JP2002247657A - Management system for installation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a management system that sets an installation device installed in a facility which many unspecified people enter or exit from, in response to a request of a user who is actually utilizing the facility. SOLUTION: When an operation instruction is received from a user (step S53), operation contents are decided according to an operation contents decision rule stored in a database (step S34), a control signal for the installation device is generated and transmitted via a communication channel (step S35).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an equipment management system, and more particularly to a system for remotely controlling or remotely monitoring equipment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Equipment such as air conditioners is widely used in ordinary houses, apartment houses, hotels, factories, hospitals, stores, and stations. The operation of these equipment is generally controlled by each user at the installation location.

[0003] In general, the operation of equipment such as an air conditioner installed in a facility such as a conference room or a lobby where a large number of unspecified persons enter and exit is controlled centrally by an administrator. It is. In this case, a case may occur in which the operation instruction for the equipment does not always match the request of the user actually using the facility such as the conference room or the lobby. In addition, it is considered that there is a preference setting for each user according to the environment in the facility and the operation status of the equipment, but if the setting is biased toward one individual or a small number of users, a large number of users are set. Will make you feel uncomfortable.

[0004]

A technique for remotely controlling such equipment using a telephone line or the like is known. For example, there is a technique in which equipment is connected to a telephone line via a modem, a router, a power line LAN router, or the like, a control signal is transmitted by a push signal of a telephone, and the equipment is remotely controlled from the outside.

[0005] By utilizing such a remote control technique, equipment installed in a facility where an unspecified number of people enter and leave the facility can be set to meet the requirements of the user who actually uses the facility. The purpose is to do.

[0006]

The equipment management server according to the first aspect of the present invention obtains the operation information of the equipment and the environmental information at the installation location of the equipment to monitor the operation status of the equipment. An equipment management server for providing monitoring information of the equipment and transmitting a control signal for remotely operating the equipment, an instruction receiving means for receiving instruction information on the operation of the equipment from a plurality of users, and a plurality of users Operation content determining means for determining the operation content of the equipment based on the instruction information from the user, and control signal generating means for generating and transmitting a control signal based on the operation content determined by the operation content determining means.

[0007] In this case, it is possible to receive instruction information from a plurality of users who actually use the house or facility where the equipment is installed, and to perform control reflecting requests of each user.

[0008] An equipment management server according to a second aspect of the present invention is the equipment management server according to the first aspect,
An equipment control device and a communication line that are built in or connected to the equipment, acquire operation information of the equipment and environmental information at the installation location of the equipment and transmit them, and receive control signals and send them to the equipment. , And transmits and receives operation information, environmental information, and control signals via a communication line and a facility device control device.

[0009] In this case, it is possible to sequentially receive the operation information of the equipment and the environmental information at the installation location, and to set the equipment to an appropriate operation state, and perform appropriate control by reflecting the request of each user. It becomes possible.

A facility equipment management server according to a third aspect of the present invention is the facility equipment management server according to the first or second aspect, wherein instruction information input by each user from an information terminal device is transmitted via a communication line. It has a configuration of instruction receiving means for receiving.

In this case, each user who uses the house or facility where the equipment is installed can receive information processing terminals such as a personal computer connected to a communication line via a modem or a router, a mobile phone, a PHS, Personal digital assistant (PDA: Persona)
l Digital Assistants) can be configured to transmit instruction information to the equipment.

A facility equipment management server according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the equipment management server according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the operation content determining means transmits the instruction information transmitted from each user. The operation contents are determined by averaging.

In this case, by averaging the instruction information from the users who use the facilities, it is possible to satisfy the demands of many users without performing biased control. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, an equipment management server according to the first aspect is provided.
The equipment management server according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Further comprising user information storage means for storing user information of each user, wherein the operation content determination means determines the priority of the instruction information transmitted from each user based on the user information stored in the user information storage means, The operation content is determined based on the determination result.

In this case, by storing information on the use authority of each user in the user information storage means, the operation content can be determined based on the priority of the use authority. For example, in the case of a facility such as a conference room, by giving a use right according to the position of the user who uses the facility, it is possible to control the equipment with a higher use right. Also, in general households, etc., by setting usage rights according to age, physical ability, judgment ability, etc., realization of equipment operation considering safety of children, sick people, elderly people, etc., and economic efficiency were considered. Driving can be realized. If the owner of the equipment is configured to set the use authority of each user, it is possible to suppress unnecessary or illegal use of the equipment in the facility, and to prevent children such as ordinary households, sick people, elderly people, etc. It is possible to make settings for safety.

A facility equipment management server according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the facility equipment management server according to any one of the third to fifth aspects, further comprising a location information acquisition unit for acquiring location information of each user. The operation content determination means is configured to determine the operation content excluding the instruction information from the user having the position information outside the predetermined area.

