JP7475656B2 - Management device and management system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technology for setting the mode of a water supply device.

When workers perform maintenance on a water supply system, they generally change the mode from the normal operating mode, such as by setting the water supply system to an inspection mode, before carrying out the maintenance work. In this case, the mode is changed manually, so there is a possibility that the worker may forget to change the operating mode back after maintenance is completed, or may change it to a different mode. If the worker leaves the water supply system after completing the maintenance work without changing the mode back, or without changing the mode correctly, the water supply system may not operate, resulting in a water outage.
One measure to remedy such forgetting to revert a change or making a change incorrectly is to cancel the inspection work mode when a predetermined period of time has elapsed after changing from the operation mode to the inspection work mode (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2018-53887 A

However, if a malfunction is found in the water supply device during inspection work and recovery is difficult within the normal inspection work hours, accidents such as water leakage may occur if the inspection mode is released and recovery is automatically resumed after a specified period of time has passed. Also, if a worker becomes unwell while cleaning the water tank, for example, and remains inside the tank, water will start pouring into the tank if the inspection mode is released after a specified period of time has passed, exposing the worker to a dangerous situation.
An object of the present invention is to assist in switching settings.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the management device includes a determination unit and an execution unit. The determination unit determines whether a first setting for the water supply device before maintenance differs from a second setting for the water supply device after maintenance. If the first setting and the second setting differ, the execution unit executes at least one of a process of returning the setting of the water supply device to the first setting and a process of notifying the outside.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the management system includes a water supply device, a terminal, and a management server. The water supply device includes a connection unit, a determination unit, and a communication unit. The connection unit establishes a wireless connection with the terminal. The determination unit determines whether a first setting for the water supply device before maintenance and a second setting for the water supply device after maintenance are different. If the first setting and the second setting are different, the communication unit transmits information indicating the setting states of the first setting and the second setting to the management server. The management server transmits an instruction to the water supply device to return from the second setting to the first setting, and transmits a completion notification of the change to the first setting to the terminal. The water supply device further includes a setting unit. The setting unit changes from the second setting to the first setting in accordance with the instruction from the management server.

The present invention can assist in switching settings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the water supply device according to the present embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the water supply apparatus according to the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing an automatic resetting process of the water supply apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing a process in which the management server according to the first embodiment forcibly restores settings; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display example of a confirmation notice according to the first embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing an emergency notification process of a management apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example of a confirmation notice according to the second embodiment.

Below, a management device, a management method, a management program, and a management system according to the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, elements that are the same or similar to elements already described will be given the same or similar reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will generally be omitted. For example, when there are multiple identical or similar elements, a common reference numeral may be used to describe each element without distinguishing between them, and a subnumber may be used in addition to the common reference numeral to describe each element with distinction between them.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a management system 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the management system 100 includes a management server 1, a plurality of terminals 3-n (n is the index of the terminal), and a plurality of pump devices 5-m (m is the index of the water supply device). The management system 100 is a computer system that uses the management server 1 to manage the operating state of the pump device 5. Although FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which n is 2 and m is 4, this is not necessary and n and m may be any number as long as they are 1 or more. Hereinafter, when the plurality of terminals 3-n are not particularly distinguished from each other, they will be simply referred to as terminals 3, and when the plurality of pump devices 5-m are not particularly distinguished from each other, they will be simply referred to as pump devices 5. The pump devices 5 may not be included in the management system 100.

As shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed that the management server 1 and the terminal 3 are connected via a mobile communication network such as 4G or 5G, or a wireless communication line such as Wimax or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). It is assumed that the terminal 3 and the pump device 5 are connected by a wireless communication means such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication), or infrared communication, in addition to the wireless communication line described above. Note that the terminal 3 and the pump device 5 may be connected via a wired communication line such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) or a LAN (Local Area Network) connection by cable. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the management server 1 and multiple pump devices 5 may be connected via a wireless communication line.

