3G lines, 4G lines (LTE lines), and the like. The external system 2 receives (acquires) the communication signal Sig1 from the monitoring system 1 via the network 7 . The external system 2 may be connected to the network 7 via a public line LAN, for example.

The external system 2 has a display unit 21 . The display unit 21 is, for example, a touch panel display. The display unit 21 displays the determination result of the determination unit 113 included in the communication signal Sig1 from the monitoring system 1. FIG. The content displayed on the display unit 21 is, for example, character information such as "Subject's condition is good" and "Subject's condition is poor". Therefore, relatives, friends, etc. of the subject can grasp the state of the subject by viewing the display contents of the display unit 21 .

(3) Operation Next, a series of operations of the monitoring system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In the monitoring system 1, the acquisition unit 12 acquires the measured value (power consumption for each branch circuit 70) from the measurement system 4 via the network 7 every 30 minutes in the order of the first period and the second period. acquire (step S1). The acquisition unit 12 outputs the measured values acquired from the measurement system 4 to the control unit 11 . The first calculation unit 111 of the control unit 11 calculates, for each branch circuit 70, the amount of change in the amount of power used in the second period with respect to the amount of power used in the first period (step S2).

The second calculator 112 of the controller 11 compares the amount of change calculated by the first calculator 111 with a threshold for each branch circuit 70 (step S3). As in the present embodiment, when the electric appliance 80 is the lighting fixture 81 or the cooking appliance 82, the threshold value is large enough to detect the amount of change in the power consumption when the lighting fixture 81 or the cooking appliance 82 is turned on or off. It's fine. When the amount of change is greater than the threshold (step S3: Yes), the second calculator 112 increases the number of times of activity by 1 (step S4). On the other hand, when the amount of change is equal to or less than the threshold (step S3: No), the second calculator 112 does not increase the activity count.

The second calculator 112 determines whether or not the comparison process of comparing the change amount and the threshold has ended (step S5). If the comparison process has not ended (step S5: No), the second calculator 112 repeats the processes of steps S3 and S4. On the other hand, if the comparison process has ended (step S5: Yes), the second calculation unit 112 stores the number of activities calculated for each calculation period T11 to T14 (see FIG. 4) in the storage unit .

The determination unit 113 performs comparison processing for calculating the amount of change in the number of times of activity in two successive calculation periods in time series among the calculation periods T11 to T14 (step S6). If the amount of change has decreased by a specified number or more (step S7: Yes), the determination unit 113 determines (estimates) that the subject's condition is poor (step S8). On the other hand, the determining unit 113 determines that the condition of the subject is good (estimated ) (step S9).

The control unit 11 creates a communication signal Sig1 including the determination result of the determination unit 113, and causes the communication unit (notification unit) 13 to transmit (notify) the created communication signal Sig1 to the external system 2 (step S10).

(4) Comparison Processing by Determination Unit Next, comparison processing by the determination unit 113 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. FIG. 4 shows changes in power consumption when the monitored object 10 is the lighting fixture 81 or the like. Further, FIG. 5 shows changes in power consumption when the monitored object 10 is the cooking appliance 82 or the like. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the horizontal axis represents time (time), and the vertical axis represents power consumption. The black triangle marks in FIGS. 4 and 5 indicate cases where the amount of change in the amount of power used in the second period from the amount of power used in the first period is greater than or equal to the threshold. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the amount of change is greater than or equal to the threshold when the lighting device 81 is turned on and when the lighting device 81 is turned off. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 5, when the cooking appliance 82 starts operating, the amount of change is greater than or equal to the threshold. As described above, since the cooking appliance 82 has a structure that automatically stops its operation, no human operation is required to stop the operation of the cooking appliance 82 . Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 5, even when the operation of the cooking appliance 82 is stopped, the amount of change is equal to or greater than the threshold, but is not counted as the number of activities.

First, the example shown in FIG. 4 will be described.

The determination unit 113 calculates the amount of change in the number of times of activity for the first calculation period T11 and the second calculation period T12. The number of activities is "2" in the calculation period T11, and the number of activities is "2" in the calculation period T12. In other words, the number of activities does not change between the calculation period T11 and the calculation period T12. The determination unit 113 calculates the amount of change in the number of times of activity between the calculation periods T11 and T12 as "0".

