Patent ID: 12228597

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In the technique described above, whether a user is at home is determined by using an operating status of electric equipment such as a vacuum cleaner, but whether a user can respond to an external request, such as a request to change delivery time of a delivery article from a delivery service provider, is not indicatable.

Thus, the present disclosure has been made in view of the above-described problem, and enables calculation of a possibility that a user is capable of responding to an external request.

A control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that in the drawings used for the following description, the same or similar components are denoted with the same or similar reference numerals.

First Embodiment

A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference toFIG.1toFIG.4.FIG.1is a diagram illustrating an example of an overall configuration of a management system1according to the embodiment.

As illustrated inFIG.1, the management system1includes pieces of electric equipment A to X installed in a house (or facility) H, a management apparatus10, a first management server20, a second management server30, a predetermined terminal device40, and a piece of equipment50.

Here, the management apparatus10, the first management server20, the second management server30, the predetermined terminal device40, and the piece of equipment50are configured to be connectable to each other via a communication network2. The communication network2may be a wired network or a wireless network.

The pieces of electric equipment A to X are pieces of equipment that consume power. Examples of the pieces of electric equipment A to X include air conditioning equipment, lighting equipment, a vacuum cleaner, audio visual (AV) equipment such as a television, a radio, or a DVD player, gaming equipment, a tablet terminal device, a personal computer (PC), and/or a piece of communication equipment such as a communication router.

The pieces of electric equipment A to X include a piece of specific electric equipment X. Here, the piece of specific electric equipment X is a type of electric equipment, and examples of the piece of specific electric equipment X include AV equipment, gaming equipment, and/or communication equipment. Examples of the piece of specific electric equipment may include entertainment equipment. Here, examples of the entertainment equipment include gaming equipment.

Here, the pieces of electric equipment A to X installed in the house (or facility) H are not necessarily limited to those installed in the house H to be fixed and may be those that are owned by a user and portable outside the house H. For example, such pieces of electric equipment A to X may be pieces of portable communication equipment such as smart phones and/or tablet terminal devices. Here, the “user” means a resident and/or a manager of the house.

The management apparatus10is an apparatus that manages power of at least one piece of electric equipment among the pieces of electric equipment A to X, and includes, for example, an energy management system (EMS). The EMS is an example of a virtual end node (VEN). As illustrated inFIG.2, the management apparatus10includes a detector11and a transmitter12.

The detector11is configured to detect the operating statuses of the pieces of electric equipment A to X installed in the house H.

Here, the detector11includes a control circuit such as a processor. The detector11may be configured to detect, based on power consumption of the pieces of electric equipment A to X, a state (ON state) in which the power supply of the pieces of electric equipment A to X is turned on, a state (OFF state) in which the power supply of the pieces of electric equipment A to X is turned off, and/or a state (sleep state) in which the pieces of electric equipment A to X standby in a sleep mode (power saving mode), as the operating statuses of the pieces of electric equipment A to X.

Alternatively, when the pieces of electric equipment A to X are pieces of communication equipment, the detector11may be configured to detect, based on the communication traffic of the pieces of electric equipment A to X, a state (ON state) in which the power supply of the pieces of electric equipment A to X is turned on, a state (OFF state) in which the power supply of the pieces of electric equipment A to X is turned off, and/or a state (sleep state) in which the pieces of electric equipment A to X standby in a sleep mode (power saving mode), as the operating statuses of the pieces of electric equipment A to X.

The transmitter12includes a communication module. The transmitter12is configured to transmit the operation information regarding the operating statuses of the pieces of electric equipment A to X, which are detected by the detector11, to the first management server20via the communication network2.

Here, the operation information includes the operating statuses of the pieces of electric equipment A to X, which are detected by the detector11. The operation information may include information regarding start times in the operating statuses of the pieces of electric equipment A to X.

The operation information may include information indicating that the use of the piece of specific electric equipment X (or the entertainment equipment) has been started, and information indicating that the use of the piece of specific electric equipment X (or the entertainment equipment) has been terminated. The operation information may include information of time when the use of the piece of specific electric equipment X (or the entertainment equipment) has been started and information of time when the use of the piece of specific electric equipment X (or the entertainment equipment) has been terminated.