The management server 1 is a computer having a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memories such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), a display device, an input device, and a communication device. The management server 1 has a large-capacity storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or an integrated circuit storage device for managing various data related to multiple pump devices 5. The large-capacity storage device is referred to as a database. For example, the management server 1 stores various data related to the pump devices 5 in a database and manages the operating status of the pump devices 5. The management server 1 is not limited to being an on-premise server, and may be a cloud server.

The terminal 3 is a communication terminal that can be carried by a user such as a worker, and examples of such terminals include a notebook PC and a mobile terminal (smartphone, feature phone, tablet). The terminal 3 may be a communication device configured exclusively for managing the pump device 5. The pump device 5 may be controllable from the terminal 3; for example, an application for controlling the pump device 5 (hereinafter also referred to as a control application) may be installed, or the pump device 5 may be controllable from a web browser.

The pump device 5 is, for example, a mechanical device (water supply device) that supplies water to a building. The pump device 5 is, for example, a so-called direct booster type water supply device that is directly connected to a water main pipe, directly boosts the water flowing through the water main pipe, and supplies water to a destination such as a faucet or shower head installed in a building. Note that the type of pump device 5 according to this embodiment is not limited to the direct booster type, and may be a direct pressure type, or a water tank water supply type that uses a water tank, or any other type.

Next, the pump device 5 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.
The pump device 5 includes a control panel 50 and a pump unit 60. The pump device 5 may also include a suction pipe and a discharge pipe (not shown). The pump device 5 takes in water on the primary side through the suction pipe by the pump unit 60, and supplies water to the secondary side through the discharge pipe. The suction pipe connects, for example, a water distribution pipe branched off from a water main pipe and the pump unit 60. The discharge pipe connects the pump unit 60 to the water supply destination on the secondary side. The pump device 5 may include a plurality of pump units 60. In this case, the pump device 5 can perform alternating operation in which the plurality of pump units 60 are alternately driven, parallel operation in which the plurality of pump units 60 are simultaneously driven, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control panel 50 includes a short-range communicator 51, a long-range communicator 52, an input device 53, an inverter 54, an interface 55, a display device 56, a storage device 57, and a processor 58, which are connected to each other via a bus. The processor 58 includes a connection unit 581, a communication unit 582, a setting unit 583, a determination unit 584, an alarm unit 585, and an execution unit 586. The connection unit 581, the communication unit 582, the setting unit 583, the determination unit 584, the alarm unit 585, and the execution unit 586 are collectively referred to as the management device.

The short-range communicator 51 is equipped with a wireless communication module 511 that complies with wireless communication standards such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or NFC, and performs short-range wireless communication. The short-range communicator 51 may also perform short-range communication using a wired communication standard such as USB. The short-range communicator 51 sets the operation mode of the pump device 5 and transmits and receives various data between the terminal 3 and the short-range communicator 51 via a short-range communication line.

The long-distance communication device 52 performs long-distance communication using wireless communication standards such as a mobile communication network, Wimax, and Wi-Fi. The long-distance communication device 52 transmits and receives various data to and from the management server 1 via a long-distance communication line.

The input device 53 converts user instructions into electrical signals. For example, an operation panel, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, various switches, etc. may be used as the input device 53. Note that a voice input device may also be used as the input device 53. The electrical signals from the input device 53 are supplied to the processor 58 via a bus.

The inverter 54 generates power to operate the pump unit 60. Specifically, the inverter 54 supplies AC power of a predetermined frequency to the pump unit 60 (the motor of the pump unit 60). The inverter 54 also receives an inverter control signal from the processor 58. The inverter 54 operates in response to the inverter control signal. For example, the inverter 54 stops or starts operation in response to the inverter control signal, which corresponds to an operation stop signal or an operation start signal. The inverter 54 also controls the rotation speed of the motor in response to the inverter control signal, which corresponds to a rotation speed control signal.

Specifically, the inverter 54 includes a converter circuit, a smoothing capacitor, and an inverter circuit (not shown). The converter circuit takes in AC power from an AC power source and converts it into DC power by rectifying it. The smoothing capacitor smoothes the voltage of the DC power output by the converter circuit to obtain DC power of a substantially constant voltage. The inverter circuit then converts the DC power obtained by the smoothing capacitor into AC power of a predetermined frequency according to an inverter control signal (corresponding to a rotation speed control signal) from the control panel 50, and supplies it to the motor.

