JP7612482B2 - Energy Management Systems - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an energy management system for managed objects such as buildings.

There are energy management systems for managing energy in buildings. Energy management systems can collect and store measurement and metering data on equipment and the living environment, and graph the collected data (see Non-Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 1).

Energy managers register a wide variety of graphs for various purposes, such as checking energy usage, evaluating the efficiency of equipment operation, analyzing the causes of energy fluctuations, and evaluating the indoor environment, and refer to the registered graphs as needed. In large buildings where energy management is particularly important, it is not uncommon for the number of graphs to amount to several hundred.

In conventional technology, folders are created to classify registered graphs, making it easier for energy managers to refer to the desired graph. However, in building energy management, the following factors (I) to (III) mean that it takes time and effort to refer to the desired graph.

(I) The folder hierarchy is deep.
In order to identify the location where the energy usage has changed, the folders have a deep hierarchical structure. Fig. 33 is a diagram showing an example of a folder hierarchy for classifying energy management graphs. One or more graphs are registered in the folder displayed on the screen 100. In the example of Fig. 33, there are two levels, but depending on the building, the number of folder levels may be larger, such as building (first level) - floor (second level) - area (third level) - use (fourth level).

(II) There are a large number of folders.
Energy management tasks are diverse, resulting in a large number of folders. Examples of energy management tasks include, for example, management of actual and forecast energy usage, analysis of factors behind increases and decreases in energy usage, management of the operating efficiency of equipment and devices, evaluation of indoor environments, and verification of the effectiveness of energy-saving measures. In the example of Fig. 33, only folder 6 is expanded to display folders 6-1 to 6-5 under it, and folders 1 to 5 are not expanded. However, if multiple folders are expanded, they will not all fit on the screen, and the number of folders will increase to the point where a scroll bar is required.

(III) There are a large number of graphs in one folder.
A building contains equipment such as chillers, cooling towers, conveying pumps, air conditioners, and VAV (Variable Air Volume) units. Since there are multiple devices of the same type, many graphs with the same configuration are registered, resulting in a large number of graphs being registered in a folder. In particular, in large buildings that require energy management, it is not uncommon for there to be more than 100 air conditioners. In the example of Fig. 34, ten graphs, 1-1-1 to 1-1-10, are registered in folder 1-1 in the second layer. If a large number of graphs are registered like this, it will take a long time for the energy manager to refer to the graph he or she wants to see.

The cloud service disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 has a graph search function that aims to reduce the time and effort required to view the graph you want to see. When using the graph search function, you enter a search term in a search dialog box 101, as shown in Figure 35. The example in Figure 35 shows that by entering "Graph 2-" in the search dialog box 101, graphs 2-1-1 to 2-1-10 registered in folder 2-1 were found.

However, with such a graph search function, the following tasks (IV) to (VI) are a burden for energy managers, and improvements are needed.
(IV) The administrator must perform the same search every time.
(V) You need to remember the graph names.
(VI) Appropriate search terms must be entered to narrow down the graph.

The cloud service disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 also has a bookmark function. When using the bookmark function, the user can specify the graph they want to view and the date and time of the data to be displayed (bookmark name in Figure 36) as shown in Figure 36, thereby reducing the time and effort required to view the graph next time.

However, with the bookmark function, the following tasks (VII) and (VIII) are a burden for the energy manager, and improvements are needed.
(VII) If there are a large number of bookmarks, it becomes necessary to search for the bookmarks.
(VIII) It is necessary to update the data reference date and time of the bookmark.
For example, if you add a bookmark to a graph that displays monthly data from the previous year, the data specified in the bookmark may not be useful in the following year, and you will need to update the settings for the year to be displayed.

The usage of graphs in an energy management system has the characteristic that the timing of reference varies from graph to graph.
For example, the energy manager refers to graphs of energy usage of equipment that differs depending on the season, such as summer, winter, and mid-season.The energy manager also refers to a graph of energy usage of the entire building for the previous month in order to create an energy management report at the beginning of the month, and refers to a graph of energy usage of the entire building in the middle of the month to check the forecast and actual energy management targets for the current month.The energy manager also checks whether energy usage complies with the energy contract under specific conditions.

Despite the fact that the timing for referencing each graph differs in this way, the energy management system disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 has the problem of forcing the administrator to display a large number of graphs every time, forcing the administrator to search for folders and graphs, reducing the work efficiency of energy management tasks. In addition, the energy management system disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 has the problem of being unable to display graphs that are not referenced by the administrator but that are desirable to display as a priority. Graphs that are desirable to display as a priority include energy management graphs that are closely related to the season or time, and graphs that are not frequently displayed but are important for energy management and should be checked when certain conditions are met.

In large buildings where energy management systems are installed, energy management tasks are often carried out by multiple managers. Therefore, if there is a difference in skill between managers, this can lead to problems in the work (such as work efficiency), making it important to standardize the work. In order to standardize the work, it is desirable for managers to share the graphs they are referring to, i.e., to eliminate differences in information, it is desirable to prioritize displaying graphs that other managers consider important.

The energy management system disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a function that accumulates graph usage frequency and date and time data for each manager, and prioritizes displaying graphs that the manager has previously referenced. By prioritizing display of graphs that the manager has previously referenced, it aims to reduce the time and effort required to next reference. However, the energy management system disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not allow for prioritized display based on frequency of use, including by other managers of the building, so it does not reduce the burden on the manager, and improvements are required.

Large-scale buildings have a wide variety of equipment, including heat source equipment, air conditioning equipment, lighting equipment, sanitary equipment, and elevator equipment. Furthermore, even buildings with the same equipment configuration operate differently. Therefore, the energy management challenges differ from building to building. To carry out energy management work, it is important not only to pass on skills between managers, but also to share issues specific to each building. However, with the energy management system in Patent Document 1, managers are unable to share graphs that they consider important, which reduces the work efficiency of energy management work.

Patent No. 4278541

Tetsuya Takahashi et al., "Development of cloud services for buildings that contribute to the efficiency of building management operations - Overall picture and energy management functions", azbil Technical Review, April 2016 issue, pp. 34-40, 2016, <https://www.azbil.com/jp/corporate/pr/library/review/pdf/2016_04_8.pdf>

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide an energy management system that can reduce the time and effort required for an energy manager to reach the graph he or she wants to refer to.

The energy management system of the present invention further includes a measurement data acquisition unit configured to acquire measurement data related to energy management from a managed object, a graph definition unit configured to create graph definition information that defines a graph for energy management, a count acquisition unit configured to collect, for each graph, the number of times the graph was viewed and the number of viewing users who caused the graph to be displayed, a high frequency condition definition unit configured to create, for each graph, high frequency condition definition information including a reference count threshold and a reference user count threshold, and a high frequency condition determination unit configured to determine that a high frequency condition is satisfied for a graph in which the number of viewing users in a recent fixed period exceeds the reference user count threshold and in which the reference count in the most recent fixed period exceeds the reference count threshold, and to classify the graphs for which it is determined that the high frequency condition is satisfied as graphs for priority display, and to classify graphs for which the high frequency condition is not satisfied. and a display unit configured to display identification information of the graphs classified as priority display graphs in a display position of a priority display folder which is a display object on the screen, and to display identification information of the graphs classified as non-priority display graphs in a display position of the non-priority display folder which is a display object on the screen , wherein the measurement data is energy usage, electricity usage, water usage, and gas usage, the graph definition information is graph type definition information which defines the type of the graph and series definition information which defines the data to be displayed in the graph, and the high-frequency condition definition information is aggregation reset information which specifies a period for resetting the aggregation of the number of referring users and the number of references, the referring user number threshold, and the reference count threshold .