Further, the determination unit 113 calculates the amount of change in the number of times of activity for the second calculation period T12 and the third calculation period T13. The number of activities is "2" in the calculation period T12, and the number of activities is "4" in the calculation period T13. That is, during the calculation period T13, the number of activities increases compared to the calculation period T12. The determination unit 113 calculates the amount of change in the number of times of activity between the calculation periods T11 and T12 as "2".

Furthermore, the determination unit 113 calculates the amount of change in the number of times of activity for the third calculation period T13 and the fourth calculation period T14. The number of activities is "4" in the calculation period T13, and the number of activities is "4" in the calculation period T14. In other words, the number of activities does not change between the calculation period T13 and the calculation period T14. The determination unit 113 calculates the amount of change in the number of times of activity between the calculation periods T13 and T14 as "0".

Here, the amount of change in the number of activities does not decrease between the calculation periods T11 and T12, between the calculation periods T12 and T13, and between the calculation periods T13 and T14. Judge (estimate) that the subject is in good condition.

Next, the example shown in FIG. 5 will be described.

The determination unit 113 calculates the amount of change in the number of times of activity for the first calculation period T21 and the second calculation period T22. The number of activities is "1" in the calculation period T21, and the number of activities is "1" in the calculation period T22. In other words, the number of activities does not change between the calculation period T21 and the calculation period T22. The determination unit 113 calculates the amount of change in the number of times of activity between the calculation periods T21 and T22 as "0".

The determination unit 113 also calculates the amount of change in the number of times of activity for the second calculation period T22 and the third calculation period T23. The number of activities is "1" in the calculation period T22, and the number of activities is "1" in the calculation period T23. In other words, the number of activities does not change between the calculation period T22 and the calculation period T23. The determination unit 113 calculates the amount of change in the number of times of activity between the calculation periods T22 and T23 as "0".

Furthermore, the determination unit 113 calculates the amount of change in the number of times of activity for the third calculation period T23 and the fourth calculation period T24. The number of activities is "1" in the calculation period T23, and the number of activities is "2" in the calculation period T24. In other words, during the calculation period T24, the number of activities increases compared to the calculation period T23. The determination unit 113 calculates the amount of change in the number of times of activity between the calculation periods T23 and T24 as "1".

Here, the amount of change in the number of activities does not decrease between the calculation periods T21 and T22, between the calculation periods T22 and T23, and between the calculation periods T23 and T24. Judge (estimate) that the subject is in good condition.

As described above, in the monitoring system 1 according to this embodiment, the determination method is varied according to the type of the monitored object 10 . Specifically, when the monitored object 10 is the lighting equipment 81 or the like, both when the amount of change in the amount of power used increases and when the amount of change in the amount of power used decreases are counted as the number of activities. . On the other hand, when the monitored object 10 is the cooking appliance 82 or the like, the number of activities is counted only when the amount of change in the power consumption increases. In this way, by performing a different determination method for each monitored object 10, the deterioration of the determination accuracy of the state of the subject in the facility 100 can be prevented compared to the case where the same determination method is used for all the monitored objects 10. can be suppressed.

In particular, when the monitored object 10 is the cooking appliance 82 or the like, counting the number of activities as the number of activities only when the amount of change in the amount of power consumption increases can reduce errors in calculating the number of activities.

(5) Modifications The above-described embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiments can be modified in various ways according to design and the like as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Also, functions similar to those of the monitoring system 1 may be embodied by a monitoring method, a computer program, or a non-temporary recording medium recording the computer program.

A monitoring method according to one aspect is a method of monitoring the condition of a subject in facility 100 . The monitoring method includes an acquisition step (step S1), a calculation step (step S2), and determination steps (steps S3 to S6). The obtaining step is a step of obtaining data on the amount of electricity used in the facility 100 for each of the plurality of monitored objects 10 . The calculating step is a step of calculating the amount of change in the amount of power used in the second period with respect to the amount of power used in the first period. The second period is the same length as the first period and is later than the first period. The determination step is a step of determining the state of each of the plurality of monitoring targets 10 using different determination methods for at least some of the plurality of monitoring targets 10 .

