WO2023119514A1

WO2023119514A1 - User attribute information management device and user attribute information management system

Info

Publication number: WO2023119514A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/047667
Authority: WO
Inventors: 健介上田; 徹永島; 拓真折本
Original assignee: 三菱電機株式会社
Priority date: 2021-12-22
Filing date: 2021-12-22
Publication date: 2023-06-29
Also published as: JPWO2023119514A1

Abstract

This user attribute information management device (20) comprises: a collection unit (201) that collects apparatus data from an apparatus possessed by a user, said apparatus data including operation information that is information corresponding to an operation related to the running of the apparatus and received by the apparatus, and apparatus surroundings information; and a first user attribute information storage unit that stores information on a first user attribute that is a user attribute indicating a feature of the user and input by the user. The user attribute information management device (20) also comprises: a user attribute estimation unit (203) that, on the basis of the apparatus data collected by the collection unit (201), estimates a second user attribute that is a user attribute; a user attribute difference detection unit (206) that detects a difference between the first user attribute and the second user attribute; a notification unit (207) that, if a difference is detected, transmits an update-prompting notification to a user communication terminal possessed by the user, said notification prompting the update of the information on the first user attribute; and a management device communication unit (208) that communicates with an external apparatus.

Description

User attribute information management device and user attribute information management system

The present disclosure relates to a user attribute information management device and a user attribute information management system that manage user attribute information indicating characteristics of users who own devices.

By managing information on device users, such as device users or device administrators, device manufacturers can analyze data using user attributes and utilize the results of data analysis for marketing or promotion. can. For this reason, equipment manufacturers can acquire and manage customer information by prompting the registration of user attribute information, which is personal information about the user who owns the equipment and indicates the characteristics of the user, when starting to use the equipment. It is done. However, the user's attribute information input by the user may be inadequate, such as input omissions or input errors, or the user's attribute information input by the user may become outdated due to long-term use of the device. It often becomes noise in data analysis using user attribute information.

In Patent Document 1, the presence or absence of a change in the user's lifestyle is estimated based on operation log information including operation dates and times of home appliances owned by the user. An information update method is disclosed for transmitting an update request to a user's information processing terminal. The operation log information is information that records the operation details when the home appliance is operated by the user. The operation log information includes the date and time when the home appliance was operated, the day of the week when the home appliance was operated, a user ID (Identification) that is an identifier for uniquely identifying the user, and a device ID that is an identifier for uniquely identifying the home appliance. included. As described above, the technique of Patent Document 1 estimates from the operation log information that the user's lifestyle has changed, and prompts the user to update the user's personal information.

JP 2020-035093 A

However, even if the conditions such as the operation time period of the home appliance that can be acquired from the operation date and time of the home appliance included in the operation log information change, the user's attribute information does not necessarily change. For this reason, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, even though the user's attribute information has not actually changed, the user receives frequent notifications from the server that prompt the user to update the user's attribute information. There is a problem that the processing load for transmitting the notification to the user increases and the user feels annoyed.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and suppresses the notification process that prompts the user to update the user attribute by improving the estimation system of the user attribute, and suppresses the user from feeling annoyed. It aims at obtaining the user attribute information management apparatus which can do.

In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the user attribute information management device according to the present disclosure provides operation information, which is information corresponding to the operation related to the operation of the device received by the device owned by the user, and the operation information of the device. a collection unit that collects equipment data including external information from the equipment; and a first user attribute information storage unit that stores first user attribute information, which is a user attribute indicating characteristics of the user input by the user. , provided. The user attribute information management device includes a user attribute estimation unit that estimates a second user attribute, which is a user attribute, based on the equipment data collected by the collection unit, and a difference between the first user attribute and the second user attribute. a user attribute difference detection unit that detects a difference, a notification unit that transmits an update promotion notification to the user communication terminal owned by the user to prompt updating of the information of the first user attribute when the difference is detected, and an external and a management device communication unit that communicates with the device.

The user attribute information management device according to the present disclosure can improve the user attribute estimation system, suppress the notification process that prompts the user to update the user attribute, and suppress the user from feeling annoyed. , It has the effect of

System configuration diagram showing the configuration of the user attribute information management system according to the first embodiment FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the remote controller of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1; Block diagram showing the functional configuration of the user attribute information management device according to the first embodiment FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the user communication terminal according to the first embodiment; Flowchart showing the operation procedure of the user attribute information management system according to the first embodiment FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a sensor image acquired by the air conditioner of the user attribute information management system according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a characteristic diagram showing an example of temperature changes to be analyzed by the user attribute estimation unit of the user attribute information management device according to the first embodiment; A diagram showing an application screen in the user attribute information management system according to the first embodiment System configuration diagram showing the configuration of the user attribute information management system according to the second embodiment Block diagram showing the functional configuration of the user attribute information management device according to the second embodiment Flowchart showing the operation procedure of the user attribute information management system according to the second embodiment A diagram showing an example of user attribute information stored in the registered user attribute storage unit of the user attribute information management device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration in which each function of the control unit according to the first and second embodiments is realized by hardware; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration in which each function of the control unit according to the first and second embodiments is realized by software;

Below, the user attribute information management device and the user attribute information management system according to the embodiment will be described in detail based on the drawings.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing the configuration of a user attribute information management system 1 according to the first embodiment. A user attribute information management system 1 according to the first embodiment manages user attributes, which are personal information of users who own electronic devices installed in buildings such as houses. In Embodiment 1, a case will be described in which the electronic device is an air conditioner that is installed in a room of a house and performs air conditioning in a room to be air-conditioned.

The user attribute information management system 1 includes an air conditioner 10, a user attribute information management device 20, and a user communication terminal 30. The air conditioner 10, the user attribute information management device 20, and the user communication terminal 30 are connected to the Internet 40, which is a network, so that they can exchange information with each other via the Internet 40. FIG. Each of the air conditioner 10, the user attribute information management device 20, and the user communication terminal 30 will be described below.

First, the air conditioner 10 will be explained. The air conditioner 10 includes an indoor unit 11 installed inside a house, an outdoor unit 12 installed outdoors, and a remote controller 13 for transmitting a control instruction command for the air conditioner 10 to the indoor unit 11. . Hereinafter, the remote controller may be called a remote controller. The indoor unit 11 and the outdoor unit 12 are connected in a state in which two-way communication of information is possible with each other. Also, the indoor unit 11 and the outdoor unit 12 are connected by a refrigerant pipe (not shown) for circulating a refrigerant.

The air conditioner 10 forms one complete refrigeration cycle with the indoor unit 11 and the outdoor unit 12. The air conditioner 10 uses a refrigerant that circulates between the indoor unit 11 and the outdoor unit 12 through refrigerant pipes to provide air between the indoor air that is the air conditioning target space and the outdoor air that is the outdoor air. The heat transfer is performed in the room, and air conditioning is realized for the room. That is, the indoor unit 11 and the outdoor unit 12 are connected by refrigerant pipes, and the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipes is changed by a compressor (not shown) provided in the outdoor unit 12, and air conditioning is performed by heat absorption and heat dissipation of the refrigerant. I do.

The indoor unit 11 has the functions of a general air conditioner indoor unit. The indoor unit 11 is arranged indoors and blows conditioned air indoors. The indoor unit 11 operates the compressor included in the outdoor unit 12 based on the set temperature set in the air conditioning control unit 117, which will be described later, the indoor temperature, and the outdoor temperature, and performs cooling operation or heating operation. .

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the indoor unit 11 of the air conditioner 10 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. The indoor unit 11 includes an indoor unit air conditioning unit 111, an indoor temperature/humidity sensor 112, an indoor unit human sensor 113, an indoor unit camera 114, an indoor unit storage unit 115, an indoor unit communication unit 116, and an air conditioner. and a control unit 117 . Each component of the indoor unit 11 described above can exchange information with each other.

The indoor unit air conditioning unit 111 has the air conditioning function of a typical indoor unit of an air conditioner. The indoor unit air conditioning unit 111 has an indoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the air taken into the indoor unit 11 and the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit, and the conditioned air heat-exchanged by the indoor heat exchanger is supplied from the indoor unit 11. It is equipped with a blower fan that blows air into the room, and an air direction adjusting unit that adjusts the direction of blowing out the conditioned air from the indoor unit 11, and the like.

The indoor temperature and humidity sensor 112 measures the indoor temperature, which is the temperature of the indoor air, and the indoor humidity, which is the humidity of the indoor air, at a predetermined cycle. The indoor temperature/humidity sensor 112 transmits the measured indoor temperature and indoor humidity to the air conditioning control unit 117 as sensor information.

The indoor unit human sensor 113 detects a person in the room where the indoor unit 11 is installed at a predetermined cycle. The indoor unit human sensor 113 transmits the detection result to the air conditioning control unit 117 as sensor information. An infrared sensor, for example, can be used as the indoor unit human sensor 113 . When the indoor unit human detection sensor 113 is an infrared sensor, the indoor unit human detection sensor 113 senses infrared rays in the room where the indoor unit 11 is installed to generate a thermal image, which is a sensor image of the room. The image is sent to the air conditioning control unit 117 as sensor information. Note that the indoor unit human sensor 113 may detect the number of people in the room from the thermal image and transmit the number of people in the room to the air conditioning control section 117 .

The indoor unit camera 114 photographs the room in which the indoor unit 11 is installed. The indoor unit camera 114 transmits a captured image of the interior of the room to the air conditioning control unit 117 as image information.

The indoor unit storage unit 115 is a storage unit that stores information such as various control setting values and programs for controlling the operation of the air conditioner 10 . The indoor unit storage unit 115 also stores information such as operation information and sensor information, which will be described later, as device data, which will be described later. The indoor unit storage unit 115 is a non-volatile storage unit, and is composed of a semiconductor storage medium such as flash memory.