For example, even if a person who is located in a place other than the house or facility where the equipment is installed erroneously or intentionally transmits instruction information to the equipment, such instruction information is ignored. As a result, useless and illegal operation can be suppressed. In order to acquire the position information of the user, for example, when receiving the instruction information from each user from a mobile phone or a PHS, the position of the user who transmitted the instruction information from a location information service provided by a telephone company or the like. It is possible to obtain information.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for acquiring operation information of equipment and environmental information at a place where the equipment is installed to provide monitoring information for monitoring the operation status of the equipment, A program that causes a computer to function as a facility equipment management server that transmits a control signal for remotely controlling the equipment, comprising: an instruction receiving unit that receives instruction information on operation of the equipment from a plurality of users; and an instruction from the plurality of users. A computer as an equipment management server comprising: an operation content determining means for determining the operation content of the equipment based on the information; and a control signal generating means for generating and transmitting a control signal based on the operation content determined by the operation content determining means. Is a program that makes

In this case, there is provided an equipment management server which receives instruction information from a plurality of users who actually use the house or facility where the equipment is installed, and performs control reflecting requests of each user. can do.

The program according to claim 8 of the present invention provides monitoring information for acquiring operation information of equipment and environmental information at a place where the equipment is installed to monitor the operation status of the equipment. A program that causes a computer to function as a facility equipment management server that transmits a control signal for remotely controlling the equipment, and an instruction receiving unit that receives instruction information regarding operation of the equipment from a plurality of users, and user information of each user. The priority of the instruction information transmitted from each user is determined based on the user information storage means to be stored and the user information stored in the user information storage means, and the operation content of the equipment is determined based on the determination result. Operation content determination means, and control signal generation means for generating and transmitting a control signal based on the operation content determined by the operation content determination means Is a program for causing a computer to function as the equipment management server comprising a.

In this case, the operation content can be determined in consideration of the priority of each user based on the user information of each user stored in the user information storage means. An equipment management server that determines the contents can be provided.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording medium for providing monitoring information for monitoring operation status of an equipment by acquiring operation information of the equipment and environmental information at a place where the equipment is installed. A recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to function as a facility equipment management server that transmits a control signal for remotely controlling the equipment, and an instruction receiving unit that receives instruction information on operation of the equipment from a plurality of users, An operation content determination unit that determines the operation content of the equipment based on instruction information from a plurality of users, and a control signal generation unit that generates and transmits a control signal based on the operation content determined by the operation content determination unit This is a recording medium that stores a program that causes a computer to function as an equipment management server.

In this case, the program of the facility equipment management server as described in claim 7 is stored in a floppy (registered trademark) disk (FD), a magneto-optical disk (MO), a CD-RO.
M and can be distributed in a state of being stored in a memory (ROM) or the like.

A recording medium according to a tenth aspect of the present invention provides monitoring information for monitoring operation status of equipment by acquiring operation information of the equipment and environmental information at a place where the equipment is installed. A recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to function as a facility device management server that transmits a control signal for remotely controlling the device,
Instruction receiving means for receiving instruction information on operation of equipment from a plurality of users, user information storage means for storing user information of each user, and transmission from each user based on the user information stored in the user information storage means An operation content determining unit that determines the priority of the received instruction information and determines the operation content of the equipment based on the determination result, and generates and transmits a control signal based on the operation content determined by the operation content determining unit. This is a recording medium that stores a program that causes a computer to function as an equipment management server including a control signal generation unit.

In this case, the program of the equipment management server as described in claim 8 is stored in a floppy disk (F
D), a magneto-optical disk (MO), a CD-ROM, a memory (ROM) and the like can be distributed.

The equipment management system according to claim 11 of the present invention is built in or connected to the equipment, acquires and transmits the operation information of the equipment and the environmental information at the installation location of the equipment, and transmits the information of the equipment. An equipment control device that receives a control signal for performing operation control and sends it to the equipment, and a monitoring device that receives operation information and environmental information from the equipment control device and monitors the operation status of the equipment. An equipment management system comprising: an equipment management server that provides information and transmits a control signal for remotely controlling the equipment. In particular, the equipment management server
Instruction receiving means for receiving instruction information on operation of the equipment from a plurality of users, operation content determining means for determining the operation content of the equipment based on the instruction information from the plurality of users, and operation content determining means Control signal generation means for generating and transmitting a control signal based on the operation content.

In this case, the management server receives instruction information from a plurality of users who are actually using the house or facility where the equipment is installed, and transmits a control signal to the equipment control device. It is possible to make the control reflect the request of the user.

A facility equipment management system according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is built in or connected to the facility equipment, acquires and transmits operation information of the facility equipment and environmental information at the installation location of the facility equipment, and transmits and acquires the equipment information. An equipment control device that receives a control signal for performing operation control and sends it to the equipment, and a monitoring device that receives operation information and environmental information from the equipment control device and monitors the operation status of the equipment. An equipment management system comprising: an equipment management server that provides information and transmits a control signal for remotely controlling the equipment. In particular, the equipment management server
Instruction receiving means for receiving instruction information on operation of equipment from a plurality of users, user information storage means for storing user information of each user, and transmission from each user based on the user information stored in the user information storage means An operation content determining unit that determines the priority of the received instruction information and determines the operation content of the equipment based on the determination result, and generates and transmits a control signal based on the operation content determined by the operation content determining unit. And a control signal generating means.