Moreover, the energy management system of the present invention includes a measurement data acquisition unit configured to acquire measurement data related to energy management from a managed object, a graph definition unit configured to create graph definition information that defines a graph for energy management, a time acquisition unit configured to acquire a current date and time, a date/time condition definition unit configured to create date/time condition definition information including information on a display month for each graph, and a date/time condition determination unit configured to determine that a date/time condition is satisfied for a graph whose display month matches the current month, and classifies a graph for which it is determined that the date/time condition is satisfied as a graph for priority display, and classifies a graph for which it is determined that the date/time condition is not satisfied as a graph for non-priority display. and a display unit configured to display identification information of the graphs classified as priority display graphs in a display position of a priority display folder which is a display object on the screen, and to display identification information of the graphs classified as non-priority display graphs in a display position of a non-priority display folder which is a display object on the screen , wherein the measurement data is energy usage, power usage, water usage, and gas usage, the graph definition information is graph type definition information which defines the type of the graph and series definition information which defines the data to be displayed in the graph, and the date/time condition definition information is information which specifies the display month, or information which specifies a range of the display month .

Moreover, the energy management system of the present invention includes a measurement data acquisition unit configured to acquire measurement data related to energy management from a managed object, a graph definition unit configured to create graph definition information that defines a graph for energy management, a time acquisition unit configured to acquire a current date and time, a date/time condition definition unit configured to create date/time condition definition information including information on a display date for each graph, and a date/time condition determination unit configured to determine that a date/time condition is satisfied for a graph whose display date matches the current date, and classifies a graph for which it is determined that the date/time condition is satisfied as a graph for priority display, and classifies a graph for which it is determined that the date/time condition is not satisfied as a graph for non-priority display. and a display unit configured to display identification information of the graphs classified as priority display graphs in a display position of a priority display folder which is a display object on the screen, and to display identification information of the graphs classified as non-priority display graphs in a display position of a non-priority display folder which is a display object on the screen , wherein the measurement data is energy usage, power usage, water usage, and gas usage, the graph definition information is graph type definition information which defines the type of the graph and series definition information which defines the data to be displayed in the graph, and the date/time condition definition information is information which specifies the display date or information which specifies a range of the display date .

Moreover, the energy management system of the present invention includes a measurement data acquisition unit configured to acquire measurement data related to energy management from a managed object, a graph definition unit configured to create graph definition information that defines a graph for energy management, a time acquisition unit configured to acquire a current date and time, a date/time condition definition unit configured to create date/time condition definition information including display time information for each graph, and a date/time condition determination unit configured to determine that a date/time condition is satisfied for a graph whose display time matches the current time, and classifying a graph for which it is determined that the date/time condition is satisfied as a graph for priority display and classifying a graph for which it is determined that the date/time condition is not satisfied as a graph for non-priority display. and a display unit configured to display identification information of the graphs classified as priority display graphs in a display position of a priority display folder which is a display object on the screen, and to display identification information of the graphs classified as non-priority display graphs in a display position of a non-priority display folder which is a display object on the screen , wherein the measurement data is energy usage, power usage, water usage, and gas usage, the graph definition information is graph type definition information which defines a type of the graph and series definition information which defines data to be displayed in the graph, and the date/time condition definition information is information which specifies the display time or information which specifies a range of the display time .

The energy management system of the present invention further comprises a measurement data acquisition unit configured to acquire measurement data related to energy management from a management target, a graph definition unit configured to create graph definition information that defines a graph for energy management, a data condition definition unit configured to create, for each graph, data condition definition information including information on quote points that specify measurement data to be input to a conditional expression among the measurement data displayed in the target graph, and information on the conditional expression, a data condition determination unit configured to determine that a data condition is satisfied for a graph in which the measurement data specified at the quote points or a representative value of the measurement data satisfies the conditional expression, and classifying the graphs for which it is determined that the data condition is satisfied as graphs for priority display and classifying the graphs for which it is determined that the data condition is not satisfied as graphs for non-priority display. the measurement data is energy usage, electricity usage, water usage, and gas usage, the graph definition information is graph type definition information that defines the type of the graph and series definition information that defines the data to be displayed in the graph, and the data condition definition information is information on the quotation point, data granularity, an aggregation type that specifies the format of the measurement data to be input into the conditional expression, and the conditional expression.

Moreover, one configuration example of the energy management system of the present invention further includes a prediction unit configured to calculate a predicted value of a quantity related to energy management of the managed object, and the data condition determination unit is characterized in that, when the predicted value is specified instead of measurement data in information of a quote point of the data condition definition information, the data condition determination unit determines that a data condition is established for a graph in which the predicted value specified at the quote point or a representative value of the predicted value satisfies the condition equation.
Furthermore, in one configuration example of the energy management system of the present invention, the display unit is characterized in that when identification information of a graph displayed on the display object is selected, the display unit displays the selected graph based on the measurement data acquired by the measurement data acquisition unit and the graph definition information.
Moreover, one configuration example of the energy management system of the present invention further includes a prediction unit configured to calculate a predicted value of a quantity related to energy management of the managed object, and the display unit is characterized in that, when identification information of a graph displayed on the display object is selected and the graph definition information of the selected graph specifies that the predicted value should be displayed, the display unit displays the selected graph based on the predicted value and the graph definition information.
Furthermore, in one configuration example of the energy management system of the present invention, when identification information of a graph displayed on the display object is selected and the graph definition information of the selected graph specifies that the predicted value is to be displayed, the display unit displays the selected graph based on the predicted value and the graph definition information.

According to the present invention, a user can quickly and with little effort access, from among a large number of graphs, a graph that is problematic in terms of energy management in a managed building. The present invention also makes it possible to classify graphs that the user has not noticed into graphs for priority display. As a result, the present invention can improve the efficiency of energy management work.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an energy management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a graph definition registration unit of the energy management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the priority display condition definition unit of the energy management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the priority display determination unit of the energy management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the graph definition registration unit of the energy management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the display unit of the energy management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the high frequency condition determination unit and the graph classification unit of the energy management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the high-frequency condition satisfaction determination process performed by the high-frequency condition determination unit of the energy management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a high frequency condition definition information input screen in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of folder display when graphs are classified as graphs with non-priority display in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of folder display when graphs are classified into graphs of priority display in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the graph definition registration unit of the energy management system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the date/time condition determination unit and the graph classification unit of the energy management system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a date/time condition satisfaction determination process performed by the date/time condition determination unit of the energy management system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a date/time condition definition information input screen in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of folder display when graphs are classified as graphs with non-priority display in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of folder display when graphs are classified into graphs of priority display in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a date/time condition establishment determination process performed by the date/time condition determination unit of the energy management system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a date/time condition definition information input screen in the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of folder display when graphs are classified as graphs with non-priority display in the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of folder display when graphs are classified into graphs of priority display in the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 22 is a flowchart illustrating a date/time condition establishment determination process performed by the date/time condition determination unit of the energy management system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a date/time condition definition information input screen in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of folder display when graphs are classified as graphs with non-priority display in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 25 is a diagram showing an example of folder display when graphs are classified into graphs of priority display in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 26 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the graph definition registration unit of the energy management system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 27 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the data condition determination unit and the graph classification unit of the energy management system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 28 is a flowchart illustrating the data condition establishment determination process of the data condition determination unit of the energy management system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 29 is a diagram showing an example of a data condition definition information input screen in the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 30 is a diagram showing an example of folder display when graphs are classified as graphs with non-priority display in the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 31 is a diagram showing an example of folder display when graphs are classified into graphs of priority display in the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 32 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer that realizes the energy management systems according to the first to fifth embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 33 is a diagram showing an example of a hierarchy of folders for classifying energy management graphs. FIG. 34 is a diagram showing an example in which a large number of graphs are registered in a folder. FIG. 35 is a diagram for explaining a graph search function of the prior art. FIG. 36 is a diagram for explaining a bookmark function of the conventional technology.

[Principle of the Invention]
As explained above, it is difficult for an energy manager to arrive at the graph he needs.
On the other hand, the inventor noticed that energy monitoring is different from equipment monitoring in that the same graph is not constantly monitored, but the timing and frequency of reference for each graph differs.The inventor also noticed that in order to improve the efficiency of energy management work in a large building, it is important not only for managers to transfer equipment-related skills to each other, but also for managers to share important energy management issues specific to the building.