The indoor unit communication section 116 communicates with an external communication section, which is a communication section provided in each component other than the air conditioner 10 in the user attribute information management system 1 . The indoor unit communication unit 116 has a function of transmitting and receiving data to and from an external device through a communication circuit such as communication using a wired LAN, wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or communication network of a mobile information terminal carrier. For example, the indoor unit communication unit 116 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to a router installed in a house, and establishes a communication connection with an external device via the router and the Internet 40 .

The indoor unit communication unit 116 communicates with the later-described management device communication unit 208 of the user attribute information management device 20 via the Internet 40 . Also, the indoor unit communication unit 116 communicates with a remote controller communication unit 134 of the remote controller 13, which will be described later. The communication method between the indoor unit communication unit 116 and the remote control 13 may be wired communication or wireless communication using Wi-Fi (registered trademark) (Wireless Fidelity) or Bluetooth.

The air conditioning control unit 117 is a control unit that controls the overall operation of the air conditioner 10, and controls the operation of the air conditioner 10 by controlling the operations of the indoor unit 11 and the outdoor unit 12. That is, the air conditioning control unit 117 operates the compressor included in the outdoor unit 12 based on the set temperature set in the air conditioning control unit 117, the indoor temperature, and the outdoor temperature to perform cooling or heating operation. do.

The air conditioning control unit 117 receives operation information transmitted from the remote controller control unit 135 as described later, stores the operation information in the indoor unit storage unit 115, and controls the indoor unit 11 and the outdoor unit 12 according to the operation information. to control the operation of the air conditioner 10. Also, the air conditioning control unit 117 may store the received operation information in the air conditioning control unit 117 . The air conditioning control unit 117 transmits the operation information stored in the indoor unit storage unit 115 to the user attribute information management device 20 as device data, which will be described later, via the indoor unit communication unit 116 and the Internet 40 .

The operation information is information related to the operation of the air conditioner 10, and is control instruction information for instructing control of the operation of the air conditioner 10, which is acquired by the air conditioner 10. It is information corresponding to the operation received from.

The air conditioning control unit 117 receives the sensor information transmitted from the indoor temperature/humidity sensor 112 and the indoor unit human sensor 113, and transmits the sensor information to the user attribute information management device 20 as device data. Also, the air conditioning control unit 117 receives image information transmitted from the indoor unit camera 114 and transmits the image information to the user attribute information management device 20 as device data.

Note that the indoor unit 11 may include other sensors such as an air quality sensor that measures the quality of indoor air. Thereby, the indoor unit 11 can acquire the air quality of the indoor air, which is the measurement result, as sensor information, and transmit the sensor information to the user attribute information management device 20 as device data.

The outdoor unit 12 has the air conditioning function of a general air conditioner outdoor unit. The outdoor unit 12 includes an outdoor heat exchanger that is an outdoor-side heat exchanger connected to a refrigerant pipe, an outdoor unit blower that forms an airflow that passes through the outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor air temperature and an outdoor air temperature at a predetermined cycle. Components such as an outside air temperature/humidity sensor (not shown) for detecting humidity are installed.

Note that the outdoor unit 12 may include other sensors such as an air quality sensor that measures the air quality of the outside air. Thereby, the outdoor unit 12 can acquire the air quality of the outside air, which is the measurement result, as sensor information, and can transmit the sensor information to the user attribute information management device 20 as device data.

In addition, in Embodiment 1, the case where the air conditioner 10 is a separate type air conditioner having the indoor unit 11 arranged indoors and the outdoor unit 12 arranged outdoors is described. , the air conditioner 10 may be an integrated air conditioner.

The remote controller 13 is an operating device for the air conditioner 10 that transmits control instruction information for the air conditioner 10 to the indoor unit 11 to control the operation of the air conditioner 10 . FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the remote controller 13 of the air conditioner 10 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. The remote controller 13 includes a remote controller operation section 131 , a remote controller display section 132 , a remote controller storage section 133 , a remote controller communication section 134 and a remote controller control section 135 . Each component of the remote controller 13 can exchange information with each other.

The remote control operation unit 131 accepts setting operations related to air conditioning of the air conditioner 10 requested by the user. That is, the remote control operation unit 131 is an interface for remotely controlling the operation of the air conditioner 10, and receives operations related to the operation of the air conditioner 10 from the user. The remote control operation unit 131 is used to start the operation of the air conditioner 10, stop the operation of the air conditioner 10, select an operation mode of the air conditioner 10 including automatic wind direction tracking control, change the set temperature, change the set humidity, and change the air volume. The user can arbitrarily select various functions related to the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner 10, such as setting, wind direction setting, and setting change of operation prohibited items. Upon receiving an operation from the user, remote control operation unit 131 outputs information corresponding to the user's operation to remote control control unit 135 as operation information.

The remote control display unit 132 is a display unit that displays various types of information. Switches and displays the screen corresponding to the operation on the .

The remote controller storage unit 133 stores various kinds of information necessary for air conditioning processing in the air conditioner 10, and temporarily or long-term stores information such as setting contents to be displayed on the remote controller display unit 132 and image data related to the setting contents. memorize to

The remote control communication unit 134 is capable of two-way communication of information with the indoor unit communication unit 116 of the indoor unit 11 . Communication between the remote control communication unit 134 and the indoor unit communication unit 116 may be wireless communication or wired communication.

The remote controller control unit 135 controls the operation of the remote controller 13 as a whole. The remote controller control unit 135 controls the remote controller 13 based on the operation information transmitted from the remote controller operation unit 131 . Further, the remote controller 135 transmits the operation information transmitted from the remote controller 131 to the air conditioner controller 117 of the indoor unit 11 . The remote controller 135 has a clock function.

In the first embodiment, the case where the remote controller 13 is used as the operation device of the air conditioner 10 is described, but even if a communication terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet is used as the operation device of the air conditioner 10, good. In this case, the communication terminal has the function of the remote controller 13 . For example, the user communication terminal 30 may be used as an operating device for the air conditioner 10 .

Next, the user attribute information management device 20 will be explained. The user attribute information management device 20 manages user attribute information, which is personal information of a user who owns the air conditioner 10, which is an electronic device, and indicates the characteristics of the user.

A user attribute is a feature that belongs to a user, that is, a user's feature. Specifically, the user attributes include age, gender, occupation, family composition, residential area, physical characteristics of the user, and information on residence. The user's physical characteristics include the user's height and the user's weight. User attribute information, which is user attribute information, can also be said to be user's personal information.

The manufacturer of the air conditioner 10 manages the information of the user of the air conditioner 10, such as the user of the air conditioner 10 or the administrator of the air conditioner 10, thereby enabling data analysis using user attributes. . Thereby, the manufacturer of the air conditioner 10 can utilize the result of the data analysis for marketing or promotion. At the start of use of the air conditioner 10, the manufacturer of the air conditioner 10 prompts the user who owns the air conditioner 10 to register user attribute information that is personal information about the user who owns the air conditioner 10 and indicates the user's characteristics, thereby obtaining customer information. obtain and manage.

On the other hand, the user attribute information entered by the user may be inadequate due to input omissions or input errors, or the user attribute information entered by the user may become outdated due to long-term use of the device. , often become noise in data analysis using user attribute information. For this reason, the user attribute information management device 20 that can appropriately manage user attribute information in line with the current situation is useful and desired for manufacturers of air conditioners 10 .

The installation location of the user attribute information management device 20 is not particularly limited. good.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the user attribute information management device 20 according to the first embodiment. The user attribute information management device 20 includes a collection unit 201, a device data storage unit 202, a user attribute estimation unit 203, an application information storage unit 204, a registered user attribute storage unit 205, a user attribute difference detection unit 206, It has a notification unit 207 , a management device communication unit 208 , and a management device control unit 209 . Each component of the user attribute information management device 20 can exchange information with each other.

The collection unit 201 collects equipment data of the air conditioner 10 from the air conditioner 10 . The collection unit 201 stores the collected device data in the device data storage unit 202 . Also, the collection unit 201 collects the application information of the user communication terminal 30 from the user communication terminal 30 . The collection unit 201 causes the application information storage unit 204 to store the collected application information.

The equipment data is information related to the operation of the air conditioner 10, which is acquired in the air conditioner 10 and stored in the air conditioner 10. Equipment data includes information such as operation information and external world information. That is, the device data is information related to the operation of the device, which is acquired and stored in the device owned by the user, and includes information such as operation information and external information.

As described above, the operation information is information related to the operation of the air conditioner 10, and is control instruction information for instructing control of the operation of the air conditioner 10, which is acquired by the air conditioner 10. This is information corresponding to an operation received by the operation unit 131 from the user. That is, the operation information is information relating to the operation of the device acquired in the device owned by the user, and is control instruction information for instructing control of the operation of the device. This is information corresponding to operations related to driving.

Examples of the operation information are the operation time of the air conditioner 10, the stop time of the air conditioner 10, the operation duration of the air conditioner 10, and the time when the user performed a device operation on the air conditioner 10. The operation time, the operation mode of the air conditioner 10, the temperature/humidity setting of the air conditioner 10, and the like are included.

The external world information is information of the external world surrounding the air conditioner 10 acquired by the air conditioner 10 . Examples of external information include temperature, humidity, and air quality in the room to be air-conditioned by the air conditioner 10, temperature, humidity, and air quality outside, sensor information obtained from the indoor unit human sensor 113, and indoor unit camera. 114, such as image information.