In this case, based on the user information of each user stored in the user information storage means, the operation content can be determined in consideration of the priority of each user, and the operation corresponding to the level of use authority can be determined. The content can be determined.

[0029]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [Schematic Configuration of System] FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an equipment management system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

This system is a service system for remotely monitoring and remotely controlling equipment 35 installed in a facility 3 such as a general house, an apartment house, an office building, and a public facility. Provided by the operator.

The present system mainly comprises a management server device 21 in a management center 2 operated by a business operator and an equipment controller 31 installed in each facility 3 or the like. The business operator registers a user who wants to remotely monitor and remotely control the equipment 35 for a fee, and operates the system with an annual membership fee or the like.

The management server device 21 installed in the management center 2 is connected to the database 22 and the connection device 23 via the LAN in the management center 2, and is connected to the facility via the connection device 23 and the communication line 50. 3 and can communicate with the equipment controller 31 installed therein. As the communication line 50, any of a normal public line network, a wireless line network such as a PHS and a mobile phone, the Internet, a cable TV network, and a dedicated line can be used.

The management server device 21 obtains the operation information of the equipment 35 and the current environment information in the facility 3 transmitted from the equipment controller 31, performs predetermined processing based on the information, and sets the information. A main control server for transmitting a control signal for controlling the equipment 35 based on the conditions to the controller 31 is provided. The main control server is, for example, the equipment 3 transmitted from the equipment controller 31 in response to a request from the portable terminal 41 or the information terminal 32 owned by the user.
5 and the current environment information in the facility 3 are acquired, and the operation information and the environment information are used as monitoring information as the portable terminal device 4.
1 and the information terminal device 32. In addition, the main control server generates a control signal for operating the facility device 35 in response to a request from the portable terminal device 41 or the information terminal device 32 owned by the user, and transmits the control signal to the facility device controller 31. The operation information of the equipment 35 transmitted from the equipment controller 31 is appropriately stored in the database 22 as the equipment operation information.

The management server device 21 has a web server for opening web pages accessible via the Internet 51 to users. The web server transmits various information to the portable terminal device 41 or the information terminal device 32 owned by the user, and receives information transmitted from the portable terminal device 41 or the information terminal device 32 via the Internet. Portable terminal device 41
PHS, mobile phones, and personal digital assistants (PDAs: Per
Sonal Digital Assistants) and other terminal devices that can be connected to the Internet can be used. Further, as the information terminal device 32, a personal computer having a communication function capable of Internet connection, a set-top box (STB: SB) connected to a cable TV line or an Internet line.
et Top Box).

The management server 21 is provided with an authentication server for judging the use authority of an accessor who has accessed the web server via the Internet 51. The authentication server refers to the user account and the usage right registered in the database 22 from the user ID input by the accessor, and provides a service according to the usage right.

Further, the management server 21 is provided with a billing server for managing billing information of each user according to the contract contents and the like. The billing server updates the billing information stored in the database 22 according to the contract contents and other conditions.

The database 22 includes customer information entered at the time of registration, billing information indicating a billing state, equipment operating information including the operating state of the equipment 35 transmitted from the equipment controller 31, and operation of the equipment 35. Operation content determination rule for determining the content, setting request history for accumulating instruction information operated by the user in chronological order, user ID
And user information including user accounts including passwords and passwords and usage rights corresponding to the respective user accounts.

In the facility 3 where the equipment 35 is installed, an equipment controller 31 to which the equipment 35 is connected is installed. The equipment controller 31 is sold or lent to a user, and is connected to the equipment 35 by wire or wirelessly.

The equipment controller 31 is connected to the communication line 5
A communication function capable of communicating with the management center 2 through the communication center 0 is provided, and it is possible to transmit operation information on the operation state of each equipment 35 and environmental information in the facility 3 to the management center 2 side. At the same time, a control signal transmitted from the management center 2 is translated into a control command of each equipment 35 and transmitted. The communication between the main control server of the management server device 21 and the equipment device controller 31 is configured to be able to be started or disconnected from either side. The equipment controller 31 may be built in any of the equipment 35.

The equipment controller 31 has storage means for storing the address information of the management center 2, and communicates with the management center 2 using the address data. [Web Server] The web server of the management server device 21 opens a web page accessible to the user via the Internet, and performs remote monitoring / operation of the equipment 35 and a manager (owner) of the equipment 35. It provides services such as setting and changing processing conditions, registering user accounts, and referring to billing information. An example of the operation of the web server is shown in the flowchart of FIG.

In step S11 of FIG. 2, it is determined whether or not the user has made an access. If there is access from the portable terminal device 41 or the information terminal device 32 owned by the user via the Internet 51, step S1 is executed.
Move to 2.

In step S12, an ID input screen for inputting a user ID and a password is transmitted to the accessing user, and the user ID and the password input by the user are authenticated.