[First embodiment]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an energy management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The energy management system includes a measurement data acquisition unit 10, an information storage unit 11, a time acquisition unit 12 (information acquisition unit), a count acquisition unit 13 (information acquisition unit), a graph definition registration unit 14, a priority display determination unit 15, a graph classification unit 16, a display unit 17, a display device 19, an input device 20 such as a keyboard or mouse operated by an administrator, and a prediction unit 21.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the graph definition registration unit 14. The graph definition registration unit 14 includes a folder definition unit 140, a graph type definition unit 141, a series definition unit 142, and a priority display condition definition unit 143. The graph type definition unit 141 and the series definition unit 142 constitute a graph definition unit 146.

Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the priority display condition definition unit 143. The priority display condition definition unit 143 includes a high frequency condition definition unit 1430, a date/time condition definition unit 1431, and a data condition definition unit 1432.

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the priority display determination unit 15. The priority display determination unit 15 includes a high frequency condition determination unit 150, a date/time condition determination unit 151, and a data condition determination unit 152.

In this embodiment, graphs that have been referenced a preset number of times or more by a preset number of managers in a recent fixed period are set as graphs to be displayed with priority. Since operations differ from building to building, it is clear that the energy management issues differ. Therefore, even if graphs with the same configuration are registered, the frequency with which managers reference the graphs will differ. If reducing the operating efficiency of heat source equipment rather than air conditioning equipment is an issue in a certain building, the number of times the graphs are referenced and the number of users who reference them will increase, so graphs related to heat source equipment are classified as graphs to be displayed with priority. In the energy management system of this embodiment, it is sufficient that the priority display condition definition unit 143 has a high frequency condition definition unit 1430, and the priority display determination unit 15 has a high frequency condition determination unit 150.

Figure 5 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the graph definition registration unit 14. The folder definition unit 140 of the graph definition registration unit 14 creates folder definition information that defines folders for classifying graphs, according to input from an administrator (hereinafter, referred to as a user) who uses the energy management system (step S100 in Figure 5). The folder definition information includes the number of the corresponding graph (graph ID), the name of the graph (identification information), the folder number (folder ID), the name of the folder, the folder ID of the upper folder, the name of the upper folder, etc.

The graph type definition unit 141 of the graph definition registration unit 14 creates graph type definition information that defines the graph type according to the user's input (step S101 in FIG. 5). The graph type definition information includes the graph ID, the graph name, and information on the graph type (time series graph, scatter plot, histogram, pie chart, etc.).

The series definition unit 142 of the graph definition registration unit 14 creates series definition information that defines the data to be displayed in the graph according to the user's input (step S102 in FIG. 5). The series definition information includes the graph ID, the name of the graph, the amount of measurement data or predicted value or temperature or frequency to be assigned to the vertical axis of the graph, the amount of measurement data or predicted value or temperature or time to be assigned to the horizontal axis of the graph, the measurement data or predicted value to be displayed in the pie chart, the maximum and minimum values of the vertical axis of the graph, the maximum and minimum values of the horizontal axis of the graph, the unit of the vertical axis of the graph, the period for obtaining the measurement data or predicted value of the vertical axis of the graph, and the period for obtaining the measurement data or predicted value of the horizontal axis of the graph.

The high frequency condition definition section 1430 of the priority display condition definition section 143 of the graph definition registration section 14 creates high frequency condition definition information according to user input for setting as priority display graphs those that have been viewed a preset number of times or more by a preset number of users in a recent fixed period (step S103 in FIG. 5). The high frequency condition definition information includes the graph ID, the graph name, the number of viewing users who have displayed the graph, and count reset information that specifies the period (e.g., half a month, one month, etc.) for resetting the count of the number of times the graph has been viewed, a threshold for the number of viewing users, and a threshold for the number of times the graph has been viewed. Note that the high frequency condition definition information does not need to be set if there is no input from the user.

The folder definition information, graph definition information (graph type definition information, series definition information), and high frequency condition definition information are stored in the information storage unit 11. This completes the definition of the folder and the graph to be registered in that folder.

Next, the measurement data acquisition unit 10 acquires measurement data such as energy usage, power usage, water usage, and gas usage at regular intervals from controllers and sensors in the managed building (not shown) via the network. The measurement data acquisition unit 10 adds the data number (data ID), data name, managed building number (building ID), building name, equipment number (equipment ID) from which the measurement data was acquired, equipment name, acquisition date and time data, and other data to the acquired measurement data, and stores the data in the information storage unit 11.

Figure 6 is a flow chart explaining the operation of the display unit 17. The display unit 17 displays folders (display objects) for graph reference on the screen of the display device 19 in accordance with the folder definition information stored in the information storage unit 11 (step S200 in Figure 6). In the initial state, the display unit 17 displays only the name of the top-level root folder and the folder mark ">".

When the user operates the input device 20 to select the root folder on the screen (YES in step S201 in FIG. 6), the display unit 17 changes the folder display to expand the root folder in accordance with the folder definition information (step S202 in FIG. 6). At this time, the display unit 17 changes the root folder mark ">" to a "V" indicating that there is a subfolder at the first level, and displays the name of the subfolder at the first level and the mark ">" for the subfolder at the first level in the display position below the root folder.

Similarly, when the user operates the input device 20 to select a first-level subfolder on the screen (YES in step S201), the display unit 17 changes the folder display to expand the selected subfolder in accordance with the folder definition information (step S202). At this time, if there is a second-level subfolder belonging to the selected first-level subfolder, the display unit 17 changes the mark ">" of the selected first-level subfolder to "∨", indicating that there is a second-level subfolder, and displays the name of the second-level subfolder and the mark ">" of the second-level subfolder in a display position below the selected subfolder. A similar display change is made when a subfolder on the second level or higher is selected.

Furthermore, when the user operates the input device 20 to select an expanded folder on the screen again (YES in step S201), the display unit 17 changes the folder display to collapse the selected folder in accordance with the folder definition information (step S202). At this time, the display unit 17 erases the display of the names of the subfolders belonging to the selected folder and the subfolder marks ">" and changes the mark of the selected folder back from "∨" to ">". The above-mentioned folder operations are the same as in the past.

When performing the above-mentioned folder operation, if one or more graphs are registered in the folder selected by the user, the display unit 17 changes the folder display so as to expand the selected folder in accordance with the folder definition information (step S202). At this time, the display unit 17 displays the name of the registered graph and the mark "⊥" indicating that it is a graph in a display position below the selected folder. This display method is the same as the example in FIG. 34.

Next, when the user operates the input device 20 to select the name of a graph on the screen (YES in step S203 in FIG. 6), the display unit 17 displays the selected graph based on the graph type definition information, series definition information, and measurement data specified by the series definition information of the selected graph (step S204 in FIG. 6). In this way, the user can refer to a desired graph (e.g., a graph of energy usage).
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to a particular type of graph, but can be applied to various types of graphs.

In addition, in the present invention, it is possible to display not only the measurement data, but also, for example, a graph of the predicted value of energy usage and a graph of the predicted value of received power. The prediction unit 21 calculates the predicted value of the amount related to the energy management of the managed object. The prediction unit 21 may set the average value of the energy usage in the most recent week as the predicted value of energy usage, or the average value of the received power in the most recent week as the predicted value of received power. The prediction unit 21 can also calculate the predicted value of future energy usage using a learning model based on the actual value of past energy usage and weather forecast data, or calculate the predicted value of future received power using a learning model based on the actual value of past received power and weather forecast data. Such a prediction method is disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1.

When using a predicted value, the display unit 17 displays the selected graph based on the graph type definition information, series definition information, and the predicted value specified in the series definition information of the selected graph (step S204).

When the user operates the input device 20 to erase the graph being displayed (YES in step S205 in FIG. 6), the display unit 17 makes the selected graph invisible (step S206 in FIG. 6).

When the graph classification is changed as described below (YES in step S207 in FIG. 6), the display unit 17 changes the folder display as necessary (step S208 in FIG. 6). Details of steps S207 and S208 will be described later.

Figure 7 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the high-frequency condition determination unit 150 and the graph classification unit 16 of the priority display determination unit 15. The high-frequency condition determination unit 150 acquires the graph IDs of all graphs registered in the energy management system from the folder definition information (step S300 in Figure 7). Next, the high-frequency condition determination unit 150 determines for each graph (each graph ID) whether high-frequency condition definition information is set (step S301 in Figure 7). The high-frequency condition determination unit 150 determines for each graph for which high-frequency condition definition information is set whether the high-frequency condition is satisfied (step S302 in Figure 7).