The interface 55 is, for example, an input/output interface such as a port. The interface 55 connects, for example, the control panel 50 and the pump unit 60, and transmits and receives various data.

The display device 56 displays various data. As the display device 56, any display may be used, such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (electroluminescence) display, an LED display, a plasma display, or the like. Note that a projector may also be used as the display device 56.

The storage device 57 is a memory device such as a ROM, RAM, HDD, SSD, or integrated circuit storage device that stores various data. The storage device 57 may be realized by a single physical memory device, or may be realized by multiple memory devices that are physically separated within the pump device 5. Hereinafter, the storage device 57 will be simply referred to as a memory.

Processor 58 is an arithmetic device such as a CPU or a microprocessor. Processor 58 may be configured with a dedicated circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA. Processor 58 executes various programs stored in storage device 57 to realize the functions of connection unit 581, communication unit 582, setting unit 583, determination unit 584, alarm unit 585, and execution unit 586.

The connection unit 581 establishes a wireless connection between the wireless communication module 511 connected to the control panel 50 of the pump device 5 and the terminal 3. For example, in the case of Bluetooth, the wireless connection can be established by a general pairing connection, and in the case of Wi-Fi, the wireless connection can be established by inputting a preset SSID and password into a Wi-Fi access point. Note that once a wireless connection has been established between the pump device 5 and the terminal 3, a wireless connection will be automatically established by turning on the wireless function of the terminal 3 and bringing it close to the pump device 5.

The communication unit 582 transmits and receives data between the terminal 3 with which a connection has been established, or between the management server 1 via the long-distance communication device 52. The communication unit 582 transmits, for example, a confirmation notification indicating that a return has been forgotten to the terminal 3, as described below.

The setting unit 583 sets the operation mode. Specifically, it can be an automatic operation mode in which the water supply device is operated automatically, a manual operation mode in which the pump can be operated manually during a test run or maintenance, or a stop mode in which the pump is not operated. For convenience of explanation, the manual operation mode, stop mode, or other modes that can be switched during maintenance of the pump device 5 are referred to as maintenance modes. The operation mode can be switched, for example, by an operator pressing a button on the control panel 50, or an instruction to switch the operation mode can be sent to the control panel 50 via a control application from the terminal 3 with which a connection has been established, and the setting unit 583 can switch based on the received instruction.

The determination unit 584 determines whether the setting for the pump device 5 before maintenance (also called the first setting) differs from the setting for the pump device 5 after maintenance (also called the second setting).

The notification unit 585 performs notification processing to send a confirmation notification or an emergency signal regarding the settings to the terminal 3, the management server 1, or other external devices in response to instructions from the execution unit 586.

If the first setting and the second setting are different, the execution unit 586 executes at least one of the following: a process for returning the setting of the pump device 5 to the first setting and a process for notifying the outside.

The number of boards constituting the control panel 50 can be designed as desired, and it can also be designed as desired which of the short-range communicator 51, long-range communicator 52, input device 53, inverter 54, interface 55, display device 56, memory device 57, and processor 58 each board is physically equipped with. In addition, although the connection unit 581, communication unit 582, setting unit 583, determination unit 584, alarm unit 585, and execution unit 586 are assumed to be handled by a single processor 58, they may be shared by multiple physically separated processors.

Next, an example of the operation of the management device included in the pump device 5 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

In step S301, the connection unit 581 wirelessly connects to a terminal 3 within the wireless connection range via the wireless communication module 511. In the following, it is assumed that Bluetooth is used as the wireless connection method, and a wireless connection between the terminal 3 carried by the worker and the pump device 5 is established by a general Bluetooth pairing procedure.

In step S302, the setting unit 583 changes the operation mode of the pump device 5 to the maintenance mode. Specifically, the change to the maintenance mode is made, for example, by an operator operating a switch on the control panel 50 to switch from the automatic operation mode to the manual operation mode, the stop mode, or the inspection mode. Alternatively, the operator may operate a control application installed on the terminal 3, for example, to wirelessly transmit an instruction to change from the automatic operation mode to the manual operation mode, the stop mode, or the inspection mode, and the setting unit 583 may change the operation mode based on the instruction. Note that if the mode has been changed from the automatic operation mode, the determination unit 584 can determine that the pump device 5 is undergoing maintenance. In addition, the setting of the operation mode before the change to the maintenance mode may be stored in, for example, the storage device 57.