When a user accesses from a portable terminal device 41 such as a portable telephone or a PHS, the portable terminal device 4
FIG. 3 shows an example of an ID input screen displayed on the first liquid crystal display device. The ID input screen 101 shown here includes an ID input box 102, a password input box 103, an OK
Operation buttons 105 to 107 corresponding to input buttons 104 and buttons attached to the terminal are provided.
The user inputs his / her own user ID and password set in the ID input box 102 and the password input box 103, and presses an OK input button 104.
The user information can be transmitted by selecting.

The web server sends the user ID from the user
When the user ID and the password are received, the user ID and the password are passed to the authentication server and collated with the user account in the database 22, and whether the user ID and the password are valid is determined by receiving the collation result. .

The user accounts are stored in the database 22 according to a user information table as shown in FIG. 4, for example. This user information table is
It consists of items such as a user ID, password, available equipment ID, menu level, and usage authority.
The administrator (owner) of the equipment 35 sets a password at the same time as setting a user ID for each user. Further, in order to specify the equipment 35 that can be used by the user ID, a facility ID and an equipment ID are set. Further, a menu level that can be used with this user ID and a use right for the equipment 35 are set. The menu level specifies a menu that can be used when the user is permitted to access, and can be configured so that the menu level is automatically set simultaneously with the setting of the use authority. is there. For example, in the case of equipment installed in a conference room in the office, the usage authority can be configured to determine the level of the usage authority according to the position of the company, and in the case of a rental conference room etc. It is also possible to set the use authority according to the classification of the organizer of the meeting, the lecturer, the attendees, and the like. In the case of a general house, the use authority can be set according to the classification of husband, wife, child, head of household, housewife, elderly person, sick person, and the like. A general user in a public facility or an infant in a general home is set to the user with the lowest usage authority, and a password can not be set.

If it is determined in step S12 that the user ID and the password are not valid, the process proceeds to step S13. In step S13, an error process for transmitting an indication that the authentication has failed to the user side is performed, and the process proceeds to step S26. User ID
If it is determined that the password is valid, the process proceeds to step S14.

In step S14, a menu screen of this service is displayed. In this menu screen display processing, a menu screen for selecting remote monitoring, remote operation, setting change, inquiry of billing information, and other instructions is displayed.
Here, a menu corresponding to the user account is displayed according to the menu level in the user information table referred to in step S12.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a menu display screen displayed on the liquid crystal display device of the portable terminal device 41. The menu display screen 111 shown here includes a menu selection display unit 112
And operation button display sections 105 to 107 corresponding to buttons attached to the terminal. In the menu selection display unit 112, “view the status of equipment” for instructing remote monitoring, “operate equipment” for instructing remote operation, and “setting” for instructing to change various settings are displayed. Change, "" View billing information "to instruct billing information inquiries," Other "to issue other instructions,
"Exit menu" to exit this menu
Are displayed. Here, when the menu level of the user information table referred to in step S12 is low, the item for which the instruction at the menu level is restricted is not displayed or is displayed in thin characters. Configure so that it cannot be selected.
For example, when the user account is an administrator (owner), all items are normally displayed on the menu selection display unit 112 and can be selected. For the user with the lowest usage authority, the items of “operate equipment” and “exit the menu” are normally displayed and can be selected, and the other items are displayed in thin characters and cannot be selected. Make it possible.

By operating the operation button corresponding to the operation button display section 106, the user moves the cursor 113 displayed on the menu selection display section 112 to invert the item to be selected, and instructs confirmation. By operating the operation button, the selection item can be determined.

In step S15, it is determined whether or not an instruction for remote monitoring has been given by the user. When the user selects and confirms “view the state of the equipment” from the menu display screen 111, the instruction information is transmitted to the web server of the management server 21 via the Internet 51. If the web server receives this information,
It is determined that an instruction for remote monitoring has been given, and the process proceeds to step S16.

In step S16, the instruction information received by the web server is passed to the main control server. The main control server communicates with the equipment controller 31 via the communication line 50, acquires the current operating state of the equipment 35, environmental information in the facility 3, and the like, and sends them to the web server. The web server transmits the received monitoring information such as the operation information of the equipment 35 and the environmental information in the facility 3 to the portable terminal device 41 or the information terminal device 32 owned by the user.

In the step S17, it is determined whether or not a remote operation instruction is given from the user. When the user selects and operates “operate equipment” from the menu display screen 111, the instruction information is transmitted to the web server of the management server device 21 via the Internet 51.
When the web server receives this instruction information, it is determined that a remote operation instruction has been issued, and the process proceeds to step S18.