The graph classification unit 16 classifies graphs for which the high-frequency condition is determined by the high-frequency condition determination unit 150 to be true as graphs for priority display (step S303 in FIG. 7), and classifies graphs for which the high-frequency condition is determined not to be true and graphs for which high-frequency condition definition information is not set as graphs for non-priority display (step S304 in FIG. 7). Graph classification information indicating for each graph (for each graph ID) whether it is a graph for priority display or non-priority display is stored in the information accumulation unit 11. In this way, graphs are classified into either the priority display or non-priority display category.

The high frequency condition determination unit 150 and the graph classification unit 16 repeatedly execute the process of FIG. 7 at regular intervals (for example, every 30 minutes).
Next, the high frequency condition satisfaction determination process in step S302 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The count acquisition unit 13 counts, for each graph, the number of times the graph was displayed and the number of users who displayed the graph as information regarding the priority of the graph. Users can be identified, for example, by a login ID assigned to each user who accesses the energy management system.

The period for resetting the reference count and the number of reference users is set for each graph by the high-frequency condition definition information. The number of times acquisition unit 13 resets the reference count and the number of reference users to 0 for a graph that has reached the count reset period set by the high-frequency condition definition information, and restarts counting the reference count and the number of reference users. The reference count and the number of reference users counted by the number of times acquisition unit 13 are stored in the information accumulation unit 11.
In addition, in the present invention, when counting the number of referring users, if the same user refers to the graph multiple times, they are counted as multiple users (the number of login IDs of users who referred to the graph is counted).

In the high-frequency condition satisfaction determination process, the high-frequency condition determination unit 150 acquires the number of users who refer to the graph to be determined from the information storage unit 11 (step S400 in FIG. 8). Next, the high-frequency condition determination unit 150 determines whether the acquired number of users who refer to the graph exceeds the threshold value for the number of users who refer to the graph set in the high-frequency condition definition information for the graph to be determined (step S401 in FIG. 8).

If the number of reference users is equal to or less than the reference user number threshold (NO in step S401), the high frequency condition determination unit 150 determines that the high frequency condition does not hold for the graph being determined (step S402 in FIG. 8). If the number of reference users exceeds the reference user number threshold (YES in step S401), the high frequency condition determination unit 150 obtains the number of references to the graph being determined from the information accumulation unit 11 (step S403 in FIG. 8).

The high-frequency condition determination unit 150 determines whether the acquired reference count exceeds the reference count threshold set in the high-frequency condition definition information of the graph being determined (step S404 in FIG. 8). If the reference count is equal to or less than the reference count threshold (NO in step S404), the high-frequency condition determination unit 150 determines that the high-frequency condition is not satisfied for the graph being determined (step S402).

If the reference count exceeds the reference count threshold (YES in step S404), the high frequency condition determination unit 150 determines that the high frequency condition is satisfied for the graph being determined (step S405 in FIG. 8).
The high frequency condition determination unit 150 performs the high frequency condition satisfaction determination process (step S302 in FIG. 7) as described above for each graph for which high frequency condition definition information is set.

When a graph exists for which the high frequency condition determination unit 150 has determined that the high frequency condition is satisfied, the graph classification information stored in the information accumulation unit 11 is changed by the graph classification unit 16 (step S303 in FIG. 7).

When the graph classification information is changed (YES in step S207 in FIG. 6), the display unit 17 changes the folder display as necessary (step S208 in FIG. 6). Specifically, the display unit 17 displays the name of the graph newly classified as a priority display graph and the mark "⊥" in the display position of the priority display folder. Furthermore, if the graph newly classified as a priority display graph was displayed in a non-priority display folder (the same folder as before), the display unit 17 removes the name of this graph and the mark "⊥" from the non-priority display folder.

Next, a specific example of this embodiment will be described. When defining graph 10-1-1, the user sets high-frequency condition definition information as shown in FIG. 9. In the example of the high-frequency condition definition information input screen 90 in FIG. 9, when the user selects "Enabled" in the "Settings" list box, high-frequency condition definition information is set for graph 10-1-1. The user sets the aggregation reset period to 15 days, the reference user count threshold to 5, and the reference count threshold to 20.

After defining the graph, the high frequency condition determination unit 150 executes the process of FIG. 7 for the graph 10-1-1 at regular intervals (for example, every 30 minutes).
The count acquisition unit 13 counts the number of referring users and the number of referring users for 15 days, with the day on which the graph 10-1-1 is defined as the first day of the counting period and the next day as the second day of the counting period. When the counting period exceeds the count reset period, the count acquisition unit 13 resets the number of referring users and the number of referring users to 0, counts the day on which the reset was made as the first day of the counting period, and restarts counting the number of referring users and the number of referring users.

Let us assume that the number of referring users during the aggregation period of graph 10-1-1 is 4, and the number of references is 15. At this time, since the number of referring users is less than the referring user threshold (= 5) and the number of references is less than the reference count threshold (= 20), the high frequency condition determination unit 150 determines that the high frequency condition is not met for graph 10-1-1 (step S402 in FIG. 8).

Therefore, the graph classification unit 16 classifies the graph 10-1-1 as a graph with a non-priority display (step S304 in FIG. 7). Since the graph 10-1-1 has been classified as a graph with a non-priority display, there is no change in the folder display of the graph 10-1-1.
When a user accesses the energy management system, a graph 10-1-1 is displayed in the display position of the non-priority display folder on the screen 100 as shown in FIG.

As another example, suppose that the number of referring users during the aggregation period of graph 10-1-1 is 6, and the number of references is 21. At this time, the number of referring users exceeds the referring user threshold (= 5) and the number of references exceeds the reference count threshold (= 20), so the high frequency condition determination unit 150 determines that the high frequency condition is met for graph 10-1-1 (step S405 in FIG. 8).

Therefore, the graph classification unit 16 classifies the graph 10-1-1 as a graph to be preferentially displayed (step S303 in FIG. 7).
As a result, when the user accesses the energy management system, as shown in Fig. 11, the graph 10-1-1 is displayed in the display position of the priority display folder on the screen 100. Also, as is clear from Fig. 11, the non-priority display folders excluding the graph 10-1-1 are displayed (step S208 in Fig. 6).

In this embodiment, the user can quickly and with little effort access, from among many graphs, graphs that pose challenges in terms of energy management in the managed building. In addition, this embodiment makes it possible to classify graphs that the user has not noticed into graphs for priority display. As a result, this embodiment can improve the efficiency of energy management work.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. A user of the energy management system needs to refer to a graph related to the operation of a chiller that produces chilled water for air conditioning in the summer (June to September), a graph related to the operation of a hot water generator that produces hot water for air conditioning in the winter (December to February), and a graph related to the outdoor air cooling operation of the air conditioner mainly in the intermediate period (March to May, October to November). Therefore, in this embodiment, the graph whose designated display month matches the current month is set as the graph to be displayed preferentially.

In this embodiment, the configuration of the energy management system is the same as in the first embodiment, so the explanation will be given using the reference symbols in Figs. 1 to 4. In the energy management system of this embodiment, the priority display condition definition unit 143 only needs to have a date/time condition definition unit 1431, and the priority display determination unit 15 only needs to have a date/time condition determination unit 151.

Figure 12 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the graph definition registration unit 14 in this embodiment. The operation of the folder definition unit 140, graph type definition unit 141, and sequence definition unit 142 of the graph definition registration unit 14 (steps S100 to S102 in Figure 12) is as explained in the first embodiment.

The date/time condition definition section 1431 of the priority display condition definition section 143 of the graph definition registration section 14 creates date/time condition definition information according to the user's input for setting a graph whose specified display month matches the current month as a priority display graph (FIG. 12, step S104). The date/time condition definition information includes the graph ID, graph name, display month information, etc. In this embodiment, the display date and display time information do not need to be set. The display month may be set in a format such as December, or December 2020, for example.