That is, the device data includes control instruction information, which is information related to the operation of the device acquired in the device owned by the user and which instructs the control of the device, and information on the external world of the device acquired in the device owned by the user. It can be said that it contains

The device data accumulation unit 202 stores and accumulates the device data of the air conditioner 10 acquired from the air conditioner 10 .

The application information storage unit 204 stores application information acquired from the user communication terminal 30. The application information is information about the application software 3041 installed in the user communication terminal 30 and used to provide the user with the functions of the air conditioner 10, and is executed using the application software 3041 installed in the user communication terminal 30. This is information on the details of the operation performed by the user regarding the function to be executed. That is, the application information relates to application software installed in a communication device capable of communicating with the air conditioner 10, which is a device, and capable of operating the functions of the air conditioner 10 and used to provide the user with the functions of the device. This is information about the details of the operation performed by the user regarding the function executed using the application software installed in the communication device. A communication terminal such as the user communication terminal 30 can be given as a communication device capable of communicating with the air conditioner 10 as a device and operating the functions of the air conditioner 10 .

For example, the application software 3041 includes software that implements functions for operating the operation of the air conditioner 10 . In this case, the information about the application software 3041 includes the time period in which the user operated the application software 3041, the setting contents set by the user by operating the application software 3041, and the information for assisting the user in using the application software 3041. It contains the set information and so on.

When the application software 3041 is software that realizes a function for operating the operation of the air conditioner 10, the communication terminal control unit 305 of the user communication terminal 30 described later controls the user communication terminal 30 described later based on the application software 3041. By controlling the communication terminal operation unit 301 and the communication terminal display unit 302, an operation function unit that provides the user with functions for operating the operation of the air conditioner 10 is realized. In this case, the application information can be rephrased as information related to the operation function unit provided to the user for operating the operation of the air conditioner 10 .

The registered user attribute storage unit 205 stores user attribute information input by the user in the past. The registered user attribute storage unit 205 is the first user attribute information storage unit in the user attribute information management device 20 .

Below, the user attributes entered by the user in the past are referred to as registered user attributes. In addition, the user attribute information input by the user in the past is referred to as registered user attribute information. The registered user attribute can be said to be the first user attribute in the first embodiment. Also, the registered user attribute information can be said to be the first user attribute information in the first embodiment.

The registered user attribute is registered and stored in the registered user attribute storage unit 205 by the user, for example, when the air conditioner 10 is installed in a house and the use of the air conditioner 10 is started. The user can use the user communication terminal 30 or a device such as a personal computer to access a user attribute registration site via the Internet 40 and input user attribute information. The user attribute information input at the user attribute registration site is stored in the registered user attribute storage unit 205 as registered user attribute information under the control of the management device control unit 209 .

The user attribute estimation unit 203 estimates user attributes based on the device data accumulated in the device data accumulation unit 202 or the application information accumulated in the application information storage unit 204. Below, the user attribute estimated by the user attribute estimation unit 203 is referred to as an estimated user attribute. Also, the information on the user attribute estimated by the user attribute estimation unit 203 is referred to as estimated user attribute information. The estimated user attribute can be said to be the second user attribute in the first embodiment. The estimated user attribute information can be said to be the second user attribute information in the first embodiment. User attribute estimation unit 203 has a calendar function and a clock function.

The user attribute difference detection unit 206 compares the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute to detect a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute. When detecting a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute, the user attribute difference detection unit 206 transmits difference detection information indicating detection of a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute to the notification unit 207 .

The notification unit 207 receives an update promotion notification, which is a notification to prompt the user to update the registered user attribute information, when the user attribute difference detection unit 206 detects a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute. It is transmitted to the user communication terminal 30 . Specifically, when the notification unit 207 receives the difference detection information transmitted from the user attribute difference detection unit 206, the notification unit 207 transmits an update promotion notification, which is a notification to prompt updating of the registered user attribute information, to a user communication owned by the user. It is transmitted to the terminal 30 via the management device communication section 208 .

The management device communication unit 208 communicates with communication units of devices external to the user attribute information management device 20 via the Internet 40 . The management device communication unit 208 communicates with the indoor unit communication unit 116 of the indoor unit 11 and the communication terminal communication unit 303 of the user communication terminal 30 described later via the Internet 40 .

The management device control unit 209 controls the operation of the user attribute information management device 20 as a whole.

Next, the components of the user communication terminal 30 will be explained. The user communication terminal 30 is a communication terminal owned by a user, and can communicate with the user attribute information management device 20 via the Internet 40 . Also, the user communication terminal 30 can communicate with the air conditioner 10 via the Internet 40 . Thereby, the user communication terminal 30 can be used as an operating device for the air conditioner 10 . That is, the user communication terminal 30 can be said to be a communication device capable of communicating with the air conditioner 10 as a device and capable of operating the functions of the air conditioner 10 .

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the user communication terminal 30 according to the first embodiment. The user communication terminal 30 includes a communication terminal operation section 301 , a communication terminal display section 302 , a communication terminal communication section 303 , a communication terminal storage section 304 and a communication terminal control section 305 . Each component in the user communication terminal 30 can exchange information with each other. Note that the user communication terminal 30 shown in the first embodiment is a device separate from the remote control 13. For example, the user uses a mobile phone terminal such as a smartphone or a communication device such as a tablet terminal. It can be realized by

The communication terminal operation unit 301 is an operation unit for inputting various information to the user communication terminal 30. Upon receiving an operation from the user, communication terminal operation unit 301 transmits information corresponding to the user's operation to communication terminal control unit 305 as operation information. The communication terminal operation unit 301 receives an operation from the user for inputting new user attribute information for updating the registered user attribute information registered in the user attribute information management device 20 . The communication terminal operation unit 301 transmits information corresponding to the operation of inputting new user attribute information for update to the communication terminal control unit 305 as operation information.

Under the control of the communication terminal control unit 305, the communication terminal display unit 302 displays various information such as operation details received by the communication terminal operation unit 301.

The communication terminal communication unit 303 communicates with external devices via the Internet 40. When the communication terminal communication unit 303 receives an update promotion notification, which is a notification to prompt updating of the registered user attribute information, transmitted from the notification unit 207 of the user attribute information management device 20, the communication terminal communication unit 303 transmits the received update promotion notification to the communication terminal. It is transmitted to the control unit 305 . Further, when the communication terminal communication unit 303 receives operation information corresponding to the user's operation for inputting new user attribute information from the communication terminal control unit 305, the communication terminal communication unit 303 transmits the operation information to the management device of the user attribute information management device 20. Send to communication unit 208 .

The communication terminal storage unit 304 stores various information necessary for controlling the user communication terminal 30. Further, the communication terminal storage unit 304 stores application software 3041 for realizing functions provided to the user by the air conditioner 10 . An example of the application software 3041 is software that implements a function for operating the operation of the air conditioner 10 .

The communication terminal control unit 305 controls the operation of the user communication terminal 30 as a whole. Further, the communication terminal control section 305 performs control to display various information on the communication terminal display section 302 . That is, the communication terminal control unit 305 has a function as an image processing unit and a function as a display control unit. When the communication terminal control unit 305 receives an update promotion notice that prompts the user to update the registered user attribute information, the communication terminal control unit 305 controls the communication terminal display unit 302 to display the update promotion notice.

In addition, the communication terminal control unit 305 performs control to display the update data input screen on the communication terminal display unit 302. The update data input screen is an input screen for the user to input new user attribute information for updating the registered user attribute information registered in the user attribute information management device 20 . When the communication terminal control unit 305 receives the operation information corresponding to the user inputting the new user attribute information on the update data input screen from the communication terminal operation unit 301, the communication terminal control unit 305 transmits the operation information via the communication terminal communication unit 303. It controls transmission to the user attribute information management device 20 .

Next, the operation of the user attribute information management system 1 will be explained. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the operation procedure of the user attribute information management system 1 according to the first embodiment.

In step S110, device data and application information of the air conditioner 10 are collected and accumulated. Specifically, the collection unit 201 of the user attribute information management device 20 acquires the device data of the air conditioner 10 from the air conditioner 10 and accumulates the acquired device data of the air conditioner 10 in the device data accumulation unit 202. Repeat process. As a result, equipment data of the air conditioner 10 is collected and accumulated.

The collection timing of the device data of the air conditioner 10 in the collection unit 201 may be regular timing or irregular timing.

For example, the air conditioning control unit 117 of the indoor unit 11 of the air conditioner 10 spontaneously transmits the equipment data of the air conditioner 10 to the collection unit 201 of the user attribute information management device 20 at predetermined intervals. Specifically, the air conditioning control unit 117 spontaneously transmits the device data stored in the indoor unit storage unit 115 to the user attribute information management device 20 via the indoor unit communication unit 116 .

In the user attribute information management device 20, the management device communication section 208 receives the equipment data transmitted from the air conditioning control section 117. The management device communication unit 208 transmits the received device data to the collection unit 201 . When the device data transmitted from the management device communication unit 208 is received, the collection unit 201 causes the device data storage unit 202 to store and store the received device data. The predetermined period is, for example, 10 minutes. By repeating the above processing, the device data of the air conditioner 10 is collected and accumulated.

Also, the air conditioning control unit 117 may spontaneously transmit the device data of the air conditioner 10 to the collection unit 201 of the user attribute information management device 20 when the state of the air conditioner 10 changes. Also in this case, when the collection unit 201 of the user attribute information management device 20 receives the device data of the air conditioner 10 transmitted from the air conditioning control unit 117, the received device data of the air conditioner 10 is stored in the device data accumulation unit. 202 for storage.

When the state of the air conditioner 10 changes, for example, when the air conditioner 10 starts operating in a stopped state, or when the operating state of the air conditioner 10 stops, the operating state changes. .