In step S18, an operation instruction from the user is received and this instruction information is transmitted to the main control server. Here, a list of equipment devices 35 that can be used by the accessing user is read from the user information table and transmitted to the portable terminal device 41 or the information terminal device 32 owned by the user. Equipment 35 available to the user
Is selected from the list, the web server that has received the selection signal displays an operation selection screen that allows the user to instruct only the permitted operations. For example, an operation selection screen 12 as shown in FIG.
1 is displayed on the liquid crystal display of the portable terminal device 41. The operation selection screen 121 includes an operation instruction component display unit 124 and an operation button display unit 10 corresponding to a button attached to the terminal.
5 to 107. Operation instruction component display section 12
4, only operation instruction components that can be operated according to the user account being accessed are displayed. What is illustrated is an operation selection screen 121 to be transmitted to the user having the lowest authority to operate the air conditioner (air conditioner),
"Samui" button 12 for operating when you want to raise the temperature
2, and each operation instruction component of an "hot" button 123 for performing an operation when the user wants to lower the temperature. Of course, it is also possible to provide a setting value input unit capable of inputting a temperature setting in the operation instruction component display unit 124 so as to directly receive the set value.

By operating the operation button corresponding to the operation button display section 106, the user can select and confirm the operation instruction component displayed on the operation instruction component display section 124. . The web server transmits the instruction information to the main control server based on the operation instruction component selected by the user. The main control server receives the instruction information, determines an operation content according to an operation content determination rule stored in the database 22, and generates a control signal for the equipment 35.

In step S19, it is determined whether or not an instruction to change the setting has been given by the user. When the user selects and confirms “change settings” from the menu display screen 111, the instruction information is transmitted to the web server of the management server device 21 via the Internet 51. When the web server receives this instruction information, it is determined that there has been an instruction to change the setting, and the process proceeds to step S20.

In step S20, a setting change accepting process is executed. For example, schedule management that performs on / off control of the equipment 35 based on the day and time set by the user, remote environment management that changes the operating state of the equipment 35 based on the thermal environment in the facility 3, Energy saving management that controls the operation state of the equipment 35 based on the set upper limit of power consumption, user account setting registration /
Changes are expected. Only the person with the highest usage authority can instruct these setting change processes.
For example, only the administrator (owner) of the equipment 35 can instruct the registration / change of the user account. Specifically, a selection screen for selecting items such as schedule management, remote environment management, energy saving management, and user account setting is displayed, a selection instruction from the user is accepted, and a submenu of the selected processing item is displayed. The instruction from the user is received from this submenu, and the designated processing is executed.

For example, user account setting registration
In the case of a change, data input to items such as a user ID, a password, an available equipment ID, a menu level, and a use right is accepted according to a user information table as shown in FIG. The change data received in the setting change process in step S20 is reflected in customer information and user information in the database 22, and data is updated.

In the step S21, it is determined whether or not an instruction for charging information inquiry has been issued from the user. When the user selects and confirms “view billing information” from the menu display screen 111, the instruction information is transmitted to the web server of the management server device 21 via the Internet 51.
When the web server receives this instruction information, it is determined that there has been an instruction for charging information inquiry, and the process proceeds to step S22.

In step S22, a charging information inquiry process is executed. This charging information inquiry process is also configured so that only the administrator (owner) of the equipment 35 can access it. When the user instructs to inquire the charging information, the web server reads the charging information in the database 22 and transmits it to the portable terminal device 41 or the information terminal device 32 owned by the user.

In step S23, the menu display screen 1
Then, it is determined whether or not another process on 11 has been instructed.
When the user selects and selects “Other” from the menu display screen 111, the instruction information is transmitted to the Internet 51.
Is transmitted to the web server of the management server device 21 via the web server. If the web server receives this information,
It is determined that another processing instruction has been issued, and step S24 is performed.
Move to

In step S24, the menu display screen 1
When there are other receivable instructions that are not displayed on the display 11, the corresponding menu screen is transmitted to the user side, and instruction information is received.

In the step S25, it is determined whether or not an end instruction is given from the user. When the user selects and confirms “Exit the menu” from the menu display screen 111, the instruction information is transmitted to the web server of the management server device 21 via the Internet 51. When the web server receives this instruction information, it is determined that there is an instruction to end, and the process proceeds to step S26,
If not, the process proceeds to step S14. In step S26, the communication with the portable terminal device 41 or the information terminal device 32 owned by the user is terminated, and step S11
Move to

[Main Control Server] The main control server of the management server device 21 that remotely monitors and remotely controls the equipment 35 performs control based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

In step S31, it is determined whether or not a remote monitoring instruction has been received from the user. If the instruction information received from the user via the web server is an instruction for remote monitoring, the process proceeds to step S32. Step S
At 32, a process of acquiring the current operation information of the corresponding equipment 35 and the environmental information in the facility 3 and transmitting the acquired information to the user side is executed. The instruction information from the user is the equipment 3
If the instruction is to confirm the current operation status of the facility 5 or the environment information inside the facility 3, the communication with the facility controller 31 is performed via the connection device 23 and the communication line 50, and the The operation information and the environment information of the facility 3 are acquired and transmitted to the portable terminal device 41 or the information terminal device 32.

In step S33, it is determined whether or not an operation instruction has been received from the user. If the instruction information from the user received via the web server is an operation instruction for the equipment 35, the process proceeds to step S34.