The folder definition information, graph type definition information, sequence definition information, and date/time condition definition information are stored in the information storage unit 11. Note that the date/time condition definition information does not need to be set if there is no input from the user.
The operations of the measurement data acquisition unit 10 and the display unit 17 are similar to those in the first embodiment.

Figure 13 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the date/time condition determination unit 151 and graph classification unit 16 of the priority display determination unit 15. The date/time condition determination unit 151 acquires the graph IDs of all graphs registered in the energy management system from the folder definition information (step S500 in Figure 13). Next, the date/time condition determination unit 151 determines for each graph (each graph ID) whether date/time condition definition information is set (step S501 in Figure 7). For each graph for which date/time condition definition information is set, the date/time condition determination unit 151 determines whether the date/time condition is satisfied (step S502 in Figure 7).

The graph classification unit 16 classifies graphs for which the date/time condition determination unit 151 has determined that the date/time condition is met as graphs for priority display (step S503 in FIG. 13), and classifies graphs for which the date/time condition is determined not to be met and graphs for which no date/time condition definition information is set as graphs for non-priority display (step S504 in FIG. 13). As described above, the graph classification information is stored in the information accumulation unit 11.

The date/time condition determination unit 151 and the graph classification unit 16 repeatedly execute the process of FIG. 13 at regular intervals (for example, every 30 minutes).
Next, the date/time condition establishment determination process in step S502 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

The time acquisition unit 12 acquires the current date and time as information related to the priority of the graph (step S600 in FIG. 14). In the date/time condition establishment determination process, the date/time condition determination unit 151 determines whether the display month set in the date/time condition definition information of the graph to be determined matches the current month (step S601 in FIG. 14).

If the display month set in the date/time condition definition information of the graph to be judged does not match the current month (NO in step S601), the date/time condition judgment unit 151 judges that the date/time condition is not satisfied for the graph to be judged (step S602 in FIG. 14). If the display month set in the date/time condition definition information of the graph to be judged matches the current month (YES in step S601), the date/time condition judgment unit 151 judges that the date/time condition is satisfied for the graph to be judged (step S603 in FIG. 14).
The date/time condition determination unit 151 performs the above-described date/time condition satisfaction determination process (step S502 in FIG. 13) for each graph for which date/time condition definition information is set.

If there is a graph for which the date/time condition determination unit 151 has determined that the date/time condition is met, the graph classification information stored in the information accumulation unit 11 is changed by the graph classification unit 16 (step S503 in FIG. 13).
When the graph division information is changed (YES in step S207 in FIG. 6), the display unit 17 changes the folder display as necessary (step S208 in FIG. 6).

Next, a specific example of this embodiment will be described. When defining graph 9-8-5, the user sets the amount of heat produced by producing chilled water for air conditioning as the data to be displayed on graph 9-8-5. The user then sets the date/time condition definition information as shown in FIG. 15. In the example of the date/time condition definition information input screen 144 in FIG. 15, when the user selects "Enabled" in the "Settings" list box, the date/time condition definition information is set for graph 9-8-5. The user sets the display months to be June to September.

After the graph is defined, the date/time condition determining unit 151 executes the process of FIG. 13 for the graph 9-8-5 at regular intervals (for example, every 30 minutes).
Assume that the current month is May according to the information acquired by the time acquisition unit 12. In this case, since the current month does not match the display month (June to September) set in the date/time condition definition information, the date/time condition determination unit 151 determines that the date/time condition for graph 9-8-5 is not met (step S602 in FIG. 14).

Therefore, the graph classification unit 16 classifies the graph 9-8-5 as a graph with a non-priority display (step S504 in FIG. 13). Since it has been classified as a graph with a non-priority display, there is no change in the folder display of the graph 9-8-5.
When the user accesses the energy management system, the graph 9-8-5 is displayed in the display position of the non-priority display folder on the screen 100 as shown in FIG.

As another example, suppose the current month is June. At this time, the current month matches the display month (June to September) set in the date/time condition definition information, so the date/time condition determination unit 151 determines that the date/time condition is met for graph 9-8-5 (step S603 in Figure 14).

Therefore, the graph classification unit 16 classifies the graph 9-8-5 as a graph to be preferentially displayed (step S503 in FIG. 13).
As a result, when the user accesses the energy management system, as shown in Fig. 17, the graph 9-8-5 is displayed in the display position of the priority display folder on the screen 100. Also, as is clear from Fig. 17, the non-priority display folders excluding the graph 9-8-5 are displayed (step S208 in Fig. 6).

In this embodiment, if you want to prioritize displaying graphs related to hot water generator operation in winter (December to February), you can set the priority display start month to December and the priority display end month to February on the date/time condition definition information input screen. If you want to only display the graphs for the current fiscal year, you can enter dates such as 2020/12 to 2021/2 on the date/time condition definition information input screen.

If you want to prioritize displaying graphs related to outdoor air cooling operation during the mid-term periods (March to May, October to November), you can set the first priority display start month to March, the first priority display end month to May, the second priority display start month to October, and the second priority display end month to November on the date/time condition definition information input screen. If you want to only display for the current fiscal year, you can enter dates such as 2020/12 to 2021/2 on the date/time condition definition information input screen.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. A user of an energy management system needs to refer to a graph of the energy usage of the entire building in the middle of the month (the 15th) in order to check whether there is any discrepancy between the actual energy usage and the target value for one month, and to take necessary measures such as reviewing operations if there is a discrepancy. In addition, a user needs to refer to a graph of the energy usage of the entire building at the beginning of the month (the 1st) in order to create an energy management report for the previous month. In addition, in buildings, events may occur on specific dates every year. If there is equipment that is used only when an event occurs (for example, an air conditioner that operates when an event occurs), it is necessary to refer to a graph related to that equipment. Therefore, in this embodiment, a graph whose designated display date matches the current date is set as a graph to be displayed preferentially.

In this embodiment, the configuration of the energy management system is similar to that of the first embodiment, and therefore will be described using the reference symbols in Figures 1 to 4. In the energy management system of this embodiment, the priority display condition definition unit 143 only needs to have a date/time condition definition unit 1431, and the priority display determination unit 15 only needs to have a date/time condition determination unit 151.
The operations of the folder definition section 140, the graph type definition section 141, and the sequence definition section 142 of the graph definition registration section 14 are as described in the first and second embodiments.

The date/time condition definition unit 1431 of the priority display condition definition unit 143 of the graph definition registration unit 14 creates date/time condition definition information according to the user's input for setting a graph whose specified display date matches the current date as a priority display graph (FIG. 12, step S104). The date/time condition definition information in this embodiment includes the graph ID, graph name, and display date information. In this embodiment, the display month and display time information do not need to be set. The display date may be set, for example, to the 15th, or to a range such as the 14th to 16th, or to December 15, 2020.

The operation of the measurement data acquisition unit 10 and the display unit 17 is the same as in the first embodiment. The operation of the date/time condition determination unit 151 and the graph classification unit 16 of the priority display determination unit 15 (FIG. 13) is the same as in the second embodiment, so the date/time condition establishment determination process of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 18.

As in the second embodiment, the time acquisition unit 12 acquires the current date and time as information related to the priority of the graph (step S600 in FIG. 18). In the date/time condition establishment determination process, the date/time condition determination unit 151 determines whether the display date set in the date/time condition definition information of the graph to be determined matches the current date (step S604 in FIG. 18).

If the display date set in the date/time condition definition information of the graph to be judged does not match the current date (NO in step S604), the date/time condition judgment unit 151 judges that the date/time condition is not satisfied for the graph to be judged (step S605 in FIG. 18). On the other hand, if the display date set in the date/time condition definition information of the graph to be judged matches the current date (YES in step S604), the date/time condition judgment unit 151 judges that the date/time condition is satisfied for the graph to be judged (step S606 in FIG. 18).
The date/time condition determination unit 151 performs the above-described date/time condition satisfaction determination process (step S502 in FIG. 13) for each graph for which date/time condition definition information is set.