A program according to one aspect is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the monitoring method described above.

Modifications of the above-described embodiment are listed below. Modifications described below can be applied in combination as appropriate.

The monitoring system 1 in the present disclosure includes a computer system in the control unit 11, for example. A computer system is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. The functions of the monitoring system 1 in the present disclosure are realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in advance in the memory of the computer system, may be provided through an electric communication line, or may be recorded in a non-temporary recording medium such as a computer system-readable memory card, optical disk, or hard disk drive. may be provided. A processor in a computer system consists of one or more electronic circuits, including semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) or large scale integrated circuits (LSIs). The integrated circuit such as IC or LSI referred to here is called differently depending on the degree of integration, and includes integrated circuits called system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). In addition, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a logic device capable of reconfiguring the bonding relationship inside the LSI or reconfiguring the circuit partitions inside the LSI may also be adopted as the processor. can be done. A plurality of electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip, or may be distributed over a plurality of chips. A plurality of chips may be integrated in one device, or may be distributed in a plurality of devices. A computer system, as used herein, includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Accordingly, the microcontroller also consists of one or more electronic circuits including semiconductor integrated circuits or large scale integrated circuits.

In addition, it is not an essential configuration of the monitoring system 1 that a plurality of components of the monitoring system 1 are integrated in one housing. may have been Furthermore, at least some functions (for example, the control unit 11) of the monitoring system 1 may be realized by a cloud (cloud computing) or the like.

(5.1) Modification 1
The operation of the monitoring system 1 according to Modification 1 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 7. FIG. Note that the monitoring system 1 according to Modification 1 is the same as the monitoring system 1 according to the above-described embodiment except for the operation of the second calculator 112, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. omitted.

A monitoring system 1 according to Modification 1 includes a control unit 11 , an acquisition unit 12 , a communication unit 13 , a storage unit 14 , and a setting unit 15 . The control unit 11 has a first calculation unit 111, a second calculation unit 112, and a determination unit 113 as calculation units.

FIG. 6A shows a case where the operation of the electric device 80 is started and stopped during a period t2 of three periods t1 to t3 that are continuous in time series. In this case, the electrical equipment 80 is stopped during periods t1 and t3. Note that each of the periods t1 to t3 is the first period or the second period described in the above embodiment. That is, the length of each of the periods t1 to t3 is, for example, 30 minutes.

According to FIG. 6A, the power consumption changes (increases) by more than the threshold between periods t1 and t2, and changes (decreases) by more than the threshold between periods t2 and t3. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 6A, the number of times of activity is "2". However, in this case, the operation of the electric device 80 is completed within the period t2, and the electric device 80 is not operated during the period t3, so the number of times of activity is preferably set to "1".

Also, FIG. 6B shows a case where the electric device 80 operates with a constant power over the periods t2 and t3 of the three periods t1 to t3 that are continuous in time series.

According to FIG. 6B, the power consumption changes (increases) by more than the threshold between periods t1 and t2, and changes (increases) by more than the threshold between periods t2 and t3. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 6B, the number of times of activity is "2". However, in this case, since the operation of the electric device 80 continues over the periods t2 and t3, it is preferable to set the number of times of activity to "1".

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the second calculator 112 that configures the monitoring system 1 according to Modification 1. As shown in FIG. The example shown in FIG. 7 illustrates four calculation periods T31 to T34.

The second calculation unit 112 calculates that the calculation period T31 includes only cases where the operation of the electric device 80 is started and stopped within one period (first period or second period), and the number of activities is calculated as " 3”. Also, the second calculation unit 112 includes only the case where the operation of the electric device 80 is started and stopped within one period even in the calculation period T32, and sets the number of times of activity to "5".

On the other hand, in the calculation period T33, the second calculation unit 112 determines whether the operation of the electric device 80 is started and stopped within one period, or the operation of the electric device 80 continues over a plurality of periods. is included, and the number of activities is set to "3". In addition, the second calculation unit 112 determines whether the operation of the electric device 80 is started and stopped within one period and the operation of the electric device 80 continues over a plurality of periods during the calculation period T34. is included, and the number of activities is set to "3".