Further, when the collection unit 201 of the user attribute information management device 20 requests the transmission of the equipment data of the air conditioner 10, the air conditioning control unit 117 transmits the equipment data of the air conditioner 10 to the collection unit 201. good too. Specifically, the collection unit 201 of the user attribute information management device 20 transmits an equipment data request notification requesting equipment data of the air conditioner 10 to the air conditioning control unit 117 of the air conditioner 10 at a predetermined cycle. .

Upon receiving the device data request notification transmitted from the collection unit 201, the air conditioning control unit 117 transmits the device data of the air conditioner 10 to the collection unit 201 as a response to the device data request notification. When the device data of the air conditioner 10 transmitted from the air conditioning control unit 117 is received, the collection unit 201 causes the device data accumulation unit 202 to store and accumulate the received device data of the air conditioner 10 .

Also, in step S110, application information is collected and accumulated in the same manner as device data is collected and accumulated. Specifically, the collection unit 201 of the user attribute information management device 20 repeats a process of acquiring the application information of the user communication terminal 30 from the user communication terminal 30 and accumulating the acquired application information in the application information storage unit 204 . As a result, application information is collected and accumulated. Instead of the collection unit 201, a dedicated application information collection unit that collects application information and stores it in the application information storage unit 204 may be provided. The timing and method of collecting the application information of the user communication terminal 30 in the collecting unit 201 can be the same as in the case of collecting the device data of the air conditioner 10 described above.

For example, the communication terminal control unit 305 of the user communication terminal 30 spontaneously transmits the application information of the user communication terminal 30 to the collection unit 201 of the user attribute information management device 20 at predetermined intervals. Specifically, communication terminal control section 305 spontaneously transmits application information stored in communication terminal storage section 304 to user attribute information management apparatus 20 via communication terminal communication section 303 .

Next, in step S120, it is determined whether or not the timing for estimating user attributes is now. Specifically, the user attribute estimation unit 203 of the user attribute information management device 20 determines whether or not it is time to estimate the user attribute.

The user attribute estimation timing by the user attribute estimation unit 203 is preferably a timing when the user attribute is likely to have changed since the user attribute estimation by the user attribute estimation unit 203 last time. Specifically, the user attribute estimation unit 203 determines, for example, whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the previous user attribute estimation was performed, or whether the device data distribution has changed. Then, it is determined whether or not it is time to estimate the user attribute.

If the determination condition is that a predetermined period of time has passed since the previous user attribute estimation, the user attribute estimation unit 203 has a calendar function and a clock function, Count the elapsed time since the estimation was performed. Also, the user attribute estimation unit 203 stores a predetermined period. The predetermined period is a period between execution intervals of user attribute estimation.

Then, the user attribute estimating unit 203 determines that the timing for estimating the user attribute has now come when a predetermined period has passed since the previous user attribute estimation. In addition, the user attribute estimating unit 203 determines that the timing for estimating the user attribute has not yet been reached if a predetermined period has not elapsed since the previous user attribute estimation.

Further, when the determination condition is that the distribution of the device data has changed, the user attribute estimation unit 203 selects the latest The distribution of the device data and the distribution of the past device data for which a predetermined period has elapsed after being accumulated in the device data accumulation unit 202 are analyzed. Examples of changes in the distribution of the device data include changes in the distribution of operation time of the remote controller 13 and changes in the distribution of setting contents in the operation of the remote controller 13 .

The change in the distribution of the operation time of the remote controller 13 is that, for example, in the operation information of the equipment data accumulated in the equipment data accumulation unit 202, the remote controller 13 was operated only in the morning and at night in the past operation information of the equipment data. For example, the operation information of the latest equipment data has changed so that the remote control 13 can be operated even during the daytime.

In addition, the change in the distribution of the setting contents in the operation of the remote controller 13 is caused by, for example, in the operation information of the equipment data accumulated in the equipment data accumulation unit 202, in the operation information of the past equipment data, the set temperature for the cooling operation is set to 25°C. However, the operating information in the latest equipment data changed the set temperature for cooling operation to 27°C.

Then, the user attribute estimation unit 203 determines that the timing for estimating the user attribute has now come when the distribution of the latest device data has changed from the distribution of the past device data. Further, the user attribute estimation unit 203 determines that the timing for estimating the user attribute has not been reached at present when the distribution of the latest device data has not changed from the distribution of the past device data. The determination criteria for determining that the distribution of the device data has changed when the distribution of the latest device data has changed from the distribution of the past device data is stored in the predetermined user attribute estimation unit 203. ing. The criterion can be changed to any criterion.

In the first embodiment, the user attribute estimation unit 203 starts the user attribute estimation process when three months have passed since the previous user attribute estimation.

If it is determined that the current time is not the timing for estimating the user attributes, the result in step S120 is No, and the process returns to step S110. If it is determined that the current time is the user attribute estimation timing, the determination in step S120 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S130.

In step S130, user attributes are estimated. Specifically, the user attribute estimation unit 203 estimates user attributes based on the device data accumulated in the device data accumulation unit 202 . Alternatively, the user attribute estimation unit 203 estimates the user attribute using the application information accumulated in the application information storage unit 204 in addition to the device data accumulated in the device data accumulation unit 202 . User attribute estimation section 203 then transmits the estimated user attribute, which is the estimated user attribute, to user attribute difference detection section 206 .

An example in which the user attribute estimation unit 203 estimates user attributes will be described below. When the user attribute estimation unit 203 estimates the user attribute using the operation information of the device data, for example, the operation time of the air conditioner 10, the stop time of the air conditioner 10, and the device operation of the air conditioner 10 by the user. By analyzing the operation time, which is the time when the is performed, it is possible to estimate the at-home time period for the user attributes of the user of the air conditioner 10 .

Also, the user attribute estimation unit 203 can estimate the user attribute based on the change in the distribution of the device data described above.

The user attribute estimation unit 203 can estimate the lifestyle of the user's family from the time zone in which the air conditioner 10 is used. For example, when the user attribute estimating unit 203 analyzes the operation time of the remote controller 13 and acquires an analysis result that the remote controller 13 is operated only in the morning and at night, that is, the air conditioner 10 is used only in the morning and at night. assume. In this case, the user attribute estimation unit 203 can estimate that no one is home during the day because the user is a single person or the user's home is a double-income family.

In addition, the user attribute estimation unit 203 analyzes the change in the distribution of operation time of the remote controller 13, and in the operation information of the equipment data accumulated in the equipment data accumulation unit 202, the past operation information of the equipment data indicates that the remote controller is operated only in the morning and at night. 13 is not operated, but the operation information of the latest equipment data changes such that the remote controller 13 is operated even in the daytime. In this case, the user attribute estimation unit 203 can estimate that the user has given birth to a child and that the user or the user's family members are at home during the daytime.

The user attribute estimation unit 203 can estimate the user's family composition from the settings of the air conditioner 10 . For example, the user attribute estimation unit 203 analyzes the settings in the operation of the remote controller 13, and sets the set temperature for the cooling operation to 28° C. for similar indoor temperature and humidity. Assume that the temperature is set to 25° C. and extracted. In this case, the user attribute estimation unit 203 can estimate that at least two people live in the analysis target house.

In addition, the user attribute estimation unit 203 analyzes the change in the distribution of the setting contents due to the operation of the remote control 13, and the operation information of the equipment data accumulated in the equipment data accumulation unit 202 determines that the past operation information of the equipment data is cooling operation. It is assumed that an analysis result is acquired that the set temperature of the cooling operation was changed to 27° C. according to the operation information of the latest equipment data, although the set temperature of the air conditioner was set to 25° C. In this case, the user attribute estimation unit 203 can estimate that the number of people living together with the user has increased.

In addition, when the state of the room can be grasped by a device such as a camera or a sensor provided in the air conditioner 10, the user attribute estimation unit 203 analyzes the image acquired by the device such as the camera or the sensor. , it is possible to estimate user attributes such as the number of people in a household, the age group, and the presence/absence of pets for users of the air conditioner 10 . Also, if the acquired images are of high definition, information such as the physical characteristics of household members such as the height or weight of the household member, or the room layout of the residence can be estimated. In this case, the image is the external world information of the device data.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a sensor image acquired by the air conditioner 10 of the user attribute information management system 1 according to the first embodiment. For example, it is assumed that a sensor image 14, which is a thermal image as shown in FIG. The sensor image 14 is a kind of equipment data. The user attribute estimation unit 203 acquires from the device data storage unit 202 the latest sensor image among the sensor images stored in the device data storage unit 202 .

In the sensor image 14 shown in FIG. 7, a human-shaped portion 141, a human-shaped portion 142, and a human-shaped portion 143, which are shape portions representing the shape of a person, can be confirmed. The user attribute estimating unit 203 extracts from the sensor image 14 a human-shaped part, which is a shape part representing the shape of a person. That is, the user attribute estimation unit 203 extracts the human-shaped part 141 , the human-shaped part 142 and the human-shaped part 143 from the sensor image 14 . In this way, the user attribute estimation unit 203 can recognize a person in the room in which the indoor unit 11 of the air conditioner 10 is installed in the house by extracting the human-shaped part from the sensor image 14 .

In addition, in the sensor image 14, the human-shaped portion 143 has a relatively low head and body compared to the human-shaped

portions

141 and 142, which are the other human-shaped portions. For this reason, the user attribute estimating unit 203 confirms the human-shaped part 141, the human-shaped part 142, and the human-shaped part 143 in the sensor image acquired by the air conditioner 10 in the same way as the sensor image 14 for many days. If possible, it can be estimated that the family structure of the user of the air conditioner 10 is a family of three with one child. That is, the user attribute estimation unit 203 extracts from the sensor image 14 when the human shape portion 141, the human shape portion 142, and the human shape portion 143 are extracted from the sensor image over a predetermined estimation period of multiple days. The number of people in a household can be estimated from the number of human-shaped parts thus obtained, and it can be estimated that the family structure of the user of the air conditioner 10 is a family of three with one child.