In step S34, the operation content is determined based on a predetermined operation content determination rule. In this case, the main control server determines the operation content for the equipment 35 according to the operation content determination rule stored in the database 22.

For example, when the user transmits a signal of “Saimu” or “Hot” from the operation selection screen 121 as shown in FIG. 6, the transmitted “Saimu” signal and “Hot” signal are stored in the database 22. Store as setting request history. Further, the setting request history stored in the database 22 is totaled at predetermined time intervals, it is determined which signal is more numerous, and the set temperature is changed by a predetermined value from the current set value based on the determination result. For example, 30
Each signal of the setting request history is totaled every minute, and when the number of “hot” signals> “small” signal, the set temperature can be lowered by 1 ° C. from the current set value.

When the user sends the required temperature of the air conditioner (air conditioner), the set value can be determined based on the average value of the required temperature. First, the setting request temperature transmitted from the user is stored as a setting request history in the database 22. The set request temperatures stored as the set request history are totaled at predetermined time intervals, the average value of the request values of all users is calculated, and the average value with the current set value is calculated as a new set value. be able to. For example, the set request temperatures of all users in the past hour can be averaged, and the average value of this average value and the current set temperature can be calculated as a new set value.

Further, it is also possible to reflect the use authority of the user who has transmitted the instruction information in the operation content. For example, when the average of the set request temperatures is obtained, the set request temperatures may be weighted by the use authority of each user to obtain an average value. Further, when there is instruction information of a manager (owner) having the highest use right, it is also possible to set rules such as ignoring instruction information of other users.

In step S35, a control signal is generated based on the determined operation content and transmitted to the equipment controller 31. Here, a line connection is made with the equipment controller 31 via the connection device 23 and the communication line 50, and a control signal is transmitted based on the determined operation content.

In step S36, a decision is made based on preset conditions, and the equipment 3
5 is determined. For example, schedule management that performs on / off control of the equipment 35 based on the day and time set by the user, remote environment management that changes the operating state of the equipment 35 based on the thermal environment in the facility 3, It is determined whether or not each processing condition such as energy saving management for controlling the operation state of the equipment 35 based on the set power consumption upper limit value has been reached, and it is determined that the condition for changing the operation state of the equipment 35 has been reached. If so, the process moves to step S37.

In step S37, a control signal for the equipment 35 is generated, and the control signal is transmitted to the equipment controller 31 via the communication line 50. Step S
At 38, it is determined whether or not an abnormal signal relating to the equipment 35 or the environment in the facility 3 has been received from the equipment controller 31 installed in the facility 3. When an abnormal operation of the equipment 35 or an abnormality occurs in the thermal environment in the facility 3, an abnormal signal is generated by the equipment 31 and the communication line 5.
This abnormal signal is transmitted to the management center 2 side via “0”. When the main control server of the management server 21 receives such an abnormal signal, the process proceeds to step S39.

In step S39, an emergency process based on the occurrence of an abnormality in the facility 3 is executed. For example, a process according to the situation is performed, such as notifying the occurrence of an abnormality to the portable terminal device 41 or the like owned by the manager (owner) and transmitting a control to instruct the operation of the equipment 35 to the equipment controller 31. Execute.

In the step S40, it is determined whether or not the operation information of the equipment 35 has been received. Each time the operation state of the equipment 35 is changed, the equipment controller 31 may sequentially generate the operation information and transmit it to the management server 21. Further, the equipment controller 31 transmits the operation information of the equipment 35 on a daily basis,
The operation information may be stored in weekly or monthly units, and the operation information may be transmitted to the management server device 21 during a time period when the communication line is not crowded, such as at night. When receiving such operation information, the management server device 21 proceeds to step S41.

In step S41, the device operation information in the database 22 is updated based on the received operation information. At this time, if it is determined that replacement of consumables or maintenance processing is necessary based on the device operation information of each facility device 35, notification information to that effect is generated, and the portable terminal device 41 owned by the user is generated. And equipment controller 31
It can be configured to send this notification information to the side.

In step S42, another process is executed. [Other Embodiments] (A) When the web server receives instruction information from a user, it is determined whether or not the user is within a predetermined area, and when it is determined that the user is outside the predetermined area. It is also possible to configure so as not to receive the instruction information.

For example, a mobile phone or P owned by a user
When receiving instruction information from a portable terminal device 41 such as an HS, the current position information of the user can be obtained by a position information service provided by a communication carrier such as a mobile phone or a PHS. The position information of such a user is acquired, and the equipment 3 for which the position information is a target is acquired.
By determining whether it is within the effective area of No. 5,
It can be determined whether the user is in the area of the equipment 35.