In the monitoring system 1 according to Modification 1, as described above, when periods in which the amount of change in power consumption is equal to or greater than the threshold are continuous, the number of activities during the continuous period is set to "1". As a result, errors in calculating the number of activities can be reduced.

(5.2) Modification 2
For example, when the monitoring target 10 is the branch circuit 70 , the determining unit 113 determines whether to calculate the amount of change in the power consumption for each monitoring target 10 based on the branch circuit information set for each branch circuit 70 . can be judged. The branch circuit information is, for example, the name of the branch circuit 70 (living room, washing machine, toilet, air conditioner, kitchen, etc.). For example, since cooking appliance 82 is connected to branch circuit 70 whose branch circuit information is kitchen, determination unit 113 causes first calculation unit 111 to calculate the amount of change only when the power consumption increases. In addition, since the lighting equipment 81, the television, etc. are connected to the branch circuit 70 whose branch circuit information is the living room, the determination unit 113 determines whether the amount of change in the amount of power consumption increases and the amount of change in the amount of power consumption The first calculation unit 111 is caused to calculate the amount of change in both cases where is decreased. Further, the determination unit 113 excludes the branch circuit 70 to which the electrical equipment 80 that is hardly used on a daily basis is to be calculated (calculated target) for the amount of change in the power consumption.

According to this configuration, it is possible to determine whether or not to make a calculation target according to the branch circuit information of the branch circuit 70 .

(5.3) Modification 3
The determination unit 113 may determine whether or not to calculate the amount of change in the power consumption for each monitoring target 10 based on the variation pattern of the power consumption for each monitoring target 10 . For example, if the monitored object 10 is the cooking appliance 82 or the like, the variation pattern is such that the power consumption becomes "0" after a certain period of time has elapsed. If so, it is determined that the monitored object 10 is the cooking appliance 82 or the like. In this case, the determination unit 113 causes the first calculation unit 111 to calculate the amount of change only when the amount of change in the power consumption increases.

In addition, when the monitored object 10 is the lighting equipment 81 or the like, the period in which the power consumption is constant is longer than that of the cooking appliance 82. In this case, it is determined that the monitored object 10 is the lighting device 81 or the like. In this case, the determination unit 113 causes the first calculation unit 111 to calculate the amount of change both when the amount of change in power consumption increases and when the amount of change decreases.

Furthermore, the determination unit 113 excludes the electrical equipment 80 that is rarely used in daily life or the branch circuit 70 to which the electrical equipment 80 is connected from the target (calculation target) for calculating the amount of change in the power consumption. .

According to this configuration, it is possible to determine whether or not to be a calculation target according to the variation pattern of the power consumption of the monitoring target 10 .

(5.4) Modification 4
The subject's condition may be determined by combining the number of times of activity calculated by the second calculator 112 and the detection result of the sensor 90 (see FIG. 1). In Modified Example 4, as an example, the sensor 90 is a human sensor, an open/close sensor, or the like. When the sensor 90 is a human sensor, it is possible to detect the target person in the facility 100 with the human sensor and determine the target person's condition based on the number of activities. Also, if the sensor 90 is an opening/closing sensor provided in a refrigerator, the state of the subject can be determined by combining the number of times the refrigerator is opened and closed and the number of times of activity.

(5.5) Modification 5
The monitoring target 10 may differ depending on the monitoring period. For example, if the monitored object (first monitored object) 10 is the cooking appliance 82 or the like, the operating time of the cooking appliance 82 is relatively short, so the monitoring period (first monitoring period) is also relatively short. On the other hand, if the monitored object (second monitored object) 10 is the lighting fixture 81 or the like, the operating time of the lighting fixture 81 is relatively long, so the monitoring period (second monitoring period) is also relatively long. According to this configuration, the monitoring period can be set according to the monitoring target 10 .

(5.6) Other Modifications Other modifications are listed below.