The predetermined estimation period of multiple days is a reference period for the user attribute estimation unit 203 to estimate the user's family composition from the sensor image acquired by the air conditioner 10 .

In this way, the user attribute estimation unit 203 can estimate various user attributes based on the sensor image 14 acquired by the air conditioner 10. It should be noted that extraction of the human shape from the sensor image 14 can be performed by a general technique of pattern recognition such as template matching.

In the above description, the case where the user attribute estimation unit 203 extracts the shape portion representing the shape of a person from the sensor image 14, which is a thermal image acquired by the infrared sensor, which is the indoor unit human sensor 113, has been described. The user attribute estimation unit 203 may extract a shape part representing the shape of a person from the image acquired by the indoor unit camera 114 .

In addition, the user attribute estimation unit 203 can estimate the user's residential area by comparing the temporal correlation between indoor/outdoor temperature and humidity and nationwide weather information. The user attribute estimation unit 203 can connect to a weather information provider such as a weather information site via the management device communication unit 208 and the Internet 40 to obtain weather information for various locations.

FIG. 8 is a characteristic diagram 15 showing an example of temperature changes to be analyzed by the user attribute estimation unit 203 of the user attribute information management device 20 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 8, the horizontal axis indicates dates. In FIG. 8, the vertical axis indicates temperature. A characteristic curve 151 in FIG. 8 indicates temperature changes in a house where the air conditioner 10 is installed, obtained from a sensor provided in the air conditioner 10 . A characteristic curve 152 in FIG. 8 indicates temperature changes in the region A obtained from weather information obtained from a weather information provider such as a weather information site via the Internet 40 . A characteristic curve 153 in FIG. 8 indicates temperature changes in area B obtained from weather information obtained from a weather information provider such as a weather information site via the Internet 40 . It should be noted that the characteristic curve 151 may be a temperature change outside the house obtained from a sensor provided in the air conditioner 10 . The indoor temperature data is the external world information of the device data.

In this case, the user attribute estimation unit 203 estimates the user's residential area based on the indoor temperature data shown in the characteristic diagram 15 of FIG. is possible. That is, the user attribute estimating unit 203 compares the characteristic curve 151 indicating the temperature change in the room, the characteristic curve 152 indicating the temperature change in the area A, and the characteristic curve 153 indicating the temperature change in the area B. is highly likely to be the region A that has a high temporal correlation with the characteristic curve 151 .

That is, the user attribute estimation unit 203 compares the characteristic curve 151 , the characteristic curve 152 , and the characteristic curve 153 so that the temperature range of the temperature of the characteristic curve 151 is relatively higher than the temperature range of the temperature of the characteristic curve 153 . is close to the temperature zone of the characteristic curve 152. Further, the user attribute estimation unit 203 compares the characteristic curve 151 , the characteristic curve 152 , and the characteristic curve 153 to find that the temperature change state of the characteristic curve 151 is relatively higher than the temperature change state of the characteristic curve 153 . is close to the change state of the temperature of the characteristic curve 152.

As a result, the user attribute estimation unit 203 determines that the characteristic curve 152 has a higher correlation with the characteristic curve 151 than the characteristic curve 152 and the characteristic curve 153 . Then, the user attribute estimation unit 203 considers that the user's residential area is likely to be the area A corresponding to the characteristic curve 152 having a higher correlation with the characteristic curve 151, and estimates that the user's residential area is the area A. do. Note that the temporal correlation between characteristic curves can be obtained from a general method of time-series data analysis.

Also, the user attribute estimation unit 203 can estimate the user's occupation by analyzing the room temperature obtained from the room temperature/humidity sensor 112 provided in the air conditioner 10 . That is, the user attribute estimation unit 203 analyzes the room temperature, which is the device data accumulated in the device data accumulation unit 202, for a predetermined period. Here, if the user attribute estimation unit 203 determines that the cooling operation of the air conditioner 10 is not performed during the daytime when the indoor temperature is high only on weekdays, the operation of the air conditioner 10 is performed. It can be inferred that the user is at work during the hours when the Thereby, the user attribute estimation unit 203 can estimate the user's occupation.

That is, the user attribute estimating unit 203 determines that the indoor temperature during the daytime is higher than a predetermined threshold indoor temperature and that the air conditioner It is determined that the state in which the cooling operation of 10 is not performed occurs only on weekdays. When such a determination is made, the user attribute estimation unit 203 estimates that the user goes out to work outside the house during the hours when the air conditioner 10 is not in the cooling operation. Then, the user attribute estimation unit 203 can estimate that the user's occupation is not an occupation performed indoors. The room temperature is the external world information of the device data.

Further, when the application software 3041 includes software that implements a function for operating the operation of the air conditioner 10, in order to distinguish the plurality of air conditioners 10 installed in the house, each air conditioner 10 can set the device name. The user attribute estimating unit 203 can also estimate user attributes from device names set to distinguish between the plurality of air conditioners 10 . The device name in this case can be said to be application information.

In the following, an example will be described in which application software that implements a simple operation switching function for turning on or off the operation of the air conditioner 10 is installed in the user communication terminal 30 . That is, the application software 3041 includes application software that implements an operation switching function for turning on or off the operation of the air conditioner 10 .

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the application screen 3021 in the user attribute information management system 1 according to the first embodiment. The application screen 3021 shown in FIG. 9 is displayed on the communication terminal display unit 302 of the user communication terminal 30, and is a screen for accepting an operation to turn on or off the operation of the air conditioner 10 from the user. This is the screen for turning on or off the Application screen 3021 is displayed on communication terminal display section 302 by execution of application software 3041 stored in communication terminal storage section 304 of user communication terminal 30 by communication terminal control section 305 of user communication terminal 30 .

In the example shown in FIG. 9, the operation switching function realized by the application software 3041 manages two air conditioners 10 installed in the house. In the operation switching function, in order to distinguish between the two air conditioners 10, one of the two air conditioners 10 is given a device name of "living room air conditioner". The other air conditioner 10 of the two air conditioners 10 is given a device name of "child's room air conditioner".

On the application screen 3021 shown in FIG. 9, an operation area 3022 and an operation area 3023, which are operation areas for operating the operation of the air conditioner 10, are displayed. Operation area 3022 is an operation area for turning on or off the operation of one air conditioner 10 to which the device name "living room air conditioner" is set. An operation area 3023 is an operation area for turning on or off the operation of the other air conditioner 10 having the device name "child's room air conditioner" set. Operation of operation of air conditioner 10 in operation area 3022 and operation area 3023 is performed using communication terminal operation unit 301 .

The user sets the device name for each of the two air conditioners 10 in the application software 3041 by operating another application screen for setting the device name of the air conditioner 10 in the operation switching function. be able to. Communication terminal control section 305 sets the device name of air conditioner 10 input by the user's operation in application software 3041 and stores it in communication terminal storage section 304 . The device name of the air conditioner 10 is stored in association with identification information for uniquely identifying the corresponding air conditioner 10 .

Further, the communication terminal control unit 305 transmits the information of the device name of the air conditioner 10 stored in the communication terminal storage unit 304 to the collection unit 201 of the user attribute information management device 20 via the communication terminal communication unit 303. do. The collection unit 201 receives the device name information of the air conditioner 10 transmitted from the communication terminal control unit 305, and causes the application information storage unit 204 to store the device name information as application information. That is, the device names of the two air conditioners 10 are one type of application information.

Then, based on the application information stored in the application information storage unit 204, the user attribute estimation unit 203 can estimate that the user's family structure includes children. That is, the user attribute estimation unit 203 analyzes the device name of the air conditioner, which is the application information stored in the application information storage unit 204, and determines the , it can be estimated that there is a child's room in the house, that is, that the user's family has a child. In this way, the user attribute estimation unit 203 can estimate that the user's family has children as a user attribute based on the application information stored in the application information storage unit 204 .

As described above, the user attribute estimation unit 203 can estimate user attributes from the device data stored in the device data storage unit 202 or the application information stored in the application information storage unit 204. .

In addition, the user attribute estimation unit 203 calculates the accuracy of estimation when estimating user attributes. In the case of the example of the sensor image 14 shown in FIG. 7 described above, the case where three people are confirmed in the sensor image 14 every day and the case where three people are confirmed in the sensor image 14 only once a week are different. , the accuracy of estimation when the user attribute estimation unit 203 estimates that the user's family is a family of three.

The accuracy of estimation is the degree of certainty of the user attribute estimated by the user attribute estimation unit 203 . The accuracy of estimation can be represented by an integer value in the range of 0 to 100, for example. In this case, the higher the numerical value, the higher the accuracy of estimation.

For example, when three persons are confirmed every day in the sensor image 14, the accuracy of estimation when the user's family structure is estimated to be a family of three is expressed as 90, which is a relatively high numerical value. . Also, when three people are confirmed only once a week in the sensor image 14, the accuracy of the estimation when the user's family structure is estimated to be a family of three is a relatively low numerical value of 30 is expressed as In this way, when estimating a user attribute, it is possible to mechanically handle the accuracy of estimation by calculating the accuracy of estimation numerically.

The estimation accuracy information is, for example, an estimation accuracy calculation formula for calculating the estimation accuracy information based on the conditions of the device data used to determine the user attribute and the content of the estimated user attribute. , are stored in the user attribute estimation unit 203 in advance. When estimating the user attribute, the user attribute estimation unit 203 calculates the estimation accuracy using the calculation formula for the estimation accuracy, the conditions of the device data, and the content of the estimated user attribute.