The equipment 35 which is the object of such an operation
Can be configured not to transmit the instruction information to the main control server when the instruction information is sent from a user who is not in the effective area of the server, and the operation menu can be invalidated. It is also possible to disable selecting instruction information with. (B) When operating the equipment 35 installed in a general house, it is assumed that the whole family has a mobile phone that can access a web server in the management center 2.
The attributes of the husband, wife, child, elderly, sick, householder, housewife, etc. are specified in advance and registered as the user information of the database 22 as the owner of each mobile phone, and the equipment 35 corresponding to the attribute is registered. Set usage rights. In this case, by registering the number of each mobile phone instead of the user ID and setting the mobile phone as the number notification setting, it is possible to omit the input of the user ID when accessing the web server.

For example, a high use right is set for instruction information from a mobile phone of a parent having attributes such as a husband or wife, a householder, and a housewife, and a mobile phone of a holder having attributes such as a child, an elderly person, or a sick person is set. Set a low usage right. If there is an instruction from the parent's cell phone indicating that the air conditioner in the child's room should be stopped during the night, and the child is instructed to operate the air conditioner using his / her mobile phone in the middle of the night, the operation will be continued for 30 minutes. An operation content determination rule such as automatically stopping the operation after the operation can be set.

[0080]

According to the equipment management server according to the first aspect of the present invention, instruction information is received from a plurality of users who actually use the house or facility where the equipment is installed, and the request of each user is received. Can be controlled.

In the equipment management server according to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to sequentially receive the current operation information of the equipment and the environment information at the installation location, and set the equipment in an appropriate operation state. Appropriate control can be performed by reflecting the request of each user.

In the equipment management server according to the third aspect of the present invention, each user using the house or facility where the equipment is installed can be connected to a personal computer connected to a communication line via a modem or a router. Information processing terminals such as mobile phones, PHS, and personal digital assistants (PDAs: Personal Digital As
It can be configured to transmit instruction information to equipment via sistants).

In the equipment management server according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, by averaging the instruction information from the users who use the facilities, it is possible to satisfy the demands of many users without performing biased control. it can.

In the equipment management server according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, by storing information on the use authority of each user in the user information storage means, the operation content is determined based on the priority of the use authority. be able to. For example,
In the case of a facility such as a conference room, by giving use authority according to the position of the user who uses the equipment, it is possible to control equipment with priority given to a person who has a higher use authority. In addition, in a general household or the like, by setting usage authority according to age, physical ability, and the like, it becomes possible to realize the operation of equipment that takes into consideration the safety of children, the sick, the elderly, and the like. If the owner of the equipment is configured to set the use authority of each user, it is possible to suppress unnecessary or illegal use of the equipment in the facility, and to prevent children such as ordinary households, sick people, elderly people, etc. It is possible to make settings for safety.

In the equipment management server according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when a person in a place other than the house or facility where the equipment is installed erroneously or intentionally transmits instruction information to the equipment, Even so, by ignoring such instruction information, useless or illegal operation can be suppressed. To get the user's location information,
For example, instruction information from each user is transmitted to a mobile phone or PHS
For example, when receiving from the location information service provided by a telephone company or the like, it is possible to acquire the current location information of the user who transmitted the instruction information.

In the program according to claim 7 of the present invention,
It is possible to provide an equipment management server that receives instruction information from a plurality of users who are actually using the house or facility where the equipment is installed, and performs control reflecting requests of each user.

In the program according to claim 8 of the present invention,
A facility that can determine the operation content in consideration of the priority of each user based on the user information of each user stored in the user information storage unit, and determines the operation content according to the level of use authority A device management server can be provided.

In the recording medium according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the program of the equipment management server as described in the seventh aspect is stored in a floppy disk (FD) or a magneto-optical disk (M
O), and can be distributed in a state of being stored in a CD-ROM, a memory (ROM), or the like.

In the recording medium according to claim 10 of the present invention,
A program for the equipment management server as described in claim 8 is stored in a floppy disk (FD), a magneto-optical disk (M
O), and can be distributed in a state of being stored in a CD-ROM, a memory (ROM), or the like.

In the equipment management system according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the management server receives instruction information from a plurality of users who actually use the house or facility where the equipment is installed, and By transmitting a control signal to the device, it is possible to perform control that reflects the request of each user.

In the equipment management system according to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, the operation content is determined in consideration of the priority of each user based on the user information of each user stored in the user information storage means. It is possible to determine the operation content according to the level of use authority.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an equipment management system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a control flowchart of a web server.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of an ID input screen.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a user information table.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of a menu screen.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of an operation selection screen.

FIG. 7 is a control flowchart of the main control server.