In the above-described embodiment, the facility 100 is each dwelling unit of the collective housing, but the facility 100 is not limited to each dwelling unit of the collective housing, and may be, for example, a detached house. Furthermore, the facility 100 is not limited to a residence, and may be an office, a store, a school, or a non-residential facility such as a nursing home.

In the above-described embodiment, the acquisition unit 12 acquires the power consumption (used power amount) measured by the measurement unit 41 via the network 7, but even if the measurement unit 41 is the acquisition unit good. That is, the acquisition unit may acquire the amount of power used in the facility 100 from an external device (measurement unit 41), or may directly measure (acquire) the amount of power used in the facility 100. FIG.

Although one electric device 80 is connected to each branch circuit 70 in the above-described embodiment, a plurality of electric devices 80 may be connected. In this case, by using the disaggregation technique, even if a plurality of electrical devices 80 are connected to one branch circuit 70, the power consumption can be separated for each electrical device 80. FIG.

In the above-described embodiment, there are four calculation periods T11 to T14, but the number of calculation periods is not limited to four, and may be, for example, two, three, or five or more.

(summary)
As described above, the monitoring system (1) according to the first aspect is a monitoring system (1) that monitors the condition of a subject in a facility (100). A monitoring system (1) includes an acquisition unit (12), a calculation unit (111), and a determination unit (113). An acquisition unit (12) acquires power usage data in a facility (100) for each of a plurality of monitoring targets (10). A calculation unit (111) calculates the amount of change in the amount of power used in the second period with respect to the amount of power used in the first period. The second period is the same length as the first period and is later than the first period. A determination unit (113) determines the state of each of the plurality of monitoring targets (10) using different determination techniques for at least some of the plurality of monitoring targets (10).

According to this aspect, it is possible to suppress deterioration in the accuracy of determination of the condition of the subject in the facility (100), compared to the case where the same determination method is used for all of the plurality of monitoring targets (10).

In the monitoring system (1) according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, the determination unit (113) determines the plurality of monitoring targets (10) using different determination methods for each of the plurality of monitoring targets (10). Determine the status of each.

According to this aspect, it is possible to suppress deterioration in the accuracy of determination of the condition of the subject in the facility (100), compared to the case where the same determination method is used for all of the plurality of monitoring targets (10).

In the monitoring system (1) according to the third aspect, in the first or second aspect, the determination method is the threshold set for the corresponding monitoring target (10) among the plurality of monitoring targets (10) and the amount of change. including comparing

According to this aspect, the state of the monitored object (10) can be determined only by comparing the threshold and the amount of change.

In the monitoring system (1) according to the fourth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, the determination method determines the state of each of the plurality of monitored objects (10) based only on the case where the amount of change increases. It includes setting whether or not to judge for each of a plurality of monitoring targets (10).

According to this aspect, it is possible to reduce misjudgment of the state of the monitored object (10).

A monitoring system (1) according to a fifth aspect, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprises a second calculator (112). The second calculator (112) is different from the first calculator (111) as a calculator. The second calculation unit (112) calculates the number of times the amount of change is equal to or greater than a threshold value set for each of the plurality of monitoring targets (10) in a predetermined calculation period (T11 to T14; T21 to T24; T31 to T34). Calculate the number of activities.

According to this aspect, the number of activities of each monitored object (10) can be regarded as the number of activities of the subjects in the facility (100).

The monitoring system (1) according to the sixth aspect, in the fifth aspect, further comprises a notification section (13). The notification unit (13) notifies the external system (2) according to the number of activities during the calculation period (T11-T14; T21-T24; T31-T34).

According to this aspect, it is possible to notify the external system (2) of the subject's condition in the facility (100).

In the monitoring system (1) according to the seventh aspect, each of the plurality of monitored objects (10) is a branch circuit (70) in any one of the first to sixth aspects. A determination unit (113) determines whether or not to calculate the amount of change for each of the plurality of branch circuits (70) based on branch circuit information set for each of the plurality of branch circuits (70).

According to this aspect, it is not necessary to calculate the amount of change for the branch circuit (70) that cannot be the monitoring target (10), and the processing load on the calculation unit (111) can be reduced.