In step S303, the determination unit 584 determines whether or not maintenance has been completed. Specifically, for example, the determination unit 584 may determine that maintenance has been completed if the wireless connection between the pump device 5 and the terminal 3 is released. Note that the release of the wireless connection is not limited to the worker intentionally releasing the pairing, but also includes the worker unconsciously releasing the pairing by moving out of the Bluetooth communication range. The determination unit 584 may also determine that maintenance has been completed when the worker sets the pump to a state other than the maintenance mode, such as when the pump is turned on.

In step S304, the determination unit 584 determines whether the operation mode setting of the pump device 5 before maintenance is different from the current operation mode setting of the pump device 5 after maintenance. Specifically, the determination unit 584 refers to the storage device 57 and compares the operation mode setting before maintenance with the current operation mode setting. If the operation mode setting is the same before and after maintenance, it can be determined that the worker has returned the setting from the maintenance mode to the original operation mode, and the operation of the management device is terminated. On the other hand, if the operation mode setting is different before and after maintenance, the process proceeds to step S305.

In step S305, the execution unit 586 executes a notification process to notify an external party, such as the vicinity of the pump device 5 or a terminal 3 held by an operator, that the operating mode setting has been forgotten to be reset, and/or a process to reset the setting to the operating mode before maintenance.
Specifically, in the case of notification processing, the execution unit 586 transmits a notification indicating that the settings have been forgotten to be returned via the alarm issuing unit 585. In the case of notifying the vicinity of the pump device 5, an alert sound, voice, or the like may be issued from the control panel 50. In addition, in the case of notifying the terminal 3, since the pairing has been released and it is considered that the pump device 5 cannot notify the terminal 3 directly, the notification may be displayed on the screen via the management server 1 as a push notification, and/or an alert sound, voice, or the like may be generated from the terminal 3. This makes it possible to notify the operator that the settings have been forgotten to be returned. In addition, in the case of processing to return the settings, the execution unit 586 changes the settings of the operation mode before maintenance via the setting unit 583.

When both the mode setting process and the notification process are performed, the operation mode can be returned to the operation mode before maintenance while notifying the terminal that the operation mode should be returned to the operation mode before maintenance. In addition, either step S301 or step S302 can be performed first. For example, when the process of step S302 is performed first, the worker directly operates the switch on the control panel 50 to set the operation mode, and then a wireless connection between the terminal 3 and the pump device 5 is established.

As a first example of the operation mode setting process, if the operation mode of the pump device 5 before maintenance is "automatic operation" and the operation mode of the pump device 5 after maintenance is "stopped" or "manual operation", the determination unit 584 determines that the settings are different. Therefore, the execution unit 586 causes the setting unit 583 to perform a process of setting the operation mode back to "automatic operation" and/or causes the notification unit 585 to send a notification to the terminal 3 that the operation mode has been forgotten to be returned.

As a second example of the operation mode setting process, if the inspection mode is set when maintenance is started and the inspection mode is not released after maintenance, the execution unit 586 executes a process to release the inspection mode by the setting unit 583 and/or a process to notify the user that the inspection mode has been forgotten to be released by the alarm unit 585.

The same can be applied not only to the operating mode settings, but also to the settings related to the water tank connected to the water supply device. For example, even if the pump device 5 is not set to the inspection operation mode, if the inlet valve of the water tank is closed, the pump device 5 will not supply water. Therefore, if the water tank identification number, the inlet valve opening/closing settings, etc., related to the water tank are different before and after maintenance, the execution unit 586 executes a process of restoring the settings related to the water tank to the settings before maintenance using the setting unit 583, and/or a process of notifying the user that the settings related to the water tank have been forgotten to be restored using the alarm unit 585.