[Explanation of symbols]

 111 ID input screen 121 Operation selection screen

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Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for acquiring operation information of facility equipment and environmental information at a place where the facility equipment is installed, providing monitoring information for monitoring the operation status of the facility equipment, and remotely controlling the facility equipment. An equipment management server for transmitting a control signal, the instruction receiving means for receiving instruction information on the operation of the equipment from a plurality of users, and an operation content of the equipment based on the instruction information from the plurality of users An equipment management server comprising: an operation content determination unit that determines the operation content; and a control signal generation unit that generates and transmits a control signal based on the operation content determined by the operation content determination unit. 2. The equipment device is built in or connected to the equipment device, acquires and transmits operation information of the equipment device and environmental information at an installation location of the equipment device, and receives the control signal to receive the control signal. 2. The equipment management according to claim 1, wherein the equipment information management apparatus is connectable to a equipment control device that transmits the operation information, the environment information, and the control signal via the communication line and the equipment control device. server. 3. The equipment management server according to claim 1, wherein said instruction receiving means receives instruction information input by each user from an information terminal device via a communication line. 4. The equipment management server according to claim 1, wherein said operation content determination means determines the operation content by averaging the instruction information transmitted from each user. 5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: user information storage means for storing user information of each user;
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the priority of the instruction information transmitted from each user is determined based on the user information stored in the user information storage unit, and the operation content is determined based on the determination result. The described equipment management server. 6. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a position information acquiring unit for acquiring position information of each user, wherein said operation content determining unit excludes the instruction information from the user having the position information outside the predetermined area to delete the operation content. The equipment management server according to any one of claims 3 to 5, which determines. 7. An apparatus for acquiring operation information of facility equipment and environmental information at a place where the facility equipment is installed, providing monitoring information for monitoring the operation status of the facility equipment, and remotely controlling the facility equipment. A program that causes a computer to function as an equipment management server that transmits a control signal, based on instruction reception means for receiving instruction information on operation of the equipment from a plurality of users, based on the instruction information from the plurality of users. A computer as an equipment management server comprising: an operation content determination unit that determines the operation content of the equipment; and a control signal generation unit that generates and transmits a control signal based on the operation content determined by the operation content determination unit. The program to function. 8. An apparatus for obtaining operation information of facility equipment and environmental information at a place where the facility equipment is installed, providing monitoring information for monitoring an operation state of the facility equipment, and remotely controlling the equipment. A program that causes a computer to function as an equipment management server that transmits a control signal, the instruction receiving means receiving instruction information related to the operation of the equipment from a plurality of users, and a user information storage storing user information of each user. Means for determining the priority of the instruction information transmitted from each user based on the means and the user information stored in the user information storage means, and determining the operation contents of the equipment based on the result of the determination. And control signal generation means for generating and transmitting a control signal based on the operation content determined by the operation content determination means. That equipment management program causing a computer to function as a server. 9. A system for obtaining operation information of facility equipment and environmental information at a place where the facility equipment is installed, providing monitoring information for monitoring the operation status of the facility equipment, and remotely controlling the facility equipment. A recording medium that stores a program that causes a computer to function as an equipment management server that transmits a control signal, wherein instruction receiving means for receiving instruction information on operation of the equipment from a plurality of users, An equipment device comprising: operation content determination means for determining the operation content of the equipment device based on the instruction information; and control signal generation means for generating and transmitting a control signal based on the operation content determined by the operation content determination device. A recording medium that stores a program that causes a computer to function as a management server. 10. An apparatus for acquiring operation information of facility equipment and environmental information at a place where the facility equipment is installed, providing monitoring information for monitoring the operation status of the facility equipment, and remotely controlling the facility equipment. A recording medium that stores a program that causes a computer to function as an equipment management server that transmits a control signal, the instruction receiving unit receiving instruction information on the operation of the equipment from a plurality of users, and user information of each user. The priority of the instruction information transmitted from each user is determined based on the user information storage means to be stored and the user information stored in the user information storage means, and the operation content of the equipment is determined based on the determination result. Operation content determining means to perform, and control for generating and transmitting a control signal based on the operation content determined by the operation content determining means Recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as the equipment management server having No. generation means. 11. A control signal which is built in or connected to equipment and obtains and transmits operation information of the equipment and environmental information at a place where the equipment is installed, and transmits a control signal for performing operation control of the equipment. An equipment control device that receives and sends the equipment to the equipment, receives operation information and environmental information from the equipment control device, and provides monitoring information for monitoring the operation status of the equipment, A facility device management server that transmits a control signal for remotely controlling the facility device, wherein the facility device management server transmits instruction information on operation of the facility device from a plurality of users. Instruction receiving means for receiving, operation content determining means for determining the operation content of the equipment based on instruction information from the plurality of users, and the operation A control signal generating means for generating and transmitting a control signal based on the operation content determined by the content determining means. 12. A control signal for being built in or connected to the equipment, acquiring and transmitting operation information of the equipment and environmental information at a place where the equipment is installed, and transmitting a control signal for performing operation control of the equipment. An equipment control device that receives and sends the equipment to the equipment, receives operation information and environmental information from the equipment control device, and provides monitoring information for monitoring the operation status of the equipment, A facility device management server that transmits a control signal for remotely controlling the facility device, wherein the facility device management server transmits instruction information on operation of the facility device from a plurality of users. Instruction receiving means for receiving, user information storage means for storing user information of each user, and user information storage means for storing user information stored in the user information storage means. Operation content determining means for determining the priority of the instruction information transmitted from each user, and determining the operation content of the equipment based on the determination result; and control based on the operation content determined by the operation content determining means. And a control signal generating means for generating and transmitting a signal.