The operation information may also include information indicating that a sleep state of the piece of specific electric equipment X (or the entertainment equipment) has been started. The operation information may include information regarding the start time of the sleep state of the piece of specific electric equipment X (or the entertainment equipment) and information regarding the end time of the sleep state of the piece of specific electric equipment X (or the entertainment equipment).

Furthermore, the operation information may include power information regarding the power consumption of the piece of specific electric equipment X. For example, in response to the power consumption of the piece of specific electric equipment X has increased by a predetermined value, the operation information may include power information indicating that the power consumption of the piece of specific electric equipment X has increased. In addition, in response to the power consumption of the piece of specific electric equipment X has decreased by a predetermined value, the operation information may include power information indicating that the power consumption of the piece of specific electric equipment X has decreased.

The operation information may include communication traffic information regarding the communication traffic of the piece of specific electric equipment X (for example, the communication equipment). For example, in response to the communication traffic of the piece of specific electric equipment X has increased by a predetermined value, the operation information may include communication traffic information indicating that the communication traffic of the piece of specific electric equipment X has increased. In addition, in response to the communication traffic of the piece of specific electric equipment X has decreased by a predetermined value, the operation information may include communication traffic information indicating that the communication traffic of the piece of specific electric equipment X has decreased.

As illustrated inFIG.3, the first management server20includes a receiver21, a calculator22, a determiner23, and a transmitter24.

The receiver21includes a communication module and is configured to receive operation information from the management apparatus10.

The calculator22includes a control circuit such as a processor. The calculator22is configured to calculate a responsivity index indicating a possibility that a user is capable of responding to an external request, based on a piece of operation information related to the piece of specific electric equipment X among pieces of operation information received by the receiver21.

Here, in the embodiment, description will be made on the assumption that a higher value of the responsivity index corresponds to a higher possibility that the user is capable of responding to an external request. A lower value of the responsivity index may correspond to a higher possibility that the user is capable of responding to an external request.

For example, the external request may be a request to change delivery time of a delivery article from a delivery service provider, a request to provide labor such as housework, language lessons, and furniture assembly, a pet custody request, a request for deputy reception of a delivery article from a delivery service provider, a request to share a piece of communication equipment such as a communication router, and/or a request to share a parking lot.

The calculator22is configured to increase, in response to receiving, by the receiver21, the operation information including information indicating that the use of the piece of specific electric equipment X has been started, the value of the responsivity index for the user at that time. The range of the increase of such a responsivity index value may be predetermined.

On the other hand, the calculator22is configured to decrease, in response to receiving, by the receiver21, the operation information including information indicating that the use of the piece of specific electric equipment X has been terminated, the value of the responsivity index for the user at that time. The range of the decrease of such a responsivity index value may be predetermined.

The calculator22is configured to not change, in response to receiving, by the receiver21, the operation information including information indicating that the sleep state of the piece of specific electric equipment X has been started, the value of the responsivity index of the user at that time.

The calculator22may be configured to calculate the above-described responsivity index based on the operation information of the entertainment equipment among pieces of specific electric equipment X.

Alternatively, the calculator22may be configured to calculate the responsivity index of the user based on the operation information further including power information regarding the power consumption of the piece of specific electric equipment X.

For example, the calculator22may be configured to increase, in response to receiving, by the receiver21, the operation information including power information indicating that the power consumption of the piece of specific electric equipment X has increased, the value of the responsivity index for the user at that time. The range of the increase of such a responsivity index value may be predetermined.

On the other hand, the calculator22may be configured to decrease, in response to receiving, by the receiver21, the operation information including power information indicating that the power consumption of the piece of specific electric equipment X has decreased, the value of the responsivity index for the user at that time. The range of the decrease of such a responsivity index value may be predetermined.

Alternatively, the calculator22may be configured to calculate the responsivity index of the user based on the operation information further including communication traffic information regarding the communication traffic of the piece of specific electric equipment X.

For example, the calculator22may be configured to increase, in response to receiving, by the receiver21, the operation information including communication traffic information indicating that the communication traffic of the piece of specific electric equipment X has increased, the value of the responsivity index for the user at that time. The range of the increase of such a responsivity index value may be a predetermined width.