Further, the information of the accuracy of estimation may be stored in the user attribute estimation unit 203 in association with, for example, the conditions of the equipment data used for determining the user attribute and the content of the estimated user attribute. . As an example, the equipment data condition that three people are confirmed in the sensor image 14 every day, the user attribute that the user's family structure is a family of three, and the estimation accuracy: 90 estimation accuracy information. , are associated with each other and stored in advance in the user attribute estimation unit 203 as probability related information. Also, the device data condition that three people are confirmed only once a week, the user attribute that the user's family is a family of three, and the estimation accuracy information that the estimation accuracy is 30. It is associated and stored in advance in the user attribute estimation unit 203 .

When the user attribute estimation unit 203 estimates that the user's family structure is a family of three people based on the device data that three people are confirmed every day in the sensor image 14, the three people are identified in the sensor image 14. A numerical value of "90" associated with the condition of the equipment data that is checked every day and the user attribute that the user's family structure is a family of three is calculated as the accuracy of estimation. That is, the user attribute estimation unit 203 performs a calculation to extract the numerical value “90” as the estimation accuracy from the accuracy related information stored in the user attribute estimation unit 203 .

If the user attribute estimating unit 203 estimates that the user's family is a family of three based on the equipment data that three people are confirmed only once a week in the sensor image 14, the user attribute estimation unit 203 is confirmed only once a week, and the numerical value "30" associated with the user attribute that the user's family is a family of three, is calculated as the accuracy of estimation. That is, the user attribute estimation unit 203 performs a calculation to extract the numerical value “30” as the estimation accuracy from the accuracy related information stored in the user attribute estimation unit 203 .

In this way, even if the same user attribute is estimated, the accuracy of estimation differs depending on the conditions of the device data used.

Note that the accuracy of estimation may be calculated using not only one estimation when estimating user attributes, but also the results of multiple estimations in the past. For example, even if the accuracy is 30 in one estimation when estimating a user attribute, a higher accuracy may be calculated when the same estimation result is derived over a predetermined long period. . A higher accuracy is 40, for example.

Next, in step S140, it is determined whether or not there is a difference between the estimated user attribute and the registered user attribute. Specifically, the user attribute difference detection unit 206 detects the estimated user attribute, which is the user attribute estimated by the user attribute estimation unit 203, and the registered user attribute, which is the user attribute registered in the registered user attribute storage unit 205 by the user in the past. User attributes are compared to determine whether there is a difference between the two.

For example, even though the family composition indicated in the registered user attribute for family composition is one person, the detection results from the camera or sensor provided in the air conditioner 10 always confirm four people. , the estimated user attribute for the family structure estimated by the user attribute estimation unit 203 is a family of four. In this case, the user attribute difference detection unit 206 detects “1 person” as the content of the registered user attribute regarding the family structure and “4” as the content of the estimated user attribute regarding the family structure estimated by the user attribute estimation unit 203 . It can be determined that there is a difference between "human family".

Here, "there is a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute" means that the registered user attribute includes multiple items of user attributes, and at least a part of the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute are different. means that The user attribute difference detection unit 206 determines whether or not there is a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute based on a predetermined difference determination criterion.

The difference determination criteria are criteria for the user attribute difference detection unit 206 to determine whether or not there is a difference between the registered user attributes and the estimated user attributes. That is, the difference determination criterion is the degree of difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute, and the user attribute difference detection unit 206 determines that "there is a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute." It is a criterion for determining whether The difference determination criteria are determined in advance and stored in the user attribute difference detection unit 206 .

The difference criteria are determined by setting a threshold for the accuracy of estimation for each user attribute item. For example, in the case of the user attribute of the residential area, "the estimated accuracy of the estimated user attribute of the residential area is 80 or more, and the distance between the registered area indicated by the registered user attribute and the residential area indicated by the estimated user attribute is A difference determination criterion is determined in advance such that "there is a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute" when the distance is 200 km or more. In this way, the difference judgment criteria include, as judgment criteria, the condition of the magnitude of the difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute for each user attribute item, and the condition of the accuracy of estimation of the estimated user attribute. there is

In this case, the user attribute difference detection unit 206 compares the estimated user attribute information and the registered user attribute information, and determines that the estimated user attribute and the registered user attribute are equal to "estimation accuracy of the estimated user attribute for the residential area is 80 or more." and the distance between the registered area indicated by the registered user attribute and the residential area indicated by the estimated user attribute is 200 km or more." There is a difference.” The user attribute difference detection unit 206 compares the estimated user attribute information and the registered user attribute information, and determines that the estimated user attribute and the registered user attribute have a probability of estimating the estimated user attribute for the residential area of 80 or more, If the difference criterion of "the distance between the registered area indicated by the registered user attribute and the residential area indicated by the estimated user attribute is 200 km or more" is not satisfied, "there is a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute No.”

In this way, the user attribute difference detection unit 206 compares the estimated user attribute information and the registered user attribute information, and if the estimated user attribute and the registered user attribute satisfy the difference judgment criteria, "registered user attribute and estimated There is a difference between the attribute of the user", that is, "a difference between the attribute of the registered user and the attribute of the estimated user has been detected". In addition, the user attribute difference detection unit 206 compares the estimated user attribute information and the registered user attribute information, and if the estimated user attribute and the registered user attribute do not satisfy the difference criterion, the "registered user attribute and estimated user attribute”, that is, “no difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute is detected”.

That is, the user attribute difference detection unit 206 detects the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute based on the magnitude of the difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute for each user attribute item and the accuracy of estimation of the estimated user attribute. can detect differences between Specifically, the user attribute difference detection unit 206 determines that the magnitude of the difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute for each user attribute item and the accuracy of estimation of the estimated user attribute are equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. In some cases, differences between registered user attributes and estimated user attributes can be detected. In the example above, "80" corresponds to the threshold of the accuracy of the estimation. Further, in the above example, "200 km" corresponds to the threshold of the magnitude of the difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute for each user attribute item.

If it is determined that there is no difference between the estimated user attribute and the registered user attribute, the result is No in step S140, and the process returns to step S110. If it is determined that there is a difference between the estimated user attribute and the registered user attribute, it becomes Yes in step S140 and proceeds to step S150. When determining that a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute is detected, the user attribute difference detection unit 206 sends difference detection information indicating that a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute is detected to the notification unit 207. Send.

In step S150, an update promotion notice, which is a notice to prompt the user to update the registered user attribute information, is sent to the user communication terminal 30 owned by the user. Specifically, upon receiving the difference detection information, the notification unit 207 transmits an update promotion notification, which is a notification to prompt updating of the registered user attribute information, to the user communication terminal 30 owned by the user. That is, the notification unit 207 transmits an update promotion notification to the user communication terminal 30 via the management device communication unit 208 and the Internet 40 . After that, the process proceeds to step S160.

In step S160, an update promotion notification is displayed on the communication terminal display unit 302. Specifically, in the user communication terminal 30 , the communication terminal communication section 303 receives the update promotion notification transmitted from the notification section 207 . Communication terminal communication section 303 transmits the received update promotion notification to communication terminal control section 305 . Upon receiving the update promotion notification, the communication terminal control unit 305 controls the communication terminal display unit 302 to display the update promotion notification.

In addition, the communication terminal control unit 305 performs control to display an update data input screen on the communication terminal display unit 302, and prompts the user to update the user attribute information. After that, the process proceeds to step S170.

By performing the above-described processing, in the user attribute information management system 1, the user attribute information management device 20 estimates the estimated user attribute based on the device data, and calculates the difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute. When it is detected, it transmits to the user communication terminal 30 an update promotion notice, which is a notice to prompt the user to update the registered user attribute information. Furthermore, the user attribute information management device 20 estimates the estimated user attribute based on the application information, and when detecting a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute, the user attribute information management device 20 notifies the user to update the registered user attribute information. An update promotion notification may be sent to the user communication terminal 30 . Therefore, the user attribute information management device 20 can transmit the update promotion notification to the user communication terminal 30 at an appropriate timing when it is estimated that the user attribute has changed.

As a result, in the user attribute information management system 1, frequent transmission of unnecessary update promotion notices from the user attribute information management device 20 to the user communication terminal 30 is suppressed even though the user attribute has not changed, and the update is performed. It is possible to suppress the processing load of transmitting the promotion notification to the user communication terminal 30 . Since the processing load of the user attribute information management device 20 can be suppressed, a decrease in processing speed can be suppressed. Since it is not necessary, the user attribute information management device 20 can be configured at low cost.

In addition, in the user attribute information management system 1, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling annoyance and discomfort due to frequent transmission of the update promotion notification to the user communication terminal 30 even though the user attribute has not changed. Alternatively, it can be eliminated and the possibility of the user updating the user attribute information can be increased.

In step S170, it is determined whether or not new user attribute information for updating the registered user attribute information registered in the user attribute information management device 20 has been input to the user communication terminal 30. Specifically, whether new user attribute information for the communication terminal control unit 305 of the user communication terminal 30 to update the registered user attribute information registered in the user attribute information management device 20 is input to the user communication terminal 30 Determine whether or not.

When updating the registered user attribute information, the user enters new user attribute information for updating the registered user attribute information from the update data input screen. If the user does not want to update the registered user attribute information, the user does not enter new user attribute information for updating the registered user attribute information from the update data input screen and closes the update promotion notification screen.

The communication terminal operation unit 301 receives an operation from the user to input new user attribute information for updating the registered user attribute information from the update data input screen. The communication terminal operation unit 301 transmits information corresponding to the operation of inputting new user attribute information to the communication terminal control unit 305 as operation information.