If there is a graph for which the date/time condition determination unit 151 has determined that the date/time condition is met, the graph classification information stored in the information accumulation unit 11 is changed by the graph classification unit 16 (step S503 in FIG. 13).
When the graph division information is changed (YES in step S207 in FIG. 6), the display unit 17 changes the folder display as necessary (step S208 in FIG. 6).

Next, a specific example of this embodiment will be described. When defining graph 30-10-7, the user sets the total building energy usage as the data to be displayed on graph 30-10-7. The user then sets the date/time condition definition information as shown in FIG. 19. In the example of the date/time condition definition information input screen 144 in FIG. 19, when the user selects "Enabled" in the "Settings" list box, the date/time condition definition information is set for graph 30-10-7. The user sets the priority display start date to the 14th and the priority display end date to the 16th.

After defining the graph, the date/time condition determining unit 151 executes the process of FIG. 13 for the graph 30-10-7 at regular intervals (for example, every 30 minutes).
According to the information acquired by the time acquisition unit 12, the current date is the 10th. In this case, since the current date does not match the display date (the 14th to the 16th) set in the date/time condition definition information, the date/time condition determination unit 151 determines that the date/time condition is not met for graph 30-10-7 (step S605 in FIG. 18).

Therefore, the graph classification unit 16 classifies the graph 30-10-7 as a graph with a non-priority display (step S504 in FIG. 13).
When a user accesses the energy management system, the graph 30-10-7 is displayed in the display position of the non-priority display folder on the screen 100 as shown in FIG.

As another example, suppose the current date is the 14th. At this time, the current date matches the display date (14th to 16th) set in the date/time condition definition information, so the date/time condition determination unit 151 determines that the date/time condition is met for graph 30-10-7 (step S606 in Figure 18).

Therefore, the graph classification unit 16 classifies the graph 30-10-7 as a graph to be preferentially displayed (step S503 in FIG. 13).
As a result, when the user accesses the energy management system, as shown in Fig. 21, the graph 30-10-7 is displayed in the display position of the priority display folder on the screen 100. Also, as is clear from Fig. 21, the non-priority display folders excluding the graph 30-10-7 are displayed (step S208 in Fig. 6).

In this embodiment, if you want to prioritize display at the beginning of the month (the 1st), you can set the priority display start date and priority display end date to the 1st on the date/time condition definition information input screen. If you want to only display this month, you can enter dates such as 2020/12/1 to 2020/12/12 on the date/time condition definition information input screen.

[Fourth embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In a building with a thermal storage layer, in order to reduce peak power consumption during the daytime (8:00-22:00), cold water or hot water for air conditioning is stored using inexpensive power at night (11:00-7:00) and the heat is released during the day. Users of the energy management system need to refer to graphs related to the thermal storage layer at night to check whether the thermal storage layer is being utilized and whether there is any heat loss. In addition, in buildings such as buildings, many air conditioners operate during the daytime, so it is necessary to refer to graphs related to the standard floor air conditioner and graphs related to the indoor environment during the daytime. Therefore, in this embodiment, the graph whose designated display time matches the current time is set as the graph to be displayed with priority.

In this embodiment, the configuration of the energy management system is similar to that of the first embodiment, and therefore will be described using the reference symbols in Figures 1 to 4. In the energy management system of this embodiment, the priority display condition definition unit 143 only needs to have a date/time condition definition unit 1431, and the priority display determination unit 15 only needs to have a date/time condition determination unit 151.
The operations of the folder definition section 140, the graph type definition section 141, and the sequence definition section 142 of the graph definition registration section 14 are as described in the first and second embodiments.

The date/time condition definition section 1431 of the priority display condition definition section 143 of the graph definition registration section 14 creates date/time condition definition information according to the user's input for setting a graph whose specified display time matches the current time as a priority display graph (FIG. 12, step S104). The date/time condition definition information in this embodiment includes the graph ID, graph name, and display time information. In this embodiment, the display month and display date information do not need to be set. The display time may be set, for example, to 7:00, or may be set in a range such as from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., or may be set to 7:00 a.m. on December 15, 2020.

The operation of the measurement data acquisition unit 10 and the display unit 17 is the same as in the first embodiment. The operation of the date/time condition determination unit 151 and the graph classification unit 16 of the priority display determination unit 15 (FIG. 13) is the same as in the second embodiment, so the date/time condition establishment determination process of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 22.

As in the second embodiment, the time acquisition unit 12 acquires the current date and time as information related to the priority of the graph (step S600 in FIG. 22). In the date/time condition establishment determination process, the date/time condition determination unit 151 determines whether the display time set in the date/time condition definition information of the graph to be determined matches the current time (step S607 in FIG. 22).

If the display time set in the date/time condition definition information of the graph being judged does not match the current time (NO in step S607), the date/time condition judgment unit 151 judges that the date/time condition is not satisfied for the graph being judged (step S608 in FIG. 22). If the display time set in the date/time condition definition information of the graph being judged matches the current time (YES in step S607), the date/time condition judgment unit 151 judges that the date/time condition is satisfied for the graph being judged (step S609 in FIG. 22). The date/time condition judgment unit 151 performs the above-described date/time condition satisfaction judgment process (step S502 in FIG. 13) for each graph for which date/time condition definition information is set.

If there is a graph for which the date/time condition determination unit 151 has determined that the date/time condition is met, the graph classification information stored in the information accumulation unit 11 is changed by the graph classification unit 16 (step S503 in FIG. 13).
When the graph division information is changed (YES in step S207 in FIG. 6), the display unit 17 changes the folder display as necessary (step S208 in FIG. 6).

Next, a specific example of this embodiment will be described. When defining graph 15-4-10, the user sets the cold water heat storage amount and hot water heat storage amount as the data to be displayed on graph 15-4-10. The user then sets the date/time condition definition information as shown in FIG. 23. In the example of the date/time condition definition information input screen 144 in FIG. 23, when the user selects "Enabled" in the "Settings" list box, the date/time condition definition information is set for graph 15-4-10. The user sets the priority display start time to 11pm and the priority display end time to 7am.

After the graph is defined, the date/time condition determination unit 151 executes the process of FIG. 13 for the graph 15-4-10 at regular intervals (for example, every 30 minutes).
According to the information acquired by the time acquisition unit 12, the current time is 13:00. In this case, since the current time does not match the display time (11:00 pm to 7:00 am) set in the date/time condition definition information, the date/time condition determination unit 151 determines that the date/time condition is not met for graph 15-4-10 (step S608 in FIG. 22).

Therefore, the graph classification unit 16 classifies the graph 15-4-10 as a graph with a non-priority display (step S504 in FIG. 13).
When the user accesses the energy management system, the graph 15-4-10 is displayed in the display position of the non-priority display folder on the screen 100 as shown in FIG.

As another example, suppose the current time is 11pm. At this time, the current time matches the display time (11pm to 7am) set in the date/time condition definition information, so the date/time condition determination unit 151 determines that the date/time condition is met for graph 15-4-10 (step S609 in Figure 22).

Therefore, the graph classification unit 16 classifies the graph 15-4-10 as a graph to be preferentially displayed (step S503 in FIG. 13).
As a result, when the user accesses the energy management system, as shown in Fig. 25, the graph 15-4-10 is displayed in the display position of the priority display folder on the screen 100. Also, as is clear from Fig. 25, the non-priority display folders excluding the graph 15-4-10 are displayed (step S208 in Fig. 6).

In this embodiment, if you want to limit it to the current day, you can enter the date into the date/time condition definition information input screen, such as 18:00 on 12/31/2020 to 1:00 on 1/1/2021.

[Fifth Example]
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. A user of an energy management system is required to reduce energy usage while also complying with an energy contract. When the received power approaches the contracted power, a power saving measure can be taken by preferentially displaying a graph related to the received power. By using a predicted value of the received power several hours ahead (e.g., three hours), measures can be taken at an earlier stage. Therefore, in this embodiment, a graph for which a conditional expression is satisfied for the measured data or the predicted value is set as a graph to be preferentially displayed.

In this embodiment, the configuration of the energy management system is the same as in the first embodiment, so the description will be given using the reference symbols in Figs. 1 to 4. In the energy management system of this embodiment, the priority display condition definition unit 143 only needs to have a data condition definition unit 1432, and the priority display determination unit 15 only needs to have a data condition determination unit 152.