If the execution unit 586 does not execute the process of restoring the settings to those before maintenance by the setting unit 583, but executes only the notification process by the alarm issuing unit 585, the worker holding the terminal 3 may return to the vicinity of the pump device 5 again to reset the settings to the maintenance mode after receiving the notification that they forgot to reset. In this case, when the worker holding the terminal 3 returns to the range where wireless connection with the pump device 5 is possible, the settings may be automatically restored to those before maintenance without the worker having to reset the settings.

The automatic resetting process of the pump device 5 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
In step S401, similar to step S301, the connection unit 581 wirelessly connects the pump device 5 to a terminal that is within the wireless connection range.
In step S402, the determination unit 584 determines whether or not a notification process of forgetting to return or forgetting to release has been performed for the terminal paired in step S401. In determining whether or not a terminal has been notified, information of a terminal once paired, such as a MAC address, can be grasped, so for example, the connection unit 581 acquires the MAC address of the terminal 3 with which a connection has been established. The storage device 57 stores a table indicating the correspondence between the MAC address of the terminal with which a connection has been established and information on whether or not a notification process has been performed. The alarm unit 585 adds information such as the MAC address of the terminal that performed the notification process and a flag indicating that the notification process has been performed to the table stored in the storage device 57, and updates it.
The determination unit 584 may refer to the table using the MAC address of the terminal 3 at the time of re-pairing as a key to determine whether or not the terminal is a terminal for which notification processing has been completed. If the terminal is a terminal for which notification processing has been completed, the process proceeds to step S403, and if the terminal is a terminal for which notification processing has not been completed, the process ends since it is considered that normal maintenance is being performed.

In step S403, the alarm unit 585 transmits to the terminal 3 a confirmation notification to the effect that the settings will be changed to those before maintenance.
In step S404, the setting unit 583 changes the settings so as to return to the settings before maintenance. The setting unit 583 may process to return to the settings before maintenance only when a response to the confirmation notice is received from the terminal 3 in step S403, rather than automatically returning to the settings before maintenance. For example, the control application of the terminal 3 may display the confirmation notice of step S403 and an "OK" button on the screen, and when the operator touches the "OK" button, a response indicating that the process of returning to the settings before maintenance is acknowledged may be transmitted to the pump device 5. This allows the operator to recognize and then return the operation mode setting.
Also, the process of step S403 may be omitted, and if it is determined in step S402 that the terminal has already been notified, the settings may be restored to those before maintenance without transmitting a confirmation notification to terminal 3.

In the above example, the management device included in the pump device 5 determines the settings before and after maintenance and executes the notification process or the process of returning the operating mode, but this is not limited to the above, and these processes may be executed by the terminal 3 or the management server 1.

When the terminal 3 executes the above-mentioned process, the terminal 3 includes at least a determination unit 584, an alarm issuing unit 585, and an execution unit 586 as a management device. After the pairing is released, the determination unit 584 determines whether the settings of the pump device 5 are different before and after maintenance. If the settings of the pump device 5 are different before and after maintenance, the execution unit 586 executes a notification process via the alarm issuing unit 585 on the screen of the terminal 3 or through a speaker provided on the terminal 3. If the worker checks and wishes to return to the first settings before maintenance, the terminal 3 can send an instruction to return the settings to the pump device 5 via the management server 1.

When the management server 1 executes the above-mentioned process, it includes at least a determination unit 584, a notification unit 585, and an execution unit 586 as a management device. The management server 1 receives the settings of the pump device 5 before maintenance from the terminal 3 or the pump device 5, and after the pairing between the terminal 3 and the pump device 5 is released, receives the settings of the pump device 5 after maintenance from the terminal 3 or the pump device 5. The determination unit 584 included in the management server 1 then determines whether the settings of the pump device 5 before and after maintenance are different. If the settings of the pump device 5 before and after maintenance are different, the execution unit 586 executes a notification process via the screen or speaker of the terminal 3 via the notification unit 585. When the management server 1 receives an instruction to restore the settings from the terminal 3, it transmits an instruction to restore the settings to the pump device 5, and the pump device 5 restores the settings before maintenance.