The communication terminal control unit 305 updates the registered user attribute information when operation information corresponding to an operation of inputting new user attribute information is received within a predetermined period after displaying the update data input screen. It is determined that new user attribute information for performing is input to the user communication terminal 30 . If the communication terminal control unit 305 does not receive operation information corresponding to an operation for inputting new user attribute information within a predetermined period after displaying the update data input screen, the communication terminal control unit 305 updates the registered user attribute information. It is determined that the new user attribute information for the user communication terminal 30 has not been input.

If it is determined that new user attribute information has not been input to the user communication terminal 30, the result in step S170 is No, and the series of processes ends. If it is determined that new user attribute information has been input to the user communication terminal 30, the determination in step S170 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S180.

In step S180, when communication terminal control section 305 receives operation information corresponding to an operation of inputting new user attribute information from communication terminal operation section 301, communication terminal control section 305 converts the operation information into user attribute information via communication terminal communication section 303. Send to the management device 20 . That is, the communication terminal control section 305 transmits new user attribute information to the user attribute information management device 20 . After that, the process proceeds to step S190.

In step S190, the registered user attribute information is updated. Specifically, the management device control unit 209 of the user attribute information management device 20 receives new user attribute information transmitted from the user communication terminal 30 via the management device communication unit 208 . The management device control unit 209 updates the registered user attribute information of the item corresponding to the received new user attribute information with the received new user attribute information. That is, the management device control unit 209 stores the registered user attribute information of the item corresponding to the received new user attribute information in the registered user attribute information stored in the registered user attribute storage unit 205 as the received new user attribute information. Update with information. As a result, correct registered user attribute information that matches the current user status is stored in the registered user attribute storage unit 205 .

Therefore, the management device control unit 209 has a function as an updating unit that updates registered user attribute information. Here, a case where the management device control unit 209 has a function as an update unit is shown, but an update unit independent from the management device control unit 209 may be provided separately.

As described above, in the user attribute information management system 1 according to the first embodiment, the user attribute information management device 20 estimates the estimated user attribute based on the device data, and determines the difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute. When it is detected, it transmits to the user communication terminal 30 an update promotion notice, which is a notice to prompt the user to update the registered user attribute information. Furthermore, the user attribute information management device 20 estimates the estimated user attribute based on the application information, and when detecting a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute, the user attribute information management device 20 notifies the user to update the registered user attribute information. An update promotion notification may be sent to the user communication terminal 30 . Therefore, the user attribute information management device 20 can transmit the update promotion notification to the user communication terminal 30 at an appropriate timing when it is estimated that the user attribute has changed.

In the user attribute information management system 1, the device data is information related to the operation of the air conditioner 10, which is a device owned by the user, and is acquired in the air conditioner 10. Operation information, which is control instruction information to be instructed and is information corresponding to the operation received from the user, and external world information, which is information of the external world surrounding the air conditioner 10 acquired by the air conditioner 10, are included. Thereby, in the user attribute information management system 1, by estimating the estimated user attribute using not only the operation information of the air conditioner 10 but also the information of the outside world of the air conditioner 10, the estimation accuracy of the user attribute can be improved. can be done.

In addition, the user attribute information management system 1 estimates an estimated user attribute based on device data or application information, and prompts updating of the registered user attribute information only when a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute is detected. An update promotion notice, which is a notice to that effect, is transmitted to the user communication terminal 30 . As a result, in the user attribute information management system 1, frequent transmission of unnecessary update prompt notifications from the user attribute information management device 20 to the user communication terminal 30 even though the user attribute has not changed is suppressed. It is possible to suppress the processing load of transmitting the promotion notification to the user communication terminal 30 . Since the processing load of the user attribute information management device 20 can be suppressed, a decrease in processing speed can be suppressed. Since it is not necessary, the user attribute information management device 20 can be configured at low cost.

In addition, in the user attribute information management system 1, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling annoyance and discomfort due to frequent transmission of the update promotion notification to the user communication terminal 30 even though the user attribute has not changed. Alternatively, it can be resolved, and the possibility of the user updating the registered user attribute information can also be increased. In addition, in the user attribute information management system 1, by increasing the possibility of updating the registered user attribute information, for example, the manufacturer of the air conditioner 10 can improve the accuracy of data analysis using user attributes. The results of more accurate data analysis can be used for marketing or promotion.

In addition, in the user attribute information management system 1, if the registered user attribute is not updated within a predetermined period even though the update promotion notification has been sent to the user communication terminal 30 before, the user of the corresponding user It may be assumed that there has been no change in the attribute or that the user does not want to update the user attribute information. In this case, even if the user attribute information management device 20 detects a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute again after transmitting the update promotion notice to the user communication terminal 30, the does not transmit the update promotion notification to the user communication terminal 30. By performing such processing, the user attribute information management system 1 can avoid the user's annoyance and discomfort due to frequent transmission of the update promotion notice to the user communication terminal 30 .

In the above description, the device is an air conditioner, but the device may be a refrigerator, a washing machine, a microwave oven, an oven, an audio device, a television, a personal computer, etc. installed in the user's home. It may be a household electric appliance.

Therefore, according to the user attribute information management system 1 according to the first embodiment, the system for estimating user attributes is improved, and the notification process that prompts the user to update the user attributes is suppressed, thereby making the user feel annoyed. It is possible to obtain a user attribute information management system capable of appropriately managing user attribute information that meets the current situation while suppressing this.

Embodiment 2.
In the first embodiment, when the user attribute difference detection unit 206 determines that there is a change in the user attribute between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute, the user communication terminal 30 sends an update promotion notification prompting the user to update the user attribute. I explained the case where it is sent to In the second embodiment, a case will be described in which the user attribute difference detection unit 206 analyzes the estimated user attribute as the correct user attribute.

FIG. 10 is a system configuration diagram showing the configuration of the user attribute information management system 1a according to the second embodiment. A user attribute information management system 1a according to the second embodiment includes an air conditioner 10 and a user attribute information management device 20a. That is, the user attribute information management system 1a differs from the user attribute information management system 1 according to the first embodiment in that it has a user attribute information management device 20a instead of the user attribute information management device 20. FIG.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the user attribute information management device 20a according to the second embodiment. The user attribute information management device 20a differs from the user attribute information management device 20 according to the first embodiment in that it has a registered user attribute storage unit 205a instead of the registered user attribute storage unit 205. FIG.

The registered user attribute storage unit 205a stores registered user attribute information, which is user attribute information input by the user in the past, similarly to the registered user attribute storage unit 205 of the user attribute information management device 20 according to the first embodiment. do. The registered user attribute storage unit 205a also stores estimated user attribute information, which is information on estimated user attributes estimated by the user attribute estimation unit 203 of the user attribute information management device 20a. It differs from the registered user attribute storage unit 205 of the attribute information management device 20 .

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing the operation procedure of the user attribute information management system 1a according to the second embodiment. The user attribute information management system 1a according to the second embodiment can perform the same processing as the user attribute information management system 1 according to the first embodiment described above. Therefore, the user attribute information management system 1a has the same effects as the user attribute information management system 1 according to the first embodiment. Moreover, the user attribute information management system 1a can perform processing described below.

Steps S110 to S140 are the same as in the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 in the first embodiment.

If it is determined that there is no difference between the estimated user attribute and the registered user attribute, the result is No in step S140, and the process returns to step S110. If it is determined that there is a difference between the estimated user attribute and the registered user attribute, it becomes Yes in step S140, and proceeds to step S210.

In step S210, the estimated user attribute information associated with the registered user attribute information corresponding to the item is stored in the registered user attribute storage unit 205a. Specifically, when determining that a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute is detected, the user attribute difference detection unit 206 detects difference detection information indicating that a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute is detected. , and estimated user attribute information to the management device control unit 209 .

When receiving the difference detection information and the estimated user attribute information, the management device control unit 209 registers an item corresponding to the received estimated user attribute information from among the registered user attribute information stored in the registered user attribute storage unit 205a. Extract user attribute information. Then, the management device control unit 209 associates the received estimated user attribute information with the extracted registered user attribute information, and stores them in the registered user attribute storage unit 205a. Note that the user attribute difference detection unit 206 may transmit only estimated user attribute information to the management device control unit 209 .

That is, the management device control unit 209 links the received estimated user attribute information to the registered user attribute information of the item corresponding to the estimated user attribute information among the registered user attribute information stored in the registered user attribute storage unit 205a. and stored in the registered user attribute storage unit 205a. Therefore, the registered user attribute storage unit 205a stores the registered user attribute information of the item corresponding to the estimated user attribute information among the registered user attribute information stored in the registered user attribute storage unit 205a and the estimated user attribute information. Link and store.

Thus, in the second embodiment, when there is a difference between the estimated user attribute and the registered user attribute, the estimated user attribute information linked with the registered user attribute information corresponding to the item is stored in the registered user attribute storage unit. 205a and managed. As a result, in the user attribute information management system 1a according to the second embodiment, acquisition of correct user attribute information in line with the current state of the user does not depend only on registration by the user, but the missing part of the registered user attribute information Alternatively, the erroneous part can be automatically supplemented or corrected with appropriate user attribute information and appropriately managed.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of user attribute information stored in the registered user attribute storage unit 205a of the user attribute information management device 20a according to the second embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 13, the estimated user attribute stored in the registered user attribute storage unit 205a when the user attribute difference detection unit 206 determines that there is a difference between the registered user attribute and the estimated user attribute regarding the family structure. User attribute information and registered user attribute information are shown. The estimated user attribute information and the registered user attribute information corresponding to the item are linked and stored in a table format. In the example shown in FIG. 13, in the row of the family structure item in the table, the estimated user attribute column stores the information of "family of four" as estimated user attribute information.