In the monitoring system (1) according to the eighth aspect, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the determination unit (113) determines, based on the fluctuation pattern of the power consumption, each of the plurality of monitoring targets (10) It is determined whether or not to calculate the amount of change for .

According to this aspect, it is possible to determine whether or not to calculate the amount of change for each monitoring target (10) based on the variation pattern of the power consumption of each monitoring target (10).

A monitoring system (1) according to a ninth aspect, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, further comprises a second calculator (112). The second calculator (112) is different from the first calculator (111) as a calculator. The second calculation unit (112) calculates the number of times the amount of change is equal to or greater than a threshold value set for each of the plurality of monitoring targets (10) in a predetermined calculation period (T11 to T14; T21 to T24; T31 to T34). Calculate the number of activities. A second calculation unit (112) sets the number of times of activity to 1 in the continuous period when the period in which the amount of change is equal to or greater than the threshold continues.

According to this aspect, it is possible to reduce mistakes in calculating the number of activities.

A monitoring system (1) according to a tenth aspect, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, further comprises a setting unit (15). A setting unit (15) sets whether or not each of a plurality of monitoring targets (10) is to be a determination target of a determination unit (113).

According to this aspect, it is possible to set whether or not to be the determination target of the determination unit (113) for each monitoring target (10).

In the monitoring system (1) according to the eleventh aspect, in any one of the first to tenth aspects, the first monitored object (10) and the second monitored object (10) are different. A first monitoring target (10) is a monitoring target (10) monitored in a first monitoring period among a plurality of monitoring targets (10). A second monitoring target (10) is a monitoring target (10) that is monitored during a second monitoring period longer than the first monitoring period among the plurality of monitoring targets (10).

According to this aspect, the monitoring period can be set according to the monitoring target (10).

A monitoring method according to a twelfth aspect is a monitoring method for monitoring the condition of a subject in a facility (100). The monitoring method includes an acquisition step (S1), a calculation step (S2), and determination steps (S3-S6). Acquisition step (S1) is a step of acquiring data on power consumption in facility (100) for each of a plurality of monitoring targets (10). The calculating step (S2) is a step of calculating the amount of change in the amount of power used in the second period with respect to the amount of power used in the first period. The second period is the same length as the first period and is later than the first period. The determination steps (S3 to S6) are steps for determining the state of each of the plurality of monitoring targets (10) by different determination methods for at least a part of the monitoring targets (10) among the plurality of monitoring targets (10). .

According to this aspect, it is possible to suppress deterioration in the accuracy of determination of the condition of the subject in the facility (100), compared to the case where the same determination method is used for all of the plurality of monitoring targets (10).

A program according to a thirteenth aspect is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the monitoring method according to the twelfth aspect.

According to this aspect, it is possible to suppress deterioration in the accuracy of determination of the condition of the subject in the facility (100), compared to the case where the same determination method is used for all of the plurality of monitoring targets (10).

A monitoring system (1) according to a fourteenth aspect is a monitoring system (1) for monitoring the condition of a subject in a facility (100). A monitoring system (1) includes an acquisition unit (12), a first calculation unit (111), and a second calculation unit (112). An acquisition unit (12) acquires power usage data in a facility (100) for each of a plurality of monitoring targets (10). A first calculator (111) calculates the amount of change in the amount of power used in the second period with respect to the amount of power used in the first period. The second period is the same length as the first period and is later than the first period. The second calculation unit (112) calculates the number of times the amount of change is equal to or greater than a threshold value set for each of the plurality of monitoring targets (10) in a predetermined calculation period (T11 to T14; T21 to T24; T31 to T34). Calculate the number of activities. A second calculation unit (112) sets the number of times of activity to 1 in the continuous period when the period in which the amount of change is equal to or greater than the threshold continues.

According to this aspect, it is possible to reduce mistakes in calculating the number of activities.

The configurations according to the second to eleventh aspects are not essential to the monitoring system (1) and can be omitted as appropriate.