Figure 26 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the graph definition registration unit 14 in this embodiment. The operation of the folder definition unit 140, graph type definition unit 141, and sequence definition unit 142 of the graph definition registration unit 14 (steps S100 to S102 in Figure 26) is as explained in the first to fourth embodiments.

The data condition definition section 1432 of the priority display condition definition section 143 of the graph definition registration section 14 creates data condition definition information according to the user's input for setting a graph for which a conditional expression is satisfied for measurement data or predicted values as a graph for priority display (step S105 in FIG. 26). The data condition definition information includes the graph ID, the graph name, a quote point that specifies the measurement data or predicted value to be input to the conditional expression among the measurement data or predicted values to be displayed in the target graph, data granularity, an aggregation type that specifies the format of the measurement data or predicted value to be input to the conditional expression, the conditional expression, and information on the judgment period condition.

Data granularity can be set to, for example, minutes, hours, days, months, or years. Aggregation types include raw data, where measured data or predicted values are directly entered, and representative values of measured data or predicted values. Representative values include maximum, minimum, average, and total values. Conditional expressions can be set not only as a single conditional expression, but also as the logical sum or product of multiple conditional expressions. Judgment period conditions can be set to, for example, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, 1 month, or 1 year.

The folder definition information, graph type definition information, sequence definition information, and data condition definition information are stored in the information storage unit 11. Note that the data condition definition information does not need to be set if there is no input from the user.
The operations of the measurement data acquisition unit 10 and the display unit 17 are similar to those of the first embodiment. As described in the first embodiment, the prediction unit 21 is capable of predicting the amount of energy usage and the received power.

Figure 27 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the data condition determination unit 152 and the graph classification unit 16 of the priority display determination unit 15. The data condition determination unit 152 acquires the graph IDs of all graphs registered in the energy management system from the folder definition information (step S700 in Figure 27). Next, the data condition determination unit 152 determines for each graph (each graph ID) whether data condition definition information is set (step S701 in Figure 7). The data condition determination unit 152 determines for each graph whether the data condition is satisfied for the graph for which data condition definition information is set (step S702 in Figure 7). In this embodiment, since the measurement data or predicted value input to the conditional expression is information related to the priority of the graph, the data condition determination unit 152 also realizes the function of an information acquisition unit that acquires information related to the priority of the graph.

The graph classification unit 16 classifies graphs for which the data condition is determined by the data condition determination unit 152 to be satisfied as graphs for priority display (step S703 in FIG. 27), and classifies graphs for which the data condition is determined not to be satisfied and graphs for which data condition definition information is not set as graphs for non-priority display (step S704 in FIG. 27).

The data condition determination unit 152 and the graph classification unit 16 repeatedly execute the process of FIG. 27 at regular intervals (for example, every 30 minutes).
Next, the data condition establishment determination process in step S702 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

The time acquisition unit 12 acquires the current date and time (step S800 in FIG. 28). In the data condition satisfaction determination process, the data condition determination unit 152 determines whether the judgment period condition set in the data condition definition information of the graph to be judged is satisfied (step S801 in FIG. 28). If the set judgment period condition is 30 minutes, the judgment period condition is satisfied when the current time is hh:30 or hh:00 (hh is 0 to 24). If the set judgment period condition is 1 day, the judgment period condition is satisfied when the current time is 0:00. If the set judgment period condition is 1 month, the judgment period condition is satisfied when the current date is MM month 1 (MM is 1 to 12). If the set judgment period condition is 1 year, the judgment period condition is satisfied when the current date is January 1.

If the judgment period condition is not satisfied (NO in step S801), the data condition judgment unit 152 judges that the data condition is not satisfied for the graph being judged (step S802 in FIG. 28). If the judgment period condition is satisfied (YES in step S801), the data condition judgment unit 152 aggregates the measurement data or predicted values of the quote points specified in the data condition definition information for the graph being judged in the format specified in the aggregation type and with the granularity specified in the data granularity (step S803 in FIG. 28).

When raw data is specified in the aggregation type, the data condition determination unit 152 acquires the measurement data or predicted value specified in the quote point. When a maximum value, minimum value, average value, or total value is specified in the aggregation type, the data condition determination unit 152 acquires the maximum value, minimum value, average value, or total value of the measurement data or predicted value specified in the quote point for the most recent period of the determination cycle width.

The data condition determination unit 152 then determines whether the value acquired in step S803 satisfies the conditional expression set in the data condition definition information for the graph to be determined (step S804 in FIG. 28). If the value acquired in step S803 does not satisfy the conditional expression (NO in step S804), the data condition determination unit 152 determines that the data condition for the graph to be determined is not established (step S802). If the value acquired in step S803 satisfies the conditional expression (YES in step S804), the data condition determination unit 152 determines that the data condition for the graph to be determined is established (step S805 in FIG. 28).
The data condition determination unit 152 performs the above-described data condition establishment determination process (step S702 in FIG. 27) for each graph for which data condition definition information is set.

If there is a graph for which the data condition is determined by the data condition determination unit 152 to satisfy the data condition, the graph classification information stored in the information accumulation unit 11 is changed by the graph classification unit 16 (step S703 in FIG. 27).
When the graph division information is changed (YES in step S207 in FIG. 6), the display unit 17 changes the folder display as necessary (step S208 in FIG. 6).

Next, a specific example of this embodiment will be described. When defining graph 20-8-1, the user sets the amount of received power as the data to be displayed on graph 20-8-1. The user then sets the data condition definition information as shown in FIG. 29. In the example of the data condition definition information input screen 145 in FIG. 29, when the user selects "Enabled" in the "Settings" list box, the data condition definition information is set for graph 20-8-1. The user sets the quote point to received power, selects 30 minutes in the data granularity list box, selects the average value in the aggregation type list box, selects ">1000" in the condition expression list box, and selects 30 minutes in the judgment period list box. Note that while the example in FIG. 29 shows a simple example, the logical sum or logical product of multiple condition expressions may be set as the condition expression.

After the graph is defined, the data condition determination unit 152 executes the data condition satisfaction determination process of step S702 for graph 20-8-1 at each determination period (30 minutes). Suppose the average value of the received power of the managed object for the 30 minutes from 12:00 to 12:30 is 950. When a determination is made at 12:35, the average value of the received power, 950, is less than 1000, which does not satisfy the conditional expression, so the data condition determination unit 152 determines that the data condition is not satisfied for graph 20-8-1 (step S802 in FIG. 28).

Therefore, the graph classification unit 16 classifies the graph 20-8-1 as a graph with a non-priority display (step S704 in FIG. 27). Since it has been classified as a graph with a non-priority display, there is no change in the folder display of the graph 20-8-1.
When a user accesses the energy management system, the graph 20-8-1 is displayed in the display position of the non-priority display folder on the screen 100 as shown in FIG.

As another example, assume that the average value of the received power of the managed object for the 30 minutes from 12:30 to 13:00 is 1020. When a judgment is made at 1:05, the average value of the received power, 1020, is greater than 1000, which satisfies the conditional expression, and therefore the data condition judgment unit 152 judges that the data condition is met for graph 20-8-1 (step S805 in FIG. 28).

Therefore, the graph classification unit 16 classifies the graph 20-8-1 as a graph to be preferentially displayed (step S703 in FIG. 27).
As a result, when the user accesses the energy management system, as shown in Fig. 31, the graph 20-8-1 is displayed in the display position of the priority display folder on the screen 100. Also, as is clear from Fig. 31, the non-priority display folders excluding the graph 20-8-1 are displayed (step S208 in Fig. 6).

When using the predicted received power value calculated by the prediction unit 21, the reference point of the data condition definition information can be set to the predicted received power value.

In the first to fifth embodiments, the high frequency condition, the date/time condition, and the data condition are determined separately, but it goes without saying that the first to fifth embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

The energy management systems described in the first to fifth embodiments can be realized by a computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device, and an interface, and a program that controls these hardware resources. An example of the configuration of this computer is shown in FIG. 32.