For example, when an employee of the manufacturer of the air conditioner 10 performs data analysis using user attributes for marketing or promotion, the estimated user attributes in the table of the registered user attribute storage unit 205a of the user attribute information management device 20a When the estimated user attribute information is stored in the column, the analysis is performed using the estimated user attribute information instead of the registered user attribute information.

As a result, an employee of the manufacturer can prevent the registered user attribute information from being updated even if there is an input omission or an input error in the registered user attribute information registered by the user and the update promotion notice is sent to the user communication terminal 30. Even in such a case, analysis can be performed using estimated user attribute information that is considered to be correct. Then, by performing analysis using the estimated user attribute information, analysis can be performed with user attribute information supplemented or corrected for missing or erroneous portions in the registered user attribute information, and the accuracy and reliability of the analysis results is better.

Next, the hardware configuration of each of the control units 80 according to Embodiments 1 and 2 will be described. The control unit 80 according to Embodiments 1 and 2 corresponds to the air conditioning control unit 117 of the air conditioner 10, the remote control unit 135 of the remote control 13, and the collection unit of the user attribute information management device 20 according to Embodiments 1 and 2. 201 , user attribute estimation unit 203 , user attribute difference detection unit 206 , notification unit 207 , management device control unit 209 , and communication terminal control unit 305 of user communication terminal 30 . Each function of the control unit 80 according to the first and second embodiments is implemented by a processing circuit. The processing circuit may be dedicated hardware, or may be a processing device that executes a program stored in a storage device.

If the processing circuit is dedicated hardware, it may be a single circuit, multiple circuits, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any combination thereof. is applicable. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a configuration in which each function of the control unit 80 according to the first and second embodiments is realized by hardware. The processing circuit 81 incorporates a logic circuit 81 a that implements the functions of the control section 80 .

When the processing circuit 81 is a processing device, the functions of the control unit 80 are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a configuration in which each function of the control unit 80 according to Embodiments 1 and 2 is realized by software. The processing circuit 81 has a processor 811 that executes a program 81b, a random access memory 812 that the processor 811 uses as a work area, and a storage device 813 that stores the program 81b. The function of the control unit 80 is realized by the processor 811 developing the program 81b stored in the storage device 813 on the random access memory 812 and executing it. Software or firmware is written in a programming language and stored in storage device 813 . Processor 811 can be exemplified by, but not limited to, a central processing unit. The storage device 813 applies semiconductor memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), or EEPROM (registered trademark) (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). can. The semiconductor memory may be either non-volatile memory or volatile memory. Also, the storage device 813 can be a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) in addition to the semiconductor memory. Note that the processor 811 may output data such as the calculation result to the storage device 813 for storage, or may store the data in an auxiliary storage device (not shown) via the random access memory 812 . By integrating the processor 811, the random access memory 812 and the storage device 813 on one chip, the functions of the control unit 80 can be realized by a microcomputer.

The processing circuit 81 implements the functions of the control unit 80 by reading out and executing the program 81b stored in the storage device 813 . It can also be said that the program 81b causes a computer to execute procedures and methods for realizing the functions of the control unit 80 .

Note that the processing circuit 81 may implement part of the functions of the control unit 80 with dedicated hardware, and part of the functions of the control unit 80 with software or firmware.

In this way, the processing circuit 81 can implement each of the functions described above by means of hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.

The configurations shown in the above embodiments are only examples, and can be combined with other known techniques, or can be combined with other embodiments, without departing from the scope of the invention. It is also possible to omit or change part of the configuration.

1, 1a User attribute information management system, 10 Air conditioner, 11 Indoor unit, 12 Outdoor unit, 13 Remote controller, 14 Sensor image, 15 Characteristic diagram, 20, 20a User attribute information management device, 30 User communication terminal, 40 Internet , 80 control unit, 81 processing circuit, 81a logic circuit, 81b program, 111 indoor unit air conditioning unit, 112 indoor temperature and humidity sensor, 113 indoor unit motion sensor, 114 indoor unit camera, 115 indoor unit storage unit, 116 indoor unit Communication unit, 117 air conditioning control unit, 131 remote controller operation unit, 132 remote controller display unit, 133 remote controller storage unit, 134 remote controller communication unit, 135 remote controller control unit, 141, 142, 143 human shape unit, 151, 152, 153 characteristic curve, 201 collection unit, 202 device data storage unit, 203 user attribute estimation unit, 204 application information storage unit, 205, 205a registered user attribute storage unit, 206 user attribute difference detection unit, 207 notification unit, 208 management Device communication unit 209 Management device control unit 301 Communication terminal operation unit 302 Communication terminal display unit 303 Communication terminal communication unit 304 Communication terminal storage unit 305 Communication terminal control unit 811 Processor 812 Random access memory 813 Storage Device, 3021 application screen, 3022, 3023 operation area, 3041 application software.

Claims

a collection unit that collects device data including operation information, which is information corresponding to operations related to operation of the device received by the device owned by the user, and information of the external world of the device, from the device;
a first user attribute information storage unit that stores information of a first user attribute, which is a user attribute that is input by the user and indicates the characteristics of the user;
a user attribute estimation unit that estimates a second user attribute, which is the user attribute, based on the device data collected by the collection unit;
a user attribute difference detection unit that detects a difference between the first user attribute and the second user attribute;
a notification unit configured to transmit an update promotion notification prompting an update of the first user attribute information to a user communication terminal owned by the user when the difference is detected;
a management device communication unit that communicates with an external device;
A user attribute information management device comprising:
The user attribute estimation unit calculates the accuracy of estimation of the second user attribute when estimating the second user attribute,
The user attribute difference detection unit, for each item of the user attribute, based on the magnitude of the difference between the first user attribute and the second user attribute and the accuracy of estimation of the second user attribute detecting a difference between the first user attribute and the second user attribute,
The user attribute information management device according to claim 1.
The user attribute estimating unit uses information about the contents of operations performed by the user regarding functions executed using application software installed in a communication device capable of communicating with the device and capable of operating the functions of the device. estimating the second user attribute;
The user attribute information management device according to claim 1 or 2.
receiving the new user attribute information transmitted from the user communication terminal, and replacing the first user attribute information stored in the first user attribute information storage unit with the new user attribute information; having an updating part to update,
The user attribute information management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The user attribute estimating unit extracts a human-shaped part representing a shape of a person from the image of the room in which the device is installed, which is acquired by the device, and based on the extracted number of the human-shaped parts, the device is installed. Estimate the number of households in the house as the second user attribute,
The user attribute information management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The user attribute estimation unit is based on temperature change data acquired by a sensor provided in the device and temperature change data acquired from a weather information provider external to the user attribute information management device. to estimate the user's residential area as the second user attribute,
The user attribute information management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
The first user attribute information storage unit stores the items of the first user attribute information stored in the first user attribute information storage unit that correspond to the second user attribute information. The first user attribute information and the second user attribute information are linked and stored;
The user attribute information management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
A user attribute information management system comprising: a user attribute information management device for managing user attribute information indicating characteristics of a user who owns a device; and a user communication terminal owned by the user,
The user attribute information management device
a collecting unit configured to collect, from the device, device data including operation information, which is information corresponding to operations related to operation of the device received by the device, and information on the external world of the device;
a first user attribute information storage unit that stores information of a first user attribute, which is a user attribute that is input by the user and indicates the characteristics of the user;
a user attribute estimation unit that estimates a second user attribute, which is the user attribute, based on the device data collected by the collection unit;
a user attribute difference detection unit that detects a difference between the first user attribute and the second user attribute;
a notification unit configured to transmit an update promotion notification prompting an update of the first user attribute information to a user communication terminal owned by the user when the difference is detected;
a management device communication unit that communicates with an external device;
with
The user communication terminal is
a communication terminal communication unit that communicates with the user attribute information management device;
a display unit that displays the update promotion notice transmitted from the user attribute information management device;
comprising a
User attribute information management system.
The user attribute estimation unit calculates the accuracy of estimation of the second user attribute when estimating the second user attribute,
The user attribute difference detection unit, for each item of the user attribute, based on the magnitude of the difference between the first user attribute and the second user attribute and the accuracy of estimation of the second user attribute detecting a difference between the first user attribute and the second user attribute,
The user attribute information management system according to claim 8.
The user attribute estimating unit uses the information on the content of the user's operation with respect to the function executed using the application software installed in the communication device that can communicate with the device and can operate the function of the device. estimating a second user attribute;
The user attribute information management system according to claim 8 or 9.
receiving the new user attribute information transmitted from the user communication terminal, and replacing the first user attribute information stored in the first user attribute information storage unit with the new user attribute information; having an updating part to update,
The user attribute information management system according to any one of claims 8 to 10.
The user attribute estimating unit extracts a human-shaped part representing a shape of a person from the image of the room in which the device is installed, which is acquired by the device, and based on the extracted number of the human-shaped parts, the device is installed. Estimate the number of households in the house as the second user attribute,
The user attribute information management system according to any one of claims 8 to 11.
The user attribute estimation unit is based on temperature change data acquired by a sensor provided in the device and temperature change data acquired from a weather information provider external to the user attribute information management device. to estimate the user's residential area as the second user attribute,
The user attribute information management system according to any one of claims 8 to 12.
The first user attribute information storage unit stores the items of the first user attribute information stored in the first user attribute information storage unit that correspond to the second user attribute information. The first user attribute information and the second user attribute information are linked and stored;
The user attribute information management system according to any one of claims 8 to 13.