1 monitoring system 12 acquisition unit 13 communication unit (notification unit)
15 setting unit 111 first calculation unit (calculation unit)
112 Second calculator 113 Judgment unit 2 External system 10 Monitored object 70 Branch circuit (monitored object)
100 facility S1 step (acquisition step)
S2 step (calculation step)
S3 to S6 steps (judgment steps)
T11-T14, T21-T24, T31-T34 calculation period

Claims (12)

A monitoring system for monitoring the condition of a subject in a facility, comprising:
an acquisition unit that acquires data on power consumption in the facility for each of a plurality of monitoring targets;
a first calculation unit that calculates the amount of change in the amount of power used in a second period, which has the same length as the first period and is later than the first period, with respect to the amount of power used in the first period;
a determination unit that determines the state of each of the plurality of monitoring targets using different determination methods for at least some of the plurality of monitoring targets;
A second calculation unit that calculates a value of a type different from the amount of change calculated by the first calculation unit,
The determination method includes comparing a threshold value set for a corresponding monitoring target among the plurality of monitoring targets and the amount of change,
The second calculation unit calculates, as the value, an activity count, which is the number of times the amount of change is equal to or greater than the threshold value, in each of two time-series consecutive calculation periods for the corresponding monitoring target,
The determination unit determines the state of the subject based on the amount of change in the number of times of activity in the two calculation periods .
Monitoring system. The judgment unit judges the state of each of the plurality of monitoring targets by the judgment method different from each other for each of the plurality of monitoring targets.
A surveillance system according to claim 1 . The determination method includes setting for each of the plurality of monitoring targets whether or not to determine the state of each of the plurality of monitoring targets based only on the case where the amount of change increases.
3. The surveillance system according to claim 1 or 2. The second calculation unit calculates, as the value, the number of times of activity, which is the number of times the amount of change is equal to or greater than a threshold value set for each of the plurality of monitoring targets in a predetermined calculation period,
The monitoring system according to any one of claims 1-3. Further comprising a notification unit that notifies an external system according to the number of times of activity in the calculation period,
5. A surveillance system according to claim 4. each of the plurality of monitoring targets is a branch circuit;
The determination unit determines whether to calculate the amount of change for each of the plurality of branch circuits based on branch circuit information set for each of the plurality of branch circuits.
A monitoring system according to any one of claims 1-5. The determination unit determines whether or not to calculate the amount of change for each of the plurality of monitoring targets based on the variation pattern of the power consumption.
A monitoring system according to any one of claims 1-5. The second calculation unit calculates, as the value, the number of times of activity, which is the number of times the amount of change is equal to or greater than a threshold value set for each of the plurality of monitoring targets in a predetermined calculation period,
When the period in which the amount of change is equal to or greater than the threshold value is continuous, the second calculation unit sets the number of times of activity in the continuous period to 1,
A monitoring system according to any one of claims 1-7. further comprising a setting unit that sets whether each of the plurality of monitoring targets is to be a determination target of the determination unit;
A monitoring system according to any one of claims 1-8. A first monitoring target monitored during a first monitoring period among the plurality of monitoring targets, and a second monitoring target monitored during a second monitoring period longer than the first monitoring period among the plurality of monitoring targets different,
A surveillance system according to any one of claims 1-9. A monitoring method for monitoring the condition of a subject in a facility, comprising:
an acquisition step of acquiring data on power consumption in the facility for each of a plurality of monitoring targets;
a first calculating step of calculating the amount of change in the amount of power used in a second period, which has the same length as the first period and is later than the first period, with respect to the amount of power used in the first period;
a determination step of determining the state of each of the plurality of monitoring targets using different determination methods for at least some of the plurality of monitoring targets;
and a second calculation step of calculating a value of a type different from the amount of change calculated in the first calculation step,
The determination method includes comparing a threshold value set for a corresponding monitoring target among the plurality of monitoring targets and the amount of change,
In the second calculation step, for the corresponding monitoring target, as the value, in each of two consecutive calculation periods in time series, calculate the number of times that the amount of change is equal to or greater than the threshold, and
The determination step determines the condition of the subject based on the amount of change in the number of times of activity between the two calculation periods .
Monitoring method. to one or more processors;
A program for executing the monitoring method according to claim 11 .

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