On the other hand, the calculator22may be configured to decrease, in response to receiving, by the receiver21, the operation information including communication traffic information indicating that the communication traffic of the piece of specific electric equipment X has decreased, the value of the responsivity index for the user at that time. The range of the decrease of such a responsivity index value may be predetermined.

The determiner23include a control circuit such as a processor. The determiner23is configured to determine whether the user is capable of responding to an external request based on the responsivity index of the user.

Specifically, the determiner23is configured to determine, if the responsivity index of the user is greater than a predetermined threshold, that the user is capable of responding to an external request. On the other hand, the determiner23is configured to determine, if the responsivity index of the user is lower than the predetermined threshold, that the user is not capable of responding to an external request.

The transmitter24includes a communication module. The transmitter24is configured to transmit, when the determiner23determines that the user is capable of responding to an external request, a message including information indicating that the user is capable of responding to an external request, to at least one of the second management server30or the predetermined terminal device40.

Here, the transmitter24may be configured to transmit the above-described message to at least one of the second management server30or the predetermined terminal device40by using an IF This Then That (IFTTT) service.

The transmitter24may be configured to transmit content data corresponding to the message transmitted to at least one of the second management server30or the predetermined terminal device40, to at least one of the management apparatus10or the equipment50owned by the user.

The content data may be content data corresponding to the external request, and may be, for example, delivery information regarding delivery. The delivery information may include at least one of reception time when the user receives a delivery article, delivery time of the delivery article, and/or a request to change the delivery time of the delivery article.

The second management server30is an external server such as a server of a delivery service provider. The predetermined terminal device40is a terminal device associated with the second management server30.

An example of an operation of the management system1according to the embodiment will be described with reference toFIG.4.

As illustrated inFIG.4, the management apparatus10detects the operating statuses of pieces of electric equipment A to X installed in a house H in step S1001, and transmits pieces of operation information regarding the operating statuses to the first management server20in step S1002.

In step S1003, the first management server20calculates a responsivity index indicating a possibility that a user is capable of responding to an external request, based on a piece of operation information related to the piece of specific electric equipment X among the received pieces of operation information. In step S1004, the first management server20determines whether or not the user is capable of responding to an external request based on the responsivity index of the user.

In step S1005, the first management server20transmits a message including information indicating that the above-described user is capable of responding to an external request, to at least one of the second management server30or the predetermined terminal device40. In step S1006, the first management server20transmits content data corresponding to the message, to at least one of the management apparatus10or the equipment50owned by the user.

According to the management system1according to the embodiment, it is possible to calculate the possibility that a user is capable of responding to an external request.

Modifications

A modification according to the first embodiment described above will be described below with reference toFIG.5, while focusing on differences from the first embodiment described above.

In the modification, each function of the first management server20described above may be configured to be implemented by the management apparatus10. In this case, as illustrated inFIG.5, the management apparatus10includes a detector11, a calculator22, a determiner23, and a transmitter24.

As illustrated inFIG.5, the management apparatus10may include an outputter13. The outputter13may include a display, or may include a sound outputter. The outputter13may output content data.

For example, the transmitter24may be configured to transmit the above-described message to at least one of the second management server30or the predetermined terminal device40by using the IFTTT service, in response to the detector11detects that both a television and gaming equipment are used for 10 minutes or longer, based on power consumption of the television and the gaming equipment.

Alternatively, the transmitter24may be configured to transmit the above-described message to at least one of the second management server30or the predetermined terminal device40by using the IFTTT service, in response to the detector11detects that both a television and a DVD player are used for 10 minutes or longer, based on the power consumption of the television and the DVD player.

Alternatively, the transmitter24may be configured to transmit the above-described message to at least one of the second management server30or the predetermined terminal device40by using the IFTTT service, in response to the detector11detects that both gaming equipment and a communication router are used for 10 minutes or longer, based on the power consumption of the gaming equipment and the communication router.

Alternatively, the transmitter24may be configured to transmit the above-described message to at least one of the second management server30or the predetermined terminal device40by using the IFTTT service, in response to the detector11detects that the charging state of a communication terminal device continues for 10 minutes or longer and a communication router is used for 10 minutes or longer, based on the charging state of the communication terminal device and the power consumption of the communication router.