When notifying the worker carrying the terminal 3 and restoring the pump device 5 to the state it was in before maintenance with the worker's confirmation and instructions, it is possible that the confirmation may be delayed, such as in a situation where the worker is unable to check immediately. Therefore, the management server 1 may execute the process of restoring the pump device 5 to the state it was in before maintenance without confirming with the worker carrying the terminal. This allows the settings of the pump device 5 to be changed quickly and operation of the pump device 5 to be resumed.

A case where the management server 1 executes a process for forcibly returning to the state before maintenance will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG.
FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing data transmission and reception between the management server 1, the terminal 3, and the pump device 5. As shown in FIG.

In step S501, a wireless connection between the terminal 3 and the pump device 5 is established.
In step S502, a mode change instruction is sent from the terminal 3 to the pump device 5, and, for example, the setting unit 583 of the pump device 5 changes to the maintenance mode.

In step S503, the wireless connection between the terminal 3 and the pump device 5 is released.
In step S504, the determination unit 584 of the pump device 5 determines whether or not the settings of the pump device 5 before and after the maintenance are different. Here, it is assumed that the settings of the pump device 5 before and after the maintenance are different.

In step S505, the communication unit 582 of the pump device 5 transmits the setting status including the setting parameters of the pump device 5 before and after maintenance and the fact that the settings of the pump device 5 before and after maintenance are different.
In step S506, the management server 1 transmits a control signal to the pump device 5 to restore the settings of the pump device 5 before maintenance, based on the setting status received from the pump device 5.

In step S507, the setting unit 583 of the pump device 5 changes the current setting to the setting of the pump device 5 before maintenance based on the control signal. In addition, the communication unit 582 of the pump device 5 transmits to the management server 1 a message indicating that the setting change has been completed.
In step S508, the management server 1 notifies the terminal 3 that the settings of the pump device 5 have been restored. Note that the transmission and reception of the notification that the setting change has been completed from the pump device 5 to the management server 1 may be omitted. In this case, steps S506 and S508 may be executed almost simultaneously on the premise that the management server 1 changes the settings.

Next, a display example of a confirmation notice according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
6 is an example of a confirmation notification displayed on a screen 61 of the terminal 3. A message "Did you forget to reset the settings?" is displayed on the screen 61, for example, by a push notification. Here, a button 62 for transmitting an instruction to set the operation mode back may be provided. When an operator presses the button 62 that displays "Reset operation mode" in the example of FIG. 6, an instruction to reset the settings is transmitted to the pump device 5. Note that the instruction from the terminal 3 is not transmitted directly to the pump device 5 because it is assumed that the pairing has been released, but may be transmitted to the pump device 5 via the management server 1.

According to the first embodiment described above, when a wireless connection such as Bluetooth is disconnected, it is determined whether the settings of the water supply device are different before and after maintenance, and if the settings of the water supply device are different, a process of notifying workers and the like and/or a process of restoring the settings of the water supply device to those before maintenance is executed. As a result, even if the worker who performed the maintenance work forgets to restore or cancel the settings, the settings can be restored immediately or prompted to do so, and the setting switching can be assisted. As a result, problems such as water outages due to forgetting to restore the settings of the water supply device can be prevented.

Second Embodiment
For example, if a worker becomes ill while performing maintenance such as cleaning the inside of a water tank, the worker may not be able to call for help from outside. Therefore, if the terminal held by the worker is wirelessly connected to the water supply device, the terminal's status can be monitored and an emergency signal can be sent from the water supply device to the outside or from the water supply device to the management server, allowing rescue of the worker, such as by calling an ambulance.

The emergency notification process by the management device according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
7, it is assumed that the terminal 3 is a smartphone equipped with an acceleration sensor, that the pump device 5 and the terminal 3 are wirelessly connected, and that an operator is working while holding the terminal 3. The wireless connection and the maintenance mode can be set by carrying out the same processes as those in steps S301 and S302 described above.