The computer includes a CPU 200, a storage device 201, and an interface device (I/F) 202. The display device 19, the input device 20, and the controllers and sensors to be managed are connected to the I/F 202. A program for implementing the energy management method of the present invention is stored in the storage device 201. The CPU 200 executes the processes described in the first to fifth embodiments in accordance with the program stored in the storage device 201.

The present invention can be applied to technology for displaying graphs for energy management.

10...measurement data acquisition unit, 11...information storage unit, 12...time acquisition unit, 13...count acquisition unit, 14...graph definition registration unit, 15...priority display determination unit, 16...graph classification unit, 17...display unit, 19...display device, 20...input device, 21...prediction unit, 140...folder definition unit, 141...graph type definition unit, 142...series definition unit, 143...priority display condition definition unit, 146...graph definition unit, 150...high frequency condition determination unit, 151...date/time condition determination unit, 152...data condition determination unit, 1430...high frequency condition definition unit, 1431...date/time condition definition unit, 1432...data condition definition unit.

Claims (9)

a measurement data acquisition unit configured to acquire measurement data related to energy management from a management target;
a graph definition unit configured to create graph definition information that defines a graph for energy management;
a frequency acquiring unit configured to collect, for each graph, a number of times the graph is viewed and a number of users who have viewed the graph;
a high-frequency condition definition unit configured to create high-frequency condition definition information including a reference count threshold and a reference user count threshold for each graph;
a high-frequency condition determination unit configured to determine that a high-frequency condition is satisfied for a graph in which the number of referring users in a recent fixed period exceeds the threshold for the number of referring users and the number of references in a recent fixed period exceeds the threshold for the number of references;
a graph classification unit configured to classify a graph for which it is determined that the high frequency condition is satisfied as a graph to be displayed with priority, and to classify a graph for which it is determined that the high frequency condition is not satisfied as a graph to be displayed with non-priority;
a display unit configured to display identification information of a graph classified as a prioritized display graph at a display position of a prioritized display folder which is a display object on a screen, and to display identification information of a graph classified as a non-priority display graph at a display position of a non-priority display folder which is a display object on the screen ,
The measurement data includes energy consumption, power consumption, water consumption, and gas consumption,
the graph definition information is graph type definition information that defines a type of the graph and sequence definition information that defines data to be displayed on the graph,
An energy management system characterized in that the high frequency condition definition information includes aggregation reset information that specifies a period for resetting the aggregation of the number of reference users and the number of references, the number of reference users threshold, and the number of references threshold . a measurement data acquisition unit configured to acquire measurement data related to energy management from a management target;
a graph definition unit configured to create graph definition information that defines a graph for energy management;
a time acquisition unit configured to acquire a current date and time;
a date/time condition definition unit configured to create date/time condition definition information including information on the display month for each graph;
a date/time condition determination unit configured to determine that a date/time condition is satisfied for a graph whose display month matches a current month;
a graph classification unit configured to classify a graph for which it is determined that the date/time condition is satisfied as a graph for priority display, and to classify a graph for which it is determined that the date/time condition is not satisfied as a graph for non-priority display;
a display unit configured to display identification information of a graph classified as a prioritized display graph at a display position of a prioritized display folder which is a display object on a screen, and to display identification information of a graph classified as a non-priority display graph at a display position of a non-priority display folder which is a display object on the screen ,
The measurement data includes energy consumption, power consumption, water consumption, and gas consumption,
the graph definition information is graph type definition information that defines a type of the graph and sequence definition information that defines data to be displayed on the graph,
The energy management system , wherein the date/time condition definition information is information for specifying the display month or information for specifying a range of the display month . a measurement data acquisition unit configured to acquire measurement data related to energy management from a management target;
a graph definition unit configured to create graph definition information that defines a graph for energy management;
a time acquisition unit configured to acquire a current date and time;
a date/time condition definition unit configured to create date/time condition definition information including information on a display date for each graph;
a date/time condition determination unit configured to determine that a date/time condition is satisfied for a graph whose display date matches a current date;
a graph classification unit configured to classify a graph for which it is determined that the date/time condition is satisfied as a graph for priority display, and to classify a graph for which it is determined that the date/time condition is not satisfied as a graph for non-priority display;
a display unit configured to display identification information of a graph classified as a prioritized display graph at a display position of a prioritized display folder which is a display object on a screen, and to display identification information of a graph classified as a non-priority display graph at a display position of a non-priority display folder which is a display object on the screen ,
The measurement data includes energy consumption, power consumption, water consumption, and gas consumption,
the graph definition information is graph type definition information that defines a type of the graph and sequence definition information that defines data to be displayed on the graph,
The energy management system , wherein the date/time condition definition information is information for specifying the display date or information for specifying a range of the display date . a measurement data acquisition unit configured to acquire measurement data related to energy management from a management target;
a graph definition unit configured to create graph definition information that defines a graph for energy management;
a time acquisition unit configured to acquire a current date and time;
a date/time condition definition unit configured to create date/time condition definition information including information on a display time for each graph;
a date/time condition determination unit configured to determine that a date/time condition is satisfied for a graph whose display time matches the current time;
a graph classification unit configured to classify a graph for which it is determined that the date/time condition is satisfied as a graph for priority display, and to classify a graph for which it is determined that the date/time condition is not satisfied as a graph for non-priority display;
a display unit configured to display identification information of a graph classified as a prioritized display graph at a display position of a prioritized display folder which is a display object on a screen, and to display identification information of a graph classified as a non-priority display graph at a display position of a non-priority display folder which is a display object on the screen ,
The measurement data includes energy consumption, power consumption, water consumption, and gas consumption,
the graph definition information is graph type definition information that defines a type of the graph and sequence definition information that defines data to be displayed on the graph,
The energy management system , wherein the date/time condition definition information is information that specifies the display time or information that specifies a range of the display time . a measurement data acquisition unit configured to acquire measurement data related to energy management from a management target;
a graph definition unit configured to create graph definition information that defines a graph for energy management;
a data condition definition unit configured to create, for each graph, data condition definition information including information on a quote point that specifies measurement data to be input to a conditional expression among measurement data displayed on a target graph and information on the conditional expression;
a data condition determination unit configured to determine that a data condition is established for a graph in which the measurement data or a representative value of the measurement data specified at the quote point satisfies the conditional expression;
a graph classification unit configured to classify a graph for which it is determined that the data condition is satisfied as a graph to be displayed with priority, and to classify a graph for which it is determined that the data condition is not satisfied as a graph to be displayed with non-priority;
a display unit configured to display identification information of a graph classified as a prioritized display graph at a display position of a prioritized display folder which is a display object on a screen, and to display identification information of a graph classified as a non-priority display graph at a display position of a non-priority display folder which is a display object on the screen ,
The measurement data includes energy consumption, power consumption, water consumption, and gas consumption,
the graph definition information is graph type definition information that defines a type of the graph and sequence definition information that defines data to be displayed on the graph,
An energy management system characterized in that the data condition definition information is information on the quotation point, data granularity, an aggregation type that specifies the format of the measurement data to be input into the conditional expression, and the conditional expression . 6. The energy management system according to claim 5 ,
A prediction unit configured to calculate a predicted value of a quantity related to energy management of the managed object,
The energy management system is characterized in that, when the predicted value is specified instead of measurement data in information of a quote point of the data condition definition information, the data condition determination unit determines that a data condition is met for a graph in which the predicted value or a representative value of the predicted value specified at the quote point satisfies the condition equation. 7. The energy management system according to claim 1,
The energy management system is characterized in that, when identification information of a graph displayed on the display object is selected, the display unit displays the selected graph based on the measurement data acquired by the measurement data acquisition unit and the graph definition information. The energy management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
A prediction unit configured to calculate a predicted value of a quantity related to energy management of the managed object,
the display unit, when identification information of a graph displayed on the display object is selected and the graph definition information of the selected graph specifies that the predicted value should be displayed, displays the selected graph based on the predicted value and the graph definition information. 7. The energy management system according to claim 6 ,
the display unit, when identification information of a graph displayed on the display object is selected and the graph definition information of the selected graph specifies that the predicted value should be displayed, displays the selected graph based on the predicted value and the graph definition information.

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