In step S701, the communication unit 582 acquires the value of the acceleration sensor from the terminal 3.
In step S702, the determination unit 584 determines whether the fluctuation in the acceleration sensor value is equal to or smaller than a threshold value for a predetermined period of time. That is, if the fluctuation in the acceleration sensor value is greater than the threshold value, it is assumed that the worker is working normally, and the process returns to step S701 and repeats. On the other hand, if the fluctuation in the acceleration sensor value is equal to or smaller than the threshold value for a predetermined period of time or more, the process proceeds to step S703.

In step S703, the alarm unit 585 transmits a confirmation notification to the terminal 3 via the short-range communication device 51, indicating that the worker may not be moving. The reason for transmitting the confirmation notification is that the situation in which the worker is not moving may not only be when there is something wrong with the worker, but also because the worker is simply performing work that does not involve movement and there is no particular urgency. Therefore, the confirmation notification is transmitted to the terminal to prompt the worker to make a confirmation. The terminal 3 may generate an alert sound indicating the confirmation notification, or may display the confirmation notification on the screen together with the alert sound.

In step S704, the determination unit 584 determines whether or not there is a response from the worker within a predetermined period of time. For example, a confirmation notification may be displayed on the display of the terminal with the message "Is there any abnormality?" along with a button labeled "No abnormality." When the worker touches the "No abnormality" button, a signal indicating that there is no abnormality may be transmitted from the terminal 3 to the water supply device. The determination unit 584 may measure the time elapsed since the confirmation notification was transmitted, for example, by a timer, and if the communication unit 582 receives a signal indicating that there is no abnormality from the terminal within a predetermined period of time, the determination unit 584 may determine that there is a response from the worker within the predetermined period of time. Note that, if the fluctuation in the acquired acceleration sensor value becomes greater than a threshold value after the confirmation notification is transmitted to the terminal, the determination unit 584 may determine that there is a response from the worker, assuming that the worker has resumed work from a stationary state. On the other hand, if the above-mentioned signal from the terminal 3 cannot be received within the predetermined period of time, the determination unit 584 determines that there is no response from the worker and proceeds to step S705.

In step S705, an emergency signal is transmitted from the pump device 5. For example, the alarm unit 585 of the pump device 5 issues an alert sound or a voice message as an emergency signal, which is notified to the outside from the control panel 50 of the pump device 5 or the like. In addition, the alarm unit 585 of the pump device 5 may be configured to issue (transmit) an emergency signal to the management server 1, so that the management server 1 can grasp the abnormal situation and contact an emergency service if necessary.

An emergency signal may be transmitted from the terminal 3. For example, the alarm unit 585 of the pump device 5 transmits a request to the terminal 3 for the terminal 3 to transmit an emergency signal, and the terminal 3 that receives the request issues an alert sound or a voice message that is made known to the outside. Instead of receiving a request from the pump device 5, the terminal 3 may measure time using a timer after receiving a confirmation notification, and if the terminal 3 is not operated after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the terminal 3 may issue an emergency signal. Furthermore, the terminal 3 may notify an ambulance using the telephone function of the terminal 3 as an emergency signal.
Also, an emergency signal may be sent from the terminal 3 to the pump device 5, and an alert sound or a voice message may be issued from the control panel 50 of the pump device 5 to be notified to the outside. Furthermore, an emergency signal may be sent directly from the terminal 3 to the management server 1, and the above-mentioned settings may be made on the management server 1 side.

It is assumed that the worker will not be carrying the terminal while working. In this case, following the process shown in FIG. 7 will always result in an emergency signal being issued. Therefore, the terminal 3 may be configured to set whether or not to execute the emergency notification process shown in FIG. 7. In addition, if the worker is wearing a wristband-type activity meter or the like, the terminal can acquire acceleration sensor values from the activity meter and be set to transmit the acceleration sensor values from the terminal to the water supply device at predetermined intervals, thereby enabling the emergency notification process to be executed in the same way as when the worker is carrying the terminal 3 while working.

Next, a display example of a confirmation notice according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
Fig. 8 shows a screen 81 of a control application similar to that shown in Fig. 6, in which a message "Are you feeling well?" is displayed, for example, by push notification on the screen 81. After the confirmation notification, a countdown may be displayed to notify an emergency signal after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. In the example shown in Fig. 8, a countdown such as "Time remaining until external alert: 57 seconds" is displayed.

Furthermore, a button 82 for transmitting a response indicating that there is no abnormality may be provided. In the example of Fig. 8, the button 82 displaying "No abnormality" is displayed, and when the operator touches the button 82, a message indicating that there is no abnormality is transmitted to the pump device 5, and no emergency signal is issued from the pump device 5.
In addition to button 82, an "alert" button may be set to instantly issue an emergency signal without waiting a specified period of time, provided that the display can be made in a way that avoids user confusion and the risk of pressing the wrong button.

According to the second embodiment described above, the condition of the worker during maintenance is judged based on the acceleration sensor of the terminal, and if there is no response, an emergency signal is generated. This allows an external party to be notified if there is something wrong with the worker, and a prompt response can be taken.

At least a part of the processing of each of the above embodiments can be realized by using, for example, a processor installed in a general-purpose computer as basic hardware. The program that realizes the above processing may be provided by being stored in a computer-readable recording medium. The program is stored in the recording medium as a file in an installable format or an executable format. Examples of the recording medium include magnetic disks, optical disks (CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, DVDs, Blu-ray (registered trademark) Discs, etc.), magneto-optical disks (MOs, etc.), and semiconductor memories. The recording medium may be any type that can store a program and is readable by a computer. In addition, the program that realizes the above processing may be stored on a computer (server) connected to a network such as the Internet, and downloaded to a computer (client) via the network.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the gist of the invention. The embodiments may be implemented in appropriate combination, in which case the combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-described embodiment includes various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combinations selected from the multiple constituent elements disclosed. For example, if the problem can be solved and an effect can be obtained even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiment, the configuration from which these constituent elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention.

1: Management server, 3: Terminal, 5: Pump device, 51: Short-range communication device, 52: Long-range communication device, 53: Input device, 54: Inverter, 55: Interface, 56: Display device, 57: Storage device, 58: Processor, 60: Pump unit, 61, 81: Screen, 62, 82: Button, 100: Management system, 511: Wireless communication module, 581: Connection unit, 582: Communication unit, 583: Setting unit, 584: Determination unit, 585: Alarm unit, 586: Execution unit.

Claims (7)

a determination unit which, when a wireless connection between the water supply device and the terminal is established during maintenance and the wireless connection between the water supply device and the terminal is lost, determines that the state is after the maintenance and then determines whether a first setting for the water supply device before the maintenance and a second setting for the water supply device after the maintenance are different;
an execution unit that executes at least one of a process of returning the setting of the water supply device to the first setting and a process of notifying an outside when the first setting and the second setting are different;
A management device comprising: The first setting is an automatic operation mode of the water supply device,
The second setting is a manual operation mode or a stop mode of the water supply device,
The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification process is a process of notifying a content indicating that the return has been forgotten. The second setting is a mode in which the water supply apparatus is under inspection,
The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification process is a process of notifying that the inspection operation mode has been forgotten to be turned off. The first setting and the second setting are settings related to a water tank,
The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification process is a process of notifying a content indicating that the return has been forgotten. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the execution unit executes the notification process on the terminal. The determination unit determines whether or not a fluctuation in the acceleration sensor value acquired from the terminal is equal to or smaller than a threshold value;
A notification unit is further provided which notifies the terminal of a confirmation notification when the fluctuation of the value is equal to or less than a threshold value, and if there is no response from the terminal within a predetermined period of time, issues an emergency signal to the outside to notify an abnormality of the worker who possesses the terminal.
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . A management system including a water supply device, a terminal, and a management server,
The water supply device is
A connection unit that establishes a wireless connection with the terminal;
A determination unit that determines whether a first setting for the water supply device before maintenance and a second setting for the water supply device after maintenance are different;
a communication unit configured to transmit information indicating a setting status of the first setting and the second setting to the management server when the first setting and the second setting are different from each other,
The management server includes:
Transmitting an instruction to the water supply device to return from the second setting to the first setting;
Sending a notification to the terminal indicating that the change to the first setting has been completed;
A management system wherein the water supply device further includes a setting unit that changes the setting from the second setting to the first setting in accordance with the instructions